Tap That

by Jennifer Blackwood

  Do I want to claim Reid as mine? It’s honestly too soon to be thinking those thoughts. We’ve only been going out for two weeks. Is that enough time to decide if you want to be in a relationship with someone? My body pulses with a resounding yes. Yes, ma’am, you need to mount this steed and ride off into the sex-haze sunset.

  The relationship discussion falls by the wayside when Reid’s hand slips between us.

  His deep, gravelly voice murmurs, “I just can’t get enough of you.” His soft lips press a kiss to the sensitive skin on my neck just beneath my earlobe. The tender touch causes goose bumps to rise on my skin, and I shiver.

  Reid misinterprets my shivers, murmuring, “Cold?” before tugging me closer so I’m nestled flush against his warm body.

  More importantly, against a particular part of him that is growing harder and more insistent on me paying it notice.

  Instinctively, I grind into him. I close my eyes, and a soft smile plays on my lips when he releases a rough sound in the back of his throat.

  “You’re gonna be the death of me, woman.”

  God, if I could bottle up Reid’s gravelly, sexy-as-hell morning voice and sell it, I’d be a billionaire. It’s like a thick blanket of sensuality that settles over me.

  “What a way to go, though.” I murmur this, my tone lethargic, but I’m wide awake. Boldly, I guide his hand to cup my bare breast. The instant he cups the weight in his palm, my nipple puckers in response. Reid groans against the skin of my neck, nipping lightly, and gives a little thrust, nudging the head of his cock at my core.

  Shit. We need a condom.

  “Reid,” I start, but I don’t finish. Abruptly, he shifts, and I detect the sound of him fumbling to snag a condom from my nightstand drawer.

  What catches me by surprise is how I instantaneously register the absence of him and his warm body. The way his chest molds into my back. The way his hands fit perfectly around everything of mine. How does one person manage to make my entire body buzz with anticipation?

  What’s up with that?

  Before I can get too carried away with my thoughts, Reid’s back and guiding me toward the center of the bed. He props himself up, hovering over me, braced by his muscled forearms on either side of my head. He nudges my legs apart slightly, and I feel the flared head of his cock at my entrance. And I know the moment he notices how wet I am for him.

  “Already so damn wet,” he whisper-groans. “Fuck, Callie.” He sinks in, inch by delicious inch, allowing me to adjust to him. He’s so much larger than anyone I’ve been with, and the way he stretches me feels decadent.

  Once he’s fully seated, he shifts my legs together, moving his own to straddle me, and this position makes him hit that spot—the one that’s been elusive to anyone else—and when he begins to thrust in deep, steady strokes, I know I’m going to come pathetically quick.

  “Reid.” My words come out in harsh, breathy pants. “You need to slow down, or I’m going to—”

  He cuts me off with a husky laugh. “Not happening.” His hands grip my waist for leverage, and he increases the speed of his thrusts. “I want to feel you come all over me.”

  God, the way he’s pressing so deep, so thick and hard inside me combined with his sensual words sets me off. His rapid, deep strokes push me over the edge, causing me to clench around him tightly. My release has me reeling, my legs wrapping tightly around his waist, and I can’t withhold the moan that spills from my lips.

  “Reid.”

  “Fuck.” His movements are near-frantic now, and I know he’s close. His hips move, pistoning, working me through my orgasm. His fingers grasping my hips tighten to a nearly painful grip before he gives a final deep thrust and finds his own release.

  I’m languid; my body feels boneless. When he shifts, pulling out of me to lie on his back beside me, I turn my head to peer over at him.

  His firm torso and its intriguing hard muscles move as he drags in breaths. There’s no way I can resist the satisfied smile that forms. Because I made Reid Morgan breathless.

  I like that. A lot.

  He sits up and heads to dispose of the condom in my en suite bathroom, washing his hands before returning to me. He walks toward the bed, gloriously naked, and I drink in the sight of him. I’m not sure I could ever tire of admiring his body.

  He lies on his side of the bed and reaches out to tenderly slide my hair back behind my ear. His eyes have that slight crinkle at the corners, and a soft smile plays on his lips. He leans in to drop a small kiss on my forehead before he floors me with, “Want me to make us some breakfast?”

  That means he wants to stay. Here. With me. The knowledge sends a barrage of butterflies in the pit of my stomach.

  “Um, I…” I avert my gaze, a bit embarrassed. “I’m kind of sore, so I—”

  His fingers tip my chin up, forcing my eyes to meet his. Reid’s features are sober, his gaze searching while his thumb delicately dances back and forth along my jaw. “I wasn’t offering for that reason.” His mouth tips up slightly. “Although I’m not complaining because”—he taps the end of my nose playfully—“it was pretty damn hot.” His expression shifts to appear almost unsure, and his next words are muted, tentative. “Let’s just hang out before you have to head to work.”

  I smile, enjoying how normal this is. Us hanging out. Like a couple.

  Before I can answer, I hear my phone ring from—shit, where is my phone?

  Scrambling from the bed, I pay no heed to my lack of attire as I search for my phone. Finally, I discover it tossed carelessly in the corner of my bedroom. I rush to answer it when the caller ID flashes with Tom’s name.

  Shit.

  “Hello?” Be cool. Be cool. Be cool, I internally chant.

  “Callie, it’s Tom. I know you’re scheduled later today, but I’d like to meet with you a few minutes before your shift to go over a new development.”

  “Yes, sir…” My words are hesitant because new development?

  Oh, no. What if he knows about me and Reid? We’d both lose our jobs.

  He tells me he’ll see me soon, and we hang up. I let my hand holding the phone drop to my side, before I turn to look at Reid in a daze.

  “What’s—”

  The ringtone of his cell interrupts his question, and my eyes widen in panic, locking with his alarmed ones. My pulse hammers in my ears as he reaches for his jeans, which are lying in a heap on the floor. Slowly, as if dreading the call, he answers.

  “Hello?”

  I watch Reid, attempting to decipher his expression, but I can’t figure anything out. He’s all business now, much like the no-nonsense Reid I’ve come to know.

  He responds with, “Yes, sir. I’ll be there,” before he ends the call, and his gaze rises to meet mine.

  My stomach sinks at the use of sir. I can’t think of anyone Reid would use that for besides our boss.

  “Tom?”

  Reid nods slowly and tosses his phone onto his wadded-up jeans. Here we both are, standing naked in front of each other. Something that should be so intimate now feels like a damn big mistake.

  “He wants to meet with me in two hours in his office.”

  I worry my bottom lip. “He wants to meet with me before my shift.”

  “You don’t think he knows…” He trails off. He stares at the bundle of clothes on the floor. The only evidence of what we’ve done.

  “I...I’m not sure what to think.” I head to my dresser, quickly pulling an oversized sleep shirt out of my drawer, and tug it on. “I think we probably need to prepare for that, just in case.” My voice is subdued, and there’s no mistaking the hint of panic in it. We’ve been so careful at work, making sure not to bring attention to our interactions.

  He begins to pull on his clothes from last night, dressing quickly. Then he advances and cradles my face in his hands. “It’s going to be fine, Callie.” His voice is deep, velvety, and it wraps around me soothingly. I want so badly to believe him, though the tiny kernel of doubt is ever-presen
t.

  Reid doesn’t understand—if I can’t keep this job, it’s back to work with my parents at their firm. I stupidly made that promise to them when they offered to pay for my grad school. I knew better than to accept an offer from them, but after they showed me the paperwork, and the amount of debt I’d have to pay off for my degree, I buckled. So here I am, making sure I keep my job for at least six months, because if not, I’ll have to work a desk job at their law office until I pay off my debt to them. Which means I’ll be stuck there until my skin is more wrinkled than a raisin.

  Not happening.

  I nod to Reid. Everything is going to be fine. I’d make it fine by any means necessary. I consider telling Reid about the situation with my parents but instead just say, “Okay.”

  One edge of his mouth quirks upward before he leans in and presses his lips to my forehead. Speaking softly against my skin, he whispers, “I’ll see you later, Rainbow.”

  At the mention of that darn nickname, I manage a tiny smile, and it appears to set him at ease.

  After I lock up behind Reid, I lean back against the door and pray to God I’ll still have a job after today.

  22

  Reid

  My first thought when I got off the phone with Tom thirty minutes ago was shit. The guy’s sharp—he knows exactly what’s going on at the bar even when he isn’t there. It’s like he has this sixth sense. Like the time he knew our new hire a few years back was skimming money off the till when no one else could figure out where the tips were going. Somehow, Callie and I must have gotten on his radar even though we’ve been more than careful. It seems impossible that he knows, but somehow, this has happened.

  I stare at his office door, the wood mottled and worn. This place has been my home for the past five years. Tom hates when co-workers fool around because he thinks it creates an awkward work atmosphere when the fling ends. I’ve seen him fire people for less.

  No use in standing out here like a jackass. He’s expecting me. I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

  I hear a muffled, “Come in,” through the door.

  When I walk into the office, everything is normal. Tom’s at his desk, pen jammed in his mouth as he studies something on his computer. The blinds are half open, sunlight spilling onto his desk in lines through the slats. It reminds me how the sunlight mixed with Callie’s hair this morning, coating her skin with a glow. Right now, I’d give anything to be back in bed with her. Between her thighs. Hearing her scream my name. Fuck.

  Get it together. You’re at work and possibly about to get canned.

  Tom’s never been too keen on co-workers hooking up. He’s never stated a direct rule about it, but from my time here, every person who has fooled around with someone at work has ended up getting the pink slip.

  Tom’s still staring at his computer, so I take a seat. “You wanted to see me?”

  Tom turns and studies me for a minute. I vaguely wonder if he can detect the scent of Callie’s shampoo on me but decide he’s too far away to be able to tell. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything,” he says, raising a brow. His gaze searches my face, but then he quickly turns his attention back to his computer.

  “Nope.” Everything in me is shouting, Be cool, man. This guy’s not going to piss away five years. I’d like to hope.

  “Good. I’ve been watching you lately. I’ve seen a change in you, especially since we hired Callie.”

  Shit. He knows. He has to. I keep my expression neutral. Unease turns in my gut knowing I have to keep this from him. I’ve been honest with Tom since day one, and I wonder if I come clean now if he’ll go easier on me.

  Yeah, no. I’m not ready to tell him that, not unless I know exactly what this conversation is about first.

  “She’s a good worker,” I say. She’s good at a lot of things. Some of those I wouldn’t even tell a goddamn priest.

  “She brings out the best in people, which is why I brought you in. Her probationary period is almost complete. I see now I may have been hasty not to hire from within.”

  Wait, what? My panic subsides for a second as I wrestle with the fact this is a good meeting. One I’ve been waiting for…for a long time.

  Tom has skipped over me for promotions for years, and he’s just now noticing I do my damn job well? “I’m not sure I understand, sir.”

  He taps his pen on the table and leans back in his chair, slouching. “I’ll be watching your performance for the next month. If I feel you can do a better job than Callie, her position is yours.”

  Holy shit. This is the chance I’ve been waiting for. To finally gain some experience as a manager so I won’t be fucking useless when I open my own bar. And then it hits me. He said I’d be taking Callie’s position. One that she’s worked her ass off for since she started.

  “And what happens to Callie?”

  He shrugs. “She’s a smart girl. I’m sure she’ll land on her feet in no time.”

  “So she’ll be fired?”

  “She’s probationary. That comes with its own risks. Since when are you so concerned about who I hire and fire?” He leans forward, putting his elbows on his desk.

  I don’t second-guess myself often. I say what I mean. I’m able to sleep at night without worrying about what I said to a customer three weeks ago. But this whole conversation reminds me of a booby-trapped temple, and I’m Indiana Jones navigating past devices of decapitation and mutilation.

  “I’m not. I just want to know where we all stand in this.”

  “Either you get the job, or she does. I’d say it’s pretty simple.”

  He’s right. And I do want the job. I just don’t know what I’m going to tell Callie. Because the second I see her, she’ll want to know what Tom and I discussed.

  “I appreciate the opportunity. Is there anything else you need from me?”

  “Just don’t say anything to Callie. Some things are better left unsaid.”

  I nod. It makes me feel like fucking pond scum at the thought of not telling her. She deserves to know what she’s up against.

  “Have a good rest of the day off. I hope you can get back to whatever you were doing. You look well-rested today.”

  The irony does not escape me. That Callie’s the reason I don’t feel like I’m ready to jump down someone’s throat today. Birds were fucking singing when I woke up.

  There’s no way I can keep this up with her, though. Not when a promotion is on the line for me, and she’s all that stands between me and it.

  I’ve decided even before I find my way out of Tom’s office that I need to end things with Callie. It was a fling. An amazing couple of weeks with her. That’s it.

  Because, come next month, she’ll be gone, and I’ll be the manager for On Tap.

  23

  Callie

  “You made cookies for him?” Mel squeals.

  I cringe, and my ear rings painfully as her voice carries through my phone. At this rate, she’s going to give me an irreversible case of tinnitus.

  Three hours have passed since he left, and Reid hasn’t called to update me on his meeting. To keep busy, I took a shower and baked a batch of butterscotch cookies. Reid’s grandmother sent me the recipe, claiming they were his favorite.

  “It’s no big deal. I needed something to do before work.” Mel’s making a huge deal out of nothing. With the way she’s chastising me, you’d think I was preparing a marriage proposal.

  Spoiler alert: I’m not.

  “Don’t you know? A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Mel pauses, and I already know she’s planning to give me more crap. “Or cock, but you’ve already been taking care of that one.”

  I roll my eyes and shift the phone to my other ear. “Why do I tell you anything?”

  “Because brilliance is attracted to brilliance.”

  “Right.” I grab a spatula from the top drawer and transfer the cookies to the cooling rack.

  Sleeping with a co-worker ranks pretty high in stupidity. Even if it felt lik
e so much more than that. Waking up next to him. Being in his arms. It feels...nice. Normal. Like I’m supposed to be there. Which is crazy since Reid drives me insane ninety percent of the time.

  “Just saying, be careful. Unless you want him following you around like a little lost puppy.”

  “I do not want that.” Reid wouldn’t follow anyone. He’s like one of those mean old junkyard dogs that bark at kids when they lose their ball in his yard. Or at least he was up until he took me to bingo.

  “Keep lying to yourself. Hope he enjoys the cookies. Gotta go, I’m about to get my hair done.”

  “Later.” I hang up and finish scooping the cookies onto the cooling rack when a text buzzes through.

  Reid: False alarm. Tom just wanted to chat about some random stuff. Heading home.

  I blow out a relieved breath. It’d been a long shot to think Tom had found out about us, but still. I’ve worked my ass off for this job, and I’m not about to throw it away. Yes, he absolutely blows my mind every time I’m with him, but a talented tongue doesn’t pay my rent or allow me to continually tell my parents I’m not entering the family business.

  Since I have a few extra minutes before my shift starts, I decide to package up the cookies and take them over to Reid’s. He lives close to work, about four blocks away. Screw what Mel says. The gesture is supposed to be nice. Kinda like a Thanks for the multiple orgasms, here’s a cookie as a door prize.

  I park my car in his apartment complex and make my way to his place on the fourth floor.

  Reid lives in an older place without many of the amenities mine offers, but it’s still located in the nicer part of town. The buildings around here are well loved, broken in by large families and pets.

  I take the stairs two at a time, clutching the container of cookies in one hand, and knock on the door. Okay, maybe Mel was right. I look fucking ridiculous, standing here like Betty Crocker with my homemade cookies and sex-induced smile. Maybe I should bring up the girlfriend thing again to Reid. He didn’t seem to shy away from it like I thought he would.