“I thought we’d bend the rules a bit.” His finger slipped between her legs and she let out a soft moan. “Considering tomorrow’s your birthday and all.” He leaned closer so his warm breath fanned her neck and his lips brushed the shell of her ear. “Unless you have any objection.”
“I already told you, I’ve been a good girl way too long.” She paused a beat, letting her words hover between them.
He moved his hand, letting his finger slide provocatively along her wet heat before removing his touch completely. Her body felt the loss and she shuddered, bucking against the table in frustration.
“Easy.” His husky reassurance set her nerve endings on fire.
She glanced over in time to see him slicken his fingertips with oil once more. He met her gaze, his eyes dark and glittering with passion. Was it her imagination or did she see an edge to his gaze, a desperation she didn’t want to accept?
She knew he hadn’t planned anything intimate. In fact, since her brother’s arrival, he’d probably planned to back off. This interlude was probably his way of letting go of the tension he’d felt earlier when she’d been in danger. She knew her own burning need was, to a great extent, a release of fear and adrenaline. Of course, for her, it was also driven by her love for him and her desire to be loved by him in return.
His hand returned with a smooth glide along her skin, over her buttocks, and dipping into unexplored territory. An unexpected jolt of pleasure shot through her and satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. She shivered and groaned, realizing he wasn’t through arousing her in this way any more than she was finished exploring her feminine side and pushing the boundaries of passion.
In both her heart and the depth of her soul, Grace accepted that Ben was the only man she’d ever trust in this intimate way. So, if it was desperation she saw in his gaze, she understood because she felt an extreme need to make the most of the time they had left—time, she suddenly realized, that he had granted them.
The knowledge made her brazen enough to give him everything she had and more. So when he walked out of her life, he would never forget Grace Montgomery.
Grace looked at him with greedy eyes, devouring him with her gaze. “I’ve only been bad with you.” A seductive smile curved her lips.
He eased his fingers deeper inside her, moving downward with a glide made easy by the oil and her own feminine dampness. “How’s this?”
She trembled beneath his hand. “Not bad, but you can do better.”
Chapter Eleven
“You’re right. I can.” Ben slipped his hands beneath her, lifting her into his arms. He walked around the table, which wouldn’t hold their combined weight, and lay her face down on the bed. “Since I didn’t know it was your birthday until this morning, I didn’t have time to prepare. I don’t want you to be disappointed.” His heart hammered hard in his chest.
She rolled over and he let her, waiting until she was comfortable to straddle himself over her.
By all rights their time together should be coming to an end, but he refused to give her up without a fight. There was nothing he could do about his predicament now, but first thing tomorrow, he’d attempt to dig himself out of this mess of lies.
For the time being, he would lose himself inside her and hope she’d forgive him. And hope they’d have a future.
“You could never disappoint me, Ben.”
If she only knew how untrue that statement was. He deliberately forced his lies out of his mind.
Her large brown eyes met his. Filled with need and emotion, she held his stare and wouldn’t let go. “I don’t want gifts. I just want you.”
“Then we’re on the same wavelength, sweetheart.” Because what he had for Grace wasn’t an item to be opened, rather it was a gift from the heart. “But I need your cooperation. And I need your trust.”
“You have it,” She spoke without hesitation.
That easy, Ben thought. And that complicated. He was about to show her what it felt like to lose control—the same way she made him lose his.
He leaned forward to brush a kiss over her lips and her hands grasped his neck, holding him close. “Uh-uh.” He untangled her arms and placed them at her sides.
The gleam in her eyes held more curiosity than anything else. Ben adjusted the sheet that had remained twisted around her until the opening parted in front. Slowly, he eased the ends apart, revealing her breasts to his hungry gaze.
He wanted her writhing, begging and pleading for release, and then he wanted to watch her explode as he entered her, with his name on her lips. He wanted this to be a birthday she’d never forget.
He laved one nipple with his tongue, dampening the rigid tip and encircling the plump flesh surrounding it. She smelled so damn good and tasted even better. Only focusing on her pleasure enabled him to control his own, and he paused to blow a stream of cool air over the flesh he’d just bathed.
A strangled sound came from deep inside her, making him hard with wanting, and then her hand came to rest on his neck and pulled him closer, telling him without words what she needed.
“You’ve forced my hand, sweetheart.”
“How so?” Her voice was rough with desire.