More Than Meets the Ink (11 page)

“Or what? Are you truly telling me you wouldn’t fuck me if I had a boyfriend back home?”

He clenched his teeth. She got him there. He’d hate the boyfriend thing, sure, but it wouldn’t matter; he’d do her in an instant if she’d allow it.

She looked over her shoulder. “Yeah, that was my thought too.”

“Answer my question, Tate.”

She sighed. “No, there’s no one waiting for me back home. Not anymore. He dumped me. Happy now?”

“Yeah, extremely. Unless you’re still hung up on the dude.”

“Nope. It’s been months.”

“Good,” he said, kissing the top of her head and relaxing again. “Why did the moron leave you?”

“Why do you care?”

“Just answer the question.” Damn stubborn woman; there was no way to get a straight answer from her.

She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing out loud. “Jeez, where to start? Let me see. I was suffocating him being too needy and weepy. My dad and Jonah were dead, my mom was totally out of it, and my sis could barely cope with her own life, let alone the whole drama unfolding at home. I had to take care of the restaurant and my mom and all the bills—hers, mine, and the restaurant’s. She was like a zombie, couldn’t be trusted to pay her bills on time…hell, she could barely make it out of bed most days. I thought that entitled me to be a bit needy and weepy, but it turned out it didn’t. He dumped me, told me I had my priorities all screwed up. He wasn’t feeling appreciated. My so-called complete disregard of him was hurting his feelings. Aidan wanted my full undivided attention; you see, he was making partner, and I wasn’t there for him.”

“Fucking asshole.”

“The restaurant and all the time I had to devote to it was unacceptable for him. I had to sell out and concentrate on his life and his career because those would ultimately be the basis for our life together.”

James fought to tamp down his rising fury. “You were grieving. His life should have been put on hold for you. He was supposed to be there for you.”

“Funny, that’s what I thought, but I was wrong. He figured I should go back to my office job, very undemanding, a bit underpaid but with great hours. Weekends free, holidays too, not like in the restaurant, where I’m deep in shit 24-7. He was making the big bucks anyway, and Rosita’s wasn’t turning a profit.”

“Why wasn’t Rosita’s turning a profit?”

A sigh escaped her throat. A sad, heavy sigh. “It’s a long story,” she said. “But I can’t sell the place. I just can’t. Every time I go in, I expect to see my father at the counter. Or my brother coming out from the kitchen. It hurts horribly, but I’m not ready to lose that connection.”

“Of course you aren’t, princess,” he said. “And nobody should ask that of you. Who is this guy? Just tell me his name, and I’ll beat the living crap out of him.”

“No need. But thanks for the offer. I think the last time a guy offered to beat someone up for me was in second grade when Sean Wright slapped Timothy for stealing my shovel. At the end, it turned out Sean wanted the shovel for himself.”

“I also want the shovel for myself,” he whispered in her ear.

“Don’t I know that.” She laughed. “I don’t care about Aidan, really, not anymore. In fact, it’s been a very long time since I’ve thought about him. I’ve been too busy busting my ass at Rosita’s.”

“And it’s a very fine ass,” he whispered again, and she laughed. He wanted to insist and ask about the restaurant, but she was such a private person and she’d shared so much today he didn’t want to push his luck. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do now was fight with her.

“Thank you very much. I also think so. A bit on the wide side, but fine nevertheless.”

“Your ass is perfect, baby. Every part of you is perfect,” he added, breathing her in, encircling her in his arms, ready to hold her for as long as she’d let him. Damn, he wanted so much to please her, sexually and otherwise, it was scary. She was so soft, her body fitting in his lap as if she’d been born to be there, born for him to hold. Oh man, what a sap! Look at him wishful thinking, panting and wiggling his tail. Pathetic. He had the weirdest, most unreasonable crush on this girl. The same girl who had reassured him time and again she wanted nothing serious with him because “his kind” were trash. Only sex, she’d said, and he’d eagerly agreed. Idiot. And the worst part was, he wasn’t even getting any.

“Damn, you smell good.” She had slathered on coconut sunscreen, which mixed perfectly with her fresh scent. She smelled exotic, like those cocktails one got served in the Caribbean on vacation. He nuzzled her throat, so delicate. In spite of her feisty inner fire, her body was all female, soft and pliant, molding to his. He scanned around. No one in sight.

He moved his hand down, stroking her stomach, drawing circles around her belly button while he flicked his tongue across her neck, kissing the sensitive spot where shoulder and neck met.

As he ventured further down, his fingertips brushing her bikini, she grabbed him by the wrist and squirmed, laughing. “Are you nuts?”

Yes, he was nuts. And desperate. The water almost completely covered them, and the foam from the bubbles left the view quite murky. She was sitting on him, her back resting against his chest. As far as he could see, this was quite feasible. “No one can see. Just lie on me and relax. Let me touch you.”

Her laugh rumbled on his chest. “You’re kinky. And dangerous. And horny.”

Well, she got him on that, no denying it.

“Your fault. Before your lovely ass showed up around here, I was a very respectable man. Now I’m just a pathetic, scheming bastard dying to fuck you.”

It took a while for her to settle down, but she finally let go of his hand. Good, because he was about to break her hold and delve into her bikini. He started with butterfly strokes over the cloth. Soon her hips were lifting to his touch.

He whispered in her ear, nuzzling her, trailing kisses and nips on her ear and throat. He pressed his fingers against her clit, rubbing it gently through the cloth. She jerked, but he held her down.

“Relax. I’m just playing with this pretty clit. You like it? I think you do. It’s getting harder, and your nipples are poking out, sweetheart. I can see them even through the foam. You want me.”

She let out a very unladylike snort, and he smiled, feeling like smooching her to death. “No shit, Sherlock.”

“If you promise to be a good girl and not scream, I’ll make it better,” he said, sliding his hands beneath the waistband.

Another unladylike snort. “I’m curious, how much better are you going to make it if I promise to be a bad girl?”

His dick jerked in response, growing even harder. Fuck, that was painful. He groaned and pinned her to him, pressing his cock against her ass. He breathed in slowly, trying to regain control, weighing up the odds he’d end up embarrassing himself and coming against her buttocks. It had never happened before, but hey, there was a first time for everything. “Don’t be naughty. And don’t go making any promises you won’t be able to keep. At any moment, a bunch of senior citizens could come strolling around the corner, and we don’t want to offend their sensibilities. I wouldn’t mind, though. I’ll fuck you anywhere if I could be sure we’d finish in peace and repeat it a couple of times before getting arrested.”

It was true. He’d been resisting, but by now he was ready to go at her on the table in the common area. During morning breakfast rush, even. “Now be a good girl and let me take care of you. Open your legs for me.”

She spread her legs wider and arched slightly, offering herself to his touch. He slipped his fingers beneath the tiny triangle of cloth and slowly began working her clit, playing with the ring, gently tugging at it.

She moaned, her nails digging into his arm, her eyes closed, her teeth nipping at her lower lip.

Jesus, she was sexy. Unable to resist, he delved one finger inside of her. Scalding hot and wet and tight.

“You like it, babe? Me inside you?” As she nodded, he continued, “Do you want more of me filling this tight, sweet pussy?”

He heard the hitch in her breath, and she tensed, trapping his finger inside her, sucking him in deeper. Shit, he was going out of his mind. This was a very bad idea. He was as tense as a bowstring already; her pussy clamping on his fingers would make him come. But he liked giving her pleasure; it gave him an amazing rush like nothing he’d ever felt before. Pleasing her pleased him.

She had other plans, though.

“Yes, I want more of you inside me, but I want to play too,” she said, reaching behind her to his cock and palming him. He groaned harshly, closed his eyes, and pressed himself against her hand. It felt so damn good, his body so damn ready he could already feel his cum poised at the tip of his dick, pulsing. He’d just have to move aside the tiny strap of bikini and slip his cock inside her, skyrocketing them both into heaven.

With enormous effort, he opened his eyes and kept himself in lockdown, trying to block the images of him riding her from behind. “You better not. I’m liable to lose it, and we’d get arrested for indecent exposure,” he said, kissing her shoulder. “Besides, Mrs. Samuels is heading this way.”

Tate took her hand off him as if he’d burned her and closed her legs so fast she trapped his hand between them. She tried to scramble away from him, but he grabbed her. No way was she moving from on top of him; he wasn’t sure his dick wasn’t going to come poking out from the water if she did.

“Good morning, Mrs. Samuels,” he said, turning to the old lady, his arms encircling Tate.

She looked at them, intrigued, one brow cocked. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and come by my place to pick up the pies? I’ve baked them especially for you to take home.”

Oh God, now? “Hmm, can I pass by later?” He didn’t want to get out of the hot tub and flash the boner of the century at Mrs. Samuels. It’d give her a stroke. And him. And anybody out there watching. Not to mention that after having Tate’s buttocks pressed tight against his dick and her sweet hand squeezing it, he was pretty sure at the moment he was unable to walk without injuring himself.

“I have to leave in about fifteen minutes, dear. I have this thing with my sister I have to attend, and I won’t be back for a few days.”

Tate stifled a laugh. “I’ll go, Mrs. Samuels. I’ve heard a lot about your pie. I want to see it before I leave.”

James sighed in relief. He must have looked in serious need of rescuing.

“Besides, James just got in the water. I’ve been here for an hour already. I’m as wrinkled as an old prune. Give me five minutes, and I’ll be there.”

As she watched Violet walk away, she turned around and kissed his cheek. “Told you, sweetie, this place is more guarded than a boot camp.”

Then she stood up, and he almost had a stroke. No prune at all. She was breathtaking, her whole body glistening under the sun, water skating down her curves, foam from the bubbles caressing her thighs. Like a damn goddess, with that little triangle of cloth barely covering her bare pussy. And the piercing. And that tight juicy place he was dying to lose himself in. At that image, his dick jerked, and he had to hold his breath not to come.

Fuck. That was it. He was getting them a room.

He’d suffered this unyielding boner for four days straight—day and night. Cold showers weren’t doing shit. Hell, jacking off wasn’t doing shit. The phone sex had been a mind-blowing revelation, but his damn psychic dick had known it was being fooled, because five minutes after coming, he’d been in as bad shape as at the beginning. Worse probably, his mind and body in overdrive. He had to have her. Today. Besides, the pain of going through the nine-hole golf course with that fucking king-size hard-on from hell tenting his pants was still fresh in his mind.

Despite the deplorable state his cock was in, he couldn’t deny he was having a great time with her—it was almost worth the physical torture…almost. She was very funny. Smart and witty too, once you got under her defenses. And she was a shark when it came to playing—hated to lose. He was pretty sure he’d caught her cheating at bingo. So sweet, especially if one considered half her opponents had limited sight and hearing capabilities. She loved to laugh and to tease, and the only time she turned somber was when talking about the restaurant or her family. Yes, he was having a great time hanging out with her, if one could overlook the fact that his dick was falling to pieces from frustration.

No matter how much he liked her company—and he did—there was something else he wanted. Needed, by now. He’d kind of reached an understanding with his libido: he wasn’t taking her in his car; he needed a bed. And privacy—something, as it turned out, very difficult to find in Eternal Sun. The moment his fly went down for any reason, he wasn’t going to be able to stop.

Trying to be as inconspicuous as a huge guy with a raging hard-on could, he moved to the swimming pool, to the side closest to where his belongings were, jumped out, and reached for his towel, patting the chair until he found what he was searching for. He flipped the cell phone open, made a couple of calls, and then sent her a text message. Enough was enough. He was no teenager, for fuck’s sake; he was thirty-four. Last time he checked, he was entitled to spend the night with a woman without owing anyone explanations.

* * *

“They smell delicious, Mrs. Samuels.” Tate complimented the elder woman while she was busy packing the pies.

“Call me Violet please. I keep telling James to stop calling me Mrs. Samuels, but he keeps forgetting. I’ve known him for almost five years already. Great boy. His brothers too.”

Beep. Beep
. A message. Tate flipped her phone open.

U r mine tonite. Hotel Gold Crown, room 537. All arranged, u just bring ur pretty luscious self, I’ll bring the condoms.

She couldn’t suppress the nervous giggles. Violet looked at her, seeming intrigued.

“It’s a message from James,” she said while typing her response. “He’s just being silly.”

“You’ve grown quite close in these last days, haven’t you?”

“Nah,” she said without lifting her eyes from the cell, quickly pressing the buttons. “Just vacation fun.”

At the end of your rope, huh?