by Tessa Layne
He brought his tongue to the edge of her sex, lapping and exploring before pushing into her wet channel to taste her. Her flavor burst on his tongue, a mix of salt and sweet and tang that he knew he’d never, as long as he lived, get enough of. He pushed in, fucking her with his tongue, searching for more, and was rewarded when the taste of her flooded his mouth.
She cried out, a feral light in her eyes, but she didn’t break eye contact. Damn if staring at her while he was feasting on her wasn’t the sexiest thing ever. He stroked up to her clit, spreading her essence around the swollen nub before sucking it into his mouth.
“Oh God, Ben… I… Ah.” Her head fell back as her orgasm shuddered through her.
And still he kept sucking and lapping at her, exploring every crevice with his tongue. Imprinting himself onto her as much as he was committing every move, every dip and curve, to memory. He slipped a finger into her and stroked, then added a second finger, scissoring and stroking as her walls tightened around him and she came again.
This time her cry was long and loud and she collapsed back on the bed, shuddering in ecstasy and squeezing his hand like a lifeline. His cock throbbed against his jeans, dying to be set free. He wanted to get her good and primed. He wasn’t sure how long he’d last once he was inside her.
Ben untangled their fingers and reached for a condom. “Wait.”
Oh shit. She didn’t want to talk more did she? “What is it?” His breath caught in his throat.
Her voice was husky and throaty. The sound of a woman freshly satisfied. “I told you, I want to watch.” She gave him a dirty, sexy smile.
Fuck, she was hot. His cock swelled to aching proportions. He’d like to explore just how far her kink ran.
He gave a twist of his hips. “You want a show?”
She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. “Show me what you’ve got, Sinclaire.”
He popped the button on his jeans and pushed everything down, letting his cock spring out.
He thrilled at her quick intake of breath and he stood proud, letting her eyes rake over him. “Like what you see?”
She gave him a slow, sexy smile. “I do. Very much.”
CHAPTER 11
Very much indeed. Every cell in Hope’s body buzzed at the sight of Ben naked before her, his long, thick cock jutting out proudly. Her mouth watered at the thought of him finally pushing into her. Filling her completely. Two orgasms in and she was already addicted.
Hell, who was she kidding? All it had taken was a kiss. She tossed him a condom and crooked a finger. “Come and take your pleasure, cowboy.”
He tore open the wrapper, only taking his eyes off her for a moment while he rolled on the condom in a single motion. “It will be my pleasure.” He leaned over her, brushing his mouth over her collarbone. “But not until it’s been yours.”
Hope’s breath stopped in her throat as he pushed her back flat on the bed. “It’s already been mine,” she panted, need swirling out from her core.
“Not enough. You haven’t had enough pleasure,” he answered tightly, the gravel in his voice giving away his arousal.
He paused at her entrance, rubbing his cock over her clit, up and down her slit. She tilted her hips, encouraging him to enter. He brought his hand to her cheek, his mouth pausing above her own. His breath caressed her as he murmured. “Are you sure? We can’t take this back.”
“I’ve never been more sure,” she gritted through clenched teeth before she raised her head and met his lips with her own. She opened her mouth at the same time as she rolled her hips and he thrust in hard, balls coming home to rest against her slippery folds.
She gasped at the sensation. He filled her completely. Stretched her. She clenched down on him and cried out, hovering at the edge of another orgasm. She raked her fingers down his back, dimly aware of the muscles rippling under her hand. She wanted his ass, and she groaned a little as she squeezed it. Hard, and round, and perfectly muscled.
He shifted then, pulling out slowly. She arched her hips and squeezed his ass as his muscles tightened under her and he thrust back in.
“God, Hope,” he said thickly. “You’re so tight. So hot.”
“Stop talking.” She used her other hand to pull his head down, mouth seeking his.
He quickly established a slow, steady rhythm that she met with a roll of her hips and a mimicking thrust of her tongue. The ache at her clit intensified, winding tension more tightly with each roll, each thrust.
His hand covered her breast, pinching first one and then the other nipple, timing each squeeze so that it matched the apex of his thrust when her clit had the most friction. Once, twice, three times, and she exploded, dots momentarily blacking her vision. Tremors rippled through her and she moaned into his mouth, tongue still stroking his as she rode the glorious waves.
He thrust again, his ass hardening under her palm, and his whole body shuddered in release. He groaned with her, their cries mingling as their bodies slowed and they floated back to earth.
“Jesus, Ben,” she said, when thoughts could finally form again and he’d crawled back next to her after disposing of the condom, wrapping them in a big blanket.
He placed a kiss on her temple. “My thoughts exactly. But we need to keep our energy up for round two. Are you hungry?”
“Oh most definitely,” she ran a hand down his hip, caressing the dip his bone left with her thumb.
“Don’t move.” Ben threw back the covers, and took the two steps to the table where the sack of Chinese stood.
He pulled out two containers and returned to her on the bed. “Crab Rangoon and extra hot General Tso’s”
“You remembered.” They hadn’t shared many meals together growing up. If they’d eaten at the tree house, it was usually sandwiches and chips, or whatever they could stuff into a saddlebag. But Ben had introduced her to ‘The General’ when she’d been about twelve, thinking he’d prank her with the spiciness, only she’d loved it.
He gave her a funny look. “Why would I forget?”
A flush moved up her neck, and she shrugged it off. “Because it’s been a long time.”
“I have a mind like a steel trap.” Ben dug out a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.
“Rusty and old?”
He chuckled and offered her the next bite. She opened her mouth to accept the offering, tongue warming as the spicy sauce spread in her mouth. This was the easiness between them she’d longed for and missed. Of course, mind blowing sex went a long way to relaxing things between them. If only they could forget the outside world and hole up away in the tree house forever.
Ben offered her another piece of the spicy chicken. “So. Want to tell me why you’re home and why you quit vet school?”
So much for hiding from the outside world. She wrapped the blanket more closely around her shoulders. It was flimsy, but enough of a shield that she felt a little less vulnerable. Ben always had a way of making her feel exposed. He had the ability to peel back her defenses. Even as kids, he’d been able to ferret out the truth faster than anyone. She might as well fess up. He was bound to discover the truth soon enough, and what would he think of her then? What would everyone think? She’d have to come to terms with it all at some point, but until she was on her feet… more confident, more… put together, she wasn’t saying anything to anyone. Not even her mom.
“I realized I was on the wrong path.” She shrugged. “More or less.”
He studied her thoughtfully and broke apart a crab rangoon, offering her half. Hope accepted it and took in a shaky breath as memories from the previous spring flashed through her mind like a slide show. “I figured there was no point in wasting my time and money finishing when it wouldn’t get me where I wanted to go.”
More or less.
She didn’t want to get into the ugly details of what had really happened. Especially not now, considering a man had been involved, and here she was naked, enjoying a post-sex feast with Ben. She could barely
process her own feelings surrounding the incident. She wasn’t up for dealing with someone else’s emotions. Or judgment.
Ben’s mouth tightened. “Did something happen, Hope? Someone hurt you?”
“It’s… complicated, an-and I don’t want to talk about it.”
His eyes filled with concern as they swept over her, looking for an outward sign of any injury. There was no injury. Not unless you counted the injury to her ego, her heart. Her career.
She was just… different. Less than she was.
She swallowed a lump in her throat. “Everyone goes through a career change at some point. She forced brightness into her voice, but a wave of emotion tickled her eyelids. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard telling Ben. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
“Hey,” he brushed her with one of her braids. A comforting gesture, and one as old as their friendship. It scared her how easily they slipped back into the familiar as if no time had passed, no hurts had been dealt. “I’m here for you.”
The ache in Hope’s throat intensified. He wouldn’t be when he found out how she’d let them all down. No one would.
Ben traced a finger down her neck to her exposed collarbone. “I think it’s time to stop talking,” he said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “I’m hungry for more.”
Ben’s declaration warmed her. Sent a little tremor bouncing down her spine to settle in her pussy. God, she was pathetic. She wanted him again. As much as she could get of him so she could drown in a sea of sensation. No more thinking. No more contemplating how her life had derailed. Just feeling and losing herself in him.
“I don’t think you’re talking about Crab Rangoon?”
He nibbled on the hollow at her neck, sending tiny, warming prickles cascading over her. “Mmmm. Definitely not.”
CHAPTER 12
Hope stirred beside him in the early light, and Ben tucked her closer under his arm. Her pale hair frizzed around her head, evidence of their all-night activity. Just thinking about being inside her again and he was working on a morning woody. Making love with Hope had been so much better than Ben could have possibly imagined.
It had been more than a meeting of minds, of bodies. It had been a meeting of souls. No pretense, just communion. The early morning cacophony of the birds faded, and he saw Hope sitting on a swing below the tree house, a swing that wasn’t there, belly round with child, as a little boy with dark hair played at her feet. Ben’s hands grew cold and just as quickly as the vision had come upon him, it faded.
He pulled in a slow breath, trying to steady his pounding heart. It had been years since he’d had a vision. The last was just before his mother had died. He’d had one just before his sorry excuse for a father, Jake, had his fatal heart attack too. The visions had only come a few times, and they always unsettled him. Did that mean he and Hope were destined to forge a life together? Make a family? He couldn’t imagine growing old with anyone else.
Beside him, Hope yawned and stretched, her eyes lighting as they met his. “Did we really use all my condoms last night?”
“Plus two of mine.”
She grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “No wonder I feel like I ran a marathon.” Propping herself on the pillows, she began to unwind one of her braids. “Any leftovers?”
Ben reached into the bag. “We’ve got a carton of pot stickers we didn’t break into last night. Want some?”
“In a sec. I’ve got to make myself presentable.” She shook out the rest of the braid. Ben sat transfixed. He’d never seen her out of braids. Hope combed her fingers through the pale copper waves and gave her head a little shake, oblivious to the effect she was having on him. She quickly smoothed her hair and divided the pieces, hands flying, and in no time the braid was back in place.
Ben’s mouth went dry. Seeing her in such a private, personal act twisted his insides. It was a privilege seeing the vulnerable side of Hope. Her soft, hidden side. He liked it.
She gave him a funny look, and cocked her head. “What is it? My braids uneven?”
He shook his head, handing her the carton, and placed a kiss on her forehead. “You’re perfect. Eat up.”
A guilty expression flashed across her face. “I’m not perfect, Ben. Far from it.” Her luscious mouth pulled into a frown. “I’m not the sweet teenager you remember. I’ve got… baggage.”
He twisted and reached for his jeans, shoving in first one leg, then the other. “You’re not a unicorn, Hope. We all have baggage. It only gets heavy when you carry it alone.” He shot her a meaningful glance and she looked away, reaching for a pot sticker.
Whatever she was hanging on to must be big. But whatever it was, he’d be there for her when it all came out.
Ben grabbed the last pot sticker. “So. You wanna talk about it?” He popped the crescent into his mouth as he waited for her to answer.
She stared at him suspiciously. “About what?”
“Your baggage.”
She ducked her head and reached for her shirt, slowly buttoning it like a piece of armor. When she finished, she met his eyes, her gaze intent, as if she was weighing whether or not she could trust him.
The realization that she might not trust him burned. Heat prickled up the back of his neck. He’d broken so much more than her heart eight years ago. At least they were moving in the right direction, even if they hadn’t arrived yet. If he was anything, it was patient. He could be as patient as Hope needed. He’d regain her trust and then some.
Finally, she spoke. “I came home to make a fresh start. And take some time to work out what’s next in my life.”
He hoped he figured into that picture.
“I’m not sure opening my baggage is going to help that process.”
Disappointment flashed through him. Fine. He got it. She wasn’t ready yet. He’d just have to prove to her that he was worthy of her trust. Of being her confidant again.
He reached up and tugged her braid. “You can keep your baggage to yourself if you like, but I still think you’re perfect.”
She smiled and pulled him in for a kiss, but he didn’t miss the doubt in her eyes.
“C’mon.” He stood, pulling her up with him. “Are you ready to face the world?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She tilted her face, silently requesting another kiss. Ben was happy to oblige. He’d never turn down a chance to kiss Hope. Not ever again.
A breeze rustled through the trees as they stepped onto the balcony, bringing with it the scent of earth and river.
They clambered down the ladder, and Ben entwined their hands as they made their way back across the stepping-stones in the creek. “I’ll walk you home, then come back and clean up later.”
A feeling of deep satisfaction stole over him. He glanced over to Hope, his heart giving an extra hard thump. This morning, he was on top of the world, and nothing was going to get in the way of his good mood today.
When the Hansen outbuildings came into view through the trees, Hope slowed. Turning to him, she pushed back her beat-up old hat, and worried her lip between her teeth.
“What is it?”
A crease appeared above her nose, and she took a big breath. “I loved last night…”
Uh-oh.
Ben’s heart slammed against his ribs. Was this it? One night with Hope was all he’d get? At least it had been earth shattering. “And?” He held his breath.
“I’d like to see you again.”
Relief washed over him. He drew a finger down her jawline. “I’d like that too.”
“But, I’d like to keep things between us quiet for the time being.” Her words came out in a rush, and the relief he’d felt was quickly replaced by something less pleasant.
“Wait. What?”
She looked everywhere but at him. “I don’t think it would be a good idea if we… er… went public?”
“What the fuck, Hope?” Goddammit. He’d be damned if he’d hide his feelings for her. Not after years of stuffing them where the sun didn’t s
hine. “We just shared an incredible night together. Why keep us a secret?”
She shot him a worried look. “People will talk. You know, the ad. They’ll think I did it just to catch a man.”
“They already think that, darlin’.”
“Even more reason, then. Let things blow over until someone else is the subject of the Prairie gossip mill.”
He crossed his arms. “No way. That’s not fair to either of us, and you know it.”
Hope’s mouth tightened stubbornly. “What about my brothers? They’re still not a hundred percent pro-Sinclaire. They make a good effort for Maddie, but they still don’t trust you.”
That chapped his hide. “I don’t give a fuck what they say. They’ll just have to get used to us.”
“Please, Ben?” she pleaded. “Just for a little while? You know… until things settle down. I don’t want an ‘us’ to create more bad blood between our families, just when things are getting better.”
When would they ever settle down? In his experience, there would always be something. “Oh no. I did the secret dating thing in college. It’s a bad idea. Someone always gets hurt.” And this time it would be him who was hurt.
She ran a hand over the placket on his coat. “I’d never hurt you, Ben. You’re one of the nicest guys I know.”
Ben rolled his eyes and groaned. “You know that’s the kiss of death, right?”
“What. Being a nice guy?”
“Nice guys tend to get stuck in the friends column.” He tilted her chin, forcing her gaze up. “And I’m not going back into your friends column Hope. We crossed the line last night. No going back. Give us a chance.”
“Which is why I don’t want people in our business. Just for a little while, okay?”
Reluctantly, he nodded his head. “I’m not happy about it, but I will. Just for a little while.”
She sagged against him in relief and offered her mouth for a kiss. “Thank you.” She flashed him a smile that melted his insides.