damn, Ben sensed it was time to ease off and give her some space. “We can talk about it more tomorrow,” he said, taking a step back. “You must be exhausted. Let’s go inside and get to bed.”
Her mouth dropped open, and he grinned as he reached out to tap it shut. “I’ll sleep on the couch, Reese. All I need is a pillow and a blanket.”
“Uh, right. Okay.” She started to walk away, one hand pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Be careful of the glass,” he cautioned.
“You, too,” she said, stopping to look back over her shoulder. She stared at him in the hazy moonlight, her expression curious . . . but wary. His pulse quickened, and he had to shove his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out and grabbing hold of her again.
Quietly, she said, “I can’t really believe this is happening.”
Ben locked his jaw, not trusting what he might say. He didn’t know what expression he wore at that moment, but whatever it was, it didn’t scare her off, thank God. With a shy smile tucked into the corner of her mouth, she turned her head and walked inside, the movement of her hips beneath the cotton shirt drawing his eye.
Lust burned like a grass fire under his skin, along with a dangerous surge of emotion he didn’t dare look at too closely.
Keep it simple. Fuck her out of your system, and then get on with your life.
Right. It was sound advice, but as he followed Reese inside, something that felt like fear twisted in his gut at the thought of her slipping out of his reach. He flinched, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.
Just get your fill of her, and then you can move on.
Just get what you need, and everything will go back to normal . . .
Ben repeated the mantra again and again, forcing the words through his cramped mind . . . and hoped to God it would be that easy.
4
B URYING HER FACE IN HER PILLOW TO AVOID THE F LORIDA SUNSHINE pouring in through the slanted shutters, Reese moaned as Ben’s words from the night before came back to her. His language had been shocking—but she’d have been lying if she’d said it hadn’t been sexy as hell. She’d never had a man talk like
that
to her before, so raw and unrestrained, but she’d liked it. Those wicked words had just seemed so right coming from Ben’s mouth, his provocative tone deep and dark and wildly erotic. And the longer they’d fooled around, the stronger his accent had gotten, until his words were melting together in a smooth, rumbling drawl. Even when he’d been growling at her.
She still couldn’t believe that he’d kissed her. Couldn’t believe that she’d been in town less than twenty-four hours, and he’d already had his hand in her pants!
She also couldn’t believe that at this moment, Ben Hudson was in her house, in the other room, sleeping on
her
couch. Her heart raced at the thought of getting up and facing him, but taking a deep breath, she forced herself to look at the situation logically. Despite what he’d said about being interested in her for a long time now, Reese knew it was probably just a line. The guy was good with women, which meant he was good at telling them what they wanted to hear. She didn’t think there was anything malicious in what he’d done, claiming an interest that likely had more to do with her being nearby and available than any long-term attraction. If anything, she should probably be flattered that he was interested in her at all, since she knew she wasn’t his usual type. “Tall, blond, and stacked” was how Connie had described the women she’d seen Ben with over the years. The description might have fit her younger sister to a T, but it was worlds away from Reese.
When the phone she’d only just plugged in last night suddenly rang on her small bedside table, she quickly grabbed it, hoping the sound hadn’t woken him. Before she could even say hello, her sister’s bright voice filled her ear. “Morning, sunshine! How was your first night in the new
Her mouth dropped open, and he grinned as he reached out to tap it shut. “I’ll sleep on the couch, Reese. All I need is a pillow and a blanket.”
“Uh, right. Okay.” She started to walk away, one hand pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Be careful of the glass,” he cautioned.
“You, too,” she said, stopping to look back over her shoulder. She stared at him in the hazy moonlight, her expression curious . . . but wary. His pulse quickened, and he had to shove his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out and grabbing hold of her again.
Quietly, she said, “I can’t really believe this is happening.”
Ben locked his jaw, not trusting what he might say. He didn’t know what expression he wore at that moment, but whatever it was, it didn’t scare her off, thank God. With a shy smile tucked into the corner of her mouth, she turned her head and walked inside, the movement of her hips beneath the cotton shirt drawing his eye.
Lust burned like a grass fire under his skin, along with a dangerous surge of emotion he didn’t dare look at too closely.
Keep it simple. Fuck her out of your system, and then get on with your life.
Right. It was sound advice, but as he followed Reese inside, something that felt like fear twisted in his gut at the thought of her slipping out of his reach. He flinched, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.
Just get your fill of her, and then you can move on.
Just get what you need, and everything will go back to normal . . .
Ben repeated the mantra again and again, forcing the words through his cramped mind . . . and hoped to God it would be that easy.
4
B URYING HER FACE IN HER PILLOW TO AVOID THE F LORIDA SUNSHINE pouring in through the slanted shutters, Reese moaned as Ben’s words from the night before came back to her. His language had been shocking—but she’d have been lying if she’d said it hadn’t been sexy as hell. She’d never had a man talk like
that
to her before, so raw and unrestrained, but she’d liked it. Those wicked words had just seemed so right coming from Ben’s mouth, his provocative tone deep and dark and wildly erotic. And the longer they’d fooled around, the stronger his accent had gotten, until his words were melting together in a smooth, rumbling drawl. Even when he’d been growling at her.
She still couldn’t believe that he’d kissed her. Couldn’t believe that she’d been in town less than twenty-four hours, and he’d already had his hand in her pants!
She also couldn’t believe that at this moment, Ben Hudson was in her house, in the other room, sleeping on
her
couch. Her heart raced at the thought of getting up and facing him, but taking a deep breath, she forced herself to look at the situation logically. Despite what he’d said about being interested in her for a long time now, Reese knew it was probably just a line. The guy was good with women, which meant he was good at telling them what they wanted to hear. She didn’t think there was anything malicious in what he’d done, claiming an interest that likely had more to do with her being nearby and available than any long-term attraction. If anything, she should probably be flattered that he was interested in her at all, since she knew she wasn’t his usual type. “Tall, blond, and stacked” was how Connie had described the women she’d seen Ben with over the years. The description might have fit her younger sister to a T, but it was worlds away from Reese.
When the phone she’d only just plugged in last night suddenly rang on her small bedside table, she quickly grabbed it, hoping the sound hadn’t woken him. Before she could even say hello, her sister’s bright voice filled her ear. “Morning, sunshine! How was your first night in the new
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