The Billionaire Barista

by Dakota Hart

  “We’re here!” he said, smiling happily at my face. I was speechless, stunned.

  “You live here?” I said, shocked. He parked the car and turned it off, hopping out into the driveway.

  “Yeah, it’s nice, right?” he said, nonchalantly.

  “Nice? Nice is not the word I would use.” I said, laughing “Are you like the groundskeeper or something? Housesitting?” I asked, trying to understand how this sweet, hot barista could be living in this multi-million dollar mansion.

  “Nope, it’s mine. It’s just me and Max living here.” he said, and as if in on cue Max came bursting out from behind a fence, running up and jumping on Aiden, wagging his tail and slobbering everywhere. Aiden started laughing and playing with Max, grabbing a toy from the ground and chasing it around the parking area. I looked around in awe, the parking area alone was bigger than my apartment which I shared with three people!

  I got out of the car and said

  “But, I thought you were a barista?”

  “Nope, I own Outlaw Coffee, all the stores. I just like to barista sometimes for fun.” he said, running up to me out of breath with Max trotting behind him. He slowed down and looked at my face for a minute, before taking one of my hands in his and saying

  “I hope this doesn’t change anything.”

  “But why did you lie to me?” I blurted out before I could phrase it better. I was just so done with lies after what happened with Kyle.

  “I didn’t mean to, honestly.” he said, holding his hand to his chest “I thought I had mentioned it, genuinely. But I realized right before we left the warehouse when you asked if my boss would mind us using the beans, and then I figured I’d let you find out by seeing the house. I thought it would be funny.” He looked at me hopefully, clearly surprised by my reaction.

  “I just don’t think lying to people is funny.” I said, turning around back to the car to hide the tears forming in my eyes. What was wrong with me? This gorgeous, brilliant guy who I now find out is a billionaire is apologizing to me and I’m being a bitch? But I just couldn’t take more lies and I wasn’t prepared to deal with this.

  “I’m so sorry Casey, I really didn’t mean to.” he said, but he seemed like something was closing up, like he wasn’t as carefree as he had been before. I wondered what else I didn’t know about him.

  Chapter 12: Aiden

  I had been feeling so elated before we got to the house. Wondering if maybe things could work out between us, maybe I could finally open myself up again. Maybe there could be sunshine after all this rain. But now looking at Casey, trying not to let me see her cry, was too much. It was too much for my heart to handle. I wanted to run to her, beg her to forgive me, do anything to get that moment back, to watch her face light up and hear her sparkling laughter. The impulse was too much, too intense. I didn’t want to feel this way about anyone.

  But I was here, and had all this food, maybe things would feel different after dinner. I gave Casey a minute to figure herself out and reached into the car to grab the bags, carrying one of the cloth bags in each hand. It really was going to be a delicious meal.

  I headed into the large rustic kitchen and put the bags down on the giant solid wood butcher block island. I washed my hands and began chopping the porcini mushrooms and looked out the window to see Casey smiling again, throwing a stick for Max who was hopping around enthusiastically.

  I couldn’t help myself, my face broke into a huge grin. There was something truly special about seeing her with my dog, it was so sweet. I continued to chop veggies and set up the kitchen for a while, and eventually Casey came in. She was breathless, her hair was mussed again from the wind and chasing Max around the yard. It was so sexy and adorable at once, I seriously considered bending her over the island right then and there.

  No! I had promised myself we wouldn’t have sex until after dinner and I was going to stick with that. I wanted to get to know her more, see if there was really something here besides this heat between us.

  “Would you like some wine?” I asked her, wiping my hands on a towel. She paused before responding, taking in the sight of my kitchen and all the delicious food laid out before her with wide eyes.

  “Um, yes please!” she said, seeming to get a bit more shy. I guess the house could be kind of intimidating if you weren’t used to it.

  Thankfully, Max was there to lighten the mood as he always did. He padded in and started nudging my pockets, nearly knocking me over. I laughed and pointed to a large glass jar on a shelf across the room full of doggie treats

  “Can you pass me that jar?” I said.

  Casey grabbed the jar and paused.

  “What would happen if I gave him the treats instead?” she asked, her tone mischievous.

  I pondered this for a moment than said

  “You’d never get rid of him.”

  She grinned devilishly and immediately opened the lid of the treats. I laughed heartily and Max bounded over to her at lightning speed.

  She gave him a few and he wagged his tail excitedly, taking them back to his dog bed to chew on.

  “Come on, this way to the wine cellar.” I said, leaving the room and heading to the basement.

  Chapter 13: Casey

  I was stunned, in shock. This was the nicest house I had ever been in, by a lot. I had grown up firmly middle class, although on the lower side of things. We went on family vacations once a year, but usually to a cabin in the woods nearby, not Europe or something. I had a few friends I thought were ‘rich’ growing up, they lived in the nicer part of the suburbs and had 5 bedroom houses. They got a new car when they turned 16, whereas I got a 2005 Camry.

  Turns out those friends weren’t rich at all. This was rich, it was glamorous, elegant, expensive and beautiful. I didn’t know what to feel, I hadn’t really wanted this. I just wanted to date someone nice, someone who was young and struggling to figure themselves out like I was. I didn’t ask for someone rich, and all the complications that comes with that wealth.

  But I had to admit that the heat, the energy, the magic was still there. The emotions Aiden made me feel didn’t care if he had a hundred dollars in his bank account or a hundred million. I just knew I wanted to be around him, to feel and touch him, and especially feel him inside me.

  I was feeling so much, so fast. I had only moved here a few days ago and already I was in so deep. What could I do? I didn’t know, so I decided to just follow his cute ass down to the wine cellar.

  He took me to a room full of wines and barrels, encased in glass. He punched a code into a panel and the door to the wine room swooshed open. This was crazy, I kept thinking. He puttered around the wine while I admired the view.

  “What do you like, white or red?” he said, turning around holding two bottles “Are you into wine at all?”

  “Not really, I like it but I’m not into it like this.” I said, awkwardly waving around at the bottles.

  Aiden laughed and eased the tension “Me either, this room came with the house! I’d be just as happy with a $4 bottle from Trader Joe’s.”

  I relaxed a little. Just because someone was rich didn’t mean they were snooty and Aiden was anything but that.

  “Me too, I generally like white, but I usually drink beer or cocktails.” I said, relieved I could be honest with him.

  “I read online that red is better with mushroom risotto, but a Pinot Gris should be okay.” he said, bending down to grab a bottle from a low shelf. Damn those jeans were flattering.

  He turned around holding it and gave me one of his gorgeous sassy smiles

  “If you don’t love it though I’ve got some local microbrews in the fridge too” he said.

  “I’m sure this will be great” I said, grabbing the bottle and heading upstairs “What can I do to help? I love to cook.”

  “Really?” he said.

  “Yes, why do you sound surprised?” I said.

  He moved in towards me again, until we were very close and looking deep into my eyes he said<
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  “I don’t know, I just can’t believe you’re real.”

  My heart stopped. I panicked for a moment, but I followed my emotions, and said

  “I know exactly how you feel.”

  He pushed my hair back from my face, running his thumb down the side of my cheek. His eyes were sparkling in the warm light and he was biting his lip. I thought for a moment I would wake up from this dream, this impossibly perfect moment.

  He leaned in to me, his pillowy lips reaching mine in a delicate kiss. It felt like love and tenderness, soft and sweet. My heart ached for him. I set the bottle down on the counter and leaned my body into him, feeling us entwine until it felt like we truly were one.

  Chapter 14: Aiden

  I don’t know what came over me in the kitchen, to tell her what I was really feeling. That moment felt like a dream, I was floating on air as I kissed her sweet lips, twining her hair in my fingers. She was like my own personal angel, right here in my kitchen.

  Then I felt a pang in my chest, like a knife, the guilt soared through me. Aimee. It had been three years since she died. Three years since I’d felt happy, whole, at peace. The way I was feeling right now. How could I feel this again? How could I betray her memory like this?

  I broke off the kiss with Casey, trying hard to hide the sadness in my face. I turned around quickly, heading immediately towards the fridge, trying to bury myself in it and calm down. My heart was a ship lost in a storm of emotions, a sea raging around it in all directions. I was being torn apart from the inside.

  I grabbed the onion from the fridge and turned around, my face as cold and emotionless as steel. Casey was grinning and elated for a moment before she saw my face. It was heartbreaking to watch her face fall like that, the joy and love replaced with fear and mistrust. But I couldn’t feel it, I was in my ice castle, my emotions shut off.

  I started chopping the onion and said

  “If you wanna get started on the garlic that would be a great help. We’ll need extra for the garlic bread as well, so probably a whole bulb.”

  She nodded, seeming happy for the distraction and started peeling garlic. I hate this, I hadn’t meant for the night to go this way. I decided I was going to work harder to let go, just let the night take me away. Let down my inhibitions.

  “You know, we could get started on those microbrews now if you want?” I said.

  She looked up instantly, “Yes, please!” she said.

  I grabbed them from the fridge and opened the bottles handing her one. We both started drinking, maybe a little too fast, but it felt like we were both finally on the same page - we wanted this night to go well.

  Chapter 15: Casey

  “I hate that you were right.” I said, turning to Aiden at our table out on the deck. The large firepit was crackling in front of us, the trees rustled quietly, and he looked more beautiful than ever under the full moon.

  He perked up “What was I right about?” he asked.

  “This was the best risotto I’ve ever had.” I said, smiling and holding my wine glass up to him. “A toast to Master Chef Aiden!”

  He stood up and took a half-bow before sitting back down again laughing.

  “More wine?” he asked, holding the nearly empty bottle.

  I held up my glass, definitely feeling tipsy but also excited. I was happier than I’d felt in years. After the weird moment in the kitchen, things got better. We had a few drinks and opened up. I told him about my time in New York - not what happened with Kyle because come on that’s a total mood killer, but my time in college, working as a photographer, my explosive social media rise. He told me how he did start out as a barista in his teens, then he made his money with some good investments in tech and cryptocurrency. He still loved coffee though so he decided to open his own coffee shop, and then it became a few coffee shops, and now they were opening their 14th location, their first in Seattle. He explained the emergency on our first date was a zoning commissioner situation with the all important Seattle shop, and I had to admit, it was a very reasonable excuse to leave a date. Although I was still sad about it, and I teased him accordingly.

  He took it well and we laughed and drank and ate great food. It was a perfect night. Except, of course, for the unreleased sexual tension which was palpable between us. I felt such an intense attraction to him, it was distracting at times. This was one of those moments, where I was just sort of staring at him, thinking about feeling him inside me again, and forgot to listen to what he was saying. I suddenly tuned in when he said

  “And that’s why I think the only reasonable choice for us would be to go skinny dipping in the hot tub.”

  I was surprised, what exactly had I missed in this conversation?

  “What?” I said, confused.

  He laughed “I knew you weren’t listening to me!” Then he winked at me.

  “Not at all, I just think it’s a great idea.” I said, standing up and immediately taking off my jacket.

  He stood up, surprised and very interested. He looked at me with challenge in his eyes, wondering if I was serious and we were really gonna do this.

  I’d had enough of waiting, I was hot and ready and I wanted him now, I was absolutely going to do this.

  I slipped off my shoes and pulled off my dress, and quickly dispatched my bra, revealing my naked body under the moonlight.

  Aiden stood there with his mouth slightly open for a moment. The night had turned quite suddenly from chatting about family and favorite movies to pure, unbridled sexual energy. I started to feel self conscious and said

  “I thought we were gonna do this together?”

  Aiden shook his head, still staring at my breasts, and said

  “Yes, yes, absolutely.” and immediately pulled his shirt over his head and unbuckled his belt. I was once again taken by the beauty of his perfectly sculpted chest and took a moment to run my hands over it before grabbing my wine glass and heading over to the hot tub.

  He ran to a switch on the wall turning on the bubbles, while trying to frantically take off his pants.

  I reached the water and dipped my foot in. It was piping hot, just like Aiden, and I was throbbing with lust. I got into the swirling hot waters, shivering from the temperature change in the cold air and turned around to look at Aiden. He was grabbing a few towels and walking over to me looking like a Greek God, truly impeccable.

  He slid into the hot tub next to me and I knew things were about to get interesting.

  Chapter 16: Aiden

  I couldn’t believe the turn the night had suddenly taken. I was only joking when I said we should get naked and get in the hot tub. I guess I was mostly joking, but I was definitely trying to turn the night towards a more sexual mood. But Casey had taken the initiative and turned that mood up to a hundred and it was beyond sexy.

  The evening had been magical, from the food and drinks to learning more about her, it had been everything I had hoped for and more. I felt like I was falling down a rabbit hole every time I was with her, and right now I didn’t want to come back.

  I slid down next to Casey in the hot tub, looking as I did at her breasts bobbing in the water. The dark water pooled around them and the moon shone on her skin making it her look like a sensual ethereal goddess. I was falling for her and I didn’t care anymore, I just wanted to feel her, every part of her, inside me, entangled with me, body and soul crashing into each other.

  She laughed nervously and my eyes snapped up to her face. She looked anxious, like maybe she was wondering if this was the right decision. I decided to show her it was with a long, passionate kiss.

  Her body relaxed into mine and she ran her hands up my back and tangled them in my hair, pulling it lightly. My shaft was hard as a rock, throbbing, pulsing and begging for mercy.

  “Oh Casey, I need you so bad” I breathed, scarcely paying attention to what I was saying. I was too busy kissing her neck and sucking on her earlobe.

  “Yes, Aiden, please, take me” she moaned, her voice sounding almo
st desperate.

  I knew how she felt. I was desperate too, to be closer to her, to be with her, to feel her. I was exploding with emotions and pulsing with lust.

  I continued kissing her neck, loving the sounds of her little moans in my ears. My hand moved down to her succulent breasts, one by one, cupping it in my hand and squeezing it gently. I massaged it in my hand, twisting and tweaking the nipples, finally dipping my head down and sucking on her nipples til they became like little pebbles under my tongue. Then, I freed her breasts, watching the hardening nipples bounce in the water and feeling the bubbly water caressing my naked skin.

  I was charged up, the tension throughout the day had been mounting, careening towards this moment. From the naked photoshoot, tasting her pussy in the warehouse, fighting in the parking lot, the passionate kisses in the kitchen and sharing our life stories on the porch - it all combined into a firestorm of passionate energy taking us to this moment, when we could finally explore our true desires.

  Chapter 17: Casey

  I was lying on Aiden’s bed, the luxurious sheets caressing my naked body. After the foreplay in the hot tub we were both bursting with sexual energy, I was aching to feel him penetrate me.

  We kissed passionately, almost frantically, like we were trying to absorb each other’s essence. I wanted him, completely, inside me and a part of me. Every part of my body was reaching for him, wrapping my legs around him, my folds wet and dripping, yearning for his touch.

  He pushed his tongue into my mouth, giving me a taste of him. I wanted more. I reached my hand down between us, sliding my finger over his hard rod, feeling his whole body shudder at the touch. It was electrifying, I was shaking with excitement.

  “I need you, please, inside me, always” I said, begging him to enter me. “You’re the only one for me, you make me feel crazy, I need you.”