“You should probably get that.”
“They can wait.”
“Ben, it might be important!” I squeal as he spins, dropping me onto the bed. He’s grinning wickedly, discarding his clothes onto the floor in seconds.
“I don’t care.” His deep rasp sends shocks straight to my needy sex.
I’m trying to get my boots off when he leans down to help me, already completely naked. They land on the floor with a thud and he grabs the button of my jeans, sliding them off within seconds so I’m on the bed in only my undergarments.
The phone rings again and he groans, reaching down for it. I lay my head back and try to calm my breathing. He’s standing completely naked in front of me, hard-on and all, and it’s taking everything I have not to consume his cock with my mouth.
He barely checks the number before he answers, his voice glacial. “Do not call me again.”
Holy shit.
He ends the call and lays the phone on the desk, next to the bed.
“Whoever that was is probably terrified right now,” I point out.
“No, they’re used to it.”
I sit up. “You look tense.” I scoot to the edge of the bed and lay my hands on the back of his thighs. He shivers beneath my touch when I bring him closer to me. “Let me fix that.”
I envelop him in my mouth and try not to smile in triumph when his head falls back. With a hiss, he curls his fingers into my hair, guiding my mouth onto his smooth cock.
“Fuck, Darcy, your mouth is so good.” I look up, witnessing his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. He’s never looked hotter than in this moment. I move back then and take his heavy girth into my hand, focusing my mouth solely on the tip of his cock, gently coaxing the base with slow, repetitive motions. His breathless praises are spurring me on, making the area between my thighs pool with slick arousal. His hand is out of my hair then and undoing the clasp of my bra. I manage to pull back long enough to let it fall beneath me.
“Fuck,” he moans as I slide my hand along the full length of him, peering up heatedly. Unable to take it any longer, I slide one of my hands into my underwear.
I take in the pleasure of his gaze upon me as I do this.
“I can hear how ready you are,” he growls.
“I’m so wet for you.” He fists my hair and pulls me up to him. His lips are on mine, our teeth clashing, his hands on the corners of my thong, pulling it down.
“Take me,” I beg. He spins me around and bends me over the bed in one swift movement.
Holy shit.
His cock presses against my heat, rubbing rhythmically before he plunges into me…hard.
“Fuck!” I cry, clutching the comforter with both hands. Dear god, I hope these walls aren’t thin. I drop my head down in pleasure as he takes me, fast and hard, his fingers digging into my hips, holding me in place.
“Do you like this? You like me fucking you?”
“Yes!” I moan when his palm stings my backside. I jump, surprised my body flinched with pleasure at the smack. He’s never been this forceful, this free before with me. His cock leaves my sex and he gets on the bed, curls his arm around my waist from behind, pressing kisses to my shoulder as he pulls me up onto my knees so our bodies are upright, flush against each other.
His cock is filling me again and I already know I’m close to having the most intense orgasm of my life. He gives it his all, touching every corner of my body, punishing me with deep, shattering thrusts.
“You’re trembling,” he whispers heatedly into my ear, cupping my heavy breasts, tugging just enough on my peaked nipples to make me hiss.
“It feels so good,” I choke out, holding each side of his waist to support myself. Sweat drips down our bodies despite the temperature of the room. Everywhere he touches is sensitive skin, and as his hands leave my chest and travel lower, I feel as if even the slightest movement will make me come.
“Come with me, Darcy,” he demands, an arm caging my chest to hold me upright. My head snaps back, unable to support itself any longer, dropping back to his shoulder. His hand travels up to my slender throat, fingers wrapping around the tunnel as his wet mouth drags from my cheek to my mouth, devouring me whole. My nails dig into his arm excruciatingly as I’m finally bludgeoned by the pain and pleasure of his unfaltering attention. With his ragged breath on my neck, he stills too, spilling his seed within me in deep, virile spurts.
With a low noise of sheer contentment, my mouth parts open against his. He moves the damp hair from my face, releasing his chokehold on my neck. Without the support, I literally can’t keep myself up. I fall back onto the bed with a thump, thinking I may have bruises on my stomach from the strength of his grip.
I throw my arm over my forehead, trying to breathe like I haven’t just run a marathon. He joins me, lying down on his back. I look over at him in awe, watching his large dark-haired chest rise and fall.
He turns his head at my ogling. “What?”
I swallow, gulping air. “I’ve never been fucked like that before.”
He lays his arm out and I willingly move closer to him. He curls his hand in my hair while his other arm reaches down to my backside, pulling me into him. “You seemed to enjoy it.”
I grin against his chest and gaze up at him in a dream-like daze. “I did.”
“Good.” He kisses me, nuzzling my nose tenderly. He reminds me in this moment of a big, warm grizzly. I lay my head against his chest, craving sleep.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
When I awake, the fire has burned to embers and Benjamin is nowhere in sight, and a large wool throw is covering my nakedness. I sit up to turn on a light. “Ben?”
The room is empty.
According to the clock on the wall, it’s ten. My bones aching, I scoot to the edge of the bed and stand. I feel like I’ve been hit by a semi.
The floor is freezing, forcing me to sprint across the floor to the bathroom. I turn the knob on the shower to the hottest temperature I can and step in. Even the tub looks like an antique. Everything about this place is straight out of a fairy tale.
I let the water cascade down my body, relishing in the warmness of it.
“Darce?”
“Yeah?” I poke my head out of the shower curtain.
He opens the door, dressed in a creamy knitted sweater and jeans.
“Where were you?” I ask.
“Had to make a few phone calls. I also managed to get food before they closed down. Come out before it gets cold.”
I’m famished.
***
Swaddled in a towel, I open the door, finding Benjamin bent over, restarting the fire.
“Mmm, handyman.” I kiss his cheek, then go to get clothes from my bag.
“Starting a fire in a fireplace is a lot easier than in the woods. I was the laughingstock of the Boy Scouts,” he divulges wryly.
“You? Boy Scouts?”
“Hell yes.” The fire is raging now. “My father always had me in ridiculous classes and programs growing up.”
“Such as?” I step into a pair of lavender panties.
“Boy Scouts, baseball, football, martial arts…you name it.”
“Wow,” I hum. “Accomplished.”
“Let’s just say it was a boring childhood.”
I pull on a baggy sweater and yoga pants, finishing with fluffy socks. “Like my outfit?” I turn with my hands on my hips, knowing I look like crap.
“I do, very much.”
I go over to him and he places his warm hands on my hips. “You look great without makeup. You don’t need it.”
A simmering heat ignites in my heart at his compliment and I press my lips to his tenderly.
He attempts to deepen the kiss, but I pull back. “I’m hungry.”
He smiles wickedly. “Me too.”
***
“Was it something important at work?” I ask, taking a bite from a slice of French bread.
He swallows, knowing I’m referring to his urgent
phone calls. “No.”
I raise my brows waiting for more, but he doesn’t elaborate. I guess he doesn’t want to talk about it. I’m thinking of how to change the subject when he says, “It was my mother.”
“Your mother?”
Damn, he sounded like he hated her on the phone.
“Yes, and no, I don’t always speak to her that way.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything.”
“I can read your mind.” He leans back on his elbow.
“Why did you? Are you mad at her?”
“She went behind my back, tried to get Alexander to work for her company she’s starting. Fortunately, he realizes he’s never going to make as much money as he does in my company.”
I look away at the mention of Alexander, a man I haven’t even tried to think about. Last time I saw him was minutes before Benjamin fired and dumped me. Just hearing his name makes my stomach churn.
“That was wrong of her.”
“I’m used to it. My family is conniving and unattached,” he says coldly.
“Are you and your sister still okay?”
“Yeah, she’s the only sane one.” He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. “She’ll be back in a week. My father is flying down to see her. I haven’t seen him in three years, so that should be pretty interesting.”
He takes my hand, turns it over, and traces the lines. I listen to the fire crackle and a burnt log crumbles in the fireplace.
“Tell me more.”
He looks up. “Such as?”
“I don’t know, anything.”
“I think I’d like to know about your life. You know much more about me than I know of you.”
I narrow my eyes playfully. “That’s because your life is so much more interesting.”
“It would be sad if you truly thought that,” he says wryly. “I’m very dull, you’ll see.”
“I look forward to it.” I plant my lips on his for a moment before he pulls away.
“There is one thing in particular that’s been on my mind.”
Warily, I raise my eyebrows in question.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…but how did you get away? From him?”
I look down at our entwined hands. “I hitchhiked.”
“To New York?” he asks incredulously.
“Yes. It ended up being the best way to do it anyway since it led the cops off my tracks. They couldn’t trace me.”
“And no one tried to harm you?”
“No, no one. Most of them were really nice. I had a black eye at the time, so I think most of them knew I was running away. Thankfully, none of them asked.”
“I’m surprised none did.”
“Most of them were just trying to do a good deed. I was grateful they didn’t.”
He lifts his hand and caresses my face tenderly. I press my cheek to his palm.
“Anyways, after that, I was in New York.”
“Where did you live?”
“I was, um, homeless for a while.” His grimace forces me to avert my eyes. I shouldn’t be telling him this. He might not want me after hearing my sordid tale. “I met a guy outside a laundromat about two months after arriving. He owned it. He was well-known for helping people create new identities, and he agreed that if I worked free of charge for a year, he would do it for me.”
“So you did it?” Benjamin asks. “Did he at least give you a place to stay?”
I nod. “His house. I ended up dating his son Gio. They were overall good people. A year later he helped me change my name to Fontaine and I dated his son for another year before he died in a hit-and-run accident.”
“Jesus,” Benjamin utters. “Did you keep in contact with the father?”
“His father died a year later, but yeah, I did. He knew I cared for his son, but it was never love. I just wanted to feel safe. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.” I take a sip of wine, trying and failing to get the sour taste from my mouth at the mention of a past I try so hard to forget.
“Was he your first?”
“Yes.”
He rolls off his back to face me. “You told me something when we first slept togeth—”
“That you’re the only one who’s made me…” I blush, nodding. “I wasn’t lying.”
“The other guys just didn’t care?”
I smile shyly. I can’t believe we’re talking about this. “I’ve only been with Gio, Luke, Adam, and you, but yeah, they figured it was something wrong with me. I thought it was something wrong with me. It wasn’t until I met you that I knew differently.”
“I wanted you so bad…from the moment I met you.”
I lean forward, planting my lips to his chastely. “Same.”
I put the glass of wine on the nightstand and lie back. “I couldn’t do it even when I was with Luke.”
He whips his head up, stunned. “Wait, what?”
I blush, embarrassed. Time to get off this subject. This wine is making me say stupid things.
Benjamin clears his throat, and when I look at him again, there is a hint of a smile on his face.
“You don’t have to look so damn happy about it!”
He smiles wider. “I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
I hit his arm hard and he breaks into loud laughter.
“What? I’m glad I’m the only one that can do it for you.”
“Yeah, you’re glad, but what about me? What do I do if this…if this doesn’t—”
“It will.”
I shake my head. “You can’t possibly know that. No one can.”
He lays his hand on my waist, bringing me into him. I’m hypnotized by the look in his eyes until our faces are barely inches apart.
“You make me happy, Darcy,” he confesses, nuzzling his nose against my cheek. “I’ve never known what it was like to actually feel happy.”
I comb his hair back so I can see his beautiful face clearly.
“I don’t want to let that go.”
I move my hand down to caress his cheek. “Neither do I.”
***
The loud sound of a vacuum outside our door forces my sleepy eyelids open. Grumbling, I grab my cell off the nightstand.
Geez, it’s only eight. What are they doing vacuuming already?
Even though I have texts from Kevin and Cindy, I put the phone back down and snuggle in, not ready to start the day. Benjamin is sleeping soundly beside me on his back, one of his arms stretched across his stomach.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sleep in this late.
I move closer to him and run my fingers through the dark hair on his pecs. My eyes wander from his magnificent chest to his defined abdomen. My fingers follow, caressing the small indents that indicate this man is extremely fit.
It should be a crime to look this good. His hand moves off his stomach then settles horizontally on the pillow. Even in his sleep, he’s waiting for me to come to him. I lay my head in the crook of his arm and lay my arm over his body, keeping him close.
***
Benjamin extends his arms. “Okay, give me your hands.”
I shuffle forward, scared shitless. The blades on these ice skates are really sharp.
Benjamin is already on the lake, among many others zipping past him.
This is so embarrassing. Bundled up in ridiculous winter clothes, I take his hands, gasping as I slide forward on the ice.
“You got it.”
“How did you learn to skate anyway?” I mutter.
“I was in hockey for a season in college.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course you were.”
“Why do you say it like that?” He laughs, gliding backward.
“Because you’re fucking perfect.” I let out a squeal as my legs wobble unsurely. “Ah! Don’t let me go!”
“You’re too tense. Darce, look at me. Relax, baby. I got you. Just look at me.”
“Okay, okay.”
He shifts course to avoid us crashing into the snow, guiding me.
I glance at him nervously. “I’ll try.”
He stops us and stands beside me, holding one of my hands.
“And we’re off.” I’m clumsy and fumbling, but thankfully able to stand upright.
“Look, you’re practically a pro.” He smiles warmly. With immense concentration, I risk glancing up at him to smile. His phone rings and he reaches with his other hand into his pocket for it.
“Benjamin Scott.”
He listens for a moment, glancing briefly at me, then shakes his head. “No, we need those records, Jack.”
Jack Upton. I remember him from when I worked at Scott Industries. He’s the vice president of the company. I wonder what they’re talking about.
“I don’t care. This guy is coming at us with everything he’s got. We need to know who we’re dealing with. Get them.”
He hangs up and stuffs the phone into his jacket, sighing.
“Problem?” I ask.
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
He turns to his left, taking me with him.
***
I’m sitting on a bench removing the skates when I spot a group of children near a large snow pile, getting ready for a massive snowball fight. Benjamin went to get us hot chocolate from a nearby vendor.
I feel a cold chill to the back and I turn around in shock, seeing a little boy behind me. He threw a snowball at me!
I grin and reach down into the snow with my gloves on. He quickly jumps down to make a new one. Within seconds, I’m the target and nearly half a dozen little monsters are attacking me with snowballs.
I jump up and run, shrieking. The kids are laughing hysterically, obviously enjoying this. The parents are on standby, watching with amusement. I give up and deposit myself on the ground, my arms stretched out. I’m shivering but truly enjoying myself.
I move my arms and legs in and out repeatedly. “Look! I’m making a snow angel!”
They all look at one another and settle themselves down beside me, copying my movements.
After a few moments, I stand up to appraise my work. I catch sight of Benjamin walking up, his brows turned up curiously at my appearance. I run up to him.
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