Chapter 7

Terri

“You’re late,” Elaine said, looking at her watch.

Blow me.

“I told you I might be. Billy’s therapy goes long on Thursday nights.” I tied my apron on and looked around at the nearly empty café. It would be like this for another hour and then a bunch of people would hog the couches and chairs until we closed at eleven. I didn’t care, let them stay and hang out. It would give me time to make sure everything was perfect for Mick’s breakfast tomorrow.

Just thinking about him put a dopey grin on my face.

“Just don’t make a habit of it.”

And just like that it was gone. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. “Don’t schedule me on Thursday nights, then.”

“I had to. Louann had plans tonight.”

Louann was her niece and could do no wrong in her aunt’s eyes. I decided that there was no way I was going to win. So I just kept my mouth shut while I cleaned the counters and restocked the fridge.

“We need soy milk,” I said, shaking the container.

“We’ve got a delivery on Monday.”

“We’re not going to make it through the weekend.” And somehow that would be all my fault if we ran out.

Elaine slung her purse over her shoulder. “Pick some up on your way in tomorrow.”

“I’ve got the catering breakfast tomorrow. I won’t be in until the afternoon.”

Frowning, Elaine sighed hard. “You better not screw that up. Mr. Wentworth is a…”

“Very important person.” I said it with her. He also fucked like a Greek god, but I kept that part to myself. The dopey grin slipped back on my face. We did it on his desk, against the window, and in the shower in his office’s bathroom. Then after some exhausted but still mind-blowing kisses, he had the same car that picked me up drop me off at home. It was the best one-night stand of my life. It was also the only one-night stand of my life. I had zero regrets.

Mick Wentworth wasn’t the type you kept, but he was a good time.

“Did you hear what I said?” Elaine asked.

I thought about bluffing my way through it, but figured it would just come back to bite me on the ass. “No, the espresso machine was gurgling.” I ran it through a cleaning cycle, hoping she wouldn’t notice it hadn’t been on.

“I said, Mr. Wentworth was looking for you yesterday.”

“It was my day off.” I had managed to score a call center gig for the day. It was mind-numbingly boring and I got hung up on and cursed at, but it was a paycheck.

“And today, he asked for you specifically this morning. He didn’t seem happy to hear that you were closing tonight.”

I shrugged. “I’m sure you were able to give him his coffee just as well as I could.” But it warmed me up a bit that he had been looking forward to seeing me. I was curious too to see if we still had that sizzle after exploring each other so intimately the other day. I could definitely be persuaded into round two.

“I bet he just wanted to go over some last-minute details with you,” Elaine said, stomping all over my erotic thoughts.

“Did he go over them with you?”

“No, but he asked me to give him your cellphone number.”

I almost dropped the carafe I was carrying. “You didn’t give it to him, did you?”

Elaine sighed. “No, even though he was very insistent. I told him to give me his and I’d have you call him or you could call the office when you get in. He said not to bother.”

“Did he give you his number?”

“No, he just took his coffee and walked out.”

That sounded like him. “It’ll be fine. I’m picking the van up at seven-thirty a.m. Even with traffic, I’ll be set up well before nine.”

“I don’t want a bad report.”

“Have a nice night.” I waved at her.

After another frown, she left and I slumped over the counter. What a pain in the ass. But I was glad Elaine had respected my privacy. There was a reason I didn’t give Mick my phone number last night. If he didn’t have it, I wouldn’t wonder why he wasn’t texting or calling. I sighed. It was better this way. I broke my dry spell. I should be good for another year.

In between customers, I caught glimpses of myself in reflective surfaces. I still had a goofy grin on my face. It was a quiet night, so I was able to personally prepare the platters of food for tomorrow. Elaine had added in a yogurt-and-fruit tray for free. I shook my head. One of these days, I had to ask Mick why she was in awe of him.

I shooed the lingering customers out the door at ten of eleven and started shutting down the machines. A few minutes later, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone come in.

There’s always one. I groaned to myself.

“I’m sorry, we’re closed. We’ll be open at seven a.m. sharp tomorrow.” I forced a brightness into my voice that I didn’t feel.

Mick locked the door and flipped over the CLOSED sign. We were the only two people in the store.

“Mick?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. “What are you doing here? You’re not going to freak out about the breakfast tomorrow, are you? It’s covered. You’re good.”

He was dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt that clung to all those gorgeous muscles. “I missed seeing you this morning.”

“I was scheduled to close.”

Walking past the counter I stood behind, he went through the door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY and into the back room.

“You can’t go back…there.” I sighed. He was already gone. I followed him. “Mick…”

Pulling me into his arms, he kissed me and of course I melted right into him. Hunger flooded through me as if it were still a year since I’d had sex instead of just a few days ago. I was ready to climb his body like a tree, but I took my time running my hands all over the hard muscles of his back while I enjoyed kissing him back. Plucking my apron off, Mick slid his hand under my Beanery polo shirt.

He thumbed my nipples while I hummed in pleasure into his mouth. I wanted to talk to him, but I wanted his kisses even more. He really was good at it. I was up on my tiptoes mashing my mouth against his, desperate for more. Grabbing my ass, he hauled me up tight so I could feel his hard cock pressing into my belly.

“I couldn’t get a thing done yesterday,” he panted as he broke off the kiss to yank my polo shirt over my head.

“Mick, we can’t do this here.” But then he pulled my bra off and started tonguing my nipples and I thought, why the hell not? Elaine was home, probably asleep by now, and Louann was the only other person with keys. And the last place Louann would be tonight was at work, after she rearranged her schedule to be off.

The rasp of his beard felt wonderful against my chest and my whole body thrummed in remembered pleasure from the other night’s activities. I held his head in place as I rubbed my lower half against that delicious hardness.

“I think about these gorgeous tits bouncing and sliding all over my face, every damn time I look at the couch.”

I giggled and then caught my breath in a gasp when he unbuttoned my pants to shove his hand inside.

His fingers found me wet and willing. Wiggling my pants down to my ankles, I kicked off my shoes and stepped out of them. Shit, I wished I had been wearing something other than my granny panties and industrial bra, but Mick didn’t seem to notice.

“Are you always so fucking hot?” he moaned, flicking his fingers around my still tender clit.

I didn’t want to play around. I wanted him inside me. Right now. I bit down on his earlobe. “Fuck me.”

Turning me around, he bent me over stacked fifty-pound bags of coffee beans. I pushed my underwear down while he put on the condom. He entered me fast and hard, holding my breast possessively.

I spread my legs wider as his weight pressed me down on the burlap sacks. I breathed in the rich, dark smell of fine coffee. This wasn’t my life. I didn’t have sex in workplaces. I was strictly a dinner, movie, and drinks and then back to his house for some sedate but satisfying sex kind of woman.

My fingernails dug into the bag as his deep thrusts made me grunt and cry out. He hit every pleasure zone I had when he tugged my hair so my head rose up.

“Come for me, baby,” he growled in my ear, and shudders started down my spine.

I didn’t come on command. Except this time, I did.

“Fuck,” I screamed as the orgasm shook through me.

“Yes,” he yelled back and slammed into me with three hard strokes that sounded like thunderclaps in the back room.

He collapsed on me, kissing my shoulders. “I swear to God,” he panted. “I was going to take you back to my place this time.”

I snickered. “I’m not complaining. Except you need to get off me. I’m going to have burlap patterns on my boobs.”

Mick retrieved my bra and shirt while I pulled my underwear and pants back on.

He was mostly dressed, having only pushed down his pants to fuck me. I shook my head. I was slacking. I should have torn his clothes off. I sat on the coffee beans and pulled on my sneakers. I left my shirt and bra off for the time being because I liked the way he stared at me.

“Can I have your number?” Mick plunked himself down next to me.

“Nope.” I shook my head.

“Why not?”

“You obviously know how to reach me.” Not to mention that if he remembered he still had my résumé, he would have my cellphone number. I wasn’t going to bring that up, though, because I’m pretty sure he had trashed my résumé after the interview. And that still stung a bit.

“I can’t figure you out,” he said. “Most girls would have texted me the next day or expected me to send flowers or some shit.”

“That’s boyfriend/girlfriend stuff. I told you. I don’t have time for anything but this.” I motioned between us. “We’re a hookup. You’re free to go home with socialites and I’m free to do whatever I want.” Although the thought of him in the VIP lounge with all his honeys made me cross my eyes in vexation.

“I know that,” he said. “But I think we can have a good time together until it gets boring.”

“It’ll get boring faster if I give you my number,” I said.

“Is that your game?” he asked, fondling my chest.

“Careful,” I warned. “I might throw you to the floor and have my way with you.”

Mick eyeballed the floor. He shrugged. “Okay.”

The floor was filthy and concrete. My knees wouldn’t survive it and my thighs still burned from the other night’s adventure. Still, I was tempted. But I had to go home and get some rest if he wanted his stupid breakfast at nine sharp. Reluctantly, I pulled on my bra and shirt. I really liked the hungry look in his eyes, though.

“I’ll have to take a raincheck. I’m exhausted and I need to go to bed. To sleep. Alone,” I qualified when his eyes gleamed.

“I’ll give you a ride,” Mick said.

“I thought you already did.” I stretched as I stood up. “I’ve got to clean up here and then we can go.”

“Leave it for the morning crew,” he said.

“I am the morning crew and if you want me to get to your place in time to be set up by nine sharp, I have to do this tonight,” I said over my shoulder as I went back to the café. I tossed him a rag and pointed to a bottle of cleaner. “If you spray and wipe down the tables, that would be a big help.”

For a moment, I thought he’d balk. I was ready to call him out on being a prima donna, but he surprised me by doing a decent job. While he was busy doing that, I cleaned behind the counter and set the dishwasher to run. I filled all the milk containers and put them in the fridge, making sure the muffin mix was prepped for the bakers in the morning. Even with our back-room shenanigans, we were out of there by midnight.

“Can I come up?” he asked when he walked me up to the door after double-parking on the street.

“Not tonight,” I said. Maybe not ever. But a part of me wanted to roll around on a bed with him. I was dead on my feet, though. And I didn’t want another rushed fuck up against the wall. Not tonight anyway.

“See you tomorrow,” he said. “Wear something comfortable.”

“Not a chance,” I said. “No mixing business with pleasure, remember?”

It was sad to see the smile fade off his face. “Yeah, definitely.”

He leaned in to give me a kiss that almost made me change my mind about inviting him inside. But he was halfway back to his car before I realized it. Two-Night Stand. That was all this was.

“Who the hell is that?”

I jumped a foot. “Billy, what are you still doing up?”

Walking into the house, I saw he was leaning up against the door in the foyer that separated the upstairs apartment from the downstairs. He held a baseball bat in his hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” I shot back at him. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough. I heard voices, so I decided to investigate.”

“You shouldn’t have gotten up. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

Billy winced and shifted to his other leg. “I was up anyway.”

“Are you in pain?” I took him by the arm. “Let’s get you back inside.”

Shaking me off with a scowl, he glared down at me. “I didn’t like the looks of that guy.”

“He’s a friend of Elaine’s,” I said. “I’m catering a breakfast for him tomorrow.”

“So why did he drive you home and kiss you like that?”

My face felt like it was on fire. “He’s just a guy.”

“Well, you can bring him back in the daylight. I want to see what type of guy my baby sister is hanging out with.”

I made a face. “It’s not what you think.”

“I know what a guy like that is after. I used to be one.”

“Not even close.” I shook my head. “Come on, slugger. It’s bedtime.”

Billy pulled out of my grip. “I’m fine.”

He was standing on his own all right. It was times like these that I had hopes of a full recovery. Or at least for the disease not progressing.

“Well, good night.” I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before opening up the door that would lead upstairs to my apartment.

“You deserve better,” he called up the stairs to me.

“We all deserve better,” I said, hoping I kept the bitterness out of my voice.