by Brenna Zinn
Combing her forefinger and thumb through her tangled mass of hair, she sectioned off a thick hunk while thinking through her answer. With years of mindless practice aiding her, she twirled the long lock of hair around and around her finger, creating a twisted coil.
“The simple truth is I didn’t want anything serious. The life of a career dancer equals a lot of instability. Dancers have to go where the work goes. I knew that one night I might be doing a show in one town and the next morning the production might move on to another town. Even professional dancers working on Broadway eventually find themselves hitting the road.” She untwisted the coil of hair and tossed the lock over her shoulder. “That’s the nature of the beast for a dancer. Not exactly the kind of life that’s conducive to healthy relationships.”
“Conducive. Nice word.”
“Don’t forget, I went to college too, Slick. You aren’t the only person in the room who can drop fifty-cent words.” She moved her gaze to the bottom of the mattress, refusing to look at him and give away her hurt. “Since professional dancing isn’t in my future and managing Iron Rods is, I don’t have to worry about picking up and leaving at a moment’s notice. Austin is my home now. I guess I won’t be going anywhere but here.”
Bennett wasn’t a stupid man. He had to have read into what she’d said. Her dancing career was over and she had to settle for something else. The irony of her circumstance meant she could now have a love life. She was available to pursue a serious relationship with someone. Perhaps even get married and start a family.
Could it be him?
“So why did you want to be a professional dancer?” he asked, his voice languid.
He’d changed the subject and she couldn’t have been more grateful.
“I had one of those moments you sometimes hear about. When I was really young, I saw The Nutcracker on television and fell head over elbows in love with all those beautiful women dancing so gracefully in gorgeous gowns. I decided right then and there that I wanted to be just like them. I guess that sounds kind of silly.”
“No. I appreciate anyone who knows what they want and works hard to get it. Did you ever audition for Broadway or off-Broadway shows?”
She nodded. “Dozens. I hit every production that had casting calls each time I made the long trip to the Big Apple. Unfortunately, I only got one callback.”
“Really? For what show?”
The audition had happened years ago, yet a self-deprecating chuckle still made its way out of her mouth. “Just a little production called Haute.”
“Haute?” His eyebrows hit his hairline. “The Tony-nominated musical? That Haute?”
He sounded so genuinely shocked, she couldn’t help but feel offended. Cutting her eyes to his, she directed an irritated look at him meant to burn his innards to crisps.
“Yes, that Haute. You may not believe it, but I’m actually a very good dancer.” Tatum yanked on the top blanket, jerking it out from under Bennett’s stitched arm.
“Ouch. Take it easy over there.”
“Serves you right, ya damned Yankee.” She wiggled herself beneath the additional warmth and stretched her aching legs. “I had my audition when they originally cast the show, long before it ever thought about moving on to Broadway. Who knew a musical about high-fashion rivals would turn out to be such a huge hit? Did you ever see it when you lived there? I hear finding tickets is next to impossible.”
Bennett shrugged. “It helps when one knows the producer. Alan Sanders is a friend of mine. He gives me tickets whenever I ask for them.”
That little nugget of information had her head spinning. Alan Sanders was the same man who had auditioned her, as well as the man who had sent her packing.
In retrospect, Mr. Perfect’s connections with the who’s who of New York really shouldn’t have come as that big of a surprise. He was the son of Lyle Truitt and Gwen Ashton. Of course he knew the people who mattered. He probably had more connections than the President of the United States.
“Since we’re playing twenty questions tonight, I’ve got one for you.” She licked her dry lips. Did she really have the cojones to ask him the question that had taunted her since meeting him?
Of course she did.
“Why did you come to Austin to work for your dad?”
He took so long in answering, she wondered if he’d heard her question.
“I want to help Lyle build up the company,” he replied simply.
No way would she let him off with a bullshit answer like that. She’d spent the last half an hour spilling her guts to him, the least he could do was be honest in return.
“So you left your job at the empire that is Ashton Paper Products in New York only to help Lyle, the father you seem to have a grudge against, a thousand miles away in Texas? I find that rather hard to believe.”
“Ah-hum,” he murmured. “I see someone’s been nosing around in my affairs.” He smiled another lazy smile and brushed a finger along the curve of her cheek. “Right now I want you so bad I can’t think about anything else. I have a feeling you’re in the same boat. So here’s what I suggest.”
He slowly drew his finger down to the V formation at the base of her neck where her pulse beat like a tom-tom.
“We indulge first,” he said, practically purring. “After we’re done, if you still want to know, I’ll tell you.”
Desire zipped along the path he stroked. Below, heat and expectancy unfurled like the petals of a morning glory in the warmth of the sun. Indulging in the Bennett buffet would be a fantastic treat, like gorging on ice cream sundaes after dieting for a month. But she shouldn’t agree to anything physical. The man had just come home from the emergency room.
“You’re injured. I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She forced out the unsavory words.
“Trust me.” His voice mutated from a purr to a throaty growl. “Right now my arm and my ribs aren’t the parts of my body that are hurting.”
Proving his point, the bedspread covering his groin, which now looked more like a pup tent, twitched.
Bennett leaned over her and placed his lips on hers. “Don’t make me beg,” he whispered into her mouth.
The desire traipsing through the fine hairs of her skin shot down and hit as though a cannon had fired off an iron ball, nailing her low in the gut. Her pussy exploded in a barrage of cream. The silky wetness moistened the aroused apex between her legs and trickled onto her inner thighs. She was ready for him and more than willing to comply with any of his requests. He was a grown man. If he could tolerate the pain, then bully for him.
Answering him, she slipped a hand over his shoulder and around to his nape. Her fingers busied themselves in his thick hair while she opened her mouth, inviting him in. His tongue swept over hers with long, leisurely strokes, setting the pace. This evening there would be no rushing, no hasty assent to their joining. Tonight they would take their time, relish in the pleasure of their lovemaking.
The slower tempo couldn’t have suited Tatum more. She longed to explore every firm plane and soft cranny of his body. Taste the skin of his lips, his chest, his cock. As if a well had sprung, her mouth watered at the thought, wetting their kiss.
Bennett’s fingertips grazed down along the curve of her breast and the slope of her waist. When the soft digits slipped over her belly and found their way between her damp folds, they both moaned. The licentious sound reverberated in her mouth.
“You’re incredibly wet,” he said on a heavy exhale after breaking their kiss. “So damned hot. I was right about you feeling the same way.”
“Yes.” The admission carried more weight than she could tell him. Yes, she wanted him, but not just in bed. He had captivated her from the beginning. And after each time they spent together, she pined for him even more.
She crossed her legs when his finger found her clit, effectively trapping his hand and preventing further titillation. “Hold on there, Slick. It’s my turn to play.”
Releasing her hold on the back of his
neck, Tatum carefully pushed on his shoulder, forcing him to lie flat as well as remove his hand from her aching mound. Bennett offered no resistance. Instead, he closed his eyes and sank deeper into the mattress, putting the reins in her hands. She had no intention of releasing them until she’d satisfied her unbridled curiosity.
After pushing off the covers, she sat up to examine him. The light from the nightstand cast a soft glow on his chest. Between his well-defined pecs, a smattering of dark, springy curls glistened. Farther down, deep valleys connected the graduated lengths of his ripped abs, which ended at the rise of his honed groin muscles. All of this led the way to what lay in wait below the rumpled sheet.
A thrill ripped through her. So much man meat for the taking. And this was prime, grade-A man meat, not the chopped steak she had settled for in her youth.
Bennett lifted one eyelid. “Not having second thoughts, are you?”
Was the man crazy? She was always eager for the opportunity to ogle his nakedness and jump his bones.
“Oh no. Just wondering where to start.”
“Glad to hear it.” He smirked and closed his eye.
Not wanting to jostle him more than needed, she got on her hands and knees and scooted to his side. Placing one palm above his right shoulder for support, she lowered herself until her lips connected to his neck just below his ear. She sucked the spot while breathing in. She detected traces of wood tones and citrus in his cologne, as well as the faint scent of shaving cream. Though the notion was silly, she decided right then and there this unique combination of fragrances was her favorite in the entire world of aromas. Nothing and no one could ever smell as good as Bennett Truitt did at that moment.
After kissing a moist path down from her favorite spot, she allowed herself to linger on the curve where his neck met his shoulder. Her mouth fit over the slope so perfectly. She applied a little suction. His body responded with a quick shiver. His reaction pleased her so much, she sucked again, but this time she grazed the tender flesh with her front teeth. His skin broke out in fine goose pimples.
“You trying to tickle me?” he asked.
“You’ve already put in your allotment of questions for the evening. Now hush up and let me get back to having fun.”
“You’re having fun?”
Tatum swept her hand across the elevation of his pumped pecs, found a nipple and squeezed. He groaned.
“That’s another question,” she warned. “I think we’re done talking here.”
Since her fingers had already scouted out her next favorite kissing spot, she inched her way lower and reveled in the feel of his chest hairs as they tickled her cheek. Bennett was nothing if not a manly man. Some women preferred guys with slick, hairless upper bodies, but not her. Given a choice, she’d take guys with soft down dusting their chests every time.
Placing her mouth atop the entire dusky ring, she swirled and nipped on the nipple, causing it to swell. When she was thoroughly satisfied with her work on the puckered peak, she moved to the other, repeating the process until Bennett let out a quiet hiss.
She’d saved the best piece of man meat for last. The pièce de résistance.
While tugging with her teeth on his hardened nub, she glided the flat of her palm over the rippled terrain of his abs and slid under the white sheet amassed over his hips. Her fingers raked through a nest of soft curls, then hit upon the base of his cock.
Unrestrained lust delivered a fresh wash of warm cream to her pussy. Not happy simply to feel his thick root, she pulled back the covers until every inch of Bennett’s naked glory was available for viewing. And glorious he was, all the way from his perfectly sized, well-tended toes to his dark halo of midnight hair on his head. In between, his penis, thick and shimmering with a glaze of pre-cum, stood at attention as if to say, “Look at me! Look at me!”
She licked her lips.
Oh, I’m looking, big fella. Not to worry.
Her lack of experience giving head didn’t prevent her from diving right in. To hell with being shy about her dismal skills. Just like dancing, she wasn’t going to get better unless she practiced. As long as he didn’t scream, she’d practice until the cows came home.
She crawled on her knees until she reached his hips, wanting a better vantage point. Yes, she was on her hands and knees with her ass sticking up in the air, but what did that matter when the Dom Perignon of penises was practically being served up on a platter for her? Granted, she hadn’t seen many up close and personal like this, but Bennett’s easily won the blue ribbon. Long, thickset and extremely firm, his cock was a beacon of sorts with a purplish top that sent out a luring Siren’s call. He most definitely would offer her great pleasure, but in the end he might ruin her. No way she’d ever again be contented with a lesser tool for sex.
Lightly gripping the substantial member at its lowest point, then sliding up to the tip where she wetted her palm with the pearl of his essence, Tatum began to stroke slowly. The cords of muscles in his legs flexed and tightened with each pump. A sense of empowerment stirred her desire like her own powerful drug. Seeing his body answer the individual thrusts of her fist stimulated a carnal part of her she never knew she possessed.
Heady with sensual potency, she lowered her mouth and swiped at the tip of his penis with her tongue. Bennett jerked as he moaned.
Salty and slightly tangy, his pre-cum wet her lips and caused her stomach to growl.
Not to worry, tummy. More mansicle coming up.
Fully ready to take him on, she encircled the top of his smooth cock with her lips and swirled her tongue around its swollen rim before taking as much of him in her mouth as she could.
Bennett’s back arched. A second later he grunted. Instead of pleasure, the sound was more like pain.
She shot up, removing his cock from her mouth as she went. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Her telltale nervousness raised its head. Even she could hear the thickening of her Southern accent.
“It’s not you. It’s not you,” he protested. “I just moved wrong and my ribs bothered me, that’s all. Whatever you were doing, do it again. I loved it.”
“I’ll do no such thing if I’m going to hurt you. Maybe we should wait until you’re better.”
“No,” he insisted a little loudly. “Really. I can’t tell you how badly I’ll hurt if you don’t.” Bennett frowned then nodded at his side. “Move so your chest is beside my stomach and your ass is facing me.”
“You want to see my ass?”
“Just do what I asked you. You’ll see.”
“Okay,” she muttered beneath her breath. “I can’t guarantee the view is good, but you’re welcome to it.”
“What was that?”
“Oh nothing, just admiring what God graced you with,” she said over her shoulder, repositioning herself.
Once she was settled, Bennett placed his hand on the inside of one of her thighs. “You’re so fucking wet. I love how wet you get.”
His voice, low and gentle, sounded like a contented sigh.
He slid his palm onto her rump and gave it a light slap. “We may not be able to have sex the regular way tonight, but I think we can manage with something different, if you’re up for it.”
The playful hit sizzled her skin in a surprisingly delightful way. She had no idea what Slick was doing, but if this was an indication, she might be in for a truly interesting evening.
“I’m up for it, all right.”
“Spread your knees a little farther apart,” he instructed. “That’s good. Now continue what you were doing before.”
She did as he asked. Holding the base of his erection with one hand and supporting her weight with the other, she leaned over him and placed the stout head in her mouth. While inching his penis deeper, he cupped her pussy with his palm. She moaned, and the vibrations resonated down the stiff shaft to her fingers.
By natural instinct, her body responded. Her hips reclined in an attempt to better feel his touch, press him deeper into her ach
ing pussy. He placed the pad of a finger onto her hard kernel and flicked. His simple action produced such an exquisite sensation she temporarily closed her eyes, centering her focus on the stirring source.
Realizing she had stopped stroking him while she concentrated on what he was doing, she resumed the twirling of her tongue on his stretched flesh as she moved her mouth over his generous length. Her hand returned to pumping, her fist synchronized with her sucking.
“Yes. That’s it. So fucking good.”
Bennett’s encouragement spurred her to take his cock faster and deeper, pushing the limits of her abilities.
Bennett’s finger rubbed around her clit and gained pressure. The rhythm of his swirling was easy to follow and soon Tatum rocked her pelvis in tempo to each heavenly rotation around her sensitive nub. The harder he circled and pressed, the lower her mouth crept down his magnificent erection.
They worked together at their unique sexual positioning, each giving as much as taking. When Bennett altered his routine to place two fingers in her drenched pussy, a strangled cry ripped from her throat. From out of nowhere, her orgasm hit with incredible force. She threw back her head while powerful waves of pleasure rolled through her. Already sore from dancing, her legs collapsed beneath her.
At the same time she heard Bennett release a groan so low it had to start from his toes. Cum, hot and creamy, leapt from his cock in spurts, covering his rock-hard abs. His cock jerked and spilled his milky essence multiple times before his tensed body relaxed and sank into the mattress.
For several minutes they both lay still, catching their breath and allowing the flush of sex to wash over them. Never before had a man taken her higher and higher still using only his fingers. What manner of man had she fallen for and whom had he practiced on to become so skilled?
Not wanting to think of the possibilities, she raised her aching body from the bed, padded into the master bathroom and brought out a hand towel she’d wetted with hot water. Bennett watched her clean him from beneath hooded eyes. The poor, drugged up man looked as though he could barely keep his baby blues open.