by Julie Bale
“What?” I took another swig of my beer but her words stopped me cold.
“There was a girl at the door but she left before I got a chance to tell her you were out back. She looked a little upset and she seemed real surprised to see me.”
My heart took off and I jumped from low slung bench near the barbecue. Georgia. It had to be her.
Shit.
“Who is she?”
I hopped the railing, ignoring Eden’s question, and ran around the house hoping like hell she hadn’t left yet. I rounded the corner and caught sight of Matt’s car as she tried to maneuver it around my truck.
The relief I felt was short lived because she’d just managed a three point turn and was about to take off. With a burst of speed I shot forward, jumping in front of her, a grin on my face, my hands outstretched as she slammed on the brakes, the bumper missing me by an inch.
She could have knocked me down but I would have been right back up and in her face. Now that she was here I wasn’t letting her go anywhere.
I’d been thinking about this girl every single minute of every single day for the past week and to see her so close, to be in her space, filled me with something I wasn’t going to even guess at. But it was good, whatever this was…hell yeah, it was good.
I’d decided the day before to give Georgia until tonight before I made a move to get in touch with her. I wanted to respect that Georgia needed some time and space, but on the other hand, I was so hot for her that I found it hard to concentrate on anything. Hell, I’d played the shittiest round of golf ever, because I couldn’t get her of my mind. And considering it was in my own charity golf tournament, well you can imagine the ribbing I took.
But it was all good now. She was here. Right here in front of me.
For several long moments we stared at each other and when I was sure she wasn’t going to pull away, I advanced, watching her eyes follow me until I stopped beside her window.
Slowly it slid down and I bent over, leaning my elbows on the lip of the window, my gaze taking in the face that had starred in more porn star fantasies than I would ever share. Those eyes. That hair. That mouth.
I was tight, my muscles bunched, my heart beating way too fast. But even more pressing, I ached to touch her. To reach forward and claim that mouth and to taste her again. When the hell had I ever felt like this over a girl?
She cleared her throat and tapped the steering wheel with her fingers. A blue halter dress left her shoulders and most of her legs bare, and my mouth went dry as my eyes took a trip down her body. When they traveled back up, goose bumps rolled across my skin as we made eye contact.
“Hey,” I said softly, drinking her in, in one long gulp.
She jerked her head, a quick little nod, but didn’t say anything, her expression shuttered, closed…and if I didn’t know any better I would say just a tad bit jealous.
My grin widened and a scowl touched her mouth.
“What’s so funny?” she asked sharply.
There were no questions, no nice, safe conversation. There were her dark, furled brows, her steadily tapping fingers and her green-eyed jealousy.
“Are you going to turn off the engine and get out of this car?”
“Nope.”
“Huh.” I leaned an inch or so closer. Holy hell the smell of summer caught me hard and my gut clenched as I let the scent waft over me. In me. Through me.
“So you came all the way out here to ring my doorbell and then leave without even saying hi?”
She licked her lips, that soft pink tongue mesmerizing as it swiped along her bottom lip.
“Ben, I don’t know what I was doing coming out here, but obviously you’re busy and I don’t want to interrupt.”
“Busy?” My grin was goofy. Oh, this girl was so jealous and I fucking loved it. It meant that she cared. It meant that she’d made it through whatever it was she’d needed to work out. She’d come for me and that was enough.
Her face was less than two inches from mine and my gaze roved over her features hungrily as she arched a delicate eyebrow. “The girl?”
“The girl.” I repeated cheekily.
Her eyes flashed and her nose pinched in that delicate way that drove me crazy. “The girl in your house? The one who’s half dressed?”
I leaned all the way inside, taking her by surprise, my mouth seeking hers before she had a chance to move away. For a moment there was a slight hesitation and then I felt her surrender. Her lips parted and I slipped inside, my tongue tasting, licking and taking from her as my hand crept into her hair so that she couldn’t move.
It was a long, slow kiss, one that delved deep and had us both panting heavily when I finally pulled away. I had to take a moment and catch my breath. “That girl,” I said huskily, “is my sister, Eden.”
Her eyes widened and I traced the line of her brow with my thumb, before caressing the corner of that mouth that was driving me insane. “Oh,” she said softly.
I pushed away from the car, liking the way her gaze swept over my bare chest, before settling onto the steering wheel—the one that her hands gripped so tight, her knuckles were white.
“So are you going to park this thing and come inside?” I paused and then whispered. “I missed you, Georgia.”
She exhaled—a long, shuddering sort of breath and then cleared her throat. “Okay,” she said simply, and I moved away as she reversed her car once again and slipped it beside my truck.
As soon as she was out of the car, I had her in my arms, hugging her close just so that I could feel her again. Every single inch of her pressed up against me. I groaned and sank my nose into her neck, chuckling when she shuddered.
I couldn’t help myself and my hands danced along her spine, slowly moving over her hips until I cupped her ass and just held her. I held her for a long time and the only sound in my ear was her short staccato breaths, and the rush of blood in my ears.
I was hard, Christ was I hard, and she knew it, and there was something insanely sexy about that. About the way she slowly moved her hips and that damn noise that sat in the back of her throat. The one that sounded like need. And want. And desire.
I didn’t know what the week of silence was all about and I didn’t care. All I knew was that she was here, and I was happy that she was here and I was suddenly wishing we were alone. If Eden wasn’t in the house I would have pulled her inside and had her naked before she had a chance to say Geronimo.
Or at the very least I would have tried my damnedest.
But I wasn’t alone and I knew that Eden was most likely watching us from one of the windows. With a sigh I let Georgia go, though my hand slid down her forearm until I settled her small hand in mine. Without a word we turned and retraced my steps until we found our way to the back yard.
Eden burst out of the house—I knew she’d been spying—a giant grin on her face as she stared down at us from the deck.
“So, Benjamin, you’ve been keeping a secret from me.”
I didn’t bother to deny it. “Eden, this is Georgia.”
Georgia tugged her hand from mine and I didn’t let her go easily—I didn’t want the connection to end.
“Hi,” Georgia said slowly, an adorable blush staining her cheeks. “I’m sorry about before. I was kind of rude and I thought…” she stumbled over her words. “Well I just…”
“You thought I was a puck bunny?” Eden shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.” Her gaze swung to me. “I can see why Ben was so anxious to get back here. He even blew off our family barbecue and our nana was not happy about that.”
That was an understatement, but I’d promised to make it up to Nan, so we were good.
Eden glanced my way. “I’m gonna drive into town for the pizza because it will be quicker than waiting for them to deliver. Can I have your keys?”
“Sure, they’re on the table in the front hall.”
Eden nodded. “Nice to meet you, Georgia.”
She disappeared inside the house and I looked at the g
irl beside me. “So,” I said, my voice low.
A shy, nervous grin stole her mouth. “So,” she repeated softly.
“You came.”
For a moment her heart shaped face fell and I took a step forward, my hand under her chin, tugging her face up to meet mine. “Hey, I don’t need to know what last week was about. I get that there are things about you that I don’t know.” I bent forward and slid my mouth across hers. “Things that you need to figure out, but I’m happy to take all the time we need.”
“I thought,” she said hesitantly, before exhaling her warm breath against me. “I didn’t think I could do this. You. Me. But I want to…I want to try and see what happens.”
The girl was killing me. Staring up at me with those huge blue eyes that made me feel as if they could see down into the bottom of my soul. Stumbling over her words. Biting that bottom lip. Where the hell had she come from? Had I been waiting for her? Was it chance? Or fate?
Did I really care?
I held out my hand. “You want to see the barn? I did a purge and organized it for you.”
Surprise knotted her forehead and for a second I thought I had blown it because she didn’t reach for my hand and she sure as hell didn’t seem excited.
“What do you mean?”
I shrugged, trying to make out that it didn’t really matter if she wasn’t into my idea, even though it mattered a hell of a lot. “I just thought…I know how much you liked that barn and well, Matt explained that you were staying with him because you’re trying to decide what to do with college and stuff and I just thought…” I heaved a breath and ran my fingers across the day old stubble on my chin. “I just thought you might like to use it as a studio. You know, for your painting.”
Okay, she was going to think I was an absolute loser. What kind of guy offered up an art studio to a girl he was just getting to know? For the first time my idea—the one that had seemed so right when I’d arrived this morning—kind of sucked and I frowned.
Georgia King was going to think I was controlling freak.
But then a smile slowly crept over her face and there went my damn heart again, racing to the moon. Man, if I could rewind the last five seconds just to see that happen all over again, I’d be a happy man.
“Really? But, aren’t you going to use it for something? Storage or I don’t know… a place to practice your slap shots?”
I grabbed her hand again, my thumb rubbing along the sensitive area above her wrist. “No,” I said carefully. “I’m good. My slap shots are good. My aim is always true.”
“Really,” she whispered.
“Yeah. It’s kind of crazy but I get paid a lot of money because of it.”
“Uh huh.”
“So, you know, the barn is all yours if you want it.”
A heartbeat passed.
Her eyes darkened and she licked her lips. “I want it,” she said and I knew she wasn’t talking about the barn.
Another heartbeat passed.
Holy hell.
Chapter Fourteen
Georgia
“So, Georgia,”
I glanced up at Ben’s sister, my mouth full of pizza and my stomach coiled tight. She seemed nice but a little protective of her brother—which I got, they were obviously tight—but I wasn’t so sure where she was headed and I wasn’t in the mood for an interrogation.
“What’s your deal?” She took a sip of beer. “Do you go to college? Do you live nearby?”
Great.
I glanced at Ben, but he settled back in his deck chair, his dark eyes intimate as he gazed at me expectantly. I didn’t see a way out of this unless I wanted to sound like an absolute bitch.
“Right now I’m staying in Philly with my brother Matt. I’m kind of in-between stuff right now. You know, figuring things out.”
“Oh.” She seemed a little surprised. “Do you work then?”
My cheeks flushed as a wave of heat rolled through me. I didn’t need to work, not with my inheritance, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t want a job. I’d thought of applying for a part time gig at an art gallery downtown but I knew as soon as they did their background check I’d never get hired. Who was going to hire a crazy person? I didn’t think Oak Run was going to look real good on a resume.
So what was the point?
“No,” I answered abruptly.
Eden took a sip of her beer, pointing to my bottle of water. “Did you want something a little stronger to go with your pizza? There’s beer but we’ve also go vodka.”
“I don’t drink.” Shit this was going well.
She seemed surprised at that one and was silent for a few seconds. “At all? Like you’re opposed to it?”
Irritated, I pasted a fake smile on my face and exhaled. “I just don’t drink.”
“Seriously, Eden?” Ben sat a little straighter. “We’re not doing the third degree thing.”
Eden ignored her brother. “And Matt, he’s one of the coaches for the Flyers? That’s how you guys met?”
“Yes.”
I darted another look at Ben, but he was watching me in a way that made my skin tingle.
“Georgia paints,” he said suddenly.
Eden’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s cool.” She leaned back in her chair and shook her head. “I’m challenged when it comes to that shit. I can draw stick people and that’s about it.”
Ben snorted. “You’re challenged when it comes to most shit.”
She tossed a beer cap at him. “You’re an asshole.” With a giggle she glanced my way again. “He’s lying. I’m into sports too, track, and I’m attending USC on a scholarship while studying medicine.”
Great. Was the entire Lancaster family filled with over achievers who not only looked amazing but excelled at everything they did?
My life of partying and trouble and good times seemed so lame compared to these two and I couldn’t help but think Ben’s interest in me was purely sexual. What the hell did I have that would keep someone like him interested beyond getting laid? My level of comfort took another nosedive and I tried to keep a smile on my face but it didn’t work, so I stared at my toes instead.
But Eden wasn’t done. “So are you still in college?”
I forced the pizza stuck in my throat, down, and shrugged. “I took a year off but I’m hoping to go back in the fall or maybe next year…” I finished lamely. Or maybe never.
“Oh, wow, that’s cool that your parents are fine with you taking time, you know? Our older sister wanted a year off between high school and college and man,” she glanced at Ben and made a face. “Mom and Dad were not happy with her plan and eventually wore her down.”
I didn’t say anything and silence fell between us. I didn’t want to chat about college or parents or anything that had to do with me. The gap between what I was and what they’d both become was as big as the fucking Grand Canyon. I knew Eden was just curious, but her direct way of looking at me, made me uncomfortable and I didn’t know how to tell her to back off without sounding like a bitch.
“Okay, Eden. Are we done with the twenty million questions?” Ben jumped to his feet and held out is hand to me. “Let me show you the house.”
I wiped my hands on my lap and reached for him, grateful for a distraction.
Except he was way more than a distraction. He was something to lose myself in and when his fingers touched mine, when that thread of energy we shared exploded and rushed across my skin, I think I might have groaned.
He grinned.
In fact, I’m sure I did.
Ben leaned close, his arm sneaking around my waist. “Don’t worry about Eden. She’s always in my business. She has been since the day we were born.”
We. Wait a minute. “You guys are twins?” Of course they were. Why would God only gift the world with one perfect Lancaster? Why not have two of them walking the earth?
“Yep. Technically she’s older by a few minutes but they don’t really count.”
I smiled but didn’t s
ay anything because I totally thought it would count—at least for Eden.
Ben guided me into the house—we’d shared pizza on the deck—and it was beautiful. He gave me a tour of the main floor and I could tell that he was really into the details of the place. It was a massive brick colonial that had been modernized—he’d said it was old, built in the 1930’s. There were a lot of wood floors, exposed brick and a couple fire places to boot.
It seemed bigger than it was, mainly because there wasn’t much furniture and after showing me around the fully finished basement, and spending a few extra minutes in what was going to be his future man-cave, we ended back up in the main floor master bedroom.
Ben’s room.
Ben’s awesome room with the biggest bed I had ever seen.
“Wow,” I said turning in a full circle. Again it was pretty much bare, except for the huge bed, but what an amazing room. It was all dark wood, rich floors, a fire place and it had high, cathedral ceiling and half of it was glass. It was amazing.
The half that was glass reached over his bed. It was insanely cool and from the grin on Ben’s face I could tell he was really proud of the place.
“Ben, it’s amazing.”
“Yeah,” he said slowly, taking three steps until he was inches from me. “It is.”
Anymore words I had dried up as he bent forward and kissed me.
His lips were warm, soft and my hands snaked around his neck because if I didn’t hold onto something I was going to fall.
I tasted beer and mint—the guy was a stickler for Wrigley’s gum—and when his tongue slid between my lips I met him head on.
It was a hungry kiss, one filled with the need to connect, and I groaned into him when he suckled on my bottom lip, his eyes on me. I couldn’t look away. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of chocolate eyes, hard bodies and desire.
He let go of my lip, his hands sliding down my back until he cupped my ass and pulled me as close as he could. “God, I’ve thought of this every day.”
His mouth slid to my jaw and then he nibbled his way down my neck to that place beneath my ear. The place that drove me crazy. I shuddered when his hot breath rolled across my skin and when he began to suckle me, his lips and mouth pulling on my skin, I closed my eyes and went limp in his arms.