Seduced by the Anti-Hero

by Fine, L. J.

  The kiss he gave her then was greedy, wet and filthy. And she loved it.

  Grabbing her behind the knee, he lifted her left leg higher upward and farther outward so that he could go deeper. He pulled almost the whole way out then slammed back into her and stopped. That’s when he started rotating his hips, brushing the top of her slit with each pass and rubbing right up against her G-spot with unerring accuracy. All sense of sanity left her.

  “Yeah,” he ground out. “Take it. Take it deeper, Sugar.” He started to thrust again, his rhythm fast and hard. “Feel me fucking you.”

  “Ben.” The name spilt from her lips on a broken sob.

  His free hand moved from her hip to rub over her clit with his thumb. It only took one pass and she went off like a rocket. She dug her nails into his back as she screamed wordlessly and fireworks went off behind her eyes.

  All the while he fucked her through it, then murmured against her lips, “You’re gonna make me come so hard, Emma.”

  Just those words alone were enough to send her body back up that hill to teeter on the edge of another orgasm. So she thought she would add some words of her own, knowing now what it took to set him off.

  “I want it,” she whispered. “Give me your cum, baby.”

  He growled and she shivered, her thighs trembling around his waist. He looked down at her with hooded eyes and licked his lips. Needing to taste him, she arched up and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, letting her teeth scrape across his flesh before she released him.

  That did it. He let go on a deep, full-throated moan. She felt his body shake as his cock pulsed inside her, once, twice, then a third and fourth time. His tremors set off her orgasm as his hot cum flooded her inner walls.

  When his release passed through him, he collapsed on top of her and she welcomed the weight of him, loving how his big body pressed her into the mattress as he buried his face in the hollow of her neck.

  Eventually, after long moments, he rolled off her onto his back beside her. It occurred to her as they lay there relearning how to breathe, how completely dazed she felt. Exhausted in the best possible way.

  “What’s with that cute little smile on your face, Sugar?” Until his rough voice reached her ears, she hadn’t even been aware that she was smiling. And he thought it was cute? For some reason, that thought had her heart fluttering pleasantly but she couldn’t fathom why.

  “Oh, nothing. That was just…intense.” And she wouldn’t change a single detail.

  The amused grunt she got as a response made her smile wider.

  “And,” she said, facing him only to find him staring at her. “I didn’t need to say coffee once.”

  His amber eyes warmed before his gaze dropped to her mouth. Licking his lips, he said, “I’m glad.”

  They lay there like that for a while, in companionable silence and when she snuggled up to his side to rest her head on his chest, he surprised her by wrapping his arm around her to pull her closer.

  Idly, she ran her fingers up and down his chest, then lower to trace the roped muscle of his abdomen. As her fingers came back up she traced his ribs and felt the rough skin of his elongated scar. The question of how he had acquired this lovely little souvenir once again entered her mind. The need to know more about him – any scrap of information that he was willing to give – bubbled up inside her. She had slept with him twice now, both mind-blowing, body-rocking experiences, but she still knew virtually nothing about him. The man was an enigma that her natural curiosity wouldn’t leave alone.

  In her completely satisfied, post-coitus state, the question popped out of her mouth before her brain could engage to think better of it.

  “Where did you get this?” she asked tracing the puckered skin on his side.

  It was a fairly innocuous question, so it somewhat startled her when his entire body stiffened against her. The idle way his fingers had been sifting through her hair ceased abruptly.

  A split second after he had gone all rigid, he relaxed into her again, taking her hand that ran over his scar into his own and twining their fingers. But she had felt him tense up, he hadn’t been quick enough to hide that from her.

  “It was something stupid. Me and Adam jacking around when we were kids. The scar is just a nice reminder not to climb suspicious-looking trees over wooden fences. No big deal.”

  That story might have held some weight had he been able to meet her eyes while telling it. And though his body felt loose and at ease against hers once more, his impersonation of a brick wall was uncanny. Sooo, sensitive subject? Not wanting to pry, she let it drop but her curiosity only burned brighter at his evasion.

  Rising up on his elbow, he peered over her body to take a gander at the clock on the nightstand. Following his gaze, she saw the dim glow that read 3:06 a.m.

  “Damn,” he murmured, rubbing his face before sitting up. “I gotta go.”

  He stood and started getting dressed.

  She sat there for a few minutes, watching him as she processed what he had just said. Then she found her voice. “Really? It’s the middle of the night. You can stay here if you want to.”

  Turning to face her, he shook his head. “I have to be at the site in four hours. I don’t wanna wake you up when I get ready to leave.” He shrugged. “Besides, all the shit I need is back at my place anyway. So this is easier.”

  “The site?” Once more, she scrambled to connect the dots. It took her a few seconds. “Oh, you work construction?”

  “Yeah.” He dug his keys out of his pockets.

  No further response or elaboration. While his reasons for rushing out on her were mostly valid, there were still ways around it if he really wanted to stay. But he clearly didn’t and didn’t want to outright say so.

  Another untruth. This one much easier to comprehend. She would have called bullshit, and was just about to, when she remembered that he didn’t owe her anything. Keeping their actual situation in perspective was key. He wasn’t her boyfriend – or even her friend really – so if he wanted to keep his business private, that was his prerogative. And if he didn’t want to become more than sexually involved with her? Well, that was his choice to. She had to respect it.

  At least he seemed to be trying to be sensitive to her feelings. She didn’t want anything more, anyway. A relationship, more than likely, wouldn’t work on so many levels so at this point she had to ask herself why she cared so much.

  That very grownup decision made, she wrapped a blanket around her body and stood, intending to walk him to the door. This goodbye felt a little awkward, she wasn’t going to lie, but she had a sinking suspicion that this would be the last time they saw each other while she was in town.

  Opening the door, he turned toward her and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him softly on the cheek. “Thank you.” She felt her face flame. “I mean, for everything.”

  That rare smile graced his entirely too handsome face and her heart stopped. Good Lord. Moving past this man to “normal” men was going to take some doing. But it was what it was.

  Bending down, he kissed her lips gently. “It was definitely my pleasure, Sugar.”

  Pleasure was the right word, but it sure as hell wasn’t all his. He had given her enough fantasies to fuel her imagination for quite some time. For the first time in she didn’t even know how long, she actually looked forward to putting pen to paper to craft out a new and immensely improved love scene between Charlie and Natalie.

  But as he walked out into the night and she closed the door behind him, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get what just happened between Ben and Emma out of her head. More than likely she would replay every dirty detail over and over in her mind, trying to convert it into a scene for her book but picturing Ben’s sexy self instead of her leading man, Charlie.

  Sighing, she pushed away from the door and wondered how long it would take her to fall asleep.

  Chapter Six

  It couldn’t have been a more perfect fall day if Emma had designed it herself
. The sun gave off a warm amber glow, bathing the small wooded area around the lake in golden light. A cool, crisp breeze blew over the surface of the water, ruffling the multicolored leaves on the trees. It was a little brisk but the sweatshirt she wore kept her plenty warm.

  As predicted, she hadn’t fallen asleep right away last night. When she finally did get out of bed this morning all the events of the past few days bombarded her until she couldn’t sit still. She needed fresh air so she grabbed a pen and a notebook and took off in search of the perfect spot to spark her creative juices. She happened upon this serene lake and had spent the entire morning lost in her imagination. If her encounters with Ben were going to play through her mind on repeat, then she might as well put the memories to good use. And she had been. Already her characters seemed more three-dimensional and the prose had a more authentic quality that had been lacking before.

  In fact, the world she created absorbed her so much that she didn’t notice the person standing next to the bench she had claimed upon arrival at the lake. Not until said person cleared her throat in an obvious play for her attention.

  Startled, she glanced up to see an attractive brunette standing over her with a tentative smile.

  “I’m Gina, “she said. “Sorry if I scared you.”

  Politeness engrained into the fabric of Emma’s being, automatically she smiled and held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Emma.”

  Smile shifting from tentative to open now that she was sure of her welcome, Gina shook her hand. “Yeah, I know. News travels fast in a small town. Do you mind if I sit with you for a few minutes? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

  Wondering what this complete stranger could possibly have to say to her, she nodded and gestured for her to take a seat next to her on the bench.

  “You’re in town visiting Chloe?”

  Emma could feel her eyebrows quirking up toward her hairline, she couldn’t help it. She got that this was a small town but having some random woman approach her who knew her business was unsettling. Perhaps she had just spent too much time in the city, where everybody ignored everybody else, but at least the illusion of privacy would have been appreciated.

  “Yes, that’s right. Chloe’s a friend from college.” Why she felt the need to give this woman more details alluded her, but there it was.

  Running a hand through her hair, Gina sighed. “Look, I know you don’t know me from anyone and typically I’m not this intrusive. But you’re not from here and I wanted to give you a fair warning. Chloe’s too close to be able to see the situation clearly.”

  Emma started to piece together where this was headed and her muscles began to tighten with unwelcome tension. This really wasn’t anyone’s business and having some stranger take it upon herself to “warn” Emma off had her hackles rising. But just to be clear, she wanted Gina to spell it out. “I’m sorry, what are you talking about?”

  The look that question apparently warranted was full of incredulity and Gina gave a slow response as though speaking to someone of lower intelligence. “I’m talking about Ben.” A thoughtful pause and then, “How much do you know about him?”

  Admittedly, not much, but the invasiveness of this conversation had Emma longing to be able to tell her that she knew his entire life story and was just fine and dandy with it. Before she could get out any sort of answer, Gina spoke again.

  “You’re probably like most women and got snared by how hot he is.” She gave a rueful smirk. “Hell, all the brothers are. Most of the women in this town would kill to be with one of them. But Ben is different. He doesn’t just look like the devil himself, Emma, he’s genuinely dangerous. You’d be doing yourself a huge favor if you steered clear of him.”

  If that wasn’t a vague and cryptic comment, Emma didn’t know what was. Granted, her involvement with Ben had probably ended the previous evening, but she didn’t appreciate this woman’s unsolicited advice. Besides, she didn’t spook easily and wouldn’t write Ben off based on hearsay.

  “He’s dangerous how, exactly?” If doubt and suspicion dripped from her tone? Yeah, there was nothing she could do about that.

  Gina shook her head. “The particulars aren’t important. Let’s just say he has some bad associations with some very formidable people.” Her eyes took on a faraway cast as she wrapped her arms around her middle. “And he doesn’t treat women so good.”

  Okay, now she had to call bullshit. Obviously, the man had commitment issues. The way he kept to himself and then disappeared from any sort of social situation suggested he had intimacy issues that far outreached just the romantic aspect of his personal life. And he sure as hell wasn’t Prince Charming. But to say that he abused women, in any capacity be it emotionally or physically? No, she didn’t buy it.

  Ben had been straight with her from the get-go. She had known exactly what their arrangement was when they started and he had never tried to deceive her into believing it could develop into anything more. If he had meant to hurt her, he would have by now. As it was, his attention had been far from painful.

  A self-deprecating laugh from Gina plucked her out of her thoughts and back into the here and now. “I can see the shock written all over your face but I speak from personal experience. Trust me when I say that he’s not worthy of you.”

  Right. Emma’s money was on the probability that Gina’s situation with Ben resembled the scenario that Adam had warned Emma about last night. Unfortunately, sit was a story she’d heard before.

  A gorgeous bad boy, typically aloof and withdrawn, shows some sexual interest in a woman. Said woman develops feelings for said bad boy because that’s what women do. They feel their way through just about every situation. Then the woman mistakenly believes that her love will change the bad boy and ends up getting burned in the end. Because men don’t change unless they damn well feel like it. Not because some needy woman badgers them into it. Especially not a man like Ben. She had seen it a thousand times if she had seen it once.

  Emma was also willing to bet that Ben had let Gina know the score from the start. So now Emma had to wonder, what did Gina hope to gain by warning her off? Was it a case of “if I can’t have him no one can”? Or did she genuinely think that Ben was a dog and meant to save Emma some heartache?

  Either way, the choice belonged to Emma and she wasn’t about to take relationship advice from a scorned lover.

  “Well, I appreciate your taking the time to warn me. I’m sure it comes from a good place,” she said giving Gina a level look. When the other woman had trouble meeting her eyes, Emma knew the warning had come from scenario number one rather than any altruistic desire to save her pain. “But I’m sure I can handle myself around Ben. And don’t worry, I’ll be gone before he can do any irreparable damage.”

  Closing her notebook, she shoved it and her pen into her bag and stood. “It was nice to meet you, Gina. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  With a drawn smile, Gina rumbled some insincere pleasantries and the two woman went their separate ways.

  Thank God she had been finishing up the scene she had been working on just as Gina approached her. That unexpected conversation put her off and the mood to write evaporated. Despite herself, Gina’s interference bothered her.

  It would be hard enough to get Ben out of her head as it was. The random pieces of information on him, real or fabricated, compounded the enigma that she knew him to be. Now more than ever, she wanted to separate fact from fiction when it came to him.

  Gina had made it seem as though his life were made up of some extremely shady dealings and all his nearest and dearest were thugs and mobsters. That version of the truth wasn’t very likely but for all she knew, his intense privacy and penchant for secrecy covered up the fact that he was actually a serial killer who only murdered out-of-towners.

  And that was the problem right there. She just didn’t know. Ignorance in this situation was far from bliss but – unless some sort of miracle took place in which Ben opened up to her �
�� she would have to accept it.

  Just as she reached her car, her cellphone blew up. Chloe’s name glowed up at her as she checked the caller ID. Thinking she could use the distraction from her thoughts, she answered.

  “Hey girl, whatcha doin’ tonight?” Chloe asked, in a much more chipper mood than Emma.

  “Um, let me see. Writing, writing and, oh yeah, got some more writing to do.”

  “I thought you came to visit to break yourself out of your normal patterns. Don’t you have to go out and experience life in order to write about it?”

  Emma chuckled as she opened her car door and slid inside. “I’m sensing a sales pitch coming on. What would you like to do this evening, Chloe?”

  The wide grin on Chloe’s face was audible through the phone line. “I’m so glad you asked, sweetie. Tonight, you’re about to have your first encounter with the illicit world of underground boxing.”

  Chapter Seven

  “What’s taking so long?” Chloe’s whine came crystal clear through the wall separating the bedroom from the bathroom of Emma’s motel room. “Good grief, girl. It’s a boxing match, not a friggin’ beauty pageant.”

  Emma rolled her eyes at her reflection as she put the finishing touches on her lipstick. Primping might be overkill but you never knew who you were going to meet when you walked out your front door. One didn’t plan out bumping into the man of one’s dreams. Those kinds of things happened by chance. And…Ben might be there. The rush of giddiness that thought inspired brought with it a blush she could see staining her cheeks in the mirror.

  Oh for fuck’s sake. She was acting like a teenager. The realization had her once again rolling her eyes at herself before she shut off the light and exited the bathroom.

  “Hey, I told you it was going to take me a minute to get ready. It’s your own fault for not giving me a heads up sooner about the fight tonight.” Emma grabbed her jacket off the only chair in the room and pulled it on.