Clara (Corked and Tapped Book 5)

by Becca Jameson

  She bolted awake and sat upright, squinting in the bright light coming into the room through the open blinds in Landon’s bedroom.

  She jerked her gaze to the side to find him lying next to her, smiling, his eyes open. He reached for her. “Take a breath.”

  She did, inhaling slowly.

  “I figured you were going to wake up confused, but I didn’t know how to avoid it.”

  “I’m in your bed,” she pointed out unnecessarily. “We slept together.”

  He chuckled, his hand going up to cup her neck. “We did a lot more than sleep together.”

  She flushed and then sighed loudly as she flopped onto her back, staring at the ceiling as she drew the covers over her chest. “I work for you. Why did we do that?”

  He rose onto his elbow and stared down at her. “Because we were done fighting it. We fought it long enough. It tears me apart to lose you as an employee, but I had to take this risk. It was time.”

  She rolled her head toward him, a tear sliding out. Her lip trembled. “I liked working for you.”

  He cupped her face. “I know you did. And I’ll never find a better assistant. Ever. But here’s the thing. Instead of spending just forty hours a week with you, keeping my gaze off you while also keeping a safe distance between us and hardly speaking, now I get to be with you all the other hours.”

  He shifted closer and continued. “I did the math. There are one hundred sixty-eight hours in a week. We spend forty at work. That leaves one hundred twenty-eight. If we slept eight hours a night, I would still get seventy-two hours a week with you. Time I now get to spend staring at you, holding you, talking to you…” He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “And making love to you. Work might suck, but at least the rest of the time I’m alive each week will now improve through the roof.”

  She giggled. “That’s a lot of math. How long were you watching me sleep this time?”

  “I only woke up a few minutes before you.” He slid his hand down to her waist and pulled her even closer, nuzzling her neck with his nose.

  She closed her eyes, sighing. He might have it all worked out mathematically, but it wasn’t like she was going to move in with him after one night of wild, hot, amazing sex. He clearly also felt relieved to have it all figured out in his head. But she needed to think practically and find a job. She couldn’t waste the entire weekend lounging in his bed.

  She set her palm on his biceps and slid it up and down. “Landon…”

  “Mmm.”

  “I can’t lie here having sex all day. My mind isn’t going to be able to focus until I’ve at least sent my resume out to several places.”

  He lifted his head, frowning. “Why would you do that? I thought you liked working at Jacoby.”

  “I do, but…”

  “Just because we’re moving into new territory doesn’t mean you have to leave the building. How about just the floor?”

  She stared at him. That idea hadn’t occurred to her.

  He winced and tipped his head to one side sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t explain myself very well. Please don’t kill me.”

  “What did you do?” she asked slowly.

  “I put your name in for a promotion, a promotion you’ve deserved for a long time. There’s an opening in HR. You’d be in charge of several people. You’d be making more money too. You’re ready for it. You’re more than qualified. HR didn’t hesitate. They’ll be expecting you Monday morning.” He cringed. “I might have botched that a bit by not telling you.”

  She stared at him for a long time, searching his face, trying to absorb everything he’d said.

  He suddenly pushed to sitting, leaning over her, hovering. His hand was on her hip, holding her tight. “Shit, Clara. I’m so sorry. That was a shitty way to handle things. I should have told you about the promotion first.”

  “You mean before you put my name in or before you slept with me?” She wasn’t sure how she felt about this. He had gone a bit overboard.

  “Both?” His face was pinched with remorse. “Please, baby. I really worked hard to get all the pieces in place before I made my move on you. I didn’t want you to be left without a job, and I knew you couldn’t stay on as my assistant. Now that I’m explaining it and saying it out loud, I can see how it seems a lot more pushy than protective. I didn’t handle it well, but my intentions were in the right place.”

  She pulled in a long breath. He had orchestrated every bit of this. She could be mad, but she couldn’t find the will. After all, she was exactly where she’d wanted to be for two years. In his bed. A place he obviously wanted her to stay.

  He waited, watching her face while she made him squirm. “Landon, it’s hot the way you boss me around in the bedroom, and I can see that you worked hard to make this transition seamless. It was thoughtful of you not to leave me high and dry without a job.”

  He nodded, his lips pursed.

  “I also know you’re right. I’ve been holding my career advancement back because I didn’t want to leave you. I’m ready to move on. I’ve earned the promotion.”

  “I swear, you are totally qualified. I didn’t pull any strings to get you transferred. I simply put your name in like anyone else would do for an internal transfer that was well-deserved. No one has a single clue I also intended to move you into my bed.”

  She nodded. “Okay, but just so we’re clear on one thing.”

  His expression softened with relief. “What’s that?”

  “Don’t you dare do something like that again. You can have the bedroom. Hands off any other aspect of my life. Got it?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Loud and clear.”

  She rolled her eyes. “The part where I call you Sir works. Don’t call me ma’am.”

  He grinned. “Won’t happen again.” He blew out a breath as he lowered back to her side. “Can we practice the part where you call me Sir again?” His hand went to her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple, stealing her breath again.

  “It would appear that you don’t need me to call you Sir in order to get hard.” She wiggled her hip against his stiff erection, and then she lowered her voice. “But, if that’s what it takes to get you to make my eyes roll back in my head, I’ll gladly do so. You might have created a monster, though. Beware. I could get used to it…Sir.” She purred that last part.

  Landon growled, as he always did when she called him Sir.

  The next thing she knew, she was flipped on her stomach, her legs were pushed apart with his knee, and his hand was stroking through her wetness.

  She moaned into the pillow, gripping it in her fists. Yeah, this was heaven. She would never tire of his bossy bedroom ideas. Already she was climbing close to orgasm, and she knew it would be the first of many today. After all, they were still getting to know each other. There were so many more positions to explore.

  Epilogue

  Clara winced as she curled into the corner of Landon’s soft leather sectional later that morning. She was sore, but it was a good kind of sore.

  Landon had made her an enormous breakfast and then sent her to rest. The only thing she was wearing was one of his T-shirts. She still hadn’t quite figured out how she was going to get more clothes without making a spectacle of herself in the goofy costume. She would be mistaken for a sex worker if she left his apartment wearing that. It was a problem for later, though. Tomorrow.

  Right now, she needed to check her phone and let Maddie know she was alive. As soon as she opened the screen, she gasped. There were about a dozen incoming texts from Maddie.

  That was when Clara remembered what she’d orchestrated last night for her best friend. Yikes. She opened the text thread and quickly scanned down the messages.

  OhMyGod. You did not!

  Clara! I can’t even believe you!

  Girl, you better be in that hot man’s bed right now after skipping out early last night without a word, AND without telling me what crazy matchmaking tricks you were up to. I AM going to kill you.

 
; Also, I kinda love you.

  Also, don’t try to call me because I’m busy.

  Also, I plan to be busy for the entire weekend because of you.

  Also, thank you.

  Did I say how much I love you?

  Clara smiled in relief as Landon slid onto the sofa next to her. “You look pleased. Everything go okay with Maddie and the mystery guy you set her up with?”

  “Yes.” Clara blew out a long breath. “It was a huge risk. I can’t tell you how relieved I am.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. That last text had come at three o’clock in the morning. The fact that there were no more had to be a good sign.

  Landon kissed the top of her head. “And here I thought Maddie was the company matchmaker.”

  Clara smiled. “Not this time. I just hope it all works out or she will indeed kill me.”

  “Risky for a friendship like yours,” he murmured against her hair.

  “She’s worth it. This was a long time coming.”

  He slid an arm around her and hugged her against his body. “You were worth it too. I’m so fucking happy. You have no idea.”

  “Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea,” she told him, looking into his eyes. “Thanks for taking the chance. I’m not sure I ever would have had the guts.”

  “My pleasure. Now, scale of one to ten, how sore are you?”

  She rolled her eyes and swatted at him. “You need to give me at least an hour before you climb all over me and come up with more wicked ways to make me scream. I’m exhausted.”

  He chuckled. “One hour. Then you’re mine again.”

  She smiled. Yeah, this was heaven. Life was perfect.

  Enjoy the following excerpt from Rose, the next book in the Corked and Tapped series.

  “I need to beg a favor, gorgeous. Please let me kiss you right this second. I’ll explain later,” he whispered so close to her ear, she shivered.

  She hadn’t taken a breath since she first spotted him, and all she could do was nod.

  He slid his lips around to hers, angled her face with his large hand, and kissed her deeply. He didn’t mess around either. He slipped his tongue between hers and devoured her as if she were the most important person in his world and he had missed her dearly for however long it had been since they had last seen each other.

  No man had ever kissed her like that. Her body came fully alive in a way she’d never experienced. She leaned into him, curling her fingers into his waist, totally lost in the kiss of a lifetime.

  By the time he finally broke free, she was gasping for air, her face devoid of blood, her lips swollen. Hell, her breasts and private parts were also swollen.

  “Jesus,” he murmured against her lips, his forehead touching hers. “I might not have actually lied to the girl from the mail room when I told her I had a girlfriend, because after that kiss, I’m thinking it was only a premature fib.”

  She could do nothing but stare at him, blinking, as he took her hand and pressed it against his chest. His own fingers seemed to be trembling a bit.

  “All I need is your name, and it will be official.”

  She still couldn’t come up with verbs and nouns. Her name? She had no idea what it was.

  He gave her a stunning smile, still leaving not a breath of space between them. “I’m Dylan. I work on the fifth floor in accounting.” His eyes. They were the only thing she hadn’t seen before, and now she fell into their brown depths.

  Dylan. Awesome name. Hot guy. Kissed like a prince. Was she daydreaming and really she was still standing at that bar table waiting for him to arrive?

  “You want me to start guessing?” he teased. “Barb? Stacey? Janet?”

  She finally shook free of her stupor. “Rose.”

  That winning smile that surely ruined women made her weak in the knees again. “I love that name.”

  Author’s Note

  I hope you’ve enjoyed this fifth 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 ow
l, 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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