by Susan Hayes
The place was full of patrons, so full that they had push through a crowd to get anywhere close to the bar. They’d only made it about halfway across the space when a loud voice boomed through the room. “Benji! I thought you weren’t coming by tonight?”
Kelly bit back a giggle as Ben grimaced. Clearly he wasn’t fond of that particular nickname. A gap opened in the crowd and Ben aimed straight for it with Kelly in tow.
“Hi, Dad. Change in plans. We’re just here to grab a takeout order and then we’re—”
“We? Who is we?”
“Right. Dad, this is Dr. Kelly Towers. Kelly, this is my father, Brian.” Ben made the introductions and then stepped back so Kelly could get a proper look.
“Hi, Mr. Wilde. It’s nice to meet you.” Ben had definitely taken after his father, though he was broader across the shoulder and chest than Brian. Same hazel eyes, same dark hair and gentle smile, though Brian’s hair was more silver than brown these days. Kelly liked the older man right away.
“Doctor?” Brian quirked a brow at that bit of information.
“Vet, actually. I’m Chase’s veterinarian. And please, call me Kelly.”
“Well it’s nice to meet you, Kelly, and you can call me Brian. I should have known the only thing that would keep my son away from this place on a Friday night would be a pretty woman.”
“Actually, we weren’t sure he knew what a woman was. He spends all his time hanging out with that mangy mutt of his.”
Kelly turned around and found herself looking up at taller, long-haired version of Ben. “You have to be one of Ben’s brothers. Do you all look alike?”
“Hardly. I’m much better looking. I’m Tag, by the way, and you are?”
“Out of your league, little brother,” Ben grumbled.
“I’m Kelly.”
“And I’m charmed. If you’re having dinner with Benji, I hope you’ll consider coming back here afterward and letting me buy you dessert?”
Ben growled under his breath and Kelly squeezed his hand again. She wanted him to know that he had nothing to worry about. “That’s a lovely invitation, but I’ll have to decline. Ben has me booked for dinner, dessert…” She leaned in closer to Tag and dropped her voice to a whisper, “And breakfast.”
Tag burst out laughing and winked at her. “Then he’s a lucky man.”
Ben moved in behind her, close enough she could feel the heat of his body through her dress. “Yes, I am.”
His brother threw up his hands in mocking surrender and backed up a step. “You can’t blame a man for trying.”
“Wanna’ bet?” Ben muttered.
“First one of you yahoos to throw a punch in my bar gets punted and won’t be allowed back in for a month,” a new voice announced.
“You are no fun, bro.”
Kelly turned to meet the newest arrival. He was a little shorter than Ben, with blond hair, blue eyes, and a very familiar smile.
“Hi, I’m Jared Wilde. Harried barkeep and peacemaker. You must be the reason Benji’s been in a good mood the last few days.”
“I’m Kelly. Thank you so much for organizing the takeout order for us. If I had known how busy you were, I’d have suggested we try somewhere else.”
“What, and deprive Chase of his favorite cheeseburgers? No way.”
She turned and frowned at Ben. “Just how many burgers does Chase eat, exactly?”
“Uh, a few.”
“One of these days we’re going to have a chat about your dog’s diet.”
Brian hitched a thumb toward Kelly and grinned at Jared. “Meet Chase’s vet.”
Jared’s hazel eyes glittered with laughter. “Really? Then do yourself a favor and don’t let her see how many burgers are in the bag, bro.” He handed Ben a large bag full of takeout containers.
“You are so busted, Benji,” Tag snickered.
“That’s just our order?” Kelly asked, stunned.
“You’ve clearly never seen my brother eat,” Jared said, fighting back laughter. “He used to be an adorably pudgy kid. If you want to stick around, I bet I can find some pictures to show—”
“We’re not staying,” Ben interjected.
“It was really nice meeting all of you, but our dinner is getting cold. Maybe next time I’m here you can bring out those pictures, Jared.”
“Not unless he wants me to break his nose again.”
Kelly laughed and twisted her head around to look up at Ben. “You didn’t!”
“Oh yeah, he did. I deserved it though.”
“Beating on younger siblings is part of a big brother’s job description,” Ben said and then dropped his head down to brush a slow, lingering kiss to her lips. Kelly knew he was staking his territory, but she didn’t care. Ben’s kisses were incredible and she wanted more of them, no matter what his motivation.
Brian snorted with laughter and waved them off. “Get her out of here before your brothers scare her off, son. Kelly, you’re welcome back here anytime. Have a good night.”
“Night, Dad. Say hi to mom for me, will you?” Ben said as he lifted his head and glowered at both of his brothers. “And you two, go find your own women. This one’s mine.”
“Holy shit, Benji finally gets a date and instantly goes caveman!” Tag crowed.
Kelly felt Ben tense behind her and decided it was time they got out of there. Having Ben be so possessive of her was flattering, but she didn’t want him fighting with his brothers over her. Attractive as they were, they weren’t Ben. He was the one she wanted.
Acting on instinct, Kelly pivoted around to face Ben and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, lighting nipping his lower lip. “Come on, caveman. It’s time you took me home.”
Heat filled his eyes as he stared into hers, a smile turning up the corners of his mouth. “Sounds good to me.”
He set off through the crowd and she followed after him, waving to the others as he led her back out into the summer night.
The minute they were outside she found herself swept into his arms for a long, torrid kiss. The world around them faded away until nothing remained but the heat of his mouth on hers and the feel of his hands stroking up her spine. Tiny sparks of desire zinged across her skin and Kelly’s knees turned to Jell-O. She leaned into him, her nipples pebbling and her pussy getting wetter with every second that passed. Holy hell, the man could kiss.
He ended the kiss with a groan as several approving cheers and whistles sounded around them, bringing Kelly back to reality with a crash. They had acquired an audience. Oops.
She blushed and ducked her head as Ben slowly released her. Without a word he offered his hand and she took it, both of them red-cheeked and laughing as they made their escape.
“So what was that kiss for?” she finally asked.
“For being you. Because you impressed my Dad and you’re the first woman I’ve ever seen shoot down Tag when he was in full flirtation mode.”
“I arrived with the hottest guy in the place, why would I trade down?”
“Hottest guy, huh? That compliment just earned you chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast tomorrow.” He waggled his brows at her and grinned. “You did say you were staying for breakfast.”
“I did, but it was pretty forward of me to assume that we’re, uh…I mean, that you and I are going to…” Kelly blushed and ducked her head, so embarrassed her ability to speak vanished. She’d said that to Tag on the spur of the moment, but what if Ben thought less of her for it? It was their first date, after all.
He stopped and turned to face her. “Baby, what’s wrong?” When she merely shook her head in response, he slipped a finger under her chin and tipped her head up so she was looking at him. His hazel eyes were simmering with heat, but his expression was as intent as she had ever seen. “If you stay with me tonight, I’m going to be a very happy man. But just so we’re clear, this is not a one-night thing. If I wake up tomorrow morning with you in my arms, I’m hoping that it will be the first time of many. And if you decide you want to g
o home, I’ll be by in the morning to take you to breakfast.”
There was no denying the sincerity of his words, and Kelly nodded, feeling better. “I just didn’t want you to think that I was…well, easy. Or that I do things like this all the time. I don’t. My sister has been telling me I need to get out and find a life besides work. I was hoping you might be able to help me with that.”
“You got it. I have the same problem. Maybe we can help each other?” He traced his thumb over her lower lip and gave her a slow, sexy smile that made her heart skip a beat.
“I’d like that.”
“Then let’s go back to my place, have dinner, and see where the evening takes us.”
****
Ben already knew that this was going to be one of those times that he’d remember for the rest of his life. The laughter came easily, the conversation flowed, and by the time dinner was done, he felt as if Kelly had been in his life for years instead of hours. When he started clearing the table, it felt totally natural that she rose to help him. The two of them made quick work of the dishes, despite the fact his mind kept wandering into X-rated territory every time he watched her wet hands glide over another plate or wipe a cloth up the length of a piece of cutlery. It was the first time in his life that doing the dishes actually had him turned on.
As she finished the last of the plates, he came up behind her and slipped an arm around her waist. “Thank you. You know you didn’t have to help me.”
“I know, but I wanted to.” She leaned into his chest, wiggling her butt against him just enough to tease. “This is a really nice place you have here. It’s not at all what I expected for a bachelor and his dog.”
“What were you expecting? Cinder blocks and furniture made out of empty beer cans? Black leather couches and a chrome coffee table?”
“Well, maybe a little of both, yeah. But this feels like a real home. I like it.” She gestured around them to the butter-yellow walls that caught the last of the evening sun. “Lots of wood furniture and light fabrics. Did your mom help you decorate?” She was teasing him, but he didn’t mind.
“It was my grandparents’ place, and no, I picked out the furniture myself, thank you. When my Gran passed on, my parents offered to sell it to me because they knew I’d need a house with a yard for Chase. That’s pretty hard to find without going all the way to the suburbs. I’ve been renovating the place when I have time, but I don’t want to change too much. There are too many memories here.”
“The yard’s beautiful. I really miss having green space.”
“Did I mention there’s a swing out back? Come on, we’ll go out and enjoy the evening. At least until the mosquitoes drive us back indoors.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Chase, you too. Backyard time, buddy.” Chase was on his feet in a second, bounding to the backdoor with his tail wagging madly.
Outside, the night air had gotten thick and heavy, but the smells of the overheated city were drowned out by the scent of his grandmother’s beloved roses. Thunder rumbled off in the distance as he led Kelly outside. The yard, like the rest of the house, wasn’t very big, so it was a very short walk to where an old-fashioned, porch-style swing was set up under a trellis covered with climbing roses. “I come out here when I need to unwind.”
“Very nice.” Kelly sat down and he settled in beside her. He was pleased when she curled her bare feet beneath her and scooted in close enough their bodies were touching and her head could rest on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her in close enough that her perfume tickled his nose. It was something light and just a little bit spicy. He liked it. Hell, he liked everything about her.
“You’re welcome to come out here and borrow my green space any time you like. I take it you used to have a garden?”
“My parents’ place had a big yard, lots of room to run around. Mom was always trying to grow flowers or vegetables and my sister and I were always trampling them. I’d forgotten how nice it is to have a bit of nature to come home too.”
“Not a lot of that available in a high-rise.”
“Nope. And I don’t have time to garden even if I did. How do you keep up with all of these plants?”
“One of the neighbors helps me out. She takes care of the roses for me and I help out by mowing her lawn and shoveling snow come winter. She’s a widow and doesn’t have any kids in town to help her out with things like that.”
“Your mother really did raise you right, didn’t she,” Kelly murmured and snuggled in closer as another peal of thunder sounded, this one significantly closer.
“She did her best. Some of us paid more attention to her lessons than others.” He threaded his fingers through the silken warmth of her hair, toying with the curls that fit perfectly around his index finger.
“I hope that storm breaks soon. It would be nice to have a break from this heat.”
“We can go back inside if you like. Just say the word,” Ben said, though he was reluctant to move from where they were. Having her curled up beside him felt perfectly right, as if she was meant to be there.
Chase was snuffling around the yard, making sure everything was as it should be, and the world felt like it was at peace.
“Not just yet,” Kelly said and slipped an arm around his waist. “I like it here.”
“I like having you here,” he found himself saying as his lips found hers. Kissing her was becoming an addiction, one he wasn’t planning on breaking anytime soon. Tag had been right about one thing. Kelly brought out his possessive streak with a vengeance. Every touch, every kiss they shared made it harder for him to deny what was happening. He wanted her, yes. But it was more than that. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell the world she belonged to him, and no one else.
His tongue traced the seam of her lips and she parted them with a tiny sigh that had his cock surging to painful hardness within seconds. He wanted to hear her sigh like that again, preferably as he sank into the sweet heat of her pussy. He fisted her hair more firmly, holding her head as he plundered her mouth. His tongue danced in and out, giving her a taste of the thorough fucking he’d be giving her later. If she agreed to stay. Fuck that. She was staying. She had to, because if he didn’t get to fuck her tonight, Ben wasn’t sure he’d ever forgive himself for screwing this up.
Chapter Four
Kelly was so lost in Ben’s kisses she didn’t even feel the first raindrops. It wasn’t until the thunder cracked over their heads and the skies opened into a deluge that they finally noticed the weather had changed. Instead of getting up and running for the house, Ben pulled her into his lap so that she was straddling his thighs, and kept kissing her.
Rain streamed down her face, plastering her dress to her skin, and still he kept kissing her. The storm didn’t douse her passion at all. Instead it made her feel alive and vibrant. Her skin felt so hot she was surprised the rainwater didn’t turn to steam. Ben’s hands reached between them to cup her breasts through the thin fabric of her dress, and she moaned into his mouth as his thumbs flicked over the hardening nubs of her nipples.
She rolled her hips, her pussy grinding along the hard ridge of his cock, and he shuddered in response. He arched his hips up, increasing the friction between them. Every time he stroked her breasts, she rolled her hips, and soon they were dancing back and forth on the jagged edge of control. Neither of them wanting to stop, neither of them wanting to be the first to break.
In the end it was Ben who took control. He released her breasts, ignoring her moans of protest as he wrapped his arms around her and stood, taking her with him. She twined her legs around his hips and clung to the wide expanse of his shoulders as he strode back into the house. The rain was still falling, drenching them both to the skin. She didn’t care.
All Kelly could feel was the fire raging through her veins and the way her clit throbbed with every step.
Chase was already waiting for them by the back door, following them inside once Ben managed to open it wit
hout letting go of Kelly. They made it through the small kitchen and all the way to the bottom of the stairs before he stopped to kiss her again, her back pressed to the wainscoting and his hands curving under her ass to hold her in place. She could feel the length of his cock straining against the confines of his pants and imagined how good it would be to have him inside her. She squirmed at the thought, sending a bolt of pleasure slamming through her.
Ben broke off the kiss, moving his mouth away just enough to speak. “I want to take you upstairs now. And if you say yes, I’m going to take you to bed and keep you there all night. Tell me you want this too, baby.”
“Yes,” she whispered without hesitation. She wanted this. She needed this. Needed Ben. Oh God, she needed him.
“Thank you, God,” he groaned and kissed her again, grinding himself against her body until they were both shaking with need.
“Take me upstairs, caveman,” she teased him and he growled, the noise nearly lost in another clap of thunder.
“That’s not going to be my nickname, is it?” he asked as he moved her away from the wall and started carrying her up the stairs.
“You’d prefer Benji?”
“No. God, no. My mother calls me Benji!”
“Then caveman it is,” she giggled and stuck out her tongue.
Ben’s only response was to kiss her again before jogging up the stairs, taking them two at a time in his rush to get her to his room. She was moving too fast to see more than a glimpse of narrow hall, closed doors, and a dark hardwood floor as she found herself whisked down the corridor and into the room at the far end. In here everything was done in shades of grey and blue, and she knew without a doubt they were in Ben’s bedroom.