[Men of Inked 01.0 - 03.0] Boxed Set

by Chelle Bliss

  “Derek? What the fuck, Suzy? You know that guy gives me the creeps.”

  I sighed as I leaned against the counter, wanting to smash my head into the gray Formica for being so stupid. “I know. I just wanted to forget City—epic disaster that I’ll tell you about someday. Anyway, City came to my rescue and took me home.”

  “Well, thank Christ for small miracles.”

  “He asked me to be his girlfriend, Sophia. Can you believe that?”

  “I do. You’re an amazing girl, little mama. Any man would be lucky to have you as his woman. City was smart enough to realize it. Kayden was the same way with me, but his hard exterior melted. Sometimes you just have to roll with it to get to the good stuff. Nothing in life is risk free, Suzy.”

  “I know, Sophia. My entire body vibrates when I’m around him, and my stomach fills with butterflies. I’ve never felt that way with anyone, and it scares the crap out of me. I tried to push him away, but he didn’t let me.”

  “You must have some fine shit.”

  I choked on my milk, and it started to come out my nose as I wiped my face. “What in the heck are you talking about, woman?”

  “Well, you tried to get rid of him, and I know you usually hold true to your plan, so I know you didn’t relent first and he came to you. Most guys would just say fuck that and walk away without looking back, but you must have something special that made him come back for more. Huh, who knew?” She giggled.

  “Shut it, whore. We had a long talk about relationships and love when he brought me home. He’s been hurt before and hasn’t had a real girlfriend in years.”

  “We’ve all been hurt before. It’s part of love. If you never hurt, then you’ve never truly been in love before, Suzy. What happened to him?”

  “His fiancée died,” I said, putting my cup in the dishwasher. I leaned against the counter and rested the phone against my shoulder.

  “Wow, that’s horrible. I couldn’t image losing Kayden. I’d be a complete and total mess. I don’t know if I’d love anyone the way I love him. I couldn’t allow myself to love anyone that way again if he was ripped from my life.”

  “Yeah, I just wonder if he’ll be able to make room in his heart for me. I’ll always be competing with her for his love, I’m afraid.”

  “It’s not a competition, sweetheart. There’s room for both of you. He’s taking a risk with you—just give him time to deal with his feelings. Don’t rush into the L-word.”

  “You did with Kayden,” I said, smiling even though she couldn’t see me.

  “I know.” She sighed. “I couldn’t imagine anyone else in my life. Kayden was it for me, babe. He ruined me and I could never be without him—I knew that after our first weekend together. It felt like all the planets aligned. I was finally with the man I was meant to be with my entire life.”

  “I’m just going to enjoy his glorious body filled with extra holes and pretty pictures. Jesus, girl, you should see his fine ass naked.”

  “Did you say ass?” she asked, sounding shocked.

  “I am an adult, Sophia. I do swear.”

  “I think City’s dick stirred your brain and altered your thought pattern. My Suzy sunshine never uses profanity,” she bellowed.

  “Suck it.”

  “What am I sucking?” she asked.

  “Kayden’s dong.” I started laughing at how immature that sounded.

  “Listen, whore, no matter what you do—do not fucking say ‘I want to suck your dong’ to City. His hard-on would vanish, as he would fall on the floor in a fit of laughter. It’s not sexy, not at all. Funny as fuck? Yes, but not come here and fuck me talk. Got it?”

  “I know. Just wanted to see what you’d say.”

  “Silly, girl. Oh, and don’t call it a penis. Use the dirtiest, crudest words you can think of when you speak to him. Men love it dirty and raw. If you can find it in the health teacher’s textbook, avoid it like the plague.”

  “Got it. All right, I’m going to go get ready.”

  “Where you going so early? Your ass usually isn’t out of bed before noon, and it’s only eleven.”

  “I have grocery shopping to do today, and I feel like browsing at a couple of stores. I plan to look at all the things I’ll never be able to buy. A girl can dream, right?”

  “Grocery shop today and window browse tomorrow. I’m so glad we have a long weekend, and I want to go shopping and have a girl’s day out. We need to practice your dirty talk.”

  “Don’t you want to stay home with him and Jett?” I asked, walking in my bedroom, searching my closet for something to wear.

  “Nah, let them have some male bonding time. What time you want to pick me up tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Noon, okay?”

  “I’ll be waiting for you, my pretty.” She cackled as she hung up the phone, and I shook my head. Sophia was going to make it a very long day.

  ***

  “Come on, you big pussy, let’s go inside,” Sophia said, yanking my arm as we sat in the parking lot of Inked. Once Sophia had something in her mind, she was like an Italian woman I knew—totally unbendable.

  “Sophia, please. It’s not nice to surprise him at work. What happen with the ‘no cling’ stuff?” I shook my head and put all my weight on the seat.

  “It’s not clingy. I want a damn tattoo. I want to surprise Kayden, and I never get a chance. I either have the baby or him with me. I’d rather him do it than some stranger. Please get out of the car before I pull you out by your hair.”

  Her hands were on her hips and she was giving me the pushy teacher look that always cracked me up. Sophia was just as much of a softy as I was, but her look was nastier and usually made people do as they were told.

  “Fine, but when it all implodes I’m blaming your bossy butt.” I closed the doors and hit my remote twice, making sure that no one could steal my collection of vintage hip-hop cassettes.

  Sophia whistled as we approached the door. “This is a nice shop, not like most of the shit-ass tattoo places around here.” She grabbed the door handle, and my palms began to sweat as my heart pounded in my chest, causing my breathing to grow ragged.

  “Can I help you ladies?” a man asked. He looked like a younger version of City. His muscles bulged from under his shirt; his arms, covered in tattoos, flexed as he rose from his chair.

  “I’d like to get a tattoo today. Any possibility of that?” Sophia asked.

  Looking around the shop as Sophia spoke with the one of the Gallo boys, I took in all the vibrant colors on the walls—reds and oranges with yellow on the ceilings. No white space invaded this realm of his life.

  I walked over to the beautiful artwork on the walls to get a closer look. The pieces on the wall were body parts that had been decorated with some of the most stunning work I’d ever seen. I turned my head and my stomach dropped. City was sitting next to a beautiful brunette with his hand on her breast and his face only inches away. They were laughing and talking, but he didn’t see me. They looked comfortable together, like there was something between them, or maybe there had been at some point. My heart thumped against my chest and I felt flushed looking at them.

  I walked back by the desk quickly and grabbed Sophia’s arm. “Can we go, please?” I asked quietly.

  She turned around and gave me a confused look. “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s touching some girl’s boob and I just can’t look at it. It hurts to see it.”

  She touched my shoulder. “Babe, it’s a boob. He’s an artist and some girls like tattoos on their breasts. It’s like a gynie looking at a snatch; it’s just another body part. Don’t get caught up in what you think you see.” She smiled.

  “You’re crude. It was more how they were looking at each other.” I shrugged.

  “Was he looking at her or what he was doing?” She eyed me.

  “He was looking at her breast, for Christ’s sake.”

  “He was looking at his lines. Calm the fuck down before you have a coronary. Lemme see.” S
he pushed me back and peered through the doorway to the tattoo area. “Look,” she said, yanking my arm and pulling my body to see what she saw. “He’s concentrating on his artwork.” She held my body so I couldn’t move, and forced me to view City touching someone else.

  “Call me a prude, but I don’t want to see it.” I pulled away from her grip. “I’ll go wait in the car—you get your tattoo or whatever. I can’t be in here, Sophia.”

  “God, you’re so dramatic. Get over your shit. He’s not fucking the bitch in the chair, he’s creating a masterpiece.” She looked pissed at me. “Suit yourself, go wait in the car and I’ll be out in a bit.”

  I pushed the door open as I heard Sophia say, “Hey, City.”

  Damn it. I wanted her to leave with me. I knew she was going to spill her guts, or should I say mine, and tell him everything that happened. I sat in my car and waited for over an hour. I tilted the seat back and closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun. I cracked the window an inch so I could feel the cold rush of wind on my face every so often.

  “What are you doing, sugar?”

  I jumped, his voice waking me from a nightmare. His face was buried in someone else’s legs, kissing them with his mouth like he had done to me the night before.

  “You scared the crap out of me. Jesus.” I placed my hand over my eyes to block out the sun as I looked out the window to see his beautiful body.

  “Why aren’t you inside with Sophia? What the fuck are you doing out here alone? You didn’t want to see me?” He looked hurt, but I couldn’t get the visual of him with the woman’s boob out of my mind.

  “I thought it was best if I waited out here.”

  “Are you going to open your door so we can talk face to face? Or am I going to talk to you through glass like it’s a prison visit?”

  “You looked like you had your hands full,” I said, and looked out the front windshield, avoiding his glare. “I’m sure you have more boobs to fondle.” What the hell was wrong with me? The pang of jealousy hit me hard, and it felt foreign. I had never been a jealous person. No one had evoked this kind of emotion before him.

  “Open the damn door, Suzy.” He pulled on the handle, bending down to peer through the window. “So that’s what it is. You’re jealous?” He laughed.

  I wanted to smack that shit-eating grin off his face. He looked so smug. “I’m not jealous.” When had I reverted to acting like a childish crazy person? Get a grip. I knew it was only part of his job, but it was foreign to me, and I couldn’t wrap my mind around the image and reality.

  “Sugar, come on. I wasn’t looking at her breast. I was working, for shit’s sake. It’s a piece of canvas to me. Don’t be jealous—although I kinda like that emotion in you. Shows me that you care.”

  “I need time to process it all. Did you start Sophia’s tattoo?” I asked, wondering how long I’d have to sit here.

  “She needed a break. I won’t go back in and finish until you get that fine ass out of that car and we talk about this.”

  The man knew how to hold me hostage. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before unlocking the door.

  City pulled on the handle, opening the door before crouching down next to me. “Sugar, look at me.” The grin on his face made me want to smack him. “Only you. She’s a married woman with children, and I’ve known her for years. I wasn’t staring at her nipples—I watch my lines. If I make a mistake, it can’t be fixed. Outta the car, Suzy.” He backed away and waited for me to climb out.

  Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it before he placed his arms on either side of my body, pinning me against the car. Rubbing his crotch against my stomach, he said, “You’re the only one that does this to me.”

  I wanted to stake my claim and ward off any woman that thought he could be theirs. His hand snaked around my neck, gripping me roughly as he crushed his lips against mine. My lips parted, granting him access as he pushed his stiff shaft against me.

  He broke the kiss and searched my eyes. “Are we good?”

  “I just didn’t like seeing it, City, especially so soon after seeing you with Kaylee. It’s going to take some getting used to for me.” I could get lost in his crystal blue eyes. “I’m sorry I was so childish,” I said as I leaned my forehead against his cheek.

  “Childish and jealous,” he stated. “I’ll be patient with you, but I’m going to make you pay later for your little temper tantrum.” He laughed.

  “What do you have in mind?” I asked with a cocked eyebrow and a grin.

  “It’s on a need-to-know basis, sugar, and you don’t need to know…yet.” He licked my bottom lip and grabbed my hand, pulling me to the shop door.

  “That’s not fair, City.”

  “Sometimes life isn’t fair, sugar. I can guarantee that you’ll be screaming through it, and it won’t be out of pain, unless you’re into that sort of thing.” He waggled his eyebrows and chuckled.

  Oh, hell. I knew trouble when I saw it, and it was standing right in front of me. City would be the death of me, but hell, at least I could say it was fun while it lasted. I did the thing I never, ever did—I took the plunge and jumped in feet first without holding my nose.

  16

  Fantasies

  City

  I had plans for my little darling. She needed to pay for her temper tantrum, but I wanted to give her plenty of time to think about her actions and worry about what was ahead of her.

  Suzy stared at the ground as we walked through the door of Inked. Mikey sat at the desk and was engrossed in his work until I cleared my throat. He looked up, a smile breaking out across his face.

  “Suzy, this is my brother Mikey.”

  “Michael,” he said, holding out his hand.

  Suzy smiled at him and placed her hand in his. “Nice to meet you, Michael.”

  “Pleasure is all mine.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it.

  “Hey, dickhead, break this shit up. Suzy’s mine.” I smacked his shoulder and gave him a glare.

  “I’m just giving her a proper welcome, bro. Chill the fuck out,” Mikey said, looking at me with a smarmy grin. Asshole.

  “Do you want to come in the back or stay out here with Mikey?” I emphasized “Mikey” just to get under his skin. He’d always been Mikey, but he didn’t like the nickname when women were nearby.

  “I’ll keep you company,” he piped in, and I turned to give him the look of death.

  “Um, I don’t know. I don’t really like blood. Is it bloody?” she asked.

  “Not too bad, sugar. Tattoos are done with needles, so there’s some.” I pulled her close and buried my face in her hair, inhaling her sweet, flowery scent.

  “I think I better wait out here,” she said into my chest.

  “I’ll keep her company—no worries, Joey.” The fucker winked at me, and I wanted to punch him in the face. I knew he was just fucking with me, because one thing my brother sure as fuck wasn’t was a woman stealer. He wouldn’t try and fuck Suzy or take her from me, but it still grated on my fucking nerves.

  I’d never felt so territorial over someone, and especially not as quickly as I had with Suzy. Maybe it was her similarities to Joni or her kind heart, but I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, and I sure as hell didn’t want to lose the opportunity to get to know everything about her.

  “I’ll be done soon with Sophia. I just have to finish the color.” I kissed her, making sure to leave her breathless and her mind only filled with thoughts of me before I left her in the capable hands of my wanker little brother. “Don’t let Mikey fool you. He’s not as innocent as he looks.”

  “I figured that. I’m not completely naïve.” I chuckled, because she was that naïve. Mikey had the look of a kindhearted person, with his charming, boyish good looks, but I’d seen him beat the piss out of men almost twice his size.

  “Okay, sugar. Just don’t believe a goddamn thing that comes out of that mouth of his, got me?” I smiled at her, and all I wanted to do is take h
er home and fuck her brains out, but I had to finish Sophia’s tattoo and leave these two to talk.

  “Gotcha, big guy. Go finish that tattoo so I can get her home to Kayden before he starts blowing up her phone. I’ll be okay.”

  “I still have plans for you, sugar. I haven’t forgotten. Catch ya in a few.” I slapped her ass hard enough for it to sting. She yelped and jumped from the quick swat.

  “Dang, City,” she said as she rubbed her ass, and I laughed as I walked to the back of the shop.

  Sophia was typing on her phone, and looked up as I approached.

  “Get the pussy out of the car?” she asked as I pulled on my gloves.

  “Yeah, we had a little talk.” I laughed. I sat down and grabbed my machine and dipped the needle in the yellow ink.

  “You have to understand her, City. She’s not like most girls. She’s in a class all her own,” Sophia said as she looked up from her phone.

  “Whatcha mean, darlin’?” I asked, rubbing the salve over the design before placing the needle against her skin.

  “She hasn’t really had a boyfriend or been in love. Shit, I’d never been truly in love with someone until I met Kayden. She’s not used to any of this. God, I’m so fucking this up, but you’re fucking killing me with that needle, City.” She giggled.

  “Just a little bit longer. Tell me more about her, Sophia. You guys were with each other, like, twenty-four-seven there for a while. What don’t I know about her? What won’t she tell me about herself?” I looked down and shaded in the beautiful hibiscus on her hip with shades of pinks and yellows.

  “Well, where should I start? I’m sure you’ve figured out she doesn’t swear, but trust me, that girl has one dirty-ass mind.” She laid her head back in the chair and her body grew less tense. Talking seemed to help people get their mind off the needle scraping against their skin.

  “Really? This I gotta hear.”

  “I don’t want to give away all her secrets, but she needs a guy like you.”