Maddie (Corked and Tapped Book 8)

  Maddie

  Corked and Tapped, Book Eight

  Becca Jameson

  Copyright © 2019 by Becca Jameson

  Cover Artist: Julio Desir, Jr.

  Editor: Christa Soule

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. And resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  About the Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Author’s Note

  Also by Becca Jameson

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  I have to thank my amazing, wonderful, fabulous beta reader most extraordinaire, Susan Whitney, for all her help reading these fun novellas and helping me every step of the way!

  I also want to thank my editor, Christa, for plotting with me on every one! She rocks!

  And my daughter, Rebecca, who read each one over her summer break!

  About the Book

  “How many amaretto sours have you actually consumed?” The truth was she’s had very little to drink. She kept buying the damn things in order to flirt with the mystery man behind the mask at the bar. He knew her. He knew her best friend. Who the hell was he? Intrigued and aroused from a night of flirting, she decided to take a chance on him.

  Corked and Tapped: Because the best stories never start with someone eating a salad.

  Chapter 1

  “How many amaretto sours have you actually consumed?”

  Maddie set her latest glass down on the high bar table that was littered with nearly full drinks and shrugged. “Probably two.”

  Tricia set her elbows on the table and lifted both brows. “There’s a story behind this.” It was hard to take her seriously in the French maid’s costume.

  Maddie glanced around, looking for her best friend, Clara. Her search was futile, however, and she knew it. Clara had left this company party at Corked and Tapped over an hour ago. “There might be,” she told Tricia as her cheeks heated.

  Tricia worked on the same floor as Maddie at Jacoby Advertising. They had become friends about a year ago. “Tell.” Her face lit up and she leaned forward, causing her cleavage to increase in the costume. “I heard there’s someone dressed as the Phantom of the Opera in the main bar. Does this have something to do with him?”

  Maddie shrugged again, trying not to make a big deal out of it. After all, she had no idea who the man was. She only knew that every time she went to the other room to the main bar to get a fresh drink, he flirted with her. “Maaybee…”

  Tricia laughed. “Is he cute?”

  “I don’t think I’d describe him as cute. Ruggedly handsome might be more accurate. He seems a bit older, and he’s a rock. Every inch of him is covered in muscles.”

  “What made you choose to dress as Christine from Phantom?” Tricia asked. “You didn’t even assign a match for yourself. Are you sure it’s a coincidence there happens to be a Phantom in the bar?”

  “Honestly, I’m no longer sure of anything.”

  “Intriguing.” Tricia glanced down at the glasses scattered on the table. “So, every fifteen minutes you go in there to order another drink just to flirt with him.”

  Maddie scrunched up her nose. Is that what she was doing? “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?” Ya think? What happened to swearing off one-night stands?

  It had only been two months since Maddie stopped visiting dating sites. Her life had been a bit of a train wreck—a nonstop series of dates that frequently ended with bad sex. Why bother? She had decided to stop that nonsense and focus on other things for a while. Like getting to the gym more often, reading, hanging out with friends.

  “Nope. You’re having fun. Who cares how it ends up? Half the fun is the flirting.”

  “He probably thinks I have a drinking problem.” She picked up the latest glass and took a sip. Most of the glasses were almost full and the ice had melted. She needed her head examined. How much money was she going to spend on drinks just so she could break her own new personal rules about men?

  “He’s probably wondering how you’re still standing and coherent.” Tricia giggled. “I think you’ve gotten ten amaretto sours so far.”

  “I’m gonna need a small loan to cover my bar tab.”

  “It’s hilarious that you planned this Halloween party, and you don’t even like wine and beer.”

  “I may be the event planner, but I still had to stay within the company budget. Wine and beer was all I could swing.” Maddie had worked for weeks planning this party. She had rented this private back room at Corked and Tapped and arranged for snacks and an open bar. But wine and beer were the only things included. Anyone, like herself, who wanted something else, needed to go buy it themselves in the main bar.

  Maddie had intended for the party to serve as an icebreaker for the employees of Jacoby. The company covered several floors of their downtown office building outside of Atlanta, and many of the employees had never even met. Maddie had chosen dozens of costumes, assigned them to everyone attending the party, and they had to find the rest of their group and spend the evening getting to know them. She’d assigned a different yellow emoji costume to each floor. The five people dressed as taco bell sauce packets were still laughing over in the corner. And, the characters from the Wizard of Oz had already planned lunch for the following week. Success.

  Yes, she had meddled a bit to ensure her best friend Clara ended up with her boss, Landon, because Maddie knew how long Clara had lusted after the man. However, apparently, at least two other couples had formed in this group tonight.

  Maybe I should quit my day job and apply to work at an online dating site.

  It wasn’t a bad idea. It had taken very little effort to get Landon to overhear Maddie discussing who she’d paired Clara with, and just as Maddie had hoped, Landon had found the man and traded. As a resulting coincidence, that man, Dylan, had ended up with Rose. The two of them started off the evening in a lip lock. Score number two. In addition, she was fairly certain another couple, Ivy and Cooper, had gone to the main bar to dance and then left together. Three.

  Maddie felt pretty proud of herself. The evening was a huge success. Now, what the hell was she going to do about the mystery Phantom? What did it say about her that she couldn’t manage to go more than two months without lusting after yet another man?

  This was different, wasn’t it? After all, Maddie had not set out to find him. She had not hooked up with him on a dating site. He had appeared. On top of that, she didn’t think his presence was accidental. The way Clara had acted before she left this party with her boss made Maddie suspicious. However, it also calmed her. If Clara had something to do with arranging for that hunk of man to be sitting in the bar hitting on Maddie, at least Maddie didn’t need to worry about him being an ax murderer.

  Instinct told her he was safe.

  Hell, instinct assured her Clara had a hand in this crazy night. Clara knew better than anyone that Maddie had sworn off men for a while. If she thought it was a good idea to interfere in Maddie’s dating life, she must have had a good reason. Right?

  Oh, what the fuck. Maddie was only going to live once. The guy was hot, and so far he hadn’t exhibited
any of the unpleasant characteristics of many of her recent bad dates. He’d been polite, friendly, and attentive. He had not stared at his phone, glanced at other women, or most importantly, disappeared.

  Maybe, just maybe, she should give the whole thing one more chance and go for it.

  Chapter 2

  “You’re back.” His voice was rugged and sexy, and every time she squeezed in next to him to order another drink, he made her panties wet. His costume alone was hot. Tuxedo pants. Starched white shirt open at the chest. Black cape. And a silver mask that covered the top half of his face and down the sides so that the only parts of him she could easily see were his mouth and eyes. She was starting to think that choice was intentional.

  “Yep.” She caught the bartender Owen’s eye, and he smirked as he wandered down the bar to make her another drink. Owen wasn’t stupid. He had to realize she was not drinking all of these.

  Apparently, the Phantom also wasn’t stupid. “How many friends do you have who can actually stomach this sugary drink? I know you aren’t drinking them all. If you were, you wouldn’t be standing by now.” He angled his head as he lifted a brow and gave her another one of his nipple-stiffening smiles.

  She shrugged. “Every time someone sees me with one, they ask me where I got it. I feel bad, so I keep coming to get them one too.” That was an excellent lie. It explained her repeat appearances, and it assured him she was not drunk.

  She glanced at his beer, wondering how many he’d had. There was no way to be sure, but she didn’t think he’d had more than a few himself. It seemed he was always nursing the same one. He was also alone. Never once had she returned to find him with another person.

  The bar was crowded and growing more so as the night wore on. Every stool was taken, but this mysterious stranger had a seat at the far end, which made it easy for Maddie to squeeze in beside him over and over to place her order.

  “You say you’re in charge of this company party of yours?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’m the event planner. I organized the entire thing.”

  He nodded. “How late does it go?”

  She tried not to pump a fist at that question, hoping he might invite her to join him in this main bar when her responsibilities were over. She could at least do that. No harm in having a drink with him. Getting to know him better. “I only paid for the open bar until eleven. After that, everyone is on their own.”

  He ran a finger around the rim of his glass. “Do you have to clean up or anything?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. Corked and Tapped is covering that part.” Yeah, he was definitely hitting on her. It gave her the courage to show her cards. “Will you still be here? I could join you?” She glanced at her watch. “I need about fifteen more minutes.”

  His smile grew. He also set his hand on her hip, slid it around to her lower back, and leaned in to set his lips on her ear. “I’d like that.”

  She shivered. Holy shit. He set her on fire. The dress she was wearing was incredibly low-cut. The bodice was actually a corset, and her breasts suddenly seemed two sizes too big. She hoped they didn’t pop out and embarrass her.

  As he leaned back, she held her breath. He met her gaze, set a finger on her cheek, and trailed it down to her neck. “What are the chances I would show up here tonight dressed as the Phantom only to find a woman in a Christine costume? You kind of have to join me for at least one drink. It’s fated.”

  What were the chances, indeed? She assumed this was not a coincidence. And that fact was the main reason she was going to let herself give him a chance.

  She swallowed as she searched his eyes. They were a deep blue with amazing dark lashes surrounding them. Most women would kill for lashes like that. His hair was also dark, a tight buzz cut suggesting he was in the military.

  She couldn’t describe his face further than that because of the intricate mask he wore, but his body. Jesus. Like she’d told Tricia, the man was built. In fact, now that he’d taken the liberty of leaning in to so intimately whisper in her ear, she set a hand on his arm before walking away.

  Yep. Solid. She’d never dated a man as muscular as him. “I’ll be back,” she managed to say finally.

  “I’ll be here,” he responded.

  Her legs were wobbly as she returned to the party. Not from alcohol, but from nerves. She knew so very little about this man, but at the moment, she didn’t care. She just wanted her responsibilities to end so she could get back to him.

  After all, every relationship had to start somewhere. Maybe this would finally be her lucky break after too many crappy one-night stands to count.

  Yeah, she was nearly 100 percent certain Clara had a hand in arranging this. It wasn’t like her normally, but Maddie suspected while she’d been carefully setting up the company employees, Clara had been orchestrating a match of her own, one that might make Maddie give up her no-men vow.

  Maddie just hoped her friend had selected well.

  Chapter 3

  When Maddie stepped back into the main bar twenty minutes later, she was both excited and nervous. The mystery Phantom had her body tingling. She realized the exhilaration was born of the combination of the unknown and possibility.

  Maddie had felt this way before on occasion. It happened anytime she went out with someone promising on a first date. It also usually fizzled to nothing before the end of the night or the morning after a hookup when she found herself filled with regret. But something was different tonight. Maybe it was a product of the mysteriousness filling the room on this Halloween night. Costumes and alcohol and laughter.

  Did it matter? No. Whatever the reason, it had been forever since Maddie had felt this rush, and she intended to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

  The bar was even more crowded as she wove between the throng of people toward the far side of the room.

  Her Phantom looked up as she approached and smiled. He also reached out to her and pulled her into his side. Warmth spread up her body as he spoke. “Are your responsibilities over?”

  “Finally.” The last hour had seemed like an eternity as she began to pray this mysterious stranger would still be here when she was done.

  His hand slid higher up her back, and his fingers spread. His gaze lowered to her chest also. If by some chance she ended up naked with this man, she hoped he wouldn’t feel duped. The insane cleavage she was sporting tonight was false advertising. The bodice of the costume was a white corset that pushed her boobs up high and together. She had glanced down at her chest dozens of times, staring at herself in amazement. The edge of the bustier was dainty white lace, which had been tormenting her breasts all night. Tickling. Teasing. Keeping her aware of her chest.

  What distinguished her as Christine was the red rose with a black ribbon tied around it which she had artfully tucked between her breasts so she wouldn’t have to carry it all night.

  His hand on her cheek slid down to cup her neck and then he danced just one finger lower to trace the edge of her cleavage.

  She shuddered. Her nipples puckered as his finger slid between her breasts. They suddenly felt too heavy, confined tightly in the corset.

  After an evening of flirting in five-minute increments with this man, she was shocked at the hundred-and-eighty-degree turn in their interaction. Though he had made a point of touching her every time she sidled up to him, he had done so only briefly, making every contact with his skin seem accidental.

  Nothing about their current contact was accidental.

  She should feel more cautious. After all, she didn’t know this man at all. She didn’t even know his name. What she did know was that he was making her lady parts come alive in a way no man had in forever.

  She liked the attention. She liked the way he looked at her. She liked everything she knew about him.

  So, whether she was lying to herself or not, at the very least Clara surely knew this man, and he was safe. Clara wouldn’t set her up with another dud.

  He kissed her neck and then he pulled back
to stare at her chest again, heating her body. Maybe she should be insulted and demand he look her in the eyes, but he had already met her gaze dozens of times throughout the evening, and she found his attention on a part of her body that was ordinarily rather uninteresting warmed her everywhere. She wasn’t about to stop him from making her feel this sexy.

  His finger continued to stroke the sensitive skin of her chest, and his voice was husky when he whispered, “I don’t know how you managed to create this cleavage, but it’s so damn sexy. I like this dress.”

  She sucked in a breath and furrowed her brows, staring at the top of his head. He spoke as if he knew it was no small feat getting her boobs to look like this. Did she know him? Or at least did he know her?

  She let her gaze roam to his broad shoulders and down his arms, lingering on his fingers at her cleavage. Nothing about him sparked recognition. Renewed concern made her nervous. Surely she would remember this man from anywhere, even if she’d met him in passing. He stood out in a crowd. Even though she couldn’t see his face, she shouldn’t need to. His body alone should be recognizable.

  “You know me?” she asked softly.

  “Mm-hmm.” He didn’t elaborate, nor did he give her a chance to question him further before lifting his head, sliding his hand into the back of her hair, and drawing her in closer until his lips were on hers. He didn’t fuck around either. He kissed her deeply as if they had shared similar kisses several times a day for months or years.

  And God, could he kiss. His lips were both soft and demanding at once. His tongue slid across her lower lip and then dipped inside to tangle with hers. He tasted surprisingly of spearmint and not beer, causing her to lean into him farther at her favorite flavor.