Marked by Grief — Caitlin Ricci

Six months after Kit lost his big brother to a drunk driver, he's alone and feeling like everyone has left him behind. He struggles to get out of bed, to feed himself, to talk to his parents. Worst of all, the man he loves, his brother's best friend, hasn't spoken to him since the funeral.

Tattoo artist Jason always planned to wait until Kit was a bit more experienced and mature before he told Kit how he felt about him. But Bear's death changes everything, and Jason opts to give Kit space to heal.

However, the next time they meet, Jason is startled at how far Kit has deteriorated, so he takes him home. Simply taking care of Kit isn't enough. Marking Kit with the tattoo he demands opens a window, but Jason still isn't getting through, until he begins ordering Kit around and sees how receptive Kit is to his strong hand.