by Rye Hart
I rolled my eyes and bumped my shoulder against hers. “You know what I mean. What happened to the tour?”
“Nothing,” she said returning my shoulder nudge. “We’re on a break for three days. Then, we have as month of nonstop shows and a week off before we leave for Asia.”
My cheeks hurt of how wide my smile was. “That’s so cool. Give me the highlights.”
“Are we still doing that?” she asked with a raised brow. Highlights were something we used to do after every summer vacation growing up.
With a serious gaze, I nodded. “Of course, it’s tradition.”
Tossing her head back, Hayden laughed. The sound was like childhood, comfort, and home.
“Okay, let me see. The last time we talked was two months ago, so . . .” she trailed off and looked up as she usually did while thinking. Then, a smile that was ten percent happy and ninety percent wicked appeared on her face. “Oh, yeah. The dressing room sex I had with one of the roadies in Prague. Oh, my God, it was incredible.” With a serious look on her face, she turned to face me and grabbed my arm. “Seriously, Bella. It was so good I actually saw God. She’s a woman, by the way.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as she went on and on with every detail about her time with the roadie. As per usual, Hayden was very graphic, and my cheeks felt like they were on fire from how hard I was blushing.
Despite being closer than close, Hayden and I had always been opposites. I was a shy nerd, and she was an outgoing slacker. I saw no point in watching the movie since the books were always better and she felt like reading was a waste of time since the movies usually have the naked bodies. When it came to sex, the rule remained the same. I was the one who never talked about sex, and she was the wild one who loved having sex and shouting her experiences from the rooftops.
“Why are your cheeks so pink?” Hayden asked with a raised brow once her story was done.
Uncomfortable, I shook my head. “Nothing and don’t change the subject. You still owe me two more amazing things.”
“I have none else to give,” she said in a matter of fact tone and with her eyes still locked on mine. “Prague guy was so amazing he’s one, two, and three on my list. Now you go. Tell me your great things and why you’re blushing.” Before I had a chance to put a word in, Hayden’s eyes widened, and she stood up. “Did you finally get that cherry popped? That’s it, isn’t it?”
Knowing I would never get her to stop asking that question until she got her answer, I took a deep breath and shook my head. “No, the cherry is still unpopped, and my great things are all work related. I’m blushing because you’re so graphic.”
She rolled her eyes and sat down beside me again. “Well, that’s disappointing. And I’m not graphic. I’m excited, and you’ll be too once you clean out the cobwebs and invite some peen into your vag.”
“Do you ever talk about anything other than sex?”
Hayden laughed. “Unfortunately, yes. Now spill the boring work highlights.”
“Considering I’m working at Blackwater Ranch as Conner Wilkes’ second in command and I’m meeting him at Rusty’s for drinks in about an hour, I wouldn’t say my work is boring,” I replied in a smug tone.
In silence, I watched as Hayden’s face turned from teasing to excited and then continued on to almost hysterical. After a lifetime of her being the only one with all the fun news, I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy.
“Details, Chloe. I need details,” she demanded after a long silence.
Chuckling at both her and my girlish enthusiasm, I told her everything that happened, not only today but also in the past two weeks. When I was done, Hayden’s eyes were wide, and her smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear.
“You have a date with Conner Wilkes?” Her voice so loud I had to look around us to make sure no one was listening.
With a shake of my head and in a much quieter tone, I replied, “No, it’s just coworkers having drinks to celebrate.”
She rolled her eyes. “Bullshit. Rusty’s is Conner’s fishing pond. He goes, waves his pole and always—always—leaves with a catch. Oh my God Bella, after so many years pining for the man he’s finally waving that pole your direction.”
As much as I didn’t want to admit, Hayden words made my insides flutter. He was my boss and my Dad’s best friend, which pretty much granted that nothing could ever happen between us. Still, he was the only man I ever wanted, and if there was any chance—however slim—that he might want something with me as well, I would take it and hold on to it with everything I had.
The only problem was this innocent little fish was swimming in uncharted territory and had no idea how to act and what to expect if hooked. Panic melted away my previous excitement, and I stared at Hayden with wide eyes and a clear cry for help.
Knowing me well and reading my expression correctly, Hayden got up from the swing and grabbed my hand. “Don’t worry, Bella. I’ve got your back, and though an hour isn’t much, it’s plenty of time to get you nice and fuckable for Conner freaking Wilkes!”
With that exciting promise and a horde of butterflies in my belly, I allowed my oldest friend to drag me toward my house and prepare me for the one thing I’ve always wanted but never thought I could have.
CHAPTER SIX — CONNER
It was a quarter past eight. I was at Rusty’s, and Chloe was nowhere in sight. Deep down, I knew I should be happy about it, relieved even, but I wasn’t.
I was annoyed as shit and itching to hop in my car and drive to her house just so I could ask her what the hell happened. But I knew I couldn’t do that. Her house was Alex’s house and showing up, unannounced and asking for his daughter wasn’t something I could do. Therefore, I just raised a hand and called the bartender.
“Third refill in twenty minutes, Conner?” Jackie, the redhead bartender, asked as she placed her elbows on the counter and pressed her tits together until they almost popped out of her white tank.
I knew she wanted me; she made that fact clear on many occasions over the years. However, Rusty’s was the one good bar in town and my preferred place to pick up women. Having a disgruntled bartender cock blocking me was a risk I never allowed myself to take, no matter how pretty she was. For that reason, I had never allowed myself to look down at her tits even though they were always right in front of my eyeballs.
However, my frustration at the whole Chloe situation made everything different today. I was tired of controlling myself - tired of not having what I wanted and tired of thinking about consequences.
“C’mon, Jackie. You know I’m a lot more fun when I’m drunk,” I said with a crooked smirk and a slight tilt of my head.
She raised a brow and pursed her lips. “Actually, I don’t. No matter what I do or how drunk I get you, you’re never fun with me.”
I stretched my hand so my index finger was grazing her hand. She opened her mouth and gasped at my touch. Seeing her reaction was empowering and almost cleared Chloe from my mind. Slowly, I slid my finger up her hand and arm until it was in line with her cleavage. Then, I moved my hand just a little, so the tip of it touched the soft curve of her breast.
“Get me another shot, and we’ll see if we can change that.”
A slow, sexy smile grazed her face as she quickly pulled away from the counter to go prepare my drink. With my eyes fixed on her ass, I straightened my back on the stool and watched as she stretched to get the bottle of my favorite whiskey from the top shelf. Though an appreciative smirk curled on my lips, my eyes drifted away from her and focused on the mirrored wall right in front of me.
There, I saw her.
Standing at the entrance of the bar, in a skintight black dress and high heels, was none other than Chloe Jones. The sight of her made me completely forget about Jackie and my third drink of the night.
Unable to contain myself, I turned around to look at her, and all the air rushed out of my lungs. That damned dress showed every line and curve of her full body, and the red pumps on her feet made her le
gs look like they were a million miles long. Her hair was up in a casual ponytail that put her long, sexy neck on full display. Her makeup was light but still doing a great job at defining her features. Normally, Chloe looked like an angel, but tonight, she looked like a sexy little devil.
It took her a while to find me in the middle of the crowd, but once she did, her red lips curled up into a broad smile, and she waved while walking toward me. For some inexplicable reason, that little gesture did more to the state of my cock than the two mountains jumping from Jackie’s top. Not even caring that Chloe and the rest of the bar could see me, I reached down to grab my aching balls and gave them a good squeeze.
“Sorry I’m late,” Chloe started once she was finally standing in front of me. “My friend Hayden showed up at the house, and we lost track of time.”
I looked at her from head to toe and shook my head. “Looking like that, you don’t have to apologize for anything.”
Chloe giggled at my comment, but I didn’t have much time to enjoy the sound before it was interrupted by the dull thumping of a glass hitting the wooden surface.
“Your whiskey, asshole,” Jackie grumped, forcing me to look at her. I was sure that the expression on my face wasn’t a happy one, but neither was hers. She looked from me to Chloe and asked, “Aside from better judgment, what can I get you, sweetie?”
Anger at Jackie and me bubbled inside of me, but the amused sound of Chloe’s voice asking for a glass of wine calmed me down a bit. Once she had her drink and the bartender left, I turned my eyes back to the beauty beside me.
She had a sly smirk on her lips and a matching sparkle in her eyes. “Conner Wilkes, what did you do to that poor woman?”
Unable to help myself, I chuckled and ran a hand through my hair. With a shrug of my shoulders and honesty in my voice, I replied, “Absolutely nothing, but we should probably sit somewhere else.”
Chloe laughed, got her wine and motioned with her hand for me to lead the way. Due to the number of male eyes focused on her as I guided her to a quiet table at the far side of the room, I placed a protective hand on the small of her back and saw her blush. The reaction pleased me way more than it should, so I let my hand drift a little lower.
Once we reached the table, I pulled out a chair for Chloe sand then took my seat in front of her. My chivalry toward her surprised me. I hadn’t acted like that, or even wanted to act like that, in years. The honest truth was that I liked being around her, and for some reason treating her nicely was important to me.
I leaned back in my chair and held her gaze for a few seconds. She took a rather large gulp of her wine and fidgeted in her seat. With a tilt of my head, I asked, “Are you uncomfortable?”
She took a deep breath and hesitated a little before replying. “A little.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because you’re Conner Wilkes and I’m in a skin tight dress with a glass of wine in my hand. It’s all a little too surreal.”
“Why surreal?” I asked genuinely confused. “We’re adults who work together. Celebratin’ a win, and drinkin’ on a Friday night. That’s pretty much my whole life.”
She laughed at my comment and took another sip of her wine. “I know that, but it’s not my life.”
“Bullshit. You serious?”
“Yeah, I was too worried about getting good grades and maintaining my GPA to actually have a social life.”
I shook my head. I simply couldn’t believe that a twenty-two-year-old woman as pretty as her had never experienced a night of partying, and it made me wonder what else she had never experienced. I thought back to all her blushing and doe eyes whenever she caught me checking her out, and the possibilities in that made me almost dumb with excitement.
With a deep need to investigate further, I took a sip of my whiskey and held her gaze. “And didn’t your boyfriend mind you not joining him for all the fun stuff.”
“I didn’t have a boyfriend in college,” she admitted in a shy tone.
Although it wasn’t proof, Chloe’s little confession led me to believe that she might still be a virgin. The possibility of it made my cock nearly burst through the zipper of my pants. I hadn’t been a girl’s first since high school, and that had been twenty-two years ago when I was a flustered teenager. Now that I actually knew what to do, I couldn’t even imagine how incredible it would feel to teach someone as gorgeous as Chloe all the secrets and pleasures of her body.
The idea alone drove me half-crazy with need. I wanted Chloe as my own. I wanted to shape her so no other man would ever fit as well as me. I wanted her spreasd across my bed with my cock pulsing inside of her and my name rolling off her tongue. I wanted to be her first and her only, but I knew it would never happen. It couldn’t. At least not if I wanted to keep my nuts where they were.
Then again, if Chloe and I could keep things just between the two of us perhaps there was a chance. While the thought made me feel like a complete asshole, I couldn’t help but wonder about the possibilities.
Knowing that those were some dangerous waters I was treading, I pushed those thoughts away from my mind and changed the conversation. “Well, since you’re graduated and employed now, I feel like it’s my duty, as the most experienced party here, to teach you about fun bar nights.”
Holding my gaze and giggling, she replied. “That sounds fun. Teach away, master.”
Those words sounded way too good coming out of her mouth. In a split second, my mind was filled with a very vivid image of her naked and tied to my bed, saying those exact things but in a much different tone. I couldn’t help but smirk.
“First of all,” I started in a very firm, teacher-like tone. “Wine isn’t really a fun bar night drink. You want beer, whiskey, or tequila.”
Forcing a straight face, she nodded, “Duly noted.” I waited a second for her to tell me which one it would be. When she didn’t, I raised a brow and, like a good student, she quickly reacted. “Oh, I have to choose one now?”
I nodded and waited as she looked up while pondering her choices. Then, she replied, “Tequila. I never had it and always wanted to do the salt and lime thing.”
I chuckled at yet more proof of how inexperienced she was. I raised my hand to call a bartender and was glad when Rob showed up instead of Jackie. With my eyes fixed on Chloe, I ordered a bottle of Cuervo along with lime and salt, and, seeing that the pool table was empty, I requested it to be delivered there.
Once the bartender was done, I turned to Chloe for her second lesson. “Games are a must. I hope you can play pool.”
She laughed as I got up from my chair and offered my hand to help her up. “I most certainly can’t,” she admitted with enthusiasm in her voice. “But I’m sure you can teach me.”
My cock pulsed again and I chuckled. “It’ll be my pleasure, Angel.”
And I knew it would. I would definitely live to regret it, but I would enjoy every second of our time together. I couldn’t help but think that I’d find great pleasure in teaching Chloe everything I had to offer.
CHAPTER SEVEN — CHLOE
My night with Conner was going great, and I was able to finally let loose. Although I sucked at pool, he was an amazing teacher and even better company. In the two hours we spent together, we drank, played and talked in a way I never thought we would. He asked me about school and life in Italy, and in return told me about his son and his plans for the resort. It made me feel like I wasn’t his best friend’s daughter and employee, and he wasn’t my lifelong crush. We were just two people having fun and getting to know each other on a date, and I loved every second of it.
I loved it so much, if fact, that by the time he excused himself to go to the bathroom, my panties were soaking wet. I was in desperate need of some extra guidance. With my heart beating a million miles per hour, I picked up my phone and texted Hayden.
‘I guess u were right. This may be a date.’
Impatiently, I drummed my fingernails over the surface of the table as I waited for the reply.
About thirty seconds later, it finally arrived.
‘Details. NOW!!’
With a grin, I started typing.
‘We talked, drank tequila, and he taught me to play pool. We both agreed I suck at it, but he was a great teacher, and I swear there was a moment when I felt his cue poking me - if you know what I mean ;)’
A few seconds later, my phone beeped with another incoming message.
‘LOL! That’s my girl!! You’ve been waiting for this your entire life, and tonight’s the night. Make momma proud.’
I chuckled and pressed the reply button. Before I could even write the first word, I felt the heat of a body standing behind me, and Conner’s voice sounded in my ear. “You’ve been waiting for what?”
Conner’s tone made me shudder. It was hotter and deeper than it had been all night. Instinctively, I turned off the screen and looked over my shoulder at him. His face was so close to mine I could smell the mixture of alcohol and mint in his breath.
“Nothing. We were just kidding,” I lied with a shake of my head.
Narrowing his eyes, Conner placed his hands at the tops of my shoulders and leaned a bit closer. Something told he that he knew what I was messaging Hayden, and the thought brought a rush of excitement up my spine.
“I don’t believe that, Angel. Tell me the truth.”
His words were a command and almost threatening, but they didn’t scare me. They did, however, make my breath a little faster, my palms a little sweatier, and my center a little wetter. My bodily reactions and the need I saw in Conner’s eyes as he continued to stare deep into mine fueled my courage and, for the first time in my life, I felt bold.
“For you, Conner,” I whispered. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
His nostrils flared at my words, but he didn’t move. He stood right where he was and continued to stare so deeply into my eyes I felt like he could see my soul. Then, in that same intense tone, he asked, “You’ve been waiting for me to do what?”
My heart was beating so fast I was certain he could hear it. I felt heat creep up my cheeks, but I knew this was the moment Hayden had told me about. Conner was fishing, and the line was right in front of me, all I had to do was be brave enough to take the bait.