Caged In

by Luna, David

  He sat forward and leaned his arms on the table. “I don’t even know if he thinks of me that way. I mean, sure, he had a crush when he first got hired, but for all I know, he’s over it by now. He’s been working here since freshman year, Rae. And, no, I don’t think he knows I’m a Daddy. But who knows? People talk.”

  Reagan dug into her Southwest steak fajita salad with gusto, her mouth full when she pointed her fork at him, chewed and swallowed. “Yeah, but that was some expert level flirting right there, brother. Even if you weren’t trying. You don’t even have to say anything. Just give a guy a look, add that wink, and they’re down for the count.”

  “It’s not like that. I just… Fuck. I saw him outside of work, which hardly ever happens, and now he’s all I can think about.”

  She tilted her head like a puppy trying to figure out their owner’s baby talk. “Earlier today?”

  Not thinking about his response, he merely nodded, which was the wrong thing to do because she gasped. This time, when her foot met his shin, it wasn’t a nudge; it was a solid kick. “You saw him at Ace’s Wild!”

  He massaged his shin and scowled at her. “Ow! Jesus, Rae. I didn’t say that.”

  She narrowed her eyes and pointed that fork at him again. “You didn’t have to, your face said it for you.”

  He sighed, refusing to answer outright. “Whatever. The point is, I saw him when I wasn’t expecting to, and I can’t get him out of my mind now.”

  She dropped her fork in the salad bowl and clasped her hands together under her chin as she gasped. “Ohhh, I hear wedding bells.”

  “Shit. You need to have your hearing checked. Now, get rid of those heart eyes and be serious. He’s just a kid. Hell, he’s three years younger than you. And you’re ten years younger than me! I’m entirely too old for him, and he’s just getting his real life started with a new job. Now is not the time.”

  “Now is the perfect time and deep down you know it. But whatever. No matter what, you’ll make excuses as to why it wouldn’t work. All I’m asking is for you to give him a say without making decisions for him. At least wait until you’re committed to him before doing that. Or whatever it is you Daddies do.”

  He rolled his eyes and finally dug into his burger as she continued, on a roll now. “If he shows any interest, don’t decide what’s best for him. Give him a chance to be the adult he is and tell you himself what’s best for him.”

  Reed chewed and contemplated what she was saying before he finally nodded, agreeing with her. He knew she was right. He did have a habit of doing exactly that, and it had backfired on him before. The least he could do was agree not to shut him down if he flirted back. That was, after Camden got over his case of the nerves. If he ever gets over his case of the nerves.

  “He could use someone like you, I think.” She spoke quietly, as if in afterthought.

  “What do you mean?” Reed sat up straighter in his chair at the serious look she gave him.

  “I’m sure you’ve noticed how stressed he gets sometimes. He’s pretty good at covering it up, but I think he deals with a lot of anxiety.”

  Knowing it was true, he replied, “I think so too. He chats with the other employees here a bit but, for the most part, keeps himself at a distance. I guess I’ll test the waters and see.”

  He chose to ignore her happy dance in the chair and happy humming as she continued to eat. He was in trouble. Of that much he was sure. From the way Camden acted around him, there was some interest. If something did end up happening between them, Reed hoped his lifestyle didn’t send Camden running for the hills. He sighed and continued eating.

  Was he really thinking about this as an option?

  Fuck.

  He really was.

  Chapter 3

  Camden

  Did that seriously just happen? Because when he arrived at Big D’s, the last thing he’d expected was to serve lunch to Reed and Reagan. Christ, he didn’t even get thirty full minutes to freak out about the Ace’s Wild incident before he was tossed back into the fire. And then to have her suggest he go out with her brother…

  Oh. My. God.

  As if that wasn’t bad enough, Camden entered the twilight zone when he received the second burning gaze from Reed in the span of a half hour. And good lord, a wink. Don’t forget the wink. As if he ever could. What the hell did it mean? And what the hell did Reed mean when he’d said they’d talk after his shift? He had to figure out a way to disappear before that could happen. Because nope. Not going to happen. The look in his boss’s eyes wasn’t a professional one, and that could only mean one thing: a discussion of his visit to Ace’s was in his future. And the anxiety began to seep in.

  Just no.

  He was humiliated enough, for cripes’ sake. He didn’t need to have a conversation about it. For the love of all that was holy, let him maintain some modicum of pride. Was that too much to ask? Whatever. He wasn’t going to worry about it. Pfft, who was he kidding? He worried about every damned thing. But he wouldn’t have to talk about anything if he didn’t want to, right? He’d seen his boss at Ace’s Wild. So what? It wasn’t a big deal.

  He scoffed at himself, even as he repeated, “It wasn’t a big deal,” in his head several more times. He’d just have to work his shift and avoid the breakroom in the back. Hell, avoid going in the back at all and just let Ben, Reed’s assistant manager, know he was off and headed home. Until then, he’d just work his ass off, so he wouldn’t have time to think about Reed and his stupid gorgeous face and his ridiculously chiseled good looks, and his sexy beard, and his tall, muscular build. And, and, and, and…

  He sighed, shaking off his thoughts and getting back to his job. He balanced a big tray of drinks and handed them out to a table of women watching their men throw axes at a wall. He nearly snorted seeing the looks of awe on all their faces. Apparently throwing axes at a wall in a bar meant their men had massive amounts of masculine virility.

  Eye roll.

  Though Camden had to admit, he enjoyed working at Big D’s, and he would miss it. Besides when it was busy or when he felt like his feet were going to fall off at the end of some particularly grueling shifts, he’d always had fun working there. The staff was great, and everyone seemed to be happy to be there. The fact there was very little drama with the other employees was a bonus.

  Camden didn’t want to get distracted from his goals. He was pretty single-minded. But he would have hated working somewhere there was drama and shitty conditions and crappy management. He considered himself lucky the job paid well enough with the addition of tips that he didn’t have to work full time. His biggest goal had been to get through college with honors and find a well-paying job. He felt damn proud of himself for doing just that. He’d gotten many scholarships and grants for school, but he’d still had to take out student loans, so his next goal was to have those paid off as quickly as possible.

  Before he knew it, his shift was over and he had some pretty fat pockets full of tips, not to mention those he’d get from Ben from the credit receipts the next time he came in. He approached Ben and was feeling good about being able to slip out before Reed was aware but speak of the devil; Reed approached Ben at that very moment. Before Camden could change course and disappear in the back to hide, his boss saw him and smiled, waving him over.

  Dammit.

  Reed said a few things to Ben, who nodded, clapped Reed on the shoulder, and walked back towards the kitchen. Because of course. Camden’s palms began to sweat, and he wiped them on his apron in a nervous gesture he knew Reed saw for what it was. When he stood next to his boss, he crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive posture, unsure what was to come.

  Reed tilted his head behind him. “Come on. Let’s chat in my office.”

  Dread pooled in Camden’s gut, and his body tensed up as he followed his boss back to his office, trying to avoid eyeing Reed up and down with a lengthy pause on the man’s muscular, round, perfect ass. He had no idea what Reed would want to speak to him abou
t. He didn’t kid himself into thinking it was to ask him out on a date because that would be ridiculous.

  He only had three more shifts after that night, and then he’d probably only see Reed on the very rare occasion they ran into each other in town. He’d make it through the next ten minutes and then beeline it towards the exit to make a hasty escape. And hopefully that would be enough to avoid a stress-induced panic attack.

  When he walked into Reed’s office, however, he realized that wasn’t going to happen. On the round table on the other side of the room sat Camden’s favorite meal in one of their clear to-go containers; a meal he’d never, in all the years he’d worked there, seen Reed order for himself but one Reed had seen him order on the rare occasion they’d eaten lunch together.

  Camden didn’t order food there very often. Usually, only when he was too hungry to forget to feed himself. That or too stressed to eat, which sadly happened quite a bit. His friends always made extra food when they cooked because, inevitably, Camden forgot to feed himself or didn’t feel well enough to eat at regular mealtimes.

  He’d often find himself in his room, studying or doing something else that kept his mind totally occupied, and any one of his roommates would stop in and ask if he’d like some of their dinner. Or lunch. Or hell, even breakfast. He mentally rolled his eyes at himself, wondering how he’d managed to live long enough to reach the ripe old age of twenty-two. Or maybe how he’d managed to snag friends that understood him so well. He was sure he drove them all insane. He turned down their meals as often as he accepted them, always either ravenous and distracted, or stress-nauseous.

  He was a mess.

  “I heard you didn’t get much of a break tonight because it was so busy and we were short staffed. I ordered your favorite, or at least the meal I see you ordering most often. Have a seat for a few minutes and eat a bite. I don’t like it when my employees don’t get their full breaks, and I know just from watching you over the years that you rarely stop and take a few moments to rest, even when you do take your breaks.”

  Camden looked at Reed, dumbfounded. “You… You’ve watched me?”

  The intensity in Reed’s eyes was almost his undoing. He couldn’t withstand a look like that for long. His boss finally answered, “I tend to keep an eye on my employees to make sure everything is all right with them and they’re happy at work. But I must admit, I’ve kept my eyes on you more than most.”

  His eyes popped so wide, they stung. And yeah, so maybe his mouth did hang open in surprise. So, sue him. He didn’t even try to respond and didn’t really have to when Reed continued, “Go on. Have a seat.”

  Camden sat because he couldn’t help doing what he was told. He found it hard to go against anyone that had any authority over him. Reed took a seat at the table, a couple feet away, giving Camden a bit of space, most likely so he wasn’t feeling crowded. When he didn’t open the clear to-go box of food, Reed tilted his head and raised his brows.

  He really wasn’t hungry, not with his nerves and anxiety firing at all cylinders, but he also didn’t want to disobey. Plus, if he was busy eating, he wouldn’t have to meet Reed’s intense gaze. He opened the box and dug into the simple, yet delicious, chicken alfredo he loved. Camden chewed and swallowed, the food immediately turning to stone in his stomach. He chanced a glance at Reed, who looked strangely satisfied by Camden’s simple act of eating the food put in front of him.

  “Sir, um, did I do something wrong?”

  Confusion furrowed Reed’s brows. “What makes you think that?”

  Giving himself a moment before he answered, he put his fork down and shut the lid on his to-go box, moving it aside. He sat with his hands clasped on top of the table, ignoring the frown his actions had brought to Reed’s face. The fact that Reed was upset he wasn’t eating made it hard for him to keep himself from opening it back up again and taking a second bite. But Camden wasn’t hungry, and he knew if he ate when he was this stressed, he’d make himself sick and that was even worse. “Uh, well, I mean… It’s just that, you don’t usually call me back to your office, so I assumed I’d done something wrong.”

  Reed’s frown disappeared and, in its place, was a soft look of reassurance. “No, Cam. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Why did his nickname, the name only people close to him used, sound so damn good coming from his boss’s lips? “Okay. Then, what can I do for you, Sir?”

  He thanked whatever deities existed that he still had his apron on because he’d have died from embarrassment if Reed saw his dick get hard just from that look. Reed leaned forward and touched Camden’s knee briefly. And now there was touching? If he came in his pants before he left work, he’d never set foot in Big D’s ever again. His face heated at the mere thought of it. The fact Camden was both turned on and stressed at the same time spiked that anxiety a notch higher. Was he going to be sick? God, he hoped he wasn’t going to be sick.

  “I just wanted to say I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable at Ace’s Wild this afternoon.” Oh dear god, we are not talking about this. Are we? Seriously? Reed continued, “It wasn’t my goal to embarrass you.”

  We are. We are talking about this. Camden took deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. He wasn’t going to faint because he forgot to breathe. Because that would just put the cherry on top of the humiliation sundae, and he wouldn’t go down like that. Not if he could help it. Although, when he only managed to squeak out a, “You didn’t,” before his voice broke, it put that cherry on top regardless.

  Reed gave him a look of admonishment, making Camden’s shoulders fall as he slouched over. His boss continued, “I did, and then I think my sister’s teasing about me missing you and me saying I’d talk to you later, made it worse. I’m truly sorry about that. I just…” Reed sighed, almost as if he was having a hard time with this conversation as well. “Never mind. I wanted to apologize if I embarrassed you or upset you in any way.”

  Camden could have smacked himself upside the head when “You just what, Sir?” came out of his mouth, and even worse, he might have softened his voice when he said Sir. He used to use “Sir” as a way to distance himself from Reed, to remind himself there could never be anything between them, but something had shifted and it felt like something tangible. He’d read about what that word meant to men like Reed and something in him had wanted to use it in that way.

  Who am I even?

  Reed’s gaze grew intense and Camden couldn’t look away. Not that he wanted to. Wait. That wasn’t right. He did want to. What the hell is happening here? He only just managed to keep himself from bolting out of his seat and running for the hills when Reed cleared his throat and answered, “I just saw you there, at Ace’s, that cock cage in your hands, and my brain short-circuited.”

  His brain short circuited? His brain?! Because if Camden’s brain hadn’t shut down at the exact moment “cock cage” came out of his boss’s mouth, for fuck’s sake, he knew it wasn’t far off. “This isn’t happening.”

  Camden groaned and leaned over, knocking his head against the table twice before Reed clasped his face in his hands, a stern look in his eyes. “Stop that. I won’t have you hurting yourself. Shit, I’m fucking this up. I shouldn’t have mentioned that, I know I shouldn’t have. But Jesus, Camden.”

  Reed must have realized he still had hold of Camden’s face because he let go, albeit reluctantly, and sighed. And again, Camden had an out of body experience as breathy words formed from his lips before he could keep them back. “Jesus, what?”

  A pained look moved over Reed’s face and he let out a tortured groan. “Mmm, Camden, that voice of yours, the eager-to-please look in your eyes, your dilated pupils… You’re killing me.”

  “I’m sorry, Sir,” he whispered.

  He sucked in a breath before Reed was looming over him, leaning down, clasping his face again, and kissing him so sweetly that all the turbulent thoughts he’d had in his mind just seconds ago were wiped away and there was nothing left but silence.
Blessed silence. And god, those lips, that beard, those hands so soft on his cheeks…

  When Reed finally pulled back from the kiss, he pressed his forehead against Camden’s and they both stayed still, their breathing slightly ragged. Camden reached up and wrapped his hands around Reed’s strong forearms, needing to steady himself physically as well as mentally. For another few moments, they stayed like that. Finally, Reed straightened up, kissed Camden’s temple and moved away, hands folded behind his neck as he walked around and appeared to be gathering himself together.

  That made two of them because no matter how hard Camden tried, he couldn’t move from that spot. It was like the kiss had frozen him in time. He only managed to shift when Reed crouched down in front of him, clasping Camden’s hand that rested on his knee and holding it gently but firmly.

  Reed searched his eyes. For what, Camden didn’t know, but he must have found what he was looking for because he finally said, “We need to talk. About this, about a lot of things, I think; especially about this afternoon and what just happened between us. But I can’t do that while we’re still open and customers are out front. I shouldn’t have even brought this up during business hours. It’s ridiculously unprofessional.”

  For the first time in the last fifteen minutes, Camden found amusement taking the place of awkward nervousness. He snickered. He tried to catch himself, but it slipped out, and he couldn’t keep himself from suddenly finding the whole thing absurd. Pretty soon his snicker became a chuckle, his chuckle became a laugh, and when he looked up into Reed’s gorgeous, shocked face, he laughed harder. That was apparently Reed’s breaking point because suddenly they were both laughing.

  Several minutes passed before their laughter died down, and Camden wiped the tears from his eyes. Reed sat across from him, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, and clasped both of Camden’s hands in his. “I won’t force anything on you. I want to talk with you about everything, but if you’re not interested in doing that, I won’t pressure you. Your job won’t be threatened because I’d never do that, not to mention you already quit. And you have my word, no one will know what happened tonight.”