Ben grabbed her by the shoulders and devoured her mouth in a passionate kiss, making her legs feel shaky. “It’s not nice to tease a hungry man, honey.”
“But Ben, we just ate,” she said in an innocent voice holding in her laughter.
“But I didn’t get my dessert, baby.” Ben winked at her, making her blush. “Maybe tomorrow?” he asked hopefully.
Chapter Fifteen
Hannah walked into the doors of the shelter feeling like she had been away for longer than three days. She had really missed Amy and Richard and all the animals. A fat orange tabby cat rubbed himself against Hannah’s leg and meowed as if happy to see her again. He never stayed in the back like he was supposed to. He roamed around instead like he owned the place and Hannah figured he would be a permanent fixture here.
Amy looked up from behind the counter with a polite smile but shrieked happily when she saw Hannah walking in instead of a customer.
“I think you broke my ear drum.” Richard playfully pushed Amy and went and hugged Hannah gently as if she would break.
Hannah laughed. “I won’t break, Richard, I swear. I am all rested and doing so much better.”
“Well you look all rosy and glowing,” Amy commented with a sly, curious smile. “Could it have anything to do with those chocolate-covered strawberries Ben had Mabel Johnson make the other morning?”
“Or the chicken he got from Flo’s café for a romantic lunch?” Richard added with a laugh, arching his eyebrows curiously.
“Who told first?” Hannah asked, laughing at the town gossipers and their tales of what was happening in everyone’s private life.
“Mabel told Ruth who told Louise—” Amy started saying and Hannah waved them off with a laugh and walked behind the counter. She spo
tted the little TV that showed what the security cameras were seeing. It covered the front, side and even the back of the building.
“All that fancy spy stuff your brother insisted we have.” Richard showed Hannah how everything worked. “But it has been quiet around here so maybe it worked.”
“I hope so,” Hannah said although she felt like Dorothy would be raving mad if she heard the gossip that her and Ben had made up. But she had already decided Aunt Ida was right. She needed to put her fears of the future away and embrace the present. She loved Ben and he loved her, so if Dorothy wanted a fight, she was ready.
Yesterday she had spent hours with Ben at the creek and they had really talked. She opened up about her parents and her doubts because Dorothy always looked so perfect while Hannah lived in her jeans and lab coat.
“Hannah, you are the sexiest woman alive. I don’t care what you wear,” Ben explained to her, laying on a blanket he had spread out on the grass. He played with her hair, taking it out of her ponytail, while he talked. “It’s not what a woman wears or how revealing her clothes are that make her sexy. I look at you and see a bright beautiful smile that rivals the sun for my attention. I see the laughter and joy in your eyes and my heart starts feeling like it wants to jump out of my chest. If you walk by me my body gets hard in two seconds flat. That is pure sexiness to me, being confident in who you are. Dorothy can walk by in designer gear and my body doesn’t give a rat’s ass. I knew she was lonely and desperate and it made me feel sorry for her but that’s as far as my feelings for her went. I even regret feeling that for her now.”
“You shouldn’t, Ben. You’re a good man with a heart of gold and you truly care about the people in this town. I love that about you. I should have been more open from the very beginning about my doubts and fears. I’m sorry, too. From now on, if you piss me off, I’ll let you know.”
Hannah felt her eyes water at the memory then she blushed when she remembered Ben had finally gotten his slow and gentle lovemaking and his dessert.
Hannah got back into the routine of work. She noticed every time she looked out the window Stan or Billy was driving by and she felt safer that they were all on the lookout. Dorothy had stopped calling Ben, but Hannah feared she was just gearing up for something big. After being so obsessive over Ben, Hannah couldn’t believe Dorothy would just quietly go away and leave them alone.
* * * *
Ben picked Hannah up from work with the promise of a home cooked meal at his house. He had even set the table and put candles in the middle remembering how much she had liked the atmosphere at Romeo’s.
“You’re spoiling me, Ben,” Hannah whispered, kissing his lips in a light caress.
“That’s my goal, honey,” he said, seating her in the chair and serving the food for her.
They ate and talked about their day. Ben made her laugh with stories of how the ladies of the town began speeding in hope that Billy was the one who stopped them and the ridiculous stories they made up for him to keep him talking to them.
After dinner Ben led her to his bedroom. He gently removed all their clothes and laid her on the bed. She was finally gaining weight and her tummy was slightly rounded. “I can’t wait to see you grow bigger with our child, honey. I read you can feel them kick soon. I ordered a book on the internet and have been reading it.”
He caressed her stomach with such fascination that all her doubts of her growing bigger and disgusting him flew out the window. A nice breeze entered the window but her skin still felt hot and tingly with Ben slowly exploring her. Her breasts were more sensitive now and she gasped as he tweaked on a nipple and grinned and her moan and her back arching up. He leaned down and twirled his tongue around her hardened tip. “Sensitive?”
Hannah just nodded, closing her eyes and letting the sensation of Ben feasting on her breasts take over. He nudged her thighs wide open reaching for her pussy. He leaned down and swiped his tongue on her vagina making the wetness flow more. “Mmm,” he mumbled but didn’t stop. Her body moved frantically around his bed and her hands grabbed on to the sheets and tightened into fists. “It feels too good Ben. It’s torture.”
He chuckled. “I think it’s supposed to or I wouldn’t be doing it right.”
“I need you inside me now, Ben,” she demanded in a throaty voice filled with desperation and desire for him to be inside of her when she came.