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.

“I guess you have me there,” Chloe said with a fond sigh. “I love you anyway. Even if it does take you a thousand years to pick out a pair of shoes.”

Emma glanced down at her black pumps with a smirk. “You’re just pissed because my shoes are cuter than yours.”

“Only in your dreams,” Chloe sing-songed, tossing a wink over her shoulder as she exited the room with Emma close behind.

As Chloe navigated her car closer to their destination, Emma scrolled through her phone, hoping for a nonchalant appearance.

“So do strangers typically accost you in public to give you dating advice around here?” she asked in an offhand way she didn’t feel. Gina’s words still had her a little ruffled.

Chloe slid her a sideways glance. “First of all, in this town no one is a stranger. Unless you are the stranger. Second of all, I’m guessing this random question pertains to something that happened to you today?”

“Ah, you caught me.” Emma smiled playfully. “Some girl named Gina approached me at the lake today, for all intents and purposes to warn me away from Ben.”

A disgusted snort left Chloe as she made a right turn. “Oh, I’m sure she did. What reasons did she give you?”

“She said Ben was dangerous and that he mistreated women. Basically that he was unworthy of me. I have my suspicions, but care to shed some light as to what might have motivated her?”

Bitterness contorted Chloe’s pretty feature as he knuckle turned white on the steering wheel. “Jealousy. Pure and simple. She and Ben had a thing a few months ago. Nothing more than a casual few nights but Gina wanted more. Ben didn’t. She’s been lurking around him ever since. Obviously, she’s not too happy that you hooked up with ‘her man’.”

“Yeah, that part I get. Why add in the threat of Ben being a dangerous man, though? Why not just tell me he’s a player, or outright stake her claim?”

“She’s just perpetuating a rumor. I guess I should warn you before we get inside the gym with all the Serano groupies. I didn’t tell you before because it’s such bullshit but I should have known you’d get some blowback if you two hooked up.” Chloe ran her fingers through her long blonde hair before propping her elbow up against the car window. “Ben has a bit of a reputation. Some of it he’s earned, but most of it he hasn’t. People in small towns love their gossip. They like to take any small grain of truth and blow it entirely out of proportion like some colossal game of telephone. A lot of those assholes don’t care who they hurt in the process.”

Chloe pulled into a parking spot outside of the gym and turned the car off. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she turned to face Emma. “You’re probably going to hear some people talking shit on Ben tonight. Especially the airheaded amazons that frequent the fights. But you have to remember that most of what you hear isn’t true. A lot of those women know about you and Ben and are going to lash out in jealousy. Pay them no attention.”

That had to have been the least amount of information Chloe had every given when it came to telling a story or offering an explanation, warning Emma without getting into the meat of what the warning was for. That alone told Emma that whatever had happened in Ben’s past was serious enough that Chloe wouldn’t overstep her bounds. Though Chloe was spritely and free spirited, Emma had always trusted her judgement, so she decided to square her shoulders and let whatever comments came her way tonight roll off her back.

It looked like any other gym when they walked into the building. Rows of machines took up the majority of the floor with a section at the other end of the room blocked off for free weights. All seemed innocuous looking and legit until Chloe led her to a narrow stairwell and down two floors.

The first flight had already begun by the time they reached the bottom of the stairs. People packed the room, chattering and drinking from red plastic cups. Some stood, some sat in the metal folding chairs lining the walls. All eyes were on the action up in the giant rink taking up residence in the center of the room.

The fighters were stripped to the waist and wore gloves but no mouth guards. It seemed that the rules of the fight weren’t exactly strict, other than the standard no hitting below the belt. She watched in fascination as these two musclebound, grown men went at each other. The testosterone levels in the room were astronomical and it attracted no shortage of female attention.

Tearing her gaze away from the fighting, Emma looked around the room to find various groups of the scantily clad women Chloe had dubbed “the amazons”. Some of these women seriously have no shame, she thought with a shake of her head before turning back to the fight.

As the evening progressed, they met up with Mina and slowly worked their way closer to the ring until they stood ringside for the main fight. It impressed Emma the way Chloe and Mina worked the crowd to wiggle their way up front. Probably didn’t hurt that the main fight was Mina’s man and everyone in the room knew it.

Emma had to admit, as Tyler took the ring and the main fight began, that he was a force to be reckoned with. Men were all about the challenge, she recognized that, but there wasn’t enough money in the world to have Emma going even half a round with him. The guy was a beast and victory was imminent, which was more than likely why Mina could watch the fight at all without tearing her hair out or biting her lip off in anxiety.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one contemplating Tyler’s ferociousness. A group of amazons had floated up behind them to watch the fight and every once in a while, despite the noise in the room, Emma caught a piece of their conversation.

“All that focus Tyler has. I bet he’s even more intense in bed,” one of them said, giggling at her own naughty comment.

At least one of them, it seemed, had some decency because she snapped at her friend, “Will you shut up? His woman is right in front of us.”

“Calm down, I know I can’t have him, but it’s fun to fantasize.”

“What about one of his brothers?” The third one piped up. “The twins are hot as hell and neither of them are taken.”

Emma felt her ears twitch and suddenly the conversation going on behind her captured more of her attention than the brutal beat down taking place in front of her. Technically they were right. Ben wasn’t taken. He didn’t belong to her. That didn’t stop her desire to turn around and stake her claim, let them all know that he was off limits. Even if he really wasn’t.

“Oh yeah, they’re both delicious, aren’t they?” The first one said. “But of the two of them, I’d take Adam. Ben’s more trouble than he’s worth.”

“I know, right? He’d only be good for a quick lay, anyway, because you know he’s probably going to end up dead or in prison.”

Emma’s blood pressure began to rise while her body shook with anger. What the hell did these women know? Had they ever actually spoken to Ben? True, she didn’t know him that well, but she saw how hard he worked at so many things. For fuck’s sake, the man had at least three jobs that she knew of. He didn’t have time to get into trouble. And the way he had been with her? No, he definitely wasn’t Mr. Perfect but he was a good man with a good heart. She knew that bone deep.

Before she could turn around and start a fight, she felt Chloe take hold of her wrist. She slid a glance to her friend and found her shaking her head. Emma nodded and took a deep breath, remembering what Chloe had said in the car. These women didn’t really know Ben. They only knew what they had heard about him. Really, it was their loss for believing what other people said without taking the time to find out for themselves.

Deciding on the healthier choice to focus on the fight, she blocked out the women behind her and made her best attempt to forget that they even stood there.

That plan had been successful until after the fight when a different amazon approached her as she navigated the crowd with Chloe to find Brian. This time, the woman didn’t even bother to introduce herself; she just came right out with it.

“I heard you’ve been fucking Ben Serano. Let me give you some advice, stay away from him. You don’t know how to handle someone like him. He won’t give you anything but his dick and a criminal record for being his little bitch.” Her words came out slurred and shrill above the noise of the crowd. Apparently this skank couldn’t handle her liquor and didn’t give a shit about volume control.

At the moment, neither did Emma. She spun on the woman, completely uncaring that the brunette had at least four inches on her. It was only added height from her hooker heels, anyway.

“Why is it that you people feel like you’re entitled to force yourself and your opinions into my business? You don’t know me. And from the sound of things, you don’t know Ben all that well, either.” Cocking her head, she narrowed her eyes. “What happened, honey? Did you throw yourself at him and he turned you down?”

Here she paused in case the amazon had something to say. But when the woman just gaped at her, she continued.

“That’s what I thought. Just because he doesn’t want you, or got bored with you, or whatever, it doesn’t give you the right to give me advice or talk shit on him to a complete stranger. ‘Cause, let me tell you a little secret. With this shit right here?” she shook her head. “You’re not gonna endear yourself to him, babe. I suggest you quit wasting everyone’s time and go find a man who actually wants you.”

Then, before the amazon could respond, Emma turned and walked away. The adrenaline vibrating through her body made it difficult to concentrate on where exactly she was storming off to but she needed to get away. So really, she shouldn’t have been so surprised when her forward momentum got stopped dead by a hard body blocking her path.

She teetered off balance and would have fallen on her ass if strong hands hadn’t snapped out to grab her arms and steady her. Looking up, she found Ben as her obstacle and rescuer. Probably the last person on the planet it should have been.

Rather than spilling out her usual polite apology for running him over, or at least bouncing right off him, she said the first thing that came to mind. What she had been thinking as she ended her rant on the amazon.

“Just how many women in this town have you slept with?” she spat once she found her balance and jerked away from him.

This was none of her business, she knew that. The parameters of their acquaintance didn’t allow for such details to be shared. But his reaction to her thoughtless question spun her out and infuriated her all at once.

He grinned at her. An actual, honest to God, grin.

If she wouldn’t have been so pissed off, she might have swooned.

“Why? You jealous, Sugar?”

That question didn’t even deserve a response. Instead, she cocked her hip, quirked her eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. Then waited.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he clenched his jaw as his mouth formed a grim line. “Not as many as you’d think,” he said, eyes drifting back to where the amazon had been standing moments before.

“Ooooooh, guuuurl.” Chloe was suddenly beside her, throwing an arm over her shoulders with Brian right behind her. “You told that bitch what time it was.”

Just like that, Emma became acutely aware of the fact that she had just told someone off in a crowd full of people. Now all that adrenaline turned inward and she felt somewhat ashamed. Not for her words, she had meant every one of them, but that a good many people had obviously heard them.

Well, bright side. Maybe now all these women would her and her involvement when Ben – whatever that was – alone.

Forcing her gaze away from Ben, she looked at Chloe. “I just wish these women would mind their own business.”

Brian laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem from now on.”

Emma felt her face heat as Chloe clapped her hands and rubbed them together. “C’mon, we’re all going out to celebrate Tyler’s win.”

“Even though Tyler always wins,” Brian interjected.

Chloe shot him a sly smile. “All the more reason for us to keep going out to celebrate. It’s a tradition now. Gotta keep up the winning streak.”

As Chloe and Brian spoke, Emma could feel the heated weight of Ben’s gaze trained on her. Her eyes flashed to him and stayed there. Her friends faded into the background. The sounds of the noisy crowd chattering and moving around ceased to penetrate her awareness. Her whole world narrowed down to the gorgeous amber eyes holding her own.

Right then, she didn’t want to be anywhere but alone with him. But given the finality in the tone of their last meeting, and the way their conversation had been going before Chloe had interrupted, that didn’t see likely. Despite the odd warmth in his eyes as he looked at her now.

It had been a long, confusing day and she knew if she went out with them tonight it would only get worse. That knowledge prompted her to interrupt Chloe’s banter with Brian. “You know what? I think I’m just gonna head back to my room tonight, Chloe.”

A frown drew a line down the center of Chloe’s pretty face. “Are you sure? You okay?”

“Yeah.” Emma nodded with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s been a long day and I’m tired. But tell Tyler congrats for me, okay?”

“You suck, but all right,” Chloe said, giving her a playful nudge with her shoulder. “I’ll drop you off on our way.”

“Don’t worry about it, Chloe. I’ll take her.” Ben’s low, gravel-coated voice startled her. That was the last thing she had expected to hear and apparently she wasn’t the only one.

Chloe quickly masked her surprise with a displeased pout. “What, you’re not coming out now?”

Ben’s eyes never left Emma as he spoke to Chloe. “Nah. I’m not feeling it, either.”

“All right, you guys are losers.” Chloe acted upset, but Emma knew that this outcome secretly thrilled her. Although she didn’t know why. It wasn’t like they were sneaking off to be alone together.

But as she walked out of the building with Ben toward his truck, she had a moment to wonder what they actually were doing.

Palpable silence filled the space between them on the way to her motel. If one of them didn’t break it soon, Emma would start babbling. She didn’t know what to say to him exactly so everything in her head might come tumbling out of her mouth if she didn’t pick the right thing. She was on the verge of giving herself a tension headache trying to come up with a topic of conversation that he would respond to with more than a monosyllabic answer, when he spoke.

“So you’re not gonna ask me what that girl was talking about back there?” He slanted her a look out of the corner of his eye that she couldn’t quite read. Could it be apprehension that her opinion of him had changed? Or did he know she had questions and wanted to get the inquisition over with?

In all honesty, she hadn’t planned to ask him about it and told him so. “What went on between the two of you, past or present, is none of my business. I just get annoyed when other people don’t extend to me the same courtesy.”

He tilted his head to look at her as the hit a red light, expression still unreadable. “Sounds like she wasn’t the only one to invade your privacy today.”

Emma gave him a tight smile. “No, she wasn’t. But I don’t give much credence to rumors and gossip. People make up stories about other people for all kinds of reasons that, a lot of the time, have little to do with the truth. I prefer to base my opinions on my own personal experience.”

“That’s a rare quality you possess, Sugar.” He looked away. Then, on a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and said, “Just for shits and giggles, though, lemme guess what they said to you. I’m a rough player who’ll chew up your little heart and spit it back out. Then I’ll run off to get high and play with my gun collection right before I knock over a couple of 7-Elevens.”

The way he said it, with such wry sarcasm, had her laughing. “Yeah, that about sums it up. Only you’ve given me way more details, just now, about your unsavory character. Those women today gave me a more high-level warning.”

“And what was that?”

“That you’re dangerous and I’d save myself a lot of trouble and heartache if I left you alone.” Gossip and joking aside, she had to wonder what events had taken place to give Ben such a reputation. It was more than just the jealousy of those women. She could see that they believed he was a genuine bad boy, and not just in the fun, sexy way.

“Do you believe that? That I’m dangerous?” He leveled his gaze on her. This looked filled with a contradicting mixture of resignation and hope. As though he guessed her answer but was bracing himself in case he turned out to be wrong.

“If you’re asking me if I think that you’ll hurt me then then answer is, no, I don’t.” She took a deep breath and then plowed on with the next bit. “But you’ve obviously got a past, Ben. And I completely respect your privacy and understand that you don’t want to share it with someone you barely know. That’s why I’m not asking.”

That thick silence returned once the last words left her mouth. It lasted the rest of the way to her motel and resonated even after he cut the truck’s engine. She didn’t know why she sat there with him in the quiet stillness. Eventually, though, it sunk in that their conversation had ended and she should be thanking him and exiting the truck. She got as far as unbuckling her seatbelt, when his voice reached her ears.

“When I was ten years old, my mom walked out on us,” he said softly. Almost too softly for her to hear, but when she did, her breath caught. She completely froze in position with the seatbelt halfway off, just in case any sudden movement might deter him from continuing.

“There was no goodbye, no note, not really even a warning that she was about to split. One morning she was there like normal and when we got home from school, she was gone.” As he spoke he didn’t look at her. Instead, he stared at his hands, picking at the skin around his fingernails.

“I didn’t –“ He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “I didn’t handle that so well.” He gave a humorless laugh. “Actually, none of us really did well with it. I was the most self-destructive, though. It’s probably a pretty typical story. I kind of ghosted on my dad and brothers. Fell into the wrong crowd, started getting high and drinking. Got arrested a couple times as a teenager for stupid shit, like destruction of property.” He looked at her then. “So if you’re curious as to how I got my reputation, that’s it.”

Emma could feel her brow furrow. “But this is all stuff that happened when you were a kid, right? Because you look like you’ve turned yourself around from where I’m sitting.”

He grunted. “Yeah. Adam had a lot to do with that. And this is a small down, Emma. Small towns have long memories.”

Choosing to ignore that last part, she asked him something she had been curious about since they met. No telling when he would next be in such a talkative mood. “Tell me about Adam.”

Those whiskey-colored eyes darkened as they narrowed on her and she laughed.

“I’m talking about your brothers in general. Your relationship with them. I mean, I know you biblically, but I don’t really know you.” Her voice softened as she tiled her head to rest against the seat to look at him. “I’d like to.”

Something changed in his expression then. A type of warmth that she couldn’t quite define spread across his features, coupled with vulnerability and a yearning that she found heartbreaking. As though no one had ever expressed an interest in him as a person before. Just as she began to get lost in that warmth, he once again looked away to keep picking at his fingers.

“My brothers are jackasses and I tell them so every day.” The corner of his mouth twitched and she could tell that he thought of them fondly as jackasses.

“Oh, tough love then ,huh?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I wouldn’t trade those assholes for the world.” He shifted in his seat to turn toward her as his expression sobered. “After my mom bailed, my dad was in a real bad way, emotionally. He didn’t want to be left to raise four boys on his own but he did the best he could. Still, Brandon pretty much raised us when it got to be too much for dad. The experience brought the guys together, made them a tighter knit family but…” He shook his head. “I just didn’t want to deal with it so I pulled away. In my teens I was barely ever home and when I was, I didn’t stick around for very long. They tried to keep tabs on me, especially Adam, but I wasn’t interested so I became good at avoidance.”

Already Emma had noticed, not exactly a rift between Ben and his brothers, but a divide, as though he didn’t quite belong. She had suspected that it wasn’t due to a lack of effort on their part, but more of a choice on Ben’s. Now that her suspicions had been confirmed, she once again felt her heart expanding for him that he had ever wanted to make that choice in the first place. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like without her brother. Empty in all the ways that counted, most likely.

“Adam, though.” He shook his head with a rueful tilt to his lips. “Man, say what you want about him, but that boy doesn’t give up.”

“I don’t blame him,” she said with more vehemence than she meant to. But…”I would never give up on my brother.”

Ben gave her a long, assessing look. “Then you and my twin have a lot in common.” He kept staring at her as if trying to see inside her skin and she started to fidget.

Thankfully, he took pity on her and continued to speak.

“A few years ago, I hit bottom and was at my breaking point. Adam was the one who pulled me out of it, got me back on the straight and narrow.” His eyes took on a distant quality as he gazed out the window. “He’s always been my support system and up until that point, I’d taken him for granted. I’d finally seen how wrong that was, what I was putting my brothers through. So I got done with it. I wanted to be someone that they could depend on. Be the reliable one and for once in my life be able to say that the people I love can count on me.”

She ducked her head to catch his eyes. “I can see that you’ve done that. I don’t give a shit what anyone else says. You work too hard for anything less.”

And she’d seen that first hand in the way he’d been helping her. Most guys probably would have taken Chloe’s challenge and used it to get some no-strings sex. Ben had not only given her enough raw material to draw from to spice up her writing well into her old age, but he had taken a genuine interest in her story, her characters. She had gotten some great ideas from him and they weren’t all limited to the erotic parts. Then she thought of something else.

“Hell, even people you don’t love can count on you.” When he shook his head in confusion she explained. “That drummer that keeps flaking out on the house band at Abel’s. He owes you, seriously.”

That earned her an actual laugh and she thought it was the sweetest sound she had ever heard.

“Yeah, he’s a lazy ass. Bu I actually kinda like it when he’s not there. He’s pretty terrible.”

Emma laughed. “Well, then you’re a vast improvement because you’re pretty amazing.”

The grin lingered on his face even as he rolled his eyes. “Now you’re just trying to inflate my ego.”

“Hey,” she held up her hands. “I call it as I see it.”

An enormous eighteen wheeler passed Ben’s truck as they sat there smiling at each other, making enough noise to remind Emma of where they were. “Do you wanna come inside for a while? Might be more comfortable.”

The invitation wasn’t meant as a come on, she was enjoying their conversation, but if he took it that way? That was fine by her just as long as she got to stay with him a little while longer.

His expression gave nothing away as he said, “Yeah, I do.”

Emma couldn’t stop the satisfied smile that spread her lips as she climbed out of the truck.

In her mad dash at Chloe’s urging earlier that night to get ready, she had tossed out the contents of her purse onto her bed, only grabbing the essentials to switch to a smaller purse for the night. She had forgotten about the mess she had made until she unlocked the door to her room and flipped on the light.

Cursing herself for not thinking ahead, she muttered an apology for the mess, then went to tidy up. While she shoved papers, receipts and empty gum wrappers back into her main purse, Ben slowly shut the door behind him. He sauntered up to the end of the bed and bent down to pick up something from the floor. Figuring it was probably an old receipt or something that had fallen off the bed, Emma didn’t pay much attention.

Until she saw his eyebrow quirk and the cutest half smile titled his lips.

She got lost for a few seconds staring at the pretty until his eyes flashed up to meet hers, the amusement in them plain to see. Then she realized what he was holding. The list of erotic novels that Jessica had recommended she read. She had never actually gotten around to reading them, but some of those titles were blatant advertisements for the types of books they were.

“Doing a little light reading, Sugar?”

Snatching the piece of paper out of his hand when he offered it, she felt her face flame. Really, she didn’t know why she was so embarrassed. Together, they had probably done half the things mentioned in those books. But there it was, her modesty rearing its ugly head.

“It’s a list of books my writing mentor gave me.” She held his gaze for about two seconds before she had to look away to pretend to keep fussing with her purse. “You know, for, um, research purposes.”

He laughed, the sound low and seductive, given freely with ease. “I still can’t believe a sexy woman like you has problems finding a man that wouldn’t bend over backwards to please you.”

As her faced flushed yet again from his compliments, her pulse picked up the pace.

“Well, part of the problem is that I’m extremely picky.” She cleared her throat and shoved her now-full purse onto the floor beside the bed. “I had a certain type of man I wanted and wouldn’t settle for anything different.”

A dark eyebrow lifted as he crowded her space. “Am I that type of man?”

Looking up at him through her lashes, she bit her lip and slowly pulled it free. He tracked the movement with hungry eyes. “No, actually, you aren’t. But I’m starting to realize that the type of man I wanted?” She dropped her gaze to his mouth. “Yeah, I don’t want that anymore.”

“Mmm,” he rumbled, coming closer still, until they were a breath apart. “What do you want now?”

“Right now?” she whispered. With hooded eyes, he nodded. “Right now all I want is you.”

“Good answer.” His lips took hers in a soft but heated kiss. Gently he cupped her face in his hands and tilted her head where he wanted her. His tongue flicked and stroked against hers in such a way that started to make her lightheaded. And when she moved closer to rub up against his hard body, he groaned into her mouth. The sound vibrating past his lips to settled deep inside her.

He lifted his head to stare down at her. Thankfully, he didn’t put any space between them. If he had done that, she wouldn’t have handled it so well. As it was, she fisted her hands in the soft material of his t-shirt at his sides to keep him right where he stood.

“Something I’ve been wondering.” His voice came out low and husky, the sound so good she didn’t much care what he said as long as he kept talking. “All this time, I’ve been thinking of ways to give you, what I hope, are new experiences. But,” he kissed her lips softly, “what I want to know is,” he moved to kiss the sensitive spot just below her ear, “when you lie in that big bed and touch yourself, what do you think about when you close your eyes?”

Oh wow. No one had ever bothered to ask her that before. It wasn’t even something she thought overly hard on. She didn’t typically linger or have slow, exploratory sessions with herself. Normally, it was about scratching an itch and it ended quickly, which she knew was part of her problem.

Her fantasies had been more about finding that Mr. Perfect and how well their lives would fit together. But she didn’t dwell on what their chemistry would be like in the bedroom. She always assumed it would be good, but she only pictured it in vague imagery because she didn’t have much to base it on. That part hadn’t been as important to her as all the rest.

Since she met Ben, however, that had started to change. Her fantasies had become baser, with more substance and weight to them. Maybe part of it was that she had never been as sexually attracted to anyone as she was to Ben. Every time she saw him, some new desire dominated her thoughts. She would focus on one aspect of him, his mouth and how incredible he tasted. Or his big rough hands and the delicious sensation of them running over her body or holding her in place while he took what he wanted. Or the wicked V-lines of his oblique muscles bringing back in vivid detail the way it felt as he steadily rolled his hips into her when he fucked her. She could stare at him for hours and never run out of ideas. The man was truly a muse.

But now he was asking her to articulate how far deep into the gutter her mind went when she saw him and suddenly she felt shy.

Unfortunately, he could tell.

“I know you have fantasies, Emma. Everybody does.” He tugged on her earlobe with his teeth. “I wanna know what they are.”

“If everybody has them, then what are yours?” Her voice sounded shaky and breathless even to her own ears.

“Uh, uh.” He nipped at her throat before smiling against her skin. “This isn’t about me and I asked you first.”

Was he teasing her? Up until this point she hadn’t even been aware he had a playful side. Despite how he put her on the spot, she couldn’t deny that she liked this new, relaxed version of Ben. So she decided to throw him a bone and try to tell him what he wanted to know.

“For a writer, I have to admit that my fantasies weren’t that creative. But now –“ She gasped when his teeth grazed her neck. “I’m finding that I have preferences.”

“Like what?” His hands slid down her body to play with the hem of her shirt, fingers dipping down to rim the waistband of her black leggings.

“Like what you’re doing right now. I love the way you touch me. Like you own me and have every right in the world to do whatever you want with me. I love the way you take me over and control our pleasure.” She ran her lips along his jaw, pausing when she reached his mouth to whisper, “You’re so good at it.”

“So basically,” he said buzzing his lips against hers, “your fantasies are whatever I want to do to you?”

No one could ever accuse him of being a dull observer. She smiled. “Yes, exactly.”

“Mmm,” he rumbled. “Then what if I told you that what I want is to watch you?”

“Watch me?” She had her suspicions that she knew exactly what he was talking about but prayed he actually meant something else.

“Yeah,” he said backing away with a mischievous tug to his lips that hadn’t been there before. The unmistakable heat in his eyes, though, that she recognized.

Damn, when he looked at her like that she didn’t know if she would be able to resist him. Hooking a finger into her waistband, he tugged until he pulled her into the middle of the room and he stood in front of the chair. He stopped backing up but didn’t stop pulling on her until she was pressed up against his body once more.

One of his hands cupped her jaw as he softly kissed her lips. “You have no idea how fucking sexy you look when you come, Sugar.” This time, when he kissed her, his tongue licked into her mouth with greedy possession before he pulled back to whisper, “Or how beautiful you are.”

The soft, reverent tone of his words had her opening her eyes to see if his expression matched. The tender yearning suffused with blatant, avaricious lust she saw reflected back at her took her breath away. Never had she been on the receiving end of such a look before. So intense, so raw. In that moment she felt more desired, more coveted, than she could ever recall feeling in the whole of her life. And then he continued to speak.

“I wanna sit right here in this chair and watch you strip for me.” His hands roamed her body as he spoke, coming down to cup her ass and pull her closer. The hard ridge of his erection pressed into her belly and she couldn’t resist rocking into him.

What he described sounded mortifying, but the more he spoke, the more convincing he became. That full mouth dropped to her ear and that deep, rumbling voice had moisture coating the slit of her pussy. “Then I want you to get on the bed, spread yourself open for me, and touch yourself ‘til you come.”

His hands resumed their exploration of her body and soon he cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples through the fabric of her shirt and lacy bra.

“I wanna see these nipples get hard and your creamy skin flush red.” She whimpered when he pinched the aching tips of her breasts and her lower body rubbed against his, seeking friction. “I wanna watch your juices run down your legs while you rub that clit and finger-fuck your tight little pussy. Just for me.” He pulled back to pierce her with his gaze. “And I want your eyes open and on me the entire time.”

She swallowed. Hard.

“You really have been thinking about this, haven’t you?” He had explained what he wanted from her with far too much detail for him to have just come up with it on the spot.

That devilish smile reappeared as he nodded and she really did worry that she might swoon at any second. In a way, it was probably a good thing he didn’t smile all that often. Because when it did it was mind-bendingly sexy. “I’ve been thinking about it since the first time I made you come. The fantasy keeps me up at night, Sugar. I need it to be a reality.”

Damn, the knowledge that he had actual fantasies about her was heady. Knowing that he wanted her this badly made what she was about to do for him so much easier.

Standing on her tiptoes, she brushed his lips with hers and whispered, “Okay,” before pushing him down into the chair.

“If I’m going to strip for you, then I need some music.” Or she would never get through it.

His eyes lit up at the suggestion. “I like that plan.”

Thankfully, the alarm clock in the room doubled and an iHome. She dug out her iPod from her overstuffed purse and searched for the perfect song. The shaking of her hands from the rapid beat of her heart made the task a little difficult and she turned her back to him so he wouldn’t see. How sexy would it be if she got so nervous she tripped and fell on her face? Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves.

As she scrolled through her playlist, she knew exactly which song to pick. She had discovered it shortly after meeting Ben and had been obsessed with it ever since. Hooking up her iPod, she pressed play and soon the low thumping beat of Nine Inch Nails’ “I Would For You” filled the room.

Dark eyebrows rose as that sinful smirk turned into a full-on grin. “Good choice.”

She met his smile with one of her own. “I thought so.”

The fact that he recognized the song was an added bonus she would have to file away for later when she replayed this whole scene over in her head. Because she undoubtedly would.

For her current purposes, she was glad that she had worn a soft, flowing navy button down. Somehow it was sexier to slowly pop each button as she swayed her hips to the beat. For the second time in as many nights, she felt kind of ridiculous about what they were doing together. And for the second time, that feeling dissipated when she looked at him. His hungry eyes ate up her every movement.

But the time she reached the top button and separated the fabric, her nerves had all but disappeared. There was no mistaking that he wanted her, wanted this, and finally she was able to let go and lose herself in the sultry beat of the song.

The soft material of her shirt drifted down her arms as she shrugged it off and it hit the carpet with a soft thud. The lace of the navy bra she wore barely concealed her nipples from his gaze, a fact that he seemed to greatly appreciate as his eyes focused there. Just to tease him, she cupped her breasts, the creamy swells overflowing her hands, and pushed them together as she undulated her hips to the music. His eyes grew hooded when she raked her nails over the stiff peaks and she shivered from the sensation.

Deciding that she was too sensitive right there at the moment, she ran her hands down her belly and hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her leggings. She kicked off the black heels she had been wearing and spun to give him her back. Watching him over her shoulder, she swiveled her hips to the beat, left then right, then back again as she worked her leggings over her hips, revealing the matching navy thong she wore underneath. She saw his hands clench into fists when she bent over to pull her leggings all the way off and threw them into a corner, exposing her ass to his avid gaze.

Unhooking her bra, she let the straps fall down until she held the loose cups up against her breasts. Slowly, she turned back around to face him and gradually let the cups go until her bra slid down and off, leaving her standing in nothing but her underwear.

When she backed up to climb up onto the edge of the bed, he leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. Once they both settled, she cupped her breasts in her hands again. This time, she made a show of licking her thumbs and forefingers before she rolled her nipples the way he had done earlier. Knowing that he was watching, that she was doing this for him, made the erotic pain that much sweeter and her head tilted back on a moan.

“Eyes on me, Emma.” The timber of his voice had gotten impossibly deeper and it had her head snapping up and her eyes focusing on his face.

Suddenly feeling brave in spite of his guff command, she made a demand of her own.

“Give me something good to look at, then.” She bit her lip and let it slide through her teeth before she added, “If I’m gonna get myself off I need some inspiration, Ben.”

Amber eyes narrowed on her but a ghost of a smile played at the edges of his lips. “I guess that’s fair,” he said reaching behind him to tug his t-shirt up over his head.

Immediately, her mouth watered as she watched the muscles in his upper body work as he took the shirt off then settled down to lean back into the chair. He was so gorgeous it just wasn’t fair. All that hard physical labor his day job provided paid off big time in the ripples of muscle that made up his body. And the way he sat there had his jeans riding very low on his hips. She could see the beginnings of the dark hair that led to that perfect cock she knew lay in wait beneath the material.

“Mmm, much better,” she all but purred and wondered when the hell she had learned to make such a sound. But he seemed to appreciate it, if the low answering growl emanating from him was any indication.

“Keep going, Sugar.”

Right, she had a purpose here, didn’t she?

Slowly, she lightly skimmed her nails down her belly. Spreading her legs wide so he had a clear view, she slid her right palm over her lace covered mound. Keeping her eyes trained on him, she found the outline of her clit through the material and gently rubbed in slow circles with her middle finger. Ben shifted in his seat and she could see the huge bulge pressed against the front of his jeans.

Oh, she so desperately wanted what was sitting in that chair across from her, watching her. Wanted to see him slide one of his big hands into the front of his jeans to stroke himself in time to her fingers.

Just the thought had her hips leaving the bed to thrust up into her hand. All the while, the song continued to pulse in the background and Emma found herself cognizant of the words for the first time since she had started this dance.

The lyrics suggested a metamorphosis of oneself. Finding that one person you would be willing to change for. With her newfound obsession with this song came a deep fantasy that was very much her own. Not one she would be admitting to Ben anytime soon, though.

The words had resonated with her as soon as she had heard them and she couldn’t help but wish that they could mean something between herself and Ben. That she could find the one thing, that one trait that would make him see her differently from every other woman he had ever met. Even if that quality didn’t belong to her, she would change herself so that it did. Then maybe he could let go of some of his baggage that kept him so far removed from her. Maybe they could both evolve for each other.

Rationally, she knew that thoughts like that weren’t healthy. Especially not in a situation like this one. You shouldn’t have to fundamentally change yourself to make someone want you.

But, damn, she could feel herself changing in spite of that knowledge. Inexplicably, he was breaking down her walls, one by one. She hadn’t been lying earlier when she told him that she didn’t want her old ideal of Mr. Perfect anymore. Somehow, he had crossed out a good chunk of the qualities on her “Charming List” and replaced them with ones that he possessed. Once she never in a million years would have thought she would want. Like his intense stillness, or his gruff, blunt nature and his abhorrence of idle chatter.

His “character flaws” were becoming more real, more desirable to her, than any previously accepted quality on her list. At this point, she might as well through the damn list out the window. A dangerous thought to have for someone like Ben. She had to remember that this was a no-strings affair and soon she would be going home to forget him. But for now, right here in this room, she let the fantasy of the music carry her away. Let it make her bold. For him.

Twisting the gusset of her panties so that it formed into a thin line, she slipped it between the lips of her pussy and rocked her hips. The tension of the material ran the length of her slit, rubbing against her clit, her dripping opening, and her ass all at once. She whimpered as she worked herself and struggled to keep her eyes open and glued to Ben.

Lips parted, his tongue came out to wet the surface of his skin as his eyes narrowed into slits of desire. While she watched, he unbuttoned his jeans and slid his hand inside, pulling his thick cock out into view. It was her turn to lick her lips as his fist shuttled up and down the length of his erection.

Wanting to give him more, she pulled the material of her panties to the side and held herself open to give him a clear view of her pussy from the bed. His molten eyes burned down her body like a caress and she felt delicious tingles along her skin everywhere his gaze touched.

“Emma. You’re so fucking beautiful, baby.” His gravel coated voice sent goose bumps breaking out along her skin and she couldn’t stop herself. Just the guttural sounds he made had her clit throbbing and she pushed two fingers inside herself.

She watched him as she pumped her fingers. Watched his hips pump into his fist in time to her thrusts. It felt so good but she wanted more, wanted him. Pulling her fingers free, she brought the wet tips up to her little bud and rubbed in furious circles.

“Ben,” she moaned, hips pulsing to the movement of her fingers. “I want you so much, baby.”

“I want you too, Sugar. You don’t even know how much.” His gruff response was all she needed to hear to push her over the edge. That he seemed to want her to the point of distraction was more erotic to her than anything else they had done.

“Oh, fuck, Ben, I’m coming. You make me come so hard.” The words had barely left her mouth before he was suddenly over her, his hot, thick cock pushing into her spasming hole, tumbling her back onto the bed.

“Mine,” he growled out as he started a brutal pounding rhythm inside her. The stark possessiveness in his voice had her climbing up into another orgasm before the first one had even completely ended.

He braced his weight on his palms on either side of her head as his body slammed into hers, eyes never leaving her face. She couldn’t have looked away from him even if she had wanted to. Which she didn’t. He was the most beautiful, primal creature she had ever seen. And she wanted him beyond reason.

His orgasm slammed into him at the same moment her third one crested and he rumbled her name as she clawed the skin of his back. His hot cum flooded her walls making her inner muscles twitch in pleasure.

In the aftermath, he collapsed on top of her and stayed there for a few seconds before he rolled off her onto his back. When he pulled her up against his side, she snuggled into him and said, “You’re staying here tonight, Ben. I don’t give a shit if you wake me up too early in the morning. I want you here.”

As the words left her lips she had a moment of panic that she should have just kept her mouth shut. Surely he wouldn’t appreciate a command like that coming from her, given their situation.

But to her surprise he just chuckled. “I really don’t want to be anywhere else, Sugar. So don’t worry, I’m staying.”

Her heart flipped dangerously at his words but she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Turning on her side to face the nightstand, she shut down her iPod and flicked off the light. Before she could roll back over, she felt Ben spoon up behind her and wrap his arm around her waist, tugging her back into his body.

With a contented sigh, she snuggled into him and as she fell asleep the word that he had growled out at her played over and over in her mind.

Mine.