Not able to wait, I push my jeans and boxers down over my arse and pull her knickers aside, exposing exactly what I want.
Rubbing the head of my cock through her folds, she arches once again, trying to find more of what I have to offer.
I don’t give her the chance to ask for it. The second I find her entrance, I slide into her heat. Her walls ripple around me and I swallow down the roar that threatens to tear from my lips.
Gripping onto her hips, my fingers dig in, leaving me no doubt that she’ll have a nice reminder of this moment in the morning when she looks down.
I thrust up into her, and she cries out in pleasure, the first signs of her orgasm already showing.
Lifting her arse a little, I find the perfect position to get her off, my memory of what she likes front and centre of my mind. She cries out once again before she falls over the edge. The tightness of her muscles squeezing my cock has me falling with her and I release everything I have inside her.
“Bedroom,” she breathes without even opening her eyes.
I’m still inside her as we crash against the wall at the top of the stairs and eventually make it to her bedroom door and tumble inside.
Dropping her to her bed, I make quick work of removing the clothing that’s still on my body. If she thinks a quick, angry fuck is it for us, then she’s got another think coming.
She’s still laid out when I step up to her and pull her dress from around her waist. It’s quickly followed by her underwear until there’s nothing between us. Climbing on top of her, my hands land on her cheeks and I stare into her eyes as I try to convince myself that this is real. Our breaths mingle and our chests heave. Eventually, my need for her has me dropping my lips to hers. I trail my lips down her jaw and drop them to her breasts, continuing what we started on the stairs.
She whimpers above me and chants my name as I suck one and then the other into my mouth.
“Ben. Please,” she begs.
Unable to deny her anything, I slide my hand down her body and circle her clit.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, finding her soaked with the evidence of our previous encounter.
She sucks in a breath when my finger teases her entrance. Her entire body trembles with her desperation for release. Hunger and want fills me with my desire to be the one to give her what she needs.
Finding her entrance, I push one and then two fingers inside her while still licking at her breast. Her breathing increases and her moans get louder.
Just before she’s about to fall over the edge, I remove all contact.
Climbing down the bed, I force her thighs apart and stare at her.
She props herself up on her elbows and looks down her body at me. The sight alone almost makes the last six years worth it.
I already knew that I never stopped loving her, but in this moment, with my heart pounding in my chest, I’m surer than ever that she’s the only one for me.
I open my mouth to say something, but obviously sensing it’s going to be something she can’t handle, she softly shakes her head.
Trying to put everything I need to say to her to the back of my mind, I focus on the task in hand.
With my hands on her thighs, keeping her legs wide, I lower my head and circle my tongue around her clit.
She moans when I start to add more pressure—I’m desperate to hear the noise she makes when I tip her over the edge.
The fact that we’re not alone in the house is far from my mind as I slide two fingers inside her and find the place that will ensure an earth-shattering release.
“Oh god, oh god,” she chants as I feel the beginnings of her orgasm.
Upping my efforts, I press my tongue harder against her until her entire body tenses under me.
My name is a cry on her lips as her body shatters into a million pieces. I continue stroking her, ensuring it lasts as long as possible. If she remembers one thing tomorrow about this day, then I want to make damn sure it’s this.
Her eyes are dazed and glassy when I climb on top of her. Wasting no time, I shift her up higher and slam my lips down on hers. She moans the second her tongue slides against mine, and I know it’s because she can taste herself on me.
With one hand holding the back of her head, the other explores her body. I tease her breast and nipple before finding her pussy once again. She’s writhing against my fingers almost immediately.
She’s been waiting for this moment for six years, just like I have. There’s so much I want to say to her right now, but I keep the words inside, scared that one wrong move might be the end. I’m nowhere near ready to walk away from this, but I know it’s going to happen. I just need to make the most of the time I have.
She might be fully on-board with this right now, but I’ve no doubt she’s going to regret it. If I was less of an arsehole, I might stop, but I’m fucking powerless to walk away from this woman.
“I need you.” I don’t need to hear any more. In one move, I’m lined up at her entrance and gently pressing inside.
“Look at me,” I demand, pulling back from her lips. She does as I say, and her eyelids flicker open until I’m staring down into her eyes, into her soul. “Me and you,” I whisper as I thrust. “Always.”
Everything falls into place the moment I’m inside her once again. This is where I’m meant to be. Where I belong.
“What’s wrong?” Looking into her concerned eyes, I realise that I’ve stopped moving.
I can see that warning on her face once again, so I swallow down my words and resume what I started. I thrust into her, and her back arches from the bed and her eyes close.
Dropping my head to her neck, I set about making her scream once again.
Chapter Eight
I roll us over so she’s on top. With my hands on her hips, I help her move as she brings us both closer to our releases.
“Lauren,” I grunt. I’m so close, but I need her to come first. I need to feel her squeezing my cock tight. “Let me feel you.”
She moves her hands from where she was playing with her tits and runs one down her stomach. I watch its descent, desperate to see her bring herself to orgasm.
Her mouth drops open when she finds her clit and I feel the first signs of her impending release.
“That’s it. Let go, Lauren.” She throws her head back and screams at my demand as she clamps down on me so hard that it forces me into my own release.
I groan as I empty everything I have inside her. Six years of waiting, of imagining I’d get the chance again has a lump growing in my throat and tears stinging my eyes. I feel like a pussy, but I can’t help it. I’ve never felt anything with the other women, and now I’m here, everything is starting to bubble over.
Looking forward, Lauren gazes down at me. Her emotions are clear as day on her face. Thankfully, it isn’t regret that is staring back at me. The sadness over what today held is too strong to allow anything else in.
Running my hands around her back, I encourage her to lie down on my chest.
The second our skin connects her body starts trembling. I’ve no idea what to do to help, other than just hold her.
We stay locked in our embrace for the longest time. The after-effects of my orgasm have long since faded, but having her naked body pressed up against mine ensures my arousal isn’t too far away.
I start to think she’s fallen asleep and wonder what I should do for the best when I feel her start to kiss the tattoo on my neck. Her lips move over the ink and goosebumps race across my skin.
“It says regret,” I whisper, feeling the need to explain just a small part of the tattoo that wasn’t there before.
She sucks in a breath and stills. I panic that I’ve said the wrong thing, that I’ve fucked up, but after a second, her fingertip tickles across the ink on my pec.
“You always said you’d get more. They’re incredible.”
I know the moment she finds it. She stops and every muscle in her body tenses as she sits up and stares down at me.
“Lauren?”
“W-why…why is that there?” She doesn’t take her eyes away from the place where her name is inked onto my skin.
“I told you, I never forgot anything about you. Nothing’s ever changed for me.” Reaching out, I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and the gentle touch has her eyes finding mine.
“But—”
Placing my fingers over her lips, I whisper, “Not now. Not tonight.”
Rolling her over, I go into her en suite to find a cloth to clean her up with.
My heart jumps into my throat when I return and find her still naked on the bed. Everything I’m desperate to say to her is on the tip of my tongue, but I know she’ll never accept it. Not right now, anyway.
Climbing back on to the bed, I encourage her to open her legs and gently clean her up with the warm cloth.
“I didn’t use—”
“I’m on the pill,” she whispers, regret starting to creep into her tone.
I nod, not really giving a fuck if she wasn’t. She’s mine, and I’m going to make sure she damn well knows it.
Getting the sense she’s about to send me away, I drop the cloth, pull her into my arms and press my lips to hers. I’m not ready to let her go yet.
Our exhaustion eventually drags us under because, before I know it, I’m opening my eyes to find the room full of sunlight.
Reaching out, I hope to find Lauren sleeping beside me. I need her soft skin pressed up against mine again to remind me that last night wasn’t just one incredible dream. Finding the side of the bed next to me empty, my heart drops.
“You need to leave.” Déjà vu hits me.
“You need to stop this, Lauren.”
“Me?” she asks as if she wasn’t a willing participant last night.
“You’re the one who keeps inviting me here.”
“I don’t think I ever—” I raise an eyebrow at her, and she trails off. She knows as well as I do that she wanted it last night. The blush on her cheeks isn’t the only evidence.
Throwing the covers off, I shift to the edge of the bed and then stand. Her eyes drop from my face to feast on my body. Hours in the gym as well as surfing means it’s a little different to what she was used to. Her chin drops and her tongue licks across her bottom lip. She can try to pretend all she likes that she’s not interested anymore, but her body tells a different story.
After a few seconds, she realises what she’s doing. “Jesus, Ben. Put it away.” Putting her hand up to cover my junk, she casts her eye to the corner of the room.
“You weren’t complaining last night.” I take a step towards her and push her outstretched arm away. She takes one back, bumping against the door frame.
She swallows and her features harden. “Last night shouldn’t have happened.”
“But—”
“No buts, Ben. It shouldn’t have happened. Our time together ended the moment you walked out. I’m over it…I’ve moved on.”
Her words are the reminder I need. She’s taken, yet she spent the night with me. My teeth grind and my fists clench at the thought of her being with someone else.
The cactus sitting on the sideboard beside her catches my eye and I take a few seconds to look around the room I no longer recognise because it looks like a guest room, not one that someone lives in.
When I find her eyes, she knows I’ve figured it out.
“No,” I shout. “No, Lauren. This is bullshit.”
“This bullshit is my life.”
“Why the hell are you here if you don’t live here?”
“To look after your mum. Someone had to do it, seeing as she was convinced her only child was dead.”
Lifting my hands to my head, I take a step away and try to collect my thoughts. As true as her statement is, it seriously hurts.
“This isn’t how it’s meant to be, Lauren.”
“You don’t need to tell me that. I didn’t choose any of this. I was happy. I knew exactly what I wanted and you…you shattered it.”
“You think I chose this? You think I walked away without a second thought?”
“Well, didn’t you?”
“No, Lauren. I never once chose to walk away from you. The only thing I wanted was you. The only thing I still want is you. I- I—”
“No. You can’t do this. It’s too late…it’s too late,” she repeats as she side-steps me and storms from the room.
I stare at the closed door she leaves behind her for the longest time. Last night, when she was in my arms, everything felt right again for the first time since I walked away from this house. I knew it wasn’t going to last forever, but this right now hurts more than I was expecting it to. How I still feel about her was about to fall from my lips, and she walked away. I guess it’s what I deserve, karma or some shit, but fuck if the ache in my chest isn’t worse than it’s ever been right now.
As much as I want to spend the rest of the day in what was her bed, where so many of my memories are, I collect up my clothes and head towards my own room.
I’m just closing her door when someone in the hallway makes me look up. I find Mum at the top of the stairs, staring at me. I’m grateful I went to the effort of putting my boxers on before leaving the room.
“Do you think that was the best idea?”
The last thing I need right now is having her questioning me and making me feel like a kid again. I haven’t had to answer to anyone but myself for years, and I’m not intending to start now.
“Fuck knows, but it’s happened now, hasn’t it?”
Her chin drops at my harsh tone, and I make my escape. I’m thankful that she looked better than she did yesterday, but selfishly, she isn’t my main priority right now.
Hanging around the house all day feeling sorry for myself isn’t an option.
Once I’m showered and dressed, I make sure Mum’s okay and apologise for snapping at her this morning before heading towards the office. There’s plenty to do to keep me distracted.
I wasn’t really expecting Lauren to be here, but I’m kind of relieved when I see that I’m right. She obviously needs time to get her head together after what happened. I might not feel guilty about us spending the night together, but I’m sure as shit that she does.
The moment I walk in, Erica is up from her chair and heading my way. She has a weird look on her face as she approaches. She shocks the shit out of me when she doesn’t stop at a reasonable distance and instead slams into me and throws her arms around my waist.
I return the gesture and carefully guide her into the office, away from prying eyes.
“Erica, are you—”
I don’t get to finish my question because she pulls away from me and looks up. “I’m sorry for going off on you like that the other day. It wasn’t fair for me to blame everything on you. It’s just…I missed you.” She whispers the last bit, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.
“Aw, you missed me?” She laughs as I ruffle her hair like a little kid, but a strange tension continues to radiate from her. Falling down into the office chair behind the desk, I watch as she wrings her hands in front of her and shifts from foot to foot. “What’s wrong?”
Her eyes find mine and I swallow when I sense the seriousness of whatever she’s about to say.
“You slept with Lauren. What were you thinking?” My eyes widen. I was not expecting those words to fall from her lips. “If it was that she’d have one roll around in the sack with you and forget all about what happened, then you’ll be bitterly disappointed, Ben.”
“I know, it’s just…I saw her with him yesterday and…”
“And?”
“I just couldn’t fucking stand the thought of his hands on what’s mine.”
“She’s not yours. She hasn’t been for a long time. You gave that up the minute you walked away. Joe’s been there for her when she needed someone the most. He’s a good guy.”
Guilt finally starts to niggle at me. I’ve no doubt that he’s a good guy. If Lauren thinks he’s g
ood enough for her, then he probably is. “Is that meant to make me feel any better?”
“No. I’m just telling you how it is. She’s been living with him for a while now. I haven’t seen her so happy for a long time.”
“This isn’t helping.”
She shrugs and watches as I power up the computer. “So what’s the plan?”
“With Lauren? Fuck knows.”
“No, I meant for this place.”
“Business as usual, I guess. It shouldn’t take me too long to get back into it, especially when I’ve got seasoned pros around like you, of course.” The more I say, the paler Erica’s face gets. “Now what?”
“How much do you know about the state of the business?”
“Not much, but there’s more staff on the payroll than I ever knew and looking at some of the jobs running and the profit margins, things appear to be good…but I’m sensing that might not be the case?”
Erica looks like she’s about to throw up. Dread fills my stomach for what’s about to come. “Yeah, that’s how it looks.”
“Go on…”
She lets out a breath, then looks behind her to make sure the door’s shut. “I don’t think I need to spell out to you what kind of man Nick was.” When I don’t respond she lowers her voice and continues. “The business is in real trouble, Ben. There’s no money.”
“But—”
“I know. I know exactly how it looks, because he made me make it look that way.”
The ball of dread explodes and my heart starts to race at the thought of him ruining part of my heritage. “You need to start explaining, Erica.”
“He started investing the profits. It was fine to start with, but then a few went wrong. He borrowed some money to keep up with wages, but everything spiralled to the point that he couldn’t cover it up anymore. So I questioned him when he started demanding that I fudge the numbers.”
“I bet that went down well,” I mutter, knowing all too well how much he hated to be questioned, even when he was in the wrong.
“I was in a rough place at the time. He knew it and used it to his advantage.” Erica doesn’t look at me as she says this and my stomach twists.
Losing the Forbidden: Forbidden Series #2 Page 6
