by Brenna Zinn
Was he a wild beast devoid of principles and decency? No. He might not have been born a gentleman, but he’d certainly been raised as one. He needed to allow her a way to reconsider her offer. It was the right thing to do. Plus he needed a moment to think carefully through his answer. His dick might be ready to accept her most generous overture, but that little brain had a tendency to get him into trouble more times than not. Look what a mess it had already landed him in.
“A beer sounds great, but I don’t want to put you out.”
“You won’t be putting me out at all,” she said, digging her keys out of her purse. “My roommate is in Houston for a few days, so it’s just me at the casa. I’d love to have your company.”
Bennett’s nerve endings sizzled beneath his skin. The beating of his heart quickened and became irregular.
Damn it all! He shouldn’t be considering going in her place. Doing so was wrong, wrong, WRONG!
His fingers tingled at the prospect of stroking her soft tan skin. A light tang of waterworks already filled his mouth in anticipation of kissing her lips, sucking her nipples and licking the sweet folds between her spread legs. If his ramrod-hard cock throbbed with any more force, the damn thing would tear through his slacks.
He wanted her more than any other woman he’d ever had the pleasure of having sex with. What did Tatum possess that inexplicably drew him to her?
Bennett pulled the key from the ignition. “Then my company you shall have.”
He would undoubtedly pile more regrets to his mounting list in the morning, but his body once again trumped his common sense. Tatum had given him a huge green light to proceed. How could he resist?
Tatum flipped the light switch once she opened the door to the townhouse. “Make yourself at home while I get the beers.” She tossed her purse on a table and then scurried off to the kitchen. “I’ll only be a second.”
Although the place smelled slightly of smoke, it was clean and contained matching furniture. Much better than anything he’d anticipated. The secondhand couch and stained carpet he’d imagined didn’t exist. He frowned as he took a quick look around, not happy that his father might be right. Perhaps he did have a tendency to look down from his high horse and expect the worst of people, especially Texans. He was proud to be raised in a family of means and have high standards, but he couldn’t live with being a snob. Mean-spirited bullies who were better than everyone else were the types of people he’d had to deal with growing up. How had he let himself become one of them?
Breezing into the living room with a longneck bottle in each hand, the flyaways from her ponytail framing her face, Tatum had never looked more beautiful. The simple V-neck T-shirt and jeans she wore accentuated her womanly curves. Red Western boots added length to her already long legs.
To hell with the drinks. I want you now.
As she drew close and handed him a beer, he plucked both bottles from her grasp and set them on the coffee table.
“What are you—”
Before she could finish her question, Bennett tugged her to him and covered her mouth with his. She still tasted of chocolate cupcake. With little effort, he parted her lips and swept his tongue over and around hers, picking up even more flavor from her earlier treat. Lord, but he was an absolute fool for chocolate, not to mention this tantalizing woman.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and slid the other around her neck, then drew her tightly against the length of his body. Tatum groaned into his mouth and bright sparks flashed before his closed eyelids when her hip ground against his stiff cock.
Without the benefit of sight, he raked his fingers through her pulled-up hair until he located the ponytail holder. Slowly and carefully, he slipped her long locks free. He repeated the process of combing her hair through his fingers, reveling in its softness. When his hand passed through the silky ends, he placed his palm on the curve of her back and then bunched the cotton fabric of her shirt in his grasp. A quick yank freed the T-shirt from the confines of her jeans.
Rather than break their kiss to remove her top, he lowered his hand through the slight gap between her back and the band of her jeans. His fingers caught on what felt like a taut string. Following the thin strand, his hand found the narrow cleft between two round ass cheeks. He stretched his arm and the tip of his middle finger as far as he could, trying to reach into the depths of the warm crevice, but met disappointment. He settled for rubbing his palm over one tight globe and then the other before grabbing a satisfying handful of the tight flesh.
She moaned, filling his mouth with a titillating low vibration and the delectable taste of sweet chocolate. His dick immediately responded by leaping behind his boxers.
“Where’s your room?” he asked in a strained voice, tightening his grasp on her ass. After their earlier experience on the hard surface of a desk, no way he was going to fuck her on anything other than a comfortable bed tonight.
Tatum nodded toward a hallway.
“Take me there.”
Bennett withdrew his hand from her pants and stood aside, making room for her to lead the way. She took him to the end of the hall and through an open doorway. He waited while she found her way through the dark room and turned on a lamp.
A warm glow lit up the room, revealing an old metal bed painted white, its mattress covered by a faded quilt. An afghan lay draped on the footboard. Near Tatum stood a small bedside table also painted white. To his right, pushed against the wall, a five-drawer dresser completed the ensemble.
Knowing of her modest upbringing, he couldn’t be sure whether the décor was an intentional shabby chic design or simply a collection of hand-me-downs. Preferring modern furnishings and clean lines, his aesthetic couldn’t be further from hers. But the space and its owner were nothing less than cozy and inviting. Comfort in the form of a soft bed and a beautiful warm body.
Tatum turned and hopped backward, her butt finding and then bouncing on the mattress. She kicked her legs and feet as though splashing in an unseen lake.
“I don’t suppose you know how to help a lady pull off her boots.”
Her statement sounded like a challenge.
If she only knew just how much experience he had. As a kid, assisting Lyle in removing his boots had been one of Bennett’s nightly chores.
“I think I can figure it out,” he said, making his way around the bed.
One hand firmly grasping the back of her heel, the other on the tip, he tugged and easily slid the well-worn boot from her foot. Seconds later, the remaining boot landed with a thud on the faux wood floor.
“You’ve had a little practice at that,” Tatum said shyly, her gaze not leaving her sock-covered toes.
“You might be right.” He leaned forward, eased the metal buttons from the corresponding holes in the fly of her jeans and then yanked on the bottoms of the pants until her legs were bare save her ankle socks. “I have a little experience with that too.”
A blush colored her cheeks. She rubbed her legs as though the action would keep him from noticing the nervous quiver in her hands or the goose bumps pimpling her flesh.
One minute bold and sassy, the next timid and bashful. You certainly know how to keep me guessing, Ms. Reynolds.
She might not be a virgin, but she lacked the confidence of a woman who’d had many lovers. Her naïveté couldn’t please him more. He would be the man who taught her the finer points of sex. He would be the accomplished lover she compared all others to.
Taking in the half-naked golden-haired angel, Bennett’s gut twisted at the thought of her having sex with someone else. He mentally shook his head.
Enough already.
Let’s do this.
Bennett sat down next to her and took one of her hands in his. With his thumb, he rubbed circles into her palm, hoping she’d relax.
She turned her head and peered over her shoulder. “Thank you.”
If she had any idea what he wanted to do in that moment, the last thing she would probably want to do was thank him.
“What for?”
She squeezed his hand. “For not rushing me.”
“We have all the time we want. We’re not in a race. As a matter of fact,” he added sincerely, “I prefer to take my time. Savor the moment.”
Not that he had the chance to do that often with the women he’d known, but taking his time with Tatum felt right. He truly did want to savor their brief time together.
He released her hand and brushed the back of his knuckles against her cheek before angling in for a kiss. With slow but gentle force, he eased her back on to the soft cushion of the quilt while his tongue swished around the sweet cavern of her mouth.
Slow and steady. Ease her into it.
They lay there for several unhurried minutes, indulging in heated kisses. When the tension in her muscles relaxed, he placed his fingers beneath her shirt, then slid the digits up until he met her bra. Cupping a lace-covered breast, he located the hardened peak of her nipple. She sighed as he pinched the nub through the fabric.
Sensing she was prepared for more, Bennett found the latch of the bra between her fleshy globes. With a quick twist of his thumb and forefinger, he unlocked the clasp and silently thanked the person who invented the simple hook in the front.
Her breasts now free from their confinement, he allowed his hand to drift between them, kneading and squeezing as he went. To his surprise, Tatum covered his hand with hers and then directed it over the flat muscles of her abdomen and under the elastic waist of her panties.
He glanced at her face, trying to read her mood, and saw a broad smile spanning from one cheek to the other.
Okay. No more slow and steady. Full steam ahead.
Letting his fingers do the walking, he reached lower under the silk of her underwear. When he felt the narrow thatch of downy curls, saliva filled his mouth. He licked his lips, remembering the delicate tang of her juices.
He was close, so fucking close to her sweet spot.
As the pads of his fingertips traveled over her neatly groomed mound, the light dew of moisture trapped in her springy hair and panties became more pronounced. By the time he found her soft folds, his fingers swam in slick wetness. He dipped into the entrance of her pussy.
Jesus!
She was soaking and hot. Ready for the taking.
A bolt of urgency struck. His cock jolted, anxious to slip into her tight cunt.
With the palm of his hand, he pressed and rubbed her clit while he slipped two wet fingers into her slit. Tatum’s hips swayed, moving against him. Sharp and frequent gasps replaced her even breathing. She dug in to the quilt, clasping the cover as though it were a lifeline. When he could feel the walls of her pussy grasp and stroke his fingers, he pulled out.
Her cry of dismay filled the small room.
“What are you doing?”she asked, her voice little more than a rasp. “Don’t stop.”
“And lose a chance of licking you until you come in my mouth? You wound me.”
She pushed herself to her elbows. “I wound you?”
“I’ve already told you how much I enjoy eating pussy.” He hooked the elastic band of her panties around his finger. Pulling himself from the bed, he also adroitly slipped the garment down her legs. By the time his feet hit the floor, the drenched slip of silk and string hung around one sock-covered ankle. “Would you deny me my pleasure?”
“Never.”
Tatum kicked the panties, sending them flying. In an instant, she’d peeled off her T-shirt and bra. Her breasts, beautifully round and fully erect, were a sight to behold. The woman was absolutely lovely.
She flopped back onto the mattress. “Feel free to pleasure yourself as much as you like.” She let out a laugh and lifted her head. “You know what I mean, right?”
“I think I can figure that out.” Bennett rolled one sock off her foot and carelessly tossed it over his shoulder.
“Although,” she added, a bloom of pink staining her neck. “That is something that I would like to watch.”
His hands stilled on the remaining sock. “Me jacking myself off?”
Tatum bit her lip and nodded.
“Noted.”
“Excellent.” She fell back and spread out her arms.
Oh yes. She did keep him on his toes.
Bennett joined her in her state of undress, leaving his clothes in a pile near the door. When he decided to leave, finding his things would be easy. With or without the aid of a light.
When he returned to the bed, he situated himself between her legs, noting the beads of wetness clinging to the landing-strip of springy curls atop her mound. The rosy folds of her labia glistened. Flaming arrows of lust burned a path from the tightened muscles of his stomach to his aching balls.
For a moment, he considered bypassing his favorite treat and rolling on the condom he’d left on her side table but the notion quickly passed. Who knew when he’d be in this fortunate position again?
Bennett nudged apart her legs as he bent to his task. He rubbed his cheek on the inside of her thigh, then nibbled the tan skin. Expecting the buck of her response, he held tightly to her adjacent leg.
He placed his mouth over the stiff bud at the apex of her pussy. But rather than beginning his assault on the tiny nub, he purposely did nothing. A little anticipation on Tatum’s part would only heighten her experience.
After a beat, he flicked his tongue against her sensitive clit.
Tatum moaned.
Another pause and then three more powerful swipes.
She placed a hand on the top of his head.
Four twirls around the hard kernel and a lick between her heavenly folds.
Her nails dug into his scalp.
For every nip, scrape and stroke he inflicted, she responded. For several minutes he played the game until she broke down.
“I can’t take any more. Please! I’m about to lose my mind.”
He chuckled. Gets them every time.
Bennett latched on to her clit. The tip of his tongue lapped at her, again and again, each stroke with increasing force. Tatum’s back arched. Her body quivered. As she grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled, she cried out.
He continued stroking her, lapping at her exquisite juices.
The tugging on his hair grew more insistent.
“Stop! Please, stop. I can’t take any more.”
Peering over the trim lines of her tummy, he found her gasping for air. He couldn’t hold back a satisfied grin. “Since you’ve said please.”
“Yes, yes, please. I think my mind exploded. My body feels like I’ve been zapped by an electric fence.”
“That’s a good thing?”
Tatum lifted her hand, giving him a thumbs-up.
“Then I hope you’re ready for more.”
Bennett stood and picked up the foil pouch he’d placed on the nightstand. Taking his time, he ripped the small pouch and carefully rolled the latex condom over his stiff cock.
Tatum had already rolled on her side. Head perched in her hand, she let her gaze travel over his naked body.
“Yes?” he asked, grabbing a pillow and tossing it near her.
“I like watching you. You’re very sexy.”
He’d been called sexy by many women, but her declaration struck him as completely genuine. Not just a come-on line used so often to fill the quiet voids. A sensation as though he’d just finished drinking warmed cognac flowed down his chest and heated his stomach.
“So are you.” He crawled onto the mattress and situated himself on his side facing her. He pressed soft kisses on her forehead, her eyelids and the end of her pert nose. “And you taste absolutely delicious.”
She bit her lip. The light blush that had started on her neck rose to her cheeks, making her all the more adorable.
He sought her mouth and showered her with lingering kisses while positioning himself on top of her. Her body radiated warmth, adding heat to his already fevered skin. The tempo of his heart increased when his cock slipped between her legs, finding the h
ot, slick apex. A jolt rocketed through him as he drew himself up, slipping his dick through her wet folds. The time had come to let himself go.
He placed the tip of his penis at the drenched opening of her cunt then plunged, not stopping until he’d buried himself deep inside her. Her breath caught and her muscles stiffened. After several long strokes of his shaft, she relaxed and slowly rocked her hips, grinding her pussy against him.
When she twined her legs around his and tilted her pelvis high, Bennett reached beneath her and grabbed her ass, using her as an anchor to push his cock even deeper. He covered her lips with his, sampling her sweet mouth and tasting every moan.
The tight channel of her pussy coaxed and pulled with each rhythmic movement. Tatum’s back arched and her body writhed. Her nails bit into his shoulders.
As the walls of her cunt contracted around him, milking his shaft and testing his stamina, her undulations grew more frenzied. Her groans more labored.
Willing himself not to come, Bennett strained against the urgent need to find release. Through this most carnal of acts, he had to possess her. Convey with each thrust of his cock and every kiss from his lips the things he could not tell her. Things he could barely admit to himself. The strong feelings she provoked were unwanted and had no place in his life, yet they were there. God help them both, they were there.
Tatum’s back arched. Her hold on his back became a death grip. He rammed his cock once again and her climactic cry filled the small bedroom. Bennett grunted as he joined her. Every muscle in his core quaked while wave after powerful wave of ecstasy poured from him. When the last shuddering tide ebbed, he withdrew and fell beside her.
He lay quiet for a moment, listening to the pounding of his heart and feeling the sweat from his exertion roll down his chest. After several minutes, Tatum pulled back the bed covers and slipped in.
The moment of decision had finally arrived. Would he stay or would he go? Either way his conduct would speak louder than any word he could possibly say.
Once again, his body and his mind fought for control.
He glanced at his pile of clothing near the bedroom door. Going back to his condo was the right decision. Though there was nothing there but cold sheets, he would be signaling a limited involvement with Tatum. Despite the growing feelings he had for her, their relationship would be sexual. No more, no less.