He pulls away slightly, but I don’t open my eyes. I don’t want this to end, and if I stay standing here, never looking, then he won’t finish pulling away, he won’t have regret on his face, and he won’t walk out of here, cursing me and himself for starting this.
To my absolute pleasure, he doesn’t pull away more than a fraction of an inch. His face hovers above mine, and my thumbs stroke his neck while I grin like a lunatic with my eyes closed, my heart beating a mile a minute.
Our gazes connect, and instead of regret, I see a mix of emotions, but they are all eclipsed by the wide smile on his face, aimed right at my soul. I step back, clearing my throat and looking around before bringing my eyes back to Ben’s.
“Hey,” I say in a whisper.
“Hey.” His smile gets wider.
I’m momentarily blinded by how stunning he is. And he kissed me. Me.
“Where’s Caroline?” I ask, looking around in confusion. “Weren’t you just on a date, or did I dream that up? Oh my God, is this a dream?” I reach up to touch my lips, praying that I’m not about to wake up in my bed.
“Caroline is gone,” Ben says, causing my already-muddled mind to be even more confused. “I couldn’t go any further with it, not when I know what I want isn’t her.”
“What do you mean?”
“Truth or dare?” he counters, not answering my question.
“Truth,” I say, feeling bold and terrified.
“Would you like to go on a date with me?” he asks.
I reach out to place my palm over his heart, where it’s thumping wildly underneath his shirt.
“I would love to go on a date with you,” I whisper and lean up on my tiptoes to place another peck on his lips, but I can’t quite reach.
Curse this shortness.
Ben brings his head down to meet mine, and I sigh as soon as our lips touch again. It’s not a dream. I’m really kissing Ben.
“Are you free tomorrow night?” he asks, breaking the kiss.
I groan. I can’t handle this. Now that I’ve tasted the soft, pliable lips that Ben has, I will never go back. I’m ruined for all other men. I lean back up, my mouth searching for his, but he puts his hands on my shoulders, keeping me in place while cocking an eyebrow.
“No,” I say, wanting to cry. “I have to work.” I mentally pull up the schedule to see who I have to con into taking my shift.
“What about the night after?”
“I can’t wait that long,” I say with a moan.
Ben lets out a chuckle. I want to capture it on my phone and make it my ringtone.
Not the weirdest thing you’ve ever thought.
“What time does your shift end tomorrow?”
“Nine.”
“Want me to cook you a late dinner?”
I stare at him.
“You sure?” I cock an eyebrow, my hands skating up his chest.
“Yes.” He takes his hands from my shoulders, and I acutely feel the loss of warmth.
“I would love that,” I say, glancing up from beneath my eyelashes.
Goose bumps break out across my body as he places his hands around my waist. His palms heating my skin and his light breaths skating across my neck make me shiver.
It’s not like I’ve never been touched by a guy. I’ve rounded some bases, but nothing has ever felt like this. I feel like I could come just from breathing Ben’s scent. I don’t know what it is. You always read in books that they smell like pine and spice or vanilla and musk. I don’t know how else to describe Ben’s scent but orgasmic, and I wouldn’t mind being able to bottle it up and bathe in it every time I shower.
As he pulls me to him, his fingers digging into the skin at my waist sends an immediate flood of wetness to my panties.
Niagara Falls ain’t got nothin’ on me.
I grab Ben’s hand, pulling him toward the couch, and push him slightly, so he knows to sit down. Taking out my phone, I pull up Andi’s name and fire off a message, letting her know I won’t be coming over tonight. Sometimes, I just have to grab life by the horns, and that’s what I’m doing right now.
I straddle Ben’s legs, sitting down, and then lean forward, cradling his face in my hands. He doesn’t wait for me, as he presses his lips to mine again, and I scoot up, pressing my breasts into his chest. I can feel his dick underneath me, hard and long, and I squirm a little, the sensation foreign but not uncomfortable.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for forever,” I say as I pull back, smiling at him.
“Same,” he murmurs before laying sweet pecks along my jawline as I tilt my head up. He presses his head into the side of my neck, wrapping his strong arms around me and pulling me into a tight hug. “I can’t wait for our date.”
“Me either,” I tell him as I turn, sliding sideways off of him and grabbing his shirt to pull him down to lie with me, the big spoon to my little spoon.
21 Pepper
How does one prepare for a date that takes place at her apartment with the guy she lives with?
I study myself in the mirror, twisting and turning to look at my outfit before ripping it off over my head and sighing. Grabbing my phone, I pull up Andi’s name and press Call.
“Hey, Pep. What’s up?”
“What do you mean, what’s up? I’m freaking out over here,” I hiss into the phone, and I hear her laugh.
“Oh, wait, tonight is your date, right?”
“I literally told you about it this morning. Don’t play dumb.” I scowl at my reflection as she laughs even harder.
“What is the emergency?”
“What do I wear? Do I need to wear matching bra and panties? Do I go shop for lingerie before work? Is that trying too hard—”
“Whoa, slow down.
