“I know. It’s not always so easy.” I wanted to change the subject. “Do you want me to call my friend to pick me up?” I didn’t want to dissect my qualities at the moment.
“I’ll take you home after you’re done, okay?”
“Thank you. I have a ton of things to do today.” I had to grade papers—it was the end of the grading period, and grades were due on Monday morning. I had to make lesson plans and pay the bills before the weekend ended. My work never ended, not even on the weekends. Teachers don’t walk out the door on Friday and leave it all behind—we work on the weekends and walk through the door on Monday prepared to teach the budding students not always so interested in learning. I sighed, thinking about all the work I had to do, but I was the only one that could get it done.
“No problem. I have to get to work by noon, so no rush.”
I wiped my mouth unable to consume another morsel. “Where do you tattoo?”
“Inked. Ever hear of it?”
“I drive by it every day on the way to work, I think.” I remembered seeing the sign, but had never set foot inside. “Looks like a nice place.”
“Ever been?”
“Oh, no. I meant from the street. Doesn’t look like the other shops in the area. Yours is pretty. How long have you worked there?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard it described that way. My sister does all the decorating. We own the shop and opened it about five years ago.”
Well, maybe he wasn’t the starving artist I thought he was.
“Why don’t you stop by sometime? I’d love to pop your cherry.” I started choking. “Ink, babe, I’d love to give you your first tattoo.” He laughed.
I patted my chest and coughed. “Maybe someday I’ll let you. My parents are just anti-tattoo, and I never found anything I’d want to look at for a lifetime. How’d you pick yours?”
“Each one signifies something in my life.” He pointed to the city skyline on his arm. “This is a reminder of where my family comes from, Chicago. It’s where I grew up, and I go back every summer to visit my friends. It’s part of me in more ways than one.” He laughed and rubbed the tattoo on his arm.
“And the fish?”
“Ah, the koi. Well, that one I had my brother, Anthony, do when we opened the shop. It’s a symbol of determination and power to achieve goals. We always talked about opening our own shop, and we’d finally achieved it. Plus, I fucking love the color orange.”
“Looking at your house, I’d think you loved white.”
He picked up my plate and laughed. “This place is only temporary. I don’t see a point in splashing color on the walls. I’m surrounded by color all day at work. It’s calming to come home to an empty canvas.” Artists—complex creatures.
“I understand. My walls are actually white except for one blue wall in my bedroom. I’m not the typical bubblegum-pink girl.”
He began to clean the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher. His muscles rippled and flexed with each movement. My mouth watered as I remembered what it felt like for him to be above me and in me—I wanted more of him.
“I’ll finish cleaning up. You go get ready to hit the road, okay?”
I could get used to being waited on. Mind-blowing sex? Check. Good cook? Check. Sexy as hell? Check. Manly, yet nice? Check. He had all the right qualities and kind of reminded me of Kayden. I didn’t want Kayden, but I wanted someone that cared enough to take care of me.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I said as I stood from the table. “I don’t want to take up any more of your time.”
“Take all the time you want. I can’t get fired if I’m late.” He laughed as he kicked the dishwasher closed. “By the way, is Suzy your full name?”
I hated my full name. It sounded stuffy and old. “No.”
“Spill.”
“It’s Suzette.”
“Now that’s sexy as fuck. Suzette.” It rolled off his tongue, and I felt the moisture from my core begin to pool. Fuck, he’d made me a total cock-loving whore, and I wanted to hear him scream my name.
“Right.” Looking over at his beautiful skin and taut muscles, I drank him in—memorized the picture before I walked out the door, leaving him to finish and to get the hell out of here. He could definitely become a weak spot if I didn’t put distance between us. That yin and yang bullshit didn’t really work in real life.
Too Good To Be True
City
I shut the bike off and waited for her to climb down. She tried to remove the helmet on her own and stood there looking as drop-dead fucking gorgeous as she did last night. She fumbled with the straps, trying to pull it off, but she frowned and her fingers began to move frantically. “Lemme get that for you,” I said as I motioned for her to move closer.
“Sorry,” she said, blowing a puff of air out.
“It’s my pleasure, trust me.” I winked and watched her cheeks pinken. I worked the straps apart slowly, trying to prolong the ending to our time together. I felt like she was going to give me the brush off. Her body language didn’t match the last twelve hours. I needed to set another date with her and dig deeper into the woman she was instead of who she pretended to be.
“Thanks,” she said, trying to look me in the eyes.
“There. So, about the real date. How about tonight?” I asked. I didn’t see a point in wasting time. I wanted her in my bed again—or against the counter.
“Um, I guess tonight is good.” She looked at me and then to her feet.
“Sugar, it’s just a date. A real date—no strings attached.” I grabbed her chin to look into her sky-blue eyes. “We kinda missed that part of getting to know each other before I took you. I’ll pick you up at nine. Wear something warm.”
“Okay, I’ll be ready. Want me to drive?” She looked at my bike, wrinkling her nose, and then noticed her car. “Wait, how did my car get here already? I totally forgot about it breaking down. What the heck?”
“Tank fixed it for you and delivered it about an hour ago. It’s all ready, but to answer your question, no. We’re taking the bike.”
“Oh. Do you have his number so I can pay him?” she asked, her eyes wide as she chewed her lip.
“I got it. He did it as a favor to me.”
“Oh, I couldn’t. Let me pay you for it, then.”
“Suzy, let me do something nice for you. Really, it wasn’t a problem. Tank and I worked it out. I don’t want you broken down again on a dark country road.”
“I know. I just try and watch my money. I was going to get it fixed.”
“Well, now it is. Nine tonight, and warm clothes.” I leaned forward and kissed her lips. I grabbed the back of her neck and drew her closer. The light, sweet scent of her perfume filled my nostrils, as I tasted her lips. Everything about her was fucking sweet, and I wanted more. I consumed her mouth and commanded her body with my kiss. I wanted to leave her weak in the knees and wanting more when I drove away. I broke the kiss, but kept my hand in place and watched her as she stood there with puckered lips and her eyes closed. Exactly the response I wanted.
“Sugar,” I said, smiling at her as her eyes fluttered open.
“Oh, sorry. I say that a lot around you.” Her cheeks turned pink as she bit her lip.
“We’ll finish that kiss later. I can’t wait to crawl back inside that delicious pussy of yours tonight. Digits,” I said before she had a chance to walk away. I programmed her number in my phone and sent her a text as she walked in her house. She’d be back for more.
I started the engine, revving it a couple times before pushing backwards and down the drive. She waved with a sweet smile on her face. My cock ached as I thought about all the dirty shit I wanted to do to her. I watched her in my side mirror as she watched me drive away. I had her.
***
“Where the fuck you been, Joey?” Mikey said as I walked through the door of Inked.
We opened Inked about five years ago. Everyone in my family has an artistic streak, and we didn’t trust o
utsiders with our money. Growing up, my father had drilled that mantra in our heads. Don’t trust others when you can do it yourself. We agreed that there would be no outsiders unless absolutely necessary. Problem with it, though, was that you could never fire family, especially when they’re part-owners. Mike had the spaz gene. He was known for overreacting.
“I had to drop someone off, shithead. Who made you boss?” I asked as I set my stuff down at my workstation.
“You’re typically here early. I started to get worried. You could’ve called or something, asshole.”
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Mom. I’m here now, so shut the fuck up.”
Mikey threw his hands in the air—showing his surrender or disgust, I couldn’t tell. He was the shop manager since he had absolutely no artistic talent, but he was one hell of a piercer. His real passion was fighting. He had joined the circuit years ago and often traveled out of town for a fight. Fighting with your hands and tattooing do not mix. My hands were precious to me. I needed them to work my magic and see the smiles on the faces of my customers.
“Mom called to remind us about tomorrow,” Anthony said as he walked out of the employee-only area. Anthony is my oldest brother and probably the most unsettled. He’s an amazing tattooist, but he’s a musician. He dreamed of hitting it big, but for now he was ours.
“What the fuck?” Mikey said.
“How could we forget? It’s only been the same day for thirty years,” Izzy said as she unpacked her machine.
Izzy’s the youngest and the only girl beside my mom. My parents kept trying until finally they had the little princess they always dreamed about, after having four boys climbing the walls and roughhousing. She was girly and kind, but if you crossed Izzy, she’d kick your ass. We were all overprotective of her, but we were scared of her too. In my family, the ladies ruled the roost and weren’t to be crossed. She got that commanding personality from my mom, and led with an iron fist.
“Let’s run down the schedule before I open the doors,” Mikey said, leaning over the counter, looking toward the work area.
I listened to Mikey babble on about the clients of the day. I already knew my lineup. I had to finish a back tat I’d been working on for months, and a girl wanted me to fix her bad choice in a tramp stamp.
My mind kept wandering to Suzette. My mom would be happy if I brought a good girl home for once—someone that could give her grandchildren someday. I was not ready for that. My dick was doing the thinking instead of my head. Get your head on straight, man—too much pussy out there to settle. I was getting a little ahead of myself, but Suzy may have been the first respectable girl I’d met in a long time. I never brought women I’d dated or slept with around my family. None of them had a future with me, and I didn’t feel the need to subject my family to an intruder or an outsider.
“Joey.” My sister stood, her face invading my personal space.
“What, Iz?” I looked up and noticed her squinty eyes as she studied me.
“What are you grinning about?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh, bullshit.” She pointed at me and tapped me on the forehead. “You’ve met someone. Spill it, brother.”
“There’s nothing to tell. You think you’re a mind reader, but you aren’t, sis.”
“I’ve known you my entire life. You walk around here all moody and serious, but today I’d say you’re almost glowing, ya big pansy ass.”
“Fuck off, love.”
“Ooooh, jackpot. Who is she?” A giant smile crept across her face as she leaned forward and stared in my eyes. She wasn’t going to let it go. Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen to what I had to say, and Isabella’s impending inquisition.
“Fine, Iz. I met her last night and I’m taking her out tonight. Happy?”
Iz twirled around and giggled like a schoolgirl. “Extremely, big brother.” She kissed me on the cheek. I leaned back in my chair and watched as my sister celebrated like I was about to walk down the aisle.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Iz. It’s just a date.”
“Oh, now come on. I can tell by the look on your face that she’s a little bit more than just a simple date. I want the deets.”
Grunting, I crossed my arms over my chest. “She was stranded and I stopped to help her. I brought her home and I’m taking her out tonight, simple as that.”
“Hmmm.”
She came closer, not believing a word that I spoke.
“Izzy, leave it at that.”
“Who is she?”
“She’s a school teacher, but I don’t know much about her.”
“You’ve had sex with this girl. I can tell.” Izzy poked me in the chest. “You can’t hide anything from me.”
“Well, shit, Iz. That’s none of your business, really.” The door chimed as my client walked through the door. I was thankful that I had a reason to end the conversation and save the grilling for another day. But I wouldn’t get too comfortable. I knew my sister’s interrogation would happen sooner rather than later.
***
The shop had a buzz today. Everyone had smiles on their faces. The fall weather always made people happy. I had been coloring in a beautiful flower that I had inked on a client, Michelle, a week ago, but she couldn’t take any more pain to finish it that day.
“It’s healing nice, darlin’.” I wiped the blood and ink off her skin.
“Yeah, I can’t wait to see it finished. Sorry I pussied out the other day, City.” She closed her eyes as the needle poked the still-healing skin.
“Hey, it’s cool. I’ve seen huge men in tears getting a tattoo. I rather you walk away than pass the fuck out.”
Her eyes opened and she started to laugh. “Really? Guys have actually cried?”
“Yes, like little babies. So no worries. Now hold still so I don’t fuck this up.” I patted her leg with my rubber gloves and set out to finish the beautiful tattoo.
I loved working with color. Flowers weren’t normally my thing; I loved animals and intricate designs, but flowers were a challenge and were laced with bold colors.
My phone vibrated on the table and I glanced at it as I dabbed the needle in the pink liquid.
Suzy: I can’t make it tonight. Sorry, City.
Fuck, she was brushing me off. I couldn’t stop and text her back. Little Ms. Suzy would have to wait. I’d have to remind her of how good it felt inside her and how fucking hard she milked me.
“Something wrong, City?” Michelle asked.
“Nah, darlin’. Just thinking about something.”
“Didn’t mess up my tattoo, did you?”
“Hell no. I don’t fuck up.”
“Thinking about a girl?” Her eyebrows wiggled up and down.
“A woman.” I didn’t look up as I spoke to her, and I kept my eyes glued to her tattoo so I didn’t have to eat my fucking words.
“Lucky cunt,” she muttered.
“What?” I’d heard her loud and clear, but just wanted to see if she’d ’fess up.
“Oh, nothing. Wanna talk about her?”
“Nope. I’m good. Shit’s between her and I, Michelle.”
I had to get in that pretty little head of Suzy’s. I knew I scared the fuck out of her and I should. I wasn’t her type or some clean-cut cocksucker. I knew how to please a woman, take care of myself, and have a good time. I just couldn’t give her a chance to run away like a scared little princess.
Time felt like it stood still as I colored in the same area over and over again to get the shade just right. A small hint of gray near the pistil and I had finished this flower of torture. I wiped off the ink and patted her calf. “All done. Take a look.”
She glided her hands down her legs in a seductive manner, but I didn’t take the bait. “It’s beautiful. You’re fucking amazing.” Not going there—not with this one.
I grabbed my phone, needing to change Suzy’s mind about tonight.
Me: Come on, it’s Saturday night. Live a little, sugar.
I washed my hands as Michelle sat back down and stared at the finished masterpiece.
“You remember what I said last time about taking care of the tattoo? Stay out of the sun, don’t go in the pool or ocean until it heals, and keep it clean. Let me cover it for your trip home first. You can pay up front. Iz can check you out.” After grabbing a new pair of gloves, I covered the area with a dressing.
“Don’t you want to check me out?”
I could hear the hurt in her voice, but fuck no, I didn’t want to check her out. I only had one person on my mind, and it was Suzy Goodie Two-shoes.
“Pfft, fine.” Michelle stomped off as I grabbed my phone and typed another message.
Suzy: I don’t think it’s a good idea. I had a great time with you. Thanks for your help.
Like hell I’d let her off that easy. She was going to be mine again.
Me: I’ll be there at nine—be ready. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Suzy: City—No.
Me: Boyfriend?
Suzy: No. I’m not a cheater. I don’t think we’d work out—we’re just not right.
Me: Sugar, it felt right this morning when my cock was buried inside of you and you screamed my name. Nine. No strings—just FUN. You know the word, right?
I cleaned my workstation and prepped for my next willing victim. I wouldn’t let her weasel out of a night of fun. She didn’t respond right away, but I knew that she would. She had to be thinking about the way she looked at me when I was buried inside her. I knew I had her. I just had to get beyond all her brains and rules. I had to reel her in. I knew my last sentence would agitate the hell out of her. I didn’t think people besides the fuckheads in her class challenged her very often. I wasn’t a boy and didn’t know how to take no for an answer.
Suzy: Nine.
Gotcha.
***
Suzy opened the door with a smile on her face and a killer outfit. “Hey. You look amazing.” She had on furry boots, skintight jeans, and a fluffy, oversized sweater.
Steam and Ink: Two Novels of Ink Plus Two BONUS Short Stories Page 31
