moan, I wrapped my fingers in his hair, dragged him closer. Heat or hunger or just plain unadulterated lust pooled in the pit of my stomach. And when his tongue slipped inside my mouth, claiming every nerve end, fireworks exploded in my brain and a bonfire raged in my groin.
Hell, I’d been waiting my entire life for this kiss.
“Oooh, yes...” I moaned and transferred my grip from hair to shirt, prepared to rip off the buttons in one jerk if necessary. “Don’t stop! Don’t ever stop!”
“Hey, she’s talking!” Tanya’s exclamation seemed to be coming from a long way away. “You’ve done your job Ben, so you can unplug your lips now.”
Oh, no. Come back. Don’t go. The fiery tongue and minty lips withdrew, leaving me cold, lost and disorientated.
Devastated, I clutched at Ben’s shirt as he slowly disentangled himself, straightened up and flicked a raised eyebrow in my direction. “Hmm...” he said, running an exploratory tongue over his lips. “Not bad.”
Tanya tapped him lightly on the arm with her fist. “Hey, I didn’t know you were such a good kisser, Benjamin. I might even try you out myself one day.”
“Sorry, but you’ll need to get on the end of a very long queue.”
She punched him again, this time, harder. “Don’t get carried away, lover boy. If Kat had been remotely on the ball tonight, she’d have bitten both your lips off and fed them to her dogs.”
Mind whirling, I gazed up into Ben’s teasing brown eyes and wished I could swallow a “drink me” potion. You know, like Alice stumbled across in Wonderland. Shrinking to the size of a flea sounded a pretty good option right now. A flush warmed my skin as it rose from my toes and travelled all the way to my hairline. If only the floor would lift so I could slide underneath, pull the boards back over me and disappear forever.
Ben turned to me, lips twitching. “Not a bad technique for treating shock. Even if I say so myself.”
Ben had kissed me and I’d responded. Boy, how I’d responded. But while his kiss had switched on every one of my fairy lights it meant nothing more than medicinal psychotherapy to him.
“You know,” he said, hooking a thumb into the front of his jeans like the Neanderthal he was. “I should market fridge magnets. When you need the kiss of life don’t call 911—call Ben Taylor. I’d make a fortune.”
If I had access to a water hose, I’d drown the big lug. Who needed Ben Taylor anyway?
Me... a little voice bleated .
I gave myself a mental slap. Don’t be so bloody pathetic . There are billions of guys out there waiting for a special girl like you. Who needs Neanderthal Man?
Of course, by now, Erin was hanging over the armrest of my chair, nose twitching, eyes the size of hubcaps. “Did you see that, Mum? Ben and Kat were kissing with their mouths open. Ben’s tongue went right inside Kat’s mouth. Right down her throat. It was totally gross !” She puckered her lips and did a stinky imitation with her nose to show us exactly how gross. “ Why were you moaning, Kat? Did Ben’s tongue get hooked on your tonsils?”
“Erin. Bed.”
“But Muuum…that’s so not fair. You always make me miss the good stuff.”
“You’ll miss the school trip to Monarto Zoo next week if you’re not in your room by the time I count to ten. One...two...three...four....”
Ignoring the everyday mum-daughter battle of wills going on behind him, Ben dragged up a chair and sat facing me. “What’s that you’re drinking, mate? Hot chocolate?”
“Mmm...” I nodded, lips jammed together to show exactly how pissed off I was. No way was I anywhere near ready to forget or forgive the reason for that kiss.
“Hot chocolate’s a drink for old ladies and insomniacs.” While Tanya frog-marched Erin from the room, Ben slipped a hand inside his sheepskin jacket and produced a flat green bottle. “Now, here’s a drink that’ll clear your head and grow hair on your chest. Take a swig of this,
Hell, I’d been waiting my entire life for this kiss.
“Oooh, yes...” I moaned and transferred my grip from hair to shirt, prepared to rip off the buttons in one jerk if necessary. “Don’t stop! Don’t ever stop!”
“Hey, she’s talking!” Tanya’s exclamation seemed to be coming from a long way away. “You’ve done your job Ben, so you can unplug your lips now.”
Oh, no. Come back. Don’t go. The fiery tongue and minty lips withdrew, leaving me cold, lost and disorientated.
Devastated, I clutched at Ben’s shirt as he slowly disentangled himself, straightened up and flicked a raised eyebrow in my direction. “Hmm...” he said, running an exploratory tongue over his lips. “Not bad.”
Tanya tapped him lightly on the arm with her fist. “Hey, I didn’t know you were such a good kisser, Benjamin. I might even try you out myself one day.”
“Sorry, but you’ll need to get on the end of a very long queue.”
She punched him again, this time, harder. “Don’t get carried away, lover boy. If Kat had been remotely on the ball tonight, she’d have bitten both your lips off and fed them to her dogs.”
Mind whirling, I gazed up into Ben’s teasing brown eyes and wished I could swallow a “drink me” potion. You know, like Alice stumbled across in Wonderland. Shrinking to the size of a flea sounded a pretty good option right now. A flush warmed my skin as it rose from my toes and travelled all the way to my hairline. If only the floor would lift so I could slide underneath, pull the boards back over me and disappear forever.
Ben turned to me, lips twitching. “Not a bad technique for treating shock. Even if I say so myself.”
Ben had kissed me and I’d responded. Boy, how I’d responded. But while his kiss had switched on every one of my fairy lights it meant nothing more than medicinal psychotherapy to him.
“You know,” he said, hooking a thumb into the front of his jeans like the Neanderthal he was. “I should market fridge magnets. When you need the kiss of life don’t call 911—call Ben Taylor. I’d make a fortune.”
If I had access to a water hose, I’d drown the big lug. Who needed Ben Taylor anyway?
Me... a little voice bleated .
I gave myself a mental slap. Don’t be so bloody pathetic . There are billions of guys out there waiting for a special girl like you. Who needs Neanderthal Man?
Of course, by now, Erin was hanging over the armrest of my chair, nose twitching, eyes the size of hubcaps. “Did you see that, Mum? Ben and Kat were kissing with their mouths open. Ben’s tongue went right inside Kat’s mouth. Right down her throat. It was totally gross !” She puckered her lips and did a stinky imitation with her nose to show us exactly how gross. “ Why were you moaning, Kat? Did Ben’s tongue get hooked on your tonsils?”
“Erin. Bed.”
“But Muuum…that’s so not fair. You always make me miss the good stuff.”
“You’ll miss the school trip to Monarto Zoo next week if you’re not in your room by the time I count to ten. One...two...three...four....”
Ignoring the everyday mum-daughter battle of wills going on behind him, Ben dragged up a chair and sat facing me. “What’s that you’re drinking, mate? Hot chocolate?”
“Mmm...” I nodded, lips jammed together to show exactly how pissed off I was. No way was I anywhere near ready to forget or forgive the reason for that kiss.
“Hot chocolate’s a drink for old ladies and insomniacs.” While Tanya frog-marched Erin from the room, Ben slipped a hand inside his sheepskin jacket and produced a flat green bottle. “Now, here’s a drink that’ll clear your head and grow hair on your chest. Take a swig of this,
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