by Lauren Wood
“You didn’t realize she wasn’t mine when we were hanging out,” he argued.
I shot him the dirtiest look I could muster, still in disbelief that he would pull such a stunt. “You could have just went along with my excuse for why we couldn’t go.”
“Look, Kate. Tonight went great and all. But one dinner, sans kid, isn’t going to convince them. That Chuck guy is already suspicious, and it is a little odd that you wouldn’t mention a fiancé and a soon-to-be step-kid until this prospective client came up. Bringing me along tonight was a start, but it wasn’t enough to convince them. We had to do something to make it all more believable.”
“Why do you care anyway!?” I fired back. “I thought you were just doing me this one pity favor because you felt bad about lying to me. Why are you suddenly so invested? Or is it just that you enjoy lying so much you jump on any excuse to deceive people!?”
“You’re welcome, anyway,” he huffed, looking dejected for the first time since all of this started.
I started to feel mildly guilty for being so hard on him. It wasn’t exactly him that I was pissed at. It was the situation and my job’s ridiculous habit of judging me by my personal life rather than my work performance. But then I quickly remembered all the other reasons I had to be pissed at Ben.
“For someone who didn’t plan on ever seeing me again, you sure are signing yourself up to spend a lot of unnecessary time with me!” I shrieked.
“I thought the whole point is that it is necessary … Your job depends on it, remember? And why were you so desperate to see me again, anyway? Surely a woman that looks like you doesn’t have a problem finding guys. Why latch onto me?”
“I didn’t latch onto you! I liked the person you appeared to be while we were having coffee! Obviously you’re nothing like that. Which I would have soon figured out had neither of us lied and we just dated like normal people,” I growled.
I was beyond relieved when we pulled up to my apartment complex, but frustrated all over again when Ben got out of the car and followed me to the door.
“I don’t need you to walk me in. I’ll call you about Saturday to work out the logistics since you got us into this mess.”
“How long has it been?” he asked suddenly from over my shoulder.
I spun around on my heels, spitting back, “How long has what been!?”
“Since you’ve had this,” he answered as he lunged forward and pressed his lips to mine.
I was screaming on the inside for a split second and was fully prepared to smack him away. But then my body instinctively melted as I realized it had been far too long since I felt a man’s hands on my body … since I was wrapped in a man’s scent as I drowned in the minty taste of his mouth. It was intoxicating and far too satisfying to resist. It fried my brain, making me forget for a moment that it was Ben I was kissing. I almost didn’t even care that it was. Maybe he was right, and I was desperate. So desperate that any man, especially one as good looking as him, could get the job done.
I resented the absence of his warm, plump lips and his strong hands on the back of my body the moment he pulled away. “What was that?” I managed to say with my eyes still closed.
“I have a way of being able to tell when it’s been a while since a woman has had sex,” he boasted. “It makes them act a special kind of crazy. Which you are obviously doing left and right. That’s why you lied to your boss in the first place.”
“You think you know everything, don’t you?” I squinted at him, trying not to focus on how badly I wanted him to do that again … or any part of me that knew he was right.
“Not everything,” he grinned, stepping close again. “But I have a few good hunches here and there. Like …” his voice dropped to an irresistible deep, sexy rasp as he ran his hand along the back of my hair, taking it in his fist to tilt my face back up towards his. “I have a hunch that you enjoyed that kiss more than you wanted to. And that if I do it again … you’re not going to stop me.”
The hum of his words vibrated through my entire body, striking a tingling sensation between my legs. He was right. My mouth floated back towards him like a moth to a flame. Only this time, his tongue rolled across mine, intensifying the swelling desire that was starting to explode inside of me.
Damn, he was a good kisser. Sure, it had been a while. But I remembered enough to know a good kisser when I found one. And he was a pro. Each stroke of his tongue or kneading of his hand along my body left me weak at the knees. I guess that was why I completely sank against his chest, putting my body at his mercy.
“Show me inside,” he murmured against my lips.
I swallowed hard, wishing I could say no. But there was no way he could get me that worked up just for me to send him home. It was game over.
I nodded, turning around and trying to hold my head high as he followed me into the building. I wished more than anything I could have been stubborn enough to prove him wrong. But my need was far too great to keep quiet long enough for me to prove a point.
We got onto the elevator and the moment the doors closed, we were back at it again. I lifted one leg to wrap it around him, desperate to feel his hard-on pressing in between my legs. He let out a manly grunt into my mouth as his hands found their way to my butt cheeks, squeezing them both and pulling me even closer into him as our kiss deepened.
We were clawing at each other like wild animals until the elevator dinged, and I quickly ripped myself away to try and straighten up my appearance. Not that it was any use. My lipstick was smeared and I could feel my hair sticking up in the back, all matted around my hair tie. But I played it straight anyway all the way to my apartment door.
Ben’s body hovered too close behind me as I dug in my purse for my keys. His addictive lips were like magnets. The moment my keys were in hand, I was barely able to slide the correct one into the hole before I was answering the call of his hot breath behind me. I spun around and let him crash into me again. Only this time both of my legs went shooting up, wrapping around his waist as he slammed my back into the door.
While drinking him in as deeply as I could, I somehow managed to get the door unlocked. I wasn’t even entirely sure which one of us actually turned the knob, sending both of our bodies shooting forward into my living room.
“What is happening right now?” I asked breathlessly as I came up for air. I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but my body was buzzing with more arousal than I had ever experienced. And with Ben, no less. I didn’t even have that much to drink at dinner. How had I fallen into his trap!?
“I’m giving you what you need,” he whispered, trailing his thumb along my bottom lip.
Need was exactly what I felt. In fact, it seemed to be the only part of my body that was actually working. Because my brain and good judgment sure as hell weren’t.
“Fuck it,” I replied, kissing him again.
He carried me into the bedroom and tossed me down onto the mattress, with his body quickly lowering down over me. My whole spine shivered as he kissed my neck, but as he ripped off my shirt and kissed his way around my breasts, it was a whole different part of me that was shivering.
I whimpered and writhed against him, sucking in desperate breaths every chance I got … for the few brief seconds when we actually came up for air. I was so wrapped up in his tongue and his lips, that I barely noticed him ripping off the remainder of my clothes. But I was all too aware of it when he pulled back, taking in a shameless view of my sex before he took off his own shirt.
His tan, chiseled chest was pure perfection. I reached out, needing to drag my fingernails down it before I could believe it was real. Then his pants came off, leaving nothing but his boxers. The long, thick, hard bulge straining impossibly hard against the fabric was both intimidating and exquisite. I licked my lips in anticipation, and loved the way his eyes darted across every subtle move I made.
Ben didn’t waste any time in dropping down between my legs. He blew up and down my folds, waking up eve
ry last sleeping nerve inside … if there was such a thing. He lowered his head, teasing me with his tongue.
“Harder,” I begged, crashing back onto the pillow behind me.
“Be patient,” he barked.
“Harder,” I commanded again, grabbing his head with both hands and pushing him everywhere I wanted him.
I felt him smile a little in between long strokes of his tongue. I think he liked me bossing him around, though I had a feeling he’d make me pay for it later.
He stretched both hands up to my breasts and began pinching and stroking my hardened nipples. It sent a shocking wave of pleasure coursing through me, straight to his mouth. It all swirled and worked together as I rocked against him and let him guide me to the brink of exploding.
I cried out helplessly as my whole body shook and convulsed, finally shrinking down before him as I tensed up and pushed him away, unable to take anymore.
6
Ben
I moved up Kate’s body, guiding the tip of my cock into her. She was still throbbing from her orgasm and dripping wet. I convinced myself in the parking lot that this was all just a favor to her. She was obviously losing it from a lack of sex. But while still tasting her sweet sex on my lips and being seconds away from slipping inside of her, I realized how much of it was just for me.
I thought she was ridiculously hot from the moment I met her, and I guess neither of us ended up being what the other person expected. But damn … was she ever hot. We were hot together. Kissing her was intoxicating and addictive, and I had a feeling I was about to experience more of the same.
I pushed deep inside of her and kissed her hard. She gasped against my lips and we both froze for a minute. It wasn’t just my looks and money that had the chicks falling all over me. I was extremely well endowed … a little too endowed, for some. She tightened around me, greedily taking in every inch of my rock hard length.
Lifting her legs up, she wrapped them around my waist, lifting and drawing me in deeper. I thrusted, trying not to hurt her. But the daring smile on her face as she bit her lip hinted that wouldn’t be a problem. My deep thrusts matched her rhythm as she rocked into me. Just as quickly as she had cum the first time, I watched another wave crash over her. She grinded into me with screaming pants.
I slowed down as it faded. “I hope that helped,” I offered with a smile, smoothing my hands along her sexy, naked body.
“We’re not done yet,” she said, raising a brow.
Suddenly she slid my cock out of her and flipped over onto her knees. “Like this. Please.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I gasped with excitement.
I thrusted forward again, sliding into her from behind. As I pounded into her, it unleashed a whole new side of Kate. She was crying out, thrashing and pushing against each and every stroke forward. She clenched around me even tighter until it was too much for me to stand. I thrusted harder and faster until I was groaning and exploding inside of her.
I stayed there for a moment, letting us both recover, then slid out and collapsed down onto the bed. She curled up next to me with my still-hard shaft laid out over her thigh. Getting one last good grab at her breasts, I added, “Fuck. I didn’t expect you to be such an animal in bed. If I had known, maybe I wouldn’t have been so quick to write you off after coffee.”
Her content smile faded into a scowl.
“I’m only kidding!”
She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “What the hell just happened?” she laughed. “One minute I was storming away from you … and then the next …”
“Forgive me. I could just tell you were aching for it, and I can’t stand to see a woman as beautiful as you in need,” I explained.
She turned her head back towards me. “You’re a real asshole, you know that? So full of yourself.”
“You may have told me once or twice already,” I winked.
I slowly felt my heavy eyelids start to close, until I was suddenly jerked awake by Kate slapping me on the arm.
“Hey!” she shouted. “What are you doing?”
“Going to sleep,” I shrugged in surprise. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
“No. No way. Things were already complicated enough before we slept together. Now you want to have a sleepover? That’s a horrible idea.”
I never thought I would be the one talking a woman into a sleepover, but to my surprise, my lips parted…
“Relax, Kate.” I brushed my hand along her hair, moving a few strands from her face and then stroking her cheek. “We’re grownups. We fucked. And now we’re tired. We’ll get up in the morning. Maybe have breakfast. Then go our separate ways until Saturday. It doesn’t have to be complicated at all.”
She batted her lashes under my touch, staring intently into my eyes. I stared back and swallowed hard from the intensity, doing my best to hold onto my own words.
“Okay,” she said with the most adorable little sigh. She curled back into me and closed her eyes.
When I woke up the next morning with her warm skin draped across me, I didn’t want to move. Rarely did I enjoy sleepovers or the morning after. But there was something so pure about laying there with Kate. Which made zero sense, since she might have been the craziest chick I ever met.
Slowly she stirred awake and stretched up, tilting her face towards the light streaming in through the window behind her bed.
“Don’t move!” I blurted. “I mean. Freeze. Just like that.”
I jumped out of bed and searched for my jeans on the floor, pulling out my phone. I opened up the camera and started snapping pictures.
“What are you doing?” she laughed.
“You looked way too perfect just then. I wanted to catch it.” And in the back of my mind I was thinking I wanted to remember the one time I actually didn’t feel anxious about waking up next to a woman.
“Is that one of your lines? Like a thing you do to women to trick them into falling for you?” she asked, sitting up.
I snapped another photo, capturing the perfect way her breasts spilled out in front of her and her hair flowed around her shoulders.
“Contrary to what you might think, it’s never my intention to make anyone fall in love with me. But one thing I definitely don’t do is discuss other women while I’m still in bed with one,” I told her, climbing next to her and kissing her lips.
Maybe a sweet kiss in the sober light of day was blurring way too many boundaries. But at that moment, I didn’t care.
Kate said she was too late for work to have breakfast, which I recognized for the excuse it was. I had used it enough times myself. But I didn’t have to worry. I had the promise of seeing her Saturday. I hopped in my car after leaving her place and drove straight to Joey’s. I figured the whole situation would be better explained in person.
He answered the door with a surprised smile. “Oh. Hey man. I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning.” He showed me in, checking his watch. “Aren’t you normally at the gym by now?”
“Got my workout in last night,” I replied. “Hey, do you have plans on Saturday? Or … more importantly, does Olivia have plans on Saturday?”
He shot me a blank look. “She’s a one year old.”
“I was hoping I could take her to this picnic,” I explained.
“Oh. Sure. I’ll check with Angel and see if there’s anything going on at the restaurant. I know she’d love it if the four of us could …”
“Not the four of us,” I added. “Just me and Olivia.” He darkened his eyes, letting me know he wasn’t going to hand her over without an explanation. “Remember that girl I mentioned meeting in the park? The one I wasn’t going to see again? Well. It’s a long story. But basically she lied too. To her boss. About having a baby and a fiancé. It sounds crazy, but it’s all for a promotion. So I went to this dinner with her last night to help her out and pretended to be her fiancé, and her co-workers invited us to this picnic. She knows I’m not real
ly a single dad, but they don’t. So … Can I take Olivia with us?”
He was quiet for a long time before exclaiming, “What the hell are you thinking!? Have you lost your damn mind!?”
“I promise it sounds much crazier than it actually is,” I defended, not feeling entirely certain that was true.
“Lying for a one night stand is one thing. But introducing my child to this woman’s co-workers and passing her off as your own? That’s the craziest thing I ever heard.”
“Okay. Wait … let me explain. There’s more.” I waved my hands in the air, trying to gather my thoughts. “I kind of think … that maybe … I might really feel something for this girl. Which you know never happens to me. We have this whole arrangement. At least through Saturday. She was obviously pissed about me lying, saying I was a single dad. To make it up to her, I agreed to pretend to be her single dad fiancé.”
“You are playing with fire, man,” he warned. “You remember what happened with Angel and I and our little surrogate arrangement? Things can get complicated. And fast. You don’t want someone getting hurt.”
I nodded, seriously considering his advice. But I couldn’t deny how bad I wanted to see how this played out. “I hear you. I really do. The thing is … for the first time, I think I’m actually worried about being the one to get hurt. It just seems like it’s worth the risk. I can’t remember the last time I felt this intrigued with a woman. I owe it to myself to see where it goes, don’t you think?”
He wrinkled his face. “Are you sure you’re not just getting desperate because the rest of us are settled down? Maybe you’re doing that thing where you pick the craziest woman you can find because you know it won’t work out and then you can prove yourself right about being single.”
“Or maybe I need a crazy woman to be happy,” I shrugged. “It’s been anything but boring this far. I can say that much.”
