Rum & Coke

by Kimberly Knight

  Colton sat up, reaching for it as he flexed both hands rapidly. He took the cup from me and instantly started to drink from it. “Just thirsty,” I stated and rubbed the top of his head playfully. “I brought chocolate milk too, buddy.”

  “Thank you,” Tessa replied.

  I smiled at her. “Let’s get you fed before you have a tantrum of your own.” I winked at her, and she laughed.

  “Yeah, you better hurry up because I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.”

  The lobster came out perfectly, and so did the steak, and I mastered the microwaved hot dog. Tessa helped with the salad and garlic bread, and to my surprise, she went for a rum and Coke with dinner.

  “I knew I liked you for a reason,” I stated as I watched her take a sip of her drink. Colton sat across from Tessa, absorbed in his iPad as he ate his cut up hot dog with his free hand.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because you like the same drink as I do.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t really have a drink, but I’m not much on wine unless it’s champagne.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Are you okay if I stay working at Red Diamond?”

  I thought about her question as I stared at her. Would I be okay with other men seeing her tits? Watching her work a pole, wishing it was their dick she was sliding on? But I knew she needed the job because that was her only source of income, unlike me. “I can’t ask you to quit—at least, not yet. How about we play it by ear for a few months?”

  Tessa smiled and nodded slightly. “Okay. I was also thinking that since I can’t work there forever, I want to go back to school.”

  “Oh yeah? For what?”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “I’m thinking hotel management or something in hospitality.”

  “We’re in the right city for that.”

  “Hope so. I’m also hoping I can do it online so I can still work and take care of Colt.”

  “I bet you can,” I stated and stuck a piece of lobster into my mouth. “Plus, with me taking a break from S&R, I can help.”

  “That means you might be with him day and night.”

  “Don’t think that will be a problem if that also means I can crawl into bed with his mother each night.” I winked.

  “Okay.” She grinned. “I see how your mind’s working.”

  “Can you blame me?”

  “Nope,” she replied with a pop of the P.

  If Colton weren’t still fully awake, I’d have taken her to bed that second. I wanted not only to feel her lips pressed to mine, but also to feel her pussy finally wrapped around my dick as I thrust in and out of her, our frantic passion making the headboard slam against the wall. I didn’t care that Sophia’s bedroom was probably on the other side. Even if she banged on the wall, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop until Tessa came apart multiple times.

  Working for S&R had taught me a few tricks, and I was ready to show Tessa how good I was.

  The night went by quickly. Tessa gave Colton a bath and put him to bed, and before I knew it, she was waking me up on the couch.

  “Hey, it’s getting late. You should head home.”

  I opened my eyes to see her peering down at me. “Kicking me out? I cooked you dinner and fed you cake.”

  She grinned. “No, but I’m tired too. Plus, since you’re passed out on my couch, I take it you had a long night last night.”

  I sat up and ran my hands down my face. “Not sure. Can’t remember what time I made it home.”

  She chuckled. “Even more of a reason to go get a good night’s sleep.”

  I wanted to tell her I could do that here, but then I didn’t have clothes for school tomorrow, and I figured it might not be good for Colton to see me in his mother’s bed just yet. I knew he was warming up to me because of his blinking and hums when something I’d say excited him, but it wasn’t the time, especially since Tessa and I had just talked about dating, and I was going to go on a date with someone else on Sunday.

  I wasn’t going to sleep with Shelby. Probably wasn’t even going to charge her. But since she had been my longest client, I felt the need to tell her in person. I was also going to refer her to Brad. No way in hell would I put sweet Shelby with Nick. I knew he took care of his women—at least I assumed he did since he was still in the game and getting clients—but Nick was the asshole of our group, plain and simple.

  “Will I see you before Saturday?” I asked as I stood to gather my things.

  “Tomorrow I’m going dress shopping with Melony. Which reminds me, since you can’t come to the party on Sunday, I’m going to ask her to come with me.”

  “Don’t go.”

  “I have to go.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “Because my boss asked me to, and even though I don’t plan on working at RD my entire life, I don’t want to get on his bad side either.”

  “He can’t force you to go to a party.” I started to walk toward the door.

  “I know that, but it’s better if I go. Then I won’t have to lie to him and shit.”

  “You can just tell him you’re busy.”

  “Well, he’s paying me to go.”

  “What?” I spun around to face her.

  “I told him I was taking Saturday off for the wedding and was planning on working Sunday to make up for it. He already gave me money to make up for the time loss.”

  Something wasn’t sitting right with me. What boss pays an employee to go to a party at their house? And why did he want her there that badly? It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her not to go, that I would pay her to stay home, but then I realized that I couldn’t do that either. I didn’t want to control her.

  “He said a few people from RD will be there,” Tessa continued. “It just sounds like he invited his favorites or something.”

  Or something. “Okay. Well, if I don’t see you before Saturday, I’ll pick you up at four.”

  “Are you in the wedding?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then are you sure you can pick me up?”

  “I’m picking you up either way, sweets. I’m not letting you drive home at night by yourself.”

  “Right, the stalker situation.”

  “It might have only been a guy from the club, but I don’t want to take any chances. Call tomorrow and follow-up with the cops, okay?”

  “Yeah, I will.”

  “Good. Now, I’m going to fucking kiss you, and I’m not stopping until I’m good and fucking ready. Not even if there’s a fucking fire.”

  Tessa bit her lip. “I won’t stop you.”

  I took two large strides, cupping her cheeks, and finally sealed her lips with mine. Her back hit the closed door, and I pressed into her, not wanting any air between us while I stole her breath.

  Her mouth was perfect.

  It tasted of rum and chocolate, and unlike any other mouth I’d ever kissed before. Kissing Tessa—hearing her moans, her whimpers, her need—was different, and I realized I would never get enough of her no matter how long our tongues swirled together. I poured every interrupted kiss into my movements, wanting Tessa to feel what my mouth was capable of. Wanting Tessa to ache for me when we were apart like I knew I would be aching for her. The longer I kissed her up against her door, the more I realized that all the kisses I’d had before this one were fake and Tessa was the real thing.

  If I had known kissing Vinny was going to be like that, I would have done it sooner. Never in my entire life had a man almost brought me to my knees with a kiss. I was seconds away from turning into a pile of mush when he broke our kiss and leaned his forehead against mine.

  “When I get home, and I’m in the shower, I’m going to remember that kiss. When I’m lying in bed, I’m going to remember how soft your lips are and imagine them wrapped around my dick. And when I dream of you tonight, it’s going to be filled with the sounds you make when you’re thirsty for more.”

  I was thirsty for more. I wanted all of him, but there was a thought i
n the back of my mind that Colton would either walk in on us or have a meltdown because he couldn’t get into my room if he needed to. So, when Vinny opened the front door, I stepped to the side so he could leave.

  “Sweet dreams, sweets.” He kissed my lips softly and then turned and walked to the stairs before disappearing.

  I closed and locked the door, my pussy aching with the need to come. Sure, I’d gotten wet from a man’s kiss before, but never to the point where I literally ached to have an orgasm.

  After turning off all the lights, I walked into my bathroom and turned on the shower. The water was warm as I stepped in, and without hesitation, I propped my leg on the edge of the tub, leaned my head on my forearm, which I pressed against the tiled wall, and sent the other hand straight to my clit. The water beat onto my back as I rubbed the nub, needing to come faster than I’d ever come before. Images of Vinny’s smile flashed through my mind, and images of his hard body pressed against mine sent tingles down my spine as I rubbed my clit over and over until I was gasping, my body bucking, as the orgasm raced down my legs and back up. I knew it wasn’t going to take long, and even after my body stopped pulsing, I knew I needed more.

  I hurried and bathed myself before jumping out of the shower and running to my room still dripping water from barely drying myself off. I climbed into my bed naked, and as I replayed our kiss over again in my head, I brought myself to another orgasm.

  Once again, Melony and I had found the perfect dress for me. This one was the color of red wine with an off-the-shoulder neckline and went to the middle of my calves. It was cute, simple, and perfect for keeping me cool at the outdoor wedding.

  Vinny and I hadn’t seen each other since the night of our dinner and kiss because he had to do groomsman things after school and I was busy with Colt or working, but we’d spoken on the phone during his lunch break each day. He’d told me the wedding was being held at his boss’s house. Learning that information put me at ease when it came to going to a party at Sebastian’s. It was essentially the same except one was to witness a wedding and the other … Well, I wasn’t sure yet, but it wasn’t unheard of to go to a party at a boss’s house. I didn’t think so, at least.

  This would actually be my first time to attend a wedding, and I was excited. Plus, Paul and Joss were perfect for each other. I’d realized that in the few hours I’d spent with them at the range. At the time, with every kiss they shared, and with every touch, I’d wished it was Vinny and me. But, I’d finally gotten my kiss, and I was hoping to get many more tonight—and in the foreseeable future.

  At 3:30, Sophia came over so she could watch Colton while I went to the wedding. The moment she saw me in my dress, she said, “In the year and a half I’ve known you, I haven’t seen you this happy.”

  I closed the door and sighed with a smile on my face, thinking about Vinny. “I am happy.”

  “No, sweetie. You’re glowing. That’s more than just happy.”

  I leaned against the door where Vinny had kissed me and exhaled a breath. “Vinny kissed me.”

  “It’s about time that boy stepped up to the plate.” Sophia moved to Colton and compressed his ears. “Hey, honey. Want spaghetti and meatballs for dinner?”

  His little hands flapped excitedly.

  My grin widened, still thinking about the kiss. “I know. I’m more than just happy.”

  “If I need to sleep on your couch tonight, just call. I don’t mind staying over if you need to have alone time.” She wiggled her brows, causing me to laugh.

  “I’m not going home with him. He has … uh, work tomorrow, and he needs to deal with that before we can take the next step.”

  She sat on my couch. “He will. I’ve already told you that he has it bad for you. He’ll quit his nighttime job. Just call if you won’t be home.”

  “That won’t happen. Colt would freak if I wasn’t here in the morning.”

  “That may be true, but just in case, you have my number.” She grinned, and I got the impression she really wanted me to go home with Vinny. Maybe it was because I was happy and Vinny made me that way. If I didn’t have Colt, I would probably go home with him, but I did have Colt and I needed to be home when he woke. He had routines, rituals and a specific schedule to keep, and I wasn’t ready to change or upset his little world for my pleasure.

  “Also, just a reminder that I have that thing at my boss’s house tomorrow, and Melony is going with me.”

  “I remember. It’s not a problem.”

  There was a knock on my door behind me. My grin instantly widened, and I leaned off of the door and peeked in the peephole. I opened the door to see the man who took my breath away standing in khaki shorts and a dark blue tee that hugged him all the right places. “You’re wearing that to the wedding?”

  He chuckled. “We’re getting ready at the house.”

  “Oh. Well, let me get my purse, and then I’m ready to go.” I walked to my kitchen table, which was still in view of the living room.

  Vinny stepped inside and waved at Sophia before walking to where she sat on the couch and leaned down to hug her. “Sophia, are you aging in reverse?”

  “Stop.” She blushed and waved him off as they broke apart. “I’m not the one you need to compliment.”

  Vinny turned toward me and grinned. “The problem with that, Sophia, is the way I want to compliment our Tessa isn’t PG.”

  I stopped mid-step as I was walking toward Colton to say goodbye, and bit my lip as I looked at Vinny. No words were spoken. I took a deep breath and knelt beside Colton, kissing him and saying goodbye. Vinny said goodbye to Colt before grabbing my hand and leading me out the door.

  “You kids have fun,” Sophia called out as she stood to lock the door behind us.

  “We will,” Vinny replied.

  We walked down to his SUV, hand in hand. Just before he opened the passenger side door to let me slide inside, he turned me so my back was against the car. Without a word, his mouth met mine, and like the other night, we kissed as though we were starving for each other. After several moments, we broke apart, and Vinny opened the door. Still, no words were spoken as I slid inside and he shut the door. He got in, cranked the engine, and grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together before pulling out of my complex.

  “Who all are coming?” I asked as we pulled onto the freeway.

  “All the guys plus a few of the S&R girls—”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. One of our own is getting married.”

  “No, I know. I’m just excited to meet female escorts.”

  “Why?”

  I shrugged. “Just to pick their brains.”

  “You want to join S&R?”

  I snorted. “No, of course not.”

  “So, you want to get the lowdown on Duane Wood?”

  “Maybe.” I smirked.

  “Do you think Scarlett and Duane would have hotter sex than Tessa and Vinny?”

  I bit my bottom lip, thinking. “I guess there’s no way to know for sure until they’ve all had a chance.”

  “I like your thinking, sweets.”

  We drove to a beautiful, contemporary house on the outskirts of Vegas overlooking the desert mountains. It was a two-story, flat roof, stucco home I’d kill to own one day. It was stunning.

  “I’m not sure of the exact plan, but you can hang with me and the guys until the others get here.”

  “Sure, whatever.” Before I could get out of the SUV, Vinny ran around and opened the door for me. “Do you do this for all your dates?”

  He shrugged. “Habit.”

  “It’s a good one to have.” I leaned up and pressed my lips to his softly because I could. I could, after all this time, do what I’d wanted to do since the night I’d met him.

  We walked hand in hand to the front door. Just before he knocked, Vinny brushed a piece of my hair that had come loose from my chignon knot behind my ear, and I sighed, loving when he did it. “This may be Joss’s day, but to me, you’re the most beautiful w
oman who will be here tonight.”

  “How do you know?” I whispered as I looked up into his chocolate eyes.

  “I could tell you all the sappy lines you’ve heard before, or what I’ve told my dates, but those are all lines I’ve used to make a woman feel good about herself and make her think she is the only one in my life. The truth is, you’re the only one in my life, Tess. I’ve never done this before, but I’m trying, and I remembered that I forgot to tell you that you look beautiful tonight, so I needed to so before things get crazy.”

  As I listened to him speak, I felt a lump form in my throat, and I knew hat I was starting to fall hard for him—if I hadn’t already fallen. “You’re the only one for me, too.”

  Vinny grinned. “Good.” He kissed my lips once more and then knocked twice before entering the house.

  Just as we stepped inside, I took in the modern-contemporary home, which was sleek and stunning and mostly white. Somehow the whiteness made the space elegant and not boring.

  “I’m getting married!” Paul exclaimed as he came into the foyer.

  Vinny stepped toward him and gave him a hug. “Congrats, dude.”

  They broke apart, and I stepped forward, giving Paul a hug as well. “Yeah, congrats.”

  “Thanks for coming, Tessa. I know Joss is looking forward to getting to know you better,” Paul stated.

  “Likewise.”

  “She and Autumn should be here soon. Also,” he stepped forward and lowered his voice, “Joss’s childhood friend, Cat, will be here too. I think she and Seth had a thing because whenever she’s mentioned, I swear he stops breathing.”

  Vinny and I looked at each other and shrugged. “All right, what’s the plan?” Vinny asked Paul.

  “Time for shots and getting dressed,” Paul replied.

  “Did someone say shots?”

  I turned to see Nick and Bradley coming in from the backyard.