Fated Bliss (Bliss #2) (33 page)

Clara blew her a kiss, dabbing her eyes. Her husband wrapped her in his arms and kissed her hair.

Samantha turned to her brother, smiling brilliantly. “And Grey…my wonderful big brother, I love you with all my heart. You’ve been a rock for me and my partner in crime all my life. I’m so happy that you’ve found Clara. She’s a gift.” She arched a brow and turned serious. “Just don’t screw it up.” Laughing, she raised her beer. “Cheers to Clara and Grey!”

Everyone laughed, including me. The woman never ceased to amaze me.

Samantha passed the microphone to Adam and took a step back. Her mother handed Bella to her, murmuring something. They laughed together while Samantha kissed the baby’s head.

I was sucked in deeper.

Adam started speaking, but I tuned him out, honing in on the woman I love. I walked through the crowd as cheers and shouts went off. She must have felt me because her eyes found mine as I crossed the dance floor. She brightened, radiating her happiness.

“Hey,” she murmured as I approached. “You’re back.”

Ignoring the baby, I pressed my lips to hers and kissed her slowly. She hummed against my mouth.

“I’m back,” I murmured as I broke our kiss.

“You okay?” she questioned softly.

“Perfect.”

She eyed me, knowing I was lying, and then sighed, saying, “You missed my speech.”

Relieved she didn’t question me, I shook my head and tucked her against my side. “No, I didn’t. I was in the back watching. You did beautifully.”

Samantha was a saint for giving me room to work things out in my mind. She never brought up my parents or Gwen, though she had every reason to ask.

“It wasn’t too cheesy?” she wondered, biting her lip.

“No, sweetheart. You did great,” I assured her, kissing her temple.

More cheers went off, signaling the end of Adam’s speech. Little Bella squealed with them. Surprising me, she launched herself at me.

“Whoa there. Careful, munchkin.” I placed my free arm under her bottom, attempting to tame the frilly pink lace of her dress, and hoisted her upward. “You can’t go flying around like that. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Ben, Ben, Ben,” she chattered, slapping her hands on my shoulder as she bounced. She gave me a toothy smile, one I returned. She was just too cute not to, with her hair up in two little ponytails on the top of her head.

This little girl had a way of wiggling her way into your soul. Since Samantha and I spent a lot of time with her family, Bella and I had established quite a bond. In fact, I had bonded with all of Samantha’s family. Her parents were the warmest people I’d ever encountered. Grey and I were on shaky ground at first, but we’d become friends. Samantha had spoken a lot about him and Clara, and with everything I learned, I respected both of them immensely.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Samantha watching me. I turned from the garbling baby and cocked my head. “What?”

“Nothin’.” She smiled gently. “Just you. You’re good with her.”

“It’s hard not to be. She’s a doll.” A thought crossed my mind. “Do you want children?”

She startled slightly, but then a slow, hypnotic smile curved her lips.

Before she could respond with words, Emma interrupted us. “Come on, Ben. I saw you dancin’ out there with Sam – take an old woman for a twirl.”

I chuckled and shot Samantha an exasperated look. “See what you’ve done.”

“Oh, stop,” Emma chided. “Come on – I’ve barely danced all night.”

“Can’t say no to that,” I murmured and handed Bella to Samantha.

“Have fun,” Samantha teased.

“I’ll save that for later,” I whispered against her lips. “I’ll be back soon.”

Her eyes heated. “’Kay.”

I followed Emma to the dance floor just as a country song came on. It’d been a long time, but I still swung her out and spun her a couple of times before bringing her close and leading her around the dancefloor.

“You two-step,” she gushed, gleeful.

“Mom made me take all sorts of dance classes when I was kid,” I told her, winking. “Just don’t tell Samantha that.”

“Ha!” She laughed. “You poor thing.”

“Tell me about it. I hated them.”

“I bet,” she agreed, twittering away.

“Just so you know, she’ll be in town soon.”

Emma’s face contorted with a flash of pain, but she hid it quickly. “That’s nice.”

“You were that close?”

“As close as two people could be,” she murmured.

Damn.

“Sorry,” I whispered roughly.

She shrugged her shoulders. “No need for that. It’s life.”

I could relate to that.

Emma tilted her head, observing me. “You seem happy, Ben. It looks good on you.”

A genuine smile graced my lips. “You have your daughter to thank for that.”

“That, I do. You two are perfect together.”

I nodded, sneaking a peek at Samantha and Bella. Pops was leading them to the dance floor, intent on dancing with the two of them, not that Samantha needed convincing. “We are.”

“But she won’t be truly happy until you stop holdin’ back,” she warned, her words low.

Samantha must have said something to her.

I exhaled roughly, my stomach sinking. “Emma, I-”

“You don’t need to defend yourself to me. I understand, Ben.” She tilted her head. “But I know my daughter. She’s a willful girl.”

“I know.”

“And she’s strong, a lot stronger than you give her credit for. Out of anyone in this world, you can trust her the most. She’ll take on heaven and hell for all that she loves, and my baby loves you.”

How did she know that I needed that little bit of encouragement right now?

“I know,” I repeated, my voice gruff.

Her eyes brightened. “You do?”

“Of course. Samantha isn’t good at hiding anything.”

“What are you gonna do about it?”

“Bare my soul,” I answered, fighting a smile.

Emma tipped her head back and laughed. Like her daughter, it was a dazzling one.

Her face softened. “You won’t regret it, Ben. I know it.”

Let’s hope.

∞

“Oh, my God,” Samantha breathed, her words drowned out by the pillow against her face.

She was laying on her stomach, her ass up in the air, with both hands clutching the comforter. She never looked more spellbinding.

“Spread them wider,” I demanded.

Her body swayed from side to side as she widened her stance.

“Perfect,” I murmured and licked her again.

Heavy pants reverberated through the room. The taste of her on my lips was ambrosia, better than anything in the world.

She was delicious.

I dipped my tongue inside her, her pussy clenching around me. As she rocked against me, wedging my tongue deeper, I about spilled myself all over she sheets.

Sassy girl.

Redoubling my efforts, I moaned around her pussy and fingered her clit.

“Ben,” she groaned. “I need you.”

“Just a second,” I told her, pulling away.

As I sat back on my haunches, I slipped two fingers inside her and watched in fascination as her body accepted them.

Magnificent.

She was a dream, letting me do what I wanted to her body in every way imaginable.

“You were beautiful tonight,” I whispered, nipping her ass cheek. “But you look decadent like this.”

She always looked decadent after orgasming, her face dreamy, her skin misted with sweat. I was working her into orgasm number three, and she thrived under it gloriously.

“If you had it your way, we wouldn’t leave the room,” she replied, then moaned loudly as I flicked her clit.

“You’re right.” I slapped her bottom. It wasn’t enough to hurt her, just sting a tiny bit.

She loved it.

“Oh, God,” she mewled.

I took her clit between two fingers and pinched lightly.

“Please, Ben…inside now. Enough is enough.”

I added a third finger, getting her ready for me. “Is that better?” I teased.

“No. You. I want
you
inside me,” she whined.

“I am inside you, baby girl.” I twisted my fingers and slid them across her g-spot.

She shuddered hard. “You know what I mean.”

“Tell me.”

“You’re an asshole – you know that?”

That mouth.

“Samantha…”

“Fine. Okay, I’ll say it!” she griped, shooting fire at me over her shoulder. “I want your cock.”

“Mmmm, you know exactly what to say to turn me on.”

Hearing her say dirty words spurred me higher.

I leaned in and licked her some more, tasting her essence.

Samantha cried out, her legs trembling.

Enough.

I was hurting already. If she only knew how much it tormented me when she pleaded. It made my balls ache and my cock excruciatingly hard. There was nothing better than Samantha delirious with need and begging for what only I could give her.

I savored her for a few more moments. She was lingering right on the precipice, and I wanted to draw it out a little bit more. Right when she was about to sail over the cliff, I pulled away and slipped my fingers from her.

“No!” she wailed.

“Shhh,” I whispered, petting her back, and scooted closer. “I’ve got you.”

I took myself in hand and pressed against her entrance. As she shuddered again, I thrust all the way home.

God, nothing has ever felt so good.

“Ahhh!” Samantha screamed, her head flying back. All of her gorgeous hair cascaded down her back as she lifted herself on her elbows.

Iridescent eyes met mine as she watched me thrust into her. I gazed into them, hoping she saw all the things I had yet said. By the swirling adulation staring back at me, I believed she did.

I kept my rhythm slow, wanting to drive her insane. She was already spasming around me, but she wouldn’t find her release at this pace. I’d been inside her enough to know.

Gripping her hips, I helped her drive herself on me. With every stroke, her ass shook and jiggled. It was a pretty sight, enough so that I started pounding into her, my need getting the better of me.

“Yes,” Samantha hissed, meeting my demands. “Honey…yes.”

“Touch yourself for me, sweetheart.”

Samantha shifted as I took her, sinking myself into her searing heat over and over again. Fingers slipped around the base of my cock as she felt us together, ripping a gasp from my throat.

“You feel amazin’, handsome,” she purred throatily.

“Keep doing that and it won’t last long,” I warned, my voice guttural.

“Good.”

Overwhelmed, I hardened more. “Play with your clit,” I demanded. I was too close.

Like a good girl, Samantha did as she was told and let out another louder, longer moan. I reached under her and tweaked both of her nipples, knowing that was exactly what she needed to set her off.

And I was right.

Samantha orgasmed on a gasp, convulsing around me. I stilled and let her ride it out, relishing in the look of wonder on her face.

When her sounds quieted and her convulsions diminished, I drove into her again. Her breathing skipped, and a shiver raked her body. A couple more strokes and she’d start to climb again, but I was too far gone.

A few thrusts later, I spilled myself inside her. Rapture coursed through my veins, tearing a loud, gravelly groan from my throat. My eyes closed as I shook.

It took a few moments to come back down, and when I did, I leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss between Samantha’s shoulder blades.

“That was wonderful, handsome,” Samantha whispered, sighing in contentment.

“So were you,” I murmured, trailing a finger along the skin of her lower back.

Honing in on where our bodies were connected, I pulled out of her, hypnotized by my seed spilling from her. For more times than I could count, I wondered what she’d look like with my child in her belly. The image was far from terrifying.

One day, I decided.

It
would
happen.

As I lay on my back next to her, Samantha rolled into me and rested her head on my chest. “You’ve never done that before,” she stated quietly.

“Hmm?”

“Came in me – you’ve never done it.”

She was right. Though she went on the pill at my urging, I was still cautious; a trait left over from my years with Gwen. But Samantha wasn’t Gwen, and I trusted her.

“I liked it,” she continued.

“Not as much as me,” I joked, trying to make light of it.

Samantha chuckled quietly. “Probably not.” She snuggled against my chest and exhaled a breath, her eyes growing heavy.