His face was dark as he glared down at her. “I don’t like you flirting with other guys,” he said.
“I wasn’t!”
“You were smiling at him and you told him we’re not together.”
“We’re not – are we?” Hope flooded her as she looked up at him.
“We are for now. And while we are, don’t showcase the goods like that.”
“It’s a tank top and shorts!” She rolled her eyes.
“The rookies were staring at your tits when you were shooting and I don’t fucking like it.”
“I’ve got big boobs, I can’t help it,” she said, touching the side of his neck to console him.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he ordered. She complied, squeezing her body into his, loving the way his eyes closed for a second. His hard cock ignited her desire for him to take her right here in the alley.
“Ah…” She pushed her head back against the wall, surprised how arousing her lack of control was. Though their bodies were pressed together, she shoved her hips into Ben’s, desperate for more contact with him.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” he said in a low, husky tone.
“Yes,” she whimpered, unable to form other words.
His palms pressed against the underside of her thighs, his large fingers creeping beneath the line of her shorts. “This—” He thrust himself against her so hard she cried out again, “—is only for you, Cupcake. So your body needs to be just for me. Is that too fucking much to ask?”
“No.” She wound her fingers into his hair, willing him to thrust against her again. “But it is, Ben. There’s no one else I want. I was just talking to him.”
He closed the inch of distance between their lips with a kiss that started slow and quickly became demanding. Layla was overwhelmed by the heat of his mouth and the force of his body holding her against the wall. She wanted him to take her home. Now.
“Ben,” she said, breaking away breathlessly. Was he going to make her ask? Didn’t he want to take her home?
“Just remember you said that,” he said, cupping his palms over her ass to lower her feet back to the ground.
“What? Did I say something?” she asked, dazed.
“You said you were just talking to him.”
“I was. You take this jealousy thing to a new level.”
Ben took Layla’s hand and led her back through the door. The din of the pub washed over her as soon as she stepped in. Cackling laughter, shouted conversations and the blare of music from a jukebox assaulted her ears as they made their way back to the pool table, where Cody and Peak waited, cues in hand.
Layla adjusted her shirt before her turn, trying to avoid flashing too much when she bent over.
“You hittin that?” Baxter asked Ben in a low tone.
No, he’s not, Baxter. I wish.
“Fuck off,” Ben said dismissively.
Layla recognized the waitress with curly red hair who approached with a large silver tray of pizza.
“Hey, Sarge,” she said, flashing a bright smile at Ben.
“Kelsey,” he said, smiling warmly back at her. “How are you?”
“Good,” she said, her cheeks flushing pink. “I haven’t gotten to talk to you in so long.”
“I know, where you been?”
“Oh, you know …” She giggled. “I’m here a lot. Is there anything else I can get you?” She bit her lip and held Ben’s gaze.
“Our drinks?” Layla said, her tone hot with aggravation.
“Oh, you didn’t get the drinks?”
“No. Bring us some shots, too, would you?” Ben said. “That hot cinnamon stuff.”
Kelsey disappeared and Layla glared at Ben.
“You think that’s cute?” she snapped.
“What?” He feigned an innocent look. “I was just talking to her.”
Layla scoffed and shook her head. “If you want to prove men are basically jerks whose attention is fleeting, I already knew that.”
“Sarge, you’re up!” Cody called. Ben turned away and grabbed his cue, bending and smoothly pocketing the balls. Layla couldn’t look away from him. The flex of the muscles on his long arms and the concentration on his face was mesmerizing.
Kelsey returned with Layla’s wine, water for Ben and two shots, not looking at Layla as she sat them on the table. Ben returned right after she left.
“We won,” he announced, reaching for one of the shot glasses and handing it to her. He raised the other one and tipped it against hers gently. “And you’ve got my full attention for as long as you want it, boss.”
The alcohol burned going down, but Layla swallowed it all, glad for an excuse to not respond to Ben. What could she say? That what had started as a game to relieve her sexual tension was growing into much more? She and Ben didn’t communicate best with words. She wanted him to take her home so she could show him what she was feeling.
***
She didn’t know if Ben had just read her signals of if he’d wanted to leave early, too, but Layla was thrilled they were leaving O’Malley’s at 9:30. Enough heavy flirting. She’d been eager to sleep with him since she first laid eyes on him a month ago. Not that she wanted him to know that. No, this would come off as something she was doing because he wanted it.
“So …” A slight smile turned up his lips as they neared his car. “Wanna go to my place?”
“It’s up to you. I figured we would since you probably work best on your home turf. Am I joining the Ben’s Babes club tonight?”
He backed her against the passenger door of his car with his body, making her heart beat a little faster. He didn’t touch her, but God, she wished he would.
“No more insinuating I’m just trying to get a quick lay out of you,” he said, agitation lowering his voice. “Have I made you feel cheap and meaningless?”
“No.” Her sarcasm had gotten her in trouble again. She was dying to know if this was the night, and he’d taken it the wrong way.
“I don’t take women to my place, so the fact that I want to take you there means you’re … different, okay?”
“Yes.” She reached up to his cheeks and stood up tall to reach her lips to his for a kiss.
“Do you wish you were still calling the shots?” he asked, sliding his hands around her hips.
Layla thought about lying, but didn’t. “No. I’m … excited about tonight.”
He smiled, looking a little smug. “Me too. Let’s not waste any more time.” He reached for her door handle and she moved away from the car so he could open it.
Ben’s hand roamed up her thigh on the drive to his apartment, his fingertips sliding under the frayed hem of her shorts. She was too nervous for chitchat, so they rode in silence.
The parking spot he chose was on a busy street, and Layla eyed it skeptically. It was tight, and if she’d been driving, she would’ve passed it in search of another one. He moved his hand from her leg to the head rest behind her seat, looking out the back windshield as he turned the steering wheel.
The car slid into the spot, and he grinned at her. “You didn’t think I was gonna make that, did you?”
“Never doubted you.” She smiled wryly. “Is this close to your building?”
“I’m right there.” He pointed to a tall, narrow red brick building and Layla studied it in the darkness. It was plain, but neat. The small wood front porch had a lawn chair on it. Ben led her around to the back, where he unlocked a separate entrance that led them down a flight of stairs.
When he flipped a light switch, Layla was surprised how bright the basement apartment was. Recessed lights illuminated an open space with a black leather couch, a television and a weight bench. A queen size bed with a dark comforter caught her attention on the other side of the room.
“You’re so neat,” she said, slipping her shoes off.
“Not really. I knew you’d be coming over, so I cleaned up.”
“Ah. It smells very manly in here.”
He quirked his brows at her. �
�What’s that mean?”
“I smell coffee and cologne and leather. I like it.”
Ben approached and Layla felt the warmth of his body next to hers. He bent to kiss her and she melted into him, letting him pull her body against his. His warm, soft mouth on hers was so good, and she wanted more of him.
He tightened his arms around her back and pulled her up. Layla squealed as her feet left the carpeted floor and he walked her to his bed. When he let go of her and she fell into it, she smiled up at him, her body ready for this long overdue night.
His gaze stayed on her as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and climbed into bed, supporting his weight on his forearms as he kissed his way from her chest, up her neck and to her mouth. Layla let her body take over, not even thinking as her legs wrapped around Ben’s thighs and pulled him against her.
“Tell me what you want,” she whispered, desperate to please him.
“Don’t worry, baby, I’ll get what I want.” His voice was raspy as he lowered his mouth back to her neck. “You’re eager tonight.”
“I want you,” she said. He pressed his hips into hers and she moaned in response. “God, yes . . . clothes off.”
Ben pulled her tank top off, reaching around to unfasten her bra and toss it aside. “God damn, you’re hot,” he said, gazing down at her. He lowered his lips to tease one of her nipples, licking and sucking until Layla arched her back toward him. She wrapped her legs around him tighter as he moved to the other one, pulling his body down against her.
When she said his name, it came out as a moan, and he groaned as he ran a hand up the back of one of her thighs, his hand sliding beneath the back of her panties while her leg was wrapped around him.
His touch made her feel teased and satisfied at the same time. The burn of desire throbbed between her legs, and she writhed beneath him, needing more. Ben kissed his way down her stomach, pulling her panties down, and she cried out from the sensation of his warm breath on her inner thighs.
When his lips brushed against her, the stubble that tickled her skin made Layla pull away. The tension and sensations were agonizing, and she didn’t think she could take it. Ben gripped her hips with his powerful hands, forcing her to allow his tongue and lips to continue exploring.
“Ben! Oh, God, that’s fucking good . . .” she reached into his hair and pulled hard, crying out again from the vibration his groan sent through her. “I’m gonna come really fast. I’m already close.”
His lips went back to her thighs, and she threw her head back, her burning need becoming intense. When he grabbed her hips again, he flipped her body on top of his in a fluid motion, and she looked down at him in confusion.
Why was she straddling him when he was in charge? When he pushed his rock hard bulge against her naked body, she decided not to ask. A pulse of satisfaction rocked through her and she ground her hips against him, needing more.
“I want to watch you come,” he said, his eyes dark as they held hers. “Like this.”
Like this? He still had his jeans on. Layla felt like a shameless high schooler as she rode him anyway. It would be enough. In fact, it wouldn’t take long. The lust on his face, the tight grip his hands had on her hips and the friction from his hard cock would send her over the edge quickly.
“Ben . . .” Her hands rested over his on her hips as she felt the wave surging through her.
“Fuck, yeah. Just like that. You look so good, baby.”
He pulled her hips against his as she tossed her head back and screamed, her nails digging into his arms. When she fell against him, he caught her, wrapping his arms around her back. She breathed him in, the sensation of his fingers trailing down her spine making her sink into him, deeply relaxed.
“What about you?” she asked, breathing heavily against his chest.
“Me? I’ve never been better.”
“Well, what are we doing with this?” she grabbed his still-hard bulge and he inhaled sharply.
“I already got what I wanted.”
“But I want you to be . . . satisfied.” She sat up and looked at him, her mouth turning down with disappointment. “Don’t you want to have sex with me?”
“Yeah, of course I do.” His gaze roamed from her face down to her chest. “I just don’t think it’s time yet.”
Layla sighed, conflicting emotions swirling inside her. She wanted him to want it, but she wasn’t sure she was ready. With him, sex would be intense, and she didn’t know how she’d handle having it and then losing it if they went separate ways after the four weeks.
“I want to take a shower with you,” Ben said.
“Now?”
“Now.”
“Okay.”
She followed him into his white-tiled bathroom, surprised how clean it was. Though it was small, the shower was large, and when he turned the handle, she gasped as water shot from all directions. There were several shower heads on the walls and one in the ceiling that water poured straight down from.
“This is a kick-ass shower,” she said as he stepped aside for her to walk in.
“I’m decent with plumbing. And too tall for shower heads at the usual height.” Ben grinned and followed her in.
The steaming water hit her body from all directions, and Layla reveled in it. The jets washed away all her tension, and Ben’s hands on her hips made her sure she could spend hours in this shower.
“Let me wash you?” she asked, reaching for a bottle of body wash. His brows quirked up and he nodded down at her.
She lathered the wash between her hands and ran them down his hard chest and over his arms, her bright red nails standing out in the white bubbles.
“That feels good,” he said softly.
“Turn,” she said, and when he complied, she repeated her massaging cleanse on his back and shoulders. She let her nails graze his ass as she moved down it, and his muscles tensed.
Her hands slid over the backs of his thick, muscular thighs and around to the front. His breathing was ragged and his third leg was straight as an arrow as her hand wrapped around it.
Tonight she didn’t want to torture him. She wanted to please him as well as he had pleased her. His back was hot from the water as she pressed her cheek into it, nipping the skin as she worked her hand back and forth over him.
She hadn’t lost her touch; it was only a couple of minutes until he choked out a groan and she felt the climax coursing out of him. He turned and wrapped her in his arms and Layla closed her eyes as she pressed herself into his chest. She smiled as she realized it was the first time she’d ever felt perfectly content. At this moment, she had everything she wanted.
Chapter 11
Warm fingers trailed down Layla’s arm, and she smiled before she opened her eyes. Ben leaned closer and she squeezed her lips shut.
“What?” he asked.
She covered her mouth with her hand and spoke behind it. “No kissing til I brush my teeth.”
He shook his head and rolled out of bed quickly. “Get moving, we’ve got plans.”
“Oh really, what?” She knew she should be going into the office, but dammit – no. Her work was caught up and she refused to sit there and kill time on a beautiful late summer day when she could be spending it with Ben. His long limbs and broad back made her sigh to herself as she admired him.
“We’re going hiking, and we’re taking the bike.” He arched his brows at her, and she decided to deny him the satisfaction of a reaction.
“Sounds like fun. I’ll get dressed.”
“It’s why I told you to bring exercise shoes and jeans,” he said, sifting through a dresser drawer.
“My stuff’s in my car, I’ll go get it.”
Ben turned and gave her a no-nonsense look. “Not like that, you won’t.”
“What?”
“You’re wearing boxers and a flimsy t-shirt.”
Layla rolled her eyes. “I don’t think anyone out there cares.”
“Well, I do. I’ll go get your stuff.”
&nb
sp; When he walked in with her bag, she took it to the bathroom and got ready quickly.
“Is Prince home alone?” Ben asked as they were heading out the door.
“No, he’s with Travis and Jill.”
Ben grabbed two helmets and they walked to a small garage behind his building. He unlocked a rolling door and Layla got her first look at the bike. She admired the sparkling chrome and leather seat, but when Ben swung a leg over and brought the engine roaring to life, she stepped back nervously.
After he drove the motorcycle out of the garage, Ben put his helmet on and motioned for Layla to come closer. When she approached, he pulled the other helmet off the back end where he’d hung it. She was surprised when he sat it in his lap and tucked her hair behind her ears before putting the helmet on and latching the strap.
“Hey,” he said, meeting her eyes. “I’ve been riding a long time. I’m safe. I wouldn’t be taking you if I thought you’d hate it.”
Layla forced a smile.
“You trust me?” he asked. She nodded and climbed on behind him.
“Just lean all the way into me and hold on but don’t squeeze the shit out of me,” he called back. “It’s about an hour ride.”
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she pressed her cheek into his back. She was too nervous to open her eyes or unclench her muscles for the first five minutes, but when she did, she decided it wasn’t so bad. She got to press herself against Ben’s wide, muscular back and feel the sun warming her skin.
When she stopped thinking they were going to crash any second, she relaxed and actually enjoyed the ride. It passed quickly, and Ben coasted to a smooth stop in a wooded state park.
“Well?” he called over his shoulder as he turned off the engine.
“It was fun. I really did like it.”
“You get off first,” he said, turning back to glance at her.
“Damn right.” She gave him a small smile as she slid off the bike. He shook his head and shot her a wicked grin. She stared at his lips and the thick golden stubble on his face, her cheeks warming as she remembered what they had felt like on her bare thighs … and other places.
Now and Again Page 14