Love on the Sound

by Matthews, Jamie

  The Oakes had been a lovely couple, but she’d reached the point in the season where she longed for a little peace, quiet and solitude. The week stretched out ahead, long days with no guests in sight. Well, except for Ben. And, now they were alone. Completely alone.

  As if she’d conjured him with her thoughts, he appeared from the kitchen, munching on an apple.

  “Was that the Oakes leaving?” he asked.

  “Yep.” Amy walked back to the reception desk to finish up the paperwork.

  Ben leaned on the counter. “So, who’s next and when?”

  “Nobody until next Wednesday, and then it’s—” she stopped when Ben held out a hand to stop her.

  “No one until next Wednesday? We’re alone?”

  When she nodded, he set his apple down and in two quick strides, crossed around the reception desk. He hauled her up, and even as she started to laugh, fastened his mouth on hers. Amy moaned as his tongue swept over hers, the kiss hot and hungry. She slid her arms around his neck, and as he lifted her up, wrapped her legs around his waist. He backed her out of the reception area, groaning when she pressed up against his erection.

  “Ah, God, Amy,” he said, slipping his hands under her shirt and sliding them up her back.

  He stumbled to the couch and laid her down. Amy pulled him on top of her and met his kiss with equal passion. Impatient to feel his skin on hers, she tugged his shirt off, even while he shoved hers up and snapped off her bra with an expert flick of his fingers. When his mouth fastened on her nipple, she arched up, her breath catching. His fingers caressed her other nipple and then he switched. Amy ran her hands over the straining muscles in his back, his arms.

  Ben dragged his mouth back up to hers, his fingers continuing to caress her nipples while his mouth assaulted her until Amy began to writhe, desperate. Ben reached down, slid his hand under her panties and groaned when he found her slick and ready. He licked and nibbled his way back down to her breasts while his fingers gently teased her, drawing gasps and moans. He fastened his mouth over her breast and scraped her nipple with his teeth while sliding first one finger, then two deep inside, then out, then back in, so deep and hard that Amy cried out in surprise, her muscles convulsing around his fingers in an orgasm that shook her whole body.

  He kept his fingers inside while the aftershocks subsided, then slowly withdrew them, making her shudder all over again. He kissed her, but this time gently and rolled off of her, propping his head on his hand as he ran his fingers up and down her body, smiling when her skin quivered.

  Amy felt conscious thought slowly return to her brain. “Aren’t you…” she trailed off, then reached for him.

  He stopped her, his smile slightly strained. “Oh, I will. But, not yet.” He twirled a strand of her hair around his fingers. “I want to spend the day with you. The whole day.” He leaned closer and nibbled her ear, whispered, “And then, I want to be inside you, make you come over and over. I’m going to make you scream, Amy.”

  “Oh, God,” Amy managed, her eyes half closed as he made his way down her throat. She was already wet and ready—again—and it was barely two minutes since she’d come.

  “So, let’s go sailing,” Ben traced the curve of her breast with his finger, his eyes intent on hers. “And drive each other crazy.”

  Amy sat up and pulled her shirt down. She considered him as he sat there, shirt off, hair mussed from her fingers running through it, eyes intense, smile playful.

  “Is this your way of seducing me?”

  “Yes. How’s it working for you?”

  Amy smiled. “Pretty well.” She grabbed her bra and pulled up her pants. “All right. You’ve got yourself a date. Let me go get changed.” She leaned over and bit his neck, using her teeth to scrape alongside the tendon. “And, maybe I’ll be the one making you scream.”

  “Hmmm.” Ben gave a strangled laugh. “I’ll just…sit here for a few minutes.”

  Amy gave him a knowing smile. “I won’t be long.”

  She ran up all three flights of stairs. If the first orgasm was any indication, the man was damn talented. She couldn’t wait to find out what the rest of the day would bring.

  ***

  The wind whipped the sails, white against the hard blue sky of autumn. Amy had bundled herself up against the chill with a thick sweater, windbreaker, jeans, boots and a warm cap. Even though she wasn’t exactly dressed to seduce and neither was Ben in his big down parka, she still felt tingles when their eyes met, and they stared at each other. She waited to feel the embarrassment over basically coming the second he touched her or awkwardness now that he’d seen her so intimately, but instead she felt relaxed, loose-limbed, and very alive as they sped across the water toward San Juan Island.

  “I love this,” she called over to Ben.

  He grinned, letting out the sails a bit more so they practically flew over the choppy waves. “I can’t believe you’ve never been sailing before. You live on an island!”

  “Too rich for my blood,” she teased. “Do you know where you’re going?”

  “I thought we could check out the San Juan Vineyards. Well, I could check it out, since you’ve probably already been there.”

  “One of my favorites. Are you trying to liquor me up? Because I think it’s already been proven that’s not necessary.”

  He laughed. “My intentions are honorable. Well…” he trailed off, eyeing her mouth and then slowly sliding his gaze down her body. “Maybe not entirely.”

  Amy sauntered over to where he stood at the steering wheel. Two could play this game. “Since I’m going to break the rules by sleeping with a guest, I figured I’d better dress up for the occasion. Want to know what I’m wearing underneath this?”

  Ben wrapped his arm around her and kissed her. “Hell, yes.”

  She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “It’s black. It’s lacy. And, there’s not much of it.”

  “We can put down anchor any time.” Ben’s eyes darkened to a shade of blue Amy found impossibly sexy.

  “Oh, is that what they’re calling it nowadays?” She threw her head back and laughed. “Nope. You promised me wine. And, conversation.”

  Ben let out a deep sigh. “I’m an idiot.”

  As they got closer to Friday Harbor, Ben moved with confidence and grace, his feet in worn sneakers planted on the deck, hands quickly letting in or taking up rope while his eyes swept back and forth across the water. She hadn’t been this hot for a guy since…she searched her memory, couldn’t find anyone since Kevin’s death that she’d wanted to get naked so badly.

  But really, what did she know about this man? She knew he hung up the towels after his shower, that he slept like the dead, because his sheets weren’t mussed, that he was passionate about his friends, had a tough childhood and was at a crossroads in his life…it was a strange combination of the mundane and the intimate. When she thought about it, she mused as he cut the sails and puttered into the dock using the sailboat’s motor, she knew he was smart, talented, funny, passionate and a sucker for kids.

  He was also, she reminded herself, as he helped her out of the boat and onto the dock, leaving in a few weeks. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to know a bit more about this man she was about to see naked.

  Ben hailed a taxi, and she pointed out scenery on the short drive to the vineyards. Once there, Amy introduced Ben to the owner, who gave them a tour of the fields, where rows and rows of freshly harvested grape vines grew, the leaves just beginning to turn yellow. Inside, they sampled a variety of the award-winning red and white wines before selecting a bottle to share.

  The covered, small outdoor patio looked out over the fields and stayed relatively warm thanks to the heater set up in the middle of the tables. Amy relaxed across from Ben while they munched on cheese, crackers and grapes set out by the owner.

  “Cheers,” Ben toasted her. “To playing hooky.”

  “Amen.” Amy took a sip of the red wine and let it roll around on her tongue.

  “It’s a
beautiful spot. Of course, I’ve been saying that about every place I’ve visited so far here.”

  “It’s hard to go wrong,” Amy agreed. “What’s your favorite place so far?”

  “On the Sound. The back porch, watching the water. With you.” Ben eyed her, swirling his wine around in his glass.

  “Smooth,” Amy laughed, even as the predatory way his eyes landed on her made her mouth dry up with anticipation. “I bet you say that to all the ladies.” She held out her glass for a refill. “Speaking of…I believe now is the time for the obligatory talk about our past loves.”

  Ben topped off her glass, his eyes amused. “Is it, now?”

  Amy nodded firmly. “Yes. You know about Kevin. Fess up.”

  “Well, I know he was your husband and passed away. But, that was four years ago.”

  “Nuh uh.” Amy wagged her finger, feeling pleasantly buzzed. “You first.”

  “Hmm.” Ben leaned back in his chair and topped off his own glass. “That calls for more wine.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  He laughed. “No, no. Let’s see. I haven’t dated anyone seriously for…a long time.”

  “Mmm.” Amy imagined a string of beautiful actresses, one for every night of the week.

  “Oh, no. I see what’s going through your mind. I’m not a man-ho,” Ben protested.

  Amy nearly choked on her wine. “A man-ho?” She threw her head back and laughed and laughed.

  “I’m not!” Ben protested. He sighed. “Okay, here you go. The story of the many loves of Ben Morrison. Which is NOT the same as the story told by the tabloids, so let’s just clear that up right away—whatever you have read, it’s bullshit.”

  “I don’t read that stuff.”

  “As no one in their right mind should. I’ll admit, I was a player in high school. Love ’em and leave ’em. I was in theater, popular, and I’ve been told, hot.”

  “No doubt,” Amy murmured.

  “I left a lot of girls in tears, very bitter. Of course, it was high school, so they were prone to drama, but, let’s face it, I was an ass. I know this because Lucas’ dad, Mr. Charles, pulled me aside one day, and gave it to me straight. No one at my house was paying any attention to what I was doing, but Mr. C, he knew everything about what Lucas was doing and all his friends, too. So, he told me I was being disrespectful, that real men had the guts to be honest and to be kind. If I didn’t want anything serious, then I should be up front. When I was ready to end it, I needed to end it. No cheating. No lying.” Ben smiled slightly at the memory. “I respected the hell out of him, and Mrs. C, too. They were solid, you know? Married 25 years, still holding hands. Fighting once in a while, sure, but then hugging it out 10 minutes later. To hear him say he was disappointed in the way I was acting? It rocked me.”

  “So, you reformed?”

  “Well, not right away,” Ben admitted sheepishly. “I already knew deep down I was being an ass—it didn’t feel right, what I was doing. Being 17 and a know it all, it took me a little time before I could admit I was wrong. But, when I went off to college, I resolved to turn over a new leaf. I followed Mr. C’s advice—still do. Junior year I met Melanie.”

  “Aha.” Amy sat up a little straighter. “The One.”

  “At the time. We were both in the theater program at NYU, both sure we were going to set the world on fire. She was talented, maybe a little high maintenance and dramatic, but that comes with the territory with some actresses, and it kept things interesting. The chemistry between us—it was intense.”

  “She was beautiful and built, I’m sure,” Amy said wryly.

  “Yeah,” Ben shrugged. “She was, but by the end of it, I can tell you truthfully, she didn’t seem so pretty anymore.” He met Amy’s steady stare with one of his own. “You, now. You’re beautiful, and it’s not a weapon. You don’t flaunt it, you don’t fuss with it. It’s just who you are.”

  Amy blinked, too surprised to respond. He’d delivered the compliment so matter-of-factly that she knew he wasn’t just feeding her a line—and it took her breath away.

  “Anyway, we dated for nearly two years. We planned on getting married. We’d co-star in plays, live in a cool Manhattan apartment, you know, the dream. But, towards the end of senior year, Melanie got a gig working a bit part in an off-off-Broadway play with an up-and-coming director. He was 12 years older than her—but I knew the first time I saw them when I went to watch her at rehearsal that they were sleeping together.”

  Amy laid her hand over his. “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah.” Ben shrugged but turned his hand over to lace his fingers with hers. “She told me that she had to be practical, think of her future. This director, he was going places and could jump-start her career. Me? I was just a lowly drama student.”

  “You were better off.”

  “God, yes.” Ben shuddered. “She contacted me several years later, when she was in L.A. and by that time, I was in Evidence and making a name for myself. I was famous enough and connected enough that she thought we should make another go at it.”

  “What a sad life she must lead.”

  “That was the reaction I had, and let me tell you, I was relieved that I wasn’t even remotely tempted. Shortly after, I started dating Jessica, my co-star.”

  “I do remember reading about that. You were the golden couple of TV at the time.” Amy smiled a little. “It’s pretty weird that I know this stuff about you. Is it weird for you?”

  “Not anymore. At first, sure. But, I’ve exclusively dated women in the industry since I became more well known.”

  “Anyway, so Jessica…” Amy prompted.

  “We dated for about a year. Then the show ended, and when we weren’t working together, we found ourselves drifting apart. The thing about a set is that you form a family, but it’s like you’re in a cocoon. You’re all in this great creative endeavor, doing the same work, living in the same imaginary world. Relationships, friendships, they’re intense.” Ben shrugged. “But, it’s not real. It’s hard to remember that, and it’s why you see so many actors dating each other and breaking up when the movie is over.”

  “She didn’t break your heart.”

  Ben propped his head on his hand, studying her. “How do you know?”

  “I just do.” Amy finished off her wine, looked at the bottle. “My God, did we already drink the whole bottle?”

  “Yep. Eat some more crackers,” Ben urged, pushing the plate toward her. “You’re right, Jessica didn’t break my heart. And, since then, I’ve dated off and on, nothing too serious, I guess.”

  “Man-ho,” Amy coughed into her hand.

  “Shut up,” Ben said without heat. “Did I pass the test?”

  “The test?”

  “The ‘where has that thing been, and do I still want to sleep with him’ test.”

  Amy laughed. “Funny man.” She tilted her head, considering him. He raised an eyebrow and flexed his arms, showing off the ripple of muscle. Damn. While he was joking around, she actually felt a tug of arousal. She was a sucker for a nicely defined bicep.

  She reached across the table and stroked her hand across his arm. “Mmmmm. Nice. You passed the test.”

  “Let’s get another bottle to go.”

  Ben stood up and reached his hand down to help her up. She’d had just enough wine that the ground tilted a bit under her feet and her head spun, so when he leaned in to kiss her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into him. His mouth tasted of the wine, and she felt like she was drowning in him.

  When he finally pulled back, out of breath, he rested his forehead on hers for a moment, before taking her hand and leading her back into the winery to pick up their second bottle. They made small talk with the owner while waiting for the taxi, and Ben gave her his autograph.

  “Do you have something else planned?” Amy asked as the taxi headed back to the harbor. She expected him to take her straight back to On the Sound—and to bed—and that was just fine with her.

&nbs
p; “I’m picking up a picnic dinner here in town, and then we’ll head out for some sailing. We’ll eat dinner on the boat.”

  Amy realized that he really did mean they were spending the whole day together. On one hand, it was pretty cute that he took the whole date and seduction seriously. On the other hand, she really, really wanted to finish what they’d started back at On the Sound. She snuck a look over at him to find him watching her. She smiled and laid her hand on his thigh, slowly moving it higher and higher and higher—until he grabbed her hand and held it firmly.

  “God help me. You’re dangerous when you’re sober, let alone when you’ve had few glasses of wine.”

  Amy giggled and leaned over to nibble on his ear. “When I have you naked,” she whispered, “I’m going to lick you all over.” She licked his skin right over the pulse in his throat where it was salty. He drew in a sharp breath.

  “I’m wet just thinking about it,” she whispered again. And, with that, she patted him on the knee and sat back in her seat. She grinned at him when he shifted in his seat, bringing his ankle up to rest on his knee.

  “A little uncomfortable over there?”

  He just looked at her and shook his head, but he was smiling. Amy laughed. She hadn’t tried to seduce a man in…God. She needed to stop with that line of thinking, she realized. It was just too depressing. Thank God she was getting laid.

  The taxi dropped them off at the deli. Laden with two big bags, Ben led Amy back down to the dock. They were halfway there when he was hailed by two boys who looked to be around ten years old. Ben greeted them by name and gave them both high fives before introducing them to Amy. He joked easily with them about the next rehearsal, listened patiently as they peppered him with questions and comments. It was a solid 15 minutes before he gently but firmly told them he had to go, and even then the boys ran with them all the way down to the dock.

  “Cute,” Amy said as she waved at the boys while Ben steered the boat out of the harbor.

  “I hope they didn’t bug you. They’re pretty excited about the play, I guess.”