[Men of Inked 01.0] Throttle Me Read online

  “Sunshine here will take a sweet martini, Sandy. Anything you can make flavored, preferably.” I looked over at Suzy. “Right?”

  “Yes, thank you.” She looked out of place in a bar like this, but I wanted her at my side. She appeared to be a good girl with a clean mouth, but I could tell her mind was littered with filthy thoughts. She looked at me—no, stared at me—watching every movement and studying my entire body. She wanted me as much as I wanted her, even though she didn’t want to admit it or couldn’t. “You come here a lot, huh? Everyone seems to know you.”

  “The guys and I hang out here a couple nights a week after work, and it’s close to my house. It’s just a place I like to come to relax and unwind a bit after a long day.”

  She licked her lips, and I swear to fuckin’ Christ my cock twitched. I adjusted myself, trying to stop a full-on hard-on from catching her eye. I watched her legs as she shifted in her seat, rubbing them together before crossing them. I had her and I knew it, but the trick was to not scare her off.

  “What do you do, City?” She glanced at her hands, trying not to look at me.

  “I’m an artist. You?” I left it at that—sounded classier than “I’m a tattoo artist.” I was an artist at heart, but my canvas was human skin.

  “Teacher. What kind of artist?”

  She didn’t look like any schoolteacher I’d ever had. I wouldn’t have been able to pay attention in class with her walking around in heels and stretching to write on the chalkboard. “Tattoo,” I said as I pointed at the artwork on my arm. “You have any?”

  “Tattoos?” she asked as her eyebrows rose and her eyes grew wide.

  “Yeah, by the look on your face I’d say the answer is ‘no.’”

  “Oh no.” She laughed. “Needles scare the heck out of me.” Grabbing her drink, she gulped down half the martini without even blinking.

  “Do you swear?” I asked as she set the glass back on the bar.

  “What?” She gaped at me.

  “Do you swear? Simple question. You’ve said ‘heck’ and ‘friggin’’ so far, but nothing dirty.”

  “Oh, um, yeah, I swear.” Her cheeks turned pink and a small smile spread across her face. “I’m just used to watching my words with the kids around all day.”

  “Prove it,” I said, staring in her sapphire eyes.

  “What? Why?”

  “’Cause I need to know if it’s in you. Are you all good girl? Or is there something more underneath dying to come out?” I hid the smile and laughter that were so close to breaking free from my lips. The pink of her cheeks spread across her face. I knew I’d embarrassed her, but fuck, I needed to know if I stood a chance.

  “Yes, I swear. What do you think I am? I’m not a child, City.” She glared at me as she raised the drink to her lips and wrapped them around the rim. Fuck. I wanted those lips wrapped around my dick, taking me deep and sucking me off.

  “Never said you were, babe. Do you drink besides tonight?” I asked, now smiling because I knew she was upset. I liked the fire I saw in her eyes when I pointed out her good-girl qualities—she obviously didn’t like being labeled.

  “Sometimes. I’m just responsible. I don’t drink and drive. My dad used to be a cop, and it was drilled into my head at an early age.” The words she spoke hit me like a ton of bricks. Drunk driving was the one thing in the world that caused my blood to boil.

  Good-girl teacher with a cop father? Just my luck. “Nothin’ wrong with that. Virgin daiquiris aren’t always your thing, then?”

  “Why? Do I have to be a drinker? I mean, does it make me less of an adult?”

  “No, Suzy. Just trying to get a feel for who you are—what you are.”

  Her shoulders slumped and she seemed to relax a bit with my words.

  “Want another drink? You downed that one quick.” She’d surprised me with how fast she polished it off, so my question about her drinking had been answered, but I wanted to watch her get a little pissed.

  “One more and then I’m done,” she said.

  “You order your drink and I’m going to go talk to my friend over there real quick. He’s a mechanic. I’ll see what he can do with your car tonight.” Standing, I motioned to Sandy and pointed to Suzy.

  “Okay, don’t leave me alone here too long.”

  “Promise, two minutes, tops.” I walked away from Suzy as Sandy approached. The vultures would swoop in soon enough in my absence.

  “Bored with Sunshine over there, buddy?” Tank asked as he kicked back in his chair as the others laughed. Tank’s smile was wide, and the laughter only encouraged him further. “I can step in if you’d like. I wouldn’t mind spending the night with that sweet flower.”

  I sat down in my usual seat next to Bear. “You can fuck off tonight.” I pointed at Tank. “I don’t need your shit.” Tank just grinned. I knew he was fucking around, but it pissed me the fuck off. I’d known Tank for years, and although he could be a pain in the ass, he had a heart of gold.

  “Easy there, City. What the fuck crawled up your ass and died?” Bear said.

  “Nothing, man, long day. Sorry, brother.”

  “Sweet on that girl, huh? Never knew you were such an uptight dick, let alone overprotective of a woman,” Bear said.

  “I’m not, but fuck, the shit that comes out of your mouth just pisses me off at times.”

  “Sorry. Just fuckin’ with you.”

  “We’re cool.” I slapped Bear on the shoulder, hoping to change the mood. No matter what assholes the guys could be, they were still my friends. They always had my back. “I need a favor, Tank.”

  “Name it.”

  “Her car’s down the road and isn’t starting. It’s an easy fix to get it moving again, but there’s some other issue with it. Think you could take care of it for me and drop it by her place tomorrow?”

  “Sure. Whatever you need. You want me to just get it running or fix it for her?”

  “Fix it and I’ll pay for the repair. Don’t let her pay for anything. Just drop it in her driveway.”

  “Gotcha, kid. I’ll need her keys,” he said as he popped open a peanut and threw the shell on the floor.

  “I’ll get them to you before we head out. Thanks, man.” I stood quickly, needing to get back to Suzy. I’d already been gone too long.

  “Night. Enjoy the Sunshine. Don’t get burned,” Bear said. Motherfucker.

  A man stood over Suzy, invading her personal space, as she backed away as far as possible without falling off the stool. He looked greasy, with long, straggly hair, a dirty top, and stained pants, and he was covered in old, faded tattoos. I’d seen the motherfucker here before, and it never ended well. He always creeped women out, and someone always tossed him on his ass after he had one too many.

  “Excuse me,” I said as I stood behind him and waited for him to turn his attention toward me.

  “What?” he asked without turning around.

  “The lady doesn’t want to talk to you.” I squeezed my hands into fists and tried to keep my temper down for Suzy’s sake.

  “I didn’t ask your opinion.”

  Her eyes were wide, and she slowly shook her head at me. The anger was clearly evident on my face. I felt like I was breathing fire at this point.

  “Get the fuck away from my girl or it won’t end well for you.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stood there, unmoving. If it weren’t for Suzy I would’ve laid the motherfucker out by now, but she didn’t seem like the bar-fight type of girl.

  He squinted at her and looked pissed off, but what the fuck did I care? “I don’t see your name on her, dick.”

  “What’s going on over here?” Bear said behind me as I grabbed the bastard by the collar, getting ready to pound his fucking face into a bloody mess.

  “This asshole is bothering my girl. I think he needs to be taught a lesson.” I tightened my grip on the material that hung from his body.

  I could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. I knew Bear would seal the deal, and
the fucker would move on without me having to punch his fucking lights out. “Sorry, guys. You should be more careful about leaving your property unattended. Next time it may not be here when you get back. Would be a shame for something to happen to this beautiful creature.” The fucking bastard smirked.

  My fist landed against his face before I realized what I’d done. The fucker deserved far worse than a punch to his jaw. He was a sleazy-ass motherfucker bothering someone that obviously didn’t want to be touched. “Get the fuck out of here! Now!” I yelled as he lay on the floor holding his jaw.

  “Let’s go, asshat. Time for you to leave.” Bear picked him up and pulled him toward the door with his feet dragging across the wood planks. “Don’t fucking show your face in here again if you know what’s good for you.”

  I shook my hand as pain shot through my fingers. I knew I’d feel that punch for a couple of days, but it was worth it to lay that scumbag out and get him away from Suzy. “Are you okay?” I asked her as I flexed my fingers and studied her face.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you for saving me, again.” She smiled at me and looked at my hand. Her smile faded as she saw the way I moved my fingers. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, bastard had a bony-ass jaw, is all,” I said, shaking out the last pain in my knuckles.

  She reached out and held my hand. “Sandy, can we get some ice over here?” she asked over her shoulder as she stroked my fingers and rubbed my knuckles with her soft, warm hands. I wanted to close my eyes and relish the feel of her skin against mine. I wanted to touch her. I ached to kiss her, but this wasn’t the place.

  “Really, that’s not necessary. I just want to make sure you’re okay, Suzy.” I didn’t stop her from touching me. I could feel the heat from her skin even after her fingers had moved on to another part of my hand. My hands always hurt from working for hours on designs, so the fist to the jaw didn’t help them feel any better. I touched her cheek with my free hand, and she moved into my touch and searched for the contact. “You are okay, right?”

  “Yeah, that guy was creepy, but he didn’t hurt me. Thank you for coming back when you did.”

  “Sorry, I should’ve paid attention and shouldn’t have left you. I didn’t offend you with being possessive and calling you my girl? ”

  “Oh, no. I’ve never had anyone say that about me, ever.” Her lips turned down as she concentrated on my hands. How could no one ever call her “my girl”?

  “Hey.” I held her chin and forced her to look at me. “Every girl should hear those words in her lifetime.” I didn’t smile. I wanted her to know I was dead serious.

  “Yeah, well, I haven’t.” She let go of my hand and turned away from me, pulling out of my grip.

  I didn’t think I’d ever used those words when speaking of a woman, except Joni. A sharp pain hit me square in the chest as I thought of my ex, the only woman I’d ever loved. I had a reaction to Suzy like I did when I met Joni, and seeing another man bothering her made me see red. I wanted to protect her, unlike I had with Joni. I cleared my throat and shook my head, trying to rid myself of my lost love. “Well, it’s not too late for it to happen. I didn’t think I’d be sitting in a bar tonight talking to such a beautiful woman, but here I am. Your story has yet to be written.”

  “I’ll never give up on my fairytale,” she said as she let go of my hand and picked up her martini, swallowing the last drops. “Is it hot in here?” She pulled on her tank top, moving it back and forth to cool her skin. Every time the material moved away from her flesh, I’d get a peek of breast, and I had to force myself not to stare.

  “Want to take a ride on the bike to cool off?” I asked. I wanted to feel her body against mine again, hugging my hips with her thighs, her arms wrapped around me.

  She rubbed her forehead. “I’m feeling a bit lightheaded. I shouldn’t have had two drinks.”

  “I’ll make sure you don’t fall off the bike. Just hold on tight and I’ll get you home safely.” I touched her knee, wanting to see if she’d pull away from me, but she didn’t. The skin was soft and smooth, and I wanted to run my hands up her thighs and watch her head fall back in ecstasy. I wanted to take her home and have my way with her, but I couldn’t just ask her.

  “What about my car?” she asked breathily as I pulled my hand away. My touch had an effect on her, based on the tone of her voice. She wasn’t good at hiding her feelings.

  “I talked to Tank about it. He’s going to take care of it tonight and drop it off in the morning. He just needs your keys.”

  “Really? He’d do that for me?” Her eyebrows shot up and her lips parted.

  “Yes, and for me. Keys?” I held out my hand to her, ready to ditch this fucking place.

  She dug through her purse, pulled out her keys, and placed them in my hand. She brushed her hair over her shoulder. I wanted to sink my teeth into her. I wanted to hear her moan, breathless underneath me. She truly was beautiful. She had an understated sex appeal to her. She didn’t flaunt the beauty of her body, and I didn’t think she even had a clue how fuckin’ hot I found her. She was the girl next door, the untouched bookworm that every guy wanted to conquer. I wanted to make her dirty. I wanted to make her scream filthy words while I fucked her. I wanted to corrupt this girl in the worst possible way. She would be a challenge, and maybe I’d found someone worthy of my time.

  “How will he know where I live?” she asked.

  “Registration in the glove box.” I twirled the keys in my finger and held my hand out for her to take. “Ready?”

  “Duh,” she said as she shook her head and grabbed my hand. All I could do was laugh. She wobbled on the high heels as she reached out and grabbed my shirt to steady herself. Sex didn’t ooze off of her. There was a quirkiness that I couldn’t put my finger on, but the sex kitten was there somewhere underneath the surface.

  “Home?” I wanted to ask her “your place or mine,” but I didn’t think she was that type of girl. My life had become an endless parade of those girls, and there wasn’t one thing that said “take me home and fuck me” about Suzy.

  “Yes,” she said.

  I motioned to Tank, and he walked toward us before we made it to the door. “Her car is two miles south, man. Can you have it done by tomorrow?” I asked as I placed the keys in his hand.

  “Sure, buddy. I’ll have it at her place as early as possible.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I shook his hand.

  “Crap,” she said.

  “What?” I asked as we both looked at her.

  “I have to cancel my tow,” she said.

  “Here.” I handed her my phone. “Call them back before we hit the road.”

  “Thanks.” She walked away on shaky legs; the drinks must have had a greater effect on her than I had thought. She leaned on a table with the phone in her ear and her ass sticking out. Her skirt rode up, giving me a view of the back of her legs. The muscles flexed and moved as she swayed back and forth. I couldn’t imagine being tipsy and walking in those pointy fucking shoes. Women were insane.

  “Make sure her car is running good before you bring it back, got it? No shit-ass job, Tank. I don’t want her breaking down on the side of the road again.”

  “Got it. I don’t do half-ass work, City. Got a thing for this girl?”

  “I don’t have a thing for her—my dick does, but she’s just another woman. Stop busting my balls and do me this favor.”

  Tank laughed. “Sure. I gotcha. I’ll take care of the car and you take care of her—get her home safely.” He winked at me.

  I rolled my eyes and spoke through clenched teeth. “I’m always a gentleman, Tank.”

  “Like fuck you are, man. Kind, at times, a gentleman, never,” I heard him say as he walked away, twirling her keys in his fingers.

  “Okay, all done. Let’s bounce,” she said as she touched my shoulder.

  Did she just say bounce? Fuck me runnin’. I was in trouble with this girl. I knew it from the moment I saw her, but my cock didn’t want to
be the voice of reason. It never did—traitorous fucker. “Let’s get you out of here and out of those shoes, Suzy.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and helped her to the door.

  3

  Down & Dirty

  Suzy

  Did I just say bounce? Hello, the nineties want their phrase back. I’d never been the cool girl, the one that attracted the sexy guy, but hell, tonight I was in rare form. My legs felt like jelly as we walked out of the Neon Cowboy into the parking lot. I was thankful for the coolness of night and the fresh air. City made me nervous, and made every part of my body scream for his touch.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off his fine ass as he grabbed the helmet and turned toward me. “Can you do the helmet yourself or do you want me to do it for you?” he asked with his head cocked and a smile on his lips.

  I just wanted him to touch me. “Can you do it, please? I’m worried I won’t do it right.”

  “No problem, beautiful.”

  I closed my eyes. I could feel my body sway no matter how hard I tried to stand still. I felt amazing, like I was flying on a cloud. I opened my eyes to peek at him as he adjusted the straps. The world seemed to spin faster every time I closed my eyes. His fingers touched my skin and I swear electricity flowed through his hand. I wanted more—needed more.

  “All right, sexy. All ready.” Sexy? Oh God, I wanted this man. I watched as he climbed on the bike and held out his hand to me.

  “Here goes nothing,” I whispered before grabbing him and climbing on the bike.

  “Hold on tight.” He scooted back into my legs; my entire body felt like it was on fire as I wrapped my arms around his torso and locked my fingers together. His muscles moved underneath my fingertips and I wanted to rub them—no, I wanted to lick them. I squeezed my legs together, leaving no space between us as I leaned forward, resting my breasts against his back.

  “Where am I going?” he asked as he started the bike and cranked the engine.

  Please don’t let me be wrong. “Your place.” I held my breath as soon as I said the words and waited for him to laugh.