Thirteen
A million thoughts ran through my mind in that second. We couldn’t
keep doing this. Either this would continue or it had to stop. Now. It
was interfering with my business, my sleep, my head—my fucking life.
But no matter how much I tried to kid myself, I knew what I wanted.
I couldn’t let her leave.
She practically sprinted down the hall but I chased after her. “You
can’t pull something like that and then expect me to just let you walk
away!”
“The hell I can’t!” she yelled over her shoulder. She reached her
room and fumbled with her key before shoving it into the slot.
I reached the door just as she got it open, meeting her eyes briefly
before she ran in and tried to force it closed. My hand shot out,
pushing it open so violently that it crashed into the wall behind it.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she yelled. She stepped
into the bathroom opposite the door and spun around to face me.
“Will you quit running from me?” I followed her, my voice echoing in
the small space. “If this is about that woman downstairs—”
She looked impossibly more furious at my words and took a step
toward me. “Don’t you dare go there. I have never acted like a jealous
girlfriend.” She shook her head in disgust before turning to the counter
and rummaging through her purse.
I stared at her she grew more and more frustrated. What else could
this be about? I was completely bewildered. Her anger usually had me
slammed against something and half naked by now. Here, she seemed
genuinely upset. “You think I would be interested in any random
woman who puts her room key in my hand? What the hell kind of man
do you think I am?”
She slammed a brush on the counter, looking up at me furiously.
“Are you serious right now? I know you’ve done this before. Just sex,
no strings attached—I’m sure you get room keys all the time.”
I started to reply, because in all honesty I had been in relationships
that were strictly about the sex, but this thing with Chloe hadn’t been
just sex for a while now.
But she cut me off. “I’ve never done anything close to this and I
don’t know how to navigate it anymore,” she said, her voice getting
louder with each word. “But when I’m with you, it’s like nothing else
matters. This . . . this thing,” she continued, gesturing between us,
“this isn’t me! It’s like I turn into a different person when I’m with you,
and I hate it. I can’t do it, Bennett. I don’t like who I’m becoming. I
work hard. I care about my job. I’m smart. None of that would matter if
people knew what was happening between us. Go find someone else.”
“I already told you, I haven’t been with anyone since we started
this.”
“That doesn’t mean you won’t take a room key if it’s put in your
hand. What would you have done if I hadn’t been there?”
Without hesitation, I said, “Handed it back.”
But she just laughed, clearly disbelieving. “Look. This whole thing
exhausts me right now. I just want to take a shower and go to bed.”
It was nearly impossible to imagine walking away from her and
leaving this unresolved, but she’d already moved away and was turning
on the shower. Just as I reached the door to the hall, I glanced back to
where she stood, already surrounded by steam, watching me leave.
And fuck if she didn’t look as conflicted as I felt.
Without thinking I crossed the room, gripped her face between my
hands, and pulled her to me. When our lips met, she made a strangled
sound of surrender, immediately digging her hands into my hair. I
kissed her harder, claiming her sounds as my own, making her lips
mine, her taste all mine.
“Let’s call a truce for one night,” I said, pressing three small kisses
on her lips, one on each side and a lingering one in the middle, in the
heart of her mouth “Give me all of you for one night, no holding back.
Please, Chloe, I’ll leave you alone after that but I haven’t seen you in
almost two weeks and . . . I just need tonight.”
She stared at me for several painful beats, clearly struggling. And
then, with a quiet, pleading sound, she reached up and pulled me to
her, standing on her toes to get as close as she could.
My lips were rough and unyielding but she didn’t move away,
pressing her curves into me. I was lost to everything but her. We
bumped into a wall, the counter, the shower door, shifting and pulling
in our desperation. The room was completely filled with steam now,
and nothing seemed real. I could smell, taste, and feel her, but none
of it was enough.
Our kisses grew deeper, our touches wilder. I grabbed her ass, her
thighs, slid my hands up and over her breasts, needing every part of
her in my palms simultaneously. She pushed me back against the wall
and a rush of warmth cascaded across my shoulder and down my
chest, bringing me out of my haze. With our clothes still on, we had
backed into the shower. We were getting soaked.
We didn’t care.
Her hands roamed my body frantically, yanking my shirt from my
pants. With shaky hands she unbuttoned it, tearing off some buttons
in her haste before sliding the wet fabric from my shoulders and
tossing it outside the shower door.
The wet silk of her dress clung to her, accentuating every curve. I
traced the fabric along her breasts, feeling her tight nipples
underneath. She moaned and brought her hand to rest on mine,
guiding my movements.
“Tell me what you want.” My voice was rough with need. “Tell me
the things you want me to do to you.”
“I don’t know,” she whispered into my mouth. “I just want to see
you come apart.”
I wanted to tell her that she was witnessing it now, and in all
honesty she’d been watching it happen for weeks, but words fell away
as I skimmed my hands down her sides and up under her dress. We
teased and bit at each other’s mouths, the sound of the shower
drowning out our moans. I slipped my hands into her panties and felt
her warmth against my fingers.
Needing to see more of her, I removed my fingers and slid them up
to the hem of her dress. In one movement I pulled it up and over her
head and stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of what lay
underneath. Sweet Jesus. She was trying to kill me.
I took a step back, leaning against the shower wall for support. She
stood before me, soaking wet in white lace panties that tied on the
side with a satin bow. Her nipples were hard and visible beneath the
matching bra, and I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out to touch
them.
“Fuck, you are so beautiful,” I said, running my fingertips along her
taut breasts. A visible shiver ran through her and my hand traveled
upward, across her collarbone, along her neck, and finally to her jaw.
We could fuck right here, wet and slippery against the tile, and
maybe we would later, but right now I wanted to take my time. My
heart sped up at the thought that we had an entire night ahead of us.
No rushing out or hiding. No bitter fighting and guilt. We had one whole
night alone and I was going to spend the entire time with her . . . in
a bed.
I reached behind her and turned off the shower. She pushed against
me, pressing her body further into mine. I cradled her face in my hands
and kissed her deeply, my tongue sliding easily against hers. Her hips
rocked against me and I pushed the shower door open, holding on to
her as we stepped out.
I couldn’t seem to stop touching her skin: down her back, over the
gentle curve of her backside, back up again along her sides to her
breasts. I needed to feel, to taste every inch of her skin.
Our kiss never broke as we made our way out of the bathroom,
stumbling clumsily while we desperately tore at our remaining clothes.
I kicked off my wet shoes as I backed her into the bedroom, her hands
raking along my stomach as she reached for my belt. Guiding her, I
was quickly free of my pants and boxers. In a rush, I kicked them to
the side, where they landed in a wet pile.
I traced along her ribs with my knuckles before sliding to the clasp
of her bra, releasing it and practically ripping it off her body. Pulling her
closer, I groaned into her mouth as her hard nipples grazed my chest.
The tips of her wet hair tickled my hands as they roamed her naked
back, felt electric against my skin.
The room was dark, the only illumination coming from the small
sliver of light that crept out from the bathroom door and the moon in
the night sky. The back of her knees hit the bed and my hands ran
down to the last piece of clothing between us. My mouth moved from
her lips, down her neck, and across her breasts and torso. I placed
soft biting kisses across her stomach and finally to the white lace that
hid the rest of her from view.
Sliding to my knees in front of her, I looked up and met her eyes.
Her hands were in my hair, running her fingers through the messy, wet
strands.
Reaching out, I took one delicate satin ribbon between my fingers
and pulled, watching it slide off her hip. A look of confusion crossed
her face as I continued running my fingers along the lace edge to the
other side and did the same. The fabric fell from her body undamaged
until she was completely naked before me. I might not have destroyed
them, but she could be damn sure I planned to take these pretties
with me.
She laughed, seeming to read my mind.
I guided her back so that she sat on the edge of the bed and, still
kneeling in front of her, I spread her legs. Running my hands down
along the silky skin of her calves, I planted kisses along her thighs and
between her legs. Her taste slid around my mouth and inside my head,
erasing everything else. Fuck, what this woman did to me.
Pushing her back to lie across the sheets I finally moved up to join
her, running my lips and tongue along her body, her hands still tangling
in my hair, guiding where she wanted me most. I slipped my thumb
into her mouth, needing her sucking on me somewhere, needing my
own mouth on her breasts, her ribs, her jaw.
Her sighs and moans filled the room and mingled with my own. I
was harder than I could ever remember being, and I wanted to bury
myself in her over and over again. I reached her mouth and dragged my
wet thumb across her cheek when she pulled me down to her, every
inch of our naked bodies aligned.
We kissed frantically, hands seeking and grasping as we tried to get
as close as possible. Our hips rocked together, my cock sliding against
her soaking heat. Each pass along her clit elicited a moan. With one
tiny move, I could be deep inside.
And I wanted that more than anything, but I needed to hear
something from her first. When she’d said my name downstairs, it had
set something off inside me. I didn’t understand it yet, didn’t know if it
meant something I wasn’t completely ready to explore, but I knew I
needed her to say it, to hear it was me she wanted. I needed to know
that for tonight, she was mine.
“I am fucking dying to be inside you right now,” I whispered into her
ear. Her breath caught and a deep moan escaped her lips. “Is that
what you want?”
“Yes,” she whimpered, her voice pleading and her hips rocked
higher off the bed in search of me. My tip grazed her entrance and I
clenched my jaw, wanting to prolong this. Her heels ran up and down
my legs, finally locking around my waist. I took each of her hands and
placed them above her head, entwining our fingers.
“Please, Bennett,” she begged. “I’m losing my mind.”
I lowered my head so our foreheads touched and I finally pushed
deep inside her.
“Oh, fuck,” she moaned.
“Say it again.” I was becoming breathless as I began to move in and
out of her.
“Bennett—fuck.”
I wanted to hear it again and again. I pulled myself up on my knees
and began thrusting into her more steadily, both of our hands still
entwined.
“I can’t get enough of this.” I was getting close and I needed to hold
out. I’d been away from her too long, and nothing I’d fantasized about
while she was away compared to this.
“I want you like this every day,” I growled against her damp skin.
“Like this, and bent over my desk. On your knees sucking my dick.”
“Why?” she hissed between clenched teeth. “Why do I love it when
you talk to me like that? You’re such a prick.”
I lowered myself onto her again, laughing into her neck.
We moved together effortlessly, sweat-slicked skin sliding against
skin. With each thrust she raised her hips to meet me, her legs around
my waist pulling me deeper. I was so lost in her that time seemed to
stop. Our hands were still tightly clasped above her head and she
began gripping tighter. She was getting close, her cries becoming
louder and my name leaving her lips over and over, pushing me closer
to the edge.
“Give it up.” My voice was ragged with the desperation I felt. I was
so close but I wanted to wait for her. “Let go, Chloe, come all over
me.”
“Oh, God, Bennett,” she moaned. “Say something else.” Fuck. My
girl got off on dirty talk. “Please.”
“You’re so fucking slippery and hot. When you get close,” I panted,
“your skin flushes everywhere and your voice gets hoarse. And there is
nothing more fucking perfect than your face when you come.”
She squeezed me harder with her legs and I felt her breath hitch,
felt her tighten around me.
“Your fucking bee-stung lips go all soft and open when you pant for
me, your eyes begging me to make it good and, fuck, nothing is better
than the sound you make when you’re finally there.”
That was all it took. I deepened my strokes, lifting her off the bed
with every thrust. I was teetering on the edge now, and when she cried
out my name, I couldn’t hold back any longer.
She muffled her screams against my neck as I felt her let go,
clenching wildly beneath me—nothing in the world felt as good as this,
letting the rush build inside and crash over us, together—and I let go
too.
Afterward, I moved my face close to hers, our noses touching,
breath coming out hard and fast. My mouth was dry, my muscles
ached, and I was exhausted. I loosened her grip on my hands and
rubbed her fingers gently, trying to bring some of the circulation back.
“Holy shit,” I said. Everything felt different, but completely
undefined. Rolling off her, I closed my eyes, trying to block out the
tangle of thoughts.
Beside me, she shivered.
“Cold?” I asked.
“No,” she answered, shaking her head. “Just really overwhelmed.”
I pulled her to me and reached down, dragging the blankets over us.
I didn’t want to leave, but I wasn’t sure if I was welcome to stay either.
“Me too.”
The silence stretched between us as did the minutes, and I
wondered if she’d fallen asleep. I shifted slightly and was surprised to
hear her voice. “Don’t go,” she said into the darkness. I bent, kissed
the top of her head, and inhaled her sweet, familiar scent.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Fuck, that felt good.
Something warm and wet enveloped my dick again and I groaned
loudly. Best. Dream. Ever. Dream Chloe moaned, sending a vibration
along my dick and straight through me.
“Chloe.” I heard my own voice and jerked slightly. I’d dreamed of
her hundreds of times but this seemed so real. The warmth
disappeared and I frowned. Don’t wake up, Ben. Don’t fucking wake up
from this.
“Say it again.” A soft, throaty voice broke into my consciousness
and I forced myself to open my eyes. The room was dark and I was
lying in a strange bed. The warmth was back and my eyes flew to my
lap, where a beautiful dark head of hair moved between my open legs.
She sucked my cock back into her mouth.
In a rush, the entire night came back to me, the haze of sleep
rapidly disappearing.
“Chloe?” There was no way I could be lucky enough for this to be
real.
She must have gotten up sometime in the night to shut off the
bathroom light; the room was so dark I could barely make her out. My
hands drifted out to find her, my fingers tracing her lips around my
cock.
She bobbed her mouth up and down on me, her tongue swirling and
her teeth raking lightly against my shaft with each movement. Her hand
slipped to my balls and I moaned loudly as she rolled them gently in
her palm.
The feeling was so intense, the realization of my dreams and reality
coming together, that I didn’t know how long I could last. She moved
slightly, her finger lightly rubbing a spot just below, and a long hiss
escaped my clenched teeth. No one had ever done that to me. I
almost wanted to stop her, but the feeling was so incredible I was
helpless to move.
While my eyes adjusted to the light, I ran my fingers through her hair
and across her face and jaw. She closed her eyes and increased the
suction, bringing me closer and closer to the edge. The combination of
her mouth on my dick and her finger pressing against me was unreal,
but I wanted her up with me, that mouth on my mouth, sucking my lips
while I buried myself in her.
Sitting up, I pulled her into my lap, wrapping her legs around my
hips. Our naked chests pressed together, I took her face in my hands,
looking into her eyes. “That is the best wake-up call I’ve ever gotten.”
She laughed a little, licking her lips to a delicious shine. Reaching
down I placed my cock at her entrance and lifted her slightly. In one
smooth motion I was deep inside her. Her forehead fell to my shoulder
and she rocked her hips forward, taking me further inside.
Being with her in a bed was unreal. She was leisurely riding me,
grinding in tiny movements. She kissed along every inch of the right
side of my neck, sucking and pulling at my skin. Short utterances
punctuated every circuit of her hips.
“. . . like being on top of you,” she breathed. “Feel how deep you
are? Feel that?”
“Yeah.”
“Want faster?”
I shook my head, absolutely lost. “No. God, no.”
For a while, she stayed slow, tiny circles, teeth all up and down my
neck. But then she shifted closer, whispering, “I’m gonna come,
Bennett,” and instead of releasing a string of curse words to describe
what hearing that did to me, I bit her shoulder, sucked a bruise into
her skin.
Working me harder now, she began to talk. Words I could barely
process. Words about my body inside her, her need for me. Words
about my taste and how wet she was. Words about wanting me to
come, needing me to come.
With each swivel of her hips, the pressure began to build. I gripped
her tighter, fearing briefly that I would leave bruises every time I moved
my hands, and quickened my thrusts. She moaned and writhed above
me and just when I thought I couldn’t hold out anymore, she called my
name again and I felt her begin to spasm around me. The intensity of
her orgasm brought on my own, and I moved my face to her neck,
pressing a loud groan into her skin.
She collapsed against me and I lowered us both to the bed. We
were sweaty and panting and utterly exhausted, and she looked
fucking perfect.
I pulled her to me, her back pressed against my chest, and wrapped
my arms around her, entangling my legs with hers. She mumbled
something I couldn’t make out but was asleep before I could ask her.
Something had shifted tonight, and my last thought as my eyes
closed was that there would be plenty of time to talk tomorrow. But as
the early morning sunlight began to creep under the dark curtain, I
realized with an uneasy feeling that tomorrow was already here.
