Page 15 of Resist Me (Men of Inked 3)
“This has been nice. The rest, not so much. I could’ve done without the cuffs, James.” She turned to me and smiled.
I laughed. “You’ll learn to love them.” I winked at her, and her cheeks grew flushed.
“In your fucking dreams,” she shot back, rolling her eyes.
I reached up, stroking her cheeks, and leaned into her space. “I know many uses for handcuffs besides arrest. Imagine your body at my mercy. I could feast on your flesh for hours, Isabella,” I murmured against her lips.
She blinked slowly and stared into my eyes. “You say such pretty shit, but I’ll pass on the offer.”
Running my hand to the back of her neck, I gripped her roughly, holding her in place. “I could have you right now if I wanted. Don’t kid yourself. I don’t buy your bullshit. You want me as much as I want you. You haven’t forgotten how good my cock feels inside you.”
Her eyes flashed and her tongue darted out, swiping against my top lip. “You’ll never—“
I captured her words in my mouth, crushing my lips to hers to quiet her. The smart-mouthed woman I fucking craved was back, and I couldn’t control myself. I didn’t want to listen to her lies. I knew I’d have her again.
As my tongue slid across hers, mingling her taste with mine, the sweetness of the sugar from her coffee made my mouth water. She tasted so fucking good. I’d leave her with a reminder of what I felt like and how I tasted.
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck rose, brushing against my fingers as we kissed. She panted into my mouth, kissing me back with her hand resting on my forearm. Her body spoke the words she was too afraid to say.
I backed away, breaking the kiss, and stared at her face. We were both breathless and didn’t release our grip on each other.
“What were you going to say?” I asked, trying to calm my breathing.
“I don’t know,” she said, her voice breathy and her face flushed.
“I can show myself out.” I stood and grabbed my coffee cup off the small table next to the swing.
Izzy sat there looking like a deer in headlights as I reached to open the door to the house. “Wait!” she yelled, standing on shaky legs.
“Yes?” I asked, turning to her.
“I can at least show you out,” she said.
I smiled and released the door handle.
“It’s more for self-preservation, really.” She opened the door, trotting down the steps in front of me. “I want to make sure you don’t leave a reason to come back.”
“I don’t need to leave something behind,” I said as I reached the last step, following her into the kitchen and toward the front door. “I’m all the reason you need.” I walked up to her as she stopped by the door and pressed her against the flat surface, brushing my lips against hers. “My cock is a good reason. I remember you mumbling something about God when I was finger-fucking you. And then…then there’s my mouth; you almost suffocated me to death. Do I need more reasons?”
She glared at me and exhaled loudly, her breath hitting me in the face. “James, I think it’s you who can’t forget my pussy. It was so damn good you keep coming back for more. We’ll see who’s begging.” She ducked, weaving out of my grasp, and laughed as she stood behind me.
I hung my head and smiled. The girl had smartass perfected. “Maybe we both have a problem.” I straightened my back and turned toward her. “We’ll find out soon enough. Thanks for the meal and coffee, doll.”
A flash of anger clouded her eyes before a small smile spread across her lips. “You’re welcome. Keep my brother safe, ya hear me?”
I opened the door and waved, leaving her behind. “I will. That I promise you, Isabella.”
I climbed on my bike, smiling as I pulled away, and caught a glimpse of her standing in the door watching me head away from her home. No one did that if they hated the person. The girl had it just as bad as I did. Now I had to figure out how to get her to admit it.
Chapter 7 - Gallo Family Clusterfuck
I spent the rest of Saturday at home relaxing. No one expected me at work, so I didn’t bother. I answered a few text messages and lay around. Even Flash got a short response. I told him that I was fine but too pissed to talk to his sorry ass. He took the hint and left me alone. I mean, what the fuck could he say anyway? “Sorry I left you at the mercy of an MC guy so he could rape you”? He was a total dumbass.
I didn’t feel like hearing bullshit from my brothers if I went into the shop. I’d have enough explaining to do showing up at Sunday dinner, but I had to go. I needed to tell everyone that I had seen Tommy. They’d be relieved that he was well, but totally pissed off at me.
I rubbed my face as I stood outside my parents’ front door. I could hear everyone inside laughing and carrying on. We were never a quiet bunch.
“Here goes nothing,” I whispered to myself, trying to put on a happy face and come up with a bullshit excuse.
I opened the door, walked into the foyer, and dropped my purse next to the stairs. “I’m here!” I yelled, heading toward the great room.
The smell of pasta sauce filled the home and made me think of James. He’d looked so damn hot sitting in my kitchen, scarfing down pasta like it was the best fucking thing he’d ever eaten. I wanted to plop my pussy on the plate and let him attack it like it was his last fucking meal.
I shook my head, clearing James from my mind. The man had me all crazy and losing focus.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Anthony hollered, standing from the couch and stalking toward me.
“Nice to see you too, brother.” I smiled, wrapping him in my arms and patting him on the back.
“You weren’t supposed to be back until tonight. What happened?” he asked, backing away and looking me up and down. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Anth. Really. Bike Week just wasn’t for me.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Joey and Mike striding toward us. Here we go. Let the inquisition begin.
“Hey, guys,” I said, turning toward them and holding out my arms.
“Don’t give us that bullshit, Izzy. What happened?” Mike growled, coming to halt and glaring at me.
“I just wanted to come home. I’m not built for that life.” I looked at Joey, trying to wrap him in a hug.
“I call bullshit, little sister. You better spill and spill quick before I track Flash’s ass down and beat him to a bloody pulp,” Joey snarled.
I pinched my nose between my fingers, trying to massage away the stress. “Honestly, I’m fine, guys. I made it home in one piece. I just missed you, is all.”
“Bullshit,” Anthony coughed, and looked at the floor.
Glaring at him, I sighed. “Listen, I’ll tell you all about it, but I want to say hi to Ma and Pop first.”
“You will spill, Izzy.” Joey crossed his arms over his chest and did his best to look intimidating. He wasn’t to me; I’d known him my entire life. I knew the man underneath the big, hard exterior.
“I know, I know.” I threw my hands up, walking away to find Ma, who was in the kitchen, pouring the sauce over the angel hair pasta.
“Hey, Ma,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her from behind. I loved her more than life itself. She was everything to me, even though she thought I favored my pop over her. I did at times, only because he was a pushover and I loved him for it.
“I’m so happy you’re here, baby girl. I thought I heard you walk in.”
“Probably heard the three stooges out there.”
She laughed, her body shaking in my grip. “They can be a pain in the ass, can’t they?” She giggled, turning in my arms.
“Ma, I haven’t heard you use that language in a long time.” I kissed her cheek, a small laugh escaping.
“Sorry. I’m just stressed. Dinner!” she yelled over my head and toward the four men, who were now sitting in the living room along with the other two females in my life, ones I adored like they were my sisters.
I flinched, covering my ears as she yelled.
Years of raising five children had given her the lung capacity to not need a megaphone to be heard over the loud, obnoxious cackles of their voices.
“Jesus, Ma. Warn a girl before you yell in her ear. Will ya?”
She chuckled and grabbed the giant bowl of pasta from the counter. “I want to hear all about your weekend. Was it exciting?” she asked as I followed her to the dining room.
Everyone was already seated. They must’ve run when they’d heard her voice. No one kept her waiting—at least not if they liked their life too much. She wasn’t to be fucked with.
“It wasn’t what I’d expected.” I sighed.
I sat down in my usual chair next to Joey, who sat at the head opposite my father. My mother always took the seat to his right; often, I’d catch them holding hands while they ate. Suzy sat next to Joey in the same manner my parents sat. Mia and Michael were across the table next to my mother, and Anthony sat on the other side of me. We all had our places, but there was always a void at the table—Thomas’s spot.
All eyes were on me. I felt them. They were waiting to hear why I’d returned early. The only ones not paying attention were my parents. My ma was speaking with my father and dishing him out a heaping helping of pasta.
“So, dear, tell us about your trip,” Pop said after Ma filled his plate.
Smiling, I began to speak. “Well, it was a train wreck of sorts.” I looked down at the table, grabbing my napkin and placing it across my lap. I rested my elbows on the table and caught Joey’s watchful eye. “Don’t say it,” I warned him, holding up my hand.
“Are you okay?” Ma asked, continuing to work her way around the table.
“I’m fine, Ma. I wasn’t hurt.”
“What the hell did Flash do?” Michael asked, cracking his knuckles as he glared at me. I knew that suspicious look; he’d used it on me many times as a child when pulling information out of me.
“He didn’t do a thing. That’s the problem.” I laughed, preferring to freak everyone out for a moment.
“Izzy,” Pop warned.
