Authors: Megan O'Brien

Sal (The Ride Series) (13 page)

My hands slipped up under his shirt, finding the skin beneath warm and smooth. My fingers traced over the ridges and bumps of his muscles while he moved to my neck, biting the flesh just enough to elicit slight pain.

I broke away panting, tearing his shirt over his head and moved with greedy fingers to his belt.

His hands moved to cover mine, stopping my movements. Sal liked control, in all places, but especially in the bedroom.

“On the bed,” he ordered quietly.

I fought the urge to jump up and down and clap gleefully.

“On your back,” he specified, his eyes sweeping my frame hungrily as I complied.

I looked up at his gorgeous brown torso, ripped with muscle and painted in beautiful color as he licked his full lips. I wouldn’t ever get used to how breathtaking he was. Not in a million years.

“Please,” I pleaded quietly. I needed him to touch me in the worst way.

“What do you want, baby?” he asked quietly.

“You, always you,” I panted, feeling desperate.

He crawled up over my body, his large frame hovering over mine, and pressed himself in-between my legs. Even that small gesture could have sent me over the edge I was so worked up. He thrust against my core a few times; his lips traveling over my mouth, my neck, and finally my bra-covered breast.

He seemed to lose some control then because he sat up on his haunches, pulling my panties off in a swift tug and pulling my bra down to expose my breasts. His pants and boxers soon followed and my eyes took in his naked frame hungrily.

“Flip over,” he commanded, his tone sending a shiver of delicious anticipation through me.

I obeyed, rolling to my hands and knees, eyeing him over my shoulder.

“That’s a damn good view,” he growled appreciatively, eyeing my ass in the air.

He swept a hand through my gathering wetness. I was so damned turned on, and he’d barely even done anything.

“You ready for me already?” he asked, although he knew the answer.

“Holy hell, yes,” I practically groaned.

His large hands took my hips, pulling my entire body back toward the end of the bed and from his standing position he lined up and slammed inside me.

I fought the urge to scream. It felt so good, so overwhelming.

“That’s right, take me,” he grunted, pulling out and slamming back into me again. His hands kept my hips in his grip as he pulled me back into him with ferocity.

I felt it build almost immediately.

“Get there. I’m close,” he told me through panting breaths.

“I’m there,” I cried out as my orgasm swept through me with a roaring force, nearly knocking me flat to my stomach.

He groaned seconds later, collapsing on top of my back. I let myself sink into the mattress. I loved the feeling of his weight on top of me.

He rolled off me far too soon, taking me with him so we were a tangle of limbs and heat. His hand swept through my hair in a reverent caress.

“Okay?” he asked. He always did when he was a little rough.

“Great,” I nodded, my fingers tracing patterns over his skin.

“I got some slow and sweet in me, too,” his deep voice murmured.

I looked up at him with a grin. “Slow and sweet, huh?” I cocked a brow, my skin already heating at the thought.

“Yeah,” he nodded, his hand sweeping the curve of my hip and grabbing my ass in a tight squeeze. “Gonna take you again, baby,” he declared.

“I think I can handle that,” I agreed with a slow smile.

It was late afternoon by the time we came up for air. “I gotta get ready for work,” I said quietly. We were lying side by side, facing each other. His hair was wonderfully tousled from my fingers and a day’s worth of whiskers stood out on his chin. There was nothing I wanted more than to stay tangled up with Sal, cozy in bed all night. He reached over and tucked my hair behind my shoulder, his eyes peaceful and warm as they regarded me.

“Hank’ll post up at the bar. Come back here after your shift, okay?” he asked, his thumb moving to briefly touch my lower lip.

I thought about that, and as much as I wanted to do exactly that, I didn’t want us to fall back into our old pattern. We’d spent nearly every night together right off the bat before, and clearly it hadn’t worked out so well. Despite the current situation with the club, I still wanted to handle us with caution.

“Maybe I should go back to my place?” I asked as his hand froze from stroking my jaw.

“I want you here,” he returned forcefully.

“Sal,” I groaned with impatience as his eyes narrowed. “We just got back together like two seconds ago. I don’t want to fuck it up by doing exactly what we did last time,” I explained.

“Which was?” he asked with a raised brow.

“Which was doing everything backward,” I tried to explain. “We jumped right into bed and spent nearly every night after that together. We were spectacular physically, but we never worked much at the other parts. Not the way I wanted to anyway. And with everything that happened when you left, I always worried that you got cornered into watching out for me. Now, we’re right back there again, and I don’t want to worry that you’re obligated to me.”

I didn’t get further before he wrenched free of my grasp and hauled himself out of bed, aggressively shoving up his jeans.

“What just happened?” I asked in utter confusion.

“Fuck, Kat,” he stormed, pulling his shirt roughly over his head. “Is this how it’s gonna be? Reliving all the ways I fucked up before?” he demanded. “’Cause if that’s the case, why don’t we just call it a day?” he growled.

I reeled back from his words, especially given how we’d just spent the last several hours. “Call it a day?” I whispered incredulously. Anger burned in my cheeks as I regarded him in shock. “Jesus, Sal, how can you even say something like that to me? We’ve been naked in this bed together for three fucking hours!” I exclaimed angrily. “And that’s my whole fucking point!” I cried, pulling my hands through my hair in aggravation. “We never worked at it before, because we never let ourselves get to a vulnerable enough place for there to be anything to work on. And that’s on me, too. I’m not blaming you. I’m saying that there’s something here that’s precious enough to be careful with.”

I took a moment and blew out a controlled breath, trying hard to get a rein on my temper. “Look, I don’t want months to go by and all of a sudden we’re back exactly where we started. That didn’t work. And I want this to work, really fucking badly,” I admitted, and in doing so I felt like I’d extended a huge, vulnerable olive branch to him.

Please take it, Sal, please
, I chanted in my head.

He grabbed his keys and I felt bitterly disappointed. He was actually going to leave. “Sal,” I started, my tone a hoarse warning, “please think about what you’re doing by walking out the door right now.”

“I just need to cool off,” he said curtly over his shoulder as he opened the door.

“Well, you take all the time you need,” I returned coldly. Fuck if I was going to wait around for him to sort out his goddamn head.

He didn’t even turn back to look at me. Instead, he grabbed his jacket and walked out, closing the door behind him.

I stared at the door in shock for a long time. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. But I knew one thing was for sure: I was done having Salvatore fucking Armstrong turn me inside out. At least that’s what I told myself. My whole love ‘em and leave ‘em mentality I’d lived by before I’d met Sal was sounding pretty good right about now. Too bad I couldn’t even look at other men. God, I was so screwed. Rather than sulk, I got up, showered, and went to work without one single tear hitting my cheek.

Chapter 12

J
odie popped in to say hi later that night. She wasn’t on shift, but she lived in the neighborhood.

“You look like you need to throw a couple back and have some girl talk,” she surmised correctly with a raised brow.

“Is it that obvious?” I grumbled.

“Why don’t you come to my place? A couple of my friends are going to come by and hang out. You’ll like them.”

I had always liked most of Jodie’s friends, except perhaps her roommate Ryan, who had a bit of creep factor happening.

I glanced over at Hank who looked bored as hell sitting at the bar on guard duty. I knew he wouldn’t let me go, and even if he did, it would be awkward to drag him along. But, I wanted to go. I was in the mood to let my repressed wild child out for a few hours and forget about Sal and our fight.

I nodded to her. “I just need to ditch my guard for a bit. He’ll kill me, but whatever.” I shrugged, inwardly wincing at how pissed Hank would be. Not to mention, Sal. Part of me was feeling stifled by my constant watchdogs. Plus, I knew Hank would just force me back to Sal’s place. It enraged me that I didn’t have an option even though he’d walked out on me this afternoon.

Pete was closing with me, and when I had everything wrapped up, I met him in the office.

“Hey, Pete, I’m gonna get outta here. Will you tell Hank I went to hang with Jodie for a bit?” I asked, trying not to look guilty.

He looked at me with a cocked brow. “Why do I have a feeling you’re making a jail break?”

I twisted my fingers together. “It may or not be sanctioned by a certain leather wearing giant,” I allowed, my head cocked toward Hank. “But I need this. I promise to be safe.”

He sighed and nodded once briefly.

“Thanks, you’re the best!” I exclaimed, kissing his cheek quickly and rushing out the back door.

“Shots!” I shrieked an indeterminable amount of time later as we sat around a small table in Jodie’s living room. I’d been going pretty hard since I’d arrived and I knew in the back of my mind I should slow down. My tolerance wasn’t like it used to be and ending the night puking wasn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. Plus, Ryan had been decidedly grabby, and I’d tried various tactics to try to get him to back off. I knew I should have a clearer state of mind to deal with him but, somehow another shot made its way down my throat.

Imagine that.

My mind drifted constantly to Sal. Perhaps he was all “cooled” off. As far as I was concerned, he could
cool off
until he froze.

The rational part of me knew couples fought and that Sal and I were in for a rocky road ahead. We were both extremely passionate people who were getting to know each other in a different way, a more real way than we had before.

Despite being pissed at Sal, I still didn’t want him to worry and I’d shot him off a text when I’d first arrived.

Out with Jodie, I’ll be safe.

He’d responded within seconds.

Address NOW.

I winced. After that, I’d put my phone on silent and put it in my purse. A few more drinks and I easily put my worries aside.

I took a breather and stepped out on Jodie’s balcony to call Scarlet. I knew in my foggy head that it was probably late, but I needed my friend. I’d been keeping her at arm’s length lately, something I was great at, but I missed her and in my drunken state I needed her.

“Kat?” she answered sounding sleepy.

“Oh, sorry, Scar!” I exclaimed. I knew in my current state I was talking really loudly from where I stood outside.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m just over at Jodie’s,” I answered breezily. “I wish you were here. You’d like her friends! Except for Ryan, he’s a bit grabby,” I complained.

“He’s putting his hands on you?” she asked, sounding concerned and a bit confused.

“Yeah, but I’m out here now to talk to you,” I answered as though that explained everything.

“Sal’s been looking for you,” she replied wearily.

I made a sound between a huff and a snort. “Sal thinks he wants to find me, but he doesn’t,” I answered sagely.

“I think maybe I should come pick you up,” she surmised.

“No!” I squealed like a child. “I never have any fun anymore.
This
is fun. If I have to get felt up in the process, so be it,” I slurred slightly.

I could hear Cole murmuring in the background and I sighed. “Sorry, Scar. Shit, you must need your sleep. Tell Cole I said sorry. I’ll call you tomorrow,” I apologized.

“Wait, Kat…” she tried, but I was already in the process of hanging up. I looked at my phone–2:30 AM. Shit, why had I called her? She had a newborn baby. I was such a bitch. I was getting myself in all kinds of trouble tonight.

“There you are,” Jodie grinned when I stepped back into the living room. “Want another?” she asked with a smile, indicating the liquor bottle.

“Definitely,” I nodded. It looked like her couch would be my bed for the night. I certainly wasn’t driving home.

I stood chatting with Jodie and her friend Sarah in the kitchen, avoiding Ryan as much as possible.

“Want another?” Ryan’s voice sounded in my ear.

I flinched but quickly recovered with a nervous laugh. “No thanks,” I said as I shook my head, ducking out of the arm he’d put around my shoulder.

I heard a loud pounding but couldn’t immediately place its source. “What the hell?” Jodie asked.

The pounding sounded again, clearly coming from the front door. Seconds later, Sal filled the doorway, his dark gaze sweeping the room before it rested on me.

Gah! What was he doing here?

“Who the hell are you?” Ryan asked belligerently.

“I’m her man,” Sal glowered while tilting his head in my direction. “I assume you’re Ryan.”

Ryan nodded, looking slightly pale.

Sal wrapped a fist around Ryan’s shirt and pulled him closer. “You put your hands on her again and we’re gonna have more than words. Understand?”

“Yes,” Ryan swallowed audibly.

Sal’s eyes glittered with quiet fury as he looked at Ryan once more before his eyes found mine.

Crap, I really wished Cole could keep his mouth shut sometimes.

“I figured you’d need to cool off some more,” I commented tartly, sipping at the drink, which was apparently making me brave.

It was taken from me mid-sip and slammed back on the table.

“We’re going,” he commanded.

“You can go anywhere you want,” I retorted. “I’m staying here.”