Rushing the Goal (Assassins #8)

by Toni Aleo

  When Autumn flashed him a grin, squeezing his hand, Benji smiled.

  And he felt like, maybe, he could really belong to this family one day.

  As he pressed Lucy into the wall, Benji’s fingers bit into her ribs and he got lost in her kisses. She tasted like cake, Audrey’s fabulous cake, and he honestly wasn’t sure if he liked the cake more on a plate or on her mouth.

  One thing was for sure, he wasn’t about to stop.

  Lifting her up, he pressed himself into her as her fingers threaded through his hair, arching her chest into his. He held her ass and she gasped against his mouth, pulling away as his lips trailed down her jaw.

  “I’m gonna put a sectional over there.”

  He couldn’t fathom why she wanted to talk about the design right now, but he was too busy to stop her. Dragging his teeth down her throat, he gasped against her as she squeezed her legs around his waist.

  “It’s gonna look great… Oh God, yes,” she moaned as he dipped his tongue in the V of her shirt. “But, but, can we pause?”

  “No,” he said against her skin, nipping her collarbone before grazing his teeth against her jaw. “No shits are given about design right now. All I care about is getting inside you.”

  She gave him a serious look. “But I want to tell you.”

  “And I want to fuck you,” he said desperately. “I leave in two days. I won’t get this ass for almost two weeks. Talk later, okay?”

  When he went to kiss her, she put her hand up, stopping him. “It will take me five minutes, and then you can have your way with me.”

  He paused, thinking it over as he held her gaze. “Actually, I can have my way with you without listening because I’m pretty sure you can’t say no to me.”

  She scoffed. “Don’t get me confused with yourself,” she said, patting his chest and wiggling out of his grasp, her feet hitting the ground. “Now, as I was saying…”

  Groaning loudly, he leaned into the wall, his cock throbbing in his pants. He didn’t want to wait. But like she said, he couldn’t say no to her. As she moved away from him, pointing to the long wall that held all the big windows, she said with a raspy voice, “This is where the sectional will go.” He nodded but it was hard, especially with his heartbeat roaring in his ears and all the blood in his body going right to his cock. When she started to remove her shirt, throwing it down on the spot, he paused. He drank in the sight of her pale skin against the dark red of the bra she wore, and his groin tightened as she moved to the corner. “Here will be the big, man recliner. Sorry, the gamer chair is going upstairs in the toy room.” She undid her pants, pushing them down her thighs. His mouth went dry as she turned, bending over to give him one hell of a view of her plump ass with only a peek of a red string thong.

  Choking on his words, he said, “You mean collectibles?”

  She nodded, looking over her shoulder at him. “Oh, of course,” she muttered, turning and going to the TV. “This will be wall-mounted.” With her eyes holding his, she undid her bra and hung it over the TV. “Good spot, huh?”

  But Benji couldn’t speak. He was aching to touch her breasts, and he had almost closed the distance between them, but then she was walking toward him. Strutting in the wickedest way, she paused beside him, running her hand down his chest, his stomach, and pausing at his cock, squeezing it through his jeans.

  “Damn,” he wheezed and she grinned, her eyes wicked as she held his.

  “Wanna see what I’m gonna do to the stairs?”

  He swallowed hard as her hand moved along his hip before she headed to the stairs, bending over to pick her coat up off the floor. Hanging it up, she started up the stairs.

  “I’m gonna put up pictures of you playing,” she said roughly, her eyes never leaving his. Then she paused, pushing her panties down and laying them on the banister, her eyes half-lidded as she said, “Maybe some jerseys. Not sure yet.”

  Before he knew it, he was moving.

  Her lips curved as he stopped in front of her, his face at her breasts since he was down a stair. “Sounds great.”

  “I thought so,” she said, moving her hands down her body. “Wasn’t it worth it to listen?”

  His eyes narrowed as he wrapped his arms around her butt, holding her to him. Looking up at her, a breast on either side of his face, he grinned. “Yeah, now can I make love to you?”

  Her brow quirked. “Oh, make love now?”

  He nibbled at her breast. “Yeah, decided I wanted more than just a fuck.”

  “Just now deciding that?”

  “Well, you are designing my house. Might need to throw in some deep, soulful kisses.”

  She nodded in agreement. “Maybe a little gazing into my eyes to make me feel like I mean something to you.”

  He tried not to laugh. “Yes, of course, a lot of caresses too as I move into you ever so slowly.”

  “Yes! And promises of tomorrow.”

  “And beyond,” he cheered, and she dissolved in giggles as he threw her over his shoulder. “I don’t want some cheesy romance novel. I want you.”

  “Well, good thing ’cause I’m more smutty than cheesy.”

  Grabbing a handful of her ass, he squeezed as he said, “Just the way I like you.”

  “Take me upstairs, Benji. Make love to me,” she said in her best heroine voice and he grinned.

  “All right, milady,” he said roughly, smacking her ass hard. She squealed as he laughed before running up the stairs and down the hall to his room. As he threw her on the bed, she grinned up at him while he removed his shirt and tossed it on the floor. Reaching for his belt, he pulled it out in one fluid movement, his gaze on hers as he ran his tongue along her lips.

  Slapping the belt to his palm, he winked. “Maybe we can move into some BDSM.”

  Her eyes widened as she scoffed. “And maybe I can kick you in your dick if you come anywhere near me with that belt.”

  He paused. He wasn’t sure why that surprised him, but it did. He was soon laughing so hard, he was crying as he fell onto the bed beside her. Giggling with him, she reached for his pants, undoing them as she shook her head.

  “Jeez, disabled by laughter,” she teased as his chuckles subsided and he looked up at her.

  Cupping her face, he grinned. “You’re insane.”

  “Eh, been told that a time or two,” she said with a grin before getting off the bed and yanking his jeans and boxers off. “Lazy! Make me do all the work.”

  “Hey, damn right. Now climb up here,” he demanded, stroking his cock, his gaze locked with hers. “I want to be inside you.”

  She moved toward him, coming between his legs, her fingernails running along his thighs before she stopped, her lips curving. Taking his cock in her hand, she dropped her mouth to him, sucking the head of him between her sweet lips. Breathing out her name, he threaded his hand into her hair as the other clenched above his head. He swore she had the hottest mouth, and he almost couldn’t handle it. Especially when she got a good rhythm, moving her hand and mouth in perfect unison, taking him deep to the back of her throat and then back out, driving him absolutely crazy.

  “Babe, come on. I’m going to come,” he warned, his hand fisting her hair. “I can’t take it.”

  She paused, looking up at him, his cock deep in her mouth, her green eyes bright.

  Fuck, she was gorgeous.

  Ever so slowly, he bit into his lip as her lips moved up his cock until he was out of her mouth, her hand still moving along his bulging shaft. “Do you want me to stop?”

  “Fuck no,” he scoffed. “But I really want to be inside of you.”

  She shrugged. “Fine. Whatever you want,” she said before dropping her lips to his head, making him jerk from the sensation as she kissed him lightly. Climbing up his body, she moved her pussy along him as her mouth met his. Her legs fell to either side of him as his hands came up to hold her thick, sweet ass. She was wet. So fucking wet, causing him to moan against her mouth as she moved herself up and down on top of him.<
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  Driving them both mad.

  Kissing his jaw, she used his chest to sit up, going up on her knees before directing him inside of her. As she slowly lowered her body, his eyes drifted shut and he disappeared inside of her, filling her to the hilt.

  “God, you feel so fucking good,” he grunted, one handful of ass and the other holding her breast. “I can’t get enough.”

  She could only nod as she started to raise and lower herself on him, her rhythm painfully slow, but he loved it.

  He loved her.

  Squeezing her ass, he thrust up into her, stealing her breath as she started to bounce faster on his dick. Holding his shoulders, she rode him like a champ. And when she cried out, stretching her body up and grabbing her own breasts, he could only drink in her beauty as he fought for breath. As she moaned, her pussy clenched around him and that did it. His toes curled, his breathing stopped, and her name fell from his lips as he came from what he was sure were the depths of his soul.

  She fell onto him, and he wrapped his arms around her torso as their mouths met, her pussy continuing to squeeze him as he filled her. Closing his eyes, he pressed his face into the crook of her neck and shoulder and breathed her in. He never wanted to forget anything about this gorgeous woman. He doubted he ever could. Her breath, her smell, her sweat, her kisses were absorbed inside of him. Seeping into his soul. God, he loved her.

  He kissed her ear and then her cheek, and she moved her head, meeting her mouth to his. As his fingers threaded back into her hair, he moved his tongue against hers, his body vibrating with the aftershocks of his orgasm but also with the love he had for her. When she pulled back, that little kitten grin on her face, her eyes locked with his and he felt it. He knew she was going to say it. Say the words he so desperately needed to hear from her.

  “Thank you for today,” she whispered against his lips, her eyes searching his. “I really couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Even though those weren’t the words he wanted, they meant almost the same thing. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She smiled, her eyes drifting to his lips as she ran her fingers along his jaw. “I’m starting to believe that.”

  Curving his lips, he closed his eyes. “We’re making progress.”

  She nodded her nose along his. “We are.”

  Rolling them to their sides, he moved his hand along her cheek, looking deep into her eyes. The sun was shining brightly into the room, making the lighter parts of her hair look almost red. Her face was flushed, her body red with splotches from where he had held her, kissed her.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  Grinning, she pressed her forehead into his jaw and exhaled loudly. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to hearing that.”

  “You’d better ’cause I think it’s a shame that someone hasn’t been saying it your whole life.”

  Pulling back to look at him, she pursed her lips. “Shut up.”

  He scoffed at that, holding her close as he kissed her temple. “Tell me something.”

  “Okay?”

  “What do you want to do? You pick, we’ll do. Movie, dinner, more sex—I’m down for whatever you want.”

  She beamed up at him. “Anything?”

  “Anything.”

  “Even dancing?”

  He cringed since he wasn’t much of a dancer, but he nodded. “Even dancing.”

  She bubbled with laughter. “But you’d much rather get a root canal.”

  He shrugged, chuckling. “Eh, maybe not that far, but I would go to Walmart instead.”

  She giggled, leaning into him. “Okay, well, how about we order some Chinese food for dinner and binge-watch Game of Thrones? Since I haven’t seen it and it’s apparently your favorite thing in the whole wide world.”

  Yeah, he would marry her tomorrow. “Well, maybe not my favorite thing, but, yes, that sounds like the best night ever.”

  She grinned. “Thought so. But if it’s not, then what is your favorite?”

  He gave her an expectant look and cupped her face. “You.”

  She shook her head, her face deepening with color as she pushed him away. “Come on, you’ve got my heart going crazy.”

  “Good, get used to it,” he said, rolling off the bed and heading toward the bathroom. “Shower?”

  “Yes,” she said, climbing off the bed and following behind him. When he stopped, she wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed his back. “I like the way you make me feel,” she whispered against his hot skin.

  With a grin pulling at his lips, he covered her hands with his. “And how is that?”

  “Happy.”

  Closing his eyes, he let his head drift back, resting against hers. He may have made her heart go crazy, but she made his race. That’s all he wanted. He wanted to make her happy, to make her smile, to make her feel good. He knew she was still worried about Angie, about the potential custody battle. What she didn’t realize was that his love for her and Angie roared louder than any demons in her life.

  More than Rick.

  And nothing could ever stop it.

  When Lucy woke the following morning, the first thing she saw was Benji, sleeping soundly beside her. He was naked, the blanket only covering a little as he lay sprawled out in the bed. His lashes were kissing his cheeks, his hair in disarray, his breaths deep and strong. Marks from their lovemaking were on his chest where she had bitten and scratched him the night before. They made her blush as she drank him in, but then, she was also proud of them.

  He was hers.

  The night before had been almost like magic. She’d worn his shirt and boxers while they ate and binge-watched Game of Thrones. She wanted to say she loved it, but truth be told, she couldn’t even pay attention. Between her hot boyfriend and the fact she had no clue what was going on, she missed a lot. But she would rewatch it later since her mind just hadn’t been into it. She didn’t want to go anywhere; she just wanted to chill with him.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about Angie. Her stomach hurt with worry, but at the same time, her heart was full of happiness from her night with Benji. She almost felt guilty. Did that make her a bad mother? It couldn’t, because if she’d honestly believed Angie was in harm’s way, she would have gone over there. Benji was just so great. Every laugh, every touch, every locked gaze, it was like a fairy tale. And if she felt that good while also distracted, then no telling how it would be when everything was right in the world. When it was just her, Angie, and Benji.

  A family.

  What?

  A family?

  Fuck, she was falling for him.

  Hard.

  And it scared her because she had no clue what was going to happen with Rick. But a part of her didn’t care because she prayed and hoped that Benji was true to his words and he would be there for her. Stand with her. Somehow she had come to lean on him. Depend on him.

  And that had never happened before.

  She wouldn’t let that scare her. She thought about how he fought to be clean, to be healthy, and to be ready for love one day. How River cleaned up just for her mother. How Jude, Jayden, and Jace did everything they could to be good men for the women they loved. Love was such a beautiful thing, and she had the chance to have it. She actually didn’t hate it any longer. Didn’t reject it. No, she wanted it, and for once, she felt like this was her chance. She couldn’t sabotage that, she just couldn’t. She had to let it happen.

  She had to think of herself, like Benji had told her so many times.

  And to do that, she had to have Angie and Benji.

  Reaching out, she traced his jaw, his lips, and then his nose, causing him to twitch and make faces. Smiling, she pressed her body to his, kissing him underneath his jaw as his arms came around her, squeezing her close to him. “I don’t like being woken up,” he muttered against her lips and she smiled.

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yeah, I hate it.”

  “Well, excuse me,” she muttered back and he squeez
ed her, her breasts pressing into his chest. Moving her fingers through his hair, she closed her eyes as she traced her lips along his. As she hooked a leg over his hip, he captured her lips with his and exhaled loudly.

  “Okay, maybe it isn’t so bad,” he muttered before rolling onto her. “At least, I’m waking up to you.”

  Grinning up at him, she ran her fingers over his cheeks as his lips pressed to hers. Leaning his head to hers, his body pressed into hers as he whispered against her lips, “Did you sleep well?”

  “I did.”

  “Good,” he said, moving his nose against hers. “This could happen all the time.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, I can have a key made for you.”

  “January,” she said and he wrinkled his face.

  “Fine,” he exhaled, nuzzling his nose against her jaw. “When do we meet Rick?”

  “In an hour.”

  “Are you okay?”

  She shook her head. “Nervous.”

  “Don’t be. We’ll be together. Nothing will happen.”

  She hoped he was right. “Oh, I know. I just worry about Angie.”

  “She’s okay and this will go well.”

  He sounded so sure, but she wasn’t. Yet, she nodded and said, “Okay.”

  Closing his eyes, he nodded his head, his lips resting lightly against hers. “Well, let’s go get ready, make some breakfast, and go face the dick.”

  Neither of them moved, though. Meeting her gaze, he smiled as he pressed himself against her. He was deliciously hard, and of course, she wanted him. It killed her that he was leaving the following day, and she wasn’t sure if they’d get a moment free later since she was getting Angie. She also needed to take the edge off. So arching her hips against his, she whispered, “Or, we could pick up breakfast and coffee?

  With a half-lidded look, he nodded. “Good idea.”

  Smiling against his lips, Lucy closed her eyes and couldn’t agree more.

  But neither of them was smiling when they pulled into the parking lot of Walmart. The tension in Benji’s truck was thick, and Lucy was convinced her heart was beating so hard it was going to shatter her eardrums. With his hand in hers, Benji followed her directions, parking in the back where she always did. Rick wasn’t there yet, and that made Lucy’s heart race. They were only two minutes early, but it wasn’t like Rick to be late on drop-off days.