by Loraine, Kim
“What do you want to do?”
She brightens at that. “God, I want to do so many things. I’ve hated my job for the last two years. I worked for an absolute bitch of a woman who treats everyone around her like the shit on her shoe.”
“Tell me how you really feel.”
She laughs and orders a second beer for both of us. “I wanted to do what you’re doing. Help people. I went to college, planned on law school…but things don’t always pan out.”
“Make plans and God laughs,” I mutter.
“What?”
“You know, if you want to make God laugh, make a life plan.”
Our beers are delivered, and she holds her glass up. “To ruined plans and new adventures.”
I clink the rim of my glass with hers and take a long sip. She savors the moment, eyes closed, cheeks pink. I have a moment to think how perfect she is, then she sets down her beer and looks at me very seriously.
“Want to get out of here?” she asks.
I do. I want to go anywhere with this woman. “Where do you want to go?”
She shrugs. “Let’s find an adventure.”
She grabs her bag and opens it, but I stop her with a hand on hers. The connection between us sizzles when her eyes meet mine and I shake my head. “I asked you on this date. I’m paying.”
I drop some cash on the table and place my palm on the small of her back. Again, there’s a spark, and something more than lust races through me. It’s a sense of rightness. We were just waiting to find each other all this time.
I lean down and take in the scent of her hair before whispering. “An adventure with you sounds like exactly what I need.”
3
Rosie
* * *
We end up going to a nightclub at the top of a building with a view of the city I’ve never experienced before. The music is all pulsing beats and sensual rhythm and I know this is something the two of us need. Our conversation has been easy, and I think our attraction is obvious, but nothing tests chemistry like dancing. Honestly, I want Ben to hold me, share the intimacy of moving to music together because though jumping straight into bed after one beer might be enticing, I like a little anticipation.
Ben tugs me toward a little booth near the dance floor. The two of us settle next to each other and watch the light crowd move under the multi-colored lights. His fingers brush my arm and I fight a shiver of arousal. When he leans in and asks, “Do you want a drink?” it takes a moment to register because I’m so focused on how close his lips are to my ear.
I shake my head. “I want to dance.”
He slides his hand over my arm and down to my fingers, linking us as we exit the booth. The music has changed to a seductive slow song, and when he locks gazes with me and pulls me close, I can’t help but inhale his delectable scent. “Then, let’s dance.”
In a whirl of motion, he spins us into the center of the dance floor and I’m against his body—his big, warm body. His palms settle on my waist and we move together. I can’t look into his eyes again. Not right now, because if I do, I just might fall head-over-heels for this man.
“What’s wrong?” he murmurs in my ear. “Why are you hiding from me?”
He stops us and tilts my chin up. I give in and let our eyes meet. Yep, there it is. That…spark. It’s a promise of my future. But I think the future is right now. “You’ll think I’m stupid.”
He shakes his head, lips turning up in a grin. “Impossible.”
“I like you.”
We start moving with the music again, hips pressed together, bodies swaying and rolling in ways that make me wish we were in his bed. “I like you…a lot.” He leans his face close to mine. “Too much.”
I want him to kiss me with those perfect lips of his. I’m ready to see if he’s as wonderful as I hope, but I’m also afraid we’ll take things one step too far and the spell will be broken. Like maybe I’ll wake up in the morning and this will all have been a dream. He’s too handsome, too kind, too smart to be real.
We change with the music, our bodies getting closer, tension nearly crackling between us as one song morphs into another, then another. His hands never leave me, roaming over my shoulders and back, down to my waist and hips. I want more. As the night wears on, I want it all.
The music changes to a song neither of us enjoy, and without a word, he tugs me back to our little booth. We slide in and I laugh as his long legs hit the table and shake the tiny votive candle in the center. “Careful,” I tease. “Don’t want to start a fire.”
“It’s my curse. I’m tall, sure, but my legs are so long I’m always bumping into things.”
I run my fingers over his thigh. “I don’t mind.”
Taking my hand, he pulls my fingertips to his mouth and presses light kisses to each. “Your skin is so soft.”
“So are your lips.” I’m breathless. I want him to do more than offer me chaste kisses. “Kiss me,” I whisper, hoping he’ll hear me over the music.
His gaze is burning me with its intensity. He takes a long breath and leans in, the scent of him intoxicating. “Not yet.”
Oh. My. God. Why not? “Shit, Ben, you’re killing me.”
A laugh rumbles through his chest. “I love how you curse and look like a fucking princess all at the same time. Like if Snow White had been able to say what she really thought about those dwarves she lived with, I bet that movie would’ve been so much more fun.”
Despite my frustration, laughter escapes me and I lean into his shoulder. I love that this man can make me aroused out of my mind one second and have me laughing the next. But it’s time to test exactly how compatible we are. I’m on edge and I want him. “I think there’s only one thing we can do to find out if we’ve got a shot.”
He cocks a brow and grins. “What’s that?”
“We need to see how we fit…together. How far is your house?”
The amusement in his eyes disappears, replaced by dark desire. “A few blocks away.”
“Can we go, please?”
In a few smooth moves he’s out of the booth, his hand held out for mine. I don’t hesitate, taking his offered palm and letting him pull me against him. I can feel the hard length of his arousal pressing into my belly. I know he wants me just as badly as I want him. The only question is, will we be right for each other in every way?
As we make our way to the exit, he leans down, his lips brushing my ear before whispering, “Let’s get out of here. I want to see if you’re perfect…everywhere.”
4
Rosie
* * *
Ben’s hand is like a brand on my back, hot and possessive. Excitement burns through me as we leave the club. There was a promise of so much more in his earlier words. I want this. I want to jump in with both feet and trust the matchmaker’s process.
Ben wraps his arm around my waist and his fingers tighten just enough to make me aware of the tension in his body. “God, you smell so good, Petal,” he says.
My nipples harden, breath catches, and I swear, I damn near swoon. I’ve never met a man as sexy as Ben. In fact, I think I’ve only seen men like him in magazines and movies. He’s chiseled like a Hemsworth, just as broad and brawny too. The fact that he’s a good man, a kind person, someone who values others, is the icing on the piece of mancake that is him.
“How far did you say?” I ask.
He chuckles. “Eager, are we?”
I bite my lip and nod. “It’s been a long time since a man looked at me the way you do.”
“Then the rest of the men in this world are fucking insane.”
* * *
Ben holds me tightly as we walk down the street, our shoes are loud on the pavement. I think my heartbeat might be louder. I have never wanted a man as much as I want him right now and I think my lucky stars that Grace brought us together.
"I live just up this block," Ben says his voice husky and needy.
"Good, I don't think I can wait for you much longer."
He chuckles and tightens his hold on me. After a few more moments we reach so awning that covers the entrance to a high-end apartment building. I can't help myself I have to look up and I fight the gasp at the extremely tall building before me. This type of apartment is a far cry from the small studio I live in with cracked walls and the leaking radiator. I clear my throat and bring my attention back to him. "This is where you live?"
"My parents left it to me. I have only been back a little while, like I said, I was in my grandmother’s care, then college, and I spent most of my last year overseas." He averts his gaze and focuses on opening the door for me. The doorman raises his eyebrows and frowns at his job being taken. “I haven’t had the need to use it until recently.”
"Mr. Elliott, I do wish you would let me do my job." The doorman folds his hands in front of him his frown growing deeper.
Ben shrugs then shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Jake. I'm still not used to this kind of treatment."
Jake nods, his expression softening. "It takes some getting accustomed to, sir."
Ben's cheeks are bright pink and I can tell he's been embarrassed by this display of his discomfort with his life. I wonder if his entire life has been lived without the comforts of his parents wealth. It seems like someone like him would have spent a lot of time in an environment such as this one. I don't have time to dwell on this though because Ben has his arms around me and he's pulling me toward the elevator before I can say a word to Jake.
The elevator opens with a soft ding and the two of us step inside. Mirrored walls around us, soft music plays in the sound system, gentle piano and heart. All around me I see the two of us reflected, but the thing I noticed most is the way he's looking at me. His eyes are only on me. This is why we are here.
He doesn't kiss me or press me against the elevator wall as I expect him to, instead he takes my face in his hands and stares at me with a mixture of confusion and excitement in his eyes. "Where did you come from?" he asks.
I giggle and try to look away but he stops me, tilting my chin up toward him. "I’ve lived here since I was born. We might have been a few miles away from each other, but we have lived in totally different worlds until now."
“But now our worlds have collided, and I’m better for it.”
Swoon. “Is that a line from a movie?”
A low chuckle leaves his chest, and he dips his head, lips a mere breath from mine. We’re so close, our bodies touching, our mouths feathering over each other, and then the damn elevator doors slide open. He pulls away, a sigh letting me know he’s just as disappointed as I am. Then he threads our fingers together and the two of us step into the hallway. “I’m at the end of the hall.” His voice is rough with the need I’m sure mirrors my own.
I nod and let him pull me toward his place. I want to find out if his full lips will feel as wonderful as I fantasized when I saw him for the first time. His jaw is shadowed with the ghost of a beard, like he hasn’t shaved in a few days but I don’t mind. It gives him a rugged appearance, and with the warm tan on his face, and the dark blond of his thick, wavy hair, he really looks the part of an explorer, an adventure seeking man who’ll keep me busy and bring me a life filled with fun.
He slides a key into the lock when we reach his door and with a soft click, he opens the door and the two of us walk inside. I don’t get a chance to take in his apartment, aside from the view from the wall of windows at the end of the room. He’s on me, hands in my hair, body against mine, mouth trailing kisses over my shoulder and up my neck. But he hasn’t touched my lips. His stubble brushes my tender skin and sends shivers of longing through me along with flashes of heat straight to my core.
“Ben,” I sigh. His large palms run over my neck and down my back until he cups my ass.
“You’re so soft.” His whisper is almost too much. I want all of him. I’m not a patient person, never have been.
“I am where it counts. And you’re hard…all over.” I rock my hips forward until I press against his straining erection. He sucks in a sharp breath in response and I can’t stop my wicked grin. “Like right there.”
“I’ve been hard since I saw you. I couldn’t stop imagining what your mouth would look like wrapped around my cock. Fucking cherry red lips.”
“Where’s your bedroom? I can show you.”
His jaw tenses and he shakes his head. “No, this isn’t about me getting sucked off. This time, it’s about me proving to you we’re going to be perfect together.”
He scoops me up into the cradle of his arms and carries me through the apartment. We walk into a bedroom that’s bigger than my entire studio, and I know instantly it’s his. It smells like him. Cedar wood and a faint trace of patchouli. Two scents I’ve never been partial to—until now. When he sets me on my feet, I don’t look anywhere but at him.
“Take off your clothes and let me look at you, Petal.” His eyes blaze.
“You first,” I challenge.
A smirk turns up the corner of his mouth and I want to cross the few feet of carpet between us and kiss it off his face. “Scared?”
I shake my head. “Impatient.”
“Fine, have it your way.” He tugs his shirt over his head and my mouth runs dry. His chest is bronzed by the sun, covered in a fine dusting of golden hair, and toned with the precision of a sculptor. My gaze travels over the cut V at his hips, the trail of hair leading below his belt, and the bulge pressing against those well-worn jeans. “Your turn,” he murmurs.
I finger the hem of my off-the-shoulder sweater and take a slow breath before pulling it over my head. I’m shaking. Why the fuck am I shaking? I’ve done this before…yes, only with one other man—asshole Paul, but still. All I can think about is when Paul would poke my belly, tell me I was getting flabby and that I should watch my weight. I don’t even see Ben close the distance between us, I’m so preoccupied with the fact that he’s stirring up so many nerves.
His warm hand wraps around my waist and he tugs me close. “Just what I expected. Absolutely perfect. Made for me.”
He slides his palms up until he reaches the clasp of my bra, then quickly removes the fabric. Then he groans, and I stare at his handsome face, filled with desire as he looks at my breasts. “Your turn again,” I say through a tight throat.
“You’re right.” His fingers leave my skin and go to his belt. As he unbuckles, he also steps out of his shoes, so I do the same. Then his jeans are on the floor and I’m unzipping the back of my skirt and letting it fall to my feet.
The two of us are nearly naked, clad only in our underwear and staring silently at each other. “I want you so bad,” I admit.
“Fuck, Petal, me too.” Then he’s on me, wrapping me in his embrace and kissing the daylights out of me. The two of us fall to the bed in a tangle of limbs.
I open my legs to allow his hips to nestle between them, the hard length of him pressing insistent and large against my panty clad core. He thrusts, rubbing over my needy clit and I just want us to fuck already. I’m ready for him. I roll my hips up and let out a soft moan.
“Patience, Petal. I’ve got you.” He burns a trail of kisses across my chest, sucking one nipple into his mouth before turning his focus to the other. My moans turn to cries as pleasure shoots through me.
“God,” I cry. “That’s so good.”
He releases my nipple and kisses down my body until he reaches my panties. “Time to get rid of these.”
“Yes, please.” I’m not at all embarrassed that I’m practically panting with want. He slips the scrap of lace over my hips and down my legs, then settles my knees over his shoulders.
His fingers trace my slit, sending shocks of sensation over me. “So pretty,” he murmurs. Then he sinks a finger inside and I nearly buck off the bed. “That’s right. Let me make you feel good.”
When he dips his head and sucks my clit, I cry out from the overwhelming sensation. I’ve been on the edge since we got into his apartment, but now, I’m about to fall over the cliff. He adds a second fin
ger and curls them both, hitting an extra sensitive spot. I scream as the orgasm takes me. My walls clench around him and he groans around my clit, the vibration adding to my pleasure.
I’m still fluttering around him when he pulls out and shoves his boxers down his hips. He lines himself up at my wet opening and looks me in the eyes. “Please tell me you’re on the pill.”
I nod, but my heart lurches. “I am, but how do I know you’re safe?”
“I had an exam two weeks ago. I haven’t been with anyone since before I left to travel.”
His tip presses inside me as he waits for my permission. I know without a doubt, if I say no right now, he’ll stop. He’ll go get a condom and sheathe himself in the protective barrier. His arms tremble as he holds himself back. “Okay,” I whisper, wrapping my thighs around him and doing the work for him.
He lets out a low moan as he sinks inside me to the hilt. “Fuck.”
Then we’re moving together, long and languid rolls of our hips, kisses and tastes. The room is filled with sounds of our connection, of our bodies joining and starting something special in motion. He stares into my eyes, no hurry, no desperation to finish, to reach his own pleasure. His hands link with mine as he moves over me, forehead pressed against mine, lips claiming me. God, this is intense and everything my fantasies always said it should be.
“I’m close, Petal,” he bites out, slowing his movements.
“Harder. I’m almost there too.”
He drops his face to my neck and with a series of kisses and nips, he picks up his pace and takes me to where I need to be. I clench around him and cry out his name as he groans and shudders over me. His cock fills me with jet after jet of his release and a part of me I thought long buried wishes I wasn’t on birth control. Part of me wants his baby growing in my womb, and that scares me. I’ve never felt like this before. Like I might already be in love.
