Throttle Me (Men of Inked) Read online

  “You know you want it, Suzy,” he said against my neck.

  “I don’t! Stop!” I pushed against him again but his weight was too much. I swung and connected with his face with a loud smack. My hand stung from the contact.

  His face moved away from my neck, as he looked me in the eyes. He glared at me with his mouth set in a firm line. “You hit me. What the fuck? I’m just giving you what you want, baby.”

  Clearly I had sent the wrong signals or he was just a dumbass. “Get the fuck off me.”

  “You’re such a prick tease in this outfit tonight. You can deny it all you want, but I know you want me.”

  “I do…” his lips were on me again before I could stop him. I struggled against him, bending my knee up to make contact with his balls, but hit nothing as his body flew backward.

  City held Derek by the throat bringing him to eye level. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size motherfucker?” City said with a look of pure hatred.

  “This has nothing to do with you, man,” Derek spat in his face. “This is between the lady and me.” Derek clawed at City’s hands trying to escape his grip.

  City turned toward me. “He your boyfriend?” His eyes moved over my body taking in my outfit. I shook my head, my hands gripping the car, not moving. “You want him to touch you?” He looked at Derek and then back to me.

  Derek’s face had turned a deep shade of red on the verge of purple as City’s grip increased. “No! I told him to stop!” I said. “But, I work with the scumbag. Don’t hurt him.”

  City growled as his chest heaved with the rough breaths he drew while deciding his next action. “Fuck,” he muttered before dropping Derek to the ground.

  Derek gasped for air as he tried to stand but collapsed on his hands and knees. Air filled my lungs and I realized I had held my breath waiting for City to beat the hell out of Derek before my eyes. Did he deserve it? Hell yes, but I didn’t want to witness it or deal with the aftermath.

  City stood in front of me, his fists clenched at his side as he stared at me. The hard features of his face looked more pronounced by his anger. His cheeks flexed, his nostrils flaring as he studied me. “What the fuck, Suzy? I called you and you don’t fucking answer and then you’re here with this fucking prick and almost let him maul you in a parking lot.” Running his fingers through his hair, he turns and looks at Derek before returning his attention back to me.

  “I’m sorr-ry.” I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t have an excuse. “I didn’t know I had to answer to you. You seemed to have your hands full inside anyway.” I snarled as I spoke.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Brunette, red dress, almost dry-humping you on the couch. Ring any bells?” Who the fuck was he to question my actions?

  “Fuck.” His arms flexed as he clenched his hands into a hard fist at his sides. “Kaylee means nothing to me.”

  “Neither do I, I suppose.”

  “Woman, you have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about.” He stepped closer and my body instantly registered his nearness, moisture pooling between my legs.

  I swallowed, the dryness in my mouth made it hard to move anything down my throat. “I saw your hands on her ass as she kissed you. How the hell do you explain that? It seems women have no value to you.”

  “Shut your mouth, Suzy. I followed you out here because I saw you stumbling out of here with someone I didn’t know. I came here to check on you. Kaylee is no one, hear me now, no one. I didn’t come here with her or ask her to sit on my lap. I was trying to be nice to her.”

  “Well, if nice means you feel her up, I’d say you were very kind to her.”

  “Suzy, listen to me. I called you and asked you back out. You blew me off. What was I supposed to do? Sit home and wait for you to call?” Breathing escaped me as he closed the small space between us.

  Tears began to stream down my cheeks as I took in the enormity of the situation. If City hadn’t stopped Derek would I have been able to get away from him? He just saved me and I was being a total bitch. The sob tore through my chest as I broke down. City wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead. He felt so right against my body. I felt safe and comfortable with him no matter how much we didn’t seem to fit on paper. He said nothing, but made sounds to calm me as I buried my face into the soft material of his t-shirt. My fingers found the piercing on his nipple as I toyed with it and tried to catch my breath.

  “Can I take you home, sugar?” he asked with his face buried in my hair.

  “Yes,” I whimpered, clinging to him like a lifeline.

  Without speaking he drew me into his arms, carrying me across the parking lot. I melted into him, resting my head against his shoulder. The thought of Kaylee still stung, but I couldn’t be mad at him anymore. He saved me from a totally fucked up night and for that, he earned my forgiveness. The jostling movement as he placed my bottom on the cool seat of his bike made my stomach churn. I said nothing as he put the helmet on my head and fastened the harness against my chin. He had the right mix of pissed off male and swoon worthy alpha to make any girl’s heart go pitter patter.

  “Can you hold on?” he asked as he held my chin between his fingertips.

  “Yes.” My tone was breathy and betrayed me with the sound of need.

  He climbed on the bike, scooting his ass between my legs and gripping the handlebars. I molded my torso against his and interlaced my fingers. The usual jitters I felt anticipating the ride ahead didn’t register.

  “Hold on, sugar.” He throttled the engine and took off for the short drive to my house. The cool air whipped my hair around as I nuzzled against his warm back. My mind grew blank with the movement of the bike and only the roar of the engine. I allowed myself to get lost in the moment and the sensation of the vibrations from the bike and feel of City between my legs.

  Lost in the City coma I didn’t notice as we pulled into my development and weaved through the winding streets to my house. Maybe I’d drifted off, but I wanted to stay like this forever – wrapped around his body, in a stress-free haze of contentment. I mumbled against his shirt as he turned off the bike, placing his feet on the ground, securing it and tapping my hands. “Sugar, we’re here.”

  “Mm hmm,” I said into his back before raising my head and looking through blurry eyes at my house. I sat up, letting go of his chest before wiping the drool off my lips. “Thanks, City. I don’t know what would’ve happen tonight if it weren’t for you.” I started to climb off the bike but didn’t have the energy and plopped back against the seat with a ‘Oomph.”

  City laughed as he climbed off, pulling me off the bike, cradling me in his arms. “Can I come in?” he asked, brushing his nose against my cheek.

  “Depends. You mad at me?” I asked, praying he said no.

  “I’m not mad. We gotta talk, Suzy.” His eyes begged me to let him in as his brows furrowed together.

  “Okay.” I rested my head against his hard chest and rubbed my palm against his pec.

  I handed him the keys as we approached the door. Anger was no longer visible, but the tilted grin I’d grown accustomed had vanished. He kicked off his boots before he walked across my white carpet, placing me on the couch. The couch dipped from his weight, but I couldn’t look him in the eye. I fiddled with my fingers as the silence became deafening. The alcohol-induced haze had started to wear off and I felt a small buzz.

  “Why the hell didn’t you call me today? I thought we made plans. What the fuck did I do wrong?” His words made me cringe; sadness was evident in his voice.

  “I wanted to put distance between us. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I shook my head meeting his eyes.

  “Distance? What for?” The space between his eyebrows drew together as the skin wrinkled in between.

  “I just don’t think we’ll work out” I shrugged.

  “Woman, you think too damn much and it’s fucked up. Blew my ass off for that douchebag tonight and how’d that shit turn out
for you?” He paused before continuing. “What makes you think we don’t have a shot?”

  I looked away from him, unable to look him in the eyes. “We’re just so different, City. I don’t see a future between us and at my age, I’m looking forward. I don’t live life by the seat of my pants like you. We have nothing in common and we run in different worlds.” Water clouded my vision as I stared at the wall across the room. I blinked trying to clear the tears from my eyes.

  Sighing he reached for my face, touching my cheek and pulling my face to look in his directions. “Look at me, sugar.” His eyes moved around my face. “I don’t know how you think I live and you sure as hell don’t know who I am. We’re getting to know each other, but you shut me out without a reason. You said it yourself, Sophia and Kayden are opposites but they work. Why couldn’t we?”

  I drew in a shaky breath his words making my heartache. “I know I said that, but I don’t know, City.”

  “What don’t you know? Talk to me.” His hand closed over my fist in my lap as he stroked his thumb across my sensitive skin.

  “I like you a lot. So much that it scares me and I don’t know if I could deal with the heart break when you walk out of my life.” The tear slid down my cheek as I spoke.

  “You never gave us a chance to see if we could work.” His finger slid across my skin, wiping the tear away.

  “You’re not a one-woman man. I could tell that about you and I don’t work that way. I don’t want to share you.”

  “Suzy, I’m not a whore. Since I met you last week I haven’t been with anyone else. I don’t want anyone else, just you.”

  “I’d like to believe that, but you looked a little too cozy with Karen tonight.”

  “Kaylee, not Karen. I’ll be totally honest with you about her. I had sex with her twice in my life. Not my proudest moment, but she offered and I accepted. She wants to be my girlfriend and I’ve told her no. I’m very clear with her that she and I are nothing and never will be. Should I have pushed her ass on the floor when she sat on my lap?”

  “No, I guess not.” I didn’t want to think about the visual I had of another woman sitting on him and fawning.

  “I wanted to be with you tonight. You blew me off. We had such a nice time last night and as soon as I brought you home, you shut down.”

  “I don’t know, City,” I said.

  “Joey,” he interrupted.

  “Joey, I watched Kayden and Sophia all night. They reminded me of what I want someday. I want someone that’s going to love me and be mine alone. I want to be important to someone,” I said staring into his eyes without blinking, worried another tear would slip down my cheek.

  “It’s what everyone wants…” he started to say.

  “Let me finish.” I shook my head. “I like you, Joey. No one has ever made me feel the way you do, but I can’t risk falling for you. I can’t have my heart broken.” I bit my lip trying to focus on pain instead of sadness. I didn’t want tears to flow freely. “I think it’s best if we stop now. The time we’ve spent together has been amazing, but I can’t do it anymore. I can’t lie to myself.”

  “May I speak now?” he smiled at me, but it was a sad smile.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think I’m incapable of love?” he stared at me waiting for an answer, his mouth was set in a firm line as waited for my answer.

  “No, I just don’t think it’s who you are now and I can’t wait around for that part of you. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”

  “Suzette.” Formal names always meant something serious. “I never allowed myself to think of a future with anyone, but last night I saw a world of possibilities. I realized what I was missing out on – I want what Kayden and Sophia have.” He squeezed my fingers and I watched his thumb rub the back of my hand. “Look at me. I’ve never allowed myself to get close to anyone in years, but your innocence and sweetness have pierced my heart.”

  “Oh,” I said my eyes growing wide with surprise.

  “I didn’t want to rush into anything with you. I don’t want to ruin anything, but you need to understand where I’m coming from. You need to know my past.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed before continuing. “I have been in love before. I had a fiancé and I thought my entire life was made. Plans don’t always work out exactly as we think.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said breaking a hand free from his grip, touching his cheek, running my thumb across the rough stubble.

  “It was a long time ago. We were in college and her name was Joni. We were high school sweethearts and attended college together.” He closed his eyes and I could see the pain on his beautiful features. “I loved her more than anything in the world and she was ripped from my life.”

  My heart skipped with the thought that anyone could break his heart. “A fucking drunk driver hit her on her way home from work and she was killed instantly.” He hung his head, hiding his face from my view. I could only imagine the pain that he felt losing his love that day in such a brutal manner. “I’ve never allowed myself to get that close to anyone after she died. It fuckin’ wrecked me and I didn’t know if I’d ever fully heal.”

  “I’m sorry, Joey,” I kissed his cheek, allowing him the time to gather his thoughts and hide a small part of himself.

  His eyes rose to meet mine. “You remind me a lot of Joni… your kindness and playful nature. It’s infectious. You two would’ve been good friends. She was my light and I couldn’t remember life without her until the day she died. I thought the heartbreak would kill me, Suzy. I’ve been so scared to open myself to anyone again, but you made me want to try. Don’t shut me out. I can’t promise forever, yet, but I want you to be mine, Suzy.”

  My breath caught. “What do you mean?”

  “Woman, I swear sometimes I have to spell shit out to you. For a smart girl, sometimes you amaze me,” he chuckled. “I want you to be my girlfriend. Mine and only mine; I planned to ask you tonight before you blew me off.”

  Yes, yes, yes! “What about you?” I asked. Would he see other girls – my heart couldn’t take that.

  “Just you, Suzy. I want a full commitment and it’s a two way street. Your body is mine… no one else. I’ve haven’t wanted to be with only one person in a long time.”

  “Okay,” I whispered a smile crept across my lips. My body vibrated with excited as his words sunk in. City wanted me to be his girlfriend. Wow.

  “So, you’ll be my girlfriend?” he asked needing confirmation.

  “Yes,” I said as I crawled into his lap. “I’ve never wanted anything more,” I said against his lips.

  “Mine,” he growled as he crushed his mouth to my lips. The kiss felt different than the others. There was a hunger behind it – a claiming.

  City lifted my body as he stood. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him back with more passion than I had before. I wanted him more than I ever did. I wanted to make love to him and convey all the passion I felt for him – I wanted to heal him. He may have been broken, but I’d help his heart heal and show him all the love I had to offer.

  Stitches

  Sharing my loss of Joni was easier than I thought. I rarely spoke about her and only my family knew about my past. I felt Suzy needed to know to understand. I owed it to her. I let it go beyond a casual relationship by meeting her friends and seeing her more than once. Fuck, I saw her more than any woman that I allowed in my bed since Joni.

  Placing her feet on the bedroom floor, she slid down my body before standing, leaning against me. Her soft eyes stared into mine as the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile. Cradling my face in her hands, she rose on her tiptoes and touched her lips to mine. She tasted sweet and my body craved more. We kissed with our eyes open and I watched as her pupil dilated and her blinking slowed. Her hands began to move and I heard the fabric of her shirt rustle as her knuckles brushed against my abdomen. I grabbed her hands, stilling them. “I undress you,” I said and her hands went slack at her side.

&
nbsp; She swallowed, smiling at me before lifting her arms. Lifting her shirt, I exposed her soft belly before the white lace of her bra became visible, her hard nipples called for my mouth. I dropped her shirt to the floor behind her and ran my hands down her still raised arms, over her collarbone, over her breasts and stopped at her nipples. I palmed her breasts in my hands and felt the heaviness in them. Her breathing changed as I ran my thumbs over her hardened nipples and I stared in her eyes. Her mouth opened and she sucked in a quick breath as her head fell back.

  I wanted to take her hard and fast, but after the talk we just had, I knew I had to show her the gentler side of sex. I couldn’t be rough with her, not this time at least. I had to show her that I cared for her and didn’t think of her as a fucktoy.

  I forced my hands to leave her breasts and moved over her soft stomach, hooking my fingers inside the cloth hugging her hips as I pulled her skirt down her legs, to reveal matching white lace panties. I kissed the delicate material and placed my knees on the floor. She stood there and swayed, but didn’t move.

  “Feet, sugar.” I tapped the tops of her feet as I waited for her to react. I could hear her giggle above me as she crawled out of her skirt and the sound of it made my heart skip a beat. Innocence and bliss. I grabbed her hips and moved her body until the back of her knees hit the soft mattress. She sat down and looked at me with wide eyes.

  “Lay back,” I growled as I held her knees, spreading them wide. “I want to taste that sweet pussy of yours. I’m going to devour you until you’re begging for my dick, sugar.” I grinned at her. I could hold out an eternity feasting on her body – worshipping her center with my tongue.

  She rested on her elbows and smirked at me as I sat between her knees. “All the way down, sugar.” I squeezed her knees in warning.

  “Damn, you’re pretty between my legs. I just wanted to watch you,” she said with a playful grin on her face.

  “Keep your eyes on me.” I reached for her lace panties and wrapped my fingertips inside the material.