This Is Love

by Nana Malone

  Bennett locked his jaw. “No problem. She’s just busy and prickly. I’m not sure you two would mesh.”

  “Uh-huh. Or is it that the great Bennett Cooper has a thing for his neighbor with the juicy booty?”

  He glared at Trevor. If the guy wasn’t his friend, he’d find him extremely annoying. “I don’t. But you can’t hit on her, either.”

  His friend laughed. “Relax, man. You should see your face when I talk about getting close to her. We’ve never been in a fight, but I can tell that while I have my excellent musculature on my side, you have sheer possessive anger going for you. You want that girl.”

  He was not being possessive. Trevor was just a player. Val was not looking for that. How would you know what she’s looking for? Trevor was the kind of guy who fit with what she’d said her parents wanted. “It’s not like that.”

  “Right. So why haven’t you taken a single number today? The model from this morning—man, that woman practically threw her boobs in your face. And Lena, that Brazilian girl, was supposed to flirt with me, but instead, every look was for the camera. Or you.” He winked.

  “Well, maybe she was doing her job. She’s supposed to make love to the camera.”

  “Whatever, man. I think you have a thing for little Miss Uptight and Proper. And I want to examine her. See if she’s gonna be good for you.”

  “Whatever. You want to spill all my dirt and embarrass me.”

  Trevor’s grin flashed. “Some of that, too.” He put up his hands. “Okay. Okay, I’ll give it a rest. What do you say when we’re done we head down to Chelsea Piers with Lena and the Svelta, the Ukrainian girl?”

  Normally that sounded like a night he’d be down for. But dinner at the Vosses’ was in two days, and he and Val needed more research time to get to know each other, or whatever it was they were doing. He was not into her. She just wasn’t nearly as...standoffish as he’d thought. Yeah, that was it. Whatever it was, no way he was telling Trevor he’d rather hang with some chick he wasn’t sure he liked than two hot models. Not gonna happen. “I’m beat, man. I need to crash.”

  Trevor wasn’t fooled, though. “Sure you are.”

  * * *

  The knock at her door made the butterflies in Val’s lower belly scatter. She had to silently remind herself that they were hanging out to get the details so they could both pull off their tasks. But she was starting to like the guy.

  Not that she would date him, but he was fun. He’d started to teach her to take pictures. She could get decent photos for her blog with her phone. She understood lighting and composition, but she’d never used a real SLR. So he was teaching her. He’d even given her an old fifty-millimeter so she could practice.

  And she was introducing him to good food at all her little hidden gems in the city. They were becoming friends...sort of. Truth was she had no idea what they were. They’d both made it clear that neither of them was interested. He just wasn’t...that bad. She sighed. Whatever.

  When she yanked open the door, Bennett looked every bit like the sexy models he photographed. White T-shirt, dark jeans, scratched-up boots and curling blond hair in a messy disarray. He braced himself in her doorway, and she took a moment to stare, because good lord, the man was pretty. “How come you were never a model?” The words were out of her mouth before she even consciously registered the thought.

  A smile played on his lips as he gave her a cocky nod. “You’re starting to like what you see, huh?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Really? You honestly can’t help yourself, can you?”

  When he gave her his full-blown grin, her breath caught, but she was careful to show no emotion. She was not going to join his revolving door. It did not matter how gorgeous he was.

  “Nope, I’m incorrigible. At least that’s what Trevor’s mom always said. So I was thinking, instead of more question and answer, maybe we do something fun. I’ll still answer all your questions, but we could go for a ride or something?”

  “A ride?”

  “Yep. On my bike.”

  “O-on your bike?”

  “Yes,” he said slowly, as if she’d lost her mind. “Motorcycle. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

  “I’ve never been on a motorcycle.”

  “I figured. You’ll need to change. It’s not that warm out yet, but jeans are good, you know—casual.”

  “Actually I have this dining in the dark thing I need to do. Where your whole dining experience is in the dark and most of the waitstaff is blind. There have been a few of these restaurants in the city, but the chef is a friend, so I promised I’d go to opening night.”

  “Okay, we’ll take my bike there. And you can still look dinner appropriate in jeans. Come on. This is all part of the loosening-up plan, remember?”

  She was starting to regret telling him that. “Fine, but I will kill you if you get me tossed off or whatever.”

  “I promise, Miss Valentine Anderson. You’re safe with me.”

  Why was it she didn’t believe him?

  Chapter 9

  “Seriously, though. What was that I ate? I mean, that was incredible.” Bennett let Val out of the elevator first. “I need to eat that again.”

  She laughed and gave him a smile over her shoulder. “I agree. Sometimes you just have to eat duck prepared the right way. It was amazing. I made an appointment with the chef to go by the restaurant and take pictures tomorrow.”

  “You want me to come with you? I am a professional. Free of charge.”

  Val swallowed hard as warmth spread through her chest. He might be arrogant and a giant pain in the ass, but he could also be sweet, and right about now she was thinking about how he tasted. Which was extremely counterintuitive. “Well, I’m not going to say no to a professional. Even though he has a business to run.”

  “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m kind of a big deal, remember?” he said with a wink, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Okay, but I want to try on my own, so maybe you could just guide me?”

  “Sure, whatever. I just want to help you get better.” He nodded with a big grin.

  “Liar. You want more of those duck meatballs.” He would have stolen hers, too, if they hadn’t been completely in the dark. He’d certainly been reaching for them. Or he’d been reaching to take her hand. But she knew better.

  “Well, those and the crème brûlée. I mean, good lord, woman, did you taste that?”

  “I was there, remember?”

  “Yes, but you were doing your superhero thing, so you might not have been enjoying the moment.”

  “Superhero thing?” she laughed.

  “Yeah, your sense of smell and your ability to taste are totally a superpower. We should get you a cape. But you were so focused on the ingredients, I doubt you tasted it just for fun. I’ll tell you. It was delicious.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. She loved it when someone else saw things the way she did. And he was right. She’d been in work mode, using palate cleansers and discerning every little pinch of cilantro and vanilla bean. She hadn’t been out for just the fun of it. But it had been fun. And he made great company. Though the bike ride was totally terrifying. Exhilarating, but terrifying. It made everything that much sharper. That much more alive. “I know it was delicious.” She stopped in front of her door. “So thank you for the ride.”

  “How’d you like it?”

  “You mean careening around the city with a rocket between my legs?”

  He grinned. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

  Despite herself, she laughed. “You really are incorrigible.”

  “I know.” She cleared her throat. “So I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night. Anything in particular I should wear?”

  His gaze slid down her body, warming her from the inside out. When
he spoke his voice was gravelly. “Uh, you look great in whatever you wear.”

  Oh. Okay, then. She’d have to wait until she got inside to fan herself. Or even better, take a cold shower. All night he’d been feeding her little compliments. It didn’t help that they’d been completely in the dark and had had to rely on touching each other to navigate dinner. Rely on brushes, voice, breathing. It was all a slow seduction. And she was wound too tight right now.

  She cleared her throat. “At least tell me if they’re formal.”

  Bennett blinked as if she’d dragged him out of his thoughts. “A little black dress will be fine.”

  “Okay, I’ll manage something.” With a deep inhale, she said, “Well, good night, Bennett. Tonight was fun.”

  His gaze dropped to her lips. “It was.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow for the photos if you’re still interested.” She unlocked her door and preceded in front of him.

  “Oh, I’m interested.”

  Val wished she had more time to mentally brace herself, but when Bennett leaned close she couldn’t move. Not a millimeter. All she wanted were his lips on hers, making her feel alive. Like the ride on his bike.

  When he stepped into her space, his whisper was low, harsh. “I have been dying to do this since you opened the door tonight.” The tension around them crackled. She could see the war of emotions in his pale eyes. He was fighting something, but she didn’t know what. When he crushed his lips to hers, the tension around her exploded.

  * * *

  Bennett paused a second before their lips met and he took the time to catalog everything about this second. Her scent, they way her lips parted, the way she held on to him. Because he knew, the moment their lips touched, he wouldn’t remember anything. He wouldn’t be able to think straight, and he’d be a goner.

  She made the sweetest little gasping sound just before their lips met, and he groaned into the kiss. She tasted of the spice from the sauce. And sweet from the crème brûlée. And her own intoxicating taste. It didn’t take long to get lost under her spell. Just a couple of sinfully sweet licks of her tongue and his brain shorted; he couldn’t breathe or think or make any sense of his world. All he knew was he couldn’t stop.

  Her hands clutched his T-shirt and he pulled her close, digging his hands into her hair, then caressing her back, anchoring her body against his. Val’s soft, sweet curves molded against him and his body went rigid with the need to possess her. To have her. To call her his.

  His erection pulsed against her belly, and all he could hear was the lust-infused blood rushing in his skull. More. More. More. The chant echoed in his head, and he gave up any shred of fighting.

  In the morning, she might have regrets. She might wish she hadn’t done this, but he had known from the second he’d kissed her the first time that they were combustible together.

  Like a supercharged accelerant and match, they blew things up, singeing anything in their path before completely eviscerating it.

  He lifted her easily and she wrapped her legs around him. Hell, he wanted her in bed. Naked, hot and fast, but there was a part of him that also wanted to savor this passionate, needy, desperate feeling.

  When he braced her against the door and took her hands into one of his and held them above her head, she made a little oomph sound. He slid his tongue deep, stroking into her mouth, and she met him thrust for thrust.

  But it was when she started to rock her sweet center against the rigid length of him that he lost it. He couldn’t think, and all that mattered in the world to him was kissing her. Getting more of this with her. Making her half as crazy as she was making him.

  Bennett dragged his mouth from Val’s even as he braced her against the doorway with his hips; she tasted so damn sweet and intoxicating all over.

  There was a part of him that could kiss her all night and be perfectly satisfied. Just kissing her was enough to tilt his world off center. The rest of this—touching her—it just dragged him into the abyss of needing this girl. Not that he was complaining.

  He nuzzled her throat with his nose while he tucked his hands under her soft cotton shirt. He wanted to take his time. He really did. But her hard, pebbled nipples had been pressing into his back that whole ride. And right now, he just wanted to touch them. Needed to make her call his name.

  Damn, she was full, overflowing his hands. When he rolled his thumbs over the stiff peaks, her back bowed and she cried out his name.

  “Mmm, that sound is music to my ears,” he whispered as he teased her. He sought her mouth again, swallowing her cries of pleasure as he plucked and teased. Her hips kept their steady motion over his erection, and he started to shake. If she kept that up, he was going to—

  “Val,” he ground out. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Bennett, I need...” Her voice trailed as she arched her back again.

  “I know. I need you, too.” Lifting her away from the door, he carried her to the couch and laid her back against the soft cushions. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was undress a woman. Her jeans went first, and then he pulled up her top. Problem was, he got sidetracked with her breasts and could only stare as his mouth went completely dry.

  “B-Bennett?” She made a move to cover up, but he stayed her hands.

  “Please don’t cover up. You’re beautiful.”

  Val flushed and ducked her head. “You’re staring.”

  “Yeah, well, have you seen your breasts? I should build a shrine to them and all the things I want to do to them. You want me to tell you?”

  She bit her lip even as she nodded slightly.

  “Let me show you instead.” Bennett had her bra off in seconds. But he wasn’t happy until he had one off her dark tips between his lips and licked her, sucking her deep.

  Val dug her hands into his hair and tugged, alternating between pulling him closer and tugging him away. “Bennett, oh, God.”

  He muttered something unintelligible because, hell, he was tasting her, touching her and he couldn’t think and she tasted so damn good. He switched breasts, teasing the other with his thumb.

  Her soft cries of his name drove him faster even as she parted her thighs to make room for his questing hand as he sucked. Edging her panties aside with his thumb, he inserted a finger into her gently, pressing against that bundle of nerves deep inside. Val broke apart with a low, guttural moan.

  He lifted his head to watch her face as she climaxed and reveled in the shock and need plainly etched on her beautiful features. “You are so perfect, just like this.”

  Her eyes met his, and he knew she understood that he meant more than in just the moment—that she was perfect as she was. She didn’t need to change anything, be anyone else. At least he hoped she understood.

  You weren’t supposed to be falling for her. Yeah, well, it was too late for that, now wasn’t it?

  As her thighs quaked, he dragged off his T-shirt and made quick work of the rest of their clothes. He pulsed painfully, but when he looked down at her, her dewy slickness calling to him, he wanted to taste her before making love to her. Because once he entered, he’d never want to leave.

  As he slid down her body, she tried to sit up. “Bennett? What are you doing?

  He smiled up at her. “I’m going to taste you.”

  Her eyes went wide, and he had to grin at the look of surprise. “Wait, you don’t have to. Maybe we—”

  He shook his head. “You know what? You are beautiful and smart and funny, but if you’re going to say anything along the lines of I don’t have to, or you think I don’t like it, then I’m going to ask you to stop talking now.”

  She opened her mouth and then closed it again with an audible click of her teeth.

  He grinned. “Okay, then. Lie back and let me taste you. Got it?”

  A slow smile spread o
ver her lips. “Okay.”

  His erection pulsed again against his thigh in frustration. Easy, fella, we’ll get to you. Except he didn’t want to stop. With long, leisurely licks at her folds, occasionally pausing to circle around her pleasure button, he kept licking until her thighs quaked around him and she called out his name over and over again on release.

  With a smile, he rose up, stopping to kiss his favorite spots along the way. A hip bone here, a belly button there. The oh-so-soft skin on the underside of her breast, the hollow of her throat.

  When he rolled away to find his wallet, she reached weakened arms for him. Bennett made quick work of the condom then settled between her splayed legs again. When she met his gaze directly, he knew this was unique. She was different. And when he dived into her velvet depths, their bodies melding together, he knew he never wanted to leave.

  “Oh, my, Bennett...yes.” Val’s fingernails dug into his back and he had to fight against the charge of electricity winding its way around his spine as her muscles squeezed him again, holding him prisoner inside her, in an attempt to keep them permanently joined.

  Bennett kissed her deep, and when he pulled back, her smile was soft and her eyes widened in wonder. It was then that he knew just how much trouble he was in. There would be no forgetting Valentine Anderson. And with that thought seared into his mind, he let go of control and let the release tumble him over the edge into oblivion.

  Chapter 10

  Bennett wrapped himself around the woman in bed and gently stroked her nipple with his thumb. God, she smelled so good. She wiggled into his caress and he groaned, his body ready to go again.

  Through the night, how many times had they made love? How many times had she called his name on breathy sighs? Well, a few, because she was prone to chanting. He popped his eyes open and squinted at the glare of sunlight streaking across the white duvet. What the hell? It was morning?

  He’d slept over? As soon as the question formed, his mind snapped awake as if jammed full of epinephrine. Valentine. Oh, shit.