All That I Am (Men of Monroe Book 1)

by Rachel Brookes

  It also had to be the reason I allowed him to undress me while kissing me senseless and then climbing back into bed beside him when we arrived back at his house.

  It was also why I wrapped my body around his and snuggled into him after he gave me two early morning orgasms with his mouth and then his cock.

  It was why I slept peacefully for the first time in a long time with him by my side.

  Yep, that was what I had to keep telling myself.

  19

  SASHA

  Warmth surrounded me when I woke for the second time in Ben’s bed. This time daylight streamed through the blinds and covered the room with an orange tinge. My cheek screamed at me and between my legs throbbed in a delicious way, but both were forgotten when I heard the sound of the shower.

  A sharp knock rattled through the house, and was quickly followed by another. My eyes darted from the closed bathroom door to the hall, and back again. The knocking became louder and more insistent, and the noise of the running water didn’t stop.

  I threw back the comforter with a sigh, pulled on his flannel shirt that was beside the bed, and rushed down the hall and toward the front door as another knock sounded. As I passed the kitchen, I quickly looked at the clock and saw that it was just ticking over to eleven a.m.

  I unlocked the door without looking through the peephole and swung it open, expecting to find a door-to-door sales person. What I didn’t expect was an older lady with Salt and Pepper hair and a face full of make-up, wearing a white and pink floral dress and holding a plastic rectangle cake carrier in her hand.

  “Well, hello there,” she said with a hint of an accent tinting her voice. Her eyes ran over my outfit and her smile grew. Oh crap, I was wearing Ben’s shirt, panties, and nothing else. I started tugging down the edge of Ben’s shirt in a pathetic attempt to cover some skin. “Sweet cheeks, if I had legs like yours I would not be hiding them. Who might you be?”

  “I’m Sasha. Uh, Ben’s new friend.”

  Now the smile she fired my way looked like it was going to crack her face. “I’m Gigi, I live next door, and I’m here to deliver Benjamin’s weekly cake.”

  I looked down to her hands at the plastic cake carrier, and sure enough inside it was a cake dripping with chocolate frosting.

  “Would you like to come in? Ben’s in the shower, but I’m sure he won’t be too long.”

  I hadn’t even finished asking the question before she started nodding. After giving me another smile and another full-body glance, she stepped around me, entered Ben’s house, and took charge. When I reached the kitchen, I found her opening a cupboard, pulling out three plates, and then opening a drawer and grabbing three forks.

  “Benjamin doesn’t own a coffee maker, so we always drink milk when we have cake. Seriously, who doesn’t own a coffee maker? Maybe we should buy him one for his birthday.”

  We?

  “Benjamin and I have a piece of cake for breakfast every Sunday. Well, unless he is working or not home. Just so you know, his favorite is chocolate cake with extra thick frosting. Do you bake? He has the perfect kitchen for baking,” she announced with an encouraging wink. Meanwhile, I was still stuck on we.

  I jumped as arms wrapped around my waist from behind and pulled me back against a firm, still warm, and delicious smelling body.

  “Morning,” Ben murmured into my ear, before burying his face into the side of my neck and kissing me softly. As I began to fight the battle of right and wrong, and before I could step away, his heat left me, he stepped into view, and I forgot how to breathe.

  He stood next to me, shirtless, his chest still glistening from his shower, and wearing navy blue sweatpants that sat low on his hips and accentuated the deep V. I always thought that kind of V was a myth. But let me tell you, it was not. I couldn’t believe I had sex with this man. Hot, sweaty, blinding light behind my eyes and heart stopping sex. I received four orgasms from this man. At the thought, between my legs spasmed and I sucked in a short breath. My attention was held captive by a single droplet of water that had fallen from the ends of his wet hair and was now travelling over his collarbone, heading toward his chest.

  I wasn’t the only one enjoying the show though.

  “Benjamin,” Gigi hooted, causing me to step out of my Ben induced trance. “I swear you are a gift from the heavenly father above. What are those muscles called that lead to what I’m sure is another gift.”

  I choked back a giggle as she continued to stare at Ben like she wanted to lather him with chocolate frosting and devour him.

  “I’m not usually a fan of summer because the heat is not a friend to these curls. But let me tell you, when summer arrives Benjamin doesn’t own any shirts,” she said, fanning herself. “And let me also tell you, I tend to have a lot more work that needs done around my house in the warmer months because it’s shirtless Benjamin time.”

  She threw back her head and chuckled loudly, and that was when I fell in love with her brand of crazy.

  “Gigi, I see you’ve met Sasha,” he said with a smile.

  Her attention was drawn from his chest. “She’s wearing your shirt.”

  “I know that, Gigi, I gave it to her.”

  “Sweet cheeks,” she suddenly said and focused on me. “I’ve been living next door for over a year, and you are the first woman I’ve met, and more importantly the first woman who answered the door on a Sunday wearing his clothes. This calls for not only a call to his mother, but also lots and lots of cake. Tell me your favorite kind and I’ll make it for a special celebration next Sunday morning?”

  His mother? There was also no way that he didn’t have women over. The sex I received was not from a man who did not have regular sex. He was wild, fierce, and crazy in bed, and the fact that he gave me four orgasms in quick succession told me that he was very experienced. If he had women stay over, and if Gigi turned up early Sunday mornings and didn’t meet them, did that mean I overstayed my welcome?

  It was time to leave.

  “It was nice meeting you, Gigi, but I need to go home. Sunday is my busy day. Groceries to buy, clothes to wash, bills to pay, plants to water. I’ll get changed and call a cab.” I offered a sweet smile, while inside I cringed at my rambling. I also avoided Ben’s gaze.

  I rushed out of the kitchen, disappeared into his bedroom, and tore around like a tornado trying to find my clothes. I quickly found my bra hanging over the dresser, my skirt by the window, and my shredded blouse in the entrance of his robe. Wearing his shirt home was my only option. After removing the shirt and placing it on the edge of the bed, I hurriedly shoved my arms through my bra and fastened up the hook.

  “What’s going on?”

  I froze at Ben’s voice behind me.

  I didn’t turn around. “Just getting dressed. I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

  “Sasha, what’s going on?” Now he was closer, and I felt his breath dancing on the back of my neck. With strong hands, he spun me around and I had no choice but to look at him. We stood chest to chest, his still bare and mine covered with a lace bra. His hands rested on my hips while my arms shot straight down as I silently begged myself not to touch him.

  I remained silent.

  “Don’t make me ask you again.”

  I took a deep breath. I knew if I didn’t tell him that he’d never let me go. “Gigi said you never have women stay and that she has never met any of them.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  His eyes softened. “You’ve lost me. What was I meant to tell you?”

  “To leave. You don’t have women over, yet here I am, wearing your shirt and still here. I’m not sure why you made such a big deal about getting me to come back here if—”

  “Sweetheart, I’ve never had a woman stay over before who I wanted to spend Sunday with.”

  “Oh.”

  He laughed softly. “We have chocolate cake that is going to blow your mind waiting for us, and Gigi is practically frot
hing at the mouth waiting to find out who you are, so let’s head back out there.”

  “Who am I?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  “You’re the woman I plan on spending a lazy Sunday with, and the day will end with me tasting and fucking you again.”

  “You’re very sure of yourself,” I said as my heart thundered in my chest, and the throbbing between my legs decided to spasm. “Maybe even a little cocky.”

  His brow rose. “You don’t want to fuck me again?”

  “Look, I didn’t say that.” I smiled and rolled my eyes for added measure.

  “Hurry up, you two, before I eat this whole cake myself,” Gigi shouted from the kitchen. “I’ve got a date this week. I can’t have cake bloat when I go dancing with Harold.”

  My eyes shot wide and I gasped, “She dates?”

  “She gets more action then me.” Ben laughed. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

  Gigi smiled when we walked back into the kitchen, and she thrust a plate into my hands that held the largest piece of cake I’d ever seen. After taking a bite, I moaned as the rich chocolate coated my mouth, and exploded with flavor. This was the best cake I’ve ever eaten. I took another bite and felt like I was about to have a foodgasm right there in Ben’s dining room. I diverted my attention from the cake to Ben and found his heated stare burning into me, his gaze moving between my eyes and my mouth.

  “This is so tasty.” I sighed, taking another bite and then licking the fork to make sure I didn’t miss any of the frosting.

  “Sweetheart, you need to stop doing that,” Ben growled. “Otherwise, I will be licking frosting off of parts of you. And I don’t give a fuck who sees.”

  Gigi gasped, but also fanned herself. “Benjamin, that mouth of yours.”

  “Ben! You have a guest,” I stuttered, although images of just how he’d use the frosting had me flushed.

  “Gigi is loving this. She’d be handing me frosting if it meant having you here. Am I wrong, Gig?” He raised a brow at a smiling and still fanning herself Gigi.

  “I am so loving this, and I’ll bring over extra frosting from now on. You never know when you might need it.”

  As I continued to moan my way through another piece of cake, Gigi told me stories of her dating adventures, and I began to understand that she liked being quite graphic in her descriptions. Before she left, I had to promise her that I would visit so she could tell me all about her upcoming night out with Harold. By the way Ben shook his head and laughed, it was clear that I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

  The second Ben closed the door after saying goodbye to Gigi, he turned to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me down the hall toward his bedroom. My smile didn’t shift from my face because I had a belly full of delicious cake, a ridiculously handsome man giving me hot eyes, and my sex drought had officially been broken.

  “Room smells like you,” he said after we entered his bedroom. “I like it.”

  I had no reply to that.

  I took a seat on the edge of the unmade bed that had witnessed the best sex of my life and watched him make his way around the room. As he moved toward the dresser and pulled out the second drawer, his back muscles rippled magnificently, and I sucked in a breath.

  “How does your body look like that if you eat so much cake?”

  He looked over his shoulder at me and smirked. “Lots of physical activity.”

  Oh.

  “I go to the gym and run,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Oh, right. Yeah, I totally knew that was what you meant.”

  Now, in the daylight, I looked around his bedroom as he searched through his drawer. His bedroom was as decorated as the rest of his house, which meant it was pretty bare, and I had to really force myself not to start decorating it in my head. The walls were grey, his bed was a California king, and the comforter was a metal grey color that matched the blue sheets perfectly. Wood bed frame, dresser, and side tables in walnut completed the room.

  “You’re doing it again, aren’t you?”

  I jumped at his question.

  “What?” I asked, innocently.

  “Decorating in your head.”

  “Nooooooo,” I said, although it wouldn’t take a genius to know I was lying.

  He laughed. “You keep spending time in my bed and you can decorate whatever the fuck you want.”

  My eyes shot wide and I swear I felt my heart stutter. But I couldn’t latch onto that.

  “Can I make one teeny tiny suggestion?” I asked softly, emphasizing teeny tiny with my pointer finger and thumb. “One of the candles I gave you has lavender in it. It encourages sleep. You don’t need to burn it, but the scent would be perfect in here so you can get some sleep. You know if you can’t sleep after work. Like the other night.”

  Without a word, he walked out and left me sitting on his bed. Just as quickly as he disappeared, he reappeared with the glass jar containing the purple candle in his hand. He lifted it to his face, breathed in the aroma, and closed his eyes with a low moan. It was one of the most erotic things I saw and heard. The look of pleasure that flashed over his face was exquisite.

  He placed it on top of the drawers and looked over at me for confirmation that it should be there.

  All I could do was nod.

  He moved back to the drawers and pulled out a pair of drawstring sweatpants and another shirt, then handed them to me.

  “Have a shower, then come meet me in the living room.”

  He kissed my forehead, left the bedroom, and took a little piece of my wall with him.

  My wall was my protection.

  Ben was chipping away at a fast rate.

  I wasn’t exactly sure how I’d allowed that to happen.

  I was in so much freaking trouble.

  Damn it.

  20

  BEN

  The phone calls started as soon as Sasha jumped in the shower. To be honest, I was surprised none of them turned up on my fucking doorstep.

  The first call was from Dee, who needed to talk to me about the guttering at her house. She had a husband that was a carpenter by trade. She did not need to ask me about that shit.

  The second call was from Mom, who decided now would be a great time to find out if I was still going to her place the following week for Dee’s birthday dinner. She also asked if I’d be bringing anyone. I’d already confirmed I was going barely twelve hours ago.

  The third call was from Missy, and I had no clue how she even got my number. Her call was more honest than the others. She called to ask if Sasha was still passed out in my bed. I informed her she was having a shower. Missy whispered, “I hate her,” and hung up.

  The fourth call was from Gigi, who wanted to congratulate on Sasha still being there. I also found out she’d been the one to tell Dee and Mom that Sasha was here, because apparently they had a right to know.

  I felt a tension headache coming on as I hung up her call.

  After pulling on a shirt, I went into the master bathroom, brushed my teeth, splashed water on my face, and looked at myself in the mirror. A man that had experienced the best sex of his life, with the most gorgeous yet complicated woman he’d ever met stared back at me. Last night, and fuck, this morning, I’d crossed a major line, but I had no regrets. The first time Sasha breathed my name when I touched her had erased any thought of regret, the first time she came under my touch, she became my number one priority.

  That meant it was time to escalate things on the O’Leary front.

  It also meant I needed to sit down with Drew Hamilton.

  Ten minutes after I left the bathroom and moved to the living, my attention shifted to the hall when I heard soft footsteps hitting the floor. My breath caught in my throat, and my eager eyes roamed over Sasha when she appeared. She was wearing my flannel shirt and a pair of my drawstring sweatpants, and her wet hair hung over her shoulders, and her face was free of any makeup.

  “What?” she asked softly, a small smile hitting her lips, which still loo
ked swollen from me kissing her. “You’re staring at me.”

  “You all done up with your hair pretty, makeup on, and wearing those tight skirts and heels is sexy, but sweetheart, seeing you wearing my clothes after spending the night in my bed, with your hair wet and no makeup on, is something pretty fucking spectacular.”

  Pink crept up her neck, and she replied softly with, “I only just got clean. If you keep talking like that, I’ll get dirty again.”

  “You are saying that like it's a bad thing.”

  “Keep it in your pants, Detective,” she teased before she winced as she lowered herself onto the couch beside me.

  At first, I became alert, but then the beast in me started banging his chest as I realized what was causing her pain. “Sore, sweetheart?”

  “You worked me good.” She laughed. “You definitely aren’t in the PPGD category.”

  “I have no clue what that means.”

  “Let’s just say you know how to work your equipment.” She winked and curled up against me. “So, what are we going to do now?”

  “What do you want to do?”

  She gnawed on her lip and squinted her eyes as if she was trying to think of ways to stop world hunger. “Well, I’ve never been in the position where I am at a hot guy’s house after a crappy night that turned into a pretty great one, before waking up, escaping hot guy’s house, having a gossip with my best friend, and then being brought back to a hot guy’s house for round two—well, technically, round three. So, I don’t know what we should do.”

  I laughed as I pulled her close and kissed the side of her head. “We’ll watch a movie, eat, fuck, nap, and repeat. How’s that sound?”

  Her cheeks tinted. “I guess that sounds alright.”

  She chose a chick flick, we argued about her chosen chick flick, then I was sentenced to a ten-minute discussion on why men should watch chick flicks and why it was good for the bedroom. I shut her up by kissing her, and then she finally snuggled into me, and we watched some movie about a woman with a credit card addiction or something. During the movie, she occasionally shifted her head and lightly kissed my jaw before snuggling back into me. I had no clue if she even knew she was doing it, but I was definitely not bringing it up. After I had to sit through the chick flick, it was my choice, and I chose Top Gun after she informed me that she’d never seen it before. During the movie, she shifted against me and moved so her head was resting in my lap. My fingers immediately found their way into her hair, and the soft moan she let out was all I needed to hear.