Tough Going (Tough Love Book 2)

by Trixie More

  “What?” she panted, she did not want to lose the ground she’d gained.

  “Let go of my neck.” Derrick raised his chin and looked at her, shocking her with the humor showing on his face, a smile that was as stunningly brilliant as the sun. In a daze, she realized she still had her legs locked, but now they were around his neck. It was almost too much to relax them and let him go. His tongue, pointed and stiff, wiggled her clit, reassuring her, as his warm hands gently pulled her legs apart. Slowly she let them fall and then laid back on the worktable, looking up at the underside of the shelf above her.

  Between her legs, he pinched the inside of her thigh. “Not that relaxed,” he said. He shoved his fingers into her cooch and then he was at it again, while she propped herself on her elbows and stroked his hair. She watched his handsome face, saw him spread her with his fingers, felt him begin to rub rhythmically and she was off again, feeling herself start to clench around him, as he hit the magic motion. She clamped her thighs against his ears and couldn’t have made herself release him on a dare.

  “Let go for me. Pretty, lonely, Allison, let go.”

  My God, his words! The feeling grabbed her by the chest first, bowing her backward, her arms and legs tight, waves of fire crashing along her nerve endings. He didn’t stop. She pushed his head. He grabbed her wrists in one hand, holding them away from him while his mouth continued its circling, circling, circling, never varying, never changing and Allison felt the wail rise up from deep inside. She knew it was coming and had nothing to stop any of it with. Her voice started low and strange, emerging along with the blazing of her skin, breaking free in a feral howl. She stayed tense and tight for what felt like minutes, unable to slow the orgasm or even separate herself from it, while Derrick continued to lap at her, slower and slower. Allison was dimly aware that his fingers were pumping in and out, and that her hands were free again.

  Holy shit. Allison’s mind floated, but all too soon, her brain made itself known again. She looked up, and Derrick was standing, gazing down at her with a smug smile on his face. Was this what it was like? He pulled her forward, bringing her wet, open pussy against the bulge in his jeans. He had time to lean over and kiss her, making her taste herself before the sound of pounding burst into the kitchen. They both froze for a moment.

  “The fuck?” Derrick ducked out of the circle of her legs and strode to the back door.

  Allison gave a shriek and lurched off the table, hobbled by her pants around her ankles, trying to realign her underwear and yank up her jeans at the same time. She still had her boots on, and it was the middle of a workday for God’s sake. Oh my God, had she … had she … stunk? She felt her face heat. What the hell had she been doing?

  “Don’t you open that door, Derrick,” she commanded. He turned his head to look at her. Construction god was back, face placid and haughty.

  “Or what?” he sneered.

  “What?” He wouldn’t! She wrenched her jeans into place, turned her back on him and zipped up. She yanked a fistful of paper towels off the roll, all the while, the pounding continued. Who the hell was banging at her door? Her mind tried to answer her question with an image of Derrick above her. Argh! She turned back and thrust the paper at Derrick. “Wipe your face!” Allison winced. God, that sounded horrible. What was wrong with her? She tried again, softer. “Let me …”

  He ripped the towels from her, strode to the sink and washed his mouth. When he turned back, he was glaring at her, face fierce and surely not hurt? Allison followed him to the door.

  “Wait,” she said, pushing past him. “This is my place.” And she yanked the door open.

  Chapter 10

  It was his grandfather. Of course, it was. Derrick had known it the minute the pounding started. Not the banging he’d been hoping for. Now bossy bitch was back and taking charge. Derrick stepped back and let her do her thing, just allowing the stern anger her words had spawned to flow through him.

  Wipe my face. For real?

  “Angelo, hello. What’s up?” You would never know that she’d been on her back three minutes before, spine arched and yowling as he ate her out. You would never guess unless of course, you lived in the tri-state area and heard her caterwauling. He crossed his arms over his chest and rested back on his heels. He wondered what excuse his grandfather would use.

  “Ah, Allison, how are you, cookie?” Derrick rolled his eyes. Cookie was Grandma Rose’s word. Angelo only stole it when he needed to think he was charming.

  “I’m fine. You?”

  Sur-fucking-real.

  “Ah, good. Have you seen my grandson?” Derrick had to choke down his humorless laugh. He was Angelo’s excuse.

  “Right here, Poppie,” he stated.

  The door swung wider, and Angelo looked past Allison. “Ah, Derrick. I was looking for you. The guard is half finished, and we need to use the fryer.”

  “I’ll be right there.” He gave his grandfather a meaningful glare, and his grandfather gave it right back. That business out of the way, Angelo smiled at Allison.

  “Very good. I’ll be heading back, don’t be long.” And with that, he left, and Allison shut the door, letting out a huge breath.

  Now, what was he going to do about her?

  “I’ll be back in a little bit,” he said.

  “Oh, no. Don’t bother,” Allison said.

  What the hell? Don’t bother? His heart was still slamming in his chest. “I’ll be back.”

  “Oh.” Allison looked at the ground.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “For Christ’s sake, Allison, what?”

  She waved her hand in the direction of his cock and Derrick got a really bad feeling, he just knew that mouth of hers was about to say something he didn’t want to hear.

  “Don’t say it.”

  She looked at him, her eyes wide at first and then, damn it all, there she went again. Suddenly he wasn’t so fond of her bossy side. “I just think you should know …”

  He shook his head. “Don’t.”

  She widened her eyes and got up in his business, stepping close. “I’m going to even it up,” she said.

  Even it? He practically gawked at her when he figured it out and then, he was angry. Again.

  “No fuckin’ way, you just said that to me,” he said.

  She looked dead serious. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

  He pointed his finger at her. “You, I can’t even begin to … if you are trying to piss me off, you’re doing an outstanding job.” He yanked the door open. “Don’t you ever talk to me like that again.”

  He had the satisfaction of seeing the shock on her face before he slammed the door behind him. She’d even it up. The hell she would. He was going to get them so uneven, her head would pop. Now, where was his grandfather?

  The back door was propped open, and Derrick stepped inside. The guard was laying on the counter, fries sizzling merrily in the deep fry. No problem there. He looked up when he heard the swinging door open. His grandfather came in.

  “What are you doing, Derrick?”

  Derrick didn’t beat around the bush. “You heard us.”

  “Yeah, I heard you, heard her. This is not smart, Derrick.”

  “I don’t think it’s your business, Poppie.”

  “Well, sorry to tell you, it’s nothing but my business.”

  “How?”

  Angelo’s eyes, once deep brown, were clouding but they could still spark when he was angry. “She’s behind.”

  Derrick stayed silent.

  Angelo flung his hand in the air. “Don’t you play that game with me, boy. You can fool all of them with your silence but this is me, and you talk to me!”

  “Fine, what’s she behind in? Her rent … oh.” That brought him up short. She didn’t pay rent. She had a mortgage and Angelo was holding the paper.

  “Oh,” his grandfather replied.

  “How far behind is she?”

  “She pays every month
but the last three, she only gave me part. Three quarters, a half. She’s going to go under, Derrick.” Angelo wandered over to a stool and parked his ass on it. “The kindest thing I can do is take the place back from her now before she loses more money.”

  “No.” Derrick felt sick. Why the hell had he gotten involved with her? Hadn’t he just been telling himself this was a bad idea when she’d come out into the alley? A woman with a bag of garbage, of all things, and he couldn’t resist? And now, he’d just promised himself that he’d go back over there and set her good and straight about the little debt between them, only to find a much more serious debt was hanging over her head. Stunad, his grandfather’s word for stupid, rang in his head. “Poppie, don’t do it yet. Let me talk to her.”

  “Like you been talkin’ ta her?” The salt and pepper eyebrows raised; his grandfather’s voice was incredulous. “Derry, I’m going to pull the paper, and she’s going to lose the business. And I’m gonna keep the down payment. That’s business. That’s the agreement.” His grandfather shook his head at him. He didn’t try to pretend that Derrick was anything but stupid to be involved with Allie. “And you, my friend, are going to get hurt if you are involved with her because you won’t be able to help either of us.”

  “It’s too late!” Derrick said. “I’m involved now, already.”

  “Not much you are,” his grandfather retorted. “One good shake is not enough to make a pact over. You gotta be in love, you gotta be committed. Right now? You can back off. You done it before.”

  “I’m asking you as family, don’t do it. Not yet.”

  His grandfather looked pained. Good, Derrick didn’t want to be the only one. “Why would you ask me that?”

  “Because I just am.” Derrick picked up the fry guard and started wiping the grease off of it.

  “Well you better figure out just why you’re asking, ’cause I’m not waiting long.”

  Derrick took the bent metal and headed out the back door. “That’s fine, Poppie. Just a little bit of time, that’s all I want.”

  His grandfather’s voice came from behind him. “Only because you mean more to me than anything, Derrick. That’s the only reason. Because every month I wait, it just gets worse for her.”

  Derrick nodded and stepped through the door, pulling it quietly shut behind him. He leaned the guard against the wall, walked next door and knocked. Allison opened the door immediately.

  “Look, Derrick, I’m sorry …”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” She had the grace to look ashamed at least.

  “You did, but I’m going to overlook it,” he said, surprising himself. Allison blinked up at him. Good. She was shocked too. “Look, I was going to come back over and help you, but I gotta get some air. I’ll be back tonight around seven, the family is having dinner next door tonight.” The woman before him just nodded.

  “OK,” she said meekly.

  “OK. I’ll come and get you at seven,” Derrick said.

  She blinked again. “Why?”

  “I’m asking you to have dinner with us,” he said. Maybe if Rose and Angelo got to know her, they wouldn’t be so quick to pull the mortgage.

  “I, I have a customer picking up at six thirty, I won’t have time to change,” She made a face. “I smell like garlic.”

  “Too late to worry about that,” he said and smirked at her. Some of the tension left them both. She ducked her head, her ball cap hiding her expression. “Look up at me,” he said, and she did. He relaxed a little more. “Have dinner with us tonight.”

  “All right.” Her bemusement faded a bit, and she glanced left and right as if she was looking for something in the alleyway. “What can I bring? I can bring something. What about chicken marsala? I can bring the meal …” She stopped and bit her lip. He didn’t think it was an act. Something as simple as accepting a meal was beyond her.

  “Allison?” He reached out and touched her, feeling the hard bone of her cheek beneath the skin, pale with a flush of pink.

  “Hmm?”

  “I’ll pick up a box of cannoli, you can bring that,” he said. He waited to see what Allison would do with that.

  “Oh, but that’s not, I mean, that would be great …” She shoved her hands into her pockets, looking, no doubt, for money, and he felt that tenderness again. She came up empty. “Wait, I’ll get you some money.” She turned to go, but he grabbed her by the bicep.

  “Allison? I’m leaving now, and I’ll be back before seven, with the cannoli. I’m not taking your money.” Her face fell. He shut his eyes and opened them. “Get used to it, boss lady. I’m not going to keep a running checklist of who’s ahead here.”

  Her head shot up, the fire back in her eyes. “I didn’t mean it that way; I told you I was sorry.”

  He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, her arms slid around his waist, feeling strong. He came to her mouth again. Her tongue ran along his upper lip, and he gathered her to him and finally, finally, let himself grab her by all that round, delicious ass, and pull her into him. When they broke apart, he gave her ass a smack and wasn’t that satisfying? “I’ll see you at six forty-five.” Her eyes sparked at the swat, but then she smiled and nodded, going back into the kitchen and shutting the door. Derrick headed out of the alley, taking the guard, and headed uptown.

  Allison leaned against the closed door. He would be back. At six forty-five. And they were going to eat dinner with his family. Her stomach fluttered. Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself. She was making way too much out of this. This was not a hookup. It was going next door to the bar and grabbing a bite. And, since the Mastrelos were having dinner at that same time, and she was a friend or at least a business acquaintance, she would eat with them. This was not the same thing as Derrick taking her home to meet his parents. Oh, God. His parents might be there. She saw Angelo and Rose all the time, but she couldn’t remember ever meeting their daughter, Marie, the woman who was Derrick’s mother. His father was a brain surgeon that she knew, but she didn’t know his name. Another shock to her system, she’d just been two seconds from having sex with the man, and she had no idea what his last name was. It had never occurred to her that it wouldn’t be Mastrelo.

  She’d planned on spending the afternoon working on her marketing plan, and it was already four p.m. If Allison worked quickly, she could get the cooking for this evening’s pickups done and get a start on her plan before Marley arrived at six. And that meant, she could run home for a quick shower and some clean clothes. She really shouldn’t make a big deal out of this. On the other hand, she hadn’t had much of a social life since before she bought the place, between visiting her dad, and now with him needing extra help, it might be a long time before she got another chance. That settled it. She would get to dress up a bit for once and eat dinner with a man she liked, and meet his family. If she wanted to treat that like it was a date, that was her business.

  She got to work sanitizing the worktables, washing the vegetables, and prepping the ingredients. She started a large batch of sauce knowing Marley would be there to monitor it simmering. Then she made a batch of eggplant rollatini. She took out a tray of meatballs they had prepped yesterday and fried them. While she worked, she thought about her new marketing idea. At first, she had thought she would have a homestyle business, catering small family parties for regular customers who lived locally. That idea still appealed to her, but the reality of making a living from that type of catering was a lot harder than she’d expected. Providing lavish spreads at high-end events, with dozens of waiters circulating trays of impeccable hors d’oeuvres was out of her reach for now. She didn’t have the staff or the resources for that yet. If she could focus on corporate events, she might have less evening work, and when it came to businesses, they would be happy to pick from a list of preplanned selections.

  As much fun as working out new offerings was, she couldn’t keep her mind entirely on work. She kept losing track of her
thoughts, wondering what she was going to wear tonight. Despite her practical streak, Allison wasn’t immune to dressing up and being pretty. When she put her mind to it, she could clean up good, but what should she wear? She smiled. It had been a long time. She had an ivory, off the shoulder, angora sweater that she loved and never got to wear. That and a black leather pencil skirt would be adorable with a pair of suede half boots. Perfect. She couldn’t wait. She wondered if Derrick would like it? Mastrelo’s bar was casual, and maybe she’d be too dressed up. Screw it. She’d decided, and that was what she was wearing. If she wanted to please people, she had customers for that.

  Allison dropped the fried meatballs into the sauce to simmer and started another batch. Another good thing about selling to companies was that she might be able to make enough to close earlier and then she might be able to spend a couple nights at her dad’s place, saving him the cost of a companion for those hours. She was just starting to figure out how much they might reduce his expenses if she stayed at his place twice a week, and if he came to work with her for a few days each week, when she heard the bells above her front door ring.

  A moment later, Marley was coming through the door to the kitchen.

  “Hi, Allie,” she said.

  “Hey, Marley. I’m glad you’re here,” Allie said. “I haven’t got much time.” She explained what needed to be done and that she would be back in less than an hour.

  “OK. Is there anybody else coming in?” asked Marley, clearly curious about why Allison would be leaving her alone in the shop. “Is everything OK with your dad?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I’m having dinner with someone, and I want to go home to clean up, that’s all,” Allison said.

  Marley tipped her head and gave her a mock stern look. “You look fine, why do you need to rush just for dinner?” Marley stowed her belongings under the counter and got an apron on. “Who you going to dinner with?” Well, now Allison did feel silly. Maybe she should wear jeans, just clean ones. That would feel more comfortable. She hesitated.