Take Me Under (11 page)

But as sweet as her mouth was, there was something he needed even more. And he was done waiting for it.

With a low growl, Ben broke away from the kiss and lifted his head. Loving how quickly he could turn her on, her breaths already quickening as she gripped his biceps, he looked right then left, deciding that the small walkway on the side of her house would afford them the most privacy. Taking one of her hands in his, he quickly pulled her behind him, into the narrow, secluded passage. Then he turned and pressed her against the side of the house, the air heavy with the lush scent of bougainvillea and the delectable woman in his arms. She jolted with shock as he dropped to his knees in front of her, shoving her sundress up to her waist. “Hold it,” he growled, his lips moving against the smooth skin just beneath her navel as he pressed his face against the soft swell of her stomach.

“I thought we were waiting,” she gasped, digging her free hand into his hair. But she didn’t push him away. She held on for dear life, and Ben took a deep breath, her warm scent making his mouth water as he dredged up every ounce of control he possessed and gave her the chance to tell him no or to fuck off and leave her alone. When she didn’t say anything, just stood there, panting and trembling, he tugged on the ties at the sides of her black bathing suit bottoms and let them drop to the ground.

“Spread your legs for me,” he told her, the gritty command thick with lust. He wanted to lay her down and spread her wide, looking until he’d had his fill. Take in all the plush, intimate details. But if he gave her too much time to be shy, he’d lose her. Hell, at this rate, he wasn’t even sure his heart could take it. It was already pounding like a bitch in his chest, and she was moving too damn slow.

With a guttural sound of impatience, Ben hooked one slender thigh over his shoulder and shoved his face against her. His tongue plunged greedily through her slick folds, before rubbing against that tiny opening. It was swollen . . . slippery . . . perfect. She was melting into hot liquid, so drenched she was making his face wet, her sweet, salty flavor making his dick so hard he was in some serious pain. But he was having too much fun to stop, the feel of her tender sheath closing around his tongue as he pushed it inside her so incredible it nearly killed him. And when she started to pulse, his damn eyes nearly rolled back in his head.

The woman had the most edible little cunt he’d ever tasted, and Ben went at her with everything he had, her raw moans and sharp cries driving him on, until she suddenly crashed over the edge. She went silent then, not even breathing, her pale throat arched as her head went back, her body caught in a powerful, wrenching climax that nearly made him come right along with her, her hips pumping against his face. She was unraveling him, each sweet, wrenching pulse of pleasure rushing through him like it was his own. He was tied into her, feeding on the same sensory loop, his tongue still plunging and stroking as he pressed his face harder against her, trying to suck up every hot, decadent drop.

“I told you I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth off you,” he growled, no clue where he finally found the strength to pull back. With his eyes squeezed shut, he lowered her trembling thigh off his shoulder and gripped her hips, his forehead pressed against her quivering belly as he breathed in hard, ragged gusts. She was his for the taking, ripe and ready and needing to be fucked—but somewhere in the back of Ben’s mind, he knew she would freak if they took things any further right then. Christ, he had to have the worst timing in the world, but at least he’d made his point. No way in hell could she doubt how good they were together. When he finally got inside her, the sex would probably be so intense it destroyed them.

He swallowed, tasting her in his mouth, her lush scent still filling his head, and knew he needed to put some space between them before it was too late. “Damn it,” he snarled, surging to his feet and taking a quick step back, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Running his tongue over the edge of his teeth, he watched as she let go of her dress, the skirt falling back into place and covering his new favorite spot in the world. “I’m trying to be good, but it’s fucking impossible around you, Reese.”

A goofy, adorable grin curved her lips as she lowered her gaze, eyes glued to the rigid erection straining inside his swim trunks. “Am I really so tempting?” she asked softly.

“You have no idea,” he grunted, wiping the back of his wrist over his damp mouth. It was still taking a herculean effort to keep his hands off her. If he’d ever been this painfully hard before, he’d blocked it from his mind. And he’d never seen her look so beautiful, her expression soft . . . relaxed, almost dreamy.

He pushed both hands back through his hair, then crossed his arms over his chest and gave her his best
I-don’t-want-another-argument
stare. “You’re having dinner with me tonight.”

“No, I’m not,” she replied, still a little breathless, and obviously missing the whole meaning of the stare. “This . . . what happened . . . it was lovely, Ben. But I told you before, I need time to think.”

He didn’t think it was possible for him to feel more frustrated than he’d already been, but he did. “You’re overcomplicating it, Reese.”

Her chin went up, some of that beautiful flush fading from her cheeks. “I’m not trying to. But I’ve never done anything like this before. It might be commonplace for you, but this is a big deal for me.”

He scowled. “And you don’t think it will be a big deal for me, too?”

Bending down to pick up her bikini bottoms, she said, “Whether it is or it isn’t, you can’t deny that you’re a lot more comfortable with casual relationships than I am.”

He clenched his jaw, knowing better than to argue the point as she straightened, that bright blue gaze locking with his.

“Please. Just . . . a little more time. Okay?”

He took a deep breath, struggling for patience, Brit’s words from the night before ringing through his head again. Jesus, had it only been yesterday that he’d first told Reese he was interested in her? Maybe he
should
back off and give her a little room.

Lowering his arms to his sides, he said, “Fine. But I’m not giving up.”

Another one of those shy, beautiful smiles curved her lips. “It probably means I’m crazy, but I’m glad.”

“You are such an evil little tease,” he groaned, fisting his hands to keep from grabbing her again.

She snorted in response, as if she thought he was joking. The woman had no idea how the things she said and did affected him, which he normally would have been thankful for. But when it came to Reese, her lack of awareness got under his skin. Made him feel crazed, as if it was his mission in life to make her understand just how fucking incredible she was. And the fact that some bastard was out there, trying to scare the hell out of her, made him want to thrash the fucker to within an inch of his life.

Ben couldn’t take his eyes off her as they walked back to the patio to grab her bag, then around the side of her house again, to the front door, since she’d left her French doors locked. He didn’t even trust himself to put a chaste kiss on her lips, knowing he was working on a hair trigger where she was concerned. Instead, he forced himself to give her a lecture about locking up and calling him if she needed anything or got another one of those damn texts. Then he turned and walked away, before he did something pathetic and desperate, like drop to his knees and start begging.

Letting himself in through his front door, Ben grabbed a beer from the fridge and sprawled in one of the chairs that faced his back patio, watching the late afternoon clouds blow in off the water. Reese’s question about what he wanted out of a relationship with her kept looping through his mind, but there was no easy answer. He just knew that he wanted her, badly. Knew that since they’d first met, he’d compared every woman he came into contact with to Reese, and they’d all come up lacking. That he thought about her too damn often, and when he’d heard she was leaving her husband and relocating to Moss Beach, he’d known exactly what he was going to do. That he would go after her with everything he had, doing everything in his power to get his fill of her.

Rubbing his thumb over his bottom lip, his beer went forgotten as he thought about the intoxicating taste of her mouth. He could have gone on kissing her forever, which wasn’t like him. Kissing wasn’t normally his thing, considering there were always more exciting things he could be doing when he had a woman in his arms.

But he had to admit that he couldn’t get enough of kissing Reese . . .

Brit had once told him that a kiss was one of the most romantically intimate experiences a couple could share, because it put them face to face, engaging each of their senses in the closest proximity possible. Even with your eyes closed, the other four were all in use, making you hyperaware of the person you were tangling tongues with. Which was probably why he’d always sped through the act so quickly. Women got dangerous ideas when you lingered on things that were too intimate and romantic. Best to avoid that sinkhole.

But it didn’t feel like that with Reese.
He
didn’t feel like that. He wanted to lose himself in the slick, tender textures of her mouth. In those petal-soft lips and her warm honeyed taste. It all blew his fucking mind.

Then he’d gone and put his mouth on her pink, pretty little pussy, and he’d nearly died. He’d never known anything that intoxicating in his life. Hadn’t gotten nearly enough of it. Would have been happy to spend hours, days, even weeks with his mouth buried between her soft thighs, wallowing in those juicy folds.

Last night, it’d been damn near impossible to keep his ass planted on her couch, instead of following her into her bedroom. Today, that sense of need and anticipation was even worse. He was edgy . . . restless. He’d never, in all his thirty-four years, been this wound up about a woman before, and Ben knew if he gave himself too much time to think about how she affected him, it was going to screw with his head.

Instead, he stood up and carried his beer into his office, firing up his laptop. He’d give her the time she’d asked for tonight and spend the hours focusing on what she’d told him. With any luck, by tomorrow morning he’d have a better idea of what had gone down in Boston . . . and what part her bastard ex had really played in it.

7

S
ITTING IN A COMFORTABLE BOOTH WITH A WELCOME STREAM OF COOL
air blowing down on them from above, Reese was glad she’d agreed to meet Connie for lunch at the best Mexican restaurant in town. Despite it being Sunday, the place wasn’t too packed, and the food was delicious. They were washing down a platter of nachos with ice-cold sweet tea, when Connie started reminiscing about some of the crazy things they’d gotten up to in high school.

“Do you remember when I’d just started my freshman year and you dared me to go over to Corey Handler’s house dressed up like Britney Spears and perform that dance from her video?” Corey had been the star quarterback of the football team and the cutest boy in Reese’s junior class.

“Oh my God,” Reese gasped, setting her tea down as she laughed. “I’d completely forgotten about that. Didn’t he end up asking you out?”

Connie’s smile was wry. “Yeah, only Mom said no way in hell.” She took a sip of her tea, then grinned as she reached for another chip. “But I was glad I’d done it, because you and I had such a blast setting the whole thing up. You were always so much fun back then.”

Back then? Reese’s smile fell. “Gee, thanks.”

Her sister flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that—”

“Don’t worry about it. I know what you meant.”

She honestly did understand, though she wouldn’t have been able to say that before. But with each day that she spent out from under the oppressive thumb of her marriage, Reese could see how much it had changed her a little more clearly. Could see how much of herself she’d given up trying to make Drew happy. Trying to be the wife that he wanted and fit into his mold for the “ideal” woman. She didn’t know how it’d happened. Couldn’t understand why she’d
let
it happen. But she thanked God that she could see it now.

“Say what you like about Ben,” Connie murmured, as if she could read her mind, “but he’ll be good for your ego.”

She rolled her eyes, wondering how many times her sister was going to mention the guy. “Be realistic, Con. How will watching him walk away when he’s through with me be good for my ego?”

There must have been something in her voice, because Connie’s expression changed, her brow creasing with worry. “Wait a minute. Are you . . . Do you have
feelings
for Ben?”

“Of course not,” she said a little too quickly, hoping it was true. The last thing she needed was to fall for a guy like Ben. She might as well leave her heart out on a stake to cook in the summer sun.

“If you’re not falling for him, Reese, then what’s the problem?”

“There’s no problem,” she said, trying for a more casual tone. “I just don’t want to get hurt. I mean, who’s to say how I might come to feel about him if we start seeing each other?”

Connie gave her an understanding nod. “So be smart and pull away before you get too far into him.”

She scrunched her nose. “That sounds so . . . crass.”

Her concern forgotten, Connie shot her a dazzling smile and waggled her brows. “Ben’s a big boy. He won’t mind being used. God knows he’s done it enough times himself. So have your fun with him, and be the one who walks away first.”

She pressed her hand against her stomach, just the thought of doing something like that making her feel a little queasy. “I don’t know if I can do that, Con.”

“Sure you can. It won’t be easy, but I have a feeling it’ll be worth it. You need some fun in your life, sis. Need to mix things up in a wild way.” Connie dropped her voice to a dramatic drawl, doing the eyebrow thing again. “And from the things I’ve heard about our sexy sheriff, he’ll be just the guy to do it.”

Jeez. Even Connie thought she needed to have some fun. Did everyone think she was a walking mausoleum? It was starting to get embarrassing. “I have to think about it.”

“Just don’t think too long. The sooner you jump into the pool again, the sooner you’ll realize how many opportunities are out there.”

“I don’t need a man to be happy,” she argued, the idea of wading through some endless dating pool making her cringe.

Reaching across the table, Connie patted her hand. “I know that, Reese.” A wry smile twisted her sister’s mouth. “But you can’t get away from the fact that some things are just a hell of a lot more fun when you’ve got one around.”

They both laughed, and Connie excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, giving Reese some time alone with her thoughts. She’d enjoyed their lunch, but her sister’s words from earlier kept niggling at the edge of her mind, making her tense. After living for so many years with Drew trying to shape her identity, she was still coming to grips with who she was and what she wanted. Still trying to understand how she could have let it happen.

It was just so weird, how you could look back and watch your life play out like a movie. There were times when she didn’t even recognize the actress playing her in most of the scenes. Who was that woman? The one who’d let a crap husband walk all over her? The one who’d pasted on a false smile and pretended to love her life, simply because she was too embarrassed to admit that she’d made more wrong choices than right ones? Sometimes, the frustration with the way she’d lived still bubbled up inside her with so much force, she felt like burying her head in her pillow and bawling her eyes out. But it wasn’t going to solve anything. The answer was to finally start living on her own terms. To take back control. To start having some fun, like everyone kept suggesting, and stop worrying about where everything was going.

Then why in God’s name aren’t you taking Ben up on his offer?

She scowled, wondering when that annoying voice in her head was finally going to shut up.

I’ll shut up when you start listening to me. You want some fun? Some pleasure? That guy is ready to offer it, with a no hassle guarantee.

True. Ben hadn’t asked her for anything more than her body, though she still wasn’t sure why he wanted it. But she was the one complicating things. Worrying she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from developing feelings for him.

And would it really be the end of the world if she did? If her divorce had shown her anything, it was that she was tough enough to take a hit and keep on ticking. She might be bruised, but damn it, she wasn’t broken! She’d just have to keep her eyes open and the facts sharp in her mind. Remember that they were together for pleasure . . . not forever.

While the restaurant buzzed with activity around her, Reese sat at the table completely lost in thought, determined to make a decision where the sexy sheriff was concerned. And in the end, it was Ben’s dare that did it. Not because she couldn’t turn one down—but because she always had. Despite being fun-loving when she was younger, she’d never been the wild one. Oh, she might have dared her sisters to do crazy things, but she’d never done them herself.

She was going to do one now.

After all the talk of handcuffs and domination, she was a little nervous about what he’d want from her, but it’d have been a lie if she’d said she didn’t want him. The fact that she melted into a shivering state of bliss every time he touched her was proof enough of her attraction, as was the way she could never tell him no. She had the resistance of a gnat around the guy, so wasn’t it time she started enjoying his efforts for a change, instead of worrying it all to death?

You bet your stubborn ass, it’s time!

After Connie returned to the table, they paid the bill, then made their way out to the sweltering parking lot. Her Toyota had been delivered from the auto shop that morning, and she was thankful for the freedom to get around. Wanting to pick up a few new things for the beach house, she stopped by one of the local garden centers and stocked up on houseplants, as well as some flowers, pots, and four hanging baskets for the patio. Declining any help out to her car, Reese pushed the heavy cart into the afternoon sunshine, and started across the warm asphalt. As she turned down the third row of cars, a strange chill traveled down her spine, making her pause. She stood still, hands gripped around the cart’s handle like claws, trying to pinpoint the source of the uneasy sensation, but none of the other customers loading their vehicles were paying her any attention. Shaking her head, she set off again, her jaw clenched with irritation.

Great. Just what I wanted to turn into: a paranoid head case!

There’d been no further texts on her phone, which meant the one from yesterday had probably been a wrong number. Creepy, but most likely meant for someone else. Or nothing more than a stupid prank. She just needed to pull up her big-girl pants and stop getting spooked by her shadow. Enough was enough!

Still, despite her determination to just chill, Reese couldn’t shake the bizarre feeling that she was being followed as she drove home. She found herself looking repeatedly into her rearview mirror, trying to determine which cars were taking the same route, as if she had a clue what she was doing. The last suspense film she’d watched with Drew flashed through her mind, twisting her stomach into knots. She found herself replaying the scene where the psychotic killer stalked the heroine on her way home from the store, and it hadn’t ended well for the girl.

Oh, honestly! Get a freaking grip!

Jaw set, she cranked up the radio and focused on simply getting home in one piece. Ten minutes later, she was pulling into the small drive that led to the beach houses, and was surprised to see Ben’s truck parked in front of his place. When she’d left that morning, he’d already been gone.

Filled with so much nervous tension she was about to snap, Reese changed her jeans for a pair of cutoffs and started to unload the car. She’d just stepped onto the patio with the last of the hanging baskets, when she caught sight of Ben jogging up the path that led down to the beach.

“Hey,” he called out, looking entirely too edible in a sweaty gray T-shirt and black running shorts.

She looked at his sexy, sculpted mouth, remembered where it’d been the day before, and felt the heat rise in her face like a fever. “Um, hi. Did you have a good run?”

He nodded, looking around at all the colorful flowers. “You went shopping?”

“After I met Connie for lunch. We ate at Casa di Pico.”

“I love that place. Best chips and salsa in town.” He picked up a small towel that he’d left on one of the chairs, using it to wipe his face and neck as he walked over to join her. “I heard from the alarm company. They’re going to be out tomorrow morning at nine.”

“That’s great. Thanks for calling them.”

“Not a problem.” He pushed his damp hair back from his forehead, and she almost gasped at the sight of his biceps bunching under his tight, dark skin. If the man were any more masculine, he’d be freaking lethal. She already felt light-headed. Either the heat was getting to her, or he was so gorgeous it was messing with her equilibrium.

“Reese?”

“Hmm?” she murmured, jerking her attention back to his rugged face.

“I said I need to grab a shower, but do you want to sit out here and have a drink after I’m done?”

“You’re sure you have the time?” she asked, hoping he’d say yes as she set down the basket she’d been holding by the others.

He tossed his towel over a broad, muscular shoulder, and a damp lock of hair fell over his brow as he smiled. “Wouldn’t matter if I didn’t. You’re more important than anything else I could have going on.”

She grinned, trying to remember to keep things light. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“The hell I do.” He cocked his head a bit to the side, looking as if he couldn’t decide between kissing her . . . or spanking her backside for doubting him. “And just so we’re clear on this, Reese, while I’m fucking you, I won’t be fucking anyone else. I don’t see the point in sleeping with one woman when I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about another one.”

She swallowed, pulling in a deep breath of his scent, and even sweaty the guy smelled incredible. Hot and musky and wonderfully male. It was a scent that called to her on a primitive, visceral level, and before she’d even realized the words were coming out of her mouth, she said, “But you’re not fucking me, Ben.”

“Not yet.” His smirk was unbelievably sexy. “But admit it, I’m making progress. And I just got you to say the f-word.”

She laughed, some of her earlier tension easing. “Actually, I’m glad we ran into each other. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Concern knitted his brow. “Did something else happen? Did you get another text?”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that.” She didn’t bother mentioning that strange feeling she’d had in the parking lot at the garden center, knowing it was probably just her imagination. She was wound up too tight, which meant her mind would definitely be playing tricks on her.

“Then what did you want to talk about?”

She took another deep breath, and forced herself to just say it, before she lost her nerve. “I’ve decided that I’m done complicating everything. I’m ready to take you up on your dare and, um, use you for a . . . a fling.”

She could tell she’d taken him by surprise, but he didn’t say a damn thing in response. He just stood there looking all hot and intense, his dark gaze focused on her so sharply she felt like he was trying to get inside her head.