Friends with Benefits

by Anne Lange

  She couldn’t wait for him to turn around. Her mouth watered in anticipation. She hadn’t appreciated his toned physique yesterday when they swam in the pool, as most of it remained hidden under the water at the time. And of course that view of him in his wet briefs had left her parched. Did he work out to get that body or did he come by it through genetics?

  Regaining control of her senses, she uttered a little cough to announce her arrival. When he turned around, he very nearly got a repeat performance of her close call.

  He beamed, wowing her with the brilliance of his smile. “Good morning.”

  The cadence of his voice, smooth as melted chocolate, flowed right over her. He put down the drill and walked over. Leaning close, he relieved her of one of the coffees.

  “Thank you,” he said in that soft, warm tone.

  “No problem.” She gulped. Her nostrils flared as she sucked in some air. He smelled as wonderful as he looked—hot, sultry, and a hint of cologne. She stopped herself from slanting in too close, regardless of how much she desired a good whiff. It took effort, but she retreated, taking a couple of steps backward to a safer zone.

  “I wasn’t sure how you took your coffee, so I’ve left it black, but I’ve got cream, milk and sugar.”

  “Black is fine.” He plopped down on his butt, his legs hanging over the edge of the deck, and sipped from his cup. Peering at her from over the rim, he winked.

  She gasped, catching a glint of humor in his eyes. Judging by that smug look, the bastard knew he frazzled her, and he enjoyed teasing her.

  Angela took another two steps away, hoping the distance would give her the space she needed to gather her composure and stop fidgeting like a nervous schoolgirl. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, so she stood there for a few minutes sipping her coffee, saying nothing. He continued to observe her.

  Glancing around, she made some lame comments about the weather, the heat, and the humidity. He grunted his agreement and continued the inspection. His hot, intense gaze traveled up and down her body. On each trip, he stopped along the way at different spots to enjoy the view. She squirmed under his heated focus. Her pussy started to cream, and her nipples pebbled, drawing his blue eyes to that particular rest stop.

  He put the mug down. Tilting his head he grinned like the devil himself, and then rose like a phoenix. Raising his arms high over his head, he clasped his hands together and stretched, twisting side to side to work out the kinks in his back. This pose seemed to be a standard activity for him.

  Because the land dropped away from the house on this end, the deck rose above ground by about two feet. So standing above her, she had to tip her head back, letting her eyes indulge in a road trip this time. As the muscles rippled over his upper body, she raised her cup to her lips, needing to do something with her mouth.

  Following a very male groan, he dropped his arms. “Thanks for the coffee. I guess I’d better get back to work before it gets too hot. I want to finish at least the first end before I take another dip in your pool.”

  He gave her an impish grin and returned to his work. Those grins and his winks were lethal.

  Angela stood rooted to the spot for a moment or ten, fantasizing about soft denim shorts and drills. Getting herself under control like the adult she proclaimed to be, she wiped one hand across her lips, picked up his empty coffee mug, and went back inside before her juices started running uninhibitedly down her thighs.

  * * *

  Connor took pleasure at Angela’s definite interest. He enjoyed playing with her. She’d looked gorgeous standing there blushing, trying not to show how his posturing had affected her. Only blindness could have prevented him from noticing her nipples poking out against the cotton top. And the squirming she tried to hide told him she’d been nice and wet.

  After his conversation with Tyler last night, he planned to kick things up a notch today. At lunch, he’d test the waters in the pool—take the leap, see how far he could swim. The further he managed to push her today, the better prepared she’d be for when Tyler got home and the two of them got her snug between them. He looked forward to that first time.

  But baby steps. He still had lots to do before lunch. And, from a work perspective, he wanted to take advantage of the somewhat cooler morning air before the heat settled in for the afternoon. With that in mind, he turned his attention back to the deck, whistling the tune of some current chart topper under his breath.

  However, while laboring away at the deck, his head filled with thoughts of Angela. She’d remained silent behind him when she first came out from the house. Though the grass had muted her footsteps, the scent of her apple shampoo warned him of her approach. Then, the aroma of her arousal drew him closer, urged him to tease her, to get that lust building. He knew she’d been desperate to escape back into the safety of the house, so he let his perusal take the long route. The excitement within his own body, however, became a distraction, and if she hadn’t left when she did, he may have upped the seduction schedule.

  With the distraction removed, he settled in to get as much work as possible done before lunch, so playtime afterwards could begin in earnest.

  Chapter Six

  Angela managed to entertain herself inside the house, filling the time with mindless housework before deciding she’d earned a break. She’d tried to do actual work. She needed to complete the proposal package for the new project she was bidding on. She strove to focus on supplier requirements and software specifications, but knowing Connor worked just outside, only steps way, dragged her attention from the computer screen to the window.

  If he were to make a move on her, she’d have a hard time resisting. How often did a woman get to experience a fantasy like this? The whole contractor-dude-does-housewife thing? Hello—straight out of a romance novel. And she had her husband’s permission to act on it. How many signs had to whack her over her head?

  She grabbed her book, a bottle of water, towels, including an extra one for Connor, and stepped out the patio door and into the yard. She walked straight over to her lounger near the pool, congratulating herself on avoiding even one single glance in his direction. She happened to have excellent peripheral vision, however. The man appeared to like his work. Sweat dripped down his body as he hummed along to music playing through the ear buds tucked into his ears.

  Spreading her towel over the cushion, she lay down and stretched out. Using the book as a prop, she sneaked peeks over in his direction. With noon around the corner, she figured he’d be stopping for a lunch break any time now.

  Sure enough, after ten minutes all work noise ceased and Connor sauntered over with a small cooler in his hand and settled himself into a chair opposite hers. “Do you mind if I sit here while I have some lunch?”

  “Not at all. Make yourself comfortable. Go for a swim if you’d like. You must be hot after working in this heat all morning.” Could she stop blabbering now? “I brought you a towel, just in case.”

  “Thanks. Maybe I’ll take a quick dip first to get some of this dust and sweat off.”

  He stood, walked to the edge of the pool and executed a shallow dive. Today he kept his shorts on, leaving her speculating on what she’d find under them.

  After a few laps, he climbed out, water dripping from his sculpted body as he strode across the wooden deck and returned to his chair. She handed him the towel so he could dry his face. “What are you reading?”

  “Oh, it’s only a romance novel.” She knew she blushed as she put the book aside and picked up her bottle of water.

  “I’ve always wondered, is it the romance women crave? Or is it the down and dirty sex?” His eyes seemed to be filled with genuine curiosity.

  Such a question from a man like him seemed odd. “It’s both, I guess, and more,” she said. “I think we want to have it all. The romantic gestures, the happily ever after—and sure, the sex, the fun that can go with it, and, of course, the great looking guy delivering the goods.” She laughed, a nervous twitter while the devil on her shoul
der egged her on. “We like to be flirted with, and part of the fun comes from knowing some of it’s naughty, and some of it maybe a wee bit dangerous.”

  “I see.” He gave her a secretive smile.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Just interesting.” His mischievous grin left her confused, as he opened his cooler and retrieved his lunch.

  “Want to share?” He held half of his sandwich out to her. “It’s roast beef.”

  “Thank you.” She took the proffered sandwich and lifted it to her mouth, unable to take her eyes off him as he returned to his seat. He seemed to have the same problem. His were heavy as he watched her take a bite. They roamed her body in a lazy pattern, making her skin tingle as though touched. The man oozed sex appeal.

  They ate in silence. A dog barked somewhere nearby. A car backfired.

  She finished her half of the sandwich and sipped from her water bottle. She started feeling a tad hot just sitting. His heated gaze didn’t help matters. Deciding to cool her flaming libido, she stood, almost ran to the pool, and jumped in.

  Feeling safe under the surface, she swam to the other side before popping back up. When she turned around, however, she struggled to contain a tiny squeak. Connor had slipped into the water. He moved toward her, his steps languid but purposeful as he headed in her direction. He looked like a man with his target in sight.

  Gulping, she slipped beneath the water, swimming to the opposite end. When she came up for air, there he was, still on the move, his direction still toward her. Everywhere she went, he trailed along behind her, always keeping a respectable distance, but only the space between them created that safe zone. The heat in his eyes and the hungry look on his face gave away his intentions. His smirk put her at ease while making her skin tingle. She knew she could end the game simply by getting out of the pool. And yet, she couldn’t.

  She’d traveled the whole length twice. She didn’t have anywhere else to go without seeming obvious, so she stayed in place, keeping her shoulders below the water, her back to the wall searching for a topic of conversation.

  “So, how long have you been interested in carpentry?”

  Connor slowed his steps, his hands playing in the water, pushing back then pulling forward, creating ripples on either side of him, a delightful smile on his sensuous mouth.

  “Since I was a kid. My father was a carpenter. I guess he passed the bug onto me.”

  “Are you two close?”

  “He passed away a long time ago.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged. “Nothing to be sorry about. It happened.”

  “What about your mother?” She watched his distant look disappear, to be replaced with soft warmth.

  “Alive and well. Probably tending her garden as we speak.”

  “So you see her often?”

  He shook his head. “Not as often as I should, or as I’d like. The job has kept me moving around, which she understands. We talk every week or two.”

  “What about siblings?”

  “You sure do have lots of questions.”

  A squirrel chattered in the tree overhead, and she turned her head, looking up as she responded. “I’m just making conver—”

  “Caught you,” he whispered, his voice deep, sexy.

  She swung her gaze forward to find him less than a foot away. Surprised, a nervous flutter took root in the pit of her stomach as she peeked up at him from under her lashes.

  “Umm…yes, it seems you have,” she replied a little breathless.

  “Tell me, do those stories you read include any handymen?” The husky quality of his voice dampened her already wet bottoms.

  All sound seemed to stop as she swallowed. “Sure, some…I’m sure, yes.” She managed to croak the words.

  “What about your fantasies, Angela? Do yours include being seduced and ravished by a virtual stranger? ”

  “Only if they look like you.”

  He laughed. She gasped in shock. Crap. That was supposed to be her inside voice.

  His laughter pitched lower, changing to a low, throaty rumble, while he grinned at her like he’d won a prize. He inched closer.

  “I have to admit, Angela, I find you very attractive.” One strong arm slipped around her waist, and then he yanked her close. The air left her lungs as he brought her up snug against his wall of a chest. His head dipped and his mouth moved next to her ear as he asked in that same throaty tone, “Would you like me to ravish you, Angela? Do you think your husband would mind?”

  His other arm slipped down to grasp her leg, bringing her entire body in contact with his.

  Another startled squeak escaped Angela’s lips. Connor had removed his shorts.

  Chapter Seven

  Would her husband mind? She trembled. Connor held her close while he nibbled her flesh, sending shivers coursing through her body. She gasped when he sucked her sensitive earlobe between his lips and then released it to trace the curve of her ear with his tongue, his teeth scraping along the shell. How had he known her ears were one of her erogenous zones? That little manipulation left her pussy fluttering in need.

  Her hands moved of their own volition, and she gripped his biceps, slanting her head, presenting the hypersensitive area of her neck to him.

  A low moan reached her ears, but whether it was him or her who had made the sound she didn’t know. He adjusted his stance until they touched chest to chest, hip to hip. The hard, long, thick ridge of his cock pressed against her stomach. Relief coursed through her at the knowledge that the attraction wasn’t one-sided. Other than Tyler, she hadn’t been in many relationships. Not that this was a relationship. This was sex. With a stranger. A fantasy her husband wanted her to experience. In fact, urged her to act on.

  He nipped and licked his way around to her face, and then pulled away to peer down at her. His eyes darkened. In all the stories she’d read, they always talked about being able to see heat or hunger in the other person’s eyes. She’d never paid that close attention with Tyler. Why not? She knew he loved her—never questioned it—but she’d never thought to search for any sort of deep emotion in his eyes when they made love. She just knew it was there.

  But she noticed now. Connor’s eyes smoldered. He didn’t say a word, simply stared at her, his face coming closer and closer as he lowered his head toward hers. His gaze dipped to her lips, located the target, and then darted back to her eyes.

  At last they connected. He gave her a gentle kiss, surprising her with the light touch. Soft at first, he settled his mouth to hers, holding still for the briefest of moments, and then he started to move, rubbing back and forth. The caress continued. She sighed and relaxed, opening the tiniest bit as she did. His tongue slipped in, grazed hers, and at that first contact fire erupted.

  A low groan rumbled up through his chest, and he squeezed her. His demeanor changed from soft and gentle to firm and demanding as he pressed into her, pushing her back firmly against the wall of the pool.

  She clung to him, responding to his hunger with appetite of her own. A tingle of nerves rushed through her as an image of Tyler popped into her head, while she allowed this other man to embrace her, to kiss her. Convention dictated she push him away, but she didn’t.

  When they split apart, both breathing as if they’d swam the English Channel, Angela felt heat in her cheeks. The man could kiss. He raised his hands to cup both sides of her face, his body holding hers in place, and devoured her once more.

  There was no mistaking his desire. She suppressed a giggle at the position she found herself in—standing in her pool, making out with a stranger, primed and ready to combust.

  Leaning down, he reached a hand under her right knee and lifted her, bringing her leg up to circle his hip. Instinct brought her other one up, so she could wrap both around this taut body. She clutched him, his hardness snug against her center, turning this situation into one of the most erotic things she’d done in a long, long time. Why hadn’t she and Tyler ever considered making love in the p
ool? She would have thought the coolness of the water would negate the heat generated by their bodies—but no.

  With her back pressed against the pool, and her legs draped around his waist, his hands moved to cup her breasts. He scraped his thumbs over her nipples through the top of her swimsuit. Pebbled and achy, they strained toward him, rigid and begging for his undivided attention. She arched her back, pushing her chest into his hands.

  A moan bubbled free. This felt exquisite. As he played with her breasts, his hips rocked into her pelvis. Without the transfer of words, they continued to caress each other.

  She slid her hands down between their bodies to rub the tip of his erection. She ached to grip the whole length of him. To feel the steel wrapped in a silky, soft covering. She wanted to feel him hot and hard inside her body.

  The level of desire she felt for a man who wasn’t her husband shook her up at bit and left her a little rattled. But, now that she’d set foot on this path she couldn’t seem to stop. She didn’t want to. Her husband’s image floated into her head. She pictured him sporting a wicked grin, his eyes gleaming with lust as he watched, encouraging her to fulfill her fantasy. She could almost hear his saying, “Come on, baby; you can do it. You look so hot.”

  She reached up and ran her hands down Connor’s arms. “Um, should I remove my suit?”

  “I’ll do that for you.” She let her legs fall away so he could shimmy her bottoms over her hips. She tightened her thigh muscles, and they slipped down her legs to puddle on the bottom of the pool before floating up and away on the soft current.

  Then he picked her up and repositioned her around his waist. Throughout their maneuvering, they’d remained connected at the lips. She was surprised the water surrounding them didn’t bubble and boil.

  Angela fumbled for a moment, but finally had him in her hands. She stroked him a few times, amazed at his length, but stopped short of comparing him to Tyler. She guided him to the right spot, eager to take him deep. Then she paused. “A condom.”