Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3)
Page 36
“Ben,” she sighed, her fingers gently sliding down the line of my jaw. “Later. The kids.”
“I know,” I agreed, placing my forehead on her own. I was rethinking my decision to sleep in the bouncy house with the kids tonight. I bent and kissed the side of her neck since she was denying me her mouth. She smelled like spring and vanilla. “I wish we could be alone tonight. I should have thought this through a little better.”
“We have years of nights to make love to each other. I adore these children and they helped you make this evening so special.” Her lips found purchase on my jaw and I wished the rest of the world would disappear and we were alone. “We can’t take this away from them. They are so precious to me. You, too.”
“You’re right, but I guarantee nothing once they’re asleep.” Marin let out a soft giggle. “I’m glad you love kids so much.”
“Yeah, I remember. Five or six, you said?”
Happiness exploded inside me like a bomb. I smiled as she nuzzled into the open neckline of my shirt.
“Oh, at least.”
She nodded and looked up at me; a lazy smile gracing her lips. “At least.”
MARIN
The crowds had gone home, and our family and friends were all delivered to their respective cabins to bed down for the night.
Ben and Dylan made sure the fire was out while Remi and I went inside to get ready for bed. Ben and Dylan came in to wash up before I sprayed all of our long-sleeved T-shirts, leggings and sweats with bug repellant before loading up with blankets, pillows and sleeping bags, then heading out to one of the bouncy houses still set up in the yard. Ben had shut the generator off on the second one and it was deflated, so the whir of one was the only thing that interrupted the sounds of crickets, grasshoppers and the occasional bird or the hooting of the Barn Owl that lived in the stable. After ghost stories and fairy tales, and a full day of excitement, Remi and Dylan were finally asleep.
As I lay in Ben’s arms, I remembered the words he whispered on the dance floor, I relived every magical moment of the evening. After our slow dance, we went outside by the fire for a few minutes alone, then he had spirited me away from spying eyes until we were around the back of the stable, out of earshot of the party.
“Remember, the first time we made love was in this stable,” he’d whispered. I closed my eyes, remembering the perfection of the next few minutes as we made-out against the wall. Ben had turned so it was his back against the rough wood as we got lost in a torrent of passion; kissing and petting that couldn’t culminate in making love. Without the fire, there were too many bugs to contend with and we both knew that, as hosts, we couldn’t leave the party for too long.
Now, we were spooning, my head resting on his arm and his other wrapped around me. My fingers traced a light pattern on his strong forearm as we lay together in silence.
I was content just to lay with him to be in his arms, knowing he was mine. I’d never felt like this with Carter. I finally trusted that God would watch over Ben whenever he was out fighting an occasional fire. The ranch was the compromise, and I felt sure that my Uncle Leonard had been whispering in God’s ear to create a plan that would keep me happy and keep Ben safe.
“What are you thinking about?” Ben’s sultry voice whispered in my ear.
I smiled and placed my arm down to cover his. “Oh, just happy. You’re my prince.”
I could feel Ben’s smile against the skin of my neck and his warm breath washed over my skin when he spoke. “You’re spending too much time with Remi.”
I shook my head. He didn’t know how perfect he was. “You are. You take care of me in so many ways. Everything I could ever want in a man.”
He paused for a split second. “It’s mutual, Marin. I don’t think I’d survive without you, now.”
His words filled me with love and pride that he could want me this much. “You’re not gonna start slobbering on me now, are you?” I teased to keep myself from tearing up.
Ben chuckled, sliding one thigh between both of mine and pressing into me. “Try and stop me,” he murmured. His arm tightened and pulled me tighter back against him as he began a slow seduction that began with delicious and languid open mouth kisses along the back of my neck. I could feel he was already aroused. His mouth worked magic that caused goosebumps over every inch of my skin and began the familiar ache down low in my belly that only he could command.
My breath left me, and I arched back against him as his hand cupped the fullness of my left breast. He tweaked the nipple softly tugging and rolling it between his thumb and index finger. “Uhhh,” I sighed as his other hand reached down into my leggings to the part of me that was craving his touch. His fingers slid down to part the slick flesh and begin to play. His breathing started to increase as his hips pressed forward in rhythm with his kisses and the delight his touch was creating. “Mmmm, Ben,” I moaned softly.
“Shhh, we have to be quiet. This will only work if we are absolutely silent,” Ben whispered. He began to push down the black leggings I wore and finished the job with his foot, and I kicked one leg free of them. He pushed down his sweats just far enough and moved until he was on top of me, using his elbows to take most of his weight. My knees lifted and my hips arched toward his of their own violation, knowing what delights awaited. I could feel his erection hard and strong, probing between my legs. He found my entrance and pushed inside. I sucked in my breath as my body expanded to except the fullness of his. I bit my lip. It felt amazing, but the entire air-filled structure moved with us.
“Fuck,” Ben whispered. “I didn’t really think this through.”
I used my vaginal muscles and squeezed around him, not wanting him to pull out.
“God, Marin.” Ben moaned softly, but in the silence of the night it was loud. I squeezed again and he dropped his head into my neck, pulling out then pushing back in.
“Now who’s being loud?”
His hands cupped the side of my head and he raised his to look down into my face. “You have no idea how badly I want to go at it right now. Like wild and crazy,” Ben whispered, trying to move his hips without making the bouncy house rock and roll. “But we might literally be caught with our pants down.”
I bit my lip, trying hard not to burst into a giggle and my arms tightened around him as I buried my face into his chest. I swallowed to stop myself.
“We can do this. Just go slow and if they wake up, we’re under covers,” he whispered in my ear.
My answer was to squeeze around him and arch my hips toward his. His mouth settled on mine as his body began to thrust ever so slowly into me. We began a gentle push and pull, the squeeze of my muscles every time he thrust forward, was getting both of us closer. My fingers curled into his shoulders and he hoisted my left knee higher by hooking it over his right arm. The position allowed deeper penetration, and harder pressure where I needed it.
Our kisses grew deeper and more impassioned as we moved together, our tongues laving and worshiping each other’s. He tasted and felt so good, I never wanted it to end. Our breathing increased in speed and got shallower, but somehow, we kept from bouncing up and down, and thankfully our movements only caused a gentle sway of the balloon-like structure. I sucked his tongue inside my mouth then his top lip, then his mouth moved up my cheek to my temple and he pressed a kiss there.
“Do you know how much I love you?” The words were so softly spoken, I barely heard.
“I hope as much as I love you,” was my answer.
I could feel myself getting close and I pressed a hand beneath his sweats to close around his hard butt. I pressed him closer, my heel hooking around his knee.
Our bodies worked perfectly together, and I felt the shudder begin and spread throughout my entire body. My hands clutched at his hard back as I reached my climax.
Ben’s kisses swallowed my cries of passion, and his muscles all flexed. I knew he was coming inside me, his orgasm rocking him in wave after wave, yet miraculously, he remained completely silent.<
br />
I crossed my feet behind his back, not wanting him to leave me yet. His breathing was hard as he lifted his head and looked at me. I touched his face gently, stroking back his hair and cupping his cheeks. “I never wanted it to end,” I admitted in another whisper. I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath.
“It won’t.”
My eyes flashed open and we both glanced over at the two kids. Thankfully, they were sleeping soundly.
I smiled up at Ben. His eyes were sparkling in the moonlight a slight smirk graced his luscious mouth. “My hero,” I whispered.
Ben bent to kiss me tenderly, brushing the hair back from one side of my face. “Don’t forget it.”
“Never,” I hugged him and closed my eyes, again.
Gem, who was lying next to Remi, whined.
Ben’s mouth pressed into a smile as he separated from me, pulling up his sweats as he moved. I struggled to replace my left leg back into my leggings beneath the covers.
“Come here, Gemmy,” I called. Instantly, the now full-sized black lab stood up and walked over to us, then plopped down on top of our quilt to take up her much-prized position between her two humans.
The bouncy house wobbled and rocked much more than it had while we were making love. Ben laid an arm across Gem and held my hand. “Go figure,” he said, amused that Remi and Dylan were not roused.
We lay in the silence, still touching until Gem began to snore in between us.
“Just don’t go anywhere, Ben,” I said sleepily.
His fingers threaded through mine. “I won’t,” he assured. “What was it Remi said? Even tough guys need their damsel. You’re mine, babe. Forever.”
THE END
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Table of Contents
Prolgoue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue