The Gallos: The Beginning (Men of Inked #0.5) Read online

  “Kids,” he mumbled, stretching as he yawned.

  “It’s nice to drive them crazy for a change,” I said, still laughing as I thought about Izzy dropping the phone in horror.

  “What time is it?” Sal asked, turning on his side and resting his hand on my leg.

  “One.”

  “Mm, just enough time for a quickie.” He smiled up at me, sliding his hand between my legs.

  “Sal,” I warned, spreading my legs as I welcomed his touch.

  “Let them wonder why we’re late, Mar.” His fingers raked through my wetness, my body still ready from earlier.

  “You’re bad,” I whispered, lying back down.

  “I’m going to show you just how bad I really am,” he promised, kissing my hip as he slipped his fingers inside.

  Fuck. We were going to be really late. Sal wasn’t into quickies. It was against his nature. Inked and the kids would have to wait. It was adult time now, spending the day naked in bed with my husband, reliving our youth.

  Chapter 5 - Sal

  Strolling into Inked, the kids’ tattoo shop, we were about thirty minutes late. To my shock, Izzy wasn’t prowling at the entrance waiting for us.

  “Finally,” Izzy moaned, standing from her chair as I let Maria walk in front of me when we entered the work area.

  “Sorry,” Maria said, holding up her hands to stop Izzy from continuing. “We were busy.”

  “Hey, Pop,” Joe said, walking over to shake my hand and give his mother a kiss.

  “Hey, son,” I replied, looking around the shop. They’d done a ton of work. It looked nothing like it had when they purchased the store last year. Every time I visited, something would be changed, and I was truly in awe of their hard work. “It’s looking damn good in here.”

  “Thanks. Just when we think we’re done, Izzy has to change something. She’s so damn picky.” Joe rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath.

  “She’s a Gallo. Nothing is ever perfect.”

  “Fuck, I know it,” he hissed, raking his fingers through his hair as he walked back to his station.

  “So what was so important for me to see?” Maria asked, walking over to the wall and checking out some new artwork that had been hung. “These are stunning,” she said, touching the glass.

  “Thanks, Ma. I just hung them up the other day,” Joe replied, sitting in his chair as he cleaned off his workspace.

  “You made these?” she asked, staring at them in amazement.

  “Yeah.” He smiled, puffing out his chest as he took pride in his work.

  “You’re so talented, Joseph.” She turned, smiling at him.

  His face turned pink, showing a moment of embarrassment. Joe wasn’t one to take a compliment. “Thanks, Ma.”

  “I’m so proud of each of you. The shop looks amazing.” I beamed with pride, watching their faces light up. No matter how old they were, they still wanted our approval.

  “Thanks, Daddy,” Izzy said, giving me a peck on the cheek before grabbing Maria’s hand. “I wanted you to see how I changed the piercing room, Ma. Come see,” she said, pulling Maria toward the back of the shop.

  “Does it matter, Izzy? Why someone would want another hole in their body, I’ll never understand.” Maria shook her head as she sighed.

  “It’s decoration, Ma, and makes a statement. It’s about beauty, just like a tattoo,” Izzy answered.

  “A necklace is a hell of a lot easier and less painful than a piercing. Kids these days. Thank God you kids haven’t scarred your bodies in that way.” She looked around the room, watching their reactions.

  Each one of them looked away, staring at the floor or in the opposite direction. They didn’t have to admit it, but they all had a piercing. I hadn’t known firsthand, but their reactions confirmed it.

  “All of you?” Maria asked as she turned to look at each of them. “Damn. How do I not know these things?” She put her face in her hands, shaking her head.

  “It wasn’t important,” Anthony replied, looking at Maria when no one else would.

  “I think it’s important to know that my children added holes to their bodies. Jesus,” she hissed, moving toward Michael. “Did you do them all?”

  He shook his head, still staring at the floor as he whistled. “Nope,” he replied, not giving any more detail.

  She sighed, shaking her head. “Nothing I can do now.” She shrugged. “Show me the room, Izzy.”

  “I’m sorry, Ma,” Izzy stated, leaning over and kissing Maria on the cheek. “Don’t be mad.”

  “I’m not. You’re all grown and can make your own decisions. Just don’t hide anything from me again. Got it?” she asked.

  “Yes,” they each answered, nodding their heads as they looked at Maria.

  “Good. Now let’s see it.” Izzy smiled, grabbing Maria’s hand and taking her in the back room.

  “How’s business?” I asked, sitting down in Joe’s customer chair.

  “Busy. We’re booked the entire evening. People are still hungover from New Year’s,” Joe answered, kicking back in his chair and placing his hands behind his head.

  “I knew the shop would be successful. Is there anything I can help with?” They never asked for anything. Whether it was painting, picking out the location, or setting up a business, they handled everything and never asked for help.

  “Nah, Pop. We got everything handled,” Anthony replied with a giant smile on his face.

  “I’m always here if you ever need anything or just want advice.”

  “We know. How about we take you and Ma to lunch? Have you eaten?” Joe asked, rubbing his stomach. “I’m starving.”

  “Sure, son. I worked up quite an appetite this morning.”

  “Jesus,” Izzy groaned as she walked back in the room right as I made the statement. “I love you two, really, I do. But there are some things that aren’t meant to be shared.”

  I laughed, knowing she was probably right, but it was too much fun watching her freak out. “Okay, baby girl. You’re right.”

  “Did someone say lunch?” Maria asked, resting her hand on Izzy’s shoulder and smiling at me.

  “Yeah, Ma. We want to take you and Pop to lunch.” Anthony stood from his chair, tossing garbage that was on his station in the trash. “Up for it?”

  “I’m famished,” she responded, walking toward me.

  I slid my arm around her, tucking her under my arm. “How was the room, love?”

  “It’s beautiful. Way nicer than I’d expect for a room that inflicts so much pain.”

  “It’s not painful, Ma,” Mike stated, shaking his head as he locked up the register. “Some find it a turn-on actually.”

  Maria’s body jerked as she turned toward Anthony. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Nope,” Mike replied with a small smile.

  “I finally understand when Izzy says it’s too much information. I don’t want to know anymore. Take me to lunch.”

  “Anything you want, my love.” I smiled at her, holding her by the shoulder as we walked toward the door. “We’ll wait for you outside while you lock up,” I said, pushing opening the door and walking outside with Maria.

  “I’m proud of them, Sal. They’ve done so well, you know?”

  I stopped, moving her body in front of mine. Holding her face in my hands, I kissed her lips, inhaling her scent. “I do. They’re great kids. You’ve blessed my life more than I can ever express, Maria. I’m eternally grateful for everything you’ve done for our family. My family.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without such an amazing husband,” she whispered, rubbing her nose against mine.

  “I can’t wait to get you home.” I kissed her again, taking my time as I held the back of her neck, pulling her body against mine.

  “You’re insatiable,” she murmured against my lips.

  “Only for you.”

  I slid my hands down her back, groping her ass and grinding my cock against her. “This is only for you.”

&nbs
p; “Sal,” she moaned, her body stiffening as the door opened behind us.

  “Can’t leave you two alone for five minutes,” Anthony said, walking past us with a small smile on his face.

  “How do you think you were all born?” I asked, releasing Maria from my grasp and holding her hand.

  “I like to believe it was like the Immaculate Conception,” Izzy stated, standing behind us as we walked into the parking lot.

  “Someday you’ll have someone you can’t keep your hands off of, baby girl,” Maria said, squeezing my hand as we approached the car.

  “Shh,” I whispered. “I don’t want to hear that.” I wrinkled my nose, unable to think of my daughter as anything but a little girl.

  “Enough talking about love and all that mushy shit,” Anthony said, opening the car doors for everyone to pile in. “One car?” he asked, turning to face me as I was about to open our car door for Maria.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, opening the passenger door for my lovely wife.

  “Let’s hit the diner down the street. They have amazing burgers,” Joe said, climbing in the passenger seat of Anthony’s SUV.

  “We’ll meet you kids there. I want to be alone with your mother, and then we can head home from there.”

  “Okay, Pop,” Anthony replied, jogging around to the driver’s side as the rest of the gang piled into the vehicle.

  I closed Maria’s door, strolling to my side and climbing in. Starting the car, I placed my hand on the back of her seat, looking back before pulling out.

  “We could’ve gone with the kids, Sal.”

  I shook my head, looking at my beautiful wife. “Not as long as I have a hard-on. I don’t know what has gotten into me, Mar, but I feel like I did when I was twenty-five.” I pulled out of my parking spot, following behind Anthony as we left the parking lot.

  “They say we only get better when we age.” Maria smiled, touching my cheek with her soft fingers.

  “I can’t wait to see what the next thirty years holds, love,” I said, bringing her hand to my lips, kissing each finger tenderly as I drove.

  “Me either, Sal. There’s no one else I’d rather spend it with.”

  I don’t know what I did to deserve such a blessed life. To have the love of a good woman, amazing children who have grown up to be spectacular adults, and health on our side—it was more than I could’ve ever dreamed for when I was young. I was a proud father and husband, the best thing in the world.

  I had a feeling the best was yet to come.

  Men of Inked Series

  Reading Order

  Throttle Me - Book 1 - Joe’s Story

  Hook Me - Book 2 - Mike’s Story

  Throttled - Novella - Joe & Suzy

  Resist Me - Book 3 - Izzy’s Story

  Resisting - Izzy & James before the story

  Uncover Me - Book 4 - Thomas’ Story

  Untitled - Book 5 - Anthony’s Story

  All Men of Inked books are available on Amazon, iTunes,

  Barnes &Noble, Kobo, and GooglePlay.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading The Gallos, which is part of the Men of Inked series. For current readers, I hope this fills a void and makes you smile. I loved writing Maria & Sal, giving everyone a small glimpse into their lives. I can’t deny it, I felt dirty write their sex scene. I wanted to scrub my brain, erasing that image. It’s like walking in on your parents and being scarred for life, but as we know — everyone has sex, even our parents.

  Please take a moment and leave a review. They mean the world to me. I try and take time to read every review. Without readers and reviews, indie authors would have nothing.

  Sincerely,

  Chelle Bliss

  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss is an American author who writes stories about real-life scenarios with fantasy Alpha males. Her works include humor as well as steamy sex.

  Find Chelle here

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  Please continue reading for a sneak peek of Throttle Me – Book 1

  Throttle Me (Now Available)

  Copyright © 2014 Chelle Bliss

  The Darkness

  The moonlight filtered through the pine trees lining the fields, leaving shadows on the pavement. The crisp air that had been missing for months caressed my skin. Cranking up the radio, I sang along to Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body.” It was just the cool breeze, JT, and me. I couldn’t wait to crawl in my bed and close my eyes, getting lost in a dream world that had nothing to do with my current reality.

  The night had been perfect. I’d had dinner and drinks with my best friend, Sophia, and although I was exhausted from a long workday, I felt a sense of serenity. Spending time with Sophia always made me happy. She was like a sister to me, especially when she had lived with me for over a year. I felt like part of me had been missing since the day she moved out, leaving me behind.

  Dancing in the seat, screaming out the lyrics, I thought about how I wanted someone that would do everything the song described. No one had ever made me feel the way that JT sang about women. The steering wheel shook in my hands and a screeching sound pulled me out of my JT trance.

  “Damn it,” I said, hitting the steering wheel with my palm.

  The orange flash from my hazards blinked against the dark pavement as I pulled off the road and my car sputtered to a stop. Bad luck seemed to follow me. I squeezed the steering wheel, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. I knew the day would come, the day my car would die, but I prayed it would happen after my next paycheck…no such luck.

  Resting my head on the wheel, I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “Great, just fucking great.” I rocked back and forth, feeling sorry for myself, hitting my head on the cool plastic. I thought about whom to call or where to walk. I hadn’t passed a gas station or even a damn streetlight in miles. Without picking up my head, I reached for my phone, bringing it to my eyes.

  “Shit.” The screen wouldn’t power on after I hit every button I could think to press. It was useless. It was dead and now I was totally stranded. What else could possibly go wrong? Sighing, I sat up and glanced in the rearview mirror, but only the shadows from the trees filled my view. No cars, neon signs, or streetlights. Fuck.

  I placed my hand on my chest to feel the beat of my heart, which was so hard I swear it was audible. Visions from slasher movies flooded my mind. Girl deserted on the side of the road until she’s found by a handsome stranger that ends up being a serial killer.

  Should I start walking to God knows where? Do I just sit there and wait for a stranger to offer me help? I never liked feeling helpless—I was too smart to be helpless, but it was the only thing I felt in this moment. It could be hours before someone found me in my car.

  I grabbed my purse, dead phone, and keys, and climbed out of the car. My feet ached in the extra-high heels I wore. Leaning against the car, I gave my feet a moment to adjust, as I looked in both directions. Neither of my options were good and I was exhausted. My feet fucking screamed from standing still. Thank God I could sleep in tomorrow after the way this evening was ending. There was a gas station a couple miles back—better to go with what I knew than to walk into an uncertain future. I tapped the lock button on my key chain one more time, helping relieve my OCD need to double-check everything, before I started walking away.

  Barely clearing the trunk, a single light came over a small hill in the distance, hurting my eyes with the brightness. The roar of the engine grew louder as the distance closed. I waved my arms as a figure came into view, but the asshole biker drove right passed me as I screamed, “Hey! Hey!” The wind from his bike caused the dust on the road to kick up and fill my mouth.
r />   I turned around, coughing, and screamed toward the bike. I knew it was pointless. There was no way in hell he’d heard me yelling above the roar of his bike, but he had to see me. The red taillight lit up the road as he turned the bike in my direction. I swallowed hard, unsure if this was my best idea of the night—but I’d already made too many mistakes to dwell on that. He was my only hope of getting home.

  I stood there like a deer in headlights, unable to move, as I gaped at him. My hands trembled as the figure on the bike came to a stop. The engine was almost deafening, as I took in the sight of him on the machine. The bike was a Harley, a Fat Boy, with no windshield, chrome handlebars, and a dark body. He wore black boots, dark jeans, and a dark t-shirt. He was large and muscular, and I sucked in a breath as my eyes reached his handsome and rugged face. A playful grin danced on his lips as he watched me ogle him. Fucking hell.

  “Need some help, lady?” he asked, removing his helmet, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. The dark peaks stood up on the top, the sides were short and clipped, and the color matched the sky—dark. I couldn’t see his eyes; a pair of tinted glasses hid them. Could serial killers be so sexy?

  “Um, do you have a cell phone I could use to call for a ride?” I asked without taking a step in his direction. Don’t get too close—leave room to run. Who the fuck was I kidding? I couldn’t make it five feet in these damn shoes.

  “Sure.” As he leaned back on his bike, I studied his body as he dug in his pocket. The skintight jeans showed his muscles through the denim fabric. Everything clung to him. I wanted to poke him to see if he felt as hard as he looked. What the fuck was wrong with me?

  I was too busy staring to notice what he was holding out for me. “Lady, you wanted my phone?”

  Snapping back to reality with the sound of his deep voice, I took a step toward him, reaching for the phone. “Oh, sorry.”

  My fingertips grazed his palm, and a tiny shock passed between us. His fingers closed on my hand as I pulled away. My heartbeat, which had calmed, now began to pound feverishly in my chest. It had to be my hormones. I hadn’t had sex in God knows how long—I stopped counting after three months. The man in front of me wasn’t my type, but his sex appeal wasn’t lost on me. He looked like a whole lot of trouble, and I didn’t need that in my life.