Under the Orange Moon by Adrienne Frances Page B

She prepared herself for his attempt and contemplated dodging it when it finally came.
    “So, thanks for having me,” Michael said when they reached his car. He moved in close, sending Dylan’s face back. He kissed her on the cheek and pulled back with a smile. “Goodnight.”
    “Goodnight,” she replied, wishing she felt disappointed. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
    As Michael drove off, Dylan walked back into her dark house. Jonah snored away on the couch and Ben was nowhere in sight. She sighed as she walked up the stairs to her lonely bedroom, where she got ready for bed and slid into her cold sheets.
    The sound her door made when it opened and closed did nothing to cause any shock to Dylan. It was only a matter of seconds later that Ben was sliding under her covers. He pressed against her and moved her hair from her face.
    “Why did you do that to me?” he asked in a low whisper.
    His fingertips traced her jaw, then down along her neck, sending a tremble she couldn’t conceal throughout her body.
    Frightened that he would leave if she spoke, she waited before answering him. “I did nothing,” she finally lied.
    “You don’t like him,” he said, rubbing his nose to hers. His hand moved along her hip and down to her thigh. He lifted her leg and pulled it around his body, a move that stunned her beyond anything she could have anticipated.
    Dylan’s heart accelerated and she tried not to make any sudden moves, knowing he would run if she took any of his power. She tried not to hold her breath, but she was sure she shouldn’t even breathe.
    Ben’s hand moved over Dylan’s shoulder, sliding his smallest finger under the strap of her top. “Michael Olerson doesn’t deserve you,” he whispered.
    She couldn’t keep her mouth closed. “Do you?” she asked boldly.
    Ben’s lips brushed against her neck as he pulled her body closer. He was hard against her and was in no way attempting to hide it. “No,” he whispered, sending a gust of warm breath into her ear. “Nobody does.”
    Dylan moved her hips with him and tried to prepare herself for what she was sure was going to happen next. Was she ready? Of course she was! It was all she had ever thought about. Even in Ben’s absence, she dreamed of this moment.
    His hands moved around the curves of her body, exploring it over the small amount of clothing that covered her. She thought of urging his hands on, pulling him into her. Could he really be so closely controlled that he could resist making love to her if she was to undress completely? She felt like a fork in the road. Whichever way he wanted to go with her, she would happily go that way as well. 
    Nevertheless, this was Ben she was dealing with, and he would always keep her on her toes. When she realized that was as far as he was going to let things go, she relaxed into his arms and closed her eyes. His heart thumped through his chest and slammed against hers until it slowed to a soothing beat.
    This was her comfort, sleeping in his grasp. She hadn’t forgotten how much she loved his warmth and his skin against hers. The days were growing too long now as she waited to be back in his hold. Sadly, it was all she looked forward to anymore.
    She slept soundly and happily, waking up every once in a while to stare at Ben’s perfect, angelic face. She pulled him closer and nuzzled deeper into his arms. This was her peace, her only perfection, an escape from her reality. She would enjoy it until the sun came up and pulled him away.
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter Four
    Ben walked through his mother’s front door as quietly as possible. The sun was still buried in the horizon and he was sure Ruth would still be asleep in her bed. The pills she was ingesting these days wouldn’t allow her to wake up before the sun rose. Ben wondered if she was even awake when she was vertical, walking and talking. She seemed to be in a hazy fog most of the time and, odds were, she assumed he wasn’t even there, a