“I know, right?”
“How do you know? You don’t have a brother,” I said and frowned when she turned toward me.
“Wasn’t talking about myself,” she said and turned back to Rena who was trying not to laugh and it looked like she was having a hard time at it as she bit her bottom lip to hold it in. “If you wanted to start working out here, I’m sure Fin would be down with that.” When Mel finished, the devil walked up.
“What would I be down with?” Fin asked.
“Rena working out here.”
“Hell yeah, you got time, we can go in the office and take care of the paperwork,” Fin asked.
“Sure, but we might want to ask Xavier if he wants me here because I found out he was keeping me hidden,” Rena laughed.
“Probably because of the men running around here, that would be my guess. Hell, I still hate when my sister walks in here,” Fin said and I agreed.
“True, he is protective of me, which is hilarious since I am a cop,” Rena said and chuckled, then she spoke to Mel, “I’m getting ready to start my next shift rotation to nights so I’m off for the next four days until I start my shift, which after I come off shift, sleep a few hours, I will still have my days free to be your sparring partner if that works for you?”
“That works great. Again thanks, Rena. See you tomorrow,” Mel said and picked up her bag. “Ready?” she said when she turned to me. Rena grabbed her bag and followed Fin toward his office.
“No, you haven’t told me about the tattoo and who did the work? I know it is Henna ink though it only lasts a few days but still takes time to ink out. I was at the shop today and I know it wasn’t me and I didn’t see you come in to have one done, so what the fuck?”
“I’m tired and I’m not getting into this here. Come on. We can order out when we get back to my place,” Mel said and looked at me. I could see the tiredness in her eyes and I couldn’t stay mad at her.
“You know that sounds kinda like we are shacking up,” I teased and then stared at her while she glared at me. “What? It does,” I said and she turned without a word and I followed her tight ass out of the gym and to her car. I really couldn’t wait to drive again; this shit was getting old.
We drove back to her house in silence and when we entered her house she grabbed a pizza menu and slammed it into my chest and said, “Sausage, black olives, and onions.”
I grinned and said, “Guess that means we aren’t kissing later.”
She shook her head and said, “I’m grabbing a shower.”
As she walked off, I stared at her ass again, it was speaking to me, shit. ‘Come on, grab it,’ the fucking thing was saying. Shaking my head, I pulled out my phone and ordered pizza, then grabbed a beer and went into the living room and sat down and grabbed the flicker and it turned on. My phone buzzed and I picked it up to see a text from Sean.
“You should at least tell Mom and Dad. They will want to be there next week.” I sighed, asshole had looked up the shows.
Mel came back into the living room, showered and wearing a pair of sweats. I must have been frowning because she paused and asked, “What is wrong?”
I sighed again and leaned my head back on the couch and said, “Have you ever kept something a secret for so long you didn’t know how to tell anyone when the time came.”
She frowned as well and said, “Not really, why?”
“‘Cause I gotta figure out how to tell my parents I kept something important from them, and not make it sound like I was deliberately hiding it. I mean, I was, but it was more like, I started something, and then by a fluke it turned into something more than a hobby. I didn’t want to tell anyone because if I sucked or failed, then it would only be me who knew. You get it?”
Mel shrugged and said, “This is a really deep conversation, are you sure you can handle it?”
I rolled my eyes and stared at her. “Seriously?”
Mel nodded and then sat down, took the beer out of my hand, then took a swig, and said, “Lay it on me, I will help you figure out how to tell them.”
I paused and then wondered if I should tell her before I told my family, I mean, I wanted her to know, which was the answer to my question. I wanted her to be the first one I told. Sean found out on his own, I hadn’t told him, so it would be Mel. It felt right, I took a deep breath and began to explain.
“Well, when I was growing up, you know being the youngest of the O’Malleys it just kinda seemed like anything I did, my older brothers could do better. Not that I cared, it was just that I wanted to do something, just for me, you know? And if I sucked, well, then I would know it but no one else would.”
Mel nodded and then I said, “I was a senior in high school when my art teacher called me into her class after school. Of course, I was certain I was gonna get in trouble for something, but when she pulled out the drawings I turned in, she was excited. I mean, I can draw, I have always been able to draw, which is why tatting is easy for me. I see the skin like a blank canvas, anyway, she asked if she could have one of her friends look at it. I agreed and then went home. Didn’t think too much about it, then a few weeks later she called me back into her office and told me her friend wanted to know if I just drew or did I paint as well. She knew I did and asked if I had something I would like to have her show her friend. I said I didn’t care but I would bring in one from home tomorrow. She asked if I could just meet her at this gallery in the city the next day. I went, and the dude was thrilled with my paintings. I guess I was kinda shocked you know, and since I had already turned eighteen they didn’t need to talk to my parents and shit. Everything started from there and soon I was having my own shows, and selling my paintings. I didn’t tell my parents because I kept thinking it was like a flash in the pan, my first paintings were good, but still, art critics are picky.”
Mel’s eyes widened and she said, “Are you telling me you are an artist? Like a real one?”
I smiled and said, “Didn’t think I had it in me?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No, it’s not that, I’m just surprised you haven’t told your family that. I mean, I get why you didn’t at first, but later?”
“That’s just it, there never seemed to be the right time,” I said and Mel raised an eyebrow. “Okay fine, because everyone thought I was a fuck up and it was easier to be the fuck up of the family, rather than have them all make jokes about me being an artist.”
“So, do you paint under a pseudonym?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I admitted and then stared at her intently and said, “You probably have never heard of me.”
Mel laughed and shook her head. “Let’s not go into why you don’t think I would know a damn thing about art because I will have you know I do like art, it is just my taste sometimes doesn’t exactly match my bank account but I own several paintings, which I saved for and then bought, so lay it on me.”
“Okay,” I said feeling my heart beat faster, damn I didn’t think it would be this hard, like seriously. “I write under the name J. Holmes.”
Mel’s mouth dropped open and she stood and shook her head and then walked into the other room. Not how I had hoped it would go, but then of course, I wasn’t sure what she would say about my secret. But still, it was a little disappointing. Fine, I was gonna wait for the pizza and then when it got here, I would take mine into the spare room, I didn’t need to be around someone who didn’t even listen to me when I said I was…
Mel came back into the room and she was holding a frame, when she turned it around my eyes widened because she was holding one of my pictures I had painted just last year and sold at a show in Manhattan.
“I bought this when I came back to arrange for my discharge, I had extra money because there was nowhere to spend my paychecks while I was in Iraq. I was walking down the street and I saw this in the window of a gallery, I swear I stared it at for like ten minutes, and then I walked in and bought it. I told my sister later it was because it talked to me, it gave me a sign that getting out of
the military was the right thing to do.” Her voice lowered when she continued, “That is why when you saw the tat on my stomach, you wanted to know where it came from, right? I thought this would make a really great tattoo and I purchased a print so when I talked myself into having the tat done, I didn’t have to take the painting.”
“I didn’t think it was you who had come across my art. When I saw the Henna on you, I figured it was Sean. He figured out on his own what I did. Now I know why he was riding me about telling the family. He’s the one who did the Henna tat today, isn’t he?” Mel bit her lip and her brows creased. “Mel?”
“Umm...it wasn’t Sean. I stopped by the house after I had my hair cut and dyed, picked up the print, and when I walked in Slinging Ink, you had gone to lunch with Bry, Petal, and Reed, and Michael was the only one in the shop.”
“Michael fixed the template and did your tat?” I know she said it already, but I couldn’t wrap my head around Michael actually drawing a tattoo using my art.
“I thought I could have it done as part of my appearance for the fight and if I liked it, I would get it done permanently.”
“I will be giving you the permanent tattoo, not Michael. I can’t believe you let Michael touch you? And he better not have seen your breasts, they belong to me!” Mel stared at me and shook her head.
“I didn’t mention it this morning because I was having too much fun playing, but the jacob’s ladder you are sporting, did Petal touch your dick?”
“NO! God, woman. Bry and Reed would have ripped my balls off. I flew out to Vegas one weekend I was off and went to Reese’s guy there. And for your information, since I had it done, I haven’t gotten to try it out on a woman yet.” Mel stared at me and when I looked into her eyes I saw desire. “Mel—” was the only thing I got out when the doorbell rang. “Goddamn, sonofabitch, the universe doesn’t want us to have sex!” The bell rang again and Mel chuckled.
“That would be the pizza guy.” Then Mel started toward the door with me behind her. “I say we show the universe that it has no say in what we do,” she said, glanced over her shoulder and instead of stopping at the door, stopped at the foot of the steps and winked at me. “I don’t mind cold pizza, do you?” I watched her ass sway from side to side as she walked up the steps while the doorbell rang once again.
“Falon,” Mel said from the top step, “you might want to get the door.” I heard her chuckle as she moved out of view down the hall.
The knock at the door instead of the bell, snapped me out of my sexual daze, and I turned and damn near ripped the door off its hinges. My wallet was out of my back pocket and before the guy had a chance to speak, I was pulling bills out.
“Your order comes to—” he stopped mid-sentence when I grabbed the boxes and shove the bills at him.
“Keep the change!” I yelled as the door shut. I needed to calm down but damn, Mel and I were finally going to do this. The lock was turned, the alarm set, and the pizzas laid on the table by the door.
Fuck finesse, I took the steps two at a time. The damn universe was going to get taught a lesson, maybe two or three depending on my stamina.
Chapter Nine
Mel
When I entered the bedroom I was chuckling until I caught sight of myself in the dresser’s mirror. Yeah, I screamed sexy in my sweats and KO Ink t-shirt. If I hurried I might have enough time to change into something a little more appealing. I moved to the chest of drawers and started with the top drawer. Nothing there but underwear and though I had some really sexy ones, I kinda figured the commando I had going on worked better. I pulled open the second drawer and heard the door slam shut downstairs. Shit, I was going to run out of time.
Nothing in the third drawer or the fourth would do, so I bent over and pulled the last drawer open and said a small thank you to my sister when I saw the black sheer lace teddy and matching panties she gave me for my last birthday. “The just in case gift.”
“Damn, sweetheart, this is what I’m talking about,” Falon whispered as he gripped my hips, pressed into my backside that was stuck in the air, and grounded into me. I held onto the drawer to keep myself from toppling over. I had all intentions of yelling at him when one of his hands slid off my hip to rub and squeeze first one butt cheek then the other.
“This is the best ass, not too toned, not too soft.” The way his voice sounded rough, it was like he was talking to himself, and he could have been for all I cared as he caressed and rubbed and I lost the ability to speak at his touch. “Are you hot for me?” Falon asked and I moaned when his hand pushed between the apex of my thighs and he rubbed back and forth. “I can’t wait to sink into the heat and have you wrapped around my cock.”
Oh my God, if he kept it up I was going to climax before I was even out of my clothes.
“This position would work great and I bet not only for me, but for you too as I fill you and push deep, my cock touching every sensitive spot while you adjust to the invasion and your pussy begins to suck me deeper into your depths.” He cupped my mound over the material of my sweats and pushed against my clit with the heel of his hand. When he moved his hand from side to side, the friction from the material against my already hardening nub sent my building orgasm over the edge.
My body shook and if Falon hadn’t moved his other hand from my hip and wrapped it around my waist, I would have fallen head first into the chest of drawers. As it was, my arms barely supported my body they were so weakened.
Falon removed his hand from between my legs and pulled me upright, turning me into him. I leaned into his body and caught my breath.
“I planned to put on something sexier, you impatient man,” I said and looked up into his eyes for the first time since he entered the room. What I saw made my knees weak, so much want reflected from his green eyes that it was almost too much.
“Tiny slips of clothing may draw the attention, sweetheart, but sexy, no. That’s just the visual part that anyone can don, it’s the whole package that reels a man in and you are that in spades.” He took my lips as he finished speaking and pushed his tongue in. Kissing him was like having the first taste of your favorite treat, you tried to savor it, but your willpower always faltered and you ended up devouring it.
Falon’s hands moved over me as if he didn’t want to leave one area untouched. I was so lost in his kiss and touch that I didn’t know he was pulling my t-shirt up until it was wedged between us. He stepped back enough and broke the kiss to pull it up and over my head. I reached for the hem of his shirt and his hands covered mine, stopping me.
“What?” I didn’t understand why he stopped me.
“You first, sweetheart. I’ve dreamed so many nights of you standing before me naked that I want to see how close to perfection my dreams really are.”
Who the hell was the man in front of me? When I thought I had Falon figured out, he threw a curveball at me. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever figure out everything about him or could we spend a lifetime together and never really know everything.
“I want to touch you too,” I said breathlessly as his one hand traveled from between my breasts where the tattoo started, all the way down to the waist of my pants.
“You’ll get your chance,” was all he said as his other hand moved to the waist of my pants and with both hands, he began to slid the sweats off my hips and down. The only sign he gave when he didn’t encounter any panties was the intake of his breath.
My heart was beating out of my chest. Every sexual encounter I had, not one man had taken this much time with me. Hell, if I wanted to analyze it, the encounter would have already been over by now. And the biggest shame on that was not the men, I was the one to choose who and when, and then it was fast, me taking from them what I needed and once they finished, it was talk with you later and either I left their place or they left mine. Falon was taking charge and I was letting him.
When he dropped to his knees and my pants went down with him, I lifted my feet so he could move them out of our way. Falon tos
sed them to the side and sat back on his heels and looked me over. His eyes left a trail of fire on my skin as they moved over my body.
“Falon, let me—” I took a step closer and started to talk when the words turned into a moan as Falon leaned up and put his face at my apex and breathed deeply. He next moves had me calling out his name as he held on to one leg, and lifted the other over his shoulder, opening me up to him and as his face pressed between my legs, his tongue ran through my folds.
The only thing holding me up was his hands as he gripped my hips hard enough that I was sure bruises would show tomorrow. I would welcome each one as long as he didn’t stop.
“Falon, God, don’t stop,” my voice was strained to my own ears I threw my head back when he sucked on my clit. He backed off only enough to speak.
“Nothing is going to stop me now. Nothing or no one,” Falon’s last words were said against my clit and the vibration made my hips push into him. “That’s it, Mel, I want everything you have to give me.” He sucked on my clit again and used his tongue to press down on it. When he flattened his tongue and my clit came in contact with the metal ball piercing on his tongue, my juices flowed and I wanted more. I wanted him.
“I need you to fuck me!” Falon had the nerve to chuckle and before I could get mad, he released one hip and his hand moved down to join his mouth and he bit down on my clit, shoving not one but two fingers inside me. That was all it took.
“Falon!” I screamed and my entire body shook when the orgasm tore through me. I’d come twice and the man was still fully dressed.
By the time I came down, I was laying on the bed with Falon standing beside it, removing his clothes. I watched through hooded eyes as he removed his shirt first, revealing the tattoo chest and six pack abs I’d seen a dozen times when he worked out at the gym and just like then, I licked my lips and wanted to run my tongue over each one. My eyes followed his hands to his pants and he unhooked his belt and followed by undoing his pants until the two sides flapped open, revealing he too went without underwear. He shoved on the sides, his pants moved down and his cock sprang free. My first thought was, had it been that big this morning? It was long, thick, and the tip shined with pre-cum. He reached toward the nightstand and I turned my head to see a strip of condoms laid out on top.
Tatted and Tamed (KO Ink Book 5) Page 6