Caged In Read online

  He covered his face with his hands and shook his head. “Oh my god, stop. It wasn’t obvious because I didn’t even know!”

  She reached over and squeezed his arm. “It was. And on some level, I don’t think my brother even knew. I’ve wanted to knock some sense into you both for years. But I knew he would consider that to be the epitome of unprofessional behavior, and he’s nothing if not a stubborn business owner with a moral streak a mile wide. But, Cam, he’d ask you to sit with him at lunch, which he doesn’t do with anyone else. He’d joke with you and do his I’m flirting, but not outrageously, so no one will know bit.”

  He snorted. “That’s a very specific ‘bit’ Rae.”

  She waved that away. “I didn’t know how to describe it. I just meant he didn’t think he was being obvious, and for most people observing, at least in the beginning, he wasn’t. I don’t even work there, and I saw it, but people also passed info along because that place is a hotbed for gossip.”

  Camden hated the thought of being part of any gossip passed around, and his look must have conveyed that because she reassured him, “It’s not like everyone was talking about it. They just knew I was kind of watching it all unfold, so they’d tell me. But, after he did it for a long time, others started noticing too. And now, everybody knows.”

  He sighed knowing what she said was inevitable at a place like Big D’s but not liking it. Then she brightened and pointed at him. “Oh, not to mention, when you were so sick last winter, he brought you soup for Pete’s sake. Do you think he brings all of his employees soup?”

  Camden was getting overwhelmed with all this information. Wait…what? “He said that you’d said I might need some soup to feel better. I figured you’d made it, or it was canned.”

  She looked at him, mouth curved into a soft smile, and shook her head. “No. We were talking, and he told me you called in sick. I said he should bring you some soup. We hung up and then ten minutes later he was calling me for our mom’s recipe for chicken noodle soup. He made a huge batch, Cam. Probably because he wanted to have enough for you, but I remember seeing a couple containers in his freezer a few weeks later.”

  Camden had no idea why he had tears in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. Reed had brought him homemade soup? Holy shit. How could he have missed all of that. He knew she was telling the truth, but how in the hell had he been so blind? But then he realized at work he was always serious. He did his job and he tried to do it to the best of his ability. He’d been in the one-track-mind zone for years. In fact, he couldn’t remember when he wasn’t in that zone.

  He let himself relax on the weekends with his friends, but other than that, he was studying or working during any free time he had when he wasn’t in classes. It left no room for much of an outside social life that included dating.

  He had a crush on Reed that he’d long since decided was unrequited. But after what Reagan said and Reed’s actions and words the night before, he wasn’t so sure. He was a blind idiot, but he was also a lucky one. He was under no illusions that he was in Reed’s league, but he wasn’t going to let this chance with him slip away.

  God, he wanted to see him again, so bad.

  “Cam? Earth to Cam!”

  He startled and then blushed when he realized Reagan had probably been talking to him for quite some time. “Sorry!”

  She grinned at him. “If you were thinking about my brother, I’m not sorry at all. I’m just really happy for you guys. I’ve been rooting for you forever. I know he can be intense. You may not have seen that part of him yet.”

  “Oh yeah, I’ve seen a bit of it already.” He chuckled.

  She nodded her head, her gaze genuine. “I hope you give him a real chance. That much intensity can make people shy away from him, but he’s passionate and kind. He’ll treat you well and take care of you in his own unique way.”

  Camden blushed and nodded. “I know he’s a Daddy.”

  Reagan’s eyes popped wide and she gaped at him like a guppy. “What? Did he talk to you about that already? Geesh, he’s a fast mover.”

  Laughing, he replied, “No, no. I’ve known for a long time. His boys weren’t always discreet, and I’d heard them call him Daddy and talk about liking his discipline.” Oh god, would the blushing ever end? “I also heard Reed call a couple of the guys he dated boy, on more than one occasion.” He cleared his throat and couldn’t help but blurt out, “It was new to me, but I did a lot of research and found that I really liked the idea of it. So, he didn’t have to tell me about it at all.”

  She snorted out a laugh. “Because of course you did research. Well, I’m glad you know that about him. I’m sure he was surprised but relieved.”

  He nodded and shoved a forkful of pasta in his mouth, unsure what else to say or if he wanted to say anything at all. She must have understood his silence because she reached over and squeezed his arm again. “You don’t have to worry about being treated well, Cam. I promise.”

  “I know.”

  She nodded. “Good. I know he’s blunt about how he feels and sometimes that’s scary at first. The only advice I can give you is to be just as blunt and honest with him. I already know you guys are going to be the perfect couple. If he isn’t half in love with you already, it won’t take him long. He’s been sliding towards that for years. Don’t let that scare you.”

  Camden twirled the fork in his pasta and took another bite to give himself a second. He finally admitted to her, “It doesn’t scare me. I suppose, now that I’ve had time to really think about it, I’ve felt the same.”

  “Good. Okay, I won’t grill you on any of the specifics. I’m here if you want to chat, but I won’t push and be too nosy.”

  They grinned at each other and he scrunched his face up. “I don’t think you’ll be able to help yourself, but I know you’re only doing it because you care, and you want what’s best for us both.”

  “I do. Okay listen, I need to get a few things done before my shift. So, I need to get going. I think your pasta is cold by now, and you don’t seem to be that hungry, but if you want to stay and finish—”

  He shook his head, raised his hand for their waiter, and asked for a to-go container, grabbing cash to pay their bill. When she tried to pay for her own, Camden reminded her she’d paid last time. They shared a tight hug then made their way to their cars. He was so lucky to be friends with Reed’s sister. He seriously hoped it worked out between him and Reed because he didn’t want to lose her if it ended.

  But when he sat in his car, he realized—with more than a little bit of shock—that he wasn’t worried too much about it. Which wasn’t like him at all. He was a worrier at heart, always had been. If there was something he could stress over, he did. And if there wasn’t, he’d create one. Hell, he’d been teased by his friends about it for years. That and the fact he was too serious and needed to lighten up. Not to mention eat regular meals, give himself a break from his stressful world once in a while, and get more sleep.

  Shaking his head at himself, he put the keys in the ignition and pulled out of his spot, heading the opposite way Reagan went. He didn’t realize until he was nearly in the parking lot that instead of going home, he’d driven to Big D’s. He couldn’t deny that the simple fact that he saw Reed’s massive, old, truck-SUV thing gave him a thrill. Just knowing he was near the man made his heart skip a beat and put a grin on his face.

  Jesus, I have it bad.

  At that point, Camden didn’t have any fucks to give. He wasn’t going to hold back anymore. He wasn’t going to overthink and overstress. He was going to go with his gut and follow his heart; and obviously, his heart was leading him straight to Reed. To the man he hoped to call Daddy, sooner rather than later. Smiling to himself, he got out of the car and walked inside the bar and grill, heading towards the office. He knocked to be sure Reed was alone. When the man’s gruff, sexy voice said, “Come in,” Camden was through that door in a second, glancing around to make sure they were alone. He locked the door behind him
then headed towards Reed.

  The surprised pleasure on Reed’s face at seeing him sent a thrill through Cam’s whole body. The hair on his arms stood on end, and he had goosebumps at the mere thought that a man like that was so genuinely happy to see him. He strode over to him, glad Reed had pushed his desk chair back, and straddled his lap, only barely fitting his legs beside Reed’s on the big, leather rolling chair.

  Cam went with his gut and kissed the sexy man he was starting to think of as his. He shuddered when Reed’s arms wrapped tightly around him, caging him in. He couldn’t extricate himself from that grip unless he asked Reed to let him go—and I may not ever want Reed to let me go. When one of Reed’s hands grabbed his ass and pulled him flush against Reed’s much bigger body, Cam might have whimpered and ground his hips into Reed’s lap.

  No, he definitely ground his hips into Reed’s lap because that grip on his ass grew tighter, helping him along. Reed’s other hand slid up his back and neck and gripped Camden’s hair in a tight fist that was just shy of hurting; instead of being worried Reed would hurt him, Cam felt his cock leak precum at the thought of the possessive hold Reed had on him.

  God, this man.

  When they finally came up for air, he felt sex-addled, and they’d only kissed for cripes’ sake. But looking into Reed’s eyes, his gaze smoldering and intense, he knew he wasn’t the only one. As he sat astride Reed’s lap, Camden reveled in that small sense of power he felt coursing through him for being the one to bring so much passion to Reed's eyes.

  “You made me soup.”

  The confused look on Reed’s face was adorable, in a he’s-so-masculine-he-would-never-be-called-adorable-but-he-is way. He chuckled to himself and Reed finally asked, “What?”

  Cam leaned in and gave him a quick kiss and said, “You”—kiss—“made”—kiss—“me”—kiss—“soup. When I was sick last year. You made me soup. I thought it was either canned or your sister made it and forced you to bring it to me. But she just told me you called her for the recipe and made it yourself. For me. Because I was sick.”

  Butterflies flitted all over his belly when he saw the first, and probably last, blush on Reed’s face. “Of course, I made you soup. You were basically on your deathbed. But even then, your messy hair, pale face, red nose, chapped lips, and your Kermit the Frog pajama pants just about did me in. Do you remember how I nearly shoved that soup in your hands?”

  Camden chuckled. “I do, yeah. I was like…uh, okay.”

  “I did that because if I didn’t, I’d have pulled you into a hug, fed you the soup and some meds, led you to your bedroom, and stayed with you until you fell asleep. But as it was, I was skirting the lines of inappropriate behavior, so I finally got my shit together and told you how to heat it up and to make sure you finished it, and to let me know when you were well enough to come back to work.”

  Camden smiled. “I remember. I was so confused and so sick it was all kind of fuzzy later on when I thought about it. I honestly thought you wanted to make sure I wasn’t full of shit because I’d called out sick three shifts in a row. But then I realized you’d never do that, and that you legit just did a wellness check on me because you cared.”

  “I did. I still do.”

  Camden leaned in to kiss him again, a bit more thoroughly that time, and said, “I know. So do I. Sorry to barge in here so suddenly. I didn’t even know my car was headed this way until I turned into the lot. I guess I had to see you.”

  “This is the best interruption of my work I’ve ever had. Don’t hesitate to do it again.”

  Reed’s grin was infectious, and Cam chuckled, unable to keep his happiness under wraps. “I won’t. But I know you have to work, so I’ll crawl off your very sexy body and tell you goodbye.”

  Reed grabbed his ass with both hands, and the hard-on that had flagged hardened right back up. He looked down at his lap, which made Reed do the same and they realized they were both hard. He leaned his forehead against Reed’s and whispered, “The things you make me feel.”

  “You’re killing me, boy.”

  A shudder made its way throughout his whole body. God, he loved it when Reed called him that. It felt significant, possessive. It wasn’t just a word Reed was throwing out there; it meant something to Reed, and now it meant something to Cam as well. More than he cared to admit. “We’re killing each other, I think.”

  There was a huge clatter that sounded like it came from the kitchen. It jolted them both back to reality. Reed looked sad to say, “I gotta get back to work. I wish you were working today.”

  He grinned. “Me too.”

  They both chuckled and Reed stood with Camden in his arms, slowly lowering him to his feet. His gaze was intense when he looked down at Camden and he growled, “I’ve been thinking about you all day. I can barely get anything done. Go on now, or it will just get worse and I’ll tie you to my chair and do wicked things to you.”

  Camden blushed, his breath caught, and he bit his lip just thinking about how hot that sounded. Reed narrowed his eyes and chuckled. “We’ll come back to that. I’ll finish my shift and call you later. All right?”

  “Yes, please.” He’d like to say he didn’t try to make his voice sound all breathy, but he so did. Reed groaned and leaned down for another passionate kiss. Cam was led out of the office in a daze, couldn’t remember walking through the restaurant and getting into his car, and had no idea how he got home. He wasn’t going to get anything productive done for the rest of the day. Instead, he waited, excitedly, for that call.

  Chapter 6

  Reed

  It was Monday night, and Reed had the late shift. He missed Camden something fierce. He’d need to think about his schedule going forward because he wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible with Camden, who would be starting a standard work week on the following Monday. Reed had staff he could trust, so there wouldn’t be a problem. He just usually preferred to close because that’s when Big D’s came alive and people enjoyed the space the most. It was when he enjoyed the space the most. He loved chatting with customers, throwing the occasional axe, playing pool, and throwing darts with patrons.

  He left his office to search out Ben, his assistant manager, to discuss it and stopped dead in the middle of the back hallway when his phone pinged with a new text. The smile wiped off his face as shock took its place. His boy did not just send a picture of the cock cage he’d purchased at Ace’s Wild, laying on his bed, the box right beside it. Reed’s dick got hard in his pants faster than he thought possible. There was absolutely no warning and no message accompanying it. Oh, no, wait. The bubbles were moving. Camden was typing, and Reed couldn’t wait to hear his excuse for that tease.

  He went back to his office, because Jesus, he had to calm his dick down, and it didn’t look like that was going to happen any time soon. As he waited and waited for a message to come in from Camden, he sat at his desk, mind drifting to their conversation the night before…

  He’d gotten home, showered and was now resting on his bed dialing Camden, his body alight with excitement to talk to him. When Camden finally answered, his voice all soft and sweet, he asked, “Did I wake you up?”

  There was a yawn. “No. I was waiting for your call.”

  He liked the sound of that. “Mmm, I couldn’t wait to call you, but I wanted to come home and shower off the day and get in bed before I did.”

  Camden sighed audibly through the line. “Now you’re just teasing me, talking about being in bed. You probably sleep naked. Mmm, I hope you sleep naked.”

  Reed couldn’t keep the grin off his face or the laugh from his voice. “Not always, but I’m willing to be persuaded.”

  He heard rustling in the background. “I will happily persuade you.”

  Chuckling, Reed replied, “I look forward to it.”

  God, flirting with Camden was his favorite new pastime.

  “So, how was work today?”

  “You mean after you came by and sat on my lap and ravished my mout
h because of some soup?”

  There was a snort on the other line. “Yeah. After that. And don’t even try to deny that you loved every second of it.”

  “Oh, you bet your sweet, little ass I did.”

  “I like it when you grab me there.”

  Reed laughed and shook his head. “I like grabbing you there. Now stop your flirting. I called to have a serious conversation with you.”

  “My flirting?!”

  “Yes, yours, boy.”

  He heard a soft, happy, little hum. “Yes, Sir.”

  He couldn’t stop a growl from rumbling out of his chest. Goddamn, he’d never get tired of hearing his boy call him Sir. He just knew when Camden finally felt comfortable enough to call him Daddy, he’d be on cloud nine. “Okay, so this might be a conversation we should have face to face, but I don’t want to hold off much longer, and our schedules are all over the place this week.”

  “Is this the ‘Daddy Talk’?”

  Reed chuckled, liking that Camden felt comfortable joking with him. “Yes, brat. And I’m happy to wait to talk face to face about it instead, if you’d prefer?”

  “Hmm mm.” He heard some rustling and pictured Camden shifting around, getting comfortable. “This is fine. We’re both busy this week, and I don’t want to wait.”

  Relieved, Reed sighed. “Okay, good. I just want you to understand the type of Daddy I am. I know you’ve read a lot about it, but there are so many ways for a man to be a Daddy to his partner and no two ways are exactly the same. That okay?”

  “Mmhmm. I want to know how to please you.”

  “You please me just being in my life. It’s my job to please and take care of you. It’s something I’ve always liked to do for the boy I’m seeing, and now that you’re the boy I’m seeing, I want to take care of you.”

  “How would you do that?”

  “I’d start by learning your habits and your schedule. I’d make sure you ate full, balanced meals three times a day, and I’d make sure you get to bed at a decent time. And a decent time isn’t the middle of the night.”