Seven Years of Bad Luck

by J. L. Mac

  Asshole!

  “And I assume you would have me believe that your motivation for taking a jab at Benjamin Chase behind his back is solely because you have my best interest at heart? Me? A total stranger to you?”

  “Are you a lawyer as well?”

  Could’ve been. Should’ve been.

  “No, I’m not a lawyer.”

  “Could have fooled me.” He smirked at me patronizingly. I wanted the song to end already, so I could get away from this guy. He was irritating me. The last few notes of the song played after what felt like an eternity of dancing with him.

  “Well, Kathleen it was a pleasure.” He slipped a business card into my hand. “And just in case you decide that you don’t want to be caught up with a womanizing playboy, give me a call. I would love to take you out sometime.”

  Yeah jackass, we’ll go out on the tenth of never.

  I nodded curtly and turned to walk away. When I faced our table, Ben was nowhere in sight. My heart sank.

  Shit! I’ve pissed him off. What if he took off and left me here?

  Suddenly a hand wrapped around my elbow and forcefully whirl {ceft="4">

  “Care to dance again? Or did Stephen, a man whom I despise, tire you?” I cringed inside.

  Ah, shit! That guy was his enemy. No wonder.

  I directed my eyes toward the ground to avoid Ben’s scrutinizing glare. “What did I tell you about looking me in the eyes, Kathleen?” He lifted my chin. I stared him in the eyes and could see he was pissed and…jealous?

  “You’re mad at me aren’t you?”

  He sighed. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at him. Please don’t do that again. I have enemies, Kathleen, and they would like nothing more than to take a shot at me publicly. Stephen chose to dance with the woman I brought as my date who just so happens to be the most breathtaking woman in the room. He danced with you to get to me and I am sure he bad mouthed me. Right?” I looked away from him again out of shame. I should have known better. Ben was wealthy, powerful, and successful. He was bound to have enemies who waited around for an opportunity to pounce.

  “Right,” I mumbled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think…I didn’t know.”

  “Forget it.” His tone was clipped and harsh. “But I will remind you of one thing, Kathleen. You are here with me. Tonight you’re mine.” He said while pulling me closer. My stomach turned and ravenous sexual need filled me. His words sounded like a threat, a promise, and a statement all in one. He didn’t ask what Stephen said about him, nor did he tell me that whatever Stephen said was bound to be lies.

  Is he a womanizer? Does he admit to it? Google will shed some light.

  After my dance with the enemy doused the mood, we chose to leave. I didn’t want th

  e night to end, but I was eager to get to the bottom of things with the help of Google. Before we left, Ben excused himself and approached the event coordinator that I recognized from earlier in the evening. He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out what I could tell was an envelope.

  Donating to the charity I guess.

  Ben shook hands with the man then came back to my side. He placed his arm around my waist and we left.

  Chapter 14

  Consumed

  The rid ~ceft=i>

  “The night isn’t over, Kathleen.”

  Not over? What?

  “It’s still early. We’re going to have drinks.”

  Try asking next time!

  “Um, okay. I guess. Where are we going?” Ben finally looked at me and smiled tightly.

  “My place.” I couldn’t keep my reaction from showing. My eyebrows shot up and I jerked my head back as if I had been slapped.

  I can’t go to his house. I’m not ready to go to a private place with him.

  “That’s, nice of you to invite me, but I think it’s best if I go home.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re dressed up and you look amazing, taking you home before you have had a decent night would be insulting.” His words came out firm and gave me the feeling that he was not willing to negotiate on the subject.

  Fine. Whatever.

  I sighed and rolled my eyes while looking out the window at the passing scenery. “Okay. Ben.”

  He placed his hand on my knee and squeezed. A tremor of arousal shot through my body and I shivered. “Cold?” Ben asked wearing an ostentatious smirk.

  Before I could answer, he released my seat belt and wrapped his long, muscular arm around my waist and slid me across the leather seat. He pulled me into his warm body, and I nibbled on my lower lip nervously. The car drove through a set of massive wrought iron gates and up to a wide cobblestone circle drive. Ben’s home was brilliant. Extravagant. Huge. It had a French architectural theme. There was a multitude of large unique windows and a stained glass window above the double door entry. We walked up the stairs to the doors and Ben ushered me into the foyer.

  “Ben, your home is…wow!”

  He chuckled while arming his security system. “Thank you.”

  “Come with me. We’ll have some wine, and I will give you the toure yont>

  His home was fit to be called a mansion, but it was warm and inviting at the same time. There was a captivating photograph above the fireplace. It was huge, and framed, and it monopolized my attention the very moment I saw it. The photo depicted a grassy field with a tree line in the distance. Just beyond the tree line was the setting sun. The sky appeared to have angry looking clouds that seemed stormy at first glance, but upon looking closer, it was obvious that the storms were merely cast in shadow. It seemed as if the intensity of the sun was too much, so the clouds hid in the shadows cast by the first line of clouds that bore the brunt of the light. Where the rim of the dark clouds met the burst of golden orange from the sun made the focal point. The edges of the dark clouds were luminescent, and glowing with the rays. It made the clouds look ablaze at the rim, like fiery heat licking at the edges to banish the darkness. I was awestruck by the beauty and the contradiction of the photo. It was dark and light all at the same time. I wanted to sink into a plush chair in the sitting room and stare at the photo all night. Ben reached for my hand and tapped a button on a remote. Soft music filled the space around us. The song was Blue In Green by Miles Davis. It had always been one of my favorites.

  “Dance with me, Kathleen.” Ben broke the trance that the photo had on me and I glanced at him. He seemed to be staring at me like I had stared at the photo above his mantle. He had rid himself of his jacket and tie. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top showing just a glimpse of skin. I nodded my head and his arms encased me. He pulled me close to his body and guided us into a slow, swaying dance. My breathing stalled when one of his hands left my bare back and he cupped my face and neck while he leaned toward me and rested his forehead against mine. His hold on me was purely intimate and despite my apprehension I dissolved under his willful touch. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply and I followed suit. I shoved away my own personal fears and allowed the fire that burned between Ben and I to battle away the darkness that loomed over me for so long. We were a human, living, breathing version of the photo above his mantle that I was so taken with.

  We danced slowly while the strains of soft jazz filled our ears, and the heat from our bodies pressed together expunged any lingering tension from the ball. I could hear only the music. I could smell only him. I could feel only him. I could see only him. The world fell away and only he and I remained. We stilled. He leaned forward and cupped my face with his other hand and pressed his lips against mine and this time it was not a brief, chaste kiss. I could feel his desire. His soft lips kissed me deeply, passionately. I moaned into his mouth as his tongue slipped across the threshold of my lips and deep into my mouth. Tasting, searching, longing for more. I flexed my fingers against his chest, squeezing his muscles.

  “Ben,” I mumbled against his lips.

  “Kathleen,” he rumbled back in a husky, lust filled voice. He broke the kiss, and we both gasped to f
ill our lungs with precious air. I pressed my thighs together to mollify the aching need that pulsed there. Ben ran one of his hands down my arm and pulled my hand to his face. He pressed his lips to the palm of my and then guided my hand to rest on his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment. The gesture was extremely intimate and made me want to run for the hills and stay forever all at the same time. He shifted my hand from his cheek and his deep blue-green eyes burned holes through me as he placed a soft kiss on the inside of my wrist then on the inside of my forearm, near my elbow. He placed my arm back where it was resting on top of his broad shoulder then resumed our desperate kiss. Frantic need overwhelmed the both of us.

  “Ben. Please.” I pleaded. He stopped and looked at me for a moment.

  “My patience has run out, Kathleen. Are you ready to stop fighting against this?” I stared into those intense blue-green eyes, and with sincerity that surprised even me, I answered him.

  “I don’t want to fight anymore.” My voice was small but no less genuine. With an answer that clearly pleased him, he grabbed my hand and made long strides to the grand staircase leading to the second floor. My heels clicked against the glossy wooden floor, and I was afraid I would fall.

  “Ben. Wait.” He turned back to me and swept me up into his arms with the utmost fluidity and climbed the stairs. He stopped in front of his bedroom door and kissed me again. He carried me into the room and stopped beside his enormous, cherry wood four poster bed. The walls were painted in a dark, shade of cinnamon and the lighting was muted. The entire atmosphere of the room was gentle, warm and seductive. The moment I was carried into his room I felt like a sex kitten in some forbidden place lapping up the essence of all things erotic and sexy. The feeling was empowering and I indulged in it. I slowly unbuttoned his shirt while doing my best to calm my shaking hands. I freed his arms from the shirt and released it to fall to the floor. His eyes stayed locked onto me. I could see something wild and passionate in those blue green depths. I jerked the undershirt over his head and it joined his other shirt on the floor. Ben’s hands were all over me. One hand cupped my face while the other cupped my breast, and he tweaked my distended nipple between his thumb and forefinger through the delicate fabric of my dress. His bare chest had a dusting of dark hair across it that tickled my sensitive skin as he pressed me to him. His chest was hard, warm, and broad. Ben released my breast and both of his hands roamed to my hips.

  He held me tightly and rocked his hips into mine. I felt his erection fighting to be freed from the clothing that separated us. I reached for his pants, but Ben caught my wrists and whirled me around so that my back was against his chest. Our breathing was fast and choppy. His fingers dug into my hips again as he pulled my ass against his erection and ground into me. The palm of his left hand left my hip and laid flat against my back as he pushed me forward to lie across his bed. He teased me more with hard grinding motions against my ass.gai. T I moaned as arousal enveloped me. Hot, wet, desire gathered at my center and drove me to moan and whimper, desperate for relief. I wanted nothing more than for Ben to be deep inside me, claiming my body with his. He leaned forward until his chest grazed against my back.

  “I fucking love this, Kathleen.” His fingers drifted over my inked skin and his kisses berated my spine from the nape of my neck down to the small of my back.

  I shivered as chill bumps peppered my skin. He reached up, unclasped the dress at my neck and pulled me to stand. The dress slinked down my frame and pooled at my feet. His grip steadied my trembling body while I stepped out of it. Ben turned me to face him again. I stood before him in my ecru lacy thong. He paused and his eyes glided over me. He kicked off his shoes and socks and swept me back onto his bed.

  Oh God, this is really happening.

  Ben hovered above me as I hesitated and became nervous thinking about how sex with him could screw everything up.

  “Ben. This could mess up everything,” I whispered. He closed his eyes slowly and shook his head.

  “No Kathleen, it won’t. You’re killing me. I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I know it’s the same for you. There’s no denying this anymore.”

  He wants me.

  I had to agree with him. The connection between us was disarming and profound since day one at the Book Ends. It only intensified in the month and a half since we’d known each other. Ben nudged my thighs apart with his hand, and I opened myself to him without a second thought, spreading wide to accommodate him. He settled between my tremulous thighs and rolled his hips into me. I moaned and squirmed beneath him. He lowered his head and began kissing my jaw down to my collar bone. He licked, kissed, and nibbled as he made his way between my full breasts. His powerful hands kneaded my breast as he covered my taut nipple with his hot wet mouth. He licked and flicked my nipple in a teasing manner then sucked hard, drawing my sensitive peak deeper into his mouth. I drew in air through gritted teeth. I twined his wavy chocolate brown locks with my fingers and held his head to my breast. I arched my back as my hips undulated beneath him, searching for more. His hands roamed freely over my curves while I lifted my leg and tucked a toe into the waist of his pants and tugged, urging them off. He unfastened his pants and kicked them away. He was glorious in just his charcoal gray boxer briefs. They hugged his form revealing just how exquisite his body was.

  Ben licked a hot trail down my torso around the piercing in my belly button. He flicked the metal belly button ring with his tongue and lapped at my skin. His fingers slipped past my lacey thong and glided like silk through my wet opening. He smoothed my arousal over me with his deft fingers.

  “Oh, Kathleen, you’re ready and waiting for me.” He fo and let out a growl the moment his amazing mouth covered my slick wet opening. His tongue slid in and out of me and alternated between shallow quick flicks and deep lingering strokes. My breathing became erratic as Ben’s mouth edged me closer and closer to climax. I could feel a tightening deep in my stomach, then Ben moved his tongue over my neglected clit and slowly slid one, then a second long finger into my pulsing opening. His fingers lazily stroked my inner walls as his tongue rolled like a warm wave across my clit. Over and over. Back and forth. Up and down. In and out. I was ready to explode into pieces. I moaned loudly.

  “Oh! Yes! Don’t stop! I’m so close!” My pleas only made him continue with a fervor I hadn’t yet seen from him. He worked me harder, faster, deeper. The dam broke, and I burst at the seams in an explosive, mind altering orgasm. I cried out his name as the best climax of my life raged through my quaking body.

  “Mmmmm, you’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted, Kathleen.” As Ben spoke his warm breath assailed my sensitive clit, and I trembled even more. My head fell back into plush down pillows. By the time I looked up to find Ben, he was knelt between my legs sheathing his thick, considerable length with a condom. I gasped at the sight of him. His body was the epitome of male perfection, and his chest rose and fell rapidly in anticipation. His cock was thick and long. Undoubtedly the most, well-endowed man I had ever seen much less been intimate with.

  Ben crushed his lips against mine, and his tongue dove into my mouth. I could taste my pleasure on his tongue, and it was erotic. I wanted him. I needed him. He settled his hips between my thighs. The crown of his rigid cock was poised at my opening. I was so eager to have him in me. He looked into my eyes. The weight of his stare was too much. I escaped behind my closed eyes.

  “Open them. Look at me, Kathleen. I want to see your eyes when I take you.”

  Oh sweet Jesus! Can words make me come?

  I stared into his fierce eyes, and with one swift, hard, thrust Ben was buried to an untouched depth within me. He let out the most erotic and slow groan I had ever heard come from a man. I gasped, startled by his size and power. His balls were flush against my ass, and his erection was completely sheathed by my quivering channel. He paused, allowing both of us a moment to adjust to the immense pleasure we were giving each other. I sighed as my eyes rolled back in my head.

&
nbsp; “No. Open them,” he demanded in a firm, raspy voice. My eyes snapped back open compliantly. He retracted his long shaft so that only the very tip remained at my opening, then thrust hard back into me, burying himself once again. My moan only drove him further. He ran his hand down my side and grabbed my thigh roughly, forced me wider and propped my legs high on his hips. This new angle allowed Ben to push deeper into me. He rested one forearm beside me, semi caging me in a sexy prison formed of defined muscle. His other hand remained on my thigh digging into my flesh to the point of pain. I had my arms wrapped underneath his and my nails clung to his back.

  “Ah, you’re so tight,” Ben groaned as his hips rolled expertly, driving himself deeper still into me. His pace quickened, and my hips met his thrust for thrust. His lips came to mine, and our tongues battled in a deep breathless kiss. My core began to tighten again, my channel clenched around his cock, and another mind blowing orgasm tore through me while Ben kept the same pace, painfully drawing out my climax as he worked towards his own release.