by T. J. Kline
She knew she was being bold, but she was a woman who followed her instincts and every fiber of her being wanted Ben. He’d reached deep inside her on an emotional level, something she hadn’t let anyone do in a very long time. When he’d reminded her that this was her place now, something in her clung to his words. He was the first person since her arrival here in town to recognize the value her experience brought. And, in spite of the stray dart, he’d proven he could handle himself in a crisis. He didn’t blame her for the danger or the risk. For the first time, she wanted to let the instinct that ruled her in her work spill over into her personal life. She wanted to embrace that passion she felt when she was with him and quit worrying about what tomorrow might bring. She wanted to just let go and be able to trust her intuition again.
And then there was the raw, primal hunger.
She wanted to make love to Ben. Longing swelled through her with every touch, every kiss wreaking devastation on her usual sense of sexual ambivalence. She’d been attracted to men before, had a healthy sex life even if lovers had been somewhat infrequent. Most of the time, attraction fizzled quickly. Those not in her world couldn’t understand the risk and tried to convince her to walk away. Men she met in her line of work wanted to control, and she would be subservient to no one.
But Ben made her want to give in, to surrender the control she usually wore like a badge of honor. This wasn’t simply attraction. The best way she could describe it was pure, unadulterated, emotional and physical lust.
She lay her palms on his flat stomach and felt his muscles clench in response, his erection twitched beneath her and she bit back a groan, feeling the tension already building within her. She might regret this later but, now, she wanted to feel him buried inside her.
Ben slid his hands up her thighs to settle at her hips, his thumbs brushing over the lace trimming the top of her underwear. “Emma.”
His voice was a murmured plea, a tormented rumble of sound beneath her palms. She rolled her hips against his in answer, the thin material between them creating a glorious, torturous friction. He growled and, moving with surprising dexterity, flipped her onto her back, hovering over her.
“You’re sure this is what you want?” His question brushed over her lips as he tasted her again. She savored it, letting the frisson of heat move through her.
In answer, Emma wrapped her legs around his hips as he nestled himself between her thighs. “Quit thinking so much. You want me, I want you. Let’s just accept it and enjoy it until it runs its course, okay?”
She heard the words fall from her lips but she questioned the truth in them. One time with Ben wouldn’t be enough. She doubted if an entire night would even come close. If the inferno surging through her blood was any indication, this was a fire that might never be quenched.
She wasn’t into romance and flowers, she wouldn’t let herself be tied down to anyone, not as long as she worked with animals as dangerous and unpredictable as hers were, but she needed him tonight. In spite of nearly shooting her, she felt safe with him. Ben offered her the freedom to be weak and strong at the same time, to be vulnerable yet still maintain control. She didn’t want to miss the opportunity to grasp this moment with both hands, before it was gone. And it would be, probably quickly and when she least expected it. Her mother’s abandonment, father’s sudden death had taught her that.
Ben lowered himself over her and she let her hands trail down the length of his back, feeling the muscles bunch and release beneath her fingertips. His mouth pressed hot kisses over her shoulders, his teeth nipping at the sensitive skin. Emma arched into him. Deftly, he unclasped her bra and slid it down her arms, tracing the curves of her breasts in languorous circles with his tongue, moving closer to the peaks as she strained for his touch. He brushed his thumb over one and her back arched, pressing her into his hand. His laugh was a low rumble against her flesh, making her shiver with wanton need.
“You are so beautiful.” His lips covered her breast, sucking her into the heat of his mouth, his tongue flicking against her nipple, making her see stars behind her eyelids. While his mouth decimated what was left of her senses, his hands fondled her, caressing her stomach and cupping her rear, bared by her thong.
He paused and chuckled quietly. “Well, that wasn’t what I expected.”
She smiled up at him, enjoying the teasing note in his voice and the mischief in his eyes more than she’d thought possible. “I’m all about the surprise ending.”
“Is that right?”
Ben shot her the most devilish grin she’d ever seen and felt herself grow wet anticipating what it promised. Maybe he wasn’t quite the Boy Scout she’d believed him to be.
Moving to one side, he rolled her onto her stomach, brushing her hair aside and kissing a trail over her shoulders. His fingers hooked into the side of the underwear as his mouth moved down her back, his lips tracing every curve. Emma trembled beneath his touch, squirming as his teeth grazed over the cheek of her butt while his hands caressed the back of her thighs, to her ankles, before replacing them with his lips. After exploring every inch of her backside, Ben rolled her over, his shoulders between her ankles.
“You’re driving me crazy,” she whispered, looking down at him.
“I’ve only just gotten started,” he promised, pressing kisses to the inside of her thigh, nipping the flesh, before laving the sweet pain away with a sweep of his tongue. “I want to make you go wild, Emma.”
His words teased her and desire rushed through her. Ben lay a hand over her abdomen, kissing her hipbone, letting his hand move over her until his thumb brushed her folds, parting her, stroking her. She let her head fall back against the pillow, giving in to the passion washing over her, crying out when his tongue replaced his hand. Her body bucked in response but he held her, tormented her, and her fingers wound into his hair, pleading with him to stop even as she begged him not to.
Ben stroked her, lifting her higher, until she finally gave in, succumbing to the euphoric release that left her shattered, unable to control her limbs as she sank into the bedding beneath her. Ben trailed his hands over her abdomen, moving to lay beside her, skimming his fingers over her still quivering body. He brushed over the taut peaks of her breast and she moaned softly, wishing she could move but unable to convince her body to cooperate.
Ben chuckled softly beside her. “You okay?”
Emma cracked open one eye. “I’m not sure yet. I’m still numb.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t help but laugh at his self-assured smirk. She forced herself up, leaning over him as he dropped back against the pillows, her hair falling around them in a damp curtain.
“You did say something about a surprise ending.”
A smile as impish as his curved her lips as she thought about what she planned to do to him tonight. “This isn’t the ending. It’s only the beginning.”
Swinging her legs off the side of the bed, she walked out of the bedroom, giving her hips a little extra sway.
“Where are you going?”
“Just wait there,” she yelled as she headed into the hall to her bathroom. “And you’d better have those pants off by the time I get back.”
Ben watched Emma walk out of the room, unable to tear his eyes from staring after her, taking in the sway of her hips, the curve of her spine, and the satisfied smile he’d put on her face. He’d been with his fair share of women but he’d never had a woman respond to him the way Emma did, nor had he ever wanted to please one more. Somehow, she’d managed reach into him and grab a hold of him. Fulfilling her needs became his only desire, to feel her squirm in his embrace as he brought her to the edge, to see those eyes light from within as she found her release. He needed to get a grip before he found himself too attached to let go.
Who was he kidding? He’d gotten attached that first afternoon, watching her with the bobcat kitten and he’d only tightened his grip each day since.
Emma’s footsteps padded
quietly down the hallway, back to his room. She came inside and set a condom on the nightstand, dropping another on the mattress by his shoulder.
He arched his brow and shot her a grin. “I hope I’m up to your expectations.”
“You’ve already set the bar pretty high.” She laughed as she slid back onto the bed and he lifted himself on an elbow, her breasts tantalizingly close to his face. “Or do you not think you’re up to the task?”
He reached for her wrist, pulling her down on top of him. His cock jerked to attention, the blood rushing from his head to his groin. Ben brushed her mussed hair back from her face. “I have no doubts about my stamina.”
Her hand slid down, sneaking beneath the waistband of his sweats to cradle him. “You were supposed to be out of these.”
“It isn’t very nice to tease.”
“I never promised to be nice.”
Ben couldn’t think as her fingers moved over the length of him, stroking him until he thought he’d lose his mind. She pressed kisses over his abs, moving lower, before she pulled his sweats off and dropped them on the floor. He grabbed the foil package and tore it open.
“That was my job.”
“Next time.” Ben sheathed himself and positioned her over him, his fingers gripping her hips tightly. Need crested in him, rising high until he was sure it would drown him. “Now, Emma. I need to feel you around me now.”
Unable to think any longer, he groaned as she slid down his length. Ben could only feel—the heated satin of her skin under his fingertips, the way her body clutched at him tightly, and the yearning blazing through him, sending him closer to the precipice. She sighed in relieved pleasure as he buried himself in her again, deeper, and she let her head fall backward.
Emma gripped his ribs as she lifted herself, riding him, teasing him into a frenzy. Ben lost himself in the feel of her surrounding him, the heady scent of her intoxicating him. Her curves in his hands. The way her body rocked with him, taking as much as she was giving. Gasping, Emma’s fingers dug into his ribs as she gave in to her passion, driving him toward his own.
Nothing in his entire life had ever felt this good. Burying his hand into her hair, he pulled her down toward him, plundering her mouth as she rode him through her climax, letting it consume them both. Emma cried out, her entire body quaking, her response overwhelming him. Ben couldn’t hold back any longer, shuddering with the force of his own release, he tumbled into the abyss with her.
Emma collapsed against his chest into a heap of soft curves and fiery tresses, with him still buried within her. She gasped, panting, her breath hot against his skin.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“You could say that again.” Nothing in his life had ever felt as euphoric as making love to Emma. No other woman had ever compared, not even his ex-fiancée and he’d been ready to commit his life to her.
Whoa, Ace, let’s keep this in perspective. This was nothing but sex. She already made that very clear.
He caught a lock of her hair with his finger, brushing it from her cheek so that he could look down at her. “Have you ever . . .”
She shook her head slightly, her eyes wide. “Never.” She looked up at him, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze languid and completely relaxed. “That was even more benefit than I bargained for with this friendship.”
Her comment took him by surprise. Is that what they were?
He’d never been in a friends-with-benefits situation. He was more of an all-or-nothing kind of guy. But since his ex-fiancée had up and stolen half his shit last year, it had been a lot of nothing. He’d never been one to sleep around, or have one-night stands. That was more Andrew and Linc’s scene. It didn’t matter that his brothers harassed him for being the most likely to tie the knot, he just hadn’t ever seen the point in sleeping with women he barely knew. But, in spite of her comment, Ben wasn’t sure that’s what this was.
He had no doubt that what he’d just experienced wasn’t common, not with one-night stands, not with friends. Shit, he’d been with his ex for three years, and Angie for almost a year before that, nothing had ever come close to what he’d felt with Emma. He wasn’t sure what this was, but he was sure it didn’t happen every day.
He felt himself grow hard, still buried within her, and her eyes darkened, desire flaring up again. “Already?”
Ben was just as surprised as she was, but he couldn’t deny that he wanted her again. And again after that. In fact, he couldn’t honestly imagine not wanting her.
She shifted, rolling her hips, her body clutching his. The hunger he’d thought was sated, ignited again, flaring brightly in his chest. “Looks like we’ll be needing that second one after all.”
Chapter Eleven
Emma woke slowly, stretching her arms toward the head of her bed and her toes toward the end when they hit the foot board. She instinctively jerked her knees back up to her chest. Her bed didn’t have a foot board.
She blinked, looking around the room as the dim sunlight filtered through the blinds and the thin sheer curtains. Sounds carried from down the hall through the closed door and she quickly sat up, reaching for her head as she tried to regain her senses. The sheet slipped, revealing her naked breasts and memories from the night before came crashing in.
Images of Ben in his own naked splendor. Above her, below her. How many times had they made love last night? She couldn’t even remember.
She looked over the side of the bed for her pajamas and her gaze fell on the half-empty box of condoms. She barely recalled returning to her room for them. Holy hell, that man had even sat up with her during a midnight feeding with Kit before they returned to bed to start over again. A furious blush burned her cheeks as she covered her face with her hands, remembering how she’d begged him to touch her.
What had she been thinking? How was she ever going to face him?
“Where’s Emma?” She heard Jake’s demanding voice just before the back door slammed closed.
“Excuse me?” Ben sounded pissed.
Oh shit! The sound of the pair in her kitchen was enough to jerk her from her remorseful stupor. Please let Ben at least have clothes on.
Emma leapt out of the bed and yanked her pajamas on, running her fingers through her hair before giving up and twisting it into a messy knot at the top of her head. She ran down the hall to find Jake standing in the back doorway with his arms crossed, frowning at Ben who stood at the stove, scrambling eggs. Brandon was pouring several cups of coffee. As she entered, Jake glanced her way, arching his lip in a sneer.
“Morning, Emma,” Brandon greeted cheerfully.
Ben glanced her direction, giving her a quick wink, and she couldn’t help the blush that spread over the back of her neck, knowing it was creeping into her cheeks and making it obvious to all three of the men, confirmed far more than she wanted for Jake.
“So, Buster wasn’t the only animal on the loose last night, huh? And you were worried about me?” Jake shook his head at Ben, clearly disgusted by the thought of them together.
She was a grown woman and didn’t owe him any explanations.
“Coffee’s ready.” Ben motioned toward the mug he’d left beside the pot. “Brandon was getting some for the two girls. Jackass . . . I mean, Jake, here didn’t want any.”
Brandon frowned at Ben, not happy with him teasing Jake. Jake, on the other hand, glared maliciously at Ben, looking ready to explode, but somehow kept his mouth closed for a change. Emma bit back her smile, grateful that Ben had shut him up without causing a scene. As Ben glanced her direction, she saw the guilty grin spreading over that sinful mouth of his. As if she needed another reason to want him even more.
“Thanks.” She accepted the mug Brandon held out to her. “I should hurry up and get another trap set up for Buster. I doubt he’ll come this way during the day but—”
“He’s already back in his cage,” Brandon informed her.
“Which is actually why we came by,” Jake said. “I saw him prowling the cages a
bout six this morning, probably looking for food. We managed to get a couple darts off while he was trying to figure out where breakfast was.” Jake must have noticed the shock on her face. “What? I figured you’d want to check on him while he’s out but the clock’s ticking. It’s almost six thirty. He’s been out about twenty minutes already.” He turned, heading back outside. “Oh, and you might want to check out that new headline.”
Emma turned toward the counter where someone had tossed a folded newspaper. Opening it, she could see a picture of her front gate, still dotted with the graffiti, with a headline below that read:
Danger on the Prowl
“Damn it,” she muttered. She barely scanned the article before shoving it back on the counter. “You said you gave your brother some bullshit excuse.”
“I did.”
“Well, someone found out what happened and only six of us knew the truth. The others wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize this place or they’d be out of work.”
“So, of course, that means I’d turn on you?”
“Well, Sadie and Monica were with Brandon and me in the barn all night. I know none of us made any calls,” Jake pointed out. “You were the one talking about calling your brother. It’s a lot more likely one of you two tipped off that reporter than one of us.”
Ben clicked off the stove and dropped the spatula in the pan. Turning, he faced Emma, ignoring Jake and Brandon’s presence altogether. “Seriously?” He narrowed his eyes and she could easily read his expression.
You’d think that after what happened last night?
She tried to keep her gaze on his face but it was nearly impossible when he stood there, looking like a statue of a Greek god. Her entire body warmed as she remembered exactly how it had felt to be lying with her body curled against the wall of his chest. She couldn’t quite ignore the sizzle of heat that spiraled in her belly. Emma found herself focusing on his mouth, the lips that had worked magic on her last night, helping her escape her fears. She couldn’t do this. Turning away from him, she headed for the back door.
