Your Tempting Love (The Bennett Family)

by Layla Hagen

  This is a night of many firsts. At the airport, I saw the strong and take-charge side of him. Now all I see is a raw vulnerability. He doesn't put himself out there often, and at this moment, he's going out on a limb. His vulnerability coaxes me out of my shell.

  "That…." Suddenly, I'm breathless. "Yeah."

  "Which part?"

  "All of it."

  His thumb inches up to the corner of my mouth, where it lingers for a split second before gliding over my lower lip, resting exactly in the center of it. He trains his eyes on my mouth, then snaps them back up, focusing on me.

  "I admit I'm not great at trying. Actually, I'm not even good at it. I haven't tried in a long time. The list of women who'd like to have my balls removed is quite long. I once had a shoe thrown at my head during a break-up conversation. If you look closely, you'll see the mark of the heel here." He presses his forefinger to the side of his head.

  He places one hand on my waist, leaning toward me until our bodies almost touch. Almost, but not quite. He tilts his head down and to the side as if wanting to rest it in the crook of my neck.

  "Do you want to stay the night?" he whispers against my skin, while his thumb rubs little circles on my waist, driving me insane with need.

  "Yes."

  Our control snaps at the same time. Christopher kisses the base of my neck, and I lift my hand, digging my fingers into his hair, needing him closer. Needing all of him. Feeling his hot mouth on my skin while the cold autumn breeze surrounds us is exquisite.

  "I want you, Victoria. Let's go inside."

  "Why?"

  He presses his hips against me, and that's when I feel how hard he is for me. "Because I'm one second away from taking you against this wall."

  Oh my.

  He covers my mouth with his and we tumble inside, a tangle of limbs, lost in the kiss. His hands are at the side of my face, cradling my head as his tongue probes and tastes, driving me insane with need.

  Pulling apart, we both draw in deep breaths, then start laughing. With no small surprise, I realize I'm shaking, and so is he. We both unzip and drop our jackets on the couch.

  "I feel like I'm sixteen," he confesses, then seals his lips over mine again.

  He might feel like a teenager, but he kisses and touches like a man. His hands slide down my back, grabbing my ass and lifting me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist. When I press my center against him, he releases a deep, primal groan. It sounds like a promise: that he'll make love to me, and he's going to make me feel things I never have before.

  ***

  Christopher

  She melts in my arms, pressing her soft curves against me. Damn. The way she gives herself to me without restraint nearly has me exploding. I carry her in my arms, only putting her feet back on the floor when we reach the bedroom. After switching on the light, I feast on her delicate skin, kissing her neck, licking the hollow at the base of her throat. She rewards me with a moan, pushing her hips against me.

  "I'm going to make you feel so good, you're not going to want to leave my bed."

  She chuckles, though her breath catches. "It's a good bed."

  "Lie on it," I demand, and she does as I say.

  "Are you going to join me, or what?"

  Lowering myself on the bed, I grab the hem of her sweater and push it up, my mouth trailing along every inch of skin I expose.

  "You're beautiful," I whisper to her, discarding her sweater next to the bed. Drinking in the swell of her breasts and the curve of her waist, I cup one of her breasts over her bra and Victoria arches against me, inviting me. It's all I can do not to do away with her jeans and bury myself inside her. No, I want to taste her first. I place my mouth on her collarbone, descending until the fabric of her bra meets the skin, licking her there. The effect is instantaneous. Her hips arch up, colliding with my groin.

  "Christopher."

  Hearing my name come out of her mouth is as much a turn-on as seeing her come undone before me. Like a man possessed, I unclasp her bra, needing her bare before me. Her nipples are puckered, begging for my attention, and damn, I plan to lavish them with attention. Worship them, along with every other part of her. When I cover one nipple with my mouth, she fists my hair, tugging at it. My woman's feisty, and I love it. I flick my tongue against the hardened nub, while my hands work on unzipping her jeans.

  Unhitching my mouth from her sensitive skin, I pull back to make enough space to tug her pants down her thighs and toss them away. One glance at her soaked thong and my control falters. Victoria lifts her hips off the bed, giving me a peek of the perfect roundness of her ass. She pushes her panties down to her ankles, kicking them off. Then she opens her thighs, inviting me.

  I lower myself until my mouth hovers directly above her center. I trail my finger up and down the rim of her opening, enjoying the way she writhes against the sheets, eager for more. I slide one finger inside her with ease.

  "More. I want more," she whispers.

  "You're a feisty little thing," I reply, but oblige, sliding in a second finger and curling both of them, touching a sensitive spot inside her.

  "Oh, God. That feels—Oh!"

  I'm so hard I can barely stand it, but I want to make sure she's ready first. I could spend days pleasuring her and wouldn't get enough. Her eyelids flutter shut as I slide my fingers in and out of her. When I press my thumb on her clit, she clenches around my fingers. Energy zips down my spine, and my cock throbs painfully against the waistband of my jeans.

  "What are you doing?" she complains as I pull out my fingers.

  "I want to taste you."

  Slipping my hands under her ass, I lift her until my mouth is directly in front of her center. I swipe my tongue along the length of her ripe flesh once, and then again. With every swipe, Victoria shudders, the muscles in her ass cheeks tightening. Then I slip my tongue inside her, driving her crazy. Driving myself crazy. Hearing her whimpers and moans of pleasure is the best aphrodisiac in the world.

  "Christopher, I want you inside me. Please."

  My plan is to torture her some more, but her next words undo me.

  "I need you."

  The next minutes are a blur. I descend from the bed, retrieving a condom from the back pocket of my jeans. No, I don't usually walk around with a condom in my back pocket, but I brought one tonight. What can I say? I'm an optimistic guy. I lose my clothes with lightning speed, and when I look at her again, a shadow crosses her features. I lie next to her, cupping her jaw, watching her chest rise up and down with quick breaths, which further betray her nervousness.

  As I move over her, I interlace my fingers with hers, kissing her neck. I want her to feel that this isn't just quick fun for me. I don't know what it is, but it's not that. The tension bleeds away from her, and she relaxes underneath me. I enter her slowly. Damn it, I was planning to be gentle with her tonight, but feeling her inner walls clench around me makes that impossible.

  Blind with need for her, I pull out, grasping each of her ankles and placing them on my shoulders. Then I bury myself inside her. Victoria gasps, biting down on her plump lip. I ease in and out of her, the sound of skin slapping against skin filling the room, intermingling with our groans.

  "You feel so good," I tell her. "So good."

  My thumb rests on her sensitive spot, applying a slight pressure while my hips slam against her more ferociously. Her breasts move in sync, and fuck, what a sight she is. I could watch her forever. Pausing, I take a deep breath, trying to keep in check the white-hot current that shoots right through my groin. Pushing her legs to the side, I lean forward until my lips are level with hers.

  We move in unison, gazes interlocked. Gripping a few strands of her hair, I tug her head gently to one side, baring her neck to me. She lets out the softest moan when I bite gently at her earlobe. The sound fuels my desire, and I drive into her hard.

  "Touch your clit," I command in her ear. She lets out a delicious gasp. "Touch yourself."

  She slips her delicate hand b
etween our bodies and lowers it. Red splotches appear on her cheeks and her neck when she gasps. "Oh. This is…. I'm going to…."

  "I need to kiss you when you come." I want to own her sounds of pleasure. I want to own her. My mouth captures hers as she explodes, clenches around me, and drives me to a ravaging orgasm.

  Once we both calm down, I pull out, already wanting her again. After discarding the condom, I lie next to her, losing myself in her sweet scent and the warmth of her skin. As I place my hand on her chest, feeling her labored breaths, the only coherent thought I can form is that she belongs here, in my bed.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Victoria

  I wake up to blinding light the next morning, and it takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust and focus. Next to me, Christopher sleeps soundly, lying on his back. Rays of sunlight fall directly on his face, but that doesn't seem to disturb him in the slightest. I turn to one side, propping myself up on an elbow, inspecting him.

  His features appear softer in sleep, but one thing hasn't changed. His lips have that curl to them as if they're about to break into a smile at any second. I barely restrain myself from leaning to kiss him.

  When he shifts slightly, the sheet covering him slides away, leaving him in all his naked glory before me. This is getting worse. Now I just want to lick him everywhere. His body is toned and demands my attention.

  That mouth calls to me, but it would be selfish of me to wake him up. He works long hours during the week, so I suspect he likes to sleep in on the weekends. Not to mention he's been working the past few weekends. He needs his rest.

  I check my phone on the bedside table. It’s eight o'clock, which means I have an hour and a half to go home, change, and then head to Aunt Christina's to pick up the kids. I have plenty of time, enough for a morning cuddling session, but he is soundly asleep. Waking him up would be selfish.

  Terribly selfish.

  Mmm… but one tiny, tiny kiss won't wake him up. There's no way anyone could expect me to leave his bed without a good-bye kiss, right? Ever so carefully, I lean in, feathering my lips over his. Christopher shifts underneath me, opening his eyes. Damn it. I pull back, hanging my head in shame.

  "Sorry for waking you up," I mutter, even though now that he's awake, I can't help imagining all the… possibilities for this morning. Christopher runs a hand through his hair, his expression still groggy with sleep. Feeling like I need to explain myself some more, I add, "I just couldn't leave without kissing you."

  "That irresistible, huh? I'm glad you didn't leave while I was sleeping. I would've felt a little used."

  "Oh, that hadn't even crossed my mind."

  "Well, now that we're awake, you're welcome to use me some more," he says with a grin, scooting closer to me on the bed and tracing the contour of my jaw. "I won't mind it too much."

  My heart swells with joy at the ease of our interactions, and my relief manifests in a chuckle.

  "What?" Christopher inquires.

  "I'm happy there's no awkwardness between us," I say honestly.

  "Were you expecting some?"

  "Sometimes things get awkward after."

  "Yeah, when you barely know the other person." He kisses my forehead softly. I melt against him, his words reaching somewhere deep inside me. I have zero regrets for waking him now.

  "What's with that smile?" he asks. "I haven't seen it before."

  I don't miss a beat. "It's my ‘Christopher gave me the most amazing orgasm’ smile."

  He tilts his head to the side.

  "What?" I ask, a little defensive.

  "I'm trying to picture your ‘Christopher gave me the most amazing multiple orgasms’ smile."

  "Want to get started on that project right away?"

  Christopher opens his mouth, but before he has a chance to answer, a beep from the nightstand startles both of us.

  "That was my phone. A reminder I have to pick up the kids in about seventy-five minutes." Pouting, I add, "No time for your project right now."

  "Not to brag, but I can do a lot in that time."

  "I want to go home and change first. If they see me in these clothes, they'll realize I haven't slept at home."

  Christopher pulls away. "You don't want to tell them about us?"

  My stomach drops as I try to explain my conundrum. I push myself into a sitting position and cover my naked body with the bedsheet.

  "I do. It's just that I… I don't know what to tell them. I don't want them to think we're going to start popping out babies soon. They like you a lot, but Lucas and Chloe think about you like a family friend of sorts. I don't want to confuse them, and I also don't want to get their hopes up." I groan, dropping my head in my hands. "I sound like a crazy person right now."

  "No, you don't." Christopher runs his palm up and down my back, and the gesture relaxes me tremendously. "You sound like someone who's parenting her siblings and trying to do the best for them. That's one of the things I love about you."

  His words fill me with a warm, fuzzy feeling, and I dive right back in the bed, cocooning at his side.

  "You say all the right things. How do you always do that?"

  "Special talent."

  "Inherited?"

  "Nope, all mine." He spoons against me, kissing the back of my neck.

  "Say, why do you blame all the bad traits on your DNA but take full credit for the good ones? I can't help but be a little suspicious."

  "Trust is the base of any healthy relationship," he says seriously, kissing that spot some more, luring a giggle out of me. "By the way, we can tell the kids together if you want. Your call."

  "I think it's best if I do it alone."

  "Okay. But I want to make one thing clear. When I made that commitment last night, it wasn't just to you. It was to them too."

  "No disrespect to your seduction skills, but I wouldn't be in your bed if I didn't think you cared for my siblings.” Last night with him was… I don't even know how to describe it. It's as if my world had been spinning for months, and last night I found my balance in his solid, strong arms. “I want to make you the happiest man."

  "I aim to make all four of you happy."

  As he pulls me into a hug, I can't help the sense of unease taking residence inside my chest. With a jolt, I realize it’s November, almost two months since I met Christopher. In the short time I've known him, he's become important to me. Too important. If I had to let him go, I'd be devastated.

  "You really do give the best cuddles," I inform him as I cocoon against him. Christopher instantly curls an arm around me, pulling me into a half embrace.

  When I hear him yawn, I cringe, looking up at him. "Again, sorry for kissing you while you were sleeping. I didn't mean to wake you up."

  "If there's one thing you never have to apologize for, it's kissing me." He surveys me, his gaze lingering on my mouth. "Actually, I've changed my mind. How do you plan to make it up to me for waking me up?"

  "Letting you go back to sleep?"

  "Wrong answer."

  "So you're mad at me now?" I ask, grinning.

  "Very." Wiggling his eyebrows, he leans into me, placing a gentle kiss on the hollow of my neck, then whispering against my skin, "I require a thorough apology."

  "Define thorough."

  Christopher pulls back, furrowing his brow as if this requires his utmost concentration.

  "You can kiss me everywhere. I'll leave you the choice of where to start."

  "You are so generous." I place my lips above his navel, peppering his torso with kisses, tracing the sinewy lines highlighting his muscles with my tongue. Christopher rewards me with delicious groans, his hand gripping my hair gently. As I continue with my ministrations up to his neck, I climb over him, and I can't help smiling against his skin when I feel how hard he is for me.

  "I think there's a situation requiring your attention further south," Christopher says on a groan.

  "Is that so?" I tease, then begin my descent, trailing kisses along the way. I stop at his
navel, nuzzling it while palming his erection. Moving my hand up and down, I enjoy the way his breath becomes more labored. It pleases me immensely to know I have this effect on him. Deciding to be a naughty tease, I swipe my tongue over the tip of his hard-on exactly once before climbing off him and lounging on the bed next to him on one side, propping myself up on an elbow.

  He raises an eyebrow, to which I respond with a playful shrug of my shoulder.

  "I can’t put out again so soon after last night. I wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression."

  "I see." His tone holds a silent challenge, one that I meet with my chin held high. "You were all in for the multi-orgasm project earlier."

  "Hormones were clouding my mind. Now I'm one hundred percent sober."

  Abruptly, Christopher pushes me on by back, leveling himself over me.

  "What are you doing?" I inquire.

  "Changing that. And getting my revenge."

  With those revelatory words, Christopher pins my hands above my head against the mattress. His mouth finds its way to the sweet spot on my neck, just below my earlobe. I arch my back involuntarily as he lights up every nerve ending in my body until my intimate spot pulses for him. Releasing my hands, he lowers himself until his mouth is level with my breasts, and holy sweet Sunday. His tongue is doing sinful things to my nipples, but that’s nothing compared to the sweet torture of his thumb rubbing against my clit.

  "Ah! Christopher. Don't stop."

  He does exactly that, of course, pulling away from me and sitting up on the bed with a devilish smile. Teasing suddenly feels like the worst idea in the world because he's much better at it than I am.

  Note to self: must up my teasing game.

  "Those hormone clouds back?"

  "Nope, not at all. How about I give you a tour of the apartment before leaving?" My entire body is burning, and my skin is yearning for him to touch me, but I'm not about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

  I crawl out of bed, stretching my arms in an attempt to shake off the last vestiges of sleep. I make sure to stand right in front of Christopher as I do it, tempting the hell out of him.