Taming Reid

by J. Margot Critch

  Lila smiled as Gemma Rexford took the seat across from her. She was still wearing the same jeans and tank top that she’d had on at the distillery that afternoon. She looked like she’d been working all day. “Just long enough to get a drink.”

  “You’re probably wondering why I asked you to still meet me. I really appreciate it because I know you have a flight in a few hours.”

  “I figured I’m just here so you can grovel.”

  “Yeah, pretty much,” Gemma admitted.

  “We, Quin and I, really want you to be our representative.”

  “But not Reid.”

  Gemma exhaled and smiled. “Reid is stubborn. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but the way he reacted is so out-of-character. He always does what’s best for the business. And that’s you, whether he wants to or not. Maybe he’s just old-fashioned. I don’t know.”

  Lila flashed back to images of Reid in her mind. In bed, Reid was fiery, impassioned, and nothing like the cold businessman he’d shown her earlier. Old-fashioned, however, wasn’t how she’d describe him.

  “I really want to apologize for how he acted.”

  “Reid’s a grown man. It’s not your place to apologize for him.”

  “Still, I’d really hate for his attitude to screw up one of the best things that’s happened to us. You were a huge part of the boost we’ve received in the past twenty-four hours.”

  “So, we’re here for you to tell me how great I am?”

  “That and we need you. Forget about Reid for a second. We need our customers to embrace this new recipe, until our regular and premium batches are ready for distribution. We want you to work with us. And we’ll pay you. Very well.” Gemma named a price that made Lila’s eyes widen. She received perks from her job, and revenue from ads and endorsements, but nothing close to what Gemma Rexford had just put on the table.

  Lila smiled. She wanted to work with Rexford as well. She still needed them for her own reasons. Raising the profile of Rexford would boost her own brand as well. “You know what? I’m probably going to hate myself for this—the way Reid spoke to me, I should already be online canceling your whole brand.” She heard Gemma inhale a gasp. “But I’m not. I like the rum, and I like you. And believe it or not, I do want to be associated with you guys.” Lila paused. “But I want to make sure Reid suffers at least a little bit,” she finished with a smile.

  Gemma snorted out a laugh. “You and me, both, girl. I love my brother, but he’s just so gruff and serious sometimes. It’s been so long since he’s taken any sort of break from the distillery. I think he needs a vacation before he snaps.”

  Reid hadn’t revealed too much of himself to her, but she knew what his sister was saying was the truth. Even though he’d been a dick, she couldn’t help herself. She had always been a sucker for pain, for men who would break her heart. But she’d turn the tables on him. He’d have to beg for her forgiveness.

  She recalled the differences between Reid the lover and Reid the businessman. She knew that she could release his fun, passionate side. If he was forced to, that is. She took out her phone. “I have an idea.” She turned on the speakerphone, asked Gemma to dial Reid’s number and put the phone down in the center of the table.

  A half of a ring went through before Reid’s gruff voice came through the speaker. “Hello,”

  “Hi Reid.”

  “Lila.” She could hear the tinge of regret in his voice, and she smiled, hoping he felt terrible. “I—”

  “Hey Reid, let me talk now. You owe me a massive apology.”

  “I’ve already tried to apol—”

  “That doesn’t sound like an apology to me. But we’ll get there. I’ve been thinking about it. I’m really on the fence here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I might come around,” she smiled at Gemma. “For the right price, if you make it up to me, I might consider working with the distillery.”

  She heard the whoosh of breath come from his end. “That’s great, Lila. I’ll talk to marketing and get this rolling ASAP.”

  “Not so fast,” she stopped him again. “I haven’t agreed yet. You need to hear my terms.” She looked up and winked at Gemma, who was hanging on every word, and clearly enjoying her brother’s torture.

  “What do you want?”

  “I’ve got something I want you to do.” She took a sip of her rum. “I need you packed and ready to meet me at the airport in two hours.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  REID GRUMBLED AS he pulled his carry-on through Miami International Airport, thinking about Lila’s request. The woman really had him over a barrel on this one. He should be at the distillery, making sure everything was going smoothly with Gemma’s newest batch of the prohibition-era experimental rum. But Gemma and Quin had all but packed his bag for him and pushed him out the door to meet her, whether he liked it or not.

  His phone pinged. He checked the screen, and saw it was a text from Lila telling him to meet him at a bar near the security line. He picked up his speed, thinking about the woman waiting for him. At least there would be alcohol. For the day he’d had, he could fucking use a drink.

  He made it to the bar and easily found her at a table, sipping champagne from a flute while she picked at the high pile of nachos in front of her. He stopped and watched her as she raised the glass to her lips. Her profile was classic—her nose straight, her lips full, her chin rounded. Suddenly he wasn’t quite as angry about being summoned to the airport on a Sunday evening, forcing him to take time away from the distillery when they needed him the most.

  She must have felt his eyes on her because she turned to look at him. She smirked and waved with a dainty flick of her fingers. Her eyes held no humor, only irritation.

  Directed at him.

  Steeling himself, Reid prepared to grovel. For good reason. He’d been terrible to Lila—treated her poorly, embarrassed her—and he might not be a gentleman, but he had to make it right.

  “Champagne? Celebrating?”

  She shrugged and drained the glass, and before answering waved to the nearby server. “Two more. Yeah, I think we should be celebrating.”

  He took a seat across from her. She was right. He’d been so caught up trying to figure out the logistics getting enough rum out, that he hadn’t had a chance to sit back and enjoy the success.

  “We’ve both had a pretty incredible day,” she told him. And you’re here. I think that means I’ve won.”

  “You think you’ve won?”

  She shrugged. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t think this hostage situation counts as winning.”

  “Ooh, a hostage situation? That sounds kind of hot, doesn’t it?”

  “I didn’t realize that was your kink.”

  She shrugged. “You never asked.” The server placed two more champagne flutes on the table.

  “What am I doing here?” Reid asked, taking a nacho chip off the pile. “Why am I going to New Orleans?”

  “You’re here because you showed me such disrespect this afternoon. After I explained to you how much work I do, and how seriously I take it, you still took the opportunity to dismiss me. You really embarrassed me and belittled what I do. So, you’re coming on the road with me.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, I have to be in New Orleans for a few days. You’ll live how I do. You’ll be my assistant—”

  “Oh, come on, now.”

  Lila held up a finger. “But you’ll cut loose, have fun. And learn that hard work doesn’t just happen behind a desk. Then we’ll come back here, and we’ll sign the necessary paperwork to for our partnership, and I’ll show you the ideas I already have for getting out the word about your new rum.”

  Reid’s laugh was a short, incredulous guffaw. “You’re insane. I can’t just walk away from the distillery for thr
ee days.”

  “Why not? Gemma’s already been talking to your assistant. Your work’s been rerouted. You don’t take vacations. Now, you’re going to start.”

  Gemma. He should have figured she was behind this. Lila had him by the short hairs. “Fine. What do I have to do?”

  She finished her champagne in one long swallow. “Drink up, take off your shoes and make sure all your liquids are in a sealed bag. It’s almost time to board.”

  * * *

  Several hours later, Lila was pressed against Reid in the back seat of an economy rideshare car as it pulled to a stop at the curb in front of a budget hotel. It looked fine to her. She probably could have picked a nicer place, but knowing that Reid would be in tow, she thought she’d show him how to slum it a little.

  “All right, this is it,” she told him, clutching her purse and getting out of the cab.

  Reid looked out through the window. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why not? I didn’t take you for a snob.”

  “I’m not a snob. I’m just not interested in bringing bed bugs and roaches back to my own house.” He leaned forward and gave the cab driver the name of a higher-end hotel chain.

  When they were on the road again, Lila settled back in her seat and crossed her arms.

  “Don’t pout, Lila. It’s a nice hotel.”

  She knew it was. She’d brought him on her trip to teach him a lesson. To show him how busy and chaotic her life was, and how much work was involved in her job. She wasn’t pouting because he’d changed the hotel, she was just mad that already he’d started taking over her trip. And it didn’t help that the warmth of his arm against hers radiated throughout her body, as his cologne tingled her nostrils. Everything about the man, even when she was angry at him, turned her on.

  “I know it’s a nice hotel. But I’d specifically chosen that one to be close to the action of the French Quarter. That’s what I’m here for, you know. None of my readers care about the best hotels in the business sector.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic. We can get a ride where we need to go.”

  “That’s not the point.” Soon they pulled up in front of the hotel. An upscale chain. If there was one thing she hated, it was chains—a city was best felt through its local establishments, not through corporate ones. “Let me guess,” she started. “You get points for staying here?”

  Reid’s smile was rich. “Of course I do. I’m a diamond member,” he said, before exiting the car.

  Rolling her eyes and sighing, Lila gathered her purse. The cab driver caught her eye as she handed over her credit card.

  “Lady, if you and your man stay this mad at each other, you’re going to have a pretty miserable time.”

  Lila nodded and signed the printout, not bothering to correct his assumption that Reid was her man. “You’ve got that right.”

  By the time Lila met up with Reid in the hotel lobby, he was already checked in and waiting for her near a bank of elevators. He handed her a room key. “I got us a two-bedroom suite.”

  “Fine,” she said, taking the key card he’d offered. Even though she was angry at Reid—and she’d invited him along out of pettiness—that didn’t mean she wasn’t looking forward to them sharing a room. A two-bedroom suite would really cut down the intimacy of that, though. She’d had big plans to walk around in her flimsiest pajamas, to tease him, provoke him... Desire tightened her core just thinking about it. But he’d already made the decision for them, relegating them each to their own bedrooms. “Sounds good to me. We should go up there and get settled. I need a shower, and we should get to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow.”

  * * *

  In the suite, when the door to Lila’s room closed behind her, Reid let out a heavy breath. In the hall of the suite, outside her closed door, he could hear her rustle about, opening drawers, unpacking. Then he heard the faint noise of shower spray. His body tightened and his brain conjured up images of her soft, supple body as streams of water rolled over her soft skin, imagining it was his hands. He clenched his fists to stop himself from knocking on the door. And he looked to his own room and took one step before he stopped and released the handle on his rolling bag. “Aw, fuck it,” he muttered to himself, and went to her door.

  Hating his lack of control, Reid couldn’t help but knock on her door.

  “Hold on,” she called from deep within the room. When she opened the door, her wavy red hair was loose but still dry, and she was wearing the fluffy white hotel robe. She looked impatient, still annoyed at him for changing hotels, or for what he’d said to her. Hell, he didn’t know. The list of reasons why Lila might be pissed at him wasn’t a short one. “What do you want?” she asked.

  He didn’t say a word, just went to her, cupping her face in his hands as he brought her to him. Her lips parted instantly for him, and he rewarded her with a hard, deep kiss. A surprised sound came from her throat, and her fingers clenched in the material of his shirt, urged him on. She pulled back and they walked further into her room, not separating their mouths.

  With nimble fingers, Lila tackled the buttons down the front of his shirt, while he ripped the tie of the robe from her front and pushed the plush material from her shoulders. He barely noticed when it fell to the floor, soon followed by his shirt.

  He lifted her and she was feather-light in his arms, and her legs wrapped around his waist. He followed the sound of the running shower and walked her into the bathroom, still not removing his mouth from hers.

  She pulled away first. Her breath was heavy, and she gulped in air. “There are condoms in my makeup bag.”

  He chuckled, setting her on the counter next to the leather tote. “You came prepared.”

  “Something wrong with that?” she asked, reaching into the box and withdrawing a condom, while he unzipped his pants and pushed them and his boxers down.

  “I’m just relieved that now you aren’t going to give me a hard time for the box I packed in my own bag.” He took the condom from her fingers and under her watchful eye, he took himself in his free hand and rolled the latex over his length.

  The shower still ran, and steam began to fill the room. He took a step closer, bringing his rigid cock in contact with her hot, rich center. “Not right here,” he told her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her so close she was flush against him, his cock pressed upward between them. She squirmed, creating a delicious feeling up and down his dick. “Keep that up and I won’t last to get inside of you. Then where will you be?”

  “I’m confident you won’t leave me hanging.”

  “You got that right.” Again, he picked her up and walked into the open-stall shower. Scorching hot water poured from the rainfall and the angled shower heads and he gasped, but he soon forgot about the stinging heat when he pinned Lila to the tile wall and pushed deep inside her in one thrust, as his mouth took hers again. No rum he’d ever had could match the rich flavor of Lila’s tongue.

  He thrust into her, again and again, driving both of them to the heights of pleasure, as her water-slicked body slid against him, awakening new sensations in every nerve ending. She scratched and clawed at his back, and he grimaced at the way her nails dug into his skin, but every small crescent-shaped scar he was left with would be worth it. He felt Lila begin to tense in his grasp, so he tilted her hips, positioning her so that he entered her at the right angle, hitting that sweetest of spots that would take her higher.

  Lila’s cries tore through the steam and filled the bathroom as she came. Reid pumped a couple more times before his own climax hit him. He groaned into her shoulder, and shuddered, emptying into the condom.

  Lila threw her head back lightly against the tiled wall, exposing the smooth skin of her throat. Reid trailed his lips up the sleek line and took her earlobe between his teeth. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but soon Lila began to squirm against him, and he released her.
>
  “Well,” she said under the running water. “That was unexpected.”

  With the postcoital glow wearing off, Reid couldn’t believe what he’d done. He faced the hot water, letting it wash over his face “Yeah, I know. Sorry about that.”

  “You’re sorry? Are you married, Reid?”

  “You know I’m not.”

  “You have a girlfriend?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Well, what are you sorry for?”

  “It’s not that,” he insisted, and sighed. “I feel like I’ve lost control of this conversation.”

  “It’s cute that you thought you ever had it.”

  “Honestly, hell if I know why I’m apologizing. I can’t tell if this trip is off to a great start, or a terrible one.”

  “You think that was terrible?”

  “No, not at all. But I can’t lose focus on what I’m doing here.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I’m here to get you to represent my brand.”

  She turned off the water and faced him. “And that’s the only reason?”

  Slowly, he ran his eyes up and down her still wet and naked body. She hadn’t bothered to cover up. But part of him wished she would. Lila was a woman who could make him forget everything. Every second he was with her, he felt his resolve crumble. This would be a dangerous trip for him. He had to keep the distillery at the forefront of his mind, but he knew it would be the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life.

  “Yeah, that’s why I’m here.”

  She smiled. “And that’s why you also brought condoms, right? Because this is about business?”

  “I brought them in case of a momentary slip-up. Like this,” he explained, grabbing a towel from the nearby rack. “And look at us. I was right, wasn’t I?”

  “Yeah, you were.”

  She was standing in front of him. Water still beading and rolling down her skin. Again, he was a ball of sexual tension. No matter how hard he tried, his desire grew for her every second he was with her. “You said we had an early morning tomorrow?”