by Carrie Elks
“What did your cousin say?” He smiled back at her, and a blush stole up her face.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, come on.” He turned in his stool, so he was directly facing her. “You can’t tease me like that and not follow through.”
“It was stupid, and she has a big mouth. You’ll laugh at me.”
He leaned forward, his eyes catching hers. “Now you have to tell me. Come on, just spit it out. I can guarantee I’ve heard worse in the locker room.”
Mia sighed. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”
“Nope. I’m a sportsman. I never let anything go. If I want something, I go for it. And I don’t give up until I get it.”
She was silent for a moment. The air crackled between them. She looked at him through those thick, pretty lashes.
“She said I need to get under a guy to get over the breakup. That I should use…um…somebody as a rehab guy. To get me ready for dating.”
“A rehab guy?”
“She’s stupid. And young.”
“Like sex rehab?” He grinned at her, propping his chin on his elbow as he leaned closer. He rested his foot on the rung of her stool. “I get that. Kind of like when I get an injury.” Or most injuries, but he wasn’t going to think about that. “We go to physio, keep working it until the injury’s gone, then we get back on the field.”
“I guess that’s what she meant. As I said, she’s an idiot.” Her hair fell in front of her face again. This time he reached out and tucked it behind her ear, his fingers trailing along the soft skin of her neck.
Her breathing hitched and she looked up at him, her pupils dilating.
Yeah, she felt this. Whatever it was between them. The air around them was so thick he could almost touch it.
“You want to try it now?” he asked softly.
“What?” Her voice was thick. Low.
“A kiss. Just one. See if you’re ready to move on.” He played with the ends of her hair, rubbing the glossy locks between his fingers. “Nothing more than that. Unless you want more.”
Her gaze dipped to his lips, and she bit down on her own. “It won’t mean anything?”
“Nothing at all. Just a little rehab. That’s all.”
“Okay.” She blushed. “Yeah, I could do that.”
He slid his foot around the leg of her stool, and pulled it closer, until their knees were touching. “I gotta warn you,” he told her, cupping her head with his palm, “I’ll probably ruin you for anybody else.”
She laughed, and the tension around her dispelled. He grinned back at her, liking the way her giggles sounded. A little rough, a little breathy, and a whole lot of sexy.
He leaned closer, his thumb drawing tiny circles on her neck. Her lips parted, and he could feel the warmth of her breath against his cheek. She tipped her head back, the movement almost subconscious, as though she was opening herself up to him, ready for his mouth.
The pulse between his thighs was strong. Constant. He brushed his lips against her jaw, and she sighed. Her fingers curled around his neck as he kissed and sucked at her skin, her body arching on the stool as his lips slid up to hers.
He paused for a moment, tasting the anticipation in the air. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, pulling his gaze, making him admire the curve of her breasts as they pushed against the thin t-shirt.
He pulled her against him, pressing his mouth to hers, groaning loudly when he felt how soft they were. How pliant. She curled her arms around his neck, arching her body against his, and he swore he could feel the tightness of her nipples against his chest.
With a sweep of his tongue against the seam of her lips, he encouraged her to part them. His fingers flexed around her neck as their tongues slid together, sending a pulse of electricity through his body. Mia moaned as he deepened the kiss, his fingers tracing her spine, until his palm pressed against the small of her back.
Her breath escaped in small pants. He slid his hands beneath her behind and hitched her off her stool, sliding her along his legs until she was straddling his lap. She rolled her hips, her body grinding against his, and the sweet friction made him want to strip her right here, right now. Her hips were moving rhythmically, her arms tight around his neck, her mouth taking everything he had to offer.
And then her phone rang.
Abruptly, she pulled away, leaving only cool air against his lips. He touched them, and watched as she pulled her phone out of her pocket with shaking fingers, swallowing hard as she read the screen.
“I need to take this.” Her voice sounded ragged.
Cam nodded, because he had no idea what else to say. His hardness was thankfully abating. No longer a teasing ache as she ground herself against him.
“Hey, honey.” She sounded breathless. Like she’d just been thoroughly kissed. Cam bit down a smile.
“Sure, of course. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” She paused, and he noticed how swollen her lips were. Damn, he wanted to kiss them again.
“No, no problem. I wasn’t doing anything. I’ll be there, sweetheart. Okay then, bye. See you soon. And don’t forget to thank Mark’s parents for inviting you.”
She ended the call and blew out a mouthful of air. “That was Michael,” she told him, keeping her face resolutely turned away from his.
“I got that impression.”
“I need to go pick him up. I said I’d give his friend a ride home, too.” She looked around for something – her purse by the looks of it, as she grabbed it from astool on the other side of the breakfast bar. “Thank you for dinner.”
“It was a burger. Not exactly dinner.”
Pulling her keys out of her bag, she dropped her chin to her chest. He couldn’t see the expression on her face, but he could imagine it.
“It’s okay,” he told her. “It was just a kiss. A rehab kiss. Nothing more.”
When she lifted her head up, her eyes were wide and shiny. “Can we forget it ever happened?” she whispered.
“I might find that a bit difficult.” Considering he was planning on thinking about it tonight in bed. Planning on thinking about her, too.
“Please?” Her lips turned down. “You’re Michael’s coach. I was supposed to be talking about him with you. And then, this happened.” She swept her arm across the breakfast bar, her hand pointing at him. “I don’t know what came over me.”
He grinned. “Nothing came over you. That’s the problem.”
“This isn’t funny. It really isn’t. I’ve embarrassed myself.” She pressed her palms against her face, and let out a little groan. “I should leave. Before I make it worse.”
“Your problem is that you put too much meaning on everything. It was just a kiss, Mia. A really nice, sexy kiss that made me hard as hell. Nothing more. It doesn’t mean Michael will be affected at all by it. We kissed. It was good. It’s done.”
“We’re done?” She looked up at him. And damn if she didn’t look a little disappointed.
“I get the impression you want us to be,” he pointed out.
“We’re just different. Too different.” She rubbed her face again. “The last time I kissed somebody I ended up married for fifteen years. You eat supermodels for breakfast.”
He coughed out a laugh. “I think you have me all wrong. And I can guarantee that you won’t end up married to me. I’m your rehab guy, remember? Think of that kiss as your stepping stone to your Mr. Right. If you want to invite me to the wedding, I’ll be there with bells on.”
He ignored the pang in his stomach at the thought of her with another guy. But one thing was true – he was nobody’s Mr. Right.
“Are we okay?” she asked softly.
“Yeah, we’re good.”
“And you won’t tell anybody?”
He mimed a zip across his lip. “Our secret.”
“Okay. I really should go. Are you okay cleaning up without me?”
He wanted to laugh. He’d just kissed the hell out of her, and now she wanted to do th
e dishes. “I think I can manage,” he said dryly.
“Okay. Bye.” She walked around the breakfast bar and turned toward the door. As if she had a change of mind, she swiveled on her feet and walked over to him, pressing her lips to his cheek. “Thank you for being so nice about this.” She quickly scurried toward the door.
“Mia?”
“Yeah?”
“If you need any more rehab, you know where I am.”
She didn’t respond. He heard the tap of her shoes against the wooden floor of the hallway, then a moment later the door opened and then slammed closed.
Cam took a sip of wine, then laughed to himself. Tonight had been interesting. He’d felt a rush of adrenaline like he hadn’t in a long time, even when on the field. His body liked it. Liked her. And he’d completely lied that it was just a kiss.
Because he knew he wanted more.
Chapter Eleven
Good luck today BB – you got this! Joanna xx
Mia smiled down at her phone as she locked her car and walked to the distillery’s main entrance. It was her first day of work and the nerves were setting in. It didn’t help that she’d barely slept that weekend, thanks to a certain NFL player who had lips to die for. She’d spent way too many hours thinking about that kiss. About what might have happened if Michael hadn’t called.
Thanks honey. I’m going in now! Will call you later. Mia xx
She sent the message then pressed the buzzer on the front door, giving her name to the receptionist who answered almost immediately. Nathan – her new boss – had asked her to arrive at 9:30am, then she’d be taken through orientation by an assigned member of staff. This afternoon she would have her first strategy meeting with the board.
She was nervous and excited, and every other feeling she could think of. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed down her skirt and pushed the door open, letting out a sigh when her phone pinged again.
If you get any free samples, remember your favorite cousin, okay? I’m a whiskey convert ;) Joanna
Mia laughed as she walked down the hallway toward the reception desk. An older woman with pretty blue eyes and a white bun was sitting there. A smile lifted her lips as she saw Mia.
And then Mia’s phone rang. Dammit. This thing was a liability.
“I’m sorry,” she told the woman, who hadn’t yet said a word. “I have to have my phone on. I have two boys at school and I’m the only contact for them. Let me just check who it is.”
The woman’s smile didn’t falter. “No problem.”
It wasn’t a number she knew. She didn’t dare reject it, in case it was one of the boys’ schools or teachers. “Hello?” she said, putting the phone to her ear. “Mia Devlin speaking.”
“Hey.”
Her mouth went dry. Just one word and she knew who it was. She’d been thinking about him all weekend, after all. And Cam Hartson had a distinctive voice. Low, almost sexual. Like the whole world could wait while he spoke.
“Um, hi. Can I call you back later? I’m about to start work. Is it about the invoice?” She shot a smile at the receptionist. Sandy, according to her badge.
“It’s not about the invoice. I just wanted to wish you a good first day. But you can call me back later.” Humor curled through his words. “Make sure you do, Mia.”
He disconnected before she could protest that she wasn’t planning on calling him at all. Pushing down the aggravating warmth in her chest that appeared whenever she was near him, Mia slid her phone in her bag and turned back to Sandy.
“Sorry about that.”
“No problem. I know how hard it is to juggle work and family. My three girls are grown up now, but when they were younger, oh boy.” Sandy widened her eyes. “I’m still surprised I have any hair left.” She pulled a file from beneath the counter and slid a plastic pass out. “Here’s your I.D. You’ll need to wear it around your neck at all times while you’re here. It’ll let you through the doors, including the front one, so you won’t have to buzz to get in tomorrow. And your buddy will be down soon to show you around and take you to your meetings with HR and Security. Oh, and has anybody warned you about the coffee?” She lowered her voice, as though it was a huge company secret. “Try and avoid it at all costs. It’s terrible.”
Mia laughed. “So I heard. I’ve already been added to the take out coffee Whatsapp group.”
“That’s good news. I had to find out the hard way. My taste buds have never been the same since.” She looked over Mia’s shoulder, and her grin widened. “Oh, your buddy’s here,” she told her. “You’ll be in safe hands with this one.”
Mia turned to see Becca Hartson walking toward them. She was wearing black pants and a cream shirt, her hair pulled into a high pony tail. “Hi!” she said, leaning forward to hug Mia. “I hope you don’t mind me being the one to take you through orientation. When they sent out an email looking for volunteers, I hit reply immediately.”
There was something so warm about Becca. “Of course I don’t mind. I’m happy to see a friendly face.”
“Great. You got everything you need, Sandy?” Becca asked her.
“Yep.” Sandy nodded. “You can take her now.”
“How was your weekend?” Becca asked after Mia said goodbye to Sandy. “You watched the football game, didn’t you?”
Becca had a good memory. “Yeah, that’s right. Varsity at the school. My son wasn’t playing, but he was asked to sit with the team.”
“Go Eagles.” Becca gave a fist pump. “Man, I spent way too many Friday nights shouting that at my brothers. What else did you do this weekend?”
I straddled your brother’s thick muscled thighs and writhed against them as he kissed me.
Mia blinked that thought away. “Nothing much. I’m helping Sam around the house, trying to keep it clean and the yard tidy. So we mostly did that.”
“Ugh. I hate yard work. Come on. We’ll head to HR first, then I’ll show you the kitchen and all the places Nathan probably left out when he took you around last week. Then we’ll order some coffee.”
Becca led Mia through the security doors that led to the distillery itself. The air was heavy with the sweet, thick smell of brewing whiskey, as they passed the huge metal washbacks that stretched from the ground to the high vaulted ceiling, then through the cooperage – G. Scott Carter still made their own barrels – to the offices beyond. Becca introduced Mia to every member of staff they passed.
“There are only fifty of us working here,” Becca told her, “so you’ll get to know everybody quite fast. I’m not going to give you my opinion of anybody, because I don’t want to influence you, but nearly everybody is lovely. Even Eliana, as long as you do what she asks of you. And Nathan is pretty great, too.”
“Is it the two of them who own this place?”
“No, but only the two of them are working here right now. Nathan has an older brother, who runs a distillery in Scotland of all places. From what I hear, that’s a good thing because when he was here he was a bit of a tyrant. And they also have a sister and brother from their dad’s first marriage, who sit on the board, but they live in New York. Eliana and Nathan are the ones you’ll deal with the most.”
They’d made it to the HR department, which turned out to be one part time HR Manager. “I’ll leave you here,” Becca told her, after she’d made the introductions, “and I’ll pick you up in half an hour. You’ll need that coffee after all the forms you have to complete. Just be glad they’re on a computer now. When I joined they were all paper. I couldn’t move my hand for a week.” She laughed. “How do you take your coffee? I’ll add it to our list at the local coffee shop.”
“Americano with hot milk please,” Mia smiled at her.
“Got it.” Becca nodded. “Now good luck, be strong and I’ll see you on the other side.”
“Thank you so much for everything,” Mia told her.
“It’s not a problem. I’m so happy you’re here.”
So was Mia. And wasn’t that a good thing?
Cam was crazy bored. After his abortive phone call with Mia, he’d spent the next hour lifting weights in the basement gym that Tanner had fully equipped for him, then had gone out for a run that had done nothing to clear his head. If he was in Boston – still playing – he’d be running drill after drill right now, shooting the breeze with his teammates in between, laughing and ribbing each other like they always did.
A few more weeks and he’d lose the fitness that was getting harder to maintain each year. He had to run harder, lift heavier, and go longer than he had than when he was twenty-three. And if he was honest, it all hurt more now.
He was about to call Logan to offer his help at the farm –that’s how bored he was – when his phone rang. Cam smiled when he saw Brian Lockharte’s name flash across the screen. He hadn’t spoken to his assistant since the day he’d moved into this house.
It was funny how much Cam missed his face and voice.
“How’s the new place?” Brian asked after Cam had accepted the call.
“Pretty good. Tanner’s done a great job on the renovations,” Cam told him, leaning on the kitchen counter as he pressed the phone to his ear. Glancing to his left, he could see the stool he’d sat on for dinner on Friday. The same one he’d dragged Mia onto, letting her body straddle his as he’d kissed the hell out of her.
Pulling his gaze away, he blew out a mouthful of air. Damn, he needed to get that woman out of his mind.
So why did you call her, dumbass?
“How’s Boston?” Cam asked, walking to the refrigerator and grabbing an ice cold bottle of water from the door. Along with everything else he did to make Cam’s life easy, Brian had arranged a weekly food delivery for him from the local grocery store.
“It’s good. Weather is still warm, so we’re making the most of it before winter hits.”
“And the team?”
“Yeah, they’re all good, too.” Brian spent a lot of time at Freedom Field. “Did you watch the game yesterday?”
“Yeah.” It was a lie; he still couldn’t bring himself to watch the team play without him. It physically hurt to watch them play. “Good result.”
