The Way We Were (Solitary Soldiers Book 2)

by A. T Brennan

  He grinned and took it from her. She felt a slight jolt of electricity when his lips brushed against her fingers but tried to ignore it.

  “So why didn’t you get a date for tonight?” she asked as she took a sip of her wine. “You broke a lot of hearts going to prom solo.”

  “No one I wanted to ask.” He shrugged.

  Ben was a bit of a player, and while he had a lot of dates he didn’t really do girlfriends. He’d had some casual things and some really short things, but he’d never really had a real relationship. He liked to joke how he got bored easily and he would be doing himself a disservice by settling down in high school, but she’d always wondered if there was more to it.

  She wasn’t exactly a dater either. She’d had three boyfriends, and none of them had been what would be considered long term. They’d only lasted a few months and she hadn’t been heartbroken when they’d ended.

  Another big difference between them was that Allie was a virgin and Ben wasn’t. They were best friends and shared everything so she knew all about his sex life. She knew who he’d slept with and when, but other than that they didn’t exchange details. He knew she’d messed around with all three of her boyfriends, but she hadn’t slept with any of them.

  “Seems kind of silly, doesn’t it?” she asked as she popped a strawberry in her mouth.

  “What?”

  “Prom, all of this.” She shrugged. “All this fuss over a night. All the money and preparation and anticipation. I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed that reality didn’t measure up to the fantasy.”

  “I think you’re right.” He nodded as he dipped a very large strawberry in the pudding and then crammed the whole thing in his mouth.

  “Careful, you’ll get pudding on your fancy ass clothes,” she teased as she sipped her wine.

  He laughed around the berry and shook his head.

  “Cost of cleaning is in the rental,” he said with a grin after he’d swallowed. “Wait.” He jumped up.

  “What?” She watched as he walked over to the side of the bed and turned on the TV. The station was set to look like a fireplace, and she smiled as he sat back down at the table.

  “I know how much you like watching fire.”

  “Thanks.” She stared at the flames for a moment before looking back at him. “This is amazing, thank you,” she said again as she finished off her wine.

  “You deserve it.” He smiled and held a strawberry out to her.

  She leaned forward and took it from his fingers, and when her lips brushed his skin she felt another jolt from the contact.

  “More wine?” he asked after a pause. By the look on his face he’d noticed something too.

  “Please.” She nodded and shoved another strawberry in her mouth.

  One secret she’d kept from everyone, and especially from Ben, was that she didn’t just love him as a best friend. She was in love with him, and had been for a few years.

  She’d always been attracted to him. He was incredibly handsome so she certainly wasn’t the only one, but there was more to him than that.

  He was kind and strong and smart. He stood up for people who needed to be protected and he didn’t care what other people thought. He’d been the most consistent and supportive person in her life for ten years, and he’d helped her through so much. He’d held her while she cried and laughed with her when she’d been happy.

  Over the past few years her feelings had intensified and she’d realized she was in love with him, but she’d also realized they were best friends. Saying anything or trying to change things would be the end of their friendship, and he meant too much for her to risk it.

  She watched as he finished his wine and then poured out two more glasses. When he was finished he picked up the largest strawberry on the plate and dipped it in the pudding.

  As he held it out to her she leaned forward and bit off about half of the berry, it was way too big to try and eat the whole thing. As she chewed she watched him put the rest of the berry in his mouth and then gently suck the juice off his fingers, but it was the look he was giving her that made her shiver.

  He was looking at her in a way she’d never seen before. It was intense and heated, and she was sure she was reading it wrong.

  He shook his head slightly as he leaned back in his chair and picked up his wine.

  Allie blinked a few times as she looked away from him. Her stomach fluttered and she was nervous all of a sudden. She picked up her wine and drank about half of it down before looking back at Ben.

  “Come on.” He smiled as he stood.

  “What?” she asked as she stood with him.

  He grinned and went over to the TV remote and pressed a few buttons. The fireplace continued to crackle on the screen, but now there was music playing with it.

  The song was slow and it was being played by a saxophone. She’d never heard it before, but when she saw Ben coming toward her with his hand out she swallowed as the fluttering intensified.

  She took his hand when he reached her and he pulled her into the center of the room, right in front of the TV.

  “Everyone needs to dance at their prom,” he said softly as he put his arms around her and pulled her close. “Even if it is to cheesy jazz,” he added as he began to sway back and forth to the music.

  Allie stared at him as he held her close, draping her arms over his shoulders as she moved with him.

  They’d always been very comfortable with each other and they’d danced together before. They hugged and cuddled and held hands without thinking, but right now something felt different.

  “Allie Cat?” he asked as he looked at her.

  She smiled at the use of her childhood nickname. He was the only one who still called her that.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked as she stared at him.

  “I-I…”

  “You’ve never been shy with me before,” he said softly as he swayed with her to the music.

  “I know,” she said softly. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s in my brain right now.”

  He smiled and looked down at her.

  Dancing in heels on carpet wasn’t the easiest thing to do and she paused so she could kick off her shoes. She really didn’t feel like catching her heel and twisting her ankle.

  When her shoes were off Ben pulled her so she was tight against him as he put his cheek on the top of her head. Ben was six-two and Allie was five-seven, so while there was a seven inch height difference between them, he didn’t dwarf her like he did a lot of the girls at school.

  Allie wasn’t small but she wasn’t exactly big. She was curvy and fell in an in-between place. Ben was tall and broad. He’d played sports his entire life and he’d always been big and strong, but he was gentle and his size wasn’t intimidating. At least not to her.

  She felt his arms tighten around her and she sighed against him.

  “Allie?”

  She pulled away so she could look up at him, and her breath caught when she saw the way he was looking at her.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking, Allie.”

  “I don’t want to screw things up,” she whispered.

  “What would you fuck up?” he asked softly as he looked at her.

  “I, I…”

  “Allie Cat?”

  She drew in a deep breath and quickly moved up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

  It wasn’t a long kiss. It wasn’t even a real kiss. It was more like she pressed her lips against his for a brief second and then pulled away.

  They might have kissed each other on the cheek over the years, but they’d never kissed on the lips before.

  “Allie?”

  “I feel for you,” she said softly, bolstering her confidence and letting it spill out. If she was ever going to tell him, this was the perfect moment. She had to get it out now before she lost her nerve.

  The sparkling wine was starting to go to her head a little. She wasn’t drunk, but the bubbles were making her a little tipsy and
giving her courage.

  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he asked as he looked down at her, standing still as he held her close. “Do you want more?”

  “I do, Ben.” She nodded. “Do you?”

  He looked at her for a second before grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. He took four steps forward, pulling her along with him, and she gasped as she was pressed between the wall and his strong body.

  His mouth descended on hers and she could only gasp again as he kissed her. His lips were firm and warm, and a moment later she felt his tongue sweeping into her mouth as he deepened the kiss.

  She kissed him back, fighting the slight dizziness that was threatening to take over from the onslaught of sensations washing over her. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as his hands ran over her body.

  Ben groaned against her as his hands slipped over the silky material of her dress. He grabbed handfuls of her skirt and yanked it up, pulling until the hem was up around her thighs so he could grab her leg and wrap it around his hip as he pressed her into the wall.

  One of her hands fell off his body as she raised it and pressed it against the wall over her head to try and keep herself steady as his hand ran over her leg, cupping her bum before the tips of his fingers slipped under the material of her lacy underwear and delicately traced against her skin.

  “Oh Ben!” She gasped when his lips moved to the side of her neck and he began to kiss and nibble the tender and sensitive flesh. “Oh!”

  “Allie.” He groaned against her as he moved his hand from her bottom and slid it up so he was cupping her breast in his hand. “Oh god, Allie.” He groaned again as he pulled his lips from hers so he could look down at her, his hand still holding her breast.

  “Ben?”

  “Allie,” he started, his voice shaking slightly. “What do you want?”

  “I want you.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, and then groaned as she slipped her hands under the shoulders of his jacket.

  He dropped his hands and let her push his jacket off. As soon as the jacket was on the floor he put his hands on her hips and held her tight.

  “Allie, I want you to be sure. I don’t want you to regret this.” He groaned again as she reached up and loosened his tie.

  “I want you. I could never regret anything that happens between us,” she said softly as she pulled the tie off and tossed it aside.

  “Are you drunk?” he asked and gasped slightly when she grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it free from his pants. “If you’re drunk then it’s not right. I can’t if you—”

  “I’m not drunk.” She started to undo the buttons on his shirt. It was slow and tedious work, and the fact that her hands were shaking slightly didn’t help, but she just kept working at them.

  She wasn’t drunk, but she knew the alcohol was giving her confidence and she went with it. She was in her right mind, and she wanted him.

  “There’s something I have to tell you,” he said desperately as she undid the last button and started to push his shirt down his arms.

  “What is it?” she asked when he paused. She pushed the shirt right off of him and let it fall to the floor.

  “I—” he cut himself off with a groan as she bent forward and ran her tongue over his chest as her hands gripped his hips, pulling him against her.

  “Fuck.” He shook his head as she delicately traced her tongue around his nipple. “I can’t think straight if you do that.”

  “Then don’t think.” She grinned as she looked up at him, her lips hovering over his strong chest.

  He gasped when her tongue darted out and she licked it over his other nipple. She pressed her lips against his skin and he shivered slightly as she kissed up toward his mouth.

  She loved how much she was affecting him. She was pretty inexperienced, especially in comparison to him. She’d been worried she’d be bad and he wouldn’t enjoy her advances. It seemed that wasn’t the case.

  “How did you learn to do that?” he asked in a strangled voice as her lips ran over his throat.

  “I’m a virgin, not a nun,” she teased as she trailed kisses across his neck and then over his jaw, standing up on her tiptoes so she could reach him.

  Hungrily his lips found hers and she was lost.

  He fisted his hands in her long hair as he pressed her back against the wall, pinning her with his body as he ravished her mouth with his kisses.

  Allie could barely keep her head straight and she just gave in to him. This moment was the culmination of years of desire and lust, and now that it was happening she was almost overwhelmed.

  She felt his hand fumbling at her side and realized he was trying to undo the zipper on her dress. She wedged her arm between them and pushed his hand away so she could undo the zipper herself. She didn’t want him to stop kissing her to try and focus on the zipper. It took her a moment to get the zipper down, but when it was she grabbed him by the hips and tried to pull him even closer to her.

  His hand slid under the material of the dress and moved up to her chest. He held her breast in his hand and then gently started to rub his fingers over her nipple. She gasped and cried out against him as tiny jolts of pleasure shot through her.

  “Allie,” he panted as he pulled away from her.

  “Ben?” She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts back.

  “I need to be sure. I need to be sure you want me.”

  “I want you,” she almost pleaded. “Please, I want you.”

  “I love you, Allie,” he said as he looked down at her, his lips hovering over hers. “I’ve loved you for years.”

  “I love you too, Ben.” She almost couldn’t believe he was saying that to her, or it could be true. “I love you,” she whispered a moment before his lips found hers again in a deep and hungry kiss.

  She wanted him so badly and she didn’t want to wait. With slightly shaking hands she reached up and undid the halter strap at the back of her neck, letting it fall in two pieces in front of her. With the zipper open and the strap undone there was nothing holding the dress up, and the moment he moved his body a millimeter from hers it fell to the floor, puddling at her feet.

  He pulled away slightly so he could look at her. It was as though he was trying to memorize her body, and she loved the look of desire and appreciation she saw in his eyes.

  After a moment she took a deep breath and reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra. After another breath she dropped her hands, letting the bra fall to the floor in front of her.

  “Allie,” he breathed as he looked at her.

  This was the most undressed she’d ever been in front of someone. She’d never taken her bra off in front of a guy, and she’d never had someone look at her breasts or touch them without something covering them.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he gently reached out and put his hands over her breasts.

  She shivered at his touch and kept her eyes on his as he looked at her. After a moment he grabbed her and picked her right up off the ground. She let out a slight squeal of shock as he carried her over to the bed. He tossed her down on the soft comforter and the strength and desire she felt from him was turning her on even more.

  She put her elbows under her body and scooted up on the bed as he kicked off his shoes. She thought he would take his pants off, but he just climbed onto the bed and covered her body with his.

  She could only hold onto him and cry out as he kissed every part of her he could reach, and when his tongue trailed over her nipple she felt her entire body tighten.

  “I want you so bad, Allie.” He groaned as he pulled away from her and held his body over hers.

  “I want you, Ben.” She reached up and cupped his handsome face in her hands. “I want you so much.”

  “Have you gone this far before?” he asked quietly.

  “No.” She shook her head. She wasn’t embarrassed, but she was curious as to why he was asking.

  “I wa
nt this to be perfect for you. I don’t want to do something wrong. Not with you.”

  “Just love me,” she whispered as she smiled at him. “Just love me and it will be perfect.”

  He groaned and leaned his head down to give her a soft and gentle kiss before he started to trail kisses over her chest. He paused at her nipple and she cried out as he trailed his tongue over it before pulling it into his mouth to suckle her. After a long moment he moved over to the other one, and she cried out at the sensations.

  It was as though he was touching deep inside her body, and she could feel pressure starting to build in her womb.

  When he pulled away from her breast and started to move down her stomach she propped herself up on her elbows, and watched as he grabbed the sides of her panties and pulled them off. He kissed her hip and then pushed her legs apart so he could settled between them.

  She was torn. A part of her really wanted to experience what he seemed to want to do, but another part of her was embarrassed. She didn’t know if she should stop him, and if he couldn’t or didn’t want to finish then she would be humiliated.

  Even as she was trying to figure out what to do he bent his head and pressed his tongue against her clit. She’d never felt anything like it before in her life, and as he continued to move over her, teasing her with his warm and nimble tongue, she had to bite her lip to stop from screaming.

  She kept herself propped up on her elbows so she could look down at him as he pleasured her. Watching him was compounding the sensations he was creating in her body, and she could barely keep from writhing as her legs shook and her pleasure built.

  She cried out when she saw him look up at her, his eyes locking on hers as he teased her. The eye contact was incredible, and she felt her pleasure begin to crest. A moment later she fell back against the bed as she was overcome with her orgasm.

  Ben just held his tongue against her as he let her enjoy the pleasure, and it wasn’t until she involuntarily jerked away from him that he moved up so he was laying over her.

  “Allie?” he asked, a teasing smile on his lips.