Hungry Heart: Part One (Hungry Heart #1)

by Violet Haze

  I turn back to the bar and order a soda from Frank, who is now one of two bartenders instead of being all alone, and he leans over to speak with me as he hands me my drink.

  “Having fun?”

  “Yeah! I love this place. It’s always so busy and crowded, but it has great energy.”

  “I like how I’m not deafened by the music all night, six nights a week.”

  “Right? People can still have fun without the music being turned up to an ear-drum busting level.”

  He grins at me, nodding, as another customer approaches but the other bartender waves a hand to indicate she has it.

  “Have you known Benedict long?” I ask, taking a sip of my soda, watching as his brow lifts. “I mean, how long have you worked here?”

  “Since the day it opened almost six years ago. He’s a great guy,” he says, seeming to gather what I want to ask but don’t.

  I lean in, crooking my finger to indicate he should give me his ear, and when he does, I ask in a low voice, “And his girlfriend? Is she…okay?”

  He pulls away a little and stares at me, but he must see the question is an honest one because he grimaces, and with a quick dart around us tells me, “She’s not…right in the head. I think she’s bad for him, but he loves her and wants to protect her. I don’t believe she loves him, and she spends a lot of time with Len. He doesn’t show how much it hurts him, but I’ve spent a lot of time around him since we met, and I can tell. I asked him why he allows it and he says it’s because otherwise, she would’ve left him completely. He doesn’t seem to agree with me when I said she sort of already has since she moved out six months ago into her own place, saying she needs some space.”

  Wow. I’m not sure I should know this, but glad I’m aware of the situation. And the worry is clear in his face and words, so I can’t fault him for sharing since I asked.

  “So, I’ve walked right into a mess is what you’re saying?”

  “It’s like that?” At my nod, he grins. “Perhaps, but maybe dating you will make him see the light. Like I said, he’s the good guy here.”

  He steps back, his eyes leaving mine, and a few seconds later, I realize why when arms encircle my waist and Benedict whispers in my ear, “Dance with me.”

  I let him drag me away and soon we’re in a dark corner, our bodies flush together, with his hands on my hips. My arms are around his neck and we’re slow dancing, but I can tell he wishes he could let his hands roam, and part of me wants to let them.

  The other part of me wonders if I should walk away now with what Frank told me. But I can’t even bring it up to Benedict because I wouldn’t want to get Frank fired for sharing information he probably shouldn’t have. Benedict is obviously pretending everything is fine, so I’m not sure what to do. I don’t need to invite drama into my life, and certainly not into my relationship with Nathan, yet I like Benedict and he might need someone when it all finally blows up in his face. Which it sounds like it will, at least from what Frank has said.

  Why I feel like that person should be me isn’t something I can explain, but I decide I’m willing to risk it.

  “Tell me what nights you spend with Nathan every week,” he whispers into my ear before nipping at it, making me shiver and sigh, my serious thoughts drifting away as I answer him.

  “Monday and Friday, always.” I lick my lips, lifting my gaze to meet his just in time to see them light up. “Why?”

  “Spend the night with me tonight. And by spend the night, I mean, cuddle for a little while and fall asleep next to me.”

  He moves his hands up to my waist as I ask, “That’s it?”

  His grin takes a decidedly naughty turn, and along with a gleam in his eye, I’m a sucker for it. A sucker for him and he knows it.

  He backs me up until I’m against the wall, shadowed where nobody could see us unless they were really looking, and captures my lips in a long, sweet kiss before saying against them, “That’s it until we wake up. After that, all bets are off. So, what do you say?”

  I say ‘yes’ because I like him and don’t want to resist how I feel. After I let Nate know where I’m going, Benedict takes me home with him.

  6

  When I open my eyes the next morning, the first thing I notice is Benedict is snoring into my ear. It’s soft, but because he’s so close, it’s undeniable, and I smother a giggle to avoid waking him.

  Last night, Benedict kept to his word. After arriving at his place, we stripped down to our underwear, climbed under the comforter, and snuggled up to one another. Him as the big spoon, me as the little, and it didn’t take long for me to pass out. In what I consider an amazing feat, we stayed in the same position the whole night.

  Cute, until I wake up needing to go to the bathroom. Wiggling out of from under his arm, trying not to wake him the whole time, I’m successful and walk softly until I reach it. A few minutes later, I wash my hands, then put some of his toothpaste on my finger and rub my teeth and tongue. Probably could look and with no doubt find an extra toothbrush but I don’t wanna take too long.

  Tiptoeing back to the bed, I slip beneath the blankets and am almost under his arm when his sleepy eyes open.

  “Hey.” His voice is low and smooth as if he wasn’t just sound asleep moments before.

  “Hi.”

  My reply comes out as a squeak because with amazing speed he’s wrapping me in his arms and pulling me close to his body so we’re touching in every place possible.

  “I haven’t slept like that in a while,” he says before dipping his head and pressing a kiss on my naked shoulder. “I almost forgot how great a full night’s rest could make me feel.”

  Between the sound of his voice, the fact his simple kiss has my whole left side tingling, and the way he’s holding me skin-to-skin, I know what I feel and it’s not anything I’ll soon forget.

  Straight and pure lust.

  Having watched him undress last night, I’m sure my body is reacting to him in a primal way. Under his civilized clothing, he’s divine. He’s muscular, his body defined, and I don’t believe he has an ounce of fat anywhere on him.

  Except his ass. He’s got a terrific ass and that’s from seeing him in his boxers. There’s a chance seeing him completely nude will cause me to faint.

  Giggling at my thoughts, he lifts his head and stares me in the eyes, his own glinting with what I’m sure are his own wicked musings.

  “You know what I like about you, Caroline?”

  I hear his words, but my eyes drop to his mouth the moment it moves, and all I can manage to say in response is, “Huh?”

  His hand, the one free below the blankets to explore my body, begins to do exactly that. From where his palm rested on my hip, he drags the tip of fingers up my side and back down, then returns, pausing on the curve of my breast.

  “I like how everything you feel and want is written all over your face.”

  “Is it? And what do I want?” I feel lame, but that’s all I can come up with since I’m distracted by the touch of his hand.

  “Me.” Cupping my breast in his hand, he gives it a gentle squeeze, using his thumb to tease the nipple as he rubs it back and forth over it. “If I touched you right now, would your body be ready? Would you be slick and ready to receive my cock deep inside you with one, quick thrust?”

  “Wow.” My eyebrows raise even as I grin, pleased with his dirty talk. “Well, that escalated quickly.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” he says, ignoring what I’ve said completely while his hands continue to roam.

  “Mmm. Why don’t you find out for yourself?” Covering his hand with mine, he lets me slide it down my body in-between the both of us. Before I can slip his hand between my legs, he stops me, my invitation clear.

  “Hands above your head,” he commands, releasing my hand and tossing the blanket aside, baring me to his eyes.

  Raising one arm and then the other, I do as he says while he readjusts my position, takes off my underwear, then opens my legs to
slide between them before I can even check him out.

  “Ben—”

  That’s as far as I get before his lips are on my lips, his tongue seeking entrance. When I give him what he wants, his left hand glides down, lifts my leg around his waist, and after a second, he does exactly as he promised he would. In one quick thrust, he’s deep inside me and my gasp is lost in his mouth, my fingers wrapping tight around the tiny posts in the headboard as my body adjusts to his size.

  Since my only sexual experience is with Nathan, I can’t help but compare. Even though I’m so turned on Benedict’s entry didn’t hurt, he is bigger. And the over-full feeling alone makes me tense up while the sensations have my whole body tingling with awareness.

  Benedict stays still, making it clear he’s paying attention to how I’m feeling, and breaks our kiss to growl against my lips, “Fuck, you’re tight. Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” The word comes out as more of a squeak and I suck in a breath at realizing something. “Please tell me you put on a—”

  He cuts me off with a brush of his mouth against mine, then says, “Yes. I woke up while you were in the bathroom and did it then. I wouldn’t break your rules.”

  Nice. Guess that’s when he took off his boxers as well. “Sneaky, but—”

  Reaching up, he grabs one of my hands and brings my arm down, sliding between our bodies until I can feel where we’re connected, and the undeniable proof. Then he lets go and I just grab ahold of the post above my head again when he pulls back out and then in once more, hard enough to take my breath away.

  “Have you ever come from simply being fucked, Caroline?”

  “N-no.”

  He chuckles, and if I had to guess, it’s in response to my stuttering. “Do you want to?”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  “Well,” he says, pausing to give me a long, sweet kiss, “can’t know ’til you try.” Flexing the hand he’s using to hold onto my left side, he moves it to grip my ass. “I’m going to hold onto this side here while I fuck you hard and fast.” With the other hand, he caresses my right thigh. “You’ll move this one as you see fit until I’m hitting you just right on the inside. Your g-spot, specifically.”

  He stares at me, and it takes me a minute to realize he’s waiting for me to say something.

  “Okay.”

  “Relax,” he says, withdrawing nice and slow when I do, then sinks back in with single, swift thrust.

  “Oh god.” It feels great, but I want to see if moving my leg will make it even better, so I spread my legs a little wider. “Do it again.”

  “I like a woman who gives direction almost as much as I enjoy giving it.”

  “Then why aren’t you—”

  He’s out and plunging back in so hard and fast the words turn into a small scream, his eyes slamming shut as he grips my ass seconds before I close my own eyes at the burst of pleasure throughout my body.

  “Grip the other side and lift just a little,” I whisper, refusing to open my eyes, and without saying a word, he does what I ask.

  And when he moves again, it’s clear I’ve found the perfect position as he does exactly as he promised, fucking me hard and fast. I can barely breathe, but I don’t even notice as stroke after stroke of his cock keeps me in an ever-increasing spiral of delicious desire. The feeling spreads through my limbs, my body going taut as the orgasm overtakes me, ripping incoherent noises from my throat before I can stop them. Benedict gives one final thrust and joins me a second later with a loud groan of his own, and then covers me with his body.

  He stays in place, and I assume he’s resting on his elbows because he’s not crushing me. I feel his lips cover mine as he gives me a soft, gentle kiss.

  “Beautiful.” He cups my face in his hand, using the pad of his thumb to caress my cheek, and chuckles as I move into his touch with a content sigh. “Caroline, look at me.”

  “Mm, mm. Not sure I can open my eyes even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. ‘Cuz wow.”

  He replaces the feel of his thumb with his lips, giving me small pecks on the cheek, down to my lips, and back again. Finally lowering my arms, I wrap them around his neck and when his mouth connects with mine again, I move to capture his bottom lip with the bite of my teeth. When I release it, he returns the action in kind with a growl, then says against my mouth, “Be right back.”

  “Mmkay.” Dropping my arms to the bed with the realization he’s going to clean up, my eyes remain closed as he climbs off me, leaving me and my nude lethargic body all alone.

  And I don’t remember him returning to me since I fall asleep.

  7

  Benedict’s cooking in the kitchen when I wake up an hour later and go to find him.

  “Tell you what,” he says with a laugh as I enter and sit down at the table, my face flaming. “That’s the first time I’ve ever put a woman to sleep by having sex with her. My life is complete.”

  “Shut up.”

  He doesn’t, continuing to chuckle as he walks over with spatula in hand, and leans over to kiss me on the lips before stepping back with a smile. “Coffee? Orange juice? Vodka?”

  “Vod—” I hold up a hand, confused. “What? Why would I want vodka with breakfast?”

  He shrugs, walking back over to the stove and stirring something, chuckling once again. “Hey, I didn’t know what you like to drink in the morning. So what’ll it be?”

  “Uh, orange juice, I guess.” Finally noticing the delicious smell of breakfast, my stomach grumbles, and I cover it with my hands. “Whatcha making?”

  “Eggs. Bacon. Sausage. Good for you?”

  “Yummy.” Standing up, I feel a stretch coming on and lift my arms, rising up on my tiptoes while letting out a yawn.

  Before I can even return to my original position, Benedict is across the room, lifting me off the ground and sitting me on the tabletop.

  “God, you’re beautiful.” With one hand on the back of my neck, his other hand lands on my thigh, moving up and up until it slides between my legs. When he finds nothing impeding his touch from going further, he groans, and pulls his hand away. “Shit. Why didn’t you put your underwear on? And you’re real fucking hot in my shirt. I’m gonna fuck you with it on.”

  “What you’re gonna do is burn the eggs,” is all I say even though his arousing words have me wanting him to make good on his statement.

  With a curse, he steps away and whirls around, heading back to the stove as I hop down off the table.

  “I’ll get some juice — and something to wipe the table off with.”

  Neither of us say anything as I do as I’ve said and he finishes cooking the food. Then, when we’re both at the table with our plates in front of us, the silence while we eat is companionable. And once again, I can’t help but compare it to my life with Nathan.

  Any time Nathan and I are together, he’s usually speaking a mile a minute — about his work, about Rissa, about his grand plans for himself or for both of us, etcetera — and I’m the one listening with a smile on my face. Of course, Nathan would listen if I had a lot to say, but I don’t in general. I’ve always been the more quiet one of both of us. And it’s never been an issue, the fact we clicked that way perfect in our minds.

  And now…well, now I’m having breakfast in peace and quiet, with the occasional hot glance from Benedict making me wish we were back in bed. My desire is reflected in his gaze and I know he wishes he were touching me instead of eating.

  God, the sex had blown my mind. He’d joked he’d never put a woman to sleep, but in truth, I’d never fallen asleep after sex in the morning either. It’s always energized me and got me going, but the sex with him and the orgasm…wow indeed. I’ve had regular orgasms — by my own hand or with Nathan — and yet, none of them have ever fucking felt like the one earlier had.

  “If you keep giving me that ‘fuck me’ look, you won’t be finishing breakfast, Caroline.”

  His words jolt me out of my reverie, where I realize I’m staring at him quite r
udely, and biting my lip to boot. With a blush, I take a drink of my juice, averting my eyes as I say, “You really like saying my name, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. It rolls off my tongue nicely.” Putting down his fork and pushing his plate away and to the side, he holds out a hand to me. “C’mere.”

  When I focus on him once more and hesitate, he uses his other hand to pull my plate toward him, lifting a brow in question. Then, he pats his lap while pushing his chair a little bit away from the table so there’s enough room for me to join him.

  Placing my hand in the one he holds out, I stand up and walk the few steps to him. He pulls me down into his lap, making sure I’m facing away, and moves my hair to one side before pressing a kiss on my neck.

  “Eat,” he murmurs in my ear, giving the top of it a small nip with his teeth at the same time he spreads open my legs like he wants them. “Can’t let the birthday girl starve.”

  He’s not wearing anything but a pair of shorts, and I can feel his erection pressing against my ass. Ignoring it, I pick up a piece of bacon and take a bite, my action simultaneous with Benedict’s hand sliding up my thigh, then cupping me between my legs.

  When he slips one finger inside of me, followed by a second, the rest of my food is forgotten. Pushing it to the side, my head falls forward, and I grip the edge of the table as I move into his hand.

  After another kiss on the nape of my neck, he slowly stretches me, inserting another finger before curling his hand and stroking the spot he’d fucked a response out of earlier. A whimper slips past my lips as the pleasure of his touch sends sparks of arousal to every inch of me.

  “Listen to me, Caroline,” he says with a small laugh, removing his hand before sliding them around to cup my ass. “Lift up and hold yourself that way for a minute.”

  Doing as he says, his hands leave me and I hear rustling, followed by the distinct sound of him opening up a condom packet. “God, you planned this?”