She shrugged and let out a tiny snort. “I’ll be fine. It’s only one more year until I get to go away to college, too. And I still have Alex for most of the summer until he leaves for Villanova.” Her smile faded and her voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m going to miss you.”
Throwing his arm over her shoulder, he pulled her in for a sideways hug. “I’m going to miss you too, Kitten. But maybe I can get an assignment out of Little Creek and then we’ll be able to see each other all the time again.”
They sat that way for a while, looking out over the water, with her head resting on his collarbone. When she placed her hand on his bent knee and her thumb began to rub the bare skin his shorts didn’t cover, his dick decided to betray him, taking notice of how good her touch felt. He tried to subtly adjust himself by shifting his hips. Without pulling her head away she tilted it up to look at him with those soft chestnut eyes of hers. “Are you uncomfortable? I can move.”
“No, you’re fine.” And boy, was she. The sudden intimacy between them was making him forget all the reasons why he shouldn’t be thinking of kissing her. The urge to claim her got worse when her eyelids lowered and she stared at his mouth. He felt the soft puffs of her breath on his neck and smelled the mint gum she’d been chewing earlier, in addition to the shampoo she’d used to wash her hair. He was now painfully aware of her lush right breast crushed against his ribcage and he thought he could feel her hardened nipple through the cotton tank she wore over her bikini top.
He tried to distract himself by counting down from one-hundred in Spanish in his head, but it failed when her little pink tongue peeked out to moisten her tender lips. He stifled a groan, but when he attempted to pull away and put some distance between them, the hand on his knee tightened. Looking back down at her sweet face, he was surprised to see desire in her eyes and it hit him—she was as attracted to him as he was to her. The knowledge sent every other thought from his brain and he slowly lowered his head. When their lips were just shy of touching, he paused, wanting her to close the final gap between them. He wanted to make sure they were both on the same page, the one which would change their relationship forever. His brain tried to override his body, but it was too late. She moved the scant inch and fireworks filled his mind as they kissed.
Fuck! She felt so incredible, tasted so incredible, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. He shifted and eased her back until she was lying atop the flat rock with him on his side next to her. All the while, he continued to kiss her, moving his lips over hers in a sensual caress. Cautiously, he began to lick the seam of her mouth, encouraging her to open and let him in. He almost thought she wasn’t going to when, all of a sudden, her lips parted and granted him entry.
Her tongue dueled shyly with his and it made him even harder, which he hadn’t thought was possible. Ben knew she wasn’t experienced because he’d overheard a conversation she’d had with her two best friends a few weeks ago. Kat and Melanie were both shocked when their other friend, Tina, told them she’d lost her virginity to her boyfriend after the prom. When Tina had asked when they were planning on giving up their cherries, Katerina replied she was waiting for the right guy to come along and she wasn’t in any hurry. Ben had been happy with her answer, but the way she’d said it made him think she had some guy in mind and it annoyed the hell out of him. Then when he realized he was annoyed, it pissed him off because he wasn’t supposed to be jealous of any guy she dated. He was supposed to help Alex warn the jerks off by threatening to kick their asses if they tried anything with her. He was supposed to act like her brother, wasn’t he? At least he’d thought so…until tonight.
He was leaning on one arm while his other hand rested at her waist. He began to move it up and down, closer and closer to her left breast. When she didn’t stop him, he cupped it in his hand, squeezing it a few times before rubbing his thumb over her taut nipple. Her moan of pleasure spurred him on as she arched her back slightly, pushing the delectable orb further into his touch. He was desperate to rip her shirt and bikini off so he could find out if her naked body was as beautiful as he’d imagined. The other morning, he’d been shocked to wake up with his hand around his morning wood while an image of her lips around his cock faded like the fantasy it had been. He hadn’t been able to look her in the eye for several days afterward for fear his cheeks would heat in embarrassment, and she would know he’d jerked off in the shower after the incredible dream.
Continuing his tender assault on her mouth, he brought his hand down to the hem of her shirt, tucked his fingers under it and began to inch his way upward again. The second his hand touched the skin of her abdomen, he groaned. It was softer than anything he’d ever felt. Not being able to stand the torture anymore, he lifted his head and was pleased to see her swollen, red lips and heavy-lidded eyes. “Take off your shirt, Kat. I want to see you.”
Her eyes widened as she bit her lower lip anxiously and he thought he’d pushed her too far. Even though he was aware of her virginity, he didn’t know how far she had gone with the few boyfriends she’d had. Had any of them ever seen her naked? Had she let one of them lick and nibble on her breasts? Had any guy ever gotten his hand down her underwear and touched the place which Ben was beginning to think belonged to him. All of her belonged to him, and God help him, Alex was going to kick his ass.
He was about to tell her it was okay if she wasn’t ready to take the next step, but his cock leapt for joy when she reached down and grabbed the hem. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen when she lifted her shoulders and head off the rock and removed the tank top. He’d seen her in her bikini earlier in the day, but seeing her now in the skimpy top and her jean short-shorts, coupled with a mix of passion and uncertainty in her eyes, she blew him away. “You’re so beautiful, Kitten.”
Her shy blush thrilled him in a way he hadn’t thought possible. She looked away from his intense stare. “You don’t have to say that. I know it’s not true.”
Shocked, he cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. “Are you crazy? What makes you think it’s not true?” Katerina shrugged her shoulders and tried to break eye contact, but he wouldn’t let her. “Answer me, Kitten, because in my opinion, you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known.”
“Oh, please.” Her sarcasm was punctuated by an eye roll. “You and Alex have dated every gorgeous girl in your class and mine. I can’t even begin to compare myself to most of them. My chest is too flat, my ass is too big, my legs are too skinny and my eyes are too far apart.”
When she finished rattling off what she thought were her worst attributes, Ben wasn’t sure if she was kidding or if she really thought those things about herself. It only took a few seconds before he realized she was serious and his eyes narrowed in anger. “Kitten, there is nothing about you I would change. Your eyes are so expressive, sometimes I can’t stop looking at them, especially when you laugh. Your chest,” his hand closed around her left breast again and squeezed just enough to make sure he had her attention, “is the perfect size—not too small or too big—it’s just right.” He moved his hand down to her denim covered hip and squeezed again. “Your ass…jeez, do you have any idea how many guys check out your ass when you walk by? Especially in these sexy shorts of yours. And your legs are a mile long. Baby, men drool over legs like yours and most women would kill for them. If I ever hear you put yourself down again, I’m going to spank your sweet ass. Do you hear me?”
It was obvious she thought he was joking about smacking her backside because she giggled and he relaxed a little. Wanting to prove how desirable she was to him, he leaned down and took possession of her mouth again. This time he wasn’t as gentle as before, but was still cautious. He knew he had to walk a fine line here—the one between scaring her by moving too fast, and making her see how good they could be together. Her hands began pushing his T-shirt up and he reached back, grabbed a handful of blue cotton and stopped kissing her just long enough to yank it over his head and toss it aside. Her hand scorched his chest when
she timidly touched him. As his lips found hers again, his fingers started a new exploration of her breasts through her bikini, but he knew he couldn’t go much further. He wanted her first time to be special—not out here on a huge rock where anyone could drive up and interrupt them. She deserved better.
Ben was about to pull away from her mouth, when his fear happened. He heard the car a moment before a bright flood light hit them and they both jumped up into sitting positions. Damn. A cop had to pick this moment to check out the popular party spot. At least they were both still decent. Instead of getting out of his patrol car, the lazy cop blared his air horn once. In other words—get in your truck and drive away, jackass, because you’re not getting laid here tonight.
As they scrambled for and threw on their shirts, he gave the officer a quick wave of his hand, letting him know the message was received and understood. Taking Kat’s hand, he helped her down from the rock and they headed for his dad’s pick-up, grabbing his cooler on the way. He opened the passenger door for her and lifted her up into the high seat, then emptied the cooler of its leftover melted ice before stowing it the truck’s bed. Hopping in the driver’s seat, he started the engine and grinned when she broke out in a fit of giggles. “What’s so funny?”
“Your shirt’s on backward and inside out.” She looked so cute covering her mouth as if she’d accidentally spilled the beans about something.
He looked down, saw she was right and laughed along with her. Before putting the truck in drive, he pulled off his shirt, flipped it around then put it on correctly. The last thing he needed was for her dad or brother to see that and put two and two together. He would need to eventually tell Alex he planned on dating Katerina, but not yet. As he drove down the dirt road which led out to the highway, he reached across the center console and took her hand in his. He gave it a squeeze then set their joined hands on the armrest between them. Driving her home was the last thing he wanted to do, but if he kept her out any later, her parents, Ivan and Sylvia, were going to be ticked off. At seventeen, Kat still had a curfew. The only reasons she’d been allowed out until two a.m. was because school was over and she was with Alex and Ben. That, and it was a special occasion since it would be a while before Ben would get a chance to come back home to visit.
Aside from the low music on the radio, a silence had fallen over the inside of the cab and at the last second, he pulled into the elementary school lot just up the road from her house. Putting the truck in park, he turned to look at her. “I…I’m sorry we were interrupted back there. It took me by surprise. I never thought…”
She pulled her hand from his and stared out the side window. “It’s okay Benny. We’ll pretend it never happened. I mean, it’s not like we actually did anything.”
Taking hold of her chin, he turned her head until she was facing him, but her eyes remained downcast. “Kitten, look at me.” He waited a moment, but she still didn’t look up. “Kat, please, look at me.”
His heart almost broke when he saw the unshed tears in her eyes. Crap. She misunderstood him and now she was on the verge of crying. He did his best to embrace her despite the center console between them and kissed her on the top of her head. A shudder passed through her and he hugged her tighter. “Shhh, baby, you didn’t let me finish. Just because I never thought you and I would…you know, get together…doesn’t mean I’m not happy we did. I’ve been thinking about you and me ever since the prom when we danced those slow dances together. For the first time, I realized you’re more than my friend. You’re also a very beautiful woman who I suddenly found myself attracted to. I was just surprised you felt that way about me too.” He froze for a second. “You do feel that way, don’t you? I mean, it wasn’t just an experiment for you, right?”
She pulled away so she could look up at him again. “I’ve felt that way for a lot longer than you have. I was so happy when you asked me to the prom even though I knew it was only because you and Mary Jo Dwyer just broke up and everyone else was already paired up for the most part.”
He at least had the decency not to deny it. It was the reason why he’d asked her, but he wouldn’t have done it at all if he hadn’t thought they’d have a good time together. Which they had.
Taking a deep breath, she blurted out, “I didn’t want to stop tonight.”
Her face turned beet red as the implications of what she said sank into his brain. Was she telling him she would have given him her virginity tonight if the cop hadn’t interrupted them? Holy shit! What was he supposed to say to her? Any other girl, he would have been all over her without a second thought. He knew he could be a dog sometimes. He’d lost his own virginity two months before he turned fifteen. And like every other normal, red-blooded American male, he rarely said no when a girl offered him a roll in the sack or in the bed of his truck. But he needed her to be sure this was what she wanted and it wasn’t a spur of the moment thing because he was leaving. He couldn’t…wouldn’t do that to her. Kissing her had already changed the dynamics of their relationship, but having sex with her would put them in another orbit. And he knew it wouldn’t be just sex. With Katerina, it would be making love. “Baby, do you know what you’re saying?”
She nodded and then began to babble nervously. “I wanted you to be my first…you know. I still do. I mean, I know you’ve been having…you know, sex, for a long time now. I mean, everyone at school talks about who’s doing who, but I haven’t…you know…”
“You’re still a virgin.” He’d meant to say it as a question, not wanting her to know he’d overheard the conversation with her friends, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“I know it’s silly, but…”
He cupped her cheek with his hand. “It’s not silly, Kat. Not at all. But as much as I want to say yes to you…to us, I think it would be better if we waited until I finish basic training and find out where I’m being stationed. I don’t want to have one or two nights with you and then end up on a base on the opposite side of the country. It’s not fair to you.” He covered her mouth with his fingers when she tried to interrupt him. “But I’ll make you a deal, baby. If this is what you want…if you’re sure, then I’m willing to tell every woman I run into from here on out that I have someone special waiting for me back home and she’s the only one I want. Will you wait for me, Kitten? Will you be my girlfriend and wait until the time is right for us?”
“Yes, Benny, I will,” she whispered. “I promise. I’ll wait for you…forever.”
Alex was going to kill him.
* * *
Rick Michaelson stood between his wife and child at the cemetery and kept his hand on his grieving son’s shoulder. His boy was on the verge of entering the military and becoming a man, but in the blink of an eye, his life had been turned upside down. They watched as the funeral director’s crew unloaded scores of colorful arrangements from four matching hearses and placed them beside the caskets. The area around the grave sites was filling up with close to two hundred people who’d known one, two, or all members of the Maier family and come to pay their respects.
A somber priest made his way to the head of the graves in order to give the deceased their final blessing. Ivan and Sylvia would be buried side by side, just as their children, Alex and Katerina, would be in the plot next to them. The Sunday after Ben’s going-away party, the family had taken off on an hour-long afternoon drive to visit Ivan’s mother and sister, but they never arrived. A fiery crash on a lonely stretch of highway snuffed out the lives of four people, and left many others, like Ben, struggling to find a reason behind the terrible tragedy. Rick knew, although his son’s overwhelming grief would one day become bearable, the loss of his best friend, and the boy’s family, would forever change Ben’s life. He just hoped when his son emerged from his grief, he came out on the right side.
Chapter 3
Present Day
Kate had known Benny was going to be shocked when he first saw her, but she hadn’t expected him to pass out. As far as he knew, she was dead and buried
in a cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia, and not living and breathing at his place of business. His boss, Ian, had asked her to have a seat out here in the reception area, but she couldn’t sit. Instead, she was pacing back and forth, trying to keep her feet from running out the door and taking the rest of her body with them. Benny would’ve been better off if she’d never come looking for him, but it was too late to change her mind now. The last thing she ever wanted to do was to cause him any more pain, but her life was in danger and there was no one in the world she trusted more than him. It was sad he wasn’t going to be able to trust her in return. Not after what she’d put him through, even though none of it had been her fault. Her father was to blame for everything…her recently-deceased father. And for the first time in Kate’s life, she was all alone.
The sound of footsteps caused her pacing to cease and she turned to see Benny stalking toward her followed by his boss and the lab mix. The look on the man’s face, the man who’d once been the boy she’d fallen in love with, was now hard. Shock was giving away to anger and it was evident by the raging inferno in his beautiful amber eyes. Eyes which still haunted her dreams after all these years.
He stopped in front of her and crossed his arms. The Navy had taken his gangly teenage physique and made it broad, strong, and sinewy. She longed to have him pull her into his powerful arms and hold her while telling her everything would be okay. Instead, he glared at her from several feet away. “Do you want to explain how a woman I watched being buried twelve years ago, is standing in front of me? Because as far as I know, reincarnation is still a myth.”
“I-I’m sorry, Benny. I’m so sorry. But if we can go sit down, I’ll explain everything. I promise.”
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