Grace (Corked and Tapped Book 2) Read online

  Grace

  Corked and Tapped, Book Two

  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

  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

  “Is this seat taken?” Her breath caught and her heart skipped a beat when he turned to face her. This night was looking up. Almost before she settled on the bar stool, he took the reins, promising her a night she would not forget.

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

  Chapter 1

  “Is this seat taken?” Grace could only see the profile of the man she spoke to at the bar as she leaned toward him. When he turned her direction and smiled, a warmth spread through her.

  “Nope. It’s all yours.” Holy hell, this guy was gorgeous. His voice was deep and husky. His dark hair was thick and slightly messy as if he’d run his fingers through it. She loved a man who didn’t need to be completely put together at all times.

  What were the chances the only stool available at the bar happened to be next to a sexy man who looked to be her age? She tried to steady herself as she took the available seat. This neighborhood bar, Corked and Tapped, was hopping tonight. She was lucky there was a stool available at all. She’d never been here before, so she had spent a few minutes making her way through the crowd before spotting this seat near the end of the bar.

  The lighting was dim, but a string of lights hung over the dance floor. The music was upbeat and contemporary, but not too loud that people couldn’t have a conversation.

  “What’re you having?” he asked as he motioned for the bartender.

  “Dry martini. Thank you.” She blew out a breath as she set her purse on the bar next to her. It had been a long day. She needed to unwind and relax. “Looks like I got lucky there was a seat at all. The place is packed.”

  The man next to her nodded. “Yeah. The owner and another woman were sitting in these seats until a few moments ago. They just left. I was close enough to snatch this one before anyone else managed to beat me to it.”

  The bartender slid her martini in front of her.

  “Thank you.” She picked up the drink and took her first sip, glancing at Mr. Hottie next to her and then at the dance floor. Corked and Tapped. She loved the name of the bar almost as much as the vibe.

  The man was still facing her and now he held out a hand. “Jack.”

  She took it firmly in her own. “Grace.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” Sitting up straighter, she eyed Jack from head to toe. She inhaled long and slow and let out her breath, clearing her mind. Blocking out her real life entirely. Jack was smiling at her. He was hot. He was sexy. He was interested in her.

  She decided then and there to stuff the real world in a safe place in the back of her mind and allow herself to relax and enjoy herself. She mentally shook away her day and met his gaze head on.

  Jack was clean-shaven and well-dressed. Like her, he appeared to have come from the office. “What do you do, Jack?”

  “I own a restaurant.”

  She lifted a brow. “And you don’t need to be there now?” She glanced at her watch. “Nine o’clock on a Friday night.”

  He grinned. “We only serve breakfast and lunch. It’s called Jack’s. It’s a few blocks from here.”

  She nodded. “Ah, right. Jack’s. I’ve been there. Cute place. Good food.” She smiled at him again.

  “Thank you.” He wiped a hand across his forehead dramatically. “It would suck if you hated the place.”

  She laughed. “How do you know I’m not lying?”

  His turn to chuckle. “Good point. But then again, you could have said you’d never heard of the place.”

  “True.”

  “So, what do you do?” He held up a hand. “Wait. Let me guess.” His gaze went up and down her frame, long enough to make her squirm a little. “Dark gray pencil skirt. Matching jacket. White silk blouse. Comfortable pumps. Hair in a bun. Hmmm. Office manager?”

  She laughed harder this time. “Nice try. Lawyer.”

  His eyes widened. “Well, then. I should probably be on my best behavior. Never hurts to know a lawyer.”

  She took another sip of her martini, the stress of the day loosening. It didn’t hurt that she managed to snag not only a seat at the bar but it was next to a friendly man who wasn’t going to annoy her for the evening. She liked him. In fact, she liked him enough to flirt. It had been a while since she flirted. She shrugged. “I’m not sure it’s necessary to be on your best behavior.” She winked at him.

  His smile broadened. “Okay, then.” He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his crisp white shirt. His tie was a swirl of colors. It gave the impression he had a sense of humor and wasn’t the stuffy sort. That and the wry smile that never left his face.

  Yeah, she definitely felt flirty tonight. Why not? It was the weekend. Maybe if she continued to talk to Jack and he didn’t turn out to be a moron, she could spice up her evening. Deciding to put herself out there, she crossed one leg over the other and turned slightly to more fully face him.

  “Have you been here before?” Jack asked.

  She shook her head. “Nope. First time.” Another fortifying sip of her drink helped her relax further. “What are you drinking?” she asked, pointing at his beer.

  He tipped it to the side a bit as he lifted it. “Local draft. I’m a microbrew kind of guy.”

  “Excellent choice.”

  “You drink beer?”

  “Sometimes. Tonight I was in the mood for something stronger.”

  “Rough day in court?”

  “No more than usual. Just long. Occasionally, I have a client who makes me wish I’d never taken the case.”

  “Ah, I can imagine. You must meet some interesting people.”

  “Definitely.” She took another sip of her martini. “I’m sure you do too. Some people can be outrageous in a restaurant.”

  He nodded. “Today I had to rescue one of my waitresses from an irate customer who insisted she used to have dinner at my place all the time and wanted to know why we stopped serving dinner.”

  Grace laughed. “Have you ever been open for dinner?”

  “Not one single day in eight years.” He chuckled. “Even though I told her I was Jack, the owner, and explained that she was mistaken, she did not back down. She finally left in a huff saying I was lying to her so my employee wouldn’t look stupid.”<
br />
  “Lordy. I think that’s worse than what I put up with today.”

  Jack turned fully sideways, his knee bumping hers as he set his elbow on the bar. “I’m sure you can’t go into specifics. Attorney-client privilege and all.”

  “Right. Let’s just say if you’re going to cheat on your husband with multiple other men, maybe don’t take selfies.”

  Jack laughed, a deep sound reaching into her and making her wish she had a hand on his chest while he made it. It would vibrate through her body and probably bring her close to orgasm.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been excited enough to bring her sexy bits to life. It had been too long, that was for sure. She should get out more often. Life always got in the way.

  She glanced away for a second, trying to find a brain cell or two. Since when do you pick up men in bars and blatantly flirt with them, let alone get aroused from their laughter?

  “Is it warm in here?” she murmured as she removed her jacket and hung it over the back of the chair. When she returned her gaze to Jack, she found him staring at her chest.

  She flushed under his blatant admiration. “Nice blouse.”

  She glanced down and back up. Yeah, it was a bit too revealing. And it didn’t help she’d chosen one of her sexiest lingerie sets that morning. The delicate lace and tiny roses lining the edge of her bra were not concealed in the least.

  “If you took your jacket off in court today, I assume you won your case,” he teased lightly.

  She flushed further, thinking perhaps she should put the jacket back on. Maybe her blouse was a bit more revealing than socially acceptable. As she reached for the blazer, he grabbed her hand. “Don’t. I didn’t mean to imply it was too much. I was complimenting you.”

  She met his gaze, assessing him. “For the record, I never take my jacket off in court. Not even if it’s two hundred degrees.”

  He smiled warmly. “See? Then you’re fine. We aren’t in court now.” He leaned closer, his voice dipping. “You’re fucking hot. Don’t be embarrassed. There are twenty-one-year-old girls in here wearing far more revealing clothes than you.”

  She glanced around, licking her lips. He was right. That included the waitress standing near them waiting for an order. She had on a black tank top with the bar logo on it that pushed her full breasts up high and a black skirt that barely covered her butt. Her name tag read Jade. She was at least ten years younger than Grace.

  Jack didn’t release Grace’s hand, but he did lower it to her thigh, his thumb stroking her knuckles. The intimacy and his proximity were making her heart rate pick up. He had scooted his stool closer to hers, his knees now straddling hers.

  Yeah, the bar might be filled with people closer to Jade’s age, but none of them were the focus of Jack’s attention right now, so Grace felt a bit empowered.

  Jack smelled fantastic as if he’d recently showered and shaved, though that seemed unlikely since he was in a suit as if he’d come from the restaurant. Perhaps he’d stayed long after they closed, doing paperwork or something.

  “Listen,” he whispered, leaning so his lips were an inch from her ear. “I’m going to cut to the chase. I’m attracted to you. I’d love to get to know you better, but you should be aware up front I’m a pretty dominant lover who enjoys a healthy dose of kink.”

  Chapter 2

  Grace swallowed back her shock at his tone and his words. He had a grip on her hand still, and he was stroking her skin with his thumb in a maddeningly sexy manner.

  Before she could respond, he continued. “I won’t be offended in the least if you’re not interested, but if you are, I can promise you a night you won’t soon forget.”

  Holy shit. Was he offering her a night of kinky sex? She started to shake as a chill ran down her spine. If anyone was looking closely, they would think she was cold. But she was aroused. Totally turned on by this man’s suggestion.

  Her nipples were tight and sensitive. Suddenly the lace of her bra seemed to be abrading the tips. She still had her legs crossed, and she squeezed them together against the wave of throbbing extending from her clit to her pussy.

  A rush of wetness filled her thong, making her wish she’d worn something with a bit more material. But the thong matched the bra, so she’d put it on that morning without a second thought.

  “Grace.” His voice was deeper and had a hint of command.

  She lifted her gaze from their combined hands to his face, feeling a flush heat her cheeks. Had he asked her a question? Her brain was completely scrambled. It had definitely been way too long since she’d let herself loose.

  He lifted a brow, and then he reached with his free hand to tuck the single curl touching her cheek behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her earlobe, making her shiver. He smiled. “I still want a verbal answer, but I can tell from your physical response you’re interested.”

  She swallowed again. “How kinky are you?” she murmured. If he wanted to talk dirty to her and then fuck her until she slept like a baby, that would be awesome. If he thought she would let him whip her until he drew blood, there was no fucking way she was up for something like that.

  He cupped her face. “Don’t worry. I can read a woman well. I’ll only be as kinky as you can handle.” He leaned closer. “You hold the power. Nothing happens without your consent.”

  She licked her lips again. “But I mean, are we talking whips-and-chains kinky? Or blindfolds and fuzzy cuffs?” She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation. Her sex life used to be healthy, but she had never engaged in any sort of BDSM before.

  Jack smoothed his fingers down to her neck. “How much experience do you have with D/s?”

  “D/s?” she asked, feeling a little stupid. She understood the basics of the fetish world, but she wasn’t familiar with that particular term.

  If he thought her response demonstrated her enormous ignorance, however, he didn’t show it. “Dominance and submission.”

  “Oh.” She cleared her throat. “You mean like you bossing me around or something?”

  He smiled. “Something like that. I call it dominance.”

  She cringed. “I’m not very submissive. I’m usually the boss of my world. Not sure if I can play that role.” Though part of her wanted to try. Part of her had always thought about it. She read sexy romances when she had the time. She even preferred the ones with totally alpha males that were dominant and took charge. Reading that sort of thing always made her horny, but could she actually participate?

  The idea was intriguing. Jack was intriguing.

  His damn thumb was tracing a path down the edge of her blouse over the swell of her breasts now, making it difficult to think. “You’d be surprised. Most submissives are people with extremely dominant day jobs who enjoy turning power over to someone else occasionally. It’s freeing.”

  “Mmm.” She wasn’t sure she understood his reasoning.

  He flattened his palm on her thigh and smoothed his fingers up to her wrist. “Your pulse is racing. Your face is flushed. You have goose bumps on your neck. You’re aroused.”

  “Yes,” she breathed. That much was undeniable.

  “Just go with it. Trust me. I won’t do anything I don’t believe you can handle. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, you’ll probably be ruined for vanilla sex after an evening with me.”

  She suddenly didn’t doubt his words. In fact, there was a chance she was already on that path to ruination as he spoke. If she turned him down and walked away right this second, she would never be able to get to sleep. His deep voice and the naughty words he spoke would haunt her forever and make her wish she’d taken him up on his offer.

  Could she trust him, though? How could she know for sure he was who he said he was?

  As if he read her mind, he suddenly released her wrist and neck and sat up straighter. He leaned to one side, pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, and removed his driver’s license.

  When he held it out for her to look at, she verifie
d his name was indeed Jack, and she could see his last name and his address. She was aware of his restaurant. Surely he didn’t run around town convincing women he owned a restaurant in a giant ploy to lure them into bed.

  She finished looking at his license and lifted her gaze back to his. “Okay. Let’s say I take you up on this offer, where would we go? I’m not particularly comfortable leaving here with a man I just met, no matter what credentials he has.” The truth was, she also wouldn’t and couldn’t bring him back to her place. After all, she didn’t live alone. But he didn’t need to know that.

  She swallowed, remembering she also couldn’t stay out all night. She had obligations. Responsibilities. People counted on her. Again, not things she would share with a stranger.

  He put his license away and took both her hands in his, settling them on her thighs. “We’re not going anywhere right now. We’re going to sit right here, have another drink, and get to know each other. Meanwhile, I’m going to slowly make you wish we were not in this crowded bar until you’re so hot for me, you can’t stand it.”

  She gulped at those last words, knowing he could fulfill that last part in about two seconds. In fact, he already had. She’d never been this aroused this fast with any man, especially not a stranger in a bar.

  Jack reached for the edges of her stool and dragged it closer until her knees bumped against the edge of his seat between his legs. His hands returned to hers and then slid up her arms. The goose bumps she’d noticed multiplied as she shivered.

  When he reached her biceps and his thumbs grazed the edges of her breasts, a low moan escaped her lips. Jesus.

  “What do you say, Grace? You want to play?”