by Kira Hillins
Zoe checked the other message.
I can’t believe you’re dating some asshole behind my back! Don’t get too cozy.
Zoe’s spine tingled. She dropped her phone back inside her purse and drew a step back. What if Nicholas had followed her here? She shuddered. No. He wouldn’t be that stupid. Would he?
“Everything okay?” Ben’s voice startled her.
“Fine,” she said, not wanting to worry him. “Just Millie and Renji.”
Ben wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Maybe you should call them back.”
“I will.” She smiled as she gazed up into those beautiful eyes. “Okay, now…” Determined not to let fear ruin her moment with Ben, she placed her palms on his bare chest and pushed. “You. Me. Garden tub.”
He arched his brows. After a quick squeeze on her backside, he pressed his lips against hers. His kiss was playful, tongue touching hers as he pulled her into the bathroom.
“We should leave by ten,” he said against her lips. “Go to the store for supplies.”
“M-hm.” She lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor.
Their mouths met again.
His fingers glided up and down her sides. “You’re so soft.”
She leaned back. “You think I’m soft?”
“I meant perfect.”
“And soft.”
His brows furrowed. “Soft is perfect.”
Sliding her fingers through his hair, she smiled. “Let’s just get in the tub.”
She reached behind her and unsnapped her bra. Letting the garment fall to the floor, she strode toward the garden tub. He followed close behind.
When she bent over and turned on the faucet, he growled.
“Temptress,” he said as he removed his boxers. His dick stood at attention. Zoe stepped out of her panties. As the water began to fill, she sat down inside the tub. He sat on the other side of her.
“This is so nice,” she said. “I wish I had one of these in my apartment. I don’t think I’d ever leave.”
He picked up the bar of soap from the dish on the tub’s lip. “I’ve never been in here.”
“Never?”
“Never.” He pulled a bottle of shampoo from the tiled bin. “Come here.”
She moved to the other side of the tub and sat between his legs. His chest brushed against her back as he sprayed warm water over her head. Electricity sprouted through her veins as he lathered her hair. His fingertips gently massaged her scalp. By the short laugh that escaped his nose, she was sure he felt her body shudder.
“Are you laughing at me?” she asked, putty in his arms.
“Yes. I’m also trying to keep myself in check until I’m finished with your hair.”
She laughed.
“Please, don’t make your body shake against me.”
She sat as still as she could. “We should talk about something, to get your mind off ravaging my body until you’re done.”
He rubbed his hard cock against her back. “You’re not making it easy.”
As much as she wanted him inside her, she enjoyed his touch. He seemed to be having fun washing her hair. “Oh. I suppose I can think of something to say. How about we have a picnic outside the cabin?”
He leaned around and caught her gaze. “You seriously want to sit in the woods? Might be bears or cougars. Wolves, even.”
“Well, I have you to protect me.”
“Do I look like Thor?”
She giggled. “Way sexier than Thor.”
He belted out a laugh. “What about that fellow with the English accent?”
Loki was pretty handsome, but Ben was so much hotter. “Sexier.”
He kissed her cheek. “You are an amazing woman, Ms. Kearny. Maybe during our picnic, we could have a spot of Asgardian tea.”
Zoe laughed at his attempt to sport an English accent. She covered her mouth with her hands, careful not to further enflame his libido.
He twisted the faucet’s knob and pulled the nozzle from its place. Warm water trickled over her head, rinsing the suds. The bubbles tickled when they slid down her neck and shoulders until all the soap rinsed away.
He replaced the nozzle and then shut off the water. When he turned her around, she straddled his lap. Her pussy clenched as he held the tip of his cock against her opening.
He worked his cock inside her. It hurt a little. A gasp escaped her parted lips, but he silenced her with his mouth. His tongue licked hers as she leaned on him.
“You feel so good inside me,” she whispered, gazing into his eyes. Her breasts slid against his wet chest. Heat spread through her body.
He pulled a nipple into his mouth and massaged with his tongue. Her pussy ached, and her belly quivered. She moaned as he thrust his hips upward.
“We could go to the lookout if you like,” he said. He lashed her nipple again, sending sparks through her veins. “Or we could stay at the cabin and play all day.”
“Mm… You like playing?”
“With you, yes.”
“I’m happy to go wherever you want to go.”
“Come on.” He gave the other nipple a quick lick. Another bolt of lightning spread down her body. “Tell me what’s rolling around in that beautiful head of yours.”
“I’m just happy.” She smiled. She’d never been this happy before. Like nothing in the world mattered but being here with Ben, making love to him in the tub. “Last time I was in here, you thought you were saving my life.”
“That was the first time I saw you naked.”
She tightened her arms around his neck. “You were looking all sexy in your stretchy boxers. I wanted to pull you in.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Why didn’t you?”
“I wasn’t ready.” She kissed him. “If only I’d known then how wonderful you are.”
Ben inspected her face. He lowered his hand inside the water and rubbed his thumb over her clit.
The tickle in her tummy hit hard and fast. She slumped against him. “You’re going to make me come before you.”
“Good.”
She squeezed her walls as tight as she could around his cock. “I need to help you along.”
“I don’t need help, baby.” He licked her nipple. “Just touching you makes me hot.”
Her body begged for release as he held her against him, warm hand squeezing her ass, the other massaging her clit. He thrust upward. A breath escaped her open mouth as he moved his cock side to side.
Her belly quivered. She brushed her lips over his chin, down his neck. She ran her tongue across his nipple. Soap tingled in her mouth, bringing an awful taste. Hearing his voice hum in delight made it worth the lick of suds.
That was his spot. Or one of them she knew of so far. She wondered if his balls were as sensitive as her clit. She aimed to find out next time they were in bed.
He pulled hard. She inhaled a sharp breath. Water swelled over the side of the tub and onto the floor. He thrust again. More water sloshed. He leaned forward, holding the lip for balance as she tightened her arms around his neck.
She slipped on his wet skin as he penetrated her deeply. Warm water gushed around her. She closed her eyes.
The orgasm was coming. She concentrated on her breath. On him. Veins had popped out on his temple, and she could see he was ready to burst inside her.
“Baby,” he said between fast breaths. “Come with me.”
Maybe it was the sound of his voice. Or the way he looked at her with those emerald eyes. He pleaded for her to come. And her body responded. She bit her lip to muffle her cry as the orgasm came fast. Her tits throbbed. Her cunt squeezed against his dick.
He pressed his temple to her shoulder. She shuddered as his warmth filled her. Breathing hard, he leaned back against the tub.
She ran her fingers through his wet midnight hair. She kissed him. It’d be so easy to confess she loved him, to never want to leave him.
HE PUSHED HER wet hair off her shoulders.
Though he didn’t w
ant to separate from her, he rose from the tub. He held tight to her hand to make sure she didn’t slip and fall. They stepped down onto the wet bathroom floor. She shivered as he led her to the sink.
“Here,” he said, handing her a folded towel. He grabbed one off the shelf and rubbed the soft cloth over his wet body. “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”
“Chocolate cheesecake sounds good.”
“For breakfast?” He laughed. “How about apple pie?”
She giggled and wrapped the towel around her. “Double-chocolate-chunk cookies.”
“Are you serious?” he said as she followed him into the bedroom. “Is there really such a cookie?”
“Yeah.” She unzipped her duffel bag. She pulled out a T-shirt and slipped it over her head. He hated to see her pale flesh covered as she stepped into a pair of pink panties. “They’re the same cookies I made for the school.”
“The cookies you modeled with?” He pulled on his boxers and then his jeans. “Let’s go to the store when we get home. You can bake some for me.”
By the look in her eye, she’d caught his slip. Home. Funny. It didn’t feel awkward to say it. With Zoe, it seemed anywhere was home, but he was glad she was here at his.
“We could bake them at the cabin, couldn’t we?”
“Yeah.” He glanced at the clock. It read seven a.m. “We should get going.”
She placed her warm hands on his chest and gazed up at him. He could definitely get used to this, seeing her every morning before work. Making love to her. They’d spent a morning in a perfect world. Maybe that was what scared him most. Nothing was ever perfect. Somehow, he’d find a way to screw it up.
“I’ll grab our bags,” she said, palming his face.
He kissed the tip of her nose. When he walked out into the living room, he sighed. The cabin was over an hour away. He couldn’t wait to get there. To hold her in his arms. To make love to her again. Maybe he’d take her to the lookout to watch the sun set over the mountains.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The ride to his cabin was dreary beneath tall trees and rain clouds. Though the roads were wet, it was a pleasant drive. At least it was still daylight.
Zoe knew if they’d spent longer packing and shopping at the store, then this trip would’ve been made in the dark. It was frightening to think that cougars, bears, and whatever else lurked in the woods might be just a bush or tree away.
Ben had to tell a ghost story about an old woman who used to live in the cabin. Her husband had died in a mining accident. A few months later, the woman was found sitting in her husband’s old rocking chair, dead from a lonely heart. She supposedly haunted the cabin. Ben claimed the new chair in the window sometimes rocked, and the floor would creak as if someone walked across it.
Zoe despised ghost stories, having had several episodes of her dad standing at the end of her bed, bullet wound still fresh in his skull. Ben’s ghost story scared her, especially when they were going deep into the forest, surrounded by wild things. When he brought up staying at the lookout for the night, she agreed. Anything to keep from staying at the cabin.
When they arrived at the cabin, Ben hopped out of the Jeep. He made a straight line to the ATV. He hooked up the trailer, packed their bags on the back, and then he was ready to go.
On the ATV, she scooted so close to Ben her entire front was squished against his back. He started the engine; then they took off up the mountainside.
At least the rain had subsided. The sun peeked through the clouds, lighting the trail ahead.
“Spooked?” he called back.
“No,” she lied, refusing to give in to the truth.
He placed his hand on hers at his waist and gently squeezed. She shivered, loosening her hold on his torso, trying not to think about a scary night in the woods.
“Relax, honey,” he said. “We’re almost there.”
She leaned her cheek on his arm, not wanting to look. Dreading the coming dark, she watched the sunlight skim the stretch of dirt road until they finally made it to the tall wooden structure.
Spooked was an understatement. But once Ben unlocked the door and let her inside, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The wooden room glowed orange. Sunset. Zoe couldn’t take her eyes away from the rainbow on the black horizon. More rain was coming their way.
“I brought the portable heater up a few days ago,” he said as he set the last of their camping gear down on the floor. “It’ll keep us warm.”
“Good.” She nodded. “Come here and hold me.”
A grin crept across his face. He moved in behind her and slid his arms around her waist. He looked at the view as he rested his chin on her shoulder.
“Beautiful.”
She closed her eyes. The ghostly rocking chair, the coming rainy night—how could she not feel like she’d just stepped into a horror movie? It would’ve been a fine night without the stories.
“You’re trembling.” He held her tighter. “Was it the ghost story?” he asked with a snort. “Sorry, was trying to get you to snuggle closer to me.”
“Charming.” Zoe turned around.
He gave her a peck on the lips and then went to the bags on the floor. “Better get ourselves unpacked. Looks like rain moving in. It’ll be dark soon.”
He pulled a lantern from the duffel bag and set it up on the desk in the room. As he unrolled a sleeping bag over the cot, she unzipped her case and dug around for her pink gown. Her hand caught the soft cloth. When she brought the garment up before her, Ben snickered.
“You think you’ll have time to put that on?”
“Yes. You’re going to let me wear this for you.”
“Okay. But it’s just going to come right back off.”
She twirled her forefinger in a circle. “No peeking.”
“Seriously? You’re not going to let me watch?”
“Nope.”
He shook his head. With his back to her, she grasped the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head. Her bra went to the floor. Pants and panties followed. Once the gown was hugging her body, she pulled her blonde locks forward.
“Okay,” she said. “You can look.”
Ben turned, smirk still playing on his face. He closed the distance between them and then looked her up and down.
“Stunning,” he said softly.
She slid her arm around his waist and then turned to the window. “Now we can finish watching the sunset.”
“You’re killing me.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “But this is one of the reasons I brought you up here.”
“It’s beautiful.” She leaned her head against his chest. All the orange from the sun had transitioned into black. The window was covered with raindrops. Lightning streaked across the sky in the distance. She shivered, hoping the storm wouldn’t come their way.
“The weather’s not cooperating with my plans to sweep you off your feet.”
She laughed. “You don’t need scenery for that.”
He kissed her. “That’s good to know.”
She led him to the cot. As she sat, he got on his knees before her and pulled her close. His hands slid up her legs, pulling the dress up to her waist and then over her head.
“You were right,” she said.
He spread her legs apart. “About what?”
Her breath quickened. “The gown didn’t stay on very long.”
He grinned as his lips touched her neck. He nibbled her flesh as he made his way down her chest. It tickled. She started to laugh, but he found her nipple and pulled it into his mouth.
Electricity shot through her body.
“Okay,” she said, raking her fingers through his hair. “Have I told you how much I like that?”
When he lifted off, her nipple jutted out. The cool air made it ache as if it begged for more time in his warm mouth.
He took off his shirt. She helped him with his jeans and boxers. When his clothes were piled on the floor, his mouth went straight for her ot
her nipple.
His tongue lashed at the sensitive mound. She lifted her hips off the bed, arching her back, yearning to be touched. She wanted to feel him inside her. Was desperate for it.
“Ben.” She closed her eyes as he kept sucking. Relentlessly. She could barely breathe. “I need you.”
His lips brushed against the curve of her breast on his way up her body. He grabbed her wrists and raised them above her head. He locked them in his left hand, holding her as he rubbed his hard cock against her wet clit.
His lips met hers in a rough, playful kiss. She tried to lower her arms, but he wouldn’t let go. A bright flash of light lit the room. Thunder boomed and rolled across the mountains. Zoe shut her eyes tight, desperate to block out Nicholas’s face. Not wanting to remember the way he’d held her down that night. God, no. She couldn’t let him haunt her now.
“Stop!” She wriggled her arms, trying to break loose of his hold. “Let me go!”
Ben immediately released her. Out of breath, Zoe rose and leaned against the table.
Ben touched her shoulder. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. I just…needed to catch my breath.”
Rain pelted the roof of the building. Thunder sounded in the distance. Nicholas’s face flashed in a streak of lightning. She let out a short, breathy scream.
Coming up to the middle of nowhere was a terrible idea.
A crack of thunder made her jump. It felt like it hit the roof of the building and spread down through her shivering spine. Zoe fell into Ben’s arms and held tight.
“Why’d it have to storm?” she whispered against his chest.
He guided her back to the cot. He pulled her into the sleeping bag and held her close against his warm, naked body.
Ben’s lips pressed against her temple. “Do you trust me?”
She raised her gaze to his. “I do.”
He palmed her face. “He did more than hit you, didn’t he?”
She didn’t say anything, just returned his gaze. He barely blinked.
“It’s just the storm.”
He held her head in his hands. “Then why’d you jump off the cot as if someone were chasing you?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
“Yes, Zoe. You do.” He sighed. “Just tell me what he did.”