Blue Persuasion (21 page)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Latch

by Disclosure ft. Sam Smith (DJ Premier Remix)

I
t felt odd as hell to be driving Tate’s Jeep to work. It seemed like such a relationship/couple thing to do, but I stoically pushed those thoughts away. His ongoing confliction plagued the rollercoaster ride and kidding myself otherwise was impossible. Maybe I was growing up. Doubtful, but I liked the idea anyway. Surrounded by his smell, I wished I could bottle his scent.

The bar at Tap 42 filled up early with a large party of twenty-somethings, mostly guys. Stuart and I split the bar down the middle since we were the only two currently on the clock.

“Fuck,” he said as he scooted behind me.

I knew exactly what he meant. They were an unruly bunch. I threw down more coasters and said, “What will it be?”

“You, definitely you,” said the skinny, young guy in a pink dress shirt.

“O ... M ... G!” I mocked in a high voice. In my normal voice, I said, “That’s the first time I’ve heard that one. Order please.”

“You’re a feisty one,” his redheaded friend said. “I bet you could take us both on.”

Their silent friend nodded in agreement.

I rolled my eyes. “If you don’t order quickly, I’m moving down the line.”

“Four shots of tequila with the works. Three for us and one for you.”

“Well or top shelf?”

“Top shelf,” he replied to my chest.

I rang them up and poured out 1800 tequila into three shot glasses on top of the bar, placing a saltshaker and lime wedges on napkins in front of them. Then I covered the spout with my finger and pretended to pour myself a shot under the bar. I filled it with water and shot it back quickly.

Before taking another order, I quickly ran into the kitchen, ostensibly to retrieve a food order but also to place a text.

Me:
If you want to come by, now would be fabulous. If, and only if, you can keep your fists in your pockets. There’s a gaggle of young guys and somehow your LARGE looming presence might give them pause. Stuart has his hands full on the other side of the bar.

Tate:
On my way.

Please, oh please, don’t let me regret this.

I delivered two orders of calamari to Stuart’s side and an order of chicken wings and crab and tuna rolls to mine. “Your turn,” I said, frisbeeing the coasters to the next three people down the row.

Pink shirt, waving his hand, called out, “Can we get another shot and some food?”

“Give me a sec,” I shouted back.

“I’ll take a strawberry margarita,” said the cute girl with the pixie haircut.

“Scotch neat,” said a young guy with a blue dress shirt and a navy tie.

I almost broke out laughing but contained myself.

The last guy at the end of the bar ordered a beer and pork sliders.

I rang up the orders, mixed and poured the drinks, and delivered them. Back in front of pinkie, I filled their shot glasses and laid out more limes. “What would you like to eat?”

The redhead said, “Honey, you, all day long. I’m great with my tongue. All the girls say so.”

Before I had a chance to respond, Tate pushed between the two guys and leaned in. I hopped up on my palms and met him halfway across the bar. His hand cupped the back of my head and he kissed me hard. Once we broke apart, I licked my lips and smiled.

“Sorry lads, she’s unavailable. Slide down for me.” He retrieved one of the stools from the tall circular tables and sat down at the bar.

“Thank you,” I mouthed.

He winked at me.

“Since you won’t be eating me for dinner, what can I get you?”

Redhead frowned and said, “Is he your boyfriend?”

I glanced at Tate and back at the boy. “He’s my lover.”

“He’s a big dude.”

“Yep, he is. Food?”

“Beef sliders and the spinach dip and chips.”

“Great. Tate?”

He lifted the menu off the bar and said, “The mussels and a beer.”

“Have a shot with us,” redhead said.

Tate shrugged and I laughed. I poured another shot and placed a lime wedge and a saltshaker in front of him.

I rang up the new orders and headed into the kitchen to retrieve more food.

In thirty minutes time, two more bartenders showed up for work. With more time on my hands, I wiped down the bar, cleaned glasses, and filled up the ice, finally settling in front of Tate.

“Need anything else?”

“No, I’m good.” He circled the top of his glass with his finger. “Those boys were very entertaining. The one with red hair will come back. He’s convinced he can seduce you.”

I laughed and reached for Tate’s hand. “Listen, thanks for coming.”

“Anytime. Can I steal you away for a couple of minutes?”

“I’ll check in with Stuart.” I found him in the kitchen, and he waved me off.

Back behind the bar, I said, “See you outside.” I left through the rear of the restaurant.

Tate looked so sexy sitting on the edge of his bike. The summer wind played in his hair as his deep-mahogany eyes reeled me in. “I enjoyed watching you work,” he said, holding his arms open.

I stepped into his embrace. “Oh, you smell so good.”

“You smell like food.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” After a warm hug, I asked, “Are we good?”

“We’re great. What time do you think you’ll be over later?” he asked, twirling my ponytail around his finger.

“I have no idea. Late.”

“What’re you doing between the end of your shift and meeting up with Bond?” He tugged my hair and my body responded.

“You?”

“That’s the best answer you could have said. Your place?” His eyes danced with delight.

“Yeah. That gives us the most time, don’t you think? My place being closer to Bond’s?”

He stood and lifted me onto the Harley’s seat. “I’m getting addicted to this,” he said before he lowered his mouth to mine. His sultry kiss triggered a base need in me I found difficult to contend with. I wanted to climb inside of him and swim in his passion. His soft lips’ caress parted my own. Our tongues sparked against each other, causing an ardent pulse between my thighs.

“I have to get back in a minute,” I said, resting the top of my head against his chest.

He massaged my shoulders, working his hand along my neck.

“Oh, that feels so good.”

He lifted my head and kissed my forehead. “Let me know when you’re out of here.”

I hugged him to me as he easily lifted me off the bike and deposited me on the asphalt. “See you soon.”

Back inside, I got into the flow of customers again. Once Tap 42 started to die down for the night, Stuart came over to me.

“The dude was here again.”

“Yeah, I asked him to come by, hoping he would settle down some of the guys that were here earlier.”

“You could have asked me.”

“You had your hands full. Listen, did Sheila say she would cover my shift next Saturday? I can pick up the following Monday night if you need me to.”

He nodded.

“Excellent! Thanks so much!”

“You can clock out. Sheila’s closing with me tonight.”

Something told me she was going to get the same pitch from Stuart. “Good luck,” I said.

I hopped into the Cherokee and booted up my phone.

Me:
Heading home.

Tate:
Meet you there.

We pulled into the apartment complex at the same time, my heart thumping in my chest, wondering what would happen next and how Tate would deal with me leaving to go see Bond.

“Shower first,” I said as I opened the door with Tate’s hands already touching me everywhere. “What’s in the bag?”

“Supplies,” he said as he unpacked the contents. He placed a six-pack of Henry Weinhard’s Woodland Pass IPA and more margaritas in the fridge, and left a bottle of Hershey’s syrup and whipped cream on the kitchen table. “I plan to make you very sticky.” With a quick smile, he stalked over to the bathroom. He hung his head out and said, “You have a tub.”

“I do, but it’s not big enough for two, or in our case, two and a half.”

He chuckled. “Very funny, you. Nice Post-It front and center. Let’s play first and bathe you afterward for your
date
with Bond.” He walked out with a couple towels under his arm.

“It’s not a—Opfff!”

He scooped me in his arms and then dipped me so I could grab the chocolate and whipped cream. Depositing me at the edge of the bed, he began stripping off my clothes. “Watching those boys lusting after you turned me on,” he said, unbuttoning my shirt.

“But not when Stuart was watching me? Why?” I reached behind me and unclasped my bra.

He pulled it forward and let it fall, cupping my breasts. “You called me in for protection, so I knew you couldn’t possibly be interested in them. You’re in your thirties, right?” He tugged and twisted my nipples.

“Thirty-one. So?” I arched into his touch.

“Wow, I didn’t realize there’s twelve years between us, not that you look a day over twenty-five. I guess I just didn’t think about it.”

“Is it a problem?” I lifted my hips when he unbuttoned my jeans and slid them down my thighs.

“Not for me.”

“Good.”

“Stuart’s attractive and a
man
. Those kids tonight were babies. You should have heard some of the things they were saying.”

“I’m not sure I care to.”

He pushed me onto my back, my legs still dangling off the bed and then took off his dress shirt and jeans.

I fondled his erection, loving that he was always hard for me.

“Oh, you should hear,” he said as he trailed his fingers up my inner thigh, “the boys on the other side of me wanted to know if your breasts were real. We were all hard watching you move around. It made me feel young again.” His palm skirted my mound and brushed across my belly. “They wanted to know if you were a good lover. I told them so, so.”

I sat up and slapped his thigh. “You did no such thing. What did you really say?”

Holding my face in his hands, he said, “That you were beyond imagination, way beyond their boyhood dreams.”

“Ohhh, that’s so much better.”

He pulled out my hair tie, and draped my hair across my shoulders. As he ran his fingers through my auburn bangs, he said, “The redheaded kid said that he was man enough to handle you and has the goods to satisfy.”

“Did you guys whip it out and compare tools?” I asked, sliding my hand along his shaft.

Tate shook through a held in laugh. “I didn’t want to discourage his ambitions in life, but I did clearly state you were off limits.”

I uncapped the whipped cream and dispensed a ring of the fluffy cream over the head of his cock. With my mouth open, I used the tip of my tongue to lick at the sweetness, slowly revealing his hot flesh underneath. I lowered down over his shaft and tried to take in as much of him as I could.

He held my head as I bobbed up and down. “That feels incredible, but don’t make me cum just yet.”

“Okay.” I dropped back onto my elbows.

He scanned me up and down. “I want to tie you up again, but that’ll have to wait until tomorrow when we’re back at my place. When do you work?”

“Not until the dinner shift. My women’s group was cancelled for this week.”

He ripped the plastic protection off the top of the syrup and popped up the cap. “Praise the Great Spirit. I need to have you at my mercy again.”

“I already am,” I said, swallowing hard over my disclosure. “I’m sorry, I—”

“Shhh,” he said, sitting down next to me. He circled my right areola with the whipped cream and covered my nipple with the chocolate. “The best sundae ever.” He lowered his mouth, licking and sucking me clean. He lustfully nibbled on my nipple.

“Ohhh,” I sighed.

He treated the other side, tugging and jerking on my left nipple. Then he made a line with the whipped cream, down my chest, filling my navel, and crossing my mound. The stimulating cold along with his attention had me shaking with piercing desire. He straddled my waist and leaned over, kissing and licking his way down my body. His fingers found my wetness as he rose back up and kissed me with his cream-covered mouth. “Put some chocolate on your lips.”

I grasped the Hershey’s and painted my lips. Some dripped down my chin.

His fingers plunged deeper as his wicked thumb strummed my clit. He kissed and licked his way up my chin and then bit and savored the chocolate off my lips.

“I need you inside me,” I moaned. “Please.”

“I want to try a different position. I think you might be able to cum this way.”

“Okay,” I said, sitting up.

He lay down on his back in the middle of the bed, situating a towel underneath him. “Climb on top of me, covering my body with yours, lying down with your legs straight.”