Chapter 22: Chapter Twenty-Two

Frankie found himself in a much better mood as he walked through the crowd of people toward the door. He didn’t have to look back to know she was following him. He smirked to himself. She wanted him. There was no denying that now. Sure, the kiss had started as a way to prove to her there was no hiding that she belonged to him. Then he’d tasted her and realized it was the first time copper hadn’t tainted the delicious sweetness of her lips. And she’d reciprocated. Quickly. Completely. He glanced over his shoulder to get another glimpse at the lips he could still feel against his own.

Gloria looked up and met his gaze. She didn’t look away like everyone else did. She didn’t blush like anyone else would. Instead her gaze was curious interwoven with uncertainty as if she couldn’t believe she’d reacted that way to his touch. As if she’d never experienced a man taking control of her body and playing her to his needs like he had just done. The thought struck him… a moment before he struck the door.

Frankie cursed under his breath and rubbed the side of his head as he glared at the door he’d just walked right into. He heard a noise and looked back to find Gloria clasping a hand to her mouth as she laughed. He stared, completely transfixed, as she wrapped one arm around her stomach and her eyes shut while her laughter bubbled up from beneath her hand. He had only heard her laugh once before, when milk had come out of his nose. He was in too much pain, at the time, and too focused on the way those tight clothes formed to her body to enjoy the musical sound she tried so hard to hide from him. Now though… he considered banging his head against the door again so it wouldn’t trail out and die.

She inhaled a deep breath and finally opened her eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” Another fit of laughter rolled through her. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“You think that’s funny?” he asked, unable to hide his smile.

Gloria shrugged and chuckled a bit more. Frankie lurched forward and snagged her wrist, making her eyes go wide and the remaining laughter to get caught in her throat. He yanked her forward, clasped her cheek in his left hand and kissed her. He didn’t drag it out like the previous one. He didn’t do everything in his power to make it last. Instead he laced his fingers into her hair and pulled her head back. He smiled down at her stricken expression.

“How about now?” he asked. Gloria’s sharp, short breath fanned his face. She shook her head. “Good. Are you ready to leave now?”

She came back to her senses in an instant. Her lips pulled up at the edges. “You sure you’re fit to drive with that knock to the head you just took? Maybe you should have a nurse look at it.”

“Oh, I plan to get a full physical from one at the earliest convenience,” Frankie assured her.

“I could take a look. I think Valorie would let me borrow a syringe and some morphine,” she teased.

Frankie growled and tightened his hand in her hair. “Watch it, little Vixen. If you’re not careful, I’ll show you why everyone’s afraid to look me in the eye.”

Her brow cocked up and he loved that her confidence with him was growing. “What are you going to do? Raid a house and steal me in the dead of night? Fight your way through a hotel lobby? Threaten a biker in a dumpy bar?”

Frankie pursed his lips and looked upward before meeting her challenging gaze again. “You’re right. You’re hopelessly unshakeable.”

Without further words, Frankie threw her over his shoulder forcing a shriek from her lips. He smacked her ass and she squeaked.

“Hush now, don’t cause another scene,” Frankie said with a chuckle as he pulled the door open that he’d knocked into a few minutes ago.

She didn’t protest further as he walked her up the stairs and down the hallway toward the entrance. Don stood up from his stool and rubbed the back of his neck in concern.

“Um, you didn’t… kill her… Did you?” Don asked nervously.

“Uh, I don’t think so…” Frankie spanked her ass again and she yelped. He gave Don a victorious grin. “Nope, still kickin’. You mind?” he asked, bobbing his head toward the door.

“Right, yeah, of course,” Don stuttered, unlocking the heavy door and opening it with his shoulder.

“Thanks, Man,” Frankie said as he walked out into the warm night air.

“Sure thing. Um, bye, Lilah,” Don said with a pitiful wave.

Gloria sighed. “Bye, Don,” she returned in a defeated voice.

Frankie heard the door click shut and let her off his shoulder with a flourish. He kept his hands on her arms to keep her steady. She glared up at him.

“Don’t do that again.”

“Don’t do what, exactly?” he asked as he grabbed her helmet from the seat, the one he’d emblazoned with her name. “Throw you over my shoulder?” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Spank you? Cause I can assure you both will happen again… and again… and again… and…”

“Humiliate me,” she corrected, interrupting him.

He sat back, insulted. “I didn’t humiliate you.”

She snorted and he smiled at the sound he loved to provoke from her. “Just give me the darn helmet. I’m tired.”

Gloria wrenched the helmet away and stubbornly pushed it over her head. His phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket while watching her lean forward, swing her leg over his bike and settle that tight fucking ass of hers as far back against his duffel as she could manage. He heard the click of her visor coming open. He dragged his eyes from her ass, up over his shirt, the slope of her neck now sporting a blooming red mark from his lips, to her warm honey eyes and the slender eyebrow cocked above one. Her right cheek, on her face that is, lifted slightly and he knew she was smiling at him.

“Your phone’s still ringing,” she told him, her voice filled with humor.

His eyes flicked to his phone and back. “Hmm, would you look at that?”

Frankie put his helmet on and connected his bluetooth.

“Yo,” Frankie answered.

“I am going to kill you, Frankie Donati!!!”

Gloria’s eyebrow rose higher. “Old lover of yours?”

Frankie maintained eye-contact as he held his phone up and clicked the setting that would disconnect the bluetooth from her helmet. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry, new phone, who ‘dis?” Frankie asked.

Nora growled on the other end of the line making him smile and Gloria’s brow fall. Interesting. Time to have some fun.

“Oh, don’t make that noise, Baby. Don’t be mad,” Frankie cooed.

“What the fuck are you talking about?! I saw you just now in the club with Gloria!”

“I didn’t mean to make you jealous. Can you forgive me?”

“I have one rule!” Nora yelled, used to his antics after two decades of friendship. “One rule, Frankie. What is it? Hm? You know what, I am not going to even bother asking, I’m just going to fucking tell you because I know you and I know you aren’t listening. I know you’re twiddling with your damn helmet strap daydreaming about fucking some random ass bitch and not listening so here I go…” Frankie flicked his helmet strap away and rolled his eyes. “Stay the fuck away from my girls. That’s my one rule for you, Frankie Donati. Ten years. Ten years you listened. Why now, huh? What the fuck is wrong with you? She was that close to getting out of this shit.”

“As fun as it’s been listening to you dress me down in a way that makes my dick hard,” Frankie interrupted, his defense mechanism switching into gear with ease. “That random bitch is waiting for me to ride her ass home and I’m out of Viagra so I gotta take advantage. Can I call you when I'm done? We all know how much you love a late-night booty call. Kisses, Sweetcheeks.”

“Fra…”

Frankie ended the call. He let his head fall back and inhaled slowly, counting to ten. He let gravity pull his head forward and stared at the steel door of the club. He flexed his fists and turned on his heel. Gloria continued to watch him with a raised brow. She was holding herself up by her palms on his duffel bag behind her, elongating her slender arms and arching her back in a way that made him want to drag her to the nearest dark corner of the alley.

“‘Ride her ass home’?” she repeated.

Frankie twirled his keys around his finger. “Oh yeah, but we’ll get to that later.”

Frankie threw his leg over the seat, hooked his hands under her knees and yanked her forward as had become their cute little tradition. Some couples collected Christmas tree ornaments wherever they went. He and Gloria had this. He ran his right hand down her bare thigh as the fingers of his left dug into her flesh, making sure she knew to stay. People who collected Christmas ornaments were fucking idiots.

“So, do you need to make a stop on the way to your place?” Gloria asked. “I can wait out on the bike if you want to have yourself a quickie.”

Frankie snickered. The jealousy was cute but he’d have to nip that in the bud quick… Once he was done enjoying it. He’d never had a girl be jealous before. He’d had girls grateful for his infatuation to be over. Fuck, look at how that girl Polly reacted when he’d pulled Gloria into his side. If he’d had a camera, he would have taken a picture to send to Merriam Webster as a reference to the word, ‘relief.’

“Not to worry, Vixen, I won’t let her destroy what we have. She’s not into three-ways anyway. Trust me, I’ve asked,” Frankie finally answered, turning his head, and flipping his visor up so he could shoot her a wink. His wink was reflected in her own visor while she shook her head, unimpressed.