Shane Hollander has always been easy to read. At Controlled Damage Studios, Montreal's most sought-after tattoo shop, he turns other people's stories into ink. Until Ilya Rozanov walks through the door asking for something permanent. One appointment should have been the end of it. Then they run into each other at the gym, and walking away stops being an option. Tension turns into something they call casual, simple, temporary no expectations. Lines blur. Because some connections leave a mark long before the ink does. And some choices become permanent whether you meant them to or not.

A year and a half after their lives took different turns, Julia and Joe are living in separate worlds: hers grounded in the routine of her New York bookstore, his swept up in filming projects across the globe. But when an unexpected reunion stirs up long-buried feelings, their paths slowly start to intertwine once more. **Sequel to The End of Beginning**