by Sara Brookes
Sighing wistfully, because it was the best prospect she’d had for sex in a long time, she pulled down the wires she’d threaded through the ceiling and started connecting them to the proper ports. Task completed, she dug out an electric screwdriver, securing the router upside down on the ceiling. Green and red lights flashed, waiting to receive a signal from the modem she’d installed in the back.
Cleaning up, she stowed the ladder near the front door and tossed the boxes in the oversized trash bin outside. Justin and Tom were just finishing their test of the remote camera on the wireless security system as she came back into the store. A quick once-over of their work wasn’t necessary, since she knew they were competent or they wouldn’t work for Bullseye. But she did it anyway, since she was the technician overseeing the install job and they’d need her reassurance of a job well done.
Damn business classes again.
Satisfied with their efforts, she nodded. “Looks great. You two can head back to the office if you want. Take all the tools with you too, please. I’ll run through everything with the owner and just head home from here. It’s closer.”
Tom brushed his unruly hair out of his face and replaced his ball cap. “Hot date?”
Only with her hand and her wildest dreams. “Movie night at The Palace. One of Cooper’s festivals.”
“Oh right. Forgot about that. Enjoy.”
Allison packed up the last of her personal tools, stuffing them into the side pocket of her messenger bag as she made her way to the counter. Patrick flashed her one of those incredible, off-kilter smiles that turned her insides molten. She swallowed, reminding herself she was on the job. “Think we’re finished up here. When you have some time, I’d like to show you the basics of everything we did today. That way you won’t accidently trip the alarm.”
“Wow. You guys finished up faster than I expected.”
Damn, those eyes were gorgeous. Spending a few more hours with him wasn’t going to break her heart. “It will take a little bit of time to walk you through the entire system, so I won’t be going anywhere soon.”
Patrick looked at the endless line stretching away from the counter. Over the past week, news of good coffee and decadent pastries had spread through the small town. If nothing else, people dropped by to see what sort of fuss the brothers had made. While he wanted to talk to her, he also knew there were customers who needed to be attended to first. Fucking responsibility. “Can you give me an hour?”
Allison swung a bag over her shoulder, nodding as she tucked the completed work order into her back pocket. “That would be great. Is it all right if I grab a cup of coffee and eat up some of your WiFi while I wait?”
“We have WiFi?” Stunned, he nearly burned his hand on the steam coming from the narrow nozzle.
“What do you think I’ve been on the ladder installing?” She stirred a packet of sugar into her mug of fresh coffee before pointing to the router she’d mounted on the ceiling in the center of the seating area. Tucked next to an elegantly fluted light fixture, it was invisible to the untrained eye.
As he watched her make her way to the far corner of the seating area, he continued to prepare orders for customers. The past few days came to mind. As hard as it had been, he’d let the three-person tech team from Bullseye work without interruption. Since Allison was a part of that team, it meant he’d gotten to watch her work in her element.
The pride she took in her job was evident in the way she led the team, directing the work with flawless precision. It had been a brilliant decision to hire the company to install the sophisticated computer system at the store. However, at the same time, it had also been the worst decision of his life.
It had been sheer torture to be around her. He’d been forced to tamp down the desire that reared its head ever since she’d swept in to save the day. He very much wanted to tell her how he wanted to tied her up, collar her and then spend an entire day watching her eyes glaze over as he slowly fucked her. She would look damn gorgeous naked, wearing only his custom cuffs with heavy-duty D-rings. The slender vibrator with variable speed remote designed for hours of pleasure. Even the special order toy harness that would be ready for him to pick up next week.
The line of customers never seemed to abate, but he was finally able to join her two hours later than he originally intended. However, it didn’t look as if she minded because of her intense focus on the small laptop in front of her. He wasn’t even sure she noticed he’d finished in the first place. She bounced her head a little as he noticed the tiny earbuds in her ears. Though he couldn’t hear the song, he guessed it was something with an upbeat tempo, given her head-bobbing movements.
Everything about this woman continued to draw him in.
Taking a moment to play voyeur, he examined her features up close. It gave him an opportunity to add details to the picture he held in his mind. A small scar slashed through her left eyebrow. He wondered what she’d done to earn that particular badge. He also noticed she chewed on her lip when she was deep in thought. She also tended to absently play with a few strands of hair that had fallen over her shoulder.
For the two days she’d been there, she’d worn khaki cargo pants and polo shirts embroidered with the company logo over the left pocket. It had been a near constant struggle to refrain from thinking about how she would look out of them, especially after his trip to the sex shop. His brain certainly didn’t need any more stimulation in that particular area, but damn it was fun to imagine.
Given his reaction to her, he wondered about his sanity. His libido had kicked into overdrive, making him feel as if he’d never had sex before. Much less dominated a woman. Then, of course, was the reminder that yes, he’d had sex, but he’d never had sex with her. He’d have to rectify that soon or he and his hand were about to enter into a very serious relationship.
He lightly tapped on the table behind her laptop. When she continued to ignore him, he leaned forward to prop his elbows on the small café table. He chose to go for the more direct approach, pressing a finger against the back of her hand. The table between them jerked as her knee hit the underside. She winced in pain, grimacing as she slipped the small buds from her ears. His mouth went dry at the way her cheeks turned a very alluring shade of pink.
Christ, woman, do you not realize how badly I want to fuck you right this minute? He cleared his throat in order to push back the quick stab of arousal. “Something certainly had your interest.”
“Sorry, I didn’t see you sitting there. Lost in the music, obviously.”
“We were busier than I thought. Friday-afternoon rush wasn’t what I expected it was going to be.” He swore to himself that her skin wasn’t as soft and silky as he remembered. But damn if he could deny the fact the move had been to satisfy his curiosity to see if he’d only imagined the feel. When she grinned, something inside him clutched tightly in reaction. Shit. She probably had no idea he could flip her over on the table and take her right here and right now.
“No problem, I was catching up on my emails. How’s business been going?”
Rein it in, Conners. One thing at a time. Sex needed to be the last thing on the list. He’d been presumptuous about buying things he’d earmarked for her, but he’d never been wrong about a woman and her desires before. Allison struck him as a woman who needed more than leather and a few sex toys. He was certainly willing to give her whatever she needed.
“It’s been steady business since we opened Monday. I’m hoping the trend continues and isn’t merely because it’s opening week.” He scanned the store to see customers hovering over their coffee, which gave him time to settle his raging hormones. The atmosphere that had developed in the shop was one he and Alex worked toward, even though a lot of it was left up to chance. “All we can do is serve good coffee and hope the customers continue to return. So far, things have been successful. Which certainly lightens the stress load.”
“I’ve noticed a lot of the same regulars coming in this week. New people too.”
&nbs
p; “It’s those new people I’d love to make clients. Regulars are the backbone of any small business. The more of them we have—and could keep happy—the better off it will be in the long run.” The coffee house had come with a group of customers who didn’t care who owned the store as long as it was open and served good products. However, he also understood those very same customers would tell their friends and those friends and so on and so forth. “Word of mouth is golden and not just because it’s free. The trick is going to be to keep momentum once the season changes.”
“Most of them will be back.” She shrugged as she leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. The movement emphasized her breasts. He grinned, thinking about how the position pressed her very appealing breasts together. The thought of all that soft flesh drew him in, his mouth watering at the idea of sliding his dick between the succulent valley the two mounds would create. He’d always had a weakness for breasts. And asses. And legs. Hell, he had a weakness for certain kinds of women, period. This unbelievably sexy creature was no exception.
Focus, Conners.
“You’ve got a good product and your prices are just slightly less than the other place down the street. Customer service goes a long way, and watching how you work, I think you’ve got that in spades.”
“Watching how I work, huh?”
Suddenly, she seemed desperate to find somewhere else to look. “I just meant how you interact with the customers. You make each one feel special and your attention is on them for those few minutes you’re making their coffee. If I lived farther away and came here for a cup, I’d be more likely to return again based on that treatment alone.”
“Damn. Here I thought it was my good looks. Come to find out it’s merely my charming personality.”
One eyebrow winged up in surprise, a wry smile twisting her mouth as her fingers tapped over the laptop keys. She closed the lid, returning the computer to the messenger bag at her feet. “Ready to find out what you’re in store for?”
“Sure.” He knew she meant the system her team just installed, but his mind thought of all the other things that question could mean. As he watched her pack the rest of her equipment, he decided the process of explaining his meaning in detail to her would be exciting. Especially if he went tortuously slow and used highly explicit details. A process he was fond of repeating with her over and over. “Let’s get started.”
Two hours later, sex was the last thing on his mind. A big accomplishment, considering his company. “You know, I’ve always considered myself a smart guy, but this experience just put a great big, ugly dent in that logic. It certainly gives me a new appreciation for the desktop computer sitting at home that I tend to ignore most of the time.”
“You’ll get the hang of all this, don’t worry. In no time you’ll be a pro, I guarantee it.” She handed him the work order, which he signed with the pen she provided before returning both items to her.
“Only because I suspect you’ll beat it into me when I keep calling to pester you for information on how to do something.” He scratched the back of his head, doing his best not to think about how delightful the idea of calling her sounded. In fact, the thought enticed him so much, he didn’t dare let the opportunity pass by. “Can I take you to dinner? As a thank you?”
There was that lip chew. Obviously the habit occurred more than just when she was deep in thought. Nervousness, perhaps?
“I actually have plans tonight.”
“Well, see, that’s the odd thing about dinner. I have to eat it again tomorrow night. What about then?” She hesitated again. Patrick scolded himself for the leap forward when he should have backed off. He’d pushed too hard because there was something he wanted to have.
Her.
He needed to know if she shared his tastes. If she thought about being on her knees in front of him as much as he wanted to see it. Early on in his training, impatience had always been his downfall as a Dom. He’d learned to control it through time, but she was making it damn difficult.
“Listen, do you like movies?”
Just when he’d been about to toss in the towel, she’d surprised him. Unease crept across her face as if she was worried he wouldn’t accept. He had news for her, he would have accepted if she’d asked him to walk across the bottom of the Pacific Ocean without scuba gear.
“Sure, who doesn’t?”
“Great. I have tickets for a film festival this weekend and since my friend bailed on me, I have an extra ticket. Do you want to come with me instead? It starts tonight at nine.”
Friend? Had it been a date that she’d broken off? Or had that “friend” canceled on her? He wasn’t the type of man content to play second fiddle, but if it meant an evening with this remarkable woman, he’d gladly accept.
A quick glance at his watch showed it was nearly eight. How the hell had the time gone by so quickly? “That sounds great, actually. I can get Mitchie to close the store for me. I’m not going to give up on dinner, though, you should know that.”
“Let’s see if you still say that after we sit through a movie marathon.”
Chapter Three
As Patrick stepped into the lobby of the theater, Allison continued to ask herself what drove her to invite him to the movie festival. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to go to the movies with a man, but generally that particular man was one of her gaming buddies. The entire group usually bought tickets to attend the three-day festival together, forgoing their standard gaming night. But various work projects kept everyone else tied up this time, leaving her to fend for herself.
Tonight would mark the first occasion she would attend Cooper’s movie festival with someone she hadn’t pulled an all-night gaming session with. It wasn’t as if she objected to the thought of some sort of all-nighter with Patrick—especially one not of the gaming variety. However, it was also the first time in four years she’d been on anything that could be classified as a date.
Okay, so calling it a date was a stretch. He probably thought he was doing her a favor. For her to think it was a date was foolish. Still, nothing said a girl couldn’t dream. Or continue to dream.
The past few days of work at Perfect Shot had been stressful, but not solely because of the installation job. She could do that kind of work blindfolded. No, instead she had been afraid she’d do something stupid in front of him. As a bit of a klutz, falling flat on her face at any moment was always a high probability. Who wanted a woman who always tripped over her own feet?
Right now, she needed to appear calm, cool and collected—even though she was anything but. Patrick, who looked comfortable in jeans and a black cotton tee under a loose blue shirt, held open the main entrance door to the floor seats. She shook her head with a sly grin, pointing to the stairs on the far side of the lobby.
The balcony was her favorite part of the monthly film festival.
Both she and the rest of her friends agreed it was technologically the best place to sit because of the way sound carried. Not to mention the view. She secretly loved the experience of sitting so high, so completely removed from the rest of the audience. It always made her feel transported to another world.
Patrick moved behind her as they made their way up the graceful curve of stairs. Despite the inches between them, the press of his body behind her caused her to finally acknowledge the fluttering in her stomach. It happened whenever he was near. No need to deny it any longer. Denying it would only continue to frustrate her.
The sensation bloomed, fusing with the rush she experienced every time she entered the theater. The blinding intensity caused her to close her eyes as her hand wrapped around the cool metal of the oversized handle on the swinging door. She wanted to prolong this moment as long as she could.
This opulent theater wasn’t about coming to see a movie or a date where you both tried to grab popcorn from the same bucket. It was the experience of a few nights of entertainment in one of the town’s oldest and grandest movie complexes. Most people preferred to spend the extra
cash and drive north to Charlottesville for the big, multi-screen house that boasted a clearer picture and state-of-the-art sound. While that was great for some of Hollywood’s newest releases, this type of movie festival deserved so much more.
The theater was smaller, ornate and definitely more intimate.
Patrick let out a low whistle as they stepped through the archway to the balcony. “Impressive.” A line formed between his eyebrows as he frowned. He leaned forward, peeking over the gold bar that ran the length of the knee wall. “Good-sized crowd down there. And we’re the only ones up here. Is that normal?”
She led him to a row, sitting in the center seat. “It is if you know the projectionist. Gamer buddy of mine, Cooper, puts on these festivals once a month, a different theme each time. Most of the time the movies are older, classic Hollywood. Bogey and Bacall. The Rat Pack. John Wayne. This month he picked Hitchcock.”
“An extraordinary storyteller.”
“I agree. We tend to sit up here because while crowds have their place, a lot of people tend to dilute the sound quality.”
Patrick smirked. “Well now, that makes sense. Movie buffs would go for where the sweet spot is in the theater.”
“We tend to be creatures of habit, sadly.” She shrugged off the light sweater she’d worn to keep the chilly spring night air off her bare shoulders. Comprehension sank in at something he’d said. She turned to find him smiling almost expectantly. “Wait a second. You know about the sweet spot?”
His smile widened, melting her insides a little. Great, as if I wasn’t already infatuated enough, he has to flash that intoxicating grin.
“My life isn’t just about coffee and tea, Allison. I may not be as technologically savvy as you are, but there are a few things I can hold my own with.” His voice dropped a bit as he leaned over the padded armrest. “And just for clarification purposes, I know about quite a few sweet spots.”
