“Fuck!” he pins me down with his stare.

I think I already know who she is, but I still need him to confirm it. “I-Is that Ashley?” I ask, breathlessly.

Julian clenches his jaw and nods once.

Feeling like the air is knocked out of my lungs, I stare at the dance floor before I meet his gaze once more. “This is enough. I can’t do this anymore.”

“Hey. He’s going to come back. You’ll see.”

I shake my head, “I know it’s just dancing, but I feel sick to my stomach. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea. Please,” I beg, “I just need to go find him and try to explain everything. I just can’t do this. I just can’t.”

Julian immediately lets my body go, a tender expression in his eyes. “It’s okay. Go. Or would you like me to go find him for you? Try to talk some sense in him?”

“No. This is my battle to fight. I got myself in this mess, and I’ve already dragged you deep enough. I’m not sure if I’ll still be here after tomorrow, but truly, thank you for caring and for listening to me. Ben is so lucky to have you as a friend.” I kiss him on the cheek, then turn away from him.

Julian pulls me back. “He’s very lucky. You know, I wasn’t joking about poaching before, but damn if I’m not tempted at this moment. I like you. I hope you both work it out because I have a good feeling about the two of you together.”

Smiling, I nod.

“Cathy…”

“Yes?”

“If things with Ben don’t work out, you know where to find me.” Julian smiles, making his blue eyes sparkle.

Breaking into a laugh, we hug each other one last time before I make my way to find what I hope is forgiveness and my future.

Even if I have to beg on my knees.

For Ben, I would do that and more.

As soon as I’m standing in the empty hallway, I feel a pair of large hands wrap around my waist.

“Mmmhmm…bored with Julian already?”

Ben’s voice sends shivers running down my spine.

“No. You know I’m not interested in anyone but you...” I try to move away from his hold, but he tightens his grasp, making me wince in pain.

“Bullshit. I saw the way you were dancing with him, and the only reason I didn’t beat the shit out of him is because—”

“Stop! Let go of me so I can explain to you what happened.”

When Ben does as I say, I spin around to look at him. He looks raving mad, but he’s here. I throw myself at his chest. I don’t think I can hold him any closer without crawling into his skin. I’m filled with so much love and relief that I don’t immediately notice how his hands are trying to push me away instead of hugging me back.

The minute I realize what this means, I let go of him and turn away as I hear Ben curse under his breath. I want to say that I understand and that I’m okay, but the words get stuck in my throat. I take five or six steps when he grabs me by the elbow and pulls me right back, slamming me against his chest.

“For fuck’s sake, Cathy. Where do you think you’re going?” he asks harshly.

Looking up at his face, I feel the tears running down my cheeks. “I-I’m really sorry. I’ve got to get my suitcase and leave tonight. I’m sorry, Ben. It was my fault.”

Ben shakes his head as the scowl on his face deepens. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” He groans in frustration. “You know what? Never mind. Don’t answer that question. You have a lot of explaining to do, but not here.”

“But you don’t want me anymore.”

“You must be joking, right? Of course I want you. You’re my girl.”

The music, the people walking in and out of the room, the laughter, the shouting, everything becomes a blur. All I can see is the guy standing in front of me.

Only him.

He’s gritting his teeth so hard that it makes his perfect square jaw even more pronounced. The expression on his face tells me he wants to murder me, but it’s his eyes that hold me enthralled. I see tenderness and possession swirling like a vanilla and chocolate ice cream cone. I see something that I can’t believe.

I see my future.

You are my girl.

With his words bouncing in my head, etching themselves in my soul, I try to close the distance between us, but I don’t get a chance.

Ben’s strong arms are wrapped around me in the blink of an eye. He’s hugging me so tight that I don’t think I can feel my ribs anymore. Nestled in the curve of my neck, I can feel the light stubble of his chin tickle my skin as he whispers in my ear, “I need you now, f**k my damn conscience. I can’t take it anymore. I need to be inside you right now. I want you na**d beneath me. No more games.”

I feel chills running all over my body as the heat of desire pools in between my legs, and the butterflies of anticipation flutter in my stomach.

Nodding, I close my hand around his as he pulls me in front of him. Fully clothed and in public, he slams his h*ps into mine.

“I want you,” he whispers in my ear.

I do, too.
As we make our way to our suite on the second floor, we keep stopping to make out against the diamond-paned windows and the paintings hanging on the walls, Ben’s hand under my skirt and inside my panties.

“Fuck, Cat, you’re so wet.”

Ben lifts me up in his arms. Or did I climb him? My hands lock around his neck, and my legs straddle his waist. We groan when our bodies rub against each other intimately. I have a feeling we’re not going to make it to the bed.”

Ben scoops his hands under my ass, lifting me higher and burying his head in my neck. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

Blindly entering the dark room, too busy kissing as we try to rip our clothes off, we walk straight into a piece of furniture. Laughing, the two of us break apart just long enough for Ben to whisper in my ear, “Cathy, babe, we may need the lights on if we don’t want to break every piece of furniture in this room.”

“Mmhhmmm…hurry up. I’m dying here, and I don’t think I can’t wait any longer.”

He flicks the tip of my nose. “My horny little minx.”

I nod my head as he lets go of me because, yes.

That’s not a lie.

I want him.

All of him.

So badly.

When his body untangles from mine, he makes his way in the darkness to the entrance of the room in search of a light switch. I give props to whoever came up with the idea to always place them by the door. Brilliant.

The minute the lights come on, I don’t bother to admire the décor and the lavishness of the suite. All I want to see is Ben. All I see is Ben.

As he walks back to me, I shamelessly drink him in. I take in the perfection of his tall and muscular body, the size of his hands, the beauty of his face, and the need in his eyes. The craving. Under his gaze, my br**sts tingle as my body, feverish with desire, feels swollen where I want him, where I need him the most.

A teasing smile on his lips, Ben slowly approaches me as I move backwards. By the time my ass hits the edge of a dresser, I’m trembling from head to toe with anticipation. As Ben draws nearer, closing the space between us, the expression on his face makes my heart beat hard and fast.

As I walk towards him, I don’t know who reaches for the other first. It doesn’t matter. All I can feel is his hot mouth on my skin, kissing me so roughly I know it will leave marks. Not stopping him because I want to be branded by Ben, I pull him closer to me. Our frantic hands help us discard what little clothing we have left on. When we are completely na**d, Ben grabs me by the shoulders and stops kissing me.

“We have to stop…” he says painfully. “I wasn’t expecting this to happen, so I’m not prepared.”

“Oh, you mean protection?”

Ben nods as he rubs the back of his neck.

“It’s okay. I’m on the pill a-and this would be my first time without a-a, you know…condom,” I say as I feel my face burning.

Ben cups my face in his hands, letting his fingers caress my cheeks. “It would be my first time too, you know. Are you sure, babe?”

“Yes. Oh yes,” I beg. “I can’t wait any longer.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Ben lets go of my face, grips my shoulders once again, and turns me around to face the mirror propped on the dressing table.

“Watch,” he demands, his voice husky with passion, “Watch us.”

I see a blushing blonde girl with swollen dark red lips bruised from kissing. The white skin on her small br**sts is reddened with his handprints. I see a flushed man with eyes so dark and fierce towering over her, the muscles of his neck straining as he fights to control himself. I see the way the sweat covers his body, making his skin shine like silk.

When our eyes meet in the mirror, an unsmiling Ben lowers his finger to the vee of my body. I feel his finger slip inside me, stroking me once. I whimper, about to beg for more when he removes his hand completely. I stare at his reflection in the mirror as he brings his finger to his mouth, his tongue darting out to lick it before he lowers it again. Sliding his finger, he spreads my wetness mixed with his own on my clit. I’m on the brink of exploding when he withdraws his finger once more.

Ben reaches for my hand and curls my fingers around his dick as we stroke him to full erection together. I can’t see anything, but I can feel the hardness and the smoothness of his skin covering his dick as he grips my hand tighter in his. Letting go, I take the base of his dick in my hand, but I don’t put him inside me. Instead, I try to savor the moment. I’m breathing slow and easy, making the moment last. I love how free and uninhibited Ben makes me feel. He makes me feel beautiful and powerful.

When his hand lands on the small of my back, bending me at the waist and pushing me forward, I grip the edge of the dressing table. Nudging my thighs to open wider, I moan when I feel Ben guiding the tip of his arousal inside me. With a tense jaw, he impales me in one hard, deep thrust that makes the mirror rattle. Lifting his eyes from where we are connected, we stare at each other as he begins to slowly pull back, bringing his free hand around to stroke me. When he’s almost all the way out, he aggressively thrusts forward again, groaning and rubbing me as he pounds harder and faster each time. Ben grabs my hair in his fist, giving it a not so gentle tug as I lift my ass higher up to give him better access into me.

“Oh, yes…” I groan with each thrust.

“Fuuuuck, baby…you’re so damn tight…fuck.”

He wants to take, he wants to demand, he wants to dominate.

I let him. I let him because I feel wanted. So wanted.

I give him everything.

As our rhythm becomes more desperate, Ben lets go of my hair to grip my h*ps roughly in both hands as he thrusts deeper, f**king harder into me. I feel him inside me, outside me, everywhere and beyond. I feel him in my soul.

Feeling so close to the edge, I lift my eyes to look at his reflection in the mirror. I want to see him when he comes inside me. Ben is watching me already. I don’t think he ever stopped.

“So close, Cathy… I need to pull—”

“No. Don’t…it’s okay.”

“Shit…so close.”

As our bodies continue to slam against each other, I can feel the muscles of my body tighten around him. Ben’s fingers rub me faster, and faster until I come undone. A scream escapes my mouth as a rainbow of colors explodes inside me, heightening the sweet emotions flowing through my body.

I observe Ben close his eyes and tip his head back as a ragged groan escapes his mouth when he cl**axes. When I feel the warm rush inside me, his arms wrap around my waist as he lays his head on my back, thrusting and shuddering one last time

Warm and fuzzy feelings are running through my blood vessels as he kisses my sweaty back.

“Wow,” his raspy voice mumbles as he tightens his embrace around me.

“Um, yes. Wow.”

“Cathy….”

“Yes?”

I feel him nudge me once more. “Why did we wait so damn long?”

I want to smack him for making such a stupid joke, but when I turn my face sideways to look at him and protest, the tender smile on his lips robs me of logical thought.

“I hope this proves to you how much I want you. You belong to me. Only me.”

At a loss for words, I nod.

I’m his girl.
I’m lying in bed with Ben, spooning. His arms are wrapped around my chest and waist, pulling my back tightly against his front. In the safe haven of his embrace, I sigh contently as I feel his soft breath hit the back of my ear.

I knew it. I just did.

I knew that if we slept together, if I let him own me physically with his hands, with his mouth, with his body, the intimacy of the act was going to push me over the brink, that I was going to free fall into an unknown abyss. Well, I’m on the other side. And if I felt like I could soar before, now I’m skyrocketing through the air.

My body sated but deliciously tender and sore, lips bruised, heart complete, I want to get up and jump on the bed. Shouting to the world how happy he makes me. Ben makes colors seem brighter when he walks into a room, he makes my heart feel as if it wants out of my chest every time I see him or think of him. He makes my world spin.

I smile into the pillow and snuggle closer to his warmth, thinking that Ben was right. I don’t understand why we waited this long. Ashley who? I don’t care. Now I know that Ben feels something for me. Maybe it’s not love for him yet, but I have hope that someday it will be.

“Mmm, stop doing that, baby. Unless you want another go…”

Laughing because I feel so happy, I tease, “I wouldn’t mind another one. I feel like I’ve been robbed.”