Hungry Heart: Part One (Hungry Heart #1) (3 page)

Not that I’m complaining. And even though he seems well-put together, and definitely wants me, he seems rather unsure, which is absolutely endearing.

“Three years, almost four now. We started dating when I was seventeen and he was twenty. What about you and Miranda?”

He clear his throat, his lips curving as he turns his body toward mine a little, and catches my gaze. “Eight years. We met as freshmen in college, but didn’t begin dating until after we graduated.”

“She seems…” I pause, looking for the right word, but finish with a lame, “nice.”

“Oh, she is bat-shit crazy, but she always has been.”

The statement is full of affection, but I’m not sure what to say in reply, so I take a sip of my soda, and let my curiosity take over as I examine the room. He doesn’t say anything more and when my eyes finally return to him, it’s to discover him staring at me with hungry eyes.

“I’ve never done this before,” he admits, setting his glass on the side table before turning toward me even more. “I’m not sure of the rules…”

Not what I expected him to say.

“Wow.” I copy his motions and set my glass on the table beside me, then place my hands in my lap. “Um…so whose idea was it to open up the relationship?”

“Hers. It took her a year to convince me.”

“And you guys didn’t set up any rules?”

“Oh.” He nods. “Yes, we did. Did you?”

“Yeah.” I elaborate when he lifts a brow, indicating his curiosity. “Use protection, introduce first, no disrespect or the person is gone, and a mandatory two nights together a week. Keeps the drama to a minimum and expectations clear.”

“And is there a timeline…?”

I assume he means to go from meeting to dating and being together while with another.

“No.” His gaze sharpens at my reply, his hands going to my lap with one on each bare knee, and I ask him the questions I need to know the answers to. “What do you want, Benedict? What are your expectations of this? And why approach me?”

“I cheated a little. I’ve seen you and your boyfriend here, many times, but I’ve also seen him with Rissa. So I asked about you. I knew all about your relationship before I approached you.” I suck in a breath of air as his hands slide up my legs and tease the edge of my miniskirt. “I knew you’d know where I’m coming from and getting involved with a person whose single seems a bit too risky to me. Plus, I find you extremely attractive.”

His explanation made his approach in the cafe make complete sense, even though his questions had obviously been nonsense since he knew who my boyfriend was and my age. I can only appreciate his confidence in declaring his interest in me in such a bold way. But…“I’m not interested in
just
having sex with someone else. So if that’s your interest…?”

“No.” He rises a little and leans over me, until I’m lying on my back and he’s above me, in between my legs with his hands coming to rest on each side of my head. “I’m not either. I’m not that type of man.”

Our lips are so close, and I admit it, I’m extremely turned on by our position. He smells amazing, he’s gorgeous, and he wants me. And I wish he’d lean in and kiss me, but I feel the hesitation to go forward in him, and ask him one final thing.

“Does she already have someone else? That Len person she mentioned…?”

“Yes. For a year now. They adore each other.” His eyes drop to my lips as I lick them, then back up to my eyes where the fire in them has relit. “I could’ve been seeing others this whole time, but I waited. I didn’t want just anyone. I wanted someone who could potentially mean the same thing to me as she does, because it’s only due to how much I love her that I was able to realize she needed more than I can give her. And also, how much I needed more than she could give me as well.”

I don’t say anything in reply. There’s nothing I can say in response to that. It was sweet, and honest, and sincere, reminding me of something Nathan would say to anyone who questioned him about his feelings for me.

Instead, I place my hands on his shoulders, lifting my head off the couch until our lips press against one another as I make a decision for both of us. And it’s such a sweet, gentle, closed-mouth kiss; the kind where you both want it, and you’re not sure how far you can go, or how fast. His lips are soft yet firm, the taste of the scotch he drank on them, and with our mouths simply pressed together, I’m the first to give in. I open mine a little and he groans, his weight coming down on me more, pressing me into the sofa as his tongue invades my mouth with no sign of his earlier hesitation in sight.

He moves and readjusts as we continue kissing, and then his hand is on my thigh and moving up under my skirt. Already riding up due to our position, it’s not long until he’s cupping my ass in his hands and making appreciative sounds into my mouth as he gives the cheek a squeeze.

Sliding my hands up in his hair, I grab some as I rock my body up into his, which has him rocking into me in return. Our mouths alternate between tongues tangling and simple kissing, and his hand doesn’t move from my ass. We just lie here, kissing, and it’s the first time in a long while I’ve done nothing else but kiss.

I admit, after three years with Nathan, and only kissing and having sex with Nathan, this feels weird to me. But not bad weird; just unique in that it will be my first time right along with Benedict. Nathan was my first everything, and it looks like Benedict will be my second everything. But first…

“Benedict,” I whisper as I pull my lips away and meet his questioning gaze. “I feel like if we’re going to be kissing, your hand is going to be on my ass, and we’re going to be together…I should know your last name since I assume you already know mine.” My lips curve up into a smile as he laughs.

“Yes, I do.” He gives me a soft kiss on the lips and says, “Benedict Grant, at your service, Miss Caroline Lowther.”

“Nice to meet you, Mister Grant,” I tease him back, which makes him squeeze my ass in response, and lower his mouth back to mine.

And then, my phone buzzes a few seconds later, making Benedict pull away and sit up.

He grins as he looks down at his watch while I return to my previous sitting position. “You should get that. It’s two minutes until midnight and almost time for your first legal drink!”

I reach down for my purse and pull out my phone to see a text message from Ethan.

“
Birthday girl, birthday boy needs you. I heard the hot guy you met is the owner of this club and I know you’re probably kissing him right now, but get out here to the bar!
”

I laugh and read the text off to Benedict, who then takes my hand with a grin and says, “Let’s go.”

And as we walk out the door and toward my friends, he doesn’t let go of my hand, which is as close to a declaration as you can get without saying a word that we’re together.

5

An hour later, Nathan is sitting in a booth with Rissa, I’m sitting on a stool at the bar with Benedict next to me at another, Miranda is dancing up close and personal with Len, and then there is Ethan.

Standing on the other side of me, Ethan’s back is against the bar and his arms crossed, and he’s majorly drunk.

I stopped at two drinks, as I’ve never been interested in getting drunk, but Ethan has no qualms about such things. And now, he’s been going on and on about being single for the last ten minutes, which Benedict apparently finds amusing because he has to keep hiding his smile.

While I adore Ethan, he’s single because he’s not so great at approaching females, and even though I tried to practice with him, it had just made us laugh silly because it’s hard to flirt with someone you consider your sibling. And I’m not sure how to help him, which makes the moment Benedict jumps in to save me from Ethan’s drunk ramblings all the more special.

“Ethan, I think I know someone you might like,” Benedict says as he stands, leaning over to kiss my cheek before straightening. “Follow me.”

He walks over before Ethan has a chance to digest what he said, and gives me a startled look. I shrug and nod my head in the direction he went, indicating Ethan should just follow him. Which he does, and I’m left all alone.

I turn back to the bar and order a soda from Frank, who is now one of two bartenders instead of being all alone, and he leans over to speak with me as he hands me my drink.

“Having fun?”

“Yeah! I love this place. It’s always so busy and crowded, but it has great energy.”

“I like how I’m not deafened by the music all night, six nights a week.”

“Right? People can still have fun without the music being turned up to an ear-drum busting level.”

He grins at me, nodding, as another customer approaches but the other bartender waves a hand to indicate she has it.

“Have you known Benedict long?” I ask, taking a sip of my soda, watching as his brow lifts. “I mean, how long have you worked here?”

“Since the day it opened almost six years ago. He’s a great guy,” he says, seeming to gather what I want to ask but don’t.

I lean in, crooking my finger to indicate he should give me his ear, and when he does, I ask in a low voice, “And his girlfriend? Is she…okay?”

He pulls away a little and stares at me, but he must see the question is an honest one because he grimaces, and with a quick dart around us tells me, “She’s not…right in the head. I think she’s bad for him, but he loves her and wants to protect her. I don’t believe she loves him, and she spends a lot of time with Len. He doesn’t show how much it hurts him, but I’ve spent a lot of time around him since we met, and I can tell. I asked him why he allows it and he says it’s because otherwise, she would’ve left him completely. He doesn’t seem to agree with me when I said she sort of already has since she moved out six months ago into her own place, saying she needs some space.”

Wow. I’m not sure I should know this, but glad I’m aware of the situation. And the worry is clear in his face and words, so I can’t fault him for sharing since I asked.

“So, I’ve walked right into a mess is what you’re saying?”

“It’s like that?” At my nod, he grins. “Perhaps, but maybe dating you will make him see the light. Like I said, he’s the good guy here.”

He steps back, his eyes leaving mine, and a few seconds later, I realize why when arms encircle my waist and Benedict whispers in my ear, “Dance with me.”

I let him drag me away and soon we’re in a dark corner, our bodies flush together, with his hands on my hips. My arms are around his neck and we’re slow dancing, but I can tell he wishes he could let his hands roam, and part of me wants to let them.

The other part of me wonders if I should walk away now with what Frank told me. But I can’t even bring it up to Benedict because I wouldn’t want to get Frank fired for sharing information he probably shouldn’t have. Benedict is obviously pretending everything is fine, so I’m not sure what to do. I don’t need to invite drama into my life, and certainly not into my relationship with Nathan, yet I like Benedict and he might need someone when it all finally blows up in his face. Which it sounds like it will, at least from what Frank has said.

Why I feel like that person should be me isn’t something I can explain, but I decide I’m willing to risk it.

“Tell me what nights you spend with Nathan every week,” he whispers into my ear before nipping at it, making me shiver and sigh, my serious thoughts drifting away as I answer him.

“Monday and Friday, always.” I lick my lips, lifting my gaze to meet his just in time to see them light up. “Why?”

“Spend the night with me tonight. And by spend the night, I mean, cuddle for a little while and fall asleep next to me.”

He moves his hands up to my waist as I ask, “That’s it?”

His grin takes a decidedly naughty turn, and along with a gleam in his eye, I’m a sucker for it. A sucker for him and he knows it.

He backs me up until I’m against the wall, shadowed where nobody could see us unless they were really looking, and captures my lips in a long, sweet kiss before saying against them, “That’s it until we wake up. After that, all bets are off. So, what do you say?”

I say ‘yes’ because I like him and don’t want to resist how I feel. After I let Nate know where I’m going, Benedict takes me home with him.

6

When I open my eyes the next morning, the first thing I notice is Benedict is snoring into my ear. It’s soft, but because he’s so close, it’s undeniable, and I smother a giggle to avoid waking him.

Last night, Benedict kept to his word. After arriving at his place, we stripped down to our underwear, climbed under the comforter, and snuggled up to one another. Him as the big spoon, me as the little, and it didn’t take long for me to pass out. In what I consider an amazing feat, we stayed in the same position the whole night.

Cute, until I wake up needing to go to the bathroom. Wiggling out of from under his arm, trying not to wake him the whole time, I’m successful and walk softly until I reach it. A few minutes later, I wash my hands, then put some of his toothpaste on my finger and rub my teeth and tongue. Probably could look and with no doubt find an extra toothbrush but I don’t wanna take too long.

Tiptoeing back to the bed, I slip beneath the blankets and am almost under his arm when his sleepy eyes open.

“Hey.” His voice is low and smooth as if he wasn’t just sound asleep moments before.

“Hi.”

My reply comes out as a squeak because with amazing speed he’s wrapping me in his arms and pulling me close to his body so we’re touching in every place possible.

“I haven’t slept like that in a while,” he says before dipping his head and pressing a kiss on my naked shoulder. “I almost forgot how great a full night’s rest could make me feel.”

Between the sound of his voice, the fact his simple kiss has my whole left side tingling, and the way he’s holding me skin-to-skin, I know what I feel and it’s not anything I’ll soon forget.

Straight and pure lust.

Having watched him undress last night, I’m sure my body is reacting to him in a primal way. Under his civilized clothing, he’s divine. He’s muscular, his body defined, and I don’t believe he has an ounce of fat anywhere on him.