Her mouth dropped open and a look of horror flickered in her eyes. “Please tell me you’re joking. That you’re not going to be the prof for Intro to Business?”
Ben used his thumbs to press against the muscle knots in the back of my shoulder and neck. “Wish I could say that I wasn’t, but that’s the class I’m teaching.”
Susie groaned as she sunk into the back of the chair and covered her eyes with the back of her hand. The whole action reminded me of old movies where the women swooned. “Great. Now I’ll have to put up with all those young girls blushing and twittering about how sexy the prof is.” She sounded so disgruntled and put-out that I couldn’t help but laugh even as a shot of jealousy pierced me.
The grip of Ben’s fingers tightened as if he was trying to keep me from fleeing. “They may do that, but you know that I never stray that way.”
Her gaze dropped to me and heat began to crawl up my cheeks. He couldn’t… She couldn’t… It wasn’t… I breathed out a sigh of relief as another woman, this one appearing a little older than me, stepped up next to Susie.
“Did I hear that you’re going to have Ben as your prof, Susie. If so, you have my sympathies.” The woman held out her hand and gave Susie a fist bump.
“Et tu, Kaitlyn?”
The new woman shrugged her lips and smiled. “It’s true and you know it. Until they realize that you don’t look at them like that and that your tests are brutal, the new girls always act like that during your classes.”
Ben’s right hand slid a little higher so that it brushed my throat, reminding me of how he’d cuffed my throat the night before while he rocked my world. I bit my lip at the thought of how his cock felt inside of me and how Caleb fisted himself watching. And to my horror, I could feel the heat of the memory spread through my body. As if he felt the same thing, Ben shifted, standing close enough to my back that I could feel his hardness pressing into my ribs over the lower-than-normal-rise chair back. “And that’s why I make those first few tests so tough. It separates those who want to learn from those who come for other reasons.”
The old bell that Ben installed earlier over the front door rang as a new older woman walked in.
“Shit.” He gave the base of my throat a little squeeze. “I better go and deal with this.”
Susie and Kaitlyn looked over their shoulders and then began to laugh. At my bewildered look, Susie placed her hand on my leg. “That’s Mrs. Landry, Ben’s mom. And since Mrs. Bishop organized this little work party, I’m guessing Ben didn’t tell her…” She wiggled her eyebrows and I assumed the words she left unsaid meant that Ben hadn’t mentioned me to his mother.
I blushed. I know I did since both women looked like the cat that drank the cream. “It’s not—”
“You don’t have to explain. We know. And we’re happy for you and him.”
“Don’t you mean for them?” Susie elbowed Kaitlyn. Her question confused me. The woman had mentioned both Ben and me even if they had the wrong idea so why the emphasis on them. Unless… but. They couldn’t know that I’d been with Caleb as well, could they?
“Yeah. That’s what I meant.” For some reason, her words dripped with sorrow and longing.
“Kaitlyn?” Mrs. Bishop called from where a couple of ladies stood over by the tea display shelving.
“Be right there.” She turned her gaze on me. “We’ll catch up later. Maybe have a ladies’ night soon?”
“Is she…” I started to ask Susie, but I couldn’t finish the thought. Did I want to know if Kaitlyn liked either Ben or Caleb?
Susie shrugged. “Kaitlyn’s eight years older than me, so while we grew up in the same town, she was in a different circle. I met her through my friend Jonathon”—her cheeks developed a light shade of pink as she said his name, and I made a mental note to find out more at a more appropriate time—“who went to school with her. She was best friends with two guys, Geoff, who is a large animal vet, and Tyler, who moved away during university and never returned. The rumour mill says that there had to be some type of lovers spat between them because when she talks to Geoff, it’s all formal. Not like best friends.”
And that poured cold water all over my hot tea, changing the flavour and giving it a bad taste in my mouth. Even if Ben and Caleb wanted something longer term with me, Kaitlyn was an example of my future. Did I really want to end up not talking to them when we had to share this small town?
Chapter 10
Isabella
Not wanting to think about my future or Ben and Caleb any further, I changed the subject. “So, what other rumours or town secrets should I know about?”
“Is, stick with me and I won’t steer you wrong. Although you’re closer to the best sources than I am. Ben and Caleb probably hear it all from their mothers…” Susie pursed her lips. “And their fathers.” She laughed.
I chuckled to join in, but I didn’t really understand. The life I led with my parents was so different and since I didn’t agree with their lifestyle, I spent most of my time in England with my Nana or at school activities away from them.
The bell rang again. This time it admitted a tall man wearing a ball cap and a light layer of dark scruff on his cheeks and chin. His chest easily measured twice the size of mine and each defined muscle could be seen under the tightness of his black t-shirt. A quintessential bad boy if I ever saw one, although his harsh look softened when his gaze landed on a teenage girl who was busy pulling out bags of loose leaf tea from the boxes.
“W-who’s that?”
“That’s—”
“Susie, we need your help getting these boxes put up,” Mrs. Bishop called. I was beginning to understand more about Caleb. His mother would have made a great drill sergeant with the way she organized the women and kept things on track. But I could also tell that she had a heart of gold. It made me wonder about what type of man his father was since I saw so many of his mother’s qualities in him.
“I’ll tell you after.” She leaned in and gave me a swift hug. My body tensed, not having been ready for such a personal touch, but she released me before I could even respond. “I think that we’re going to be great friends.” She bounced up, grabbed the back of the chair when her body swayed a little, and then took off at a steady pace to where the women waited. I glanced over to the women and saw a number of looks of concern that fell from their faces as she joined them. Again, I wondered at the cause.
The teenage girl near the women finished with the box, stood and stretched, holding her arms over her head. A soft groan from the man who continued to stand near the door drew her gaze. “Jason. What are you doing here?”
The bad boy who appeared many years older than the teenage girl prowled toward her. “I’m here for you, Katy.” Her eyes lit up, and I could almost see the stars in her eyes. “Your mother was called into work, taking the car. But she knew you wanted to go shopping today so she asked if I could take you.”
The stars fell from her eyes. “You don’t have to. It wasn’t anything big.”
He reached out, holding her elbow in the palm of his hand. If I hadn’t been watching so closely, I would have missed the shiver that went through her when he touched her. I remembered how some of my classmates were with some older men when I was a teenager. The look of a crush was one I knew well. It had been a safety mechanism since I didn’t want to talk to any of the working staff or teachers that some of the more popular girls had their eyes on. To do so would have resulted in bullying and as someone who had been singularly focused on my academics, I’d been bullied enough.
“Hey, I wanted to. I told you a few weeks ago that when you were ready, I’d take you, remember?”
She placed her hand on his forearm and leaned in as she kept her gaze on the floor. It meant that she missed his unguarded look of love, but I didn’t. When his gaze had first softened when looking at her, I’d thought that maybe they were related. And his initial words seemed to confirm it although the signs of her crush muddied the water. But this, that look of love was
unmistakable. I wondered if anyone else knew. Did I need to tell anyone? I wasn’t sure of Katy’s age, but since he mentioned her mother taking the car, I assumed she was sixteen which would make any relationship between them legal. So maybe no one cared? Although the longer I watched them together, I didn’t know what to make of it. While there were obvious feelings there, I didn’t think they were together like that.
“Jason.” At the sound of Ben’s voice, Jason released his hold on Katy and stepped away. “Glad to see you here. It saves me a trip, trying to track you down.”
“I’m glad to be of service.” The restrained laughter in his voice gave me yet another insight into Jason. While his looks screamed bad boy, the way he spoke and the way he dealt with Katy contradicted it.
Ben motioned over to me, and the two of them walked toward my side. Katy followed and when she slowed, Jason reached back, sliding his hand around her back to propel her forward.
“This is Isabella, the owner of this place. And when the two of us talked yesterday about her plans, she mentioned how she wanted to do some renovations in the kitchen and the rooms on the other side of the house where the living and dining room used to be. But she seemed to be having some problems connecting with the contractors in Winnipeg that she’d been suggested. I know that you’re pretty busy, but I wondered if you might have room for her project and could do it sooner than late September or October.”
The man, Jason, stuck out his hand. “Hi. I’m Jason, and I’m sorry for your injury.” I shook his hand and smiled. “I’m also the owner of Proud Bi Construction and I could easily take a look at what you need done. If you’re able to, I could take a quick look now?” He glanced down at Katy as if to ask if she was okay with what he said. She nodded.
“Sure. I need to get up anyway.” I started to lift my leg off the pillow, but Ben placed his hand on it, stopping me.
“Why do you need to get up?”
“Because I need the bathroom.”
Ben’s cheeks turned a little pink, but he grinned. “Then I will help you.” He lifted my foot off the pillow, handed me the crutches, and then lifted me off the chair with his hands on my waist. As I stood pressed against his chest while I tried to get my crutches sorted, he leaned in, brushing his lips against my ears. “I’ll help with the bathroom as well since it’ll be a private place where I can kiss you again.”
My breath hitched, and suddenly I didn’t feel too steady on my feet. Instead, I swayed into his chest. Yeah. I wanted to kiss him as well. All his little teasing touches, his cuffing of my neck, the press of his hard cock against my back, it all kept me in a heightened state of arousal. As much as I was grateful for all the help, I couldn’t wait for them all to leave so that I could get my hands on Ben.
He propped me up after giving a quick suck on my ear lobe to confirm I wasn’t the only one suffering. And together we led Jason and Katy to the other side of the house where I explained my plans for the tea service and what work I needed done.
Ben
As soon as the door closed behind my mother, leaving me alone with Isabella, I breathed a sigh of relief. At least with all the other women here, my mother couldn’t go overboard on her prying about my relationship, or if I had one, with Isabella. Not that mom didn’t give me dirty looks or stop from watching me like a hawk. And then she insisted on staying behind to talk since Caleb’s mom had come early. Thankfully, Mrs. Bishop encouraged Mom to join them all for a late lunch at Daisy’s Diner since that was where she’d booked a reservation. It meant that Mom only spent a short time talking and couldn’t question Isabella too deeply about her personal life.
“Wow. I can’t believe all those people came to help me. And look how much they got done. I think I could almost open tomorrow.” Isabella beamed as she turned in a slow circle. I watched her carefully, ready to jump if I saw her wobble, but I knew she needed this moment to herself.
She stopped when she faced me. A large smile split her face. This look was something I wanted to see every day. And to know that I was partly responsible for it… priceless. “Thank you.”
I cocked an eyebrow, wondering why she was thanking me. Caleb had told his mother which had set the plan in motion.
“This would not have been possible without you.”
“I’m not sure where you got that idea. I didn’t do anything.”
She scoffed as she held up a hand, ticking off each finger as she spoke. “The paint on the wall. Helping to put together the short shelving units and moving them into place. Connecting me with Jason and getting him to put me on the schedule in two weeks.”
The paint hadn’t been all me. Sure, I paid for the supplies and the paint, but it had been Yvette, a retired interior decorator, whom Mrs. Bishop called to help out, who picked out the colour and gave Isabella some ideas for her tea service rooms. As for the rest, I wasn’t fully responsible for them either… other than the shelving units. Those I did build to prove to the women that I could.
I stalked toward her, unable to maintain a distance from her any longer. “Then you’re welcome.” I wrapped my hands around her hips, holding her tight. “And I’d do it all again. Every day if needed.”
She sucked in a deep breath as her pupils dilated. I kept hinting at the fact that Caleb and I wanted her for forever, but I could see she didn’t believe me yet. But that was okay because I wasn’t about to let her go.
“I mean it. I won’t be easy to get rid of.” Her luscious lips beckoned me. And with no one there to witness it, I gave in, leaning down and pressing my lips to hers. With each swipe of my tongue, I could taste the sweetness from the second chocolate petit four that I’d given her to eat when I handed her the set of pills Caleb said she needed.
“You taste so good. So sweet.” I slid my hands down over her ass, massaging and kneading her full globes. I couldn’t wait to take her from behind, to see my handprint there as I plowed into her. She’d taken so well to the physical restraint I’d used holding her wrists and then when I cuffed her neck. It set off all my needs, and I couldn’t wait to see how far she’d let me go, giving me her submission.
Maybe when I took her from behind, Caleb would be in front of her, sticking his cock down her throat? I moaned at the idea, and she jumped at the opportunity to invade my mouth with her tongue. She brushed it against mine, twisting around it like she was following the lines on a candy cane. I relished the sensation, letting her lead for a bit longer, but I wanted more. My cock wanted more.
And unfortunately, this wasn’t the place to do what I wanted to. Maybe later, once there were curtains or blinds or if it was dark outside. Then I’d take her up against the wall and fuck her until she couldn’t walk. Once we did that, I’d carry her over to the low shelves, spread her across them, and eat from her until my chin dripped. Then I’d slide into her again, holding her still with my hand on her throat as I made love to her. Slow. Sweet. Sensual.
My cock pressed against the zipper of my jeans. With her around, the risk of developing a permanent zipper imprint increased. Just looking at her, heck, thinking of her, was enough to get a rise. As a man of thirty-four, almost thirty-five, I’d long outgrown spontaneous erections, but she made me feel that way again.
I pulled away from her kiss, but pulled her closer to my hips so that she wouldn’t miss the long, hard bulge. “Maybe we should take this home? Eat in bed. Naked. With Caleb.”
“Yes, please.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” I kissed the tip of her nose as I carried her over to the chair where she’d spent most of the morning. “I’ll give Caleb a quick call to tell him of the change of location.”
She licked her lips and my cock jumped.
Home.
Now.
Or I’d be making a public declaration that I wasn’t sure she wanted just yet.
Chapter 11
Caleb
The sounds of skin slapping skin, of higher pitched moans and husky groans met my ears as I stepped inside our house. My cheeks ached
from the size of my smile. The food in my arms would wait. The treat in the bedroom was all the food I’d need. Although I’d make sure that Isabella ate some when we were finished. Skipping supper last night had been okay, but I wanted to make sure she ate all her meals. Her body needed the extra energy to heal and the sex took even more.
I shoved the bag into the fridge after removing my shoes in the mud room. Once my hands were free, I began to tear off my clothes as I made my way to the bedroom. The moans picked up in volume and speed. If I hurried, I’d be there in time to watch her orgasm. The way her eyes rolled back, the flush to her skin, the look of ecstasy, I wanted to see that until I died. Before her, while I made sure my other partners enjoyed themselves, I didn’t really think about or watch them. But it was completely different with her. I watched her every movement. Cataloguing what made each thing happen. I even scrutinized what Ben did.
Until last night, with all the times we’d shared a woman, I’d never just sat and watched the woman he was with while I jacked off. Usually, I touched her, tweaking her nipples to help her come faster so we could end. But last night, I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
We shared because it was convenient. And because we liked to do things together. Not due to some voyeur tendency. But with her… voyeurism looked good.
I leaned naked against the door jamb in the open doorway and watched.
Ben had her up on her knees, but he’d taken the time to build up a stack of pillows that not only raised her foot, but also propped her hip out to the side. This way none of her weight pressed on her injured tissues. Her ass glowed a light red, and I could almost make out a handprint. It had to be the source of the slapping I’d heard when I came home since Ben currently enjoyed the feast spread before him.
Propped up under her, I could see his tongue as he drove it in between her lower lips before pulling it out and tracing her clit. Her fingers turned white from the force of her clench on the sheets. And each time she rocked against him, trying to push his tongue into a spot she wanted, he stepped and swatted her ass. But as a punishment, the spanking failed. Each hit brought forth a moan from her as fluid dribbled down her thighs and a groan from Ben as he licked the fluid up.
Eat Your Heart Out: A Romance Charity Anthology Page 13
