Throttled Read online

  “I should feel insulted that you’re moaning more now than when you were in the elevator.” He laughed, pushing harder on the tender flesh.

  I giggled, kicking my feet out of his hands. “I’m okay now. Let me grab my shoes before they send out the search party.” He backed away; grabbing my hand and helping me stand. “Fuck,” I said as his come dripped down my leg.

  “What?”

  “I feel like I just peed myself, damn it.” I sighed. “I can’t go down there like this.” I lifted up my dress, touching the wetness with my fingers.

  “You grab your shoes,” he said as he stood, “and I’ll grab a washcloth.”

  “Okay, but you get to do the honors,” I said as I walked to the bedroom with my legs as bowed out as possible. I didn’t want it to get on my dress any more than it already had.

  City entered the bedroom behind me, disappearing into the bathroom for a moment. I grabbed my pair of white tennis shoes I had brought just in case I needed some relief and waited for him.

  “Just stand there and let me do it all, sugar,” he said as he knelt down and disappeared under my dress. He wiped my legs gently before taking great care and probably joy in wiping his come from between my legs.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” I said, feeling a tingling from the warm washcloth.

  “I can control myself only for so long.” He laughed as his head popped out from under the layers of lace. “Give me your shoes.”

  I handed him my shoes and stood still looking down at the man I loved. I held his shoulder, trying to maintain my balance as he placed each shoe carefully on my feet and laced them up tight. They felt like tiny pillows, relieving the pressure in the muscles of my feet.

  “Better?” he asked, running his hands up my legs.

  “So much better. Thank you, City.”

  “It’s my job to take care of you,” he said as he stood and grabbed my chin. “I plan to spend my lifetime doing just that, sugar.”

  “Mmm,” I mumbled as he leaned forward and kissed me.

  I could’ve collapsed in his arms and fallen into a peaceful slumber, but there was a party going on downstairs and we were the main event. We couldn’t miss it even if we were exhausted. As we entered the ballroom, the party was in full swing. The DJ was playing instrumental music before dinner and many of the party guests surrounded the bar in conversation.

  “Hey, sister,” Izzy said as she walked toward me. “I’m so excited to be able to say that and it be true. I’ve always wanted a sister.” She wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me a little too tight.

  “Can’t breathe,” I whispered.

  “Man up,” she said as she released me.

  “I’ll be back ladies, I’m going to grab a drink at the bar with my boys,” City said as he kissed my cheek and left us alone.

  “Where’s your sister?” Izzy asked, looking around the crowd.

  “Don’t know and don’t give a shit either.”

  “You know you’ve turned into a badass with a potty mouth, Suz.” She smiled, shaking her head.

  “City. It’s all his fault.”

  “I’d like to think I played a part in it too.” She laughed.

  “You’re always getting me in trouble, Izzy.”

  “Me?” she asked, holding her hand to her chest.

  “Always.”

  A man cleared his throat next to us and we both turned in his direction. “Excuse me ladies, I don’t mean to interrupt.”

  “Well then don’t,” Izzy said, looking the stranger up and down.

  He was big and handsome as hell. He reminded me of an Italian version of the Rock. Muscles bulged from his suit, close shaven black hair, shimmering green eyes, and knockout lips. They were the puffy kind that fit his strong jawline perfectly and called the name of countless women.

  “Don’t be rude, Izzy,” I said, turning to face him. “How can I help you?”

  “I’m a friend of Thomas’ and he asked me to drop off a gift on his behalf.” The man held out an envelope and waited for me to take it.

  “Is he okay?” Izzy asked before I could thank the gentleman.

  “He is and he’s very sorry he couldn’t make it,” he said, looking down at Izzy as if he was not sure of how to take her change in attitude.

  “Don’t mind her,” I said to him, my eyes flickering between the two. “Thomas is her brother.”

  “Ah, you’re that Izzy,” he said, his lips turning up into a smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  She snarled, not entirely liking the shitty grin on his face. “And you are?” she said, holding out her hand for him to take.

  “James.” He grabbed her hand and stilled. “James Caldo.”

  “Never heard of you, Jimmy,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

  “Perfect,” he said as he brought her hand to his lips and placed a kiss just below her knuckles.

  I could feel the electricity between the two of them. Izzy basically eye fucked him as he kissed her hand. As soon as he looked up, her face went back to a pissed off sneer. The girl could play a good game, but to an observer, I could see the lust.

  I coughed, breaking the moment of awkwardness for myself. “Thanks, James. I’ll give this to Joseph for you. Why don’t you stay and enjoy the wedding?” I said, smiling at the man. He’d taken the time to get dressed up and I wanted to see Izzy’s squirm in all honesty.

  “What?” Izzy asked, turning toward me.

  “We have plenty of food and I’m sure the Gallos would love to talk with you about their Thomas.” Izzy gave me the death glare. “You can keep James company tonight, Izzy. You didn’t bring a date.” I smiled and I could almost see the venom dripping from her fangs.

  “I’d love to stay. Thank you. Izzy, would you like a drink?” he asked, still holding her hand in his.

  “Only because Suzy would want me to be a gracious host,” she said, looking at me out of the corner of my eye.

  “I don’t want to put you out or anything. I’m a big boy and can handle myself. I just thought you could use a drink to unwind a bit. You feel a little tense and that mouth of yours could get you into trouble.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter, Jimmy, but I’ll take the drink.”

  “It’s James,” he said, squeezing her hand.

  I’d been around Izzy enough to see when she was attracted to someone and she was to James. She may not want to admit it, Izzy often picked guys that she could push around, but I had a feeling James could give her a run for her money.

  “You two kids play nice,” I said as I waved and walked toward my husband. I curled my arms around his waist, leaning my head on his back as he stood talking to Michael. “Hey, baby. Someone dropped this off for us.”

  “What is it?” he asked as he grabbed the envelop from my fingers.

  “A card from Thomas.”

  I could feel his chest tighten before he tore the envelope open. His eyes scanned the card, his eyebrows drawing together as he read the message from Thomas.

  “What does it say?” I asked, dying to know what Thomas wrote.

  City sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before handing the card to me. “Read it for yourself, sugar.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked as I opened the card. He nodded and closed his eyes. Inside was a brief message from Thomas.

  Joe,

  Sorry I couldn’t be there for your wedding. I’m in deep… too deep to get away, even for your wedding.

  I’m safe, my cover still intact. Shit’s worse than we thought and I’m trying to bring them down as soon as possible. I couldn’t take the chance of blowing my cover and risking the lives of our family. This is the path I’ve chosen and I refuse to risk anyone’s life but my own.

  Please know I love you and can’t wait to meet Suzy. Give my love to everyone.

  Love Always,

  Thomas

  I closed the card and handed it back to City.

  He shoved it in the inside pocket of his suit. “Who gave it to yo
u?”

  “The man over there,” I pointed down the bar were James and Izzy stood with a shot in their hands. “The one with your sister.”

  “Who is he and why is he having a drink my sister?”

  “He’s Thomas’ friend and I invited him to stay and enjoy himself. Izzy will take care of him.”

  He rubbed his face. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said, his chest expanding before he exhaled.

  “Don’t worry, City. They’re like oil and water.” I lied to him. “You don’t have to worry about him. He knows all about your sister from Thomas.”

  “That may not be a good thing either. I’m going to go introduce myself,” he said, trying to break free of my grip.

  “Oh no you don’t. Give them some time to talk.”

  “I want to talk to him about Thomas,” he said, turning to face me with no smile on his face.

  “Come on kids,” Mrs. Gallo interrupted. “It’s time to be seated for dinner.”

  I smiled at him; happy that he couldn’t barge into the conversation his sister was having with James. It looked heated and made me giddy inside.

  “I would say you’re both in cahoots if I didn’t know any better,” he said before kissing my lips.

  “You’re going to need some fuel for our wedding night.” I laughed, burying my face in his chest.

  “Sugar, I could live off you alone.”

  “Pfft,” I said, pulling him toward the table at the front of the dance floor. “I wasn’t born yesterday, City. You do need to eat.”

  He leaned down, his hot breathe against my ear. “The only thing I need to eat is your pussy.”

  My core convulsed, the sated feeling I felt before evaporated and was replaced with lust and an ache between my legs. “Don’t you start,” I said as I took my seat.

  “I’ve only just begun,” he whispered in my ear as he pushed in my chair.

  I smiled, looking at the crowd, wishing I could run out of here and back to the suite with him. It would be hours before we could escape this place. I figured I’d use the time to torture him as much as he tortured me.

  Our guests started clinking their glasses as the rest of the wedding party was seated. I leaned over, placing my lips on his and inhaling the scent that was distinctly him–musky and male and pure sex. I ran my hand up his leg, resting it against his cock and squeezing. His body twitched as he sucked in a breath. He broke the kiss, looking at me with a mischievous grin.

  “Do it again and I’ll take you in the bathroom and fuck you. I don’t care who’s in there.”

  I bit my lip, trying to hide my laughter. He wouldn’t dare. I loved this man, caveman and all.

  I played nicely as we tried to eat our food, constantly interrupted by the clinking of the wine glasses. It was cute at first, but then it just became annoying. I was starving and eating had become impossible. After ten minutes of trying to choke down the steak, we both gave up and headed into the crowd to greet our guests we missed earlier.

  The rest of the evening was fantastic. It was amazing being surrounded by so much love. Everyone I cared for was there. Sophia and Kayden minus the little bundle of boy. My friends from work, the boys from the Neon Cowboy, and everyone else that played a role in our life. My parents and sister were there too, but they mainly stayed with my side of the family and stuck to themselves. Pity, really. The two sides would probably never mingle, but then again, I could choose whom I spent my time with.

  The most memorable part of the evening was our first dance as husband and wife. We picked ‘All of Me’ by John Legend as our song. It was City’s choice; I loved it and couldn’t deny him his request. It was perfect. It was our story tied up in one song. It was written for us, or at least it felt like it had been.

  City sang it in my ear as he held me against his body and we danced. Tears formed in my eyes. The man could be romantic and I believed every word of the song. Hearing his deep voice in my ear professing his love through lyrics made me melt. I buried my face in his chest, wiping my tears against his jacket as the song came to a close.

  He grabbed my face, looking into my eyes before he kissed me. The love I felt in this moment was almost overwhelming. Sometimes his touch made me feel weak in the knees like a teenage girl that was lovesick.

  I was blessed to spend an eternity with this man.

  Epilogue ~ Back to Reality

  We spent two weeks in Italy, touring my homeland and showing her the vineyard my family owned. It had been her first time outside of the US and I wanted her to experience the beauty that Italy had to offer. Suzy fell in love with the people of Italy. The culture is so different than in America. Life was slower; people enjoyed the simple things and didn’t move through their day at breakneck speed.

  Although neither of us wanted to say goodbye to Italy and head back to reality, the moment we walked into our home everything felt right. I carried her over the threshold, not wanting to break tradition and also being told by Suzy that it was a requirement. I laughed when she refused to walk into the house until I picked her up and carried her inside.

  Waking up in our bed made me feel more rested than I had in over a month. Suzy slept peacefully at my side with the sheet covering half her body. Her breasts were exposed, her hair flowing around her head, as she softly snored.

  I kissed her neck, feeling her pulse under my lips. She stirred, a small moan coming from her lips.

  “Morning, sugar,” I said against her skin.

  “Morning, husband.” She stretched, the sheet cascading down exposing her entire body.

  “I love the sound of that,” I said as I partially covered her body with mine.

  I slid my hand up her side, stopping on her breast, feeling the fullness in my hand. I rubbed my palm against her nipple feeling her twitch. I grabbed it with my fingers, giving it a slight tug.

  “Ouch,” she said, her face contorting.

  “Sensitive today. Is it time for your period?” Typically that was the only time she complained that my touch was too tough or abrasive.

  “I haven’t been keeping track. It must be,” she said with a yawn as I cupped her tit in my palm.

  “They feel fuller than usual,” I said, squeezing them lightly.

  “I probably gained ten pounds in Italy. The food was so amazing.”

  I looked down at her. I knew her body like I knew my own. I’d spent hours worshiping it. “Suzy, are you…?” I sucked in a breath. Suzy’s body hadn’t changed in the year since we met. No amount of pasta or Gallo family meals had added a curve to her hourglass perfection. Missing her period and her overly sensitive nipples had my mind spinning.

  “Oh no,” she said, sitting up quickly, grabbing her breasts. “I can’t be.”

  “I’m greedy and want you all to myself, but when it happens I’ll be the happiest man alive, sugar.” I touched her stomach, resting my hand against her skin and smiling.

  “I’m on the pill, but I missed a couple days with traveling. I can’t be,” she said, blowing out a puff of air, resting her hand against mine. “I’m sorry I forgot my pill, baby.”

  “I fucked you so much there should be quadruplets in there.” I laughed, moving to rest my head against her abdomen. She snaked her fingers in my hair, massaging my scalp. “There’s no greater honor than for a woman to carry a man’s child. Don’t ever say you’re sorry. When it happens it happens, but lets try to not have it happen so soon.” I kissed her stomach, making a ring around her belly button.

  “Your mom would be so damn excited,” she said, pulling my face up.

  “You’ll make her the happiest woman in the world someday, Suzy.” I kissed her lips, enjoying the feel of her against me. “But would you be happy, sugar?” I asked, looking into her eyes.

  “I’m not ready to give us up yet,” she whispered. Suzy swallowed hard and rubbed her forehead. “City, what if I am?”

  “If you are,” I said, rubbing her cheek with my thumb. “I won’t be pissed off. You’ll be carrying a part of us a
nd we’d still have nine months to ourselves before our world would be rocked.”

  “I’m not ready,” she whispered, her eyes closing as she frowned.

  “Sugar,” I said, touching her chin and forced her to look into my eyes. “You can handle anything. You’re stronger than you think and I’ll be here with you when it happens. Let’s not worry about something that we can’t control. We’ll find out soon enough if you or aren’t. You worry too much. I’m sure it’s just the stress of the travel. Let me help you forget.” I smiled as I watched her gnaw on her lip.

  “You’re right. I’m sure it’s from the stress of the wedding and travel. How are you going to make me forget?” she asked and wiggled her eyebrows.

  I crushed my lips to her mouth, devouring her lips. She melted into my touch, her mind occupied by the feel of my rough hands gliding across her soft skin. I made love to Suzy in our bed for the first time as husband and wife. Life couldn’t get any better.

  Christmas

  Suzy and I decided that we’d wait until Christmas day to share the news with the Gallo family. My parents had everything they could ever want and buying a gift for them was a bitch. The one thing we could give them that they couldn’t get anywhere else was the news of the impending birth of their first grandchild.

  “You ready for this?” I whispered to Suzy as we sat down on the couch.

  “Who’s going first this year?” Anthony asked, sitting next to Izzy on the floor.

  “I’ll go last,” Izzy said, leaning back looking uninterested.

  “That’s total bullshit, Izzy. You always want to be first,” Michael said, sitting down next to Mia on the love seat.

  She placed her hands on her chest as she spoke. “Being the baby earns me the right to always go first. I was left out of everything growing up. Christmas day was mine, all mine.”

  “Please, you were so far up our ass, you were never left out of anything,” Michael said, laughing and wrapping his arm around Mia.

  Suzy leaned over, whispering in my ear. “I’m kind of nervous. Everything is about to change.” Suzy turned her attention back toward the family.

  I nodded; leaning over so only she could hear. The shit was about to hit the fan, but for once, it would be a great thing. “Just be ready to have your eardrums shattered.” I laughed. God, the Gallos could be loud, but I imagined my mother’s happy screams would be near window cracking volume.

  “Why don’t we start oldest to youngest,” Anthony said, trying to be diplomatic.

  “That’s not necessary, your father and I don’t need presents,” Ma said, sitting in her chair next to the Christmas tree.

  My parents outdid themselves this year. The Christmas tree almost touched the ceiling. They never went with an artificial tree. My pop had to cut down a tree each year. My parents spent days finding just the right one on their property before cutting and hauling it inside. Thank God they had boys, because it took all of us to help him carry it inside and set it up. Ma spent days decorating it, adding ornaments that dated back to our childhood. The woman kept every decoration we ever made and they lined the tree.

  “Ma, stop. You and Pop deserve presents. You’ve always spoiled us and now it’s our turn to give back,” Izzy said, turning toward Ma. “Not really happy about the oldest to youngest thing, but I can wait.”

  “You’re a sweet dear,” Ma said, leaning forward, stroking Izzy’s cheek.

  I rolled my eyes. The sugar plum fairy must’ve invaded my sister’s body.