Solitude (Artistic Pricks Ink #3)

by Cat Mason

  “You enjoy teasin’ me,” I deadpan, my eyes tracing the panels of lace and flowers running along her ribs, from her hip, to just below her breasts and the sexy as fuck purple and gold garter belt tattoo on her left thigh. The feather and jewels look three dimensional. It’s spectacular work and it makes me jealous as hell I wasn’t the one with my hands on her for hours while it was being inked on her porcelain skin. “Just wait until it’s the other way around, baby. I plan to trace every line of ink on that body of yours with my tongue while you’re tied to this bed, just as soon as I get free.”

  “Call it anticipation, Mitch.” Straddling my thighs, she grips my cock. “I really like these,” she informs me, running her thumb over the barbells.

  “Good, I’m so glad,” I moan desperately, arching into her touch. “Sweetness, I’m all for delaying gratification and drawing out the pleasure of the moment, but for fuck’s sake, I’m going to die if any more of my blood supply goes to my cock.”

  She strokes slowly, her smile only getting bigger when my thighs jolt beneath her. My hands ball into fists, the erotic pleasure of being restrained has moved toward insanity. I need to touch her. Leaning up on her knees, Shelby rubs her clit over the head of my cock. “Mmm, Mitch, you feel so good.” She licks her lips, her eyes closing as she brings her other hand up to squeeze her breast. She tugs on her nipple, rolling it between her fingers. My mouth waters.

  “Shelby, have mercy,” I beg, my eyes nearly rolling into the back of my head. “You’ll never get a condom on me before I come now.”

  She stops moving, her face going completely serious. “I’m on the pill and you’re the only one who’s had me without a rubber.”

  “You’re the only one I’ve been with since…”

  The blue in her eyes changes, softening so that my words are lost. I can see the surprise written all over her face. Shelby has believed what everyone else assumed after Becky died: that I was fucking my way through my grief. That was fine with me, let people think whatever the fuck they want, they didn’t know shit anyway. The front I put up was to keep everyone away, to keep from feeling something I was afraid of losing again. That’s why my times at the strip club were beneficial. The girls there were safe. Look, but don’t touch. I could offer obscene amounts for private sessions, only to be turned down and sometimes even kicked out.

  Sex isn’t a meaningless act to me. It never was. The connection that comes with joining two bodies together as one is something that can’t be taken lightly. In my mind, that only cheapens the intimacy that comes along with the act. Call me old fashioned, but I want to know more about you than your name, age, and bra size before I stick my dick in you. Even when I bent Shelby over my couch and drove into her like a man crazed, it meant something.

  “I don’t want anything between us, Mitch.”

  Shelby sinks down onto my cock, slowly, pulling me from my thoughts. My fingers wrap around the tie holding my wrists to the headboard, desperate to ground myself to something. Her eyes are dark, hooded from her arousal. “Fuck, you’re sexy. Ride me, baby. Make yourself come on my cock.”

  “You don’t get a say in this,” she smirks, rolling her hips. Reaching behind her to grip my thighs, she arches her back, giving me a perfect view of her hard, pink nipples. Digging in her nails, Shelby finally moves. Her tits bounce as she fucks me.

  Unable to help myself, I thrust my hips in time with her, wanting to stay as deep inside her as possible. The bed bounces beneath us as Shelby moves faster and faster. She is the total definition of sexy, taking her pleasure from my body while I can do little more than watch. My eyes fix on where we’re joined. My dick sliding in and out of her, again and again.

  As fucking beautiful as it is to watch this, it’s torture not to be able to touch her.

  Yanking my wrists, I fight to free myself. My only goal is touching her, to get my hands and mouth on her like I have been aching for so long to do. I can’t take the sweet torture another second. “Let me loose,” I grunt, pulling against the headboard. “Changing my mind. I have to touch you. Now.”

  “Is that so?” Shelby slows her movements, tormenting us both. “Where do you want to touch me, honey?” she asks, grinning wickedly. Releasing her hold on my thighs, she sits upright, leaving me buried inside her to the hilt, but unable to move. “Here?” she asks, running a hand over her abdomen, skimming the intricate lacework of her tattoo. “Or here?” she asks, cupping her tits and squeezing. Fuck! “I bet you’d have my nipples in your mouth right now, wouldn’t you, Mitch?” she moans, tugging her nipples between her finger and thumb. “Do you want to bite them, tug them between your teeth, so that I scream your name? Would you be rough with me, baby? Make sure I’m sore for days and feel where you’ve been every time I move? Would you mark me?”

  “Goddamn, you’re evil,” I groan, my dick throbbing inside her, aching as it grows harder the more she speaks.

  Her right hand moves down her body, instantly taking all my attention. “What about here?” she asks, her hand brushing over her pussy.

  “There isn’t an inch of you I don’t want to bite, kiss, lick, suck, or fuck, until I’ve marked every inch of you. You’re driving me fucking crazy!” I roar, pulling harder on my bindings. “Dammit, Shel, just wait until…”

  “So feisty,” she murmurs, closing her eyes. She lets out a long moan as she circles her clit with her fingers. My heart nearly stops at the sight of her taunting me. “Mmm, it feels so good. I’m gonna come, Mitch. Is that what you want?”

  “Shelby,” I warn, gripping the rope harder and thrusting my hips up into her as I fight to get free. “You aren’t coming until I say. When I get free, I’m going to fuck you through a wall.”

  “Ah!” she cries out, her pussy clamping down on me like a goddamn vise. She is killing me. Opening her eyes, she stares down at me, her fingers moving faster and faster. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.” She rocks her hips into me before rising up so that I nearly slip from her completely. “How bad do you want it, baby?” she purrs, slamming back down onto my cock. “You have no idea how hot you look right now. Maybe I should drag this out for a while so I can really enjoy it.”

  The headboard cracks and creaks behind me as I fight to get free, as if my life depends on it. The ties tighten around my wrists almost to the point of pain. Tugging with everything I have in me, the wood gives, my wrists flying forward as the slats snap free of the bed.

  Shelby gasps, her eyes widening as I free my hands and roll us both, pinning her back to the mattress. “Now,” I growl, gripping her wrists and holding them tightly above her head. “It’s. My. Turn.”

  Palming her breast, I lean down and flick her nipple with my tongue. “Mmm,” I groan, sucking it into my mouth before grazing it with my teeth. I drive into her again and again. She cries out my name, digging her nails into my forearms. “Did you honestly think I’d let you get off without me touching you?” I ask, releasing her nipple with a pop and meeting her eyes. “Without my mouth on you?” My lips run up her chest to her neck. “You drive me fucking crazy, it’s only fair I make you crazy while fucking you.”

  “Mitch!” she shouts again, wrapping her thigh around my back. “Please.”

  Releasing my grip on her wrists, I slip my hand between our bodies and find her clit. “Arch your back,” I bark out, fisting her hair with my other hand and yanking the strands. “Shove those perfect tits in my face.”

  The broken headboard slams against the wall with every thrust of my hips. I latch onto her nipple again, and Shelby explodes, screaming my name. Wrapping her arms around me, she claws at my back, shattering beneath me like glass and I fucking love it. Unable to slow down, I drive toward my own release.

  Leaning back, I lose her nipple, meeting her eyes briefly before taking her mouth with mine. I pour everything I have into kissing her. I swallow her cries as I fall apart. Her name is all that leaves my lips as I find my release. Collapsing onto her, I take in everything ab
out this moment in time, not wanting to forget a single detail of the way she feels wrapped around me.

  Rolling us to our sides, I brush the hair from her face and press my lips to her forehead. She sighs, curling her body into mine. Fuck, the way her body fits against mine has me wanting her again already. Her hand runs up my arm, her fingers brushing the stubble on my jaw. She opens her eyes, the flushed look on her face, and messed up hair make me smile. I swear she has never looked more beautiful than she does right now.

  “Hey,” she whispers.

  “Hey,” I reply, brushing my thumb over her kiss swollen lips.

  “You owe me a bed.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Shelby

  “Mornin’ boys,” I say, walking through the doors of the shop. Luke sits on the counter going over papers, while Charlie is giving instructions to a guy as he wraps his calf muscle. Mitch looks up from his light box the moment he hears my voice, I can feel his heated gaze as I cross the room, toward my desk.

  It’s been over a month since the night Mitch showed up at my house. Now that the stubborn ass has returned to his normal day shifts again, every day is spent working with him at the shop or with the girls planning stuff for our sexy little business venture. At night, he and I hide away from the world and nothing exists but us.

  The routine at the shop is more chaotic than ever, but we have all found some balance in it. With the upstairs renovations in full swing, everything is coming together for us to open ahead of schedule and way under budget.

  “You were gone when I woke up,” Mitch purrs into my ear from behind, his arms circling my waist.

  “Had to meet the contractor early this morning,” I reply, turning in his arms. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

  Tilting my chin up, he kisses me slow and deep. My toes curl. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I sigh. He tastes like caramel, coffee, and Mitch. All three of my vises rolled into one delicious kiss that has me starting to regret not hitting the snooze button before getting out of bed.

  “You don’t play fair,” I mutter against his lips.

  “And you do?” he chuckles. “Two words, sweetness: broken headboard.”

  “Mitch and Shelby, who thought we’d ever see them F-U-C-K-I-N-G,” Skinner sings, appearing from the hallway. Mitch releases me, both of us staring at Skinner as he shakes his ass, dancing around the room like a moron. “First comes, ah!” he cries thrusting his hips. “Then comes, ow! Shit!” he shouts, when Luke hops off the countertop and slaps him in the back of the head.

  “The fuck did I say about twerkin’, asshole?” Luke asks with a grin.

  “Hasn’t that song gotten old yet?” Chuck asks. “You’ve been singing it for weeks. I’m about to pay Shelby to go ahead and kill you so she can put us all out of our misery.”

  “Come on,” he argues, pointing to us. “You gotta admit it’s funny.”

  “Gonna be hilarious when Shelby gets her hands on you,” Luke replies with a laugh. “That ass beatin’ Mitch gave you was nothin’ compared to what she’ll do.”

  All eyes are on me, the guys waiting for me to remove his nuts and shove them up his twerkin’ ass. Instead, I cross my arms over my chest and laugh. “Oh Skins, you sad, little man. Prepare.”

  The bell chimes over the door. “I hope everyone is here and hungry!” Leah says, excitedly with Ki hot on her heels. “We’ve got brownies!”

  “Oh baby!” Mitch shouts, skirting around me to get to Leah first. “You complete me,” he says, opening the bag and inhaling deeply.

  Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “For breakfast?” I ask, heading for the coffee pot to get a much needed cup of caffeine.

  Mitch’s eyes widen. “It’s like I don’t even know you,” he mumbles around a bite. Walking over, he holds one out to me. “Come on, sweetness. Open that mouth for me, you know you want it.”

  “Bet she hears that a lot!” Skinner laughs, earning him another slap from Luke.

  “Okay, okay, you got me,” Leah sighs. “The brownies were an excuse to come down here. This is for you.” Handing Charlie his bag, she smiles. “Sorry, honey, but yours isn’t brownies.”

  His brow furrows in confusion, opening the bag, he pulls out a small slip of paper. Blinking furiously, his eyes widen before it falls to the floor. “Fuck me,” he mutters, grabbing Leah by the arms. Lifting her off the ground, he crushes his mouth to hers. Choking on a sob, she wraps her arms around him and kisses him back.

  Skinner scoops up the bag from the floor and dumps it onto the counter. Staring down at the bottle, pacifier, I can’t believe my eyes. “Fuck me,” I gasp.

  Placing her back on her feet, Chuck falls to his knees and presses a kiss to her belly. “We’re having a baby?” he asks, staring up at her.

  She nods, tears streaming down her face. “I’m twelve weeks,” she informs him. “Dr. Armon said there must’ve been something wrong with that box of tests I bought a few months back. With everything going on, I didn’t even realize I had actually missed any periods.”

  “Chucker, the reproductive fucker!” Skinner shouts, fist pumping the air.

  Walking over, I hug Leah. Kionna wraps her arms around the two of us, sniffling in my ear. “I’m so happy for you, sweets,” I say, laughing as I fight back tears. “Auntie Shelby buys the first round of beers!”

  It’s no secret they have struggled with getting pregnant. For months, Ki and I have helplessly watched her worry herself into crying fits over whether she will ever conceive a child. Stories on the news about people abusing or neglecting children they never wanted make me unbelievably angry; especially now, having watched her struggle so much for an ability most people take for granted. It makes you question a lot about how life works, knowing that two people who would give anything to have a baby couldn’t, while some chick gets a book and movie deal just for hiding her unwanted pregnancy, giving birth in a truck stop bathroom, and dumping that poor baby in the trash like a used tampon.

  Welcome to the new America folks, where reality shows are anything but reality and You-tube instructional videos turn what should be eternal shame into fifteen minutes of hashtag fame. Nothing says success like being a trending topic on Facebook.

  “This is great news,” Luke says, clapping Chuck on the back. “Congrats.”

  Releasing Leah, I turn and spot Mitch. He is smiling, but I know it’s forced. I can see something lurking beneath it that has me making my way over to him. “Hey,” I say, when his arm wraps around me.

  “Hey,” he replies, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

  He is distant, pulling himself from the situation and retreating inside his head. I’ve learned, especially over the last month, when something is a trigger for my guy. Right now, his mind is going to a place I wish it wouldn’t. Somewhere I’m not welcome, a place I don’t belong. He’s thinking of her.

  I don’t tell him, but it hurts when he disappears on me this way. I can see how hard he tries to be here with me, so I focus on doing whatever I can to pull him back. I know he wants this as much as I do.

  Just when I start to think we have gained ground, we take an abrupt U-turn back to the start. I have been reading the journals, when I am alone, in an attempt to understand and they have helped me anticipate a lot. I know what they had was special. I can feel how deeply they loved each other. I want that with him now and I know that what we have is just as powerful.

  It’s not that he shouldn’t remember what they had, I just don’t want him to forget what he and I have now. I need more from him than the pieces to an incomplete puzzle, and though I have put together quite a bit of it, I have to admit I am greedy when it comes to Mitch. I want all of him in the here and now, with me. I’m not a horrible, unfeeling bitch or anything. I’d be more than happy to listen to him talk about her and help him through it, and I have said as much, but it’s a subject he dances around when it comes up.

  That’s why I am finding myself fascinated with the journa
ls and with her.

  It’s also why I find myself hating her a lot of the time.

  “You okay?” I ask, looking up at him.

  He nods his head, but it lacks conviction. “Yeah. Crazy huh?”

  “Mhm.”

  “I gotta get set up, my appointment will be here soon.” Leaning down, he presses a kiss to my cheek. Releasing me quickly, he shoves his hands into his pockets and heads down the hallway.

  Looking to Luke, I jerk my chin toward the hall. He glances that way, then back at me, nodding in understanding. Yes, he started the shop that employs most of us, but he is so much more than a boss. The man Leah and I jokingly dubbed the Hanlon Hottie, is a friend; a man that would give the shirt off his back if it made someone’s day, he cared about, easier. When things are going on in our lives, he is there, ready to take it on. Of course, he has known Mitch longer than all of us put together, so I can tell, by the look on his face, that he could feel the tension coming off him too.

  Skirting around the celebration, I make my way down the hall. Pushing open the door to the storage room, I step inside. “Hey, you disappeared on me,” I say when I see him fumbling with packages of tubing.

  “What are you talking about? I told you where I was going,” he says, not turning to face me. “Need my station set up before he gets here.”

  “You checked out long before that,” I inform him, closing the door behind me. “About the time two of our best friends announced they’re starting a family.” Making my way over to him, I run my fingers up his arm.

  “You want kids?” he asks, turning to face me.