She startled slightly, but then a slow, hypnotic smile curved her lips.
Before she could respond with words, Emma interrupted us. “Come on, Ben. I saw you dancin’ out there with Sam – take an old woman for a twirl.”
I chuckled and shot Samantha an exasperated look. “See what you’ve done.”
“Oh, stop,” Emma chided. “Come on – I’ve barely danced all night.”
“Can’t say no to that,” I murmured and handed Bella to Samantha.
“Have fun,” Samantha teased.
“I’ll save that for later,” I whispered against her lips. “I’ll be back soon.”
Her eyes heated. “’Kay.”
I followed Emma to the dance floor just as a country song came on. It’d been a long time, but I still swung her out and spun her a couple of times before bringing her close and leading her around the dancefloor.
“You two-step,” she gushed, gleeful.
“Mom made me take all sorts of dance classes when I was kid,” I told her, winking. “Just don’t tell Samantha that.”
“Ha!” She laughed. “You poor thing.”
“Tell me about it. I hated them.”
“I bet,” she agreed, twittering away.
“Just so you know, she’ll be in town soon.”
Emma’s face contorted with a flash of pain, but she hid it quickly. “That’s nice.”
“You were that close?”
“As close as two people could be,” she murmured.
Damn.
“Sorry,” I whispered roughly.
She shrugged her shoulders. “No need for that. It’s life.”
I could relate to that.
Emma tilted her head, observing me. “You seem happy, Ben. It looks good on you.”
A genuine smile graced my lips. “You have your daughter to thank for that.”
“That, I do. You two are perfect together.”
I nodded, sneaking a peek at Samantha and Bella. Pops was leading them to the dance floor, intent on dancing with the two of them, not that Samantha needed convincing. “We are.”
“But she won’t be truly happy until you stop holdin’ back,” she warned, her words low.
Samantha must have said something to her.
I exhaled roughly, my stomach sinking. “Emma, I-”
“You don’t need to defend yourself to me. I understand, Ben.” She tilted her head. “But I know my daughter. She’s a willful girl.”
“I know.”
“And she’s strong, a lot stronger than you give her credit for. Out of anyone in this world, you can trust her the most. She’ll take on heaven and hell for all that she loves, and my baby loves you.”
How did she know that I needed that little bit of encouragement right now?
“I know,” I repeated, my voice gruff.
Her eyes brightened. “You do?”
“Of course. Samantha isn’t good at hiding anything.”
“What are you gonna do about it?”
“Bare my soul,” I answered, fighting a smile.
Emma tipped her head back and laughed. Like her daughter, it was a dazzling one.
Her face softened. “You won’t regret it, Ben. I know it.”
Let’s hope.
∞
“Oh, my God,” Samantha breathed, her words drowned out by the pillow against her face.
She was laying on her stomach, her ass up in the air, with both hands clutching the comforter. She never looked more spellbinding.
“Spread them wider,” I demanded.
Her body swayed from side to side as she widened her stance.
“Perfect,” I murmured and licked her again.
Heavy pants reverberated through the room. The taste of her on my lips was ambrosia, better than anything in the world.
She was delicious.
I dipped my tongue inside her, her pussy clenching around me. As she rocked against me, wedging my tongue deeper, I about spilled myself all over she sheets.
Sassy girl.
Redoubling my efforts, I moaned around her pussy and fingered her clit.
“Ben,” she groaned. “I need you.”
“Just a second,” I told her, pulling away.
As I sat back on my haunches, I slipped two fingers inside her and watched in fascination as her body accepted them.
Magnificent.
She was a dream, letting me do what I wanted to her body in every way imaginable.
“You were beautiful tonight,” I whispered, nipping her ass cheek. “But you look decadent like this.”
She always looked decadent after orgasming, her face dreamy, her skin misted with sweat. I was working her into orgasm number three, and she thrived under it gloriously.
“If you had it your way, we wouldn’t leave the room,” she replied, then moaned loudly as I flicked her clit.
“You’re right.” I slapped her bottom. It wasn’t enough to hurt her, just sting a tiny bit.
She loved it.
“Oh, God,” she mewled.
I took her clit between two fingers and pinched lightly.
“Please, Ben…inside now. Enough is enough.”
I added a third finger, getting her ready for me. “Is that better?” I teased.
“No. You. I want you inside me,” she whined.
“I am inside you, baby girl.” I twisted my fingers and slid them across her g-spot.
She shuddered hard. “You know what I mean.”
“Tell me.”
“You’re an asshole – you know that?”
That mouth.
“Samantha…”
“Fine. Okay, I’ll say it!” she griped, shooting fire at me over her shoulder. “I want your cock.”
“Mmmm, you know exactly what to say to turn me on.”
Hearing her say dirty words spurred me higher.
I leaned in and licked her some more, tasting her essence.
Samantha cried out, her legs trembling.
Enough.
I was hurting already. If she only knew how much it tormented me when she pleaded. It made my balls ache and my cock excruciatingly hard. There was nothing better than Samantha delirious with need and begging for what only I could give her.
I savored her for a few more moments. She was lingering right on the precipice, and I wanted to draw it out a little bit more. Right when she was about to sail over the cliff, I pulled away and slipped my fingers from her.
“No!” she wailed.
“Shhh,” I whispered, petting her back, and scooted closer. “I’ve got you.”
I took myself in hand and pressed against her entrance. As she shuddered again, I thrust all the way home.
God, nothing has ever felt so good.
“Ahhh!” Samantha screamed, her head flying back. All of her gorgeous hair cascaded down her back as she lifted herself on her elbows.
Iridescent eyes met mine as she watched me thrust into her. I gazed into them, hoping she saw all the things I had yet said. By the swirling adulation staring back at me, I believed she did.
I kept my rhythm slow, wanting to drive her insane. She was already spasming around me, but she wouldn’t find her release at this pace. I’d been inside her enough to know.
Gripping her hips, I helped her drive herself on me. With every stroke, her ass shook and jiggled. It was a pretty sight, enough so that I started pounding into her, my need getting the better of me.
“Yes,” Samantha hissed, meeting my demands. “Honey…yes.”
“Touch yourself for me, sweetheart.”
Samantha shifted as I took her, sinking myself into her searing heat over and over again. Fingers slipped around the base of my cock as she felt us together, ripping a gasp from my throat.
“You feel amazin’, handsome,” she purred throatily.
“Keep doing that and it won’t last long,” I warned, my voice guttural.
“Good.”
Overwhelmed, I hardened more. “Play with your clit,” I demanded.
I was too close.
Like a good girl, Samantha did as she was told and let out another louder, longer moan. I reached under her and tweaked both of her nipples, knowing that was exactly what she needed to set her off.
And I was right.
Samantha orgasmed on a gasp, convulsing around me. I stilled and let her ride it out, relishing in the look of wonder on her face.
When her sounds quieted and her convulsions diminished, I drove into her again. Her breathing skipped, and a shiver raked her body. A couple more strokes and she’d start to climb again, but I was too far gone.
A few thrusts later, I spilled myself inside her. Rapture coursed through my veins, tearing a loud, gravelly groan from my throat. My eyes closed as I shook.
It took a few moments to come back down, and when I did, I leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss between Samantha’s shoulder blades.
“That was wonderful, handsome,” Samantha whispered, sighing in contentment.
“So were you,” I murmured, trailing a finger along the skin of her lower back.
Honing in on where our bodies were connected, I pulled out of her, hypnotized by my seed spilling from her. For more times than I could count, I wondered what she’d look like with my child in her belly. The image was far from terrifying.
One day, I decided.
It would happen.
As I lay on my back next to her, Samantha rolled into me and rested her head on my chest. “You’ve never done that before,” she stated quietly.
“Hmm?”
“Came in me – you’ve never done it.”
She was right. Though she went on the pill at my urging, I was still cautious; a trait left over from my years with Gwen. But Samantha wasn’t Gwen, and I trusted her.
“I liked it,” she continued.
“Not as much as me,” I joked, trying to make light of it.
Samantha chuckled quietly. “Probably not.” She snuggled against my chest and exhaled a breath, her eyes growing heavy.
Memories of my encounter with Uri came to mind again. It hadn’t been far from my thoughts all evening. I decided to broach the subject with her.
“What do you know about the man staying at the B&B?”
Samantha tipped her head back, her brows drawn with confusion. “Mr. Johnston? How do you know about him?”
Mr. Johnston?
Right.
“I saw him earlier,” I fibbed, keeping the facts to myself for now.
“Damn it. I told him to stay away from the weddin’. He didn’t cause any trouble, did he?”
I shook my head. “No.”
She covered her mouth as she yawned, saying, “That’s somethin’, at least.”
“Do you know anything about him?” I asked again.
“No, not really. He’s creepy, though. There’s somethin’ about him…”
Good girl.
I was glad she could sense Uri’s true nature.
“I know,” I agreed. “I didn’t like him. Stay away from that man, sweetheart.”
“What did he say to you?”
I wasn’t going to ruin the moment tonight.
“Nothing,” I lied again. “Just got a bad feeling about him. He’s a predator.”
“I can see that,” she murmured drowsily.
“Stay away from him.”
“I’ll do my best,” she promised, giving me a sleepy smile.
“Good,” I whispered, kissing her hair. “Go to sleep, baby girl.”
“’Kay,” she replied, starting to doze. “’Night, handsome.”
“Goodnight, Samantha.”
She drifted to sleep, but I could only stare up at the ceiling, wide awake. I had this sinking sense of dread that something bad was going to happen. I didn’t know if it was Uri or my mother’s impending arrival; I just knew that it had to do with Samantha.
Shit.
Chapter 27
Samantha
I looked out Ben’s patio door and watched him. He sat at the table, a forgotten cup of coffee in his hands, as he stared at nothing in particular. He was a million miles away.
Ben had been acting strange since the wedding. Really strange. He was quiet and moody. I’d start talking to him about something only to realize he was staring off into space, not hearing a word. Other times, he’d snap at Linc or me for no reason at all. There was a desperation to his actions when we made love, as well, as if it were the last time.
Something was wrong.
I tried to talk to him, but I only got fine’s. I was starting to hate the term I’m fine.
Ben wasn’t fine.
I wondered if the wedding brought up old memories of Gwen. Maybe he was reliving things and didn’t know how to deal. I also wondered if I did something to scare him away, but there was nothing that stood out.
At first, I thought that Mr. Johnston said something to him – if Ben brought it up, there had to be a reason why. However, when I went to the B&B on Sunday to clean up after the wedding, Mr. Johnston had already left. He didn’t even check out, and he’d paid for the entire week.
That was three days ago.
Ben stood from the table, and when he turned, he looked right through me, not seeing me.
My stomach knotted.
Unaware of my presence, he opened the door and walked inside. The desolation on his face brought tears to my eyes.
Something’s really wrong.
I didn’t know how to pull him out of this. Why he still wouldn’t confide in me was confounding. He was breaking me in two.
Ben continued into the kitchen and placed his mug in the sink. I ambled behind him, trying to find the right words to say to get him to open up to me.
Before I could, our phones dinged at once, alerting Ben that he wasn’t alone.
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at me, clearing his face of whatever he had been thinking so hard on. “Morning, sweetheart.”
“Hey,” I whispered, approaching him.
Ben rotated towards me and cupped my face, his thumb caressing my cheek. “Sleep well?”
“Yeah,” I murmured, nuzzling his hand. “I missed you this mornin’. I’m not used to wakin’ up without you.”
His smile was saddened. “Couldn’t sleep.”
I kissed his wrist and acted as if everything was normal. “Too bad. I had a special wake-up call planned for you.”
His eyes turned molten. “Is that so?”
“Mmmhmm.” I trailed a finger down his chest. “Maybe another time.”
“Tease,” he complained good-naturedly.
I grinned and stole a kiss. Before he could deepen it, our phones dinged again.
I pulled away, chuckling. “Someone’s insistent. We better check that.”
Scowling in displeasure, he spun back to the counter and found his phone. I pulled mine from my back pocket and checked it. There were two texts from Lyric, both pictures. One was an adorable baby swaddled in a pink blanket. The other was of Lyric and Paul standing by Maggie’s hospital bed. The exhausted new mother had tears in her eyes and the baby cradled to her chest as she beamed. A smile slowly spread across my face.
“Holy shit,” Ben whispered, staring at his phone with a look of pure awe. “Mags had the baby.”
“A little girl,” I added.
Another text came through.
Lyric: Madeline Faith has finally arrived! Six pounds and two ounces of cuteness. Told you it was gonna be a girl!
I laughed at that. Of course she had to rub it in.
Me: Congrats, Auntie. Give the baby and mama my love.
Though I had never spoken to Maggie, I was very happy for her and Paul, Lyric included. They looked radiant in the picture together.
Lyric and I had kept in constant contact. Even though she was across the pond, as she liked to say, we’d become great friends. I had considered talking to her about Ben’s moods, but now that Maggie had her baby, I thought better of it. If things worsened, perhaps. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen, and Ben w
ould snap out of it.
“Madeline is a cute name,” I murmured.
Ben’s eyes brightened. There was happiness there, but I detected a bit of a lingering sadness. “She always wanted to name her daughter Madeline.”
He hadn’t talked to me much about Maggie or Paul. They’d been another topic he didn’t elaborate on.
One of many.
Instead of pointing that out, I said, “I like it.”
The sadness disappeared, and he beamed. ‘“I need to call Mags and Paul.”
“Go for it. Call me later and tell me everythin’,” I replied. I took a few steps to him and kissed him again. “I’ve gotta get to the B&B. We’ve got a new arrival comin’ in.”
“No time for breakfast?” he questioned, his disappointment evident.
“Not this mornin’, handsome. Since Grey’s on his honeymoon, my plate is full. I’ve got a ton of things to do before our guest arrives.”
“Lunch?” he asked, hopeful.
“Sure. Swing by and I’ll make somethin’ for us.”
“Sounds good.” His eyes traveled my face as if memorizing it. “Have a good day.”
My stomach sank – these looks worried me – but I kept a smile on my face. “You too, handsome.”
∞
I checked the clock on my phone for the tenth time. Our guest, whoever G. O’Donnell was, was officially hours late.
Grrr.
I hated when people were late. It threw off my entire day. Still, it was bound to happen in this line of business. When people were on vacation, they went by their own time. I couldn’t fault them. Enjoying yourself went hand and hand with vacation; worrying about time and responsibilities, not so much.
I ambled into the kitchen and found Mrs. Birdie at the kitchen counter. “Hey,” I called out.
She glanced up at me and then continued to chop a cucumber. “Hey, Sam.”
I sniffed appreciatively and stole a piece of cucumber. “What’s for lunch? It smells delicious.” I popped it into my mouth and continued to the fridge.
“Chicken salad sandwiches and my tomato soup,” she replied, shooting me a wink.
My favs.
I groaned as I grabbed a bottled water and closed the fridge. She made the best chicken salad and tomato soup. “You spoil me, Mrs. Birdie.”
“You’ve been down the past few days,” she remarked. “I thought it might cheer you up.”
Fated Bliss (The Bliss Series Book 2) Page 32
