Throttle Me (Men of Inked, #1)(31)

“What did I say wrong?” I whispered in her ear.

“Kayden doesn’t drink. He’s an alcoholic and has been clean for about a year now.” She looked at Kayden and Sophia before returning her attention on the cooing baby in her arms.

“I didn’t know. Shit, you should’ve given me a heads up, sugar.”

“I’m sorry. It just slipped my mind.”

“It’s okay, City. It’s not something the ladies like to talk about. It’s always the giant elephant in the room,” Kayden said as he handed me the beer. “I can be around alcohol and not drink.” He sat down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. “Sit down, let the ladies work their magic in the kitchen. We’ll take care of the meat like God intended.”

“I don’t want to hear about your meat, Kayden,” Suzy snickered.

“Kitchen, Suzy, but let Sophia cook.” He pointed at her then toward the kitchen and snapped his fingers.


“I can cook, Kayden,” she said as she rubbed her nose against the baby’s face before handing the baby to Kayden and walking away.

“City, Suzy can’t cook a lick. She’s the queen of pre-made. Just an FYI,” he said as he cradled the baby and ran his finger along the chubby cheek.

Sitting on the couch, I set my beer on my knee and relaxed. “Eh, I can cook so it’s not a deal breaker for me. Bucs fan?” I asked.

“Fuck no, Browns fan born and bred.” He stretched out placing his free hand behind his head.

“No shit? You like an underdog or abuse?” I smiled before lifting the beer to my lips.

“I stay true to my roots, you?”

“Bears fan. No other way to be.”

“They’ve had some f*ckin’ horrible seasons, but the Browns have the market cornered on losing.”

“Give ya that,” I said as I tipped my beer toward him. “Suzy said you three lived together.”

“Yep, for a while. She was a lifesaver and I owe her. Don’t f*cking break her heart – I’ll beat the f*ck out of you.” He laughed. “Seriously, you’ll have a few more holes to match the ones you currently have.” What? I can see the girls talked about me in detail.

“Not my plan,” I said. “Suzy isn’t like other girls.” Suzy leaned against the counter and watched Sophia as they chatted. They looked over at us and started laughing.

“No, she’s not. She’s kind, pure, and too trusting. I feel like she’s my little sister and I’ll protect her like she’s my family.”

“Gotcha. Loud and clear.”

“You boys done with your pissing match?” Sophia said as she walked in the room with a plate of burgers. “These won’t cook themselves.”

“Let me handle the meat,” Kayden said, handing Jett back to Suzy.

“That’s what she said,” Sophia chuckled. Kayden grabbed the plate from her and kissed her on the lips. She looked at him with a dopey grin as he backed away.

“If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you handle my meat later.”

“Not in front of our guests,” Sophia said as she smacked him on the shoulder.

“They’re kind of nauseating aren’t they?” Suzy stood next to me and rocked Jett in her arms. His eyes were almost closed as he sucked his fingers.

“A bit.” I felt content with the three of them. I could almost feel the bond that they had, the love for each other.

“They’ve endured more than most people have in a lifetime and they came out on the other side with an unbreakable bond. Someday I’ll tell you their story. If fate is real, they’re the perfect example. They were made for each other.” She smiled as she watched them on the patio.

They touched each other and kissed, never moving apart. His actions portrayed adoration for his woman. “Are they married?”

“Not yet, someday I hope. They’ve both been married before and they use that as an excuse not to rush into things.” She curled her lips up and rolled her eyes. “I remind them that they have a baby. I guess I’m old fashioned.” She shrugged.

I made sure not to f*ck that up. I never f*cked without a condom or took that kind of risk. “I was brought up that way too, but you can’t deny what they have. I’m sure they’ll do it in time.”

The evening was relaxing and I liked talking with Kayden. He didn’t bullshit and Sophia was something else – a spitfire and loved to tease Suzy mercilessly. “Did I pass the test with your friends?” I asked as we climbed on my bike.

“You did well. You got the thumbs up from Sophia.”

“She’s not the one I’m worried about.”

“Kayden? Oh, please. He likes to talk all his macho crap, but he’s the sappy one. He just wants me happy, City.”

“He said he’d kick my ass if I broke your heart, sugar.”

She wrapped her arms around me as I walked the bike away from the building trying not to be too noisy. “Kayden’s been known to take matters into his own hands, but I’ll set him straight about us,” she chuckled in my ear.

“Whatcha mean?” I said as I started the engine.

“Oh, nothing.” She rested her head against my shoulder and toyed with my nipple piercing. It was the first time I didn’t feel her tense against my body riding on the back of the bike. Maybe she was finally letting go and enjoying herself without over analyzing the situation.