Or even another dare.
* * *
“I TOLD YOU I DON’T SCARE EASILY,” BEN ADDED, READING THE SURPRISE in her eyes. Hell, he’d even surprised himself with that one. But he wasn’t going to worry about it now. There’d be plenty of time for that later, when he wasn’t watching her pull that bitable lower lip through her teeth again, making him desperate for another taste of her mouth.
Burying his hands in her hair, Ben slipped his tongue past those soft lips as he pulled her closer, taking instant possession. It was one of those wild, can’t-breathe-through-the-need kind of kisses. The kind he’d only ever known with Reese, and now that he’d discovered how good they could be, he was completely addicted.
But as sweet as her mouth was, there was something he needed even more. And he was done waiting for it.
With a low growl, Ben broke away from the kiss and lifted his head. Loving how quickly he could turn her on, her breaths already quickening as she gripped his biceps, he looked right then left, deciding that the small walkway on the side of her house would afford them the most privacy. Taking one of her hands in his, he quickly pulled her behind him, into the narrow, secluded passage. Then he turned and pressed her against the side of the house, the air heavy with the lush scent of bougainvillea and the delectable woman in his arms. She jolted with shock as he dropped to his knees in front of her, shoving her sundress up to her waist. “Hold it,” he growled, his lips moving against the smooth skin just beneath her navel as he pressed his face against the soft swell of her stomach.
“I thought we were waiting,” she gasped, digging her free hand into his hair. But she didn’t push him away. She held on for dear life, and Ben took a deep breath, her warm scent making his mouth water as he dredged up every ounce of control he possessed and gave her the chance to tell him no or to fuck off and leave her alone. When she didn’t say anything, just stood there, panting and trembling, he tugged on the ties at the sides of her black bathing suit bottoms and let them drop to the ground.
“Spread your legs for me,” he told her, the gritty command thick with lust. He wanted to lay her down and spread her wide, looking until he’d had his fill. Take in all the plush, intimate details. But if he gave her too much time to be shy, he’d lose her. Hell, at this rate, he wasn’t even sure his heart could take it. It was already pounding like a bitch in his chest, and she was moving too damn slow.
With a guttural sound of impatience, Ben hooked one slender thigh over his shoulder and shoved his face against her. His tongue plunged greedily through her slick folds, before rubbing against that tiny opening. It was swollen . . . slippery . . . perfect. She was melting into hot liquid, so drenched she was making his face wet, her sweet, salty flavor making his dick so hard he was in some serious pain. But he was having too much fun to stop, the feel of her tender sheath closing around his tongue as he pushed it inside her so incredible it nearly killed him. And when she started to pulse, his damn eyes nearly rolled back in his head.
The woman had the most edible little cunt he’d ever tasted, and Ben went at her with everything he had, her raw moans and sharp cries driving him on, until she suddenly crashed over the edge. She went silent then, not even breathing, her pale throat arched as her head went back, her body caught in a powerful, wrenching climax that nearly made him come right along with her, her hips pumping against his face. She was unraveling him, each sweet, wrenching pulse of pleasure rushing through him like it was his own. He was tied into her, feeding on the same sensory loop, his tongue still plunging and stroking as he pressed his face harder against her, trying to suck up every hot, decadent drop.
“I told you I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth off you,” he growled, no clue where he finally found the strength to pull back. With his eyes squeezed shut, he lowered her trembling thigh off his shoulder and gripped her hips, his forehead pressed against her quivering belly as he breathed in hard, ragged gusts. She was his for the taking, ripe and ready and needing to be fucked—but somewhere in the back of Ben’s mind, he knew she would freak if they took things any further right then. Christ, he had to have the worst timing in the world, but at least he’d made his point. No way in hell could she doubt how good they were together. When he finally got inside her, the sex would probably be so intense it destroyed them.
He swallowed, tasting her in his mouth, her lush scent still filling his head, and knew he needed to put some space between them before it was too late. “Damn it,” he snarled, surging to his feet and taking a quick step back, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Running his tongue over the edge of his teeth, he watched as she let go of her dress, the skirt falling back into place and covering his new favorite spot in the world. “I’m trying to be good, but it’s fucking impossible around you, Reese.”
A goofy, adorable grin curved her lips as she lowered her gaze, eyes glued to the rigid erection straining inside his swim trunks. “Am I really so tempting?” she asked softly.
“You have no idea,” he grunted, wiping the back of his wrist over his damp mouth. It was still taking a herculean effort to keep his hands off her. If he’d ever been this painfully hard before, he’d blocked it from his mind. And he’d never seen her look so beautiful, her expression soft . . . relaxed, almost dreamy.
He pushed both hands back through his hair, then crossed his arms over his chest and gave her his best I-don’t-want-another-argument stare. “You’re having dinner with me tonight.”
“No, I’m not,” she replied, still a little breathless, and obviously missing the whole meaning of the stare. “This . . . what happened . . . it was lovely, Ben. But I told you before, I need time to think.”
He didn’t think it was possible for him to feel more frustrated than he’d already been, but he did. “You’re overcomplicating it, Reese.”
Her chin went up, some of that beautiful flush fading from her cheeks. “I’m not trying to. But I’ve never done anything like this before. It might be commonplace for you, but this is a big deal for me.”
He scowled. “And you don’t think it will be a big deal for me, too?”
Bending down to pick up her bikini bottoms, she said, “Whether it is or it isn’t, you can’t deny that you’re a lot more comfortable with casual relationships than I am.”
He clenched his jaw, knowing better than to argue the point as she straightened, that bright blue gaze locking with his.
“Please. Just . . . a little more time. Okay?”
He took a deep breath, struggling for patience, Brit’s words from the night before ringing through his head again. Jesus, had it only been yesterday that he’d first told Reese he was interested in her? Maybe he should back off and give her a little room.
Lowering his arms to his sides, he said, “Fine. But I’m not giving up.”
Another one of those shy, beautiful smiles curved her lips. “It probably means I’m crazy, but I’m glad.”
“You are such an evil little tease,” he groaned, fisting his hands to keep from grabbing her again.
She snorted in response, as if she thought he was joking. The woman had no idea how the things she said and did affected him, which he normally would have been thankful for. But when it came to Reese, her lack of awareness got under his skin. Made him feel crazed, as if it was his mission in life to make her understand just how fucking incredible she was. And the fact that some bastard was out there, trying to scare the hell out of her, made him want to thrash the fucker to within an inch of his life.
Ben couldn’t take his eyes off her as they walked back to the patio to grab her bag, then around the side of her house again, to the front door, since she’d left her French doors locked. He didn’t even trust himself to put a chaste kiss on her lips, knowing he was working on a hair trigger where she was concerned. Instead, he forced himself to give her a lecture about locking up and calling him if she needed anything or got another one of those damn texts. Then he turned and walked away, before he did something pathetic and desperate,
like drop to his knees and start begging.
Letting himself in through his front door, Ben grabbed a beer from the fridge and sprawled in one of the chairs that faced his back patio, watching the late afternoon clouds blow in off the water. Reese’s question about what he wanted out of a relationship with her kept looping through his mind, but there was no easy answer. He just knew that he wanted her, badly. Knew that since they’d first met, he’d compared every woman he came into contact with to Reese, and they’d all come up lacking. That he thought about her too damn often, and when he’d heard she was leaving her husband and relocating to Moss Beach, he’d known exactly what he was going to do. That he would go after her with everything he had, doing everything in his power to get his fill of her.
Rubbing his thumb over his bottom lip, his beer went forgotten as he thought about the intoxicating taste of her mouth. He could have gone on kissing her forever, which wasn’t like him. Kissing wasn’t normally his thing, considering there were always more exciting things he could be doing when he had a woman in his arms.
But he had to admit that he couldn’t get enough of kissing Reese . . .
Brit had once told him that a kiss was one of the most romantically intimate experiences a couple could share, because it put them face to face, engaging each of their senses in the closest proximity possible. Even with your eyes closed, the other four were all in use, making you hyperaware of the person you were tangling tongues with. Which was probably why he’d always sped through the act so quickly. Women got dangerous ideas when you lingered on things that were too intimate and romantic. Best to avoid that sinkhole.
But it didn’t feel like that with Reese. He didn’t feel like that. He wanted to lose himself in the slick, tender textures of her mouth. In those petal-soft lips and her warm honeyed taste. It all blew his fucking mind.
Then he’d gone and put his mouth on her pink, pretty little pussy, and he’d nearly died. He’d never known anything that intoxicating in his life. Hadn’t gotten nearly enough of it. Would have been happy to spend hours, days, even weeks with his mouth buried between her soft thighs, wallowing in those juicy folds.
Last night, it’d been damn near impossible to keep his ass planted on her couch, instead of following her into her bedroom. Today, that sense of need and anticipation was even worse. He was edgy . . . restless. He’d never, in all his thirty-four years, been this wound up about a woman before, and Ben knew if he gave himself too much time to think about how she affected him, it was going to screw with his head.
Instead, he stood up and carried his beer into his office, firing up his laptop. He’d give her the time she’d asked for tonight and spend the hours focusing on what she’d told him. With any luck, by tomorrow morning he’d have a better idea of what had gone down in Boston . . . and what part her bastard ex had really played in it.
7
SITTING IN A COMFORTABLE BOOTH WITH A WELCOME STREAM OF COOL air blowing down on them from above, Reese was glad she’d agreed to meet Connie for lunch at the best Mexican restaurant in town. Despite it being Sunday, the place wasn’t too packed, and the food was delicious. They were washing down a platter of nachos with ice-cold sweet tea, when Connie started reminiscing about some of the crazy things they’d gotten up to in high school.
“Do you remember when I’d just started my freshman year and you dared me to go over to Corey Handler’s house dressed up like Britney Spears and perform that dance from her video?” Corey had been the star quarterback of the football team and the cutest boy in Reese’s junior class.
“Oh my God,” Reese gasped, setting her tea down as she laughed. “I’d completely forgotten about that. Didn’t he end up asking you out?”
Connie’s smile was wry. “Yeah, only Mom said no way in hell.” She took a sip of her tea, then grinned as she reached for another chip. “But I was glad I’d done it, because you and I had such a blast setting the whole thing up. You were always so much fun back then.”
Back then? Reese’s smile fell. “Gee, thanks.”
Her sister flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that—”
“Don’t worry about it. I know what you meant.”
She honestly did understand, though she wouldn’t have been able to say that before. But with each day that she spent out from under the oppressive thumb of her marriage, Reese could see how much it had changed her a little more clearly. Could see how much of herself she’d given up trying to make Drew happy. Trying to be the wife that he wanted and fit into his mold for the “ideal” woman. She didn’t know how it’d happened. Couldn’t understand why she’d let it happen. But she thanked God that she could see it now.
“Say what you like about Ben,” Connie murmured, as if she could read her mind, “but he’ll be good for your ego.”
She rolled her eyes, wondering how many times her sister was going to mention the guy. “Be realistic, Con. How will watching him walk away when he’s through with me be good for my ego?”
There must have been something in her voice, because Connie’s expression changed, her brow creasing with worry. “Wait a minute. Are you . . . Do you have feelings for Ben?”
“Of course not,” she said a little too quickly, hoping it was true. The last thing she needed was to fall for a guy like Ben. She might as well leave her heart out on a stake to cook in the summer sun.
“If you’re not falling for him, Reese, then what’s the problem?”
“There’s no problem,” she said, trying for a more casual tone. “I just don’t want to get hurt. I mean, who’s to say how I might come to feel about him if we start seeing each other?”
Connie gave her an understanding nod. “So be smart and pull away before you get too far into him.”
She scrunched her nose. “That sounds so . . . crass.”
Her concern forgotten, Connie shot her a dazzling smile and waggled her brows. “Ben’s a big boy. He won’t mind being used. God knows he’s done it enough times himself. So have your fun with him, and be the one who walks away first.”
She pressed her hand against her stomach, just the thought of doing something like that making her feel a little queasy. “I don’t know if I can do that, Con.”
“Sure you can. It won’t be easy, but I have a feeling it’ll be worth it. You need some fun in your life, sis. Need to mix things up in a wild way.” Connie dropped her voice to a dramatic drawl, doing the eyebrow thing again. “And from the things I’ve heard about our sexy sheriff, he’ll be just the guy to do it.”
Jeez. Even Connie thought she needed to have some fun. Did everyone think she was a walking mausoleum? It was starting to get embarrassing. “I have to think about it.”
“Just don’t think too long. The sooner you jump into the pool again, the sooner you’ll realize how many opportunities are out there.”
“I don’t need a man to be happy,” she argued, the idea of wading through some endless dating pool making her cringe.
Reaching across the table, Connie patted her hand. “I know that, Reese.” A wry smile twisted her sister’s mouth. “But you can’t get away from the fact that some things are just a hell of a lot more fun when you’ve got one around.”
They both laughed, and Connie excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, giving Reese some time alone with her thoughts. She’d enjoyed their lunch, but her sister’s words from earlier kept niggling at the edge of her mind, making her tense. After living for so many years with Drew trying to shape her identity, she was still coming to grips with who she was and what she wanted. Still trying to understand how she could have let it happen.
It was just so weird, how you could look back and watch your life play out like a movie. There were times when she didn’t even recognize the actress playing her in most of the scenes. Who was that woman? The one who’d let a crap husband walk all over her? The one who’d pasted on a false smile and pretended to love her life, simply because she was too embarrassed to admit that she’d made more wrong ch
oices than right ones? Sometimes, the frustration with the way she’d lived still bubbled up inside her with so much force, she felt like burying her head in her pillow and bawling her eyes out. But it wasn’t going to solve anything. The answer was to finally start living on her own terms. To take back control. To start having some fun, like everyone kept suggesting, and stop worrying about where everything was going.
Then why in God’s name aren’t you taking Ben up on his offer?
She scowled, wondering when that annoying voice in her head was finally going to shut up.
I’ll shut up when you start listening to me. You want some fun? Some pleasure? That guy is ready to offer it, with a no hassle guarantee.
True. Ben hadn’t asked her for anything more than her body, though she still wasn’t sure why he wanted it. But she was the one complicating things. Worrying she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from developing feelings for him.
And would it really be the end of the world if she did? If her divorce had shown her anything, it was that she was tough enough to take a hit and keep on ticking. She might be bruised, but damn it, she wasn’t broken! She’d just have to keep her eyes open and the facts sharp in her mind. Remember that they were together for pleasure . . . not forever.
While the restaurant buzzed with activity around her, Reese sat at the table completely lost in thought, determined to make a decision where the sexy sheriff was concerned. And in the end, it was Ben’s dare that did it. Not because she couldn’t turn one down—but because she always had. Despite being fun-loving when she was younger, she’d never been the wild one. Oh, she might have dared her sisters to do crazy things, but she’d never done them herself.
She was going to do one now.
After all the talk of handcuffs and domination, she was a little nervous about what he’d want from her, but it’d have been a lie if she’d said she didn’t want him. The fact that she melted into a shivering state of bliss every time he touched her was proof enough of her attraction, as was the way she could never tell him no. She had the resistance of a gnat around the guy, so wasn’t it time she started enjoying his efforts for a change, instead of worrying it all to death?
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