Chelle Bliss - Hook Me

I shrugged and turned the phone over in my hand. “Just curious. It’s all donation based and I know how the two of are about helping local charities.”

“What do you know about it? If it’s worthy, your father and I would be more than happy to help.” She leaned back in the chair, picking up her yarn to work on a baby blanket.

“A group of doctors volunteer their time but I don’t know much else. I’ll found out about it and let you know.” I glanced down at my phone, on silent around my family to avoid the questions.

Mia: Hey, what time are you picking me up?

“Okay, baby.” She placed the blanket over her lap before starting to work on it.

Me: At five and wear a swimsuit under your outfit.

“Who you making that for?” I asked.

“My grandbaby,” she said in a flat even tone.

“Is someone having a baby I don’t know about?” I asked as I looked around the room, but everyone ignored us.

“Not yet.” She frowned and said, “Soon though I hope.”

I looked at Suzy who was staring at the television a little too engrossed in the game. She hated sports but at the moment she was totally enthralled. My brother, Joe and Suzy could never tell Ma no. It had become the giant elephant in the room as both of them always pretended not to hear her when she talked about babies.

“I’m not ready for a kid,” Joe leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I’m too busy enjoying Suzy and I’m way too greedy to share my time with her.”

“She’s not going to stop,” I said softly.

“I may be old, boys, but I’m not deaf,” Ma said with a laugh.

“Busted,” I said.

“I’m watching your face as you type feverishly on that phone, Mike. I hope it isn’t the crazy lady,” he said as he leaned back and turned his attention toward the game.

“Hell no. I’ve been knocked in the head a couple times, but I’m not stupid.”

He hit me on the knee with a smile. “Stupidity isn’t the issue, our dicks are the problem.”

“Amen to that, brother.” I laughed. “Nah, this one isn’t like that.”

Raising an eyebrow he said, “They’re all like that.”

“I haven’t even slept with her, Joe.”

He looked at me in horror. “When did you meet her?”

“That’s a complicated answer.”

“I’ll take your complicated over the Cub any day.”

“We met at a bar over a week ago and I took her on a date last week, but she treated me in the ER when I broke my ribs.”

“Wait. You went on a real date?” He eyed me suspiciously.

“I did.”

“And you didn’t sleep with her after?”

I shook my head and smiled. “Nope.”

“Well fuck me, never thought that was possible,” Joe said hitting my leg and laughing loudly.

There was no way in hell would I share that I rented the beach and went all sappy ass shit I did for Mia.

No fucking way.

That was for her and I and Joe sure as shit didn’t need to know. He’d laugh at me and probably call me Romeo for weeks, but I knew the truth about my brother. He was just as big of a softy as me. He swept Suzy off her feet and she described him as a Casanova.

“I’m not a walking hard-on. I can date someone without fucking them.” I looked at my ma, surprised she hadn’t yelled at us for our language, but she was wrapped up in grandbaby world.

The couch shook with his laughter. “We’re all walking hard-ons, but I’m proud of you, brother. When are you seeing her again?”

Before I could answer, Izzy walked in and stretched out on the floor with her head perched in her hands as she stared at the television.

“Today.” Looking at my watch I said, “One hour in fact.”

“What’s today?” she asked, turning around.

“Nothing, Iz. Why do you always have to be so damn nosey?” I sounded like a dick and I might as well have put a billboard above my head with my response.

She giggled like she did when she was a little girl watching her favorite television show, Fraggle Rock. “God, you boys are so easy to read. Don’t come crying to me when this one wants your name tattooed on her body. You sure know how to pick’em, Mikey.”

I swiped my hands across my face, shaking my head. “Where’s your man, Iz? We’ve been dying to meet him,” I said looking down at her.

“Hell no, I’m not bring him around you baboons for a long time. When I do, you’ll know he’s the one, until then he’s only for me. Learned my lesson long ago with you boys.”

“We’re not the same. We’ve grown up,” Joe said before grabbing Suzy hand and kissing it.

“In some ways,” she said over her shoulder, turning her attention back to the game.

“Anyway,” I murmured, changing he subject and looked at my ma. “Hey Ma, can we have dessert now? I have an appointment.”

“On a Sunday?” she asked putting down the needles.

“He has a date, Mom. A hot one I’d say for him to be rushing out of here on a Sunday.” Izzy smiled at my mom before looking at me with a shitty smirk.

I grabbed the pillow from the side of the couch and threw it at her. “I have a date, Ma. I have to leave in thirty minutes. Forgive me?”

One thing you didn’t mess with is the Sunday Gallo dinner. Days like today, they seemed like torture.

“Anything for love, Michael.” She smiled.

She didn’t have to say it, but I knew my mother well enough that she’d do anything for love, even hand out dessert a little early. The visions of babies danced around in her head too much for her to deny any of us a pass on family time for the chance of love and that elusive grandchild.

MIA

My palms felt slick and my heart felt like it would burst as I put on the harness. “I can’t believe you talked me into this shit,” I said, my hands shaking so badly I couldn’t snap the latch between my legs.

“I thought you liked an adrenaline rush and I know you love the ocean. Couldn’t think of a better thing to do. Two for one deal,” he smiled at me, fastening his harness without a problem.

“Just my fucking luck. Yay,” I said sarcastically and clapped. “But you forgot one thing.” I held up my finger and waved it in the air.

“What?” he asked as he stepped closer, grabbing my finger.

“I’m afraid of heights.”

“Shit, I didn’t know. Probably the one thing we didn’t talk about this week. It’s safe and I’ll be with you. It’s the most amazing view from up there. We have to do it, I promise you’ll love it.”

“And if I don’t?” I asked as I titled my head and smirked.

“Then I’ll do anything you want, but I know you will. Plus, you can just hold on to me and scream. I won’t think any less of you, well, not much at least.”

I can’t believe I was going to follow through and let myself be pulled over the ocean by a thin rope. “Fine, but I can’t get this damn thing on,” I said frustrated and scared as I threw up my hands in defeat.

“Let me. It would be my pleasure.” He kneeled before me, brushing his hand against my inner thigh as he grabbed one end of the strap.

I sucked in a breath, shuttering, as I grabbed his shoulder to steady myself. If it wasn’t bad enough that I was petrified to the point of almost hyperventilating, the feel of his skin against mine took my breath away.

He looked up at me, smirking as he brought the latch forward rubbing his hand against my other inner thigh. I closed my eyes and ignored how close he was to me, how near his hands were to the ache between my legs.

No matter what I did all week, I couldn’t get the throbbing I felt from being on top of him at the beach to go away.

The latch snapped. I could do this. The nearness of him dulled my fear.

His fingers brushed against my mound, sending an electric current through my body, as he grabbed the latched. “Safe and secure,” he said, pulling on the latch with a chuckle.

I opened my eyes and looked down at him. “I wouldn’t use either of those words right now,” I said as I smacked his shoulder.

I wasn’t talking about parasailing either.

“Come on, beautiful. There’s no turning back now. Up ya go,” he said, grabbing my legs and throwing me my over his shoulder.

I squealed as I flopped against his body, my chest colliding with his shoulder. I smacked his back; bouncing as I kicked trying to break free. “Put me down!” I yelled and laughed.

“My view is too damn good to do that, Doc,” he said and swatted my ass.

“Pig.” I reached down and tried pinched his ass.

Fucker was rock solid and I could barely get enough between my fingers.

“Nice try,” he said, unaffected by my effort and swatting me on the ass again.

I yelped, the sting from palm making me wish I could reach back and rub the tender spot. “Ugh,” I said as I bounced and grew slack in his arms, finally defeated.

The beach disappeared as he stepped on the boat. “Will you put me down now, please?” I asked, trying to sound sweet as sugar.

“If I must,” he said before placing a light kiss against my hip.

I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it, about him. The feel of his mouth against skin that hadn’t been touched in so long had me at my breaking point.

He wrapped his arms around my legs, pushing the harness into me, before pulling my body down against him. He controlled the speed, making the journey to my feet as drawn out as possible.

By the time my feet touched the boat I forgot how scared I had been. The sexual frustration I felt trumped everything. “You’re not safe,” I whispered as I looked up at him with one eye, the sun behind his head almost blinding me.

He laughed, pulling me against his shaking body. “Doc, I’ll make sure you survive the trip up there.” He bent down rubbing his nose against mine.