Give Me Another Chance: The Raven Brothers Book 3

by Kaylee, Katy

  “This is the Benny and the Jet…named for Ben and the club, not the song. It has your brother’s favorite combos.”

  A sadness swept over her face that made my heart clench. What the hell was going on?

  She took a sip and smiled wanly. “Yes, he’d like that.”

  A second drink was set on the counter. “This was one Ben and me created our sophomore year in college. To be honest, it’s not much different than the last one. We were pretty much lushes back then.”

  Her breath hitched, and again, I wondered what was going on. Why would booze be making her seem so sad?

  She tasted a few more, and then I urged her to order anything she wanted for herself. She opted for a glass of white wine. I was pleased that she ordered something. I got the feeling she was ready to leave from the moment she walked into the club.

  I continued the tour, taking her into one of the raised VIP areas so she could look over the club and how it was set up. When she finished her wine, I brought her down to the DJ booth.

  “We have one thing no other club has,” I said loudly over the music. “Another use of my geek skills.” I motioned to the DJ who nodded.

  “Watsup everyone. The floor’s about to get crowded,” he said to the dancing crowd. Then he flipped a switch and the holographic dancers appeared.

  Beth’s eyes widened in fascination. “Ben mentioned this but I couldn’t imagine it.”

  “No one dances alone now,” I said. Taking a chance, I added, “Let’s join them. You can get the full experience.”

  I guided her to the floor, keeping her close. Other men were looking at her, and there was no way I was going to let any of them get near her. She was mine. She’d always been mine. I supposed that was a sexist thought. And it was possible, likely even, that over the last six years, she’d been with other men. I pushed that away because it would only make me crazy to think about another man touching her.

  Instead, I moved with her on the dance floor, using every bit of self-control I had to keep from pulling her to me and pressing against her. Anyone looking too closely would see I was sporting a hardon. Ah, what I’d do to have her again. The urge grew as she relaxed and allowed her body to move with the music. She loved dancing, I remembered from our summer together. We often ended up at the same parties, and I watched her then. Getting hard and jerking off to images of her late at night tucked into my own bed.

  As the summer wore on and we started seeing each other secretly, she’d jerk me off and I’d finger her to climax. In retrospect, I wish I fucked her sooner, but she was only eighteen and I hadn’t been sure of her experience. What mattered most to me back then was being with her. Being able to touch her heightened my enjoyment of spending time with her, but first and foremost my interest was simply in being near her.

  She did a twirl and as she came around back to me, there was a smile on her face. My heart pumped hard in my chest at the sight of her. How was it that after six years of being apart, the need for her emotionally and physically was still so powerful? I didn’t know. And I didn’t care. All that mattered was that I figure out a way to convince her it was still there.

  4

  Beth – Saturday

  I didn’t know what I was doing. I was supposed to be touring the club, discussing business, and then heading home. I blamed the signature drinks and cool holograms for the fact that I was dancing with the man who’d broken my heart and I vowed to always hate. That and the fact that I hadn’t gone out and had fun since that summer six years ago. There was no time for clubbing or hanging out with friends after that summer. A few weeks later after Ash left without a word, I was in Europe with my mother. Nine months later I was a mom. The only thing I’d done for me over the last six years was finish college.

  I worked for my father’s company in Europe until he got sick and Ben needed help with him so he could take over the company. Once my father passed away, I still had my daughter, but now I also had Ben and our financial situation to worry about. There was no time for fun. It was why when I was dressing to go out, the best I could do was an old little black dress I had in high school. Thank God it still fit. Morgan, my friend and the one person who gave me the most support in my busy life, told me I looked good. “You look like you’re going to mix business and pleasure,” she said when she came over to babysit.

  I didn’t want to mix business and pleasure, did I? The truth was, I was enjoying the dancing. It had been so long. The only dancing I did now was with my daughter. And if I was brutally honest with myself, I had to admit that it wasn’t because of the cool holograms, but the man who was standing so close to me that I could smell his cologne. I could watch his hazel eyes as they intently watched me.

  I was supposed to hate this man. At the very least, resent him and treat him with cool disinterest. But Ash was acting like the man I remembered six years ago. Attentive, actively listening and responding to everything I said with interest. He was being sweet and kind. It made me wonder what the hell had happened six years ago. Who was the man that abandoned me without a word? Who sent my letter telling him about my pregnancy back without opening it? The fact that he hadn’t asked about our baby during this reunion indicated he had no idea about it. Now, it was my intention that he never find out about it, although my gut burned at the deception. It was wrong. But as nice as he was being now, he was also the man who left me without a word. I couldn’t trust him and I wouldn’t put my little girl through that kind of abandonment.

  Ash leaned in close to me and his nearness sent my nerves haywire. Being near him was a heady experience.

  “There’s more to see,” he said. He guided me from the dancefloor down a hallway with opaque glass rooms that had lights flashing behind them.

  He motioned me into one and I realize the lights were from video game machines. I quirked a brow. “Video games in a club?”

  He shrugged as a waiter appeared with another glass of wine for me and whatever he was drinking. “Remember, Ben and I were twenty when we first came up with the concept.”

  “Do you still game?” I sipped the wine, worried about drinking too much, and but appreciating the distraction.

  He shook his head. “I won’t say I grew out of it, but I don’t have a lot of time.”

  Ben was the same. I’m sure he’d play them now if he was sober enough.

  Ash’s hand was on my lower back as he showed me a variety of games. His touch was frazzling my brain, making it hard to think of anything but wanting to be in his arms again.

  I felt like I saw interest in his eyes beyond the business deal, which should have sent me running from the club. And yet here I was, curious about whether or not he was feeling the attraction we shared all those years ago.

  “Do you have a favorite game?” I asked as we got to the last machine. I turned to look at him, not realizing how close he was. His lips were a whisper away from mine.

  His eyes flashed with heat and then his gaze drifted down my face to my lips, hovering there for a moment, before rising back up to my eyes.

  His hand reached out, brushing my cheek lightly. The feel of his fingers, the tenderness of it, sent an overwhelming yearning for what we once had through me.

  “I’ve never forgotten you, Beth,” he said low, but loud enough to be heard over the gaming machines and din of music from the club. I knew what he was doing as he leaned closer. I should have stopped it, but I didn’t as his lips pressed against mine. Like a flash fire, sizzling heat burst through my body at his touch and taste.

  The kiss lingered and I wanted to get lost in it. But then, somehow, I pulled away, trying not to look like I was gasping for breath, when in fact I was. How was it he could still have that same effect on me? Why couldn’t I hold onto my anger at him?

  “How about another dance?” he asked.

  I nodded because it was the only coherent thing I could do. At least on the dance floor, the crowd and loud music offered a barrier, and I could try to get my mind back in the game.

 
This was supposed to be easy, but who had I been kidding? Being with Ash like this brought back the memories of six years ago when life seemed perfect. Oh, how I wished we could be like that again.

  But no. I was here in the club he owned with my brother to complete a mission. I needed Ash to buy my brother’s half of the business to save us financially. It was a shame, I thought as I looked around Jet and saw how popular it was. Knowing my brother had checked out of the business a few years back, I had to credit Ash for the club’s success. I hoped he wouldn’t lowball an offer to offset how little my brother contributed over the last few years. I couldn’t blame Ash if he did, since my brother wasn’t involved in the club’s current success, but I hoped he’d be generous considering their friendship. Or I should say, their past friendship.

  I was there to look over my brother’s holding and to negotiate the sale, so I wasn’t sure why I agreed to dance with Ash, except that it was loud and crowded on the dance floor which made it hard to talk. Despite needing to strike a deal, the last thing I wanted was to talk to Ash about anything but business because I knew my resolve around him was weak. He was everything and more than I remembered. He’d lost the boyish softness in his face that he had at twenty-one and was now a full-fledged man, with a chiseled jaw and day-old stubble. His hazel eyes watched me as I danced with him. Like a Svengali, his eyes captured me and I slowly got lost in them until we were the only two people in the room.

  That’s how it had been that summer in the Hamptons six years ago after I graduated from high school. Ash had just graduated from college, and he and Ben were planning to open a club in Manhattan. Our families had been friends for a long time, and so I’d known Ash, but it wasn’t until that summer that I saw him as anything but my brother’s friend.

  All of the Raven boys were ridiculously handsome, and so they were always very popular at the beach, including Ash. But there was something different that summer about him. Or maybe it was me. I remembered seeing him walk out of the surf by our beach house and thinking “yum” as water dripped from him. I’d been sunbathing on the beach and he came to sit with me as my brother continued to boogie board. We laughed at my brother as he crashed into the waves. Then we discussed our plans for the summer and beyond; his involved opening a club with my brother, and mine was attending college. He was funny and smart and sweet and within minutes, my friendly feelings started to turn.

  Within a week, I was sneaking out at night and meeting him on the beach, where we walked and talked about nothing and everything. Despite my animosity towards him now, I couldn’t help but think of those times as anything but magic. It was the stuff of teenage romance movies. My mother said that it was a sure sign that we wouldn’t last. To her, I had a crush on Ash We had a summer fling, but that was all it was. She’d insisted that over time I’d meet a man that would show me what lasting love was really about.

  So far, I hadn’t met that man. Instead, when I thought about romance, my mind always went to Ash, even though my goal was to forget him. To this day, I could still remember the taste of him when he kissed me. He wasn’t the first boy I’d ever kissed, but up until him, I hadn’t understood what a kiss could be. Or what it could do to the libido. After that first kiss, I knew I wanted him to be the one to take my V-card.

  The only problem for us was that no one knew about us. Initially, we’d just been friends, but when it was clear something more was going on, we agreed to keep our blossoming romance on the down-low. For one, who knew what would happen once the summer was over? Second, neither of us was sure how Ben would take it and since Ash was getting ready to start a business with him, we didn’t want to mess that up.

  I was okay with keeping us a secret because it added to the romance of it all. Each night, we’d meet in secret on the beach, walk and talk, kiss and feel each other up, and then walk and talk some more. As the summer progressed, he’d use his fingers on me, giving me glorious orgasms. He taught me how to jack him off with my hand. I loved how powerful it made me feel to give him pleasure.

  But I wanted more. As the summer drew to a close, I didn’t want to leave without giving all of myself to him. I knew I loved him and that I didn’t want us to end. So as we lay on the beach, his hands touching me and making my body hum with need, I offered myself to him.

  I’ve never forgotten the look in his eyes at that moment. There was excitement, but I swore I also saw love there.

  He pushed my hair behind my ear as the wind gently blew it. “I don’t want this to end.”

  My heart expanded in my chest to hear those words. “Me neither.”

  And then he kissed me, and I could feel the difference between all the lovely kisses we had before, and the passion that he was letting loose in that one. On the beach, under a beautiful August moon, he filled my body with his. The initial pain at his intrusion was dulled by my love for him and what we were doing, and eventually, it was replaced with pleasure as he made me come, followed by his own release.

  Afterward, I lay in his arms, feeling like my life was perfect, except for the fact that the summer was ending and we were still a secret.

  “We’ll figure something out, Beth,” he said when I shared my feelings.

  I nodded, trusting that he’d find a way for us to be together. As it turned out, that trust was misguided. The next day he was gone. No explanation. No goodbye. Just gone.

  Tonight, as he danced, his head tilted to the side, as if he knew I wasn’t fully there. His hand settled on my waist and pulled me closer.

  He leaned in toward me and said over the music, “Are you okay?”

  The scent of him enveloped me and I felt more intoxicated by him than the drinks. “Yes.”

  I looked up into his perfectly handsome face, his kind hazel eyes, and wondered what happened to us. My gaze drifted down to his lips, remembering their taste and softness.

  “If you keep looking at me like that, there’s no telling what will happen,” he said as he pulled me closer until I could feel the hard length of him through his pants. He held me there, moving with the music and bringing me back to that one perfect night on the beach. I thought I was over him. I thought I’d grieved the dream of us. But being so close to him made my senses go haywire with need. My heart longed for what we’d lost, even though my head knew it could never happen. It would be too risky to allow it.

  Finally, the song ended, and I pulled away. “I need some water.”

  With his hand on my lower back, he guided me back to the VIP section of the club, telling a passing water to bring us some water.

  I immediately went to the glass partition to look out over the dance floor, not trusting myself to look him in the eyes again. Chances were high that I’d throw myself at him and that would be a disaster.

  He came to stand behind me, his hands lightly on my waist at first as if he was testing the waters, and then they encircled me. His chest was hot against my back. His dick pressed against my ass. His breath was warm on my ear as he pressed a kiss to my neck and then my shoulder. My senses were overloaded with the scent and feel of him. My body was buzzing with need. All I could think about was getting naked and letting him touch me all night long.

  His hands slid up my belly to just below my breasts. His thumb brushed over my already aching and hard nipples, and I couldn’t hold back the gasp as fire shot through me. Why was I letting him do this? Where was all the anger I’d felt for him for so long? I should have been repulsed, not turned on.

  His lips tug on my earlobe. “Come home with me, Beth.”

  Oh God, how I wanted to. I wanted to feel his hands on my body again. To feel him sliding in and out of me, making me come like I’d never come before. But I’d wanted so much from him before, and it hadn’t worked out. Back then, the only risk was my brother’s anger. Today, giving into Ash had even bigger risks. Too big to take risks.

  He ground his dick against me, reminding me how large he was. “I’m dying to touch you again.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut, like tha
t would help me make the best decision for me and my life.

  “I’ll do it here and now, but I’d rather do it in my bed, where I’ve got the time and space, and privacy.”

  My pussy was throbbing with need. It wanted me to take him up on his offer. My brain was screaming danger, danger. God, what should I do

  “You’re all I’ve thought about all week.” His fingers continued to rub and tweak my nipples and his lips brushed against my neck. I couldn’t think.

  “Won’t your girlfriend or wife be angry?” I couldn’t imagine him being single.

  “There’s no one, Beth. Just you.”

  The romantic in me swooned, while the rational part of me tried to remind me that they were just words. Words that I was attaching too much meaning too.

  “There was only ever you.”

  Oh God, how could I fight against that? I turned to look into his eyes, wanting to be able to see the truth of what he was saying. Before I could get a good look, his lips were on mine again, his dick rubbing against my belly, and a fire was rushing through my bloodstream straight to my center. Warning bells went off in my brain, but I told them to shut up. It had been so long since I’d been held and touched and aroused. Six years was an eternity.

  His hand gripped my ass, as he ground himself against me and groaned. “We need to go. Even in my own club, I could get arrested for indecency.”

  My head was in a whirl as he led me out through the back and to an alley were a limo sat waiting. I didn’t know people used limos anymore, but I didn’t have time to ask about it before I was in the back, and Ash’s lips were on mine again.

  “I have to touch you,” he said through a groan as he unzipped my dress, pulling the shoulders down and revealing my breasts spilling out of my bra. His tongue ran over the swells as he unclasped my bra. “You have fantastic tits.” He’d told me that the first time too.

  He sucked my nipple into his mouth, and I swore I could feel it in my pussy. It ached with need, making me crazy. It was hard to concentrate, but I had to see him too. Somehow, I got the buttons of his shirt undone, and I was right, his chest was broader, harder, more sculpted.