Chapter 13
After Caleb created an apple cinnamon puree, Rhys insisted on being the one to pull the espresso shots.
He didn’t like that he wasn’t working with his own machine, but if they liked this drink, then they could go try it at Frost + Foam.
He could make do for now. It wasn’t like Caleb had a bad machine.
It was a damn good one, one Rhys had considered for his shop.
Caleb really did have a top-notch operation. He had to admit that.
He tried to focus on measuring the ground espresso into the basket, but Caleb was right there watching him, so tall, so solid. Rhys turned to look at him. “Can you move back? You’re looming.”
“Looming?”
“I can’t do this with you watching me.”
“But how can I improve my espresso pulls if I don’t watch the master?”
Rhys quickly turned back to the espresso machine. His face was burning hot. Why did Caleb make him feel so damn flustered? He didn’t know if he could pull a decent shot under these conditions.
“Just take a deep breath,” Caleb said. “This isn’t life or death. This is one trial of one drink.”
But it mattered a lot to Rhys. He didn’t want Caleb thinking he was all talk. “I need this to be right.”
Caleb took several steps back. “We’re going to make a lot of drinks together, okay? I was just teasing. There’s no pressure for this one to be right.”
Rhys took a deep breath, then exhaled. Had he ever done anything without feeling pressure? He wasn’t sure.
They’d decided to use oat milk, so Rhys steamed some after he’d pulled the espresso and added it to the cup with the apple puree.
He topped it with the milk, then handed it off to Caleb, who garnished the drink with apple pie spice and a few pie crust crumbles.
Rhys wasn’t at all sure about the topping.
It seemed a bit much, but he was trying to compromise.
When Caleb took the first sip, his eyes lit up, and Rhys felt warmth in his chest. He hadn’t realized how important it was for him to please Caleb. “This is really good.”
“So you think it’s an okay start?” Rhys asked.
“More than okay.”
Rhys took the cup from him and tried it himself.
It was much sweeter than his preference but not sickening.
He wanted to bring out the coffee flavor more, but he’d have to be careful not to make it bitter.
He still wasn’t sold on the topping, but he was open to trying again and considering other options. “It’s not terrible.”
“Is that a compliment coming from you?”
He ignored Caleb’s question. “It needs work, but it’s better than anything I’ve tried yet.”
“So you admit it has potential?”
“Yes.” Caleb’s smile sent heat to his cheeks. Caleb’s opinion shouldn’t matter so much, but it did. Maybe they were going to come up with a good drink after all.
“Let’s try again,” Caleb said.
They discussed what changes to make, and Caleb worked on his apple puree while Rhys made some calculations. When they were ready, they assembled another drink, with Caleb once again dealing with flavoring and toppings and Rhys handling milk and espresso.
“It’s better. I’d almost say it’s good.” If Rhys weren’t such a perfectionist, it might even be a viable contender, but it needed more work to suit his standards and to likely have a chance of winning.
So far, though, things were going so much better than when he’d worked alone.
Could he actually enjoy working with Caleb?
Caleb laughed as he held out his hand for the cup. He took a careful sip, then smiled. There was foam on his lips, and Rhys wanted to lick it off. “It’s delicious. I’m sure we can make it even better, but this is good.”
He moved closer to Rhys as he sat the cup on the counter and reached for the equipment that needed to be washed. Their eyes met, and Rhys couldn’t help himself. He reached up and wiped the foam from Caleb’s lip.
Caleb sucked in his breath.
“Foam,” Rhys said, needing to explain his impulsive action.
“Thanks.”
Rhys just nodded. He couldn’t look away. He felt frozen as his heart pounded.
Caleb licked his lips, swiping his tongue where Rhys’s thumb had been. Rhys couldn’t take it anymore.
He reached for Caleb, grabbing his T-shirt and pulling him down until their lips met. The contact made him gasp.
Caleb’s lips were so soft, so full. He started to pull back, but Caleb groaned, wrapping his arms around Rhys and deepening the kiss.
It was no longer a soft touch of lips, a simple chance to know what it was like to kiss Caleb.
The kiss became much hungrier. Rhys shouldn’t be doing this, but he couldn’t fight it.
He needed Caleb touching him like he needed air to breathe. He pushed Caleb’s sweater up as Caleb used his tongue to taste Rhys, then to fuck his mouth. Rhys’s hands slid up Caleb’s stomach, taking in rough hair, soft skin, hard muscle. He thought he might fall apart just from this kiss.
Caleb’s hand slid down to Rhys’s ass, hauling their bodies together. He could feel Caleb’s thick erection against his stomach, and he felt huge. What would it be like to…
Oh God, what was he doing? He pushed against Caleb’s chest, and Caleb released him immediately.
Panic assaulted Rhys. His head spun, and he didn’t feel like he could get enough air in his lungs. He wanted to run, but even more, he wanted to melt into the ground, to just dissolve so he wouldn’t have to look at Caleb again.