Your Forever Love (The Bennett Family 3)

I chuckle. So that’s what this is about. “No.”

“You shouldn’t look this irresistible unless you go out with me.”

“You think I’m irresistible?” I bat my eyelashes at him, pushing my left hip out as if I’m posing for a photo.

In a fraction of a second, Eric closes the distance to me, hooking an arm around my waist from behind.

“You look gorgeous, Pippa.” He trails his finger over my bare shoulder, drawing the movement out with exquisite slowness. “Beautiful.” He stops touching, and instead kisses me there. I’m on fire instantly. “But these shoes… They shouldn’t be allowed out in public.”

“Where should they be allowed?” I ask in a breathy voice.

Swiping my hair to one side, he kisses my neck and whispers, “In bed with me.” His tone is low and suggestive, sending shivers down my back.

Eric turns me around, pins me against the door, and kisses me passionately. The last coherent thought before I’m ravaged by sensations is Good thing I’m not wearing any lipstick. He is not holding back. His mouth is hot and hard on mine, exploring me like a man possessed. His lips are rough, demanding, and I love it. With one hand, he pins my wrists above my head, gripping my waist tightly with the other.

“Fuck,” he says on a groan. “I want you.”

“Back at you,” I whisper, savoring his taste on my lips. “But I have to go.”

Eric lets go of me, stepping back and glancing at me up and down, then says, “I’ll drive the two of you to the bar.”

“Okay,” I reply, surprised by the sudden offer. “Julie—”

“Ms. Blackwell will stay with her until I return.”

“Right. Let’s go.” Now I’m not just surprised, but downright suspicious.

“Well, that’s very gentlemanly of you,” Alice remarks when I inform her Eric will drive us. “Thank you.”

I have a suspicion his offer to drive us has nothing to do with being a gentleman. He shrugs, pointing at the door, as if saying, ‘After you.’ Alice and I say good-bye to Julie, who looks at us longingly, as if jealous that she can’t join us.

“Have fun with Ms. Blackwell until your dad returns,” I tell her.

“I miss Ms. Smith. Ms. Blackwell is no fun,” Julie says with a dramatic sigh. I remember Eric telling me Ms. Smith is her other nanny in Boston. Next to me, Eric chuckles, but his smile fades when Julie says, “I can’t wait to stay with your mom, Pippa.”

Ah, if Eric feels blue because she wants to spend a week at my mom’s, he’ll be depressed when she’s a teenager. Now I’m depressed because I won’t be around them to experience it. Way to start my night out.

The bar is located in a posh area downtown. Predictably, the traffic is a buzzkill. Eric throws me hot looks every few minutes, and I do a poor job of ignoring him. Every time I feel his eyes on me, my skin heats up. If we continue like this, I won’t even get out of the car. After a million minutes, we arrive in front of the bar. Ah, a night infused with estrogen and girl talk. This is exactly what I need. The evening air has a pleasant smell—a mix of jasmine and cherry.

Eric rounds the corner of the car, and when he’s right in front of me, he surprises me by hooking an arm around my waist and pulling me in to a kiss. He swipes his tongue over mine first, then slides it in my mouth, kissing me ferociously. I respond in kind.

“What was that about?” I ask after we pull apart.

“Now every guy in this bar knows not to try anything because you’re mine.” He says this with a smug smile, as if it’s the most foolproof plan in the world. This has too much potential for fun for me not to poke holes in it.

“You think every man inside was watching us?” I ask.

“Trust me, they’ll know.”

“What if we change bars? We might barhop tonight. Tequila here, cocktails across the ro

ad.”

His arm tightens around me possessively. “Are you serious?”

“If I say yes, will you take me in every bar and kiss me like that again? ‘Cause then it’s yes all the way.”

“Don’t tempt me.” He strikes his thumb over my lower lip, his eyes zeroing in on my mouth.