Stripped Down (Tap That)

His voice was low and sexy as hell. Damn. She felt warm and girly and stupid. “Hi, Rick.”

Just hours earlier she had been screaming his name in the middle of an orgasm.

She went straight for the coffee without another word. She needed caffeine before she made a complete ass out of herself with Rick. Again. Hitting his bike had been pretty embarrassing.

“Can I have some coffee?” she asked, as she poured herself a cup and grabbed the powdered creamer.

Pour and ignore.

That’s all she had to do. Pour the coffee, ignore the way he made her feel.

* * *

Rick stood up and eyed Sloane. He hadn’t expected to see her wandering into his garage at ten in the morning. He’d thought she would still be sleeping. But here she was, looking a little sleep-deprived and asking for a coffee she already had in her hand and halfway to her lips. That seemed about right for Sloane. Take, then ask. He wished he’d had an opportunity to see some of that confidence in bed, but she’d been very submissive the night before.

The thought made his dick harden and his mouth water. He wanted Sloane in all the ways he could have her. He’d been an idiot to think one night could be enough. They had said they wouldn’t talk about what they’d done together. He didn’t need to talk. He just wanted more of her.

He had no clue though what to make of her being here now, given she had basically thrown him out of her apartment after Rachel called. “You’re up early,” he commented.

“I got a job next door. Today is my first day. I have to get some coffee for Winnie too. Her machine is broken.”

He barely heard a word she said. He was too busy staring at her ass in those jeans. He was picturing the way she had looked when he had thrust into her from behind. Damn. He needed to focus. “You’re working at the pet groomer’s? That sounds fun.”

She nodded. “I love dogs. Well, all animals, but especially dogs.”

“I remember that.” The O’Toole house had always been at least three deep in dogs when they were growing up.

Sloane smiled. “My dad could never say no to me and Sullivan. Guilt pets. He wanted to make up for my mom.”

Rick nodded. His father had let him have dogs too, but by the time he was ten he had given them all away to friends. Having a pet live in the squalor of their house had been too cruel. The memory wasn’t something he wanted to deal with right now so he strolled over to her and poured another cup of coffee. “I’ll walk you back.”

“Thanks.”

“River, I’ll be right back.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not.” He wanted the opportunity to kiss Sloane, or at the very least whisper something dirty in her ear.

“Yes, I am.” River was pouring a third cup of coffee and shooting him a look of defiance. He wasn’t sure if the coffee was supposed to be for her or for Winnie. Probably her. He was fast learning he had about zero control over this kid. She was going to give him gray hair by thirty.

“River,” he said, trying to sound as harsh as possible. Being a parent was hard as hell when you weren’t actually a parent. She didn’t respect him at all.

River sailed on past him, sipping the coffee and trying to pretend like she was enjoying it.

“She clearly listens well,” he told Sloane. “Only female I’ve met I can’t persuade to my way.”

Sloane’s eyebrows shot up as she fell in step beside him. “Oh, really?” she asked dryly. “Does that include me?”

He winked at her and leaned over to murmur in her ear, so River couldn’t hear. “I got you to kiss me, didn’t I? And a little bit more?”

She narrowed her eyes and tried to look annoyed but he could see the tinge of pink in her cheeks and the way she sucked in her breath at his words. He teased her hair away from her ear and gave her neck a kiss. She jerked away.

“Stop it, someone will see us.”

He didn’t really give a shit, but he let her move away from him. River had already rounded the corner and was walking quickly to the groomer’s. She loved bugging Winnie with requests to pet the dogs. More often than not, he thought he was failing miserably with his sister, but he was trying. It was all he could do. Just keep plugging along, doing the best he could.

“Oh, thank God, there you are,” Winnie said as River pushed open the door and they all invaded her pet salon. “I am dying for coffee.”