Aria

Corked and Tapped, Book One

Becca Jameson

Copyright © 2019 by Becca Jameson

Cover Artist: Julio Desir, Jr.

Editor: Christa Soule 

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. And resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Created with Vellum Created with Vellum

Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Book

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Author’s Note

Also by Becca Jameson

About the Author

Acknowledgments

I have to thank my amazing, wonderful, fabulous beta reader most extraordinaire, Susan Whitney, for all her help reading these fun novellas and helping me every step of the way!

I also want to thank my editor, Christa, for plotting with me on every one! She rocks!

And my daughter, Rebecca, who read each one over her summer break!

About the Book

“I can be Mike.” Those words, combined with his wry grin, sent a shiver down her spine. Her blind date was a no-show, but this man… Damn. If he was willing to step in, there was no way she was going to turn him down.

Corked and Tapped: Because the best stories never start with someone eating a salad.

Chapter 1

As Aria stepped into Corked and Tapped, she paused a few seconds inside the front door of the bar to let her eyes adjust to the dimmer lighting.

She glanced at her phone and saw that it was five minutes until seven. Mike had said he would meet her here at seven. She considered opening her text messages to confirm the time, but that would be extremely anal of her since she’d verified the venue and the time over and over already.

Having adjusted to the lighting, she took a deep breath and blew it out while scanning the room. There were about a dozen people inside. Four women were sharing a booth with enough empty wine glasses on the table to indicate they had been there a while. Two men were leaning into each other at one end of the bar. Considering one of them had his hand on the other man’s thigh, Aria assumed neither was her date.

That left a man behind the bar, two female waitresses, an older man sitting at a table staring at his phone, and a guy sitting at the opposite end of the bar from the couple. He was the only possible contender for being Mike. However, since he hadn’t glanced in her direction, she decided it was unlikely. Plus, she was early, so there was a good chance she’d arrived before her date.

She kept her gaze on the man’s back for several seconds, waiting to see if he might look at her. He didn’t, but damn, if his front turned out to be half as good as his backside, he would be panty-melting. His ass was encased in dark jeans that hugged him perfectly. He had on a black T-shirt, but it was a designer brand and tucked into his jeans. He had a full head of hair, brown and slightly messy. Even though he wasn’t facing her, she could see his strong arm that led to a tanned masculine hand wrapped around a beer.

She willed him to be Mike.

Her track record with dating sites was abysmal so far. She’d been on this particular site six months. It was a new, supposedly innovative, concept where people were matched up based on what they were looking for in a partner. What it did not include was pictures. Apparently, the owners went to great lengths to ensure everyone was who they said they were, and they had photo evidence, but they didn’t share that part in the profiles.

After two failures, Aria had intentionally vetted Mike more closely and spent the last several weeks texting back and forth to ensure a better chance at a good evening. So far, he had impressed the hell out of her. He had also made her think.

According to his profile information, he was six foot, medium build, short dark hair, no beard, tanned skin, brown eyes. She figured that described about ten thousand people in the Atlanta area.

One of the waitresses wandered over. “Feel free to sit wherever you want.”

Aria smiled at the cute younger woman with the dark ponytail wearing a short black skirt and a tight black tank top that said Corked and Tapped on front in white letters. “Thanks. I’m meeting someone. I’ll probably just wait a few minutes.”

“’Kay. I’m Jade. If you need anything, let me know. You’re welcome to wait at the bar if you want.”

Aria nodded, considering that option. Perhaps it would ease her nerves to sit and get a drink. She turned around and looked out the front windows as Jade wandered away. People walked past the front door going in both directions, but no one came inside.

Another glance at her phone told her it was five after seven now. Aria returned her attention to the bar. Maybe the lone guy was actually Mike. He could have easily looked her way any number of times while she was talking to Jade or had her back to him.

Feeling a bit stupid, she forced herself to approach the stranger. The bartender was speaking to the two men at the other end when she reached her destination, so at least she didn’t have an audience. When she cleared her throat, he spun partly her direction. “Are you by any chance Mike?” God, he was better-looking when she faced him head-on. Thick hair she wanted to run her fingers through. Deep brown eyes. Dimples that made him look playful. Her mouth went dry.

His smile broadened and his gaze roamed slowly up her body from her heels to her face. Even though it was absurd, she flushed at his scrutiny, trying not to fidget. She also felt overdressed. She wore black strappy heels and one of her standard little black dresses. Perfect for a first date and ordinarily appropriate for just about any location.

This particular bar? Maybe. Maybe not. It was hard to determine yet if she was overdressed since there weren’t enough patrons inside.

“I can be Mike if you want,” the man responded, one corner of his lips raising in a smirk. The corners of his eyes crinkled, and his lopsided smile sent a shiver racing up her spine. Attraction she’d never felt before slammed into her.

She stared at him for a moment and then realized he was teasing her, so she chuckled. “I’m meeting someone,” she told him. Wish it were you.

He lifted a brow. “And you don’t know what he looks like?”

She shrugged. “New dating website.”

His eyes widened further. “One without pictures?”

She chuckled. “In theory, apparently everyone puts too much emphasis on looks. If we’d all give each other a chance without seeing pictures, we’d make better connections. Blah blah blah.” She wasn’t sure she believed all that shit herself.

“Ah. Interesting concept. Not sure I could sign up for that.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Maybe he stood you up.” The man did not look upset by the prospect.

She winced. “Maybe… Or maybe he got stuck in traffic.”

“Also possible.” His smile widened. His eyes were dancing with mirth at her predicament. Finally, he shrugged. “Well, you’re welcome to have a seat here while you wait. I don’t bite. At least not unless you ask me to,” he joked.

She rolled her eyes, but nevertheless she found the man to be harmless in spite of the cheesy line. After glancing around the room again and finding not a single person who could possibly be Mike, she decided to take this man up on his offer and slid onto the barstool next to him. Hell, as far as she was concerned, he could bite her anywhere.

“You can even call me Mike,” he teased again. “That way if he doesn’t show up, you could pretend I was him. Might lessen the sting of being stood up.”

She laughed and held out a hand. “Sounds good, Mike. I’m Aria.”

He shook her hand, his grip strong and firm. What the hell am I doing?

Chapter 2

The bartender wandered her direction. “Can I get you anything, ma’am?”

“Sure. I’ll have a seltzer and lime. Thanks.”

The bartender’s name tag read Owen. He quickly filled her glass and slid it toward her. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Mike” spoke to her again. “So, how much do you know about this Mike? These dating sites intrigue me. Do you really meet decent people through them?”

Aria ran a finger along the condensation on the side of her glass and then met his gaze. “So far, no. I have high hopes for Mike, though.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Or maybe I was wrong.” A few more people had wandered into the bar, but none of them fit the description she had of Mike.

It was seven fifteen now. Apparently he was a no-show. Gah.

“How many men have you gone on blind dates with?”

“This would have been my third.”

“And the first two?” He spun his body to more fully face her, giving her the opportunity to really take him in. She figured he was about forty. His five o’clock shadow caught her attention, making her wonder what it might feel like against her skin. His fingers were wrapped around his glass, his thumb absently stroking the condensation on the side. She couldn’t stop herself from wishing that hand were cupping her breast, that thumb gliding over her nipple.

Jeez, Aria. Stop it. You came here to meet another man. Even though he hadn’t shown up, she felt slightly guilty to be shifting her interest to the man next to her. A total stranger. Mike. She giggled inside.

Why not have a little fun? This guy was at least nice, an improvement over Thing One and Thing Two. She sighed. “The first guy was too quiet. I mean, I’m not overly shy myself or anything, but I do need a bit more help than he provided holding the conversation. He answered me with one-word responses most of the night, and by the end, I was having more of a conversation with the waiter about boxing up my leftovers than I’d had with him.”

Mike cringed. “Bummer. And the second one?”

“He talked nonstop about himself. I wanted to run from the room within about five minutes.”

“Yikes. Which brings us to Mike. I can’t imagine meeting up with a woman I’ve never even seen a picture of. You’re brave.”

She sat up straighter and smoothed the hem of her skirt over her thighs, thinking she needed to say something to make herself seem less pitiful. “It’s not like I know nothing about him. We exchanged messages through the site for a few weeks and then phone numbers. We’ve been texting for a while.”

“You haven’t spoken to him out loud?”

“Nope.” She winced. “I decided if I’m going all-in with the app, I would treat the whole thing more like a blind date. I sound desperate, don’t I?”

Her stand-in Mike shook his head. “Not at all. I think it’s incredibly courageous to put yourself out there like that.” He glanced down at her legs and back up. “Though I’m not sure why you need to. Why don’t you have a line of men waiting to date you?”

She flushed as she lifted her glass to sip her sparkling water. Then she glanced around dramatically and returned her attention to him. “I don’t see you on a date this Friday night. Where is your line of women?” she teased.

He laughed, his voice deep and sexy. “Touché.”

She lifted a brow. “It’s early, though. Maybe you were waiting on someone or you have plans later.” She found she would be disappointed if he did. It was obvious Mike had stood her up, but this guy was friendly and fun and sexy. Flirting with him was not going to be a hardship. Though she wondered if it made her look too easy or desperate. What kind of woman meets up with another man the moment her date is a no-show?

He shook his head. “Nope. No date tonight. I was just going to sit here and have a few beers and call it an early evening.” His huge smile made her heart race again. “Or…”

She swallowed.

“We could actually for real pretend I’m Mike. You’ll get the blind date you were expecting, and I won’t have to go home to an empty apartment and reruns on television.”

She searched his face. Was he into her? He didn’t have to do this. He could have blown her off at any moment if he weren’t interested. The way he looked at her made her believe he at least found her attractive. “Hmm. Sounds like a plan I can get on board with.”

He held her gaze for a moment, and then he reached up, smoothed a finger down her cheek, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

She shivered at the gentle contact as his hand trailed down the length of her long brown curls until he finally released the end. After picking up his draft beer and taking a drink, he set the glass back on the counter and met her gaze. “So, if the Mike guy you were going to meet was intriguing enough to go on a real date, tell me what I’m up against.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, fighting a grin. He was fun—sexy and fun.

“I’ll role play. Fill his shoes. What sorts of things did he say to you in his messages and texts? Obviously you were interested. So, I’ll pretend to be him.”

A flush raced up her face. The truth was Mike had been increasingly more forward with each conversation. He’d exuded a confidence that made her heart race. On several occasions the man had aroused her with his texts, which was saying something. It had been a while since anyone had that effect on her. Until now. Because this man was also making her heart beat faster. She was turned on.

“Aria?” He lifted a brow, making her realize she had zoned out.

She squirmed on the barstool and tucked her dress tighter under her thighs.

He chuckled. “Fuck me. Did he sext you?”

She scrunched up her face as she met his gaze, squeezing her thighs together. “Maybe?”

His eyes twinkled with laughter. “Awesome. I can play along with that.”

“Really. That’s a little overboard.” Then why does the suggestion alone make my panties wet?

He shook his head rapidly. “Nope. You were expecting dirty talk. I’ve got it covered.”

She bit her lower lip. Wasn’t this entire situation wrong on about ten different levels? She knew nothing about this man, including his real name. She looked around. Dozens more people had arrived to fill the bar. The noise level was higher. No one sat to the other side of her, so not a soul had overheard their conversation. She didn’t think anyone was paying a bit of attention to the two of them. What harm would it do to flirt with this guy?

Maybe this would be fun. She could spend an evening with a sexy guy. Based on the intensity in the texts she’d exchanged with Mike, she’d been half hoping she might end up in bed with him tonight. She’d had a long dry spell. She felt like walking on the wild side.

Meeting up with a man who’d sent her a bunch of risqué texts had been way out of her comfort zone. Switching to another man midstream was off the deep end. But, what the hell? She’d promised herself to give this night all she had, and if it meant letting go a little, well, then, it was just one night.

She glanced at Stand-In Mike. Maybe she could really let loose and sleep with him. What did she have to lose? For now, all she was doing was getting to know him. It was a public place. Safe. As long as she watched that no one slipped anything into her drink.

She chewed on her lower lip again. Flirting with Stand-In Mike was fun. If he wanted to talk dirty to her, all the better. “Okay.”

His smile grew. “Excellent. What am I working with? Show me some of these texts.”

Her cheeks flushed redder. Would it be wrong to show this stranger the private texts she’d exchanged with another man? Who cared? It wasn’t as if either of them knew who this Mike guy actually was. She would never meet him after this fiasco. Hell, he hadn’t even had the balls to text her and let her know he wasn’t coming.

Her hand was shaking a bit, but she set her purse on the bar and grabbed her phone. The last contact she’d had was with Mike, so she opened the conversation and handed it to Stand-In Mike.

She watched his face as he quickly read through her text conversation, his thumb scrolling while his smile grew larger.

She pursed her lips as she remembered some of the things Mike had sexted. He’d talked about how he wanted to tease her mercilessly under the table in a public place. How he intended to flatten her against a wall and kiss her senseless. How he couldn’t wait to trail his lips up her neck, driving her crazy.

Aria held her breath as she watched Stand-In Mike read through her texts, her gaze locked on his face. He was smiling. She was way past attracted to him now. They were really going to do this thing. Pretend he was Mike. Flirt. Tease. More?

Finally, he handed the phone back. “Damn. Now my dick is hard.”

She put her cell back in her purse. Her panties were wet. He wasn’t kidding. This bizarre arrangement was hot.

Chapter 3

For a moment they stared at each other, and then Mike grabbed the underside of her barstool and hauled it closer to him, spinning it so she more fully faced him.

Before she grasped his endgame, she found he’d situated one of his knees between hers. She bit her bottom lip hard to keep from moaning out loud at the provocative position as she stared at her thighs now spread open to accommodate his leg.

She was still staring at the junction, fully aware of how her sex was pulsing with need when he set his hands on her thighs and gave a quick squeeze. “This dress is fucking hot, by the way,” he stated in a deeper voice than she’d heard from him yet.

She lifted her gaze to meet his, but found his head tipped down. He fingered the hem of her dress, which was still providing plenty of cover but had drawn up enough to bring goose bumps to her thighs.

His gaze wandered up to her chest. “Are you wearing a bra?”

She swallowed. “No.” The word came out as more of a croak. The dress had thin straps at her shoulders. The body was form-fitting, and the back was too low for a bra. She’d been brazen choosing it. Going braless was not her usual thing. Now that Stand-In Mike had specifically noticed, she felt even more turned on.

He leaned closer so that his lips were near her ear. “Your nipples are hard.”

She shivered.

He chuckled deeply. “It’s sexy as hell. I love that you’re so easily aroused by me even though we just met.”

Was it because she was pretending he was another man? At this point she probably knew this Mike better than the one she’d intended to meet. At least she had a visual. She might not know much about him, but so far he was an impressive package. And if she wasn’t mistaken, his actual package was also impressive. She could see the bulge at the front of his dark jeans.

The black, designer T-shirt he wore fit him perfectly, accentuating his fine chest and afforded her the ability to see his enormous biceps.

When she took a breath, she inhaled his scent, a combination of his soap and shaving cream, though he had the slightest shadow that indicated he either didn’t shave today or his facial hair grew that fast. She figured on the latter.

He leaned in even closer, kissed the curve of her neck, and breathed in deeply. “You smell amazing,” he stated as he straightened.

She shivered again, mostly from the contact of his lips that seemed to linger on her neck. He was good at this role playing. “You don’t waste any time,” she pointed out in a whisper, not the least bit sorry about how forward he was being.

He shrugged, his hands inching up her thighs. “I read the texts. I got the gist. Am I making you uncomfortable? Moving too fast?”

“No.” He wasn’t. Not at all. She wanted this. She wanted to throw caution to the wind for one night and let herself go with a total stranger. But she was nervous anyway.

Keeping one hand on her thigh, he removed the other one to take a drink of his beer. “You want something else? Wine? Beer?”

She nodded. That was an excellent idea. It would ease her nerves. “I’ll have a glass of chardonnay.”

Mike motioned for the bartender and ordered her drink.

Meanwhile, she set her hand on top of his over her thigh and enjoyed the feel of his warm fingers. His thumb was drawing lazy circles on her bare inner thigh.

With his other hand, he cupped her neck and leaned closer again. “Are you wet?”

She bit that lip again before responding breathlessly. “Yes.” Damn, he was good at this. He knew just what to say to make her burn.

“Good.” He stroked her chin with his thumb, both of his thumbs now driving her to distraction. “When he sent you those texts, did you masturbate?”

She gulped. “Yes.”

His damn smile never stopped growing. “That’s so hot. Tell me how you like to touch yourself? Can you get off with your fingers alone? Or do you use a vibrator?”

“Usually I use a vibrator.” Damn, this date had shifted quickly. The stakes kept getting higher. It felt good to feel this alive. In recent months she hadn’t felt this level of arousal with a man, except for the times she’d been texting Mike. And technically those times didn’t count since she hadn’t been with him and she’d never met him.

What she knew for sure was she had chemistry with this Mike, and she had every intention of continuing this game even if it was way out of her comfort zone.

“Hmmm,” Stand-In Mike responded. “I’d love to watch that. Or do it to you myself.”

She flushed. She would give anything at this point for the entire bar to disappear so she could experience exactly that. She was so damn aroused that her clit was pulsing against her panties. “I doubt you would need the help of a vibrator if you were touching me right now,” she boldly added.

Another grin. “I hope not. If so, I’d be worried I was losing my touch.”

“Do you do this often?”

He scrunched up his brows. “Meet strangers in a bar and fuck them with my words? Nope. This is a first.”

“It’s a first for me too.” She squirmed at his use of the word fuck. It had been almost a year since she’d had sex. She wasn’t the sort of woman who engaged in casual sex with men. She’d had three serious boyfriends in her thirty-two years, and besides them, she’d only slept with one other man.

Since her breakup with David, she’d been in a dry spell. First, she’d been nursing the blow to her ego, and then she’d been dabbling with online dating. In a way, she would consider that a total bomb now, but on the other hand, she’d met this Stand-In Mike because of a failed date. So, maybe she should indirectly thank the dating service for this hookup.

Was this a hookup? The idea was growing on her. Just this once she’d love to let loose and enjoy a one-night stand. This man was sexy and funny and currently making her hotter than she’d ever been.

However, if they were going to take things much further, they would eventually need to leave the bar. And go where? She couldn’t bring a total stranger back to her apartment. That would be dangerous. Nor should she go with him to his place. Even more dangerous.

He broke into her thinking when he handed her a glass of wine. “You’re flushed. Relax. We’re just having fun. I can see you overthinking.”

She released a long breath. He pegged her right. She was inside her head overanalyzing this situation for no reason. She needed to chill and let this play out.

He slid his hand to her waist and then the small of her back, urging her closer. “Not gonna lie. I’m incredibly attracted to you. Have been since the moment I first turned around and saw you. It’s adorable that you have these two sides.”

“What two sides?” she murmured, her breath catching.

He leaned closer. “From what I’m gathering, I’d say ordinarily, you would never do something like this, but you also have a naughty streak that is making you burn for me at the same time.”

She swallowed. He was spot on.

He slid his hand back to her thigh and gave her a few inches of space. “Am I right?”

“Are you psychic?”

He chuckled. “No. It’s not hard to read you.” He released his beer to lightly drag a finger down her inflamed cheek. “Your face is rosy, and you keep fidgeting nervously.”

Lord. Everything he said made her hotter. She didn’t even care that she was so easy to read. At this point, she was already willing to let him read her entire naked body if he wanted.

He lifted his brows.

She jerked her attention back to her wine glass and reached for it, hoping her hands weren’t shaking. After a fortifying gulp of wine, she set the glass on the counter and met his gaze. “Tell me about yourself. I’m missing out on the details I would have read online.”

“Details that may or may not be accurate, you realize,” he pointed out.

“True. Good point. Why do people lie about themselves on a dating site when they will be caught in those lies eventually?”

“Who knows.” He took a deep breath. “I guess my profile would indicate I’m forty years old. Never been married. Two sisters. I own my own business. I work hard and play hard and live hard.”

She widened her gaze. “Did you read Mike’s profile?”

He chuckled, giving her thigh a squeeze.

“I think you just repeated his information verbatim.”

“He even owns a business?”

“Yep.”

“That’s crazy. What business?”

“He owns a restaurant.” The grip he had on her thigh was maddeningly distracting.

“That’s promising. If it’s true, at least he’s employed.”

She swatted at him playfully. “Like I said, anyone would eventually get caught if they’re lying.”

“So, what is this restaurant called?”

She sighed. “I don’t know.” After scrunching up her nose, feeling a bit stupid, she continued, repeating his excuse. “He said he didn’t want to tell me because if I knew, I would be able to look him up easily, and that would ruin the mystery.”

Stand-In Mike shook his head. “Not sure I trust this guy. He didn’t even show up.”

“True.” At this point she wasn’t sure anything Mike had said was true.

“What do you do? And is it the same as what your profile states?” he teased.

She laughed. “Yes. I suck at lying. Can’t sleep with myself afterward. What you see is what you get. I’m an office manager for a dentist.”

He smiled. “Not surprising.”

“Why?” She squinted at him, cocking her head to one side.

He leaned back a few inches, his gaze roaming up and down her body again. “You’re prompt. Courteous. Professional. You don’t break rules. I bet your organizational skills are amazing.”

She flushed. “My boss thinks so.”

“Of course he does.” Stand-In Mike smoothed his free hand up her arm until he cupped her cheek briefly. His voice was huskier when he spoke again. “You’re breaking all the rules tonight, aren’t you?”

Her cheeks heated further. She needed to change the subject. “Why don’t you have a wife or girlfriend?”

“Haven’t met the right woman.”

“What does the right woman look like?”

He cocked his head to the side and tapped his thumb on her inner thigh. “She doesn’t have a look so much as a style. She would need to be fun and outgoing and interested in trying new things.”

“You taking applications?” Aria teased, squeezing his distracting hand.

“Maybe…” His eyes danced again. He leaned closer. “She also needs to be open to a certain level of kink. I like sex. And I love making a woman so hot she can’t sit still.”

Aria squirmed again before she could stop herself. She took another sip of wine and carefully set the glass down again. “Well, I don’t think you have any issues in that department. You have a way with words, Mike. I’m sure most women melt at your feet if you speak to them the way you’re speaking to me.”

“You’d be surprised. There are a lot of uptight women out there who won’t open themselves up to adventurous sex.”

“When you say adventurous sex…”

He chuckled. “I mean things like this. Role playing. Living on the edge a bit.” He closed the distance, set his lips on her ear, and whispered the rest. “Behaving just naughty enough to make people around wonder, without giving them answers.”

He punctuated those words with a quick slide of his hand under her skirt so that his fingers briefly brushed across her silk-covered clit before retreating.

She sucked in a sharp breath and held it, her legs stiffening while her pussy pulsed. My God.

“You see what I mean?” he questioned as he leaned back a few inches, one brow raised.

“Yes. You’re good at this.” He was good. Very good.

He gave her another winning smile. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” He lifted his fingers to his nose and inhaled. “Mmm. I like your smell.”

She stopped breathing. Her fingers dug into his hand, holding on tight.

“I bet you taste even better.”

Chapter 4

Aria swallowed, trying to keep the room from spinning. She’d give anything to have his lips on her pussy. Sucking. Drawing out her orgasm. In fact, she was close to coming right now at the thought.

He stroked her cheek again with one finger. “Your skin is so smooth and soft and pale. I bet your bottom is just as sexy. I wonder if it flushes this same shade of pink when someone spanks you.”

She inhaled sharply. Her body was in flames now. Every inch of her wanted what he suggested.

He met her gaze. “Has anyone ever spanked you?”

“No,” she managed to breathe. Every one of her previous partners had been straitlaced without an ounce of kink.

He groaned softly. “Jesus. The idea turns you on.”

“Yes.” She was way out of her element, but she’d never been this aroused. The thought of him spanking her made her heart race. She wasn’t a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but this banter was nothing like anything she’d experienced face to face.

“I bet you could come from my hand on your bottom alone. Two or three well-aimed swats and you’d be screaming my name.”

“If only I knew your name,” she pointed out with a smirk.

He gave her a slow grin. “I’m okay with Mike. After all, we’re role playing here. I can be Mike.”

“You mentioned that the moment I met you,” she reminded him.

He wiggled his eyebrows. “Call it intuition.”

“I think you might be better than Mike.” She was sure of it, actually. Especially because this man was here and Mike was not.

“Excellent. At least I know you can’t compare anything I do to him since he’s never had his hands on you.”

“True.” I’m certainly not complaining about the way your hands feel against me.

He stroked her cheek again. “I love this flush you get. It gives away your thoughts.”

She groaned.

Someone brushed against her elbow, making her hand shift to Mike’s hard thigh, which caused his palm to slide closer to her sex.

The bar was getting crowded. She didn’t bother to look around, but she could hear the volume and feel the increased press of people. She didn’t care. Their presence somehow made this thing with Stand-In Mike more private. There were too many bodies for anyone to notice where his hands were, and too much noise for anyone to hear the naughty words he kept whispering.

Mike took the opportunity to completely reach under her skirt and briefly press his palm against her pussy. When he removed his hand and settled it once again on her thigh, he did so on her bare skin. “So much heat. You must be dying to come.”

She bit hard on her lip.

He set his gaze on her mouth. “I’m going to bite that lip myself before this night is over.”

“God, I hope so.”

He tugged her barstool even closer, and then he grabbed her hips and dragged her body a few inches toward the edge of the seat. When his knee grazed her clit, she gasped, her thighs clamping down on his leg.

He hauled her face closer with a hand at the back of her neck. “When we leave this room, I want my jeans to be coated in your juices so that my knee is wet. I’m going to make you come so hard, you won’t be able to see straight.” He leaned closer, his lips on her ear again. “I could use my fingers or my mouth, but the way you reacted to the idea of being spanked, I’m betting you’d rather I made you come from my hand swatting your bottom.”

She swallowed hard. He could almost make her come at the suggestion alone.

He squeezed her neck and then released her. He picked up her seltzer and handed it to her. “You look like you could use a drink.” His eyes were dancing.

She took it with shaky fingers and sipped.

Luckily, he set it back on the bar for her. His beer was gone. At some point it had been replaced with a glass of ice water, which he now took a drink of also.

When she focused on his mouth, she realized he was sucking on an ice cube. It made her shudder because she knew instinctively that cube was not going to stay in his mouth.

Sure enough, moments later, he had it between two fingers and was pressing it against her chest right between her breasts. The bodice of her dress was cut fairly low, a vee that showed off plenty of cleavage. At the touch of cold, she gasped. Her nipples hardened further, and her breasts felt fuller.

Without a bra, it felt like her nipples were exposed. The only thing ensuring her this was not the case, was the way they rubbed against the silky material of her dress. The halter-style top suddenly didn’t seem like enough material.

“I wonder if your nipples are a soft pink or a darker shade.”

“Mmm,” she responded, praying he somehow got to see them tonight. So far, she couldn’t imagine how or where they might actually seal this deal, but she intended to figure something out. And he obviously agreed since he’d already verbalized how she would come for him.

Her lips parted so she could drag in more oxygen. She grabbed his outside thigh with her free hand—the one closest to the bar—and held on to him as if she might otherwise slide to the floor, which was a possibility.

The ice finished melting, leaving a trail of water dripping between her breasts. “That’s so sexy. My next ice cube is going directly on those sweet tits of yours.”

She nodded acceptance of that plan too.

“If I were willing to let you out of my sight for even a moment, I would send you to the restroom to remove those panties.” He subtly lifted his knee to rub against her achy core.

She held her breath. If she weren’t wearing panties, his jeans would be as soaked as he mentioned already.

“Tell me one of your sexual fantasies,” he whispered, his lips close to her ear again.

Every time he spoke, she grew redder. “I…”

“Don’t hesitate. I know you have them. Every woman has fantasies. Things she would never ordinarily voice out loud. Do it. For me. After all, this is a night for fantasies. We’re role playing. Pretend I’m the guy who didn’t show up. He obviously had a naughty streak. You apparently found it intriguing enough to meet him tonight.”

Aria’s heart sped up as she met his gaze. Could she tell this perfect stranger one of her sexual fantasies? “I’m not sure I can voice my private thoughts.”

He shrugged. “Why not? For one night, don’t hold back. Relax. Enjoy yourself. Take what I’m offering. I promise you won’t regret a moment of it.” He had both hands on her thighs again, under her skirt, stroking, inching closer to her pussy. Driving her mad.

She wiggled, pressing her clit against his knee, needing more. She was so close.

“Sit still, Aria,” he demanded, squeezing her thighs. “Sit still and answer my question. Then I’ll see about giving you the release you need so badly.” His tone was deeper, more suggestive, more commanding. Dominating.

And damn if her body didn’t react positively to his demands. She blinked at him, swallowing hard. Her mind was racing. Not because she was trying to come up with an answer. Like he said, every woman had fantasies they visualized when masturbating. That wasn’t the problem. The issue was her internal war over whether or not she should tell him.

He lifted a brow. “Did you drive here, Aria?”

“Yes.” What was he getting at?

“You have two choices. If you want to end this right now, I’ll walk you to your car and tell you good night. If you want to take it a step further, tell me one of your naughtiest secret fantasies, and I’ll make sure you come so hard you won’t ever forget this night.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He gave her thighs an encouraging squeeze.

After a long inhale, she gave him what he asked for, leaning toward his ear. The proximity ensured no one would hear her while also keeping her from having to hold his gaze while she spoke. “My fantasy is to be taken from behind by a man I trust in a location where no one would see us, but the fear exists that they theoretically could.”

Stand-In Mike slid a hand to her lower back and then up between her shoulder blades. He turned his head so that his lips were on her neck just below her ear. “Do you have any idea how hard my cock is?”

She dipped her head toward his crotch. “Yes. And I’d like to take it out and suck it.” Who the hell was she?

He groaned, gave her a squeeze, and then abruptly released her to slide his stool back a few inches. After reaching into his pocket to grab a few bills, he dropped the money on the bar, took her hand, and helped her to her feet.

If he hadn’t had enough functioning brain cells to grab her purse and tuck her phone inside it, she might have left it. All of her attention was focused on how tall he was and how damn sexy his chest was and how his presence overwhelmed her.

He stepped closer, hands on her hips, lips on her ear again. “I sense you’ve never dabbled in submission before, but I want to dominate you so badly right now.”

She leaned into him, her hands going to his waist, fisting his shirt.

“Let me rock your world.” It was almost a question.

“Yes,” she breathed. There was no other answer.

Chapter 5

Aria had no idea what he had in mind, but she didn’t care, and she readily let him take her hand and tug her along behind him as he weaved his way through the crowd toward the back.

When they finally stepped into a far less crowded hallway, Mike surprised her by opening a door on the left just past the restrooms. He pulled her inside and shut and locked the door behind him.

The room was dark. Totally black except for the sliver of light coming under the door. It couldn’t possibly even have a window. It took a moment for her vision to adjust enough to make out his body.

Her pulse picked up, but before she could question the logic of his choice, he had his hands on her cheeks and her back to the door. His lips descended to hers immediately.

He didn’t waste time with gentle or soft, thank God. Instead, he consumed her, his tongue urging her lips apart immediately. He angled her head to one side and manipulated her exactly where he wanted her.

She rose onto her toes to meet him, her hands going to his forearms as he kissed her senseless.

The longer the kiss went on, the more her breasts swelled, her clit pulsed, and her knees weakened. When he finally broke the kiss after what felt like a lifetime, he continued to trail his lips down her neck and then lower over her chest and between her breasts. “You taste so fucking good. Every inch of you. I need to see your nipples. Suck on them.”

She heard his hand slap down on the wall at her side and slide upward. Suddenly an overhead light came on. She blinked in the sudden brightness and leaned around him to see where they were.

An office. It was small. A desk and chair across from her. Another chair sat in front of the desk for a guest. A tall cabinet stood to one side. A loveseat was jammed against the opposite wall, barely fitting. It was more like a closet jammed with too much furniture. “Mike,” she breathed. “This is someone’s office. What if they come in?”

His hands were on her shoulders, his gaze on her chest. He finally turned his head to the side and glanced around. “I doubt anyone will come in. The bar is too crowded. The owner is probably busy. Besides, I locked the door.”

She bit her lip. This was risky. She’d never done anything like this in her life. On the other hand, he was probably right. What was the worst thing that could happen? Someone could try the handle and then knock. They would have time to right themselves and then beg forgiveness.

It was sort of like her fantasy. As if he’d known all along. Which he could not have. She’d never uttered a word of her imagination to any living soul.

Stand-In Mike leaned closer and plucked her lip from between her teeth, immediately biting down on it himself.

She moaned and leaned into his body, feeling his cock against her belly as her hands went to his waist. What the hell? Might as well keep the dream date going. She would never have an experience like this again in her lifetime. She needed to get the most out of it. She needed to come. “Please,” she pleaded against his lips.

He broke free, giving her an inch. “That’s what I like to hear.” He cupped her face again, tilting it back so he could meet her gaze. “I’m going to slide this dress off your sexy body, bend you over the edge of the desk, and spank your sweet bottom until you come. Okay?”

“Yes.” Holy shit. They were really going to do this. Her nipples strained against the front of her dress.

“You need to keep your lips tight so no one hears you when you come for me. Understood?”

She nodded. “Yes.” She was so close already; it wouldn’t take much. Perhaps she should be embarrassed to realize she indeed could and would come for this man when he swatted her ass, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. It was hot. So damn hot.

Mike lowered his hands to the hem of her dress and drew it over her head as she lifted her arms for him. Seconds later, the cool air of the room hit her body and made her shiver. He dropped her dress on the chair and walked her backward with his hands on her hips.

When her ass hit the cold edge of the desk, he leaned back and looked down at her body, naked except for her heels and the panties he had yet to see for himself. He was fully clothed. She wished he were also naked, but she wasn’t about to ask. He clearly had an agenda that wasn’t meant to be questioned.

His gaze wandered down to her breasts, and his grip tightened on her hips as the globes swelled. Her nipples had been stiff for hours, but suddenly they puckered further.

His hands slid slowly up her body to cup her breasts and mold them to his fingers, avoiding her nipples. “Pink,” he murmured. “So fucking perfect.” His face finally descended, and he sucked one nipple into his mouth while pinching the other between his thumb and finger.

She rose onto her tiptoes in her heels as a moan escaped her lips.

He released her nipple with a pop. “Shhh. No sounds, Aria.” His voice was low and deep and commanding.

She shivered and pursed her lips together to obey him. Renewed wetness flooded her panties at his demand. There was something so sexy about letting him order her around. No man had ever taken this kind of control with her. She had hoped from the text conversations she’d had with Mike that he might be the sort of man who had this dominant streak in him, but he hadn’t shown up. Luckily, this new Mike had stepped up to fill the role.

There was a God.

He sucked her nipple over and over, laving it with his tongue and then switching to do the same to the other. Finally, he released the swollen bud and stared at it. “So sweet,” he whispered, his fingers grazing over her flesh, making her shiver when he tapped her nipples.

She squeezed her thighs together, desperate to reach orgasm.

He noticed the slight movement, however, and moved one of his feet between hers. “Legs apart. Hands on the desk.”

She released his waist and moved her hands to her sides, gripping the edge of the desk.

He pressed his knee upward against her swollen needy core.

She moaned and let her head roll back.

“Don’t come yet.”

“Okay,” she breathed, though she wasn’t sure how she was going to manage that.

“I want you so close you can’t think straight. And then I’m going to spin you around and spank your bottom until you orgasm.”

“Please,” she begged.

His knee pressed harder.

Her mouth fell open. She curled her toes, fighting against the pending orgasm. Who knew she could come from a spanking or from so little contact? It usually took her a while to reach orgasm. Direct constant stimulation to her clit was mandatory. Sometimes the addition of an electronic toy was needed.

Honestly, in some past instances, she had faked orgasm when she realized it wasn’t going to happen that time. There was no way she would need to fake anything tonight. Not with Stand-In Mike at the wheel.

“How close are you?” he asked in a rough voice.

“Close,” she mouthed. So close.

One second she was straddling his leg, the next second she was spun around facing the desk. Before she caught her next breath, he tugged her hips back a few feet and settled a foot between hers. “Elbows on the desk. Lean your forehead on your hands.”

She did as he asked, her body shaking. So much pent-up need.

“Feet farther apart.”

She stepped out. It was obscene. The wetness coating her panties cooled in the air. Her breasts swayed heavily. She held her breath, waiting for his next move.

Chapter 6

The world moved in slow motion as Stand-In Mike rounded to her back and set his hands on her hips. He smoothed his palms over her lace-and-silk panties and squeezed the globes of her butt, pulling them apart and releasing them over and over.

“Damn, I love this ass. It’s exactly how I pictured it. White smooth skin. It will look so pretty when I swat it and the skin pinkens in the shape of my handprint.”

She sucked in a breath and pressed back, willing him to do just that.

Surprising her, he dipped his fingers under the bottom edges of her panties and tugged them up hard so that the globes of her ass were now exposed and the thin material between her legs was pulling sharply against her pussy.

“Oh God,” she moaned.

“Don’t come,” he demanded.

“Mike…” Or whatever your name is… Jesus. Did he really think he could command her not to come when he did something like that?

He held her panties obscenely high on her ass with one hand while the other reached down to stroke her thighs. He didn’t even touch her pussy before he stated. “You’re so wet it’s running down your legs.”

She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to moan.

“If I touched your clit, you would come.”

He was right. She didn’t need to confirm his suspicion.

“I’m going to remove these sexy lace panties now. You’re going to concentrate on not coming. Understood?”

“Yes,” she whispered. And then she held her breath, trying to focus on the side of the desk instead of the way her clit swelled even further when he released the tight stretch of material and pulled her panties down her legs.

As soon as they were gone, leaving her in nothing but her strappy black heels, he nudged her feet apart once again and smoothed his hands over her ass. “So pale. I love this skin.”

He’d mentioned that. What was he waiting for?

“I bet your clit is so swollen it aches for my attention.”

“Yes.” She wiggled her hips.

He gave her ass a sharp slap. “Don’t move.”

She sucked in a breath at the unexpected pain. It radiated down her legs, making her shake. She felt the edge of tingling in her clit, but not enough to get her off. What made him think she would come from a spanking?

Instead of swatting her again, he kneeled between her feet, his hands stroking up and down the backs of her thighs. He even leaned in closer and obviously inhaled.

She shivered, mortified and further aroused at the same time. The sting from his palm turned into a heated burn that made her quiver. It radiated to her sex.

“You smell so fucking good. I can’t wait to taste you. As soon as you come, I’m going to flip you over and eat your pussy until you come again.”

Her lips parted, but she managed not to make a sound. This stranger was every woman’s wet dream. She was putty. He could mold her into whatever he wanted, and she would gladly conform.

Finally, he stood, eased to one side of her, and reached between her legs from the back.

She hadn’t expected him to touch her directly yet, so she rose onto her toes and held her breath, willing herself not to come.

He didn’t touch her clit, however. Instead, he dipped one finger slowly into her tight channel and drew it back out just as slowly, rocking that finger back and forth to force her lips to part and her center to be more exposed.

His other hand was on her hips, his fingers digging in tight. “Jesus, you are tight.” She heard him suck her cream from his fingers, and then his hand was on her butt again.

“It’s only going to take few swats to this sexy bottom before you come. I know that seems impossible, but trust me. You’ll see.”

It did seem absurd, especially after the pain of the first spank he’d landed. On the other hand, she’d learned quickly not to doubt this man.

His hand disappeared, and seconds later it landed with a loud crack much lower on her cheeks than his previous swat.

She gasped, stunned speechless at the way his spanking had traveled directly to her clit instead of down her legs. Fuck me. Do it again, she screamed in her head.

A second swat landed slightly lower, nailing both her cheeks again, and sending a second wave of vibrations to her clit. Her pussy pulsed. Her clit was no longer under the hood. She felt the air hitting it. The smallest touch would set her off. Or another spank from his palm.

He rubbed her butt first, easing the sting and bringing her attention to the heat. “My God your ass is sexy. Just as I expected. This next time, you’re going to come,” he stated, as if he controlled her orgasms.

Hell, at the moment, it felt as if he did control them. In fact, if he wanted to sign up to control them for the rest of her life, she would probably grab a pen right this second without knowing his name.

Catching her off guard, he lifted his hand immediately and spanked her again. It was enough to push her over the edge, but that line blurred when he spanked her several more times, every one of them low and center. Every one of the swats vibrated to her clit also, sending her into the hardest orgasm of her life.

It didn’t let up. He kept spanking. Not hard, but enough to make her orgasm last a very long time, or perhaps causing one to morph into two or three. She would never know.

Before the waves of pulsing subsided, her knees buckled.

Mike grabbed her by the waist, spun her around, and lifted her ass onto the desk. He shoved several things out of the way behind her and helped her lie back.

When he grabbed her knees and pushed them high and wide, opening her up to his gaze, she gripped the edge of the desk with both hands. Her orgasm had yet to die down completely before he lowered his mouth and sucked her clit between his lips.

She screamed as she arched her back off the desk, unable to stop herself. Not caring who might hear. Maybe the noise of the bar was so loud no one would notice. If someone knocked on the door right now, they would have to wait. She didn’t care if they called the cops. She was not missing out on one moment of this.

Mike didn’t comment on her scream. He continued to suck, forcing her swollen clit to accept yet another orgasm. Waves of pleasure. Her vision blurred. Stars danced at the corners. She couldn’t catch her breath.

His hands gripped her thighs, his thumbs parting her lower lips. His tongue darted into her channel next. Thrusting. Over and over as she completely lost all sense of self.

It wasn’t until she began to come down from more orgasms than she could count that he eased up and ended with a sweet kiss to her pussy.

Chapter 7

His mouth was wet with her juices when he lifted his head, and he wiped his lips on the corner of his T-shirt, smiling down at her. “You screamed.”.

She blinked. “Yeah. I might have.”

“You think?” He lifted a brow.

She flushed. Was more flushing possible?

“I should spank you again for disobeying me.”

“I don’t think your spanking is punishment,” she pointed out, growing self-conscious with her legs still spread open like she was a feast while he was fully dressed.

“Oh trust me, Aria. I can spank for punishment too. Remember the first swat I gave you?”

“Yes.” He was right. That one had hurt.

“Next time…”

Next time? Would there be a next time? Half of her thought that wasn’t possible. This was a one-night deal. Half of her prayed she might be able to see this man again. Perhaps knowing his real name.

Whoever he was, he reached with one hand and tugged his T-shirt over his head. When he dropped it on the desk behind her, he pulled her to sitting.

Her entire body was shaking, but she gripped the edge of the desk again and stared at his chest. So sexy. A smattering of hair made him all man. The trail of hair that led to his jeans made her lick her lips.

He chuckled low and deep as he popped the button on his jeans and then tugged them down a few inches to release his cock. It bobbed out, thick and long, and angry, no doubt.

He grabbed the base and stroked upward. “You have options,” he stated as if they were discussing the weather.

“Options?” She glanced at his face and then back down, knowing her choice would be to suck him until he screamed as loud as she had a few minutes ago.

She’d given head a few times with other men, but none had made her crave it like she did right now. She glanced at the door. They were pressing their luck in here.

“Eyes on me,” he demanded.

She jerked her attention back to his face.

“It would give me great pleasure to masturbate until I come on your thighs. Or, I’ll let you use your hand. Or, if you’d prefer, I’ll let you kneel in front of me and suck me dry. It’s your choice.”

She started to speak, to tell him how badly she wanted to choose door number three. Did he really think she might pass up this opportunity?

He held up a hand. “There’s a stipulation.”

She cocked her head to one side.

“If you want to suck me off, you’ll do it with your hands clasped at your back, and you’ll let me control everything.”

She swallowed. How many times had she done that since she met him? A hundred. “Okay.”

“Okay what, Aria?”

“Okay, I’d like to suck your cock.”

He nodded as if it made no difference to him which option she chose.

With one hand still on his dick, he helped her off the edge of the desk so that she was standing before him. “On your knees. Thighs wide. Hands behind your back.”

She lowered, shaking at his demands, her pussy hot and needy again, though it seemed impossible. Something about the way he commanded her…

“Keep your hands together, or I will spank you for punishment. Got it?”

“Yes.” She licked her lips, clasping one wrist with the opposite hand. Her hair fell around her shoulders, curls everywhere in disarray. She worried it would get in the way, but she needn’t have been concerned because Mike released his cock and gathered her locks together at the base of her head.

He held the thick length with one hand and tipped her chin up with his other. His gaze was intense and filled with lust. “Remember, I control this. You may part your lips, open your mouth wide, and let me slide in and out. Do not suck or use your teeth unless I request it.”

“Okay.” More wetness ran down her thighs. Who knew she had a kinky streak and would enjoy being dominated? She’d never considered this side of herself before. She was usually straitlaced. Vanilla. Before tonight, the dirtiest she’d ever been was sexting with Mike.

But this? This was hot. So damn hot. She would be sorry when it was over. The man had taken pity on her date standing her up and turned her night into something to remember.

The thought of never feeling the way she felt right now again made her shiver. She wanted more.

He used his hand at the back of her neck to guide her toward his thick length. “Mouth open.”

She opened as wide as she could, and was rewarded with the tip of his cock as he guided it around her lips, spreading his precome over her mouth. Finally, he slid inside, one inch at a time, pulling out often and then slipping in farther.

His body was stiff, his hand straining around the base of his dick.

She held steady, letting him control this as he’d insisted, feeling the power coming from him in waves. This man was so very dominant.

Lots of people could role-play once in a while in order to add excitement to their lives. Not this man. He obviously controlled all his sexual encounters. Completely.

And she liked it. She concentrated on keeping still, forcing her lips wide, and checking her tongue and teeth constantly.

He entered deeper and then withdrew. Over and over. “Don’t worry, Aria. I can read you. I won’t give you more than you can take.”

She didn’t move, but she appreciated his words. Not that she doubted him. Even if it was unreasonable, she totally trusted him.

His breathing grew heavier as he picked up the pace. Finally, she sensed him losing control, and he spoke again. “I’m going to come, Aria. If you want me to pull out, I’ll do so on your chest. If you want to swallow me, you have permission to suck now.”

She immediately squeezed her lips around his length and sucked.

He groaned. His first moment of total abandon.

It made her feel powerful, the kind of power he must have felt this entire time. No. Not even close, she realized. After all, he was still in control. He had her on her knees, her hands at her back, her hair in his grasp.

Finally, he thrust deeper and held her still. And then he came, long hard spurts of him down her throat.

She swallowed every drop, loving this as much as he did.

When he was finished, he slowly slid out, releasing her hair and cupping her face. “Best blowjob I’ve ever had in my life, hands down.”

She smiled up at him.

He tucked her hair behind her ears and stroked her gently, and then he helped her to her feet and pulled her against his chest. He kissed the top of her head.

Seconds later, while she was still trying to figure out what to say, someone knocked at the door, making her jump nearly out of her skin. “Dude,” a male voice boomed. “You in there? We could use some help out front.”

“Yep,” her mystery man responded in a confident loud voice. “Be right there.”

Aria was shaking as she tried to break free, her gaze darting around, searching for her dress and panties. Her heart was racing. They’d been caught.

Wait…

She paused, lifting her gaze to find him grinning at her. “Calm down. You’re fine.” He backed her up until her legs hit the loveseat. Next, he slowly grabbed her dress off the desk, while she struggled to speak. “Lift your arms.” He eased the silky material over her head and settled the dress back in place.

When he lowered her to sit on the loveseat, she was shaking.

He tugged his jeans over his hips and fastened them. Next, he grabbed his shirt from the chair and pulled it on, running his hands through his hair afterward.

He was still smiling. “It’s my office. My bar.” He crouched in front of her again and rubbed her bare arms. “Take a breath.”

Her eyes went wide, and then she couldn’t find the will to be mad at him. Mostly because the last few hours had been the hottest of her life. How could she be mad that he’d intentionally given her this experience by making her think they had been sneaking around? It added a risky edge to the entire evening, just like she’d told him played out in her fantasy.

Well, mostly. Minus the part where he bent her over and took her from behind. She blew out a long breath and giggled. “You totally had me.”

He grinned wider. “And you totally loved it.”

“I did.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Look, I need to help out in front. I don’t usually leave my staff hanging like this all evening. They’re probably ready to kill me.”

“Of course.” She started to stand.

He pressed her shoulders down. “Stay. Will you?”

“Stay?”

“Yes. I know we just met, but I thought we had a great time. We have incredible chemistry. Stay. Wait for me in here. You can nap.” He grabbed a throw blanket off the back of the loveseat and tucked it around her shoulders. “It will take me a while, but I’ll come back when I get things under control out front.”

She thought for a moment. This was awkward, but also somehow not. They did have chemistry. She didn’t need to be home for any reason. Why not wait for him? They could talk. Maybe go out again sometime. At least his request to stay was promising. “Okay,” she agreed.

He beamed. “Good.” He kissed her quick and soundly on the lips. “Rest.” He stood and rounded the desk. A moment later he handed her a cold water that must have come from a mini fridge jammed under his desk.

When he reached the door, he turned around and said, “I still owe you a fantasy.” He winked, and then he slid out of the room without anyone seeing her.

Holy shit. She was shaking. So many thoughts ran through her mind. His last words at the forefront. He still owed her a fantasy? Shit shit shit. That was so hot.

He owned this bar.

She still didn’t know his name, but she did know a bit more about him. He was indeed a business owner. She giggled as she scooted over and curled up on the small loveseat on her side, tucking the blanket around her.

Fuck me.

What a crazy night. When she’d left her apartment earlier that evening, she had not expected to be stood up by her online date and out with another man. She certainly hadn’t expected to find herself so sated that her pussy was still shuddering.

She closed her eyes, knowing she needed a nap just to calm her racing heart. Besides, she suspected when the owner of Corked and Tapped returned, she was going to need her energy to keep up with him for round two. She was still smiling as she let sleep pull her under.

Chapter 8

A hand landed on her shoulder, and Aria blinked her eyes open. Mike, or not-so-much Mike was crouched at her side, his face near hers. The door to his office behind him stood open, and she heard no sounds.

“What time is it?”

“It’s late. I’m so sorry. I checked on you several times. You were out cold. I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so peaceful. Or maybe I didn’t want you to leave.” He shrugged, his eyes lifting. “Do you need to be home? Do you have to be someplace early tomorrow?”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t work on Saturdays.”

“Good.” He smoothed his hand down her back and hesitated over her bottom. “Are you sore?”

She flushed. “No. I’m fine.”

“You liked it when I spanked you.” He grinned.

“Yes.” She pushed herself to sitting, running her hands through her hair, assuming she was a complete wreck now. Was mascara smudged under her eyes? “I could use a trip to the ladies’ room.”

“Of course.” He stood and helped her to her feet with a hand in hers. And then he led her from his office and around the corner. He pushed the first door open. “It should be spotless. The cleaning staff just left.”

“Thank you.” She ducked under his arm, used the toilet, and then hurried to the sink and mirror. Yikes. Not as bad as she expected, but still, she looked like she’d been fucked and then slept. Which was not quite true since she had not exactly been fucked. Yet. Did he still intend to have sex with her?

She washed her hands, grabbed a paper towel, and wiped away the makeup as best she could. After running her fingers through her hair, she left the bathroom.

Mike, or Stand-In Mike, was leaning against the opposite wall, legs crossed, waiting for her. He shoved off and took her hand. “Come on. I bet you could use a drink.” He led her to the main room of the bar and behind the counter. “What would you like?” The room was dark except for the lights coming in from outside and a few small lights behind the bar.

“Water would be great. Thanks.”

He grabbed a glass, filled it with the soda gun, and handed it to her. “Sparkling. Want lime?”

“Nope.” She took a sip. “This is fine.” She glanced around. “So, you own this bar.”

“Yes. You’re not mad, are you?”

She shook her head. “No reason to be. It was fun. Best date of my life.” She gave him a smile. She wasn’t lying.

“Good. Will you go out with me again?”

There is a God. She narrowed her gaze and decided to play with him. “Depends.”

“On what?” He smirked.

“On if you plan to actually buy me dinner and have sex with me in a bed instead of in your cramped office.”

He beamed. “I can do that.” He stepped closer, took the glass from her, and set it on the bar. His hands went to her neck, cupping it and tipping her head back. “I’d still like to fulfill your fantasy if you’re not too tired.”

“Now?” she asked, her body coming back to life at the suggestion.

He nodded. “Yep.”

She glanced around. “Oh. Here. You mean here.” This definitely qualified as a semi-public location where no one would see them but someone could theoretically catch them.

His hands slid down to her shoulders and then he eased the thin straps of her dress down so that they fell to her bent elbows, the rest of the dress dropping to her waist, exposing her breasts. “You’re so fucking sexy,” he murmured.

She watched as he cupped her breasts and flicked his thumbs over her nipples, sending her from zero to ten in seconds. She arched closer to him. “That feels so good. You have a way with your hands.”

“Glad you like it. Now stop talking so I can drive you crazy.”

She shivered, grabbing his waist.

He continued to torment her breasts, paying close attention to her nipples, and then he finally released them to grab the material of her dress and ease it down her body. He kneeled in front of her and tapped her ankle so she could step out.

She had no idea where her panties were. She hadn’t put them back on after he took them off her the first time.

His hands slid up her outer thighs, and she gasped when he leaned forward and kissed her clit. “So sweet,” he whispered as he stood. “I love how you look wearing nothing but those heels.”

He removed his shirt next, dropping it on the bar. And then he took her hand and led her to the center of the room. The wall across from them was all windows. Traffic was driving by in every direction even though it was probably two in the morning.

He kissed her shoulder as he urged her closer. “No one can see in. The windows are tinted from the outside.”

Someone walked by. If they had noticed her, they would have stopped dead. A naked woman in a dark bar would startle anyone.

“See?”

She watched the person continue by, yards away from her nudity.

“Trust me?”

“Yes.”

He smoothed his hands up and down her arms, and then set a palm in the center of her back and pressed her forward. “Lean over the table. Press your tits onto the surface. Spread your legs.”

She did as he instructed, already beyond ready for him. The table felt cool against her heated breasts.

He didn’t disappoint her. This was definitely a fantasy come true. As she flattened her palms on the table above her head, she heard his zipper go down and then the distinct sound of a condom wrapper. She shivered, wetness pooling between her legs.

Moments later, he was between her thighs, his cock rubbing against her pussy. “Is this what you want, Aria?”

“Yes,” she breathed, desperate for him, and glad for the heels that were making her butt high enough for him to take her from behind.

“You’re sure?” he teased.

“Very. Please. I’m dying here.”

“Really? I don’t think you’re ready yet.” He stopped touching her with his cock and thrust two fingers in her instead.

She gasped, lifting onto her tiptoes. Moisture rushed from her center.

“Then again, maybe I was wrong.” He held her hip with one hand and fucked her with those two fingers several times. Finally, he removed his fingers to circle her clit. “You’re not sore from my mouth earlier?”

“God. Please. Please, Mike, or whoever you are. Just fuck me already.”

He chuckled, but he also lined up with her pussy and slid forward, entering her completely in one thrust.

She sucked in a breath. Damn, he filled her. It had been a while since she last had sex, but she didn’t remember anyone ever filling her this full.

“So tight,” he gritted out. “I’m not going to last.” He pulled out and thrust back in, holding her hips to keep her right where he wanted her. He leaned over her back and whispered in her ear. “Love this position, Aria, but next time we fuck, it’s going to be in my bed, with you under me, writhing, your eyes on mine.”

“Okay,” she whispered. That sounded like heaven. But for now, she wanted him to finish fucking her this time first.

He reached around her thigh with one hand and thumbed her clit as he pulled almost out and then slid into her again. “So good. So damn good.”

She agreed. Better than good. It seemed like she’d known him for a long time instead of just a few hours. They clicked. She was glad he spoke of a next time repeatedly. It made her belly flutter. He didn’t intend to send her out the door without making a plan.

Relief flooded her that she would see him again, this dominant man with a deep kinky streak who rocked her world and made her crave more. This freer version of herself was much better. She owned her sexuality. There was no reason not to let herself experience this kinky side.

He pounded into her harder. Faster. With more urgency. His fingers worked her clit. “Come for me, Aria. Come on my fingers.”

At his command, she came. Hard. The breath whooshing from her lungs, her fingertips gripping the table. And before the pulsing waves slowed down, he groaned his own release.

She loved that sound, the same one she’d elicited from him when she sucked him off earlier. She could get used to it. Especially if he intended to remain all bossy and seemingly in control most of the time. If all she got was that grunt of appreciation at the very end, she would love having sex with this man.

When he was done, he leaned over her again, covering her body with his own. His hands ran up and down her biceps. His lips landed on her ear. “Did I fulfill your fantasy?”

“And then some.” She smiled.

He rose finally, pulling out and helping her to her feet. After snagging several napkins from the dispenser, he removed the condom and held it wrapped in his palm.

Silently, he led her back behind the bar where he deposited the condom in the trashcan and then crowded her against the far wall. He pressed his body against hers, his still erect cock landing on her belly. His hands went to her neck again, his thumbs lifting her face. “I know it’s fast, but this was hands down the best night of my life. Come home with me. I want to wake up knowing it wasn’t a dream.” He stroked her cheeks.

“I don’t even know your name,” she breathed. She knew a lot about him, including where he worked and how he liked his sex. But was he ever going to tell her his name?

He grinned. “Of course you know my name.”

She frowned up at him. “How could I? The only time anyone addressed you was to call you ‘dude’ through your office door.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, and I’m going to give that man a raise for unwittingly helping out with my ploy.”

“Which was?” she asked, more confused than ever. “Why didn’t you want me to know your name?”

“I told you to call me Mike.”

She rolled her eyes. “And I did call you Mike, awkwardly, several times. I’m pretty sure I yelled it out as I came, though it felt strange.”

He laughed harder. “You still don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“I’m Mike.”

Her eyes widened. “Your name is also Mike?” What were the chances?

He laughed harder and tapped her nose with one finger. “No, Aria. I am Mike. The same man you were texting. I’m the man you intended to meet tonight.”

She gasped, her mouth falling open, her naked body going rigid. “Are you fucking with me?”

“Well, no. Not now.” He sobered, stroking her cheeks. “Don’t be mad. When I realized from your texts that you were the sort of woman who would enjoy a little kink to spice up your life, I decided to give you a big dose of kink. I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. It was a gamble. But you walked right into it. Perfectly.”

She chewed on her lip a moment, considering his words. He’d played her. And then he’d really played her. Her body. Every inch of her performed for him. “Holy shit,” she muttered. Her mind was racing with the implications.

He bent his knees a bit to meet her gaze. “Thank God you found me attractive. I’d have crashed and burned if you’d have turned me down when I asked you to join me at the bar.”

“What were you going to do if you hadn’t been attracted to me?”

He winced. “I confess, I already knew I would be.”

“How?” Her eyes widened.

His face scrunched up further in chagrin. “You gave me too much information. It was easy to figure out which dentist you work for, and your picture was on the website.”

She stared at him a moment, unsure how she felt about this new revelation.

“Please don’t be mad. I cheated a little. That’s why I told you I was a restaurant owner instead of a bar owner. I was afraid that would be too easy also. Especially after you got here. You might have assumed it was my bar.”

“You totally cheated.” She flattened against the wall, crossing her arms, shuddering at her nudity. She couldn’t wrap her mind around this new information. He’d known who she was all along. He’d played her.

He slid his hands to her shoulders but didn’t let go. “When you started sexting me, and I could tell you were incredibly vanilla but completely intrigued, I wanted to give you a night you would never forget. I swear I thought you’d enjoy the role-playing fantasy. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I took advantage of your trust.”

She met and held his gaze. “I’m not sure what I feel right now. You kind of lied to me.”

He swallowed, his forehead dropping to hers. “You’re right. I’m sorry. In my mind I figured you would get an amazing fantasy date. After all, I wasn’t really a stranger. I am Mike. Except for telling you I owned a restaurant instead of a bar and then pretending not to be myself, I swear I never lied to you. Everything I communicated was all me. And I’ve enjoyed every second of our time together.”

She stared at him. It was kind of her fault too. She shouldn’t have divulged so much, making it easy for him or anyone to discern her identity. Plus, she had just spent the evening letting a man she assumed was a complete stranger make her body hum. And loving it. She took a deep breath. “I guess it worked. It was by far the sexiest night ever. I’ve never been so turned on.”

He gave her a slight smile as his hands slid down to her biceps. “That was the goal, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. I want to give that to you again. If you’ll let me.”

She licked her lips. No way could she turn him down. It was hot. She wanted to see what they could be like together past tonight. He was obviously interested in more than this one experience. So was she. “I’ll forgive you, on one condition.”

“What’s that? Anything?”

“You figure out a way to make my body hum like that as often as possible.” She smiled.

He beamed, his eyes lighting up. “Deal.” He leaned closer and kissed her soundly. When he finally broke free, he met her gaze. “I want you again. Please come home with me.”

“Okay. You want me to start calling you Mike, then?” she teased.

“Call me anything you want, as long as you scream as loud as you did when I made you come in my office.”

“Agreed.” She relaxed a bit as he handed her dress to her. “Where exactly do you suppose my panties are?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care. I like you better without them.” He took her hand and led her back to his office. After grabbing his keys and handing off her purse, he located the aforementioned panties and tucked them in his pocket, winking at her. “Let’s take my car. We can come back and get yours tomorrow. When I finally let you leave my house. Probably late in the afternoon. Or perhaps Sunday.” He was rambling as he led her to the back door of his bar.

She took a deep breath, wondering if the bubble of their weird world would burst when he opened it. Their entire relationship had taken place inside this bar, most of it without him having a real name as far as she was concerned.

He pushed through the door and led her outside. While he turned to lock the bar, she tipped her head to the sky and inhaled long and slow.

“You okay?” he asked, setting a hand on her back.

“Yep.” She smiled at him. The spark was still there. Maybe she would get lucky and it would never go out.

As he took her hand and led her to his car, she glanced at his handsome profile. Yeah, this night had been amazing. Her life needed some spicing up. Apparently, things were about to get very spicy.

She was ready.

Please enjoy the following excerpt from book two in the Corked and Tapped series, Grace.

Holy shit. Was he offering her a night of kinky sex? She started to shake as a chill ran down her spine. If anyone was looking closely, they would think she was cold. But she was aroused. Totally turned on by this man’s suggestion.

Her nipples were tight and sensitive. Suddenly the lace of her bra seemed to be abrading the tips. She still had her legs crossed, and she squeezed them together against the wave of throbbing extending from her clit to her pussy.

A rush of wetness filled her thong, making her wish she’d worn something with a bit more material. But the thong matched the bra, so she’d put it on that morning without a second thought.

“Grace.” His voice was deeper and had a hint of command.

She lifted her gaze from their combined hands to his face, feeling a flush heat her cheeks. Had he asked her a question? Her brain was completely scrambled. It had definitely been way too long since she’d let herself loose.

He lifted a brow, and then he reached with his free hand to tuck the single curl touching her cheek behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her earlobe, making her shiver. He smiled. “I still want a verbal answer, but I can tell from your physical response you’re interested.”

She swallowed again. “How kinky are you?” she murmured.

Author’s Note

I hope you’ve enjoyed this first novella in the Corked and Tapped series. I’ve had so much fun writing this series. So far, the series has twelve books, all of which will release in the next few months before the end of 2019. Below are the links to the rest of the series:

Corked and Tapped:

Aria

Grace

Brooklyn

Jade

Clara

Rose

Ivy

Maddie

Blaire

Devin

Paris

Andrea

Also by Becca Jameson

Corked and Tapped:

Aria

Grace

Brooklyn

Jade

Clara

Rose

Ivy

Maddie

Blaire

Devin

Paris

Andrea

Project DEEP:

Reviving Emily

Reviving Trish

Reviving Dade

Reviving Zeke

Reviving Graham

Reviving Bianca

Reviving Olivia

SEALs in Paradise:

Hot SEAL, Red Wine

Hot SEAL, Australian Nights

Dark Falls:

Dark Nightmares

Club Zodiac:

Training Sasha

Obeying Rowen

Collaring Brooke

Mastering Rayne

Trusting Aaron

Claiming London

The Art of Kink:

Pose

Paint

Sculpt

Arcadian Bears:

Grizzly Mountain

Grizzly Beginning

Grizzly Secret

Grizzly Promise

Grizzly Survival

Grizzly Perfection

Sleeper SEALs:

Saving Zola

Spring Training:

Catching Zia

Catching Lily

Catching Ava

The Underground series:

Force

Clinch

Guard

Submit

Thrust

Torque

Saving Sofia (Kindle World)

Wolf Masters series:

Kara’s Wolves

Lindsey’s Wolves

Jessica’s Wolves

Alyssa’s Wolves

Tessa’s Wolf

Rebecca’s Wolves

Melinda’s Wolves

Laurie’s Wolves

Amanda’s Wolves

Sharon’s Wolves

Claiming Her series:

The Rules

The Game

The Prize

Emergence series:

Bound to be Taken

Bound to be Tamed

Bound to be Tested

Bound to be Tempted

The Fight Club series:

Come

Perv

Need

Hers

Want

Lust

Wolf Gatherings series:

Tarnished

Dominated

Completed

Redeemed

Abandoned

Betrayed

Durham Wolves series:

Rescue in the Smokies

Fire in the Smokies

Freedom in the Smokies

Stand Alone Books:

Blind with Love

Guarding the Truth

Out of the Smoke

Abducting His Mate

Three’s a Cruise

Wolf Trinity

Frostbitten

A Princess for Cale/A Princess for Cain

About the Author

Becca Jameson is a USA Today best-selling author of over 90 books. She is most well-known for her Wolf Masters series and her Fight Club series. She currently lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and her Goldendoodle. Two grown kids pop in every once in a while too! She is loving this journey and has dabbled in a variety of genres, including paranormal, sports romance, military, and BDSM.

A total night owl, Becca writes late at night, sequestering herself in her office with a glass of red wine and a bar of dark chocolate, her fingers flying across the keyboard as her characters weave their own stories.

During the day--which never starts before ten in the morning!--she can be found jogging, running errands, or reading in her favorite hammock chair!

…where Alphas dominate…

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www.beccajameson.com

beccajameson4@aol.com

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