Fated Bliss (Bliss #2) (30 page)

Shifting my hair from my forehead, the smolder now a blaze, he murmured, “What did I do to deserve you?”

My heart tripped over itself. “I keep askin’ myself that.”

His face was brimming with intensity, drawn and severe. He rested his temple against mine. “God, sweetheart.”

“Condom, handsome,” I whispered, the desperation for him redoubling.

His long arm extended to the side as he grabbed the condoms. He pulled one off the end with his teeth and tossed the rest aside. He ripped it open, his eyes never leaving mine, and reached between our bodies once more.

“You sure?” he questioned, taking himself in hand again.

“I’ve never been so sure about anythin’ in my life.”

Ben was too inquisitive to miss my double meaning. His eyes gentled, growing warm and fervent.

Instead of saying anything else, Ben slowly pushed himself inside me. Since I’d already had so many orgasms, it was a very smooth glide. I bit my lip, fighting a whimper at his girth. When he was seated all the way inside, my sigh of contentment was long and slow.

Beautiful.

So beautiful.

Nothing compared to the first second of joining with someone you care about, that initial moment of rapture at being one. It encompassed everything that intimacy stood for.

Ben rested on his forearms and framed my face with his hands, his eyes boring into mine. He began to move with measured, long thrusts, making sweet and gentle love to me. Even as we kissed, our gazes never wavered. It was as if we were peering into each other’s soul, both of us exposing ourselves for who we were and how we felt. Ben couldn’t hide from me, nor I from him, and there was no room for fears or insecurities. It was our truths only.

This moment, everything I was experiencing with him, made all the highs and lows since meeting Ben worth it. He had to be the single most passionate, complex man I’d ever encountered. But he was mine, and I’d take him, flaws and all, because he was that beautiful to me.

Like Ben had warned, our lovemaking didn’t last long. We crested together within ten minutes, our bodies quivering and our hearts racing in tandem. However, it moved me more than the fiery passion behind our lovemaking in London, and peacefully, I fell asleep in his arms, my world brighter and crisper than it was before.

Chapter 24

Samantha

“
Ahhh!
” I cried
, driving backward and spearing myself on Ben.

My hands were on the tiles, my legs spread as far as they could go to keep myself upright. The hot water poured over our bodies, the steam billowing in Ben’s massive shower.

“Tilt your ass up more,” Ben ordered, his words broken.

He was plunging into me from behind with wild abandon, his arms wrapped around my chest, each hand cradling my breasts.

I arched my back, doing as he asked. It allowed him to drive in deeper, bottoming out inside me. My hands slapped against the tiles, my core cinching incredibly tight, as I sobbed in pleasure.

So good.

“God, you feel amazing,” Ben whispered. “I can’t get enough.”

That’s the truth.

If we were alone, just the two of us, our clothes were gone within seconds. When I’d deduced how sexually repressed Ben was, I had no idea how right I was. After almost two months together, that was not the case any longer.

Ben pinched both nipples, ripping a gasp from my lips. “Yes!” I breathed. “Harder, honey.”

He tweaked them harder, detonating a bomb inside me.

My head slammed against his shoulder as my orgasm swept through me. Ben continued to thrust into me, driving me higher.

“Oh, God,” I mewled, shuddering.

Ben pulled out at the last second and came against me, the warm jets coating my back before the water washed them away.

Panting, I closed my eyes, wishing we could climb back into bed and catch a few more hours of sleep. That orgasm turned me inside-out, and so had the one that he gave me with his mouth not twenty minutes ago.

Ben nuzzled my neck, nipping and licking at my flesh. “Mmm, you taste good in the morning.”

“You taste good all the time,” I countered and turned in his arms, smiling blissfully.

Ben continued to explore my body, not able to keep his hands off me.

I loved it.

I loved how, when I was near, Ben was touching me, wanting me. I’d never felt so cherished and adored in all my life.

The last two months had been astounding. Ben and I were closer, more in sync. After our first weekend together, we couldn’t stand to be apart. If I wasn’t at his house with Linc and him, he was at my home with me. Sometimes Linc would join him.

Ben and Linc had carved their own niche in my family, too. Ben was practically a shoo-in after they witnessed how well he treated me and how happy I was. Mom and Dad doted on Linc just as much as they did Bella. They’d grown to love him as if he was their grandchild. Linc had blossomed under them, growing into a more assertive young man.

I was positive their closeness was inevitable even if Ben and I weren’t seeing one another. Because of Mom’s history with his family, Mom and Dad would have sought out Ben and Linc. They had a way of embracing people like that.

In the beginning, Linc had captured a part of my heart. Well, that kid now owned it. I adored Linc. We’d become so comfortable around each other, sometimes we’d just lounge on the couch and play video games together – I was getting pretty good at
Call of Duty –
or watch television, just the two of us. When Linc would come to work at the B&B, he’d hang out with me in my office while I took care of business. Grey and Ben grumbled about it since that was supposed to be Linc’s punishment, but I rolled my eyes and let it continue to happen. Linc was hilarious and made the days go by faster, which meant I would be in Ben’s arms again all the sooner.

Ben and Grey were on better terms, too. When my brother promised me something, he went out of his way to make sure it happened – he was awesome like that. Grey, Clara, Ben, and I would go to Bobby’s, my favorite bar, or we’d have dinner together at each other’s places. We found ourselves over at Adam’s and Chelsea’s at times, as well.

We had integrated our lives together seamlessly.

And the sex!

How could I forget about the sex?

Oh, Lord in heaven!

If I didn’t know it before, I soon realized that Ben took pleasuring me very seriously. When he was able to take his time, I’d orgasm three or four times to his one and we’d go at it all night long. The man’s stamina was one to go down in records. I’d be exhausted and sore afterward, but it was well worth it.

I was one lucky girl.

In a nutshell, our relationship was far from lacking. Ben was more open with me now than he was before, for sure. I knew the small things, like how he took his coffee. I knew that he ate sugar on his macaroni and cheese – a habit that I thought was disgusting – loved grilling on his patio, and if he didn’t eat, he turned into a big bear.

I knew how much lighter his eyes were when he first woke in the morning and how they became darker right before he came. I knew what every one of his smiles meant, from teasing to
I’m-gonna-eat-you
. I knew that his forehead creased when he was concentrating really hard and that he’d run his fingers through his hair repeatedly if he were flustered or agitated. I knew that he was an amazing doctor, a kind and generous man, and the best father a son could ask for.

Ben was an attentive boyfriend that took the time to listen to me when I spoke. He cared about my needs and the needs of everyone he loved above his own. He was the kind of man that helped an elderly lady cross the road and spent an enormous amount of time and energy into making sure his grandfather’s last years on this earth were filled with love and laughter.

Ben was pure and good and so damn thoughtful he amazed me all the time.

And I loved him to the core.

With my every breath.

With every heartbeat.

But his secrets were closely guarded, and I continued to stay on the outside looking in, having no clue how to reach him when it came to them.

After our talk about Gwen and sex, there was not another word pertaining to his mom, dad, or ex-wife mentioned. Most of the time, it was as if they didn’t exist. Hell, Linc didn’t even talk about them. There were no phone conversations even, at least while I was around – and I was around all the time. You’d think his mother would call every now and again.

She hadn’t.

I didn’t know if not talking about his past was a coping mechanism for Ben, or if he just didn’t want to tell me. This frustrated me because I wanted to be the one person he could tell anything. I wanted to help him deal with it and put it behind him.

And I knew it wasn’t behind him.

There were moments that would surprise him and hurtle him into the past. I hated those. He’d be off for a little while and zone out, reconstructing the barriers that kept those memories at bay. Yeah, he’d snap out of it, but I didn’t want him to have to go through it alone. I was there; all he had to do was reach out.

Nevertheless, I made my decision not to push or pry, which was extremely difficult for me. It went against my very character. However, I’d done it for him. I let him be, gave him as much space and time as he needed, because I felt as if I rocked the boat too hard, he’d slip from my grasp.

I wouldn’t allow that to happen.

I could ignore his past if I had him in my life.

He was more important than anything to me.

“What are you thinking about?” Ben asked, breaking the silence.

I peered up at him, hiding my thoughts. “Just you.”

He smirked and cupped me between my legs. I mewled, still sensitive. It probably had a lot to do with the hours-long love making session we had the night before, not just the shower.

“Anything in particular?” Ben searched playfully, skimming his fingers over my clit.

“Nope. Just you,” I fibbed, biting my lip. That felt really good, but we didn’t have time for more. “I need to get cleaned up, handsome.”

Frowning, Ben agreed, “I know. How long do you have until you need to be there?”

“Before you surprised me and jumped into the shower with me, it was forty-five minutes. So, fifteen minutes.”

Ben’s smirk returned. “You have plenty of time.”

I laughed and pushed against his chest, trying to get away. “No, I don’t, you nympho. I’ve gotta go. Clara will kill me if I’m runnin’ behind on her weddin’ day.”

Ben pouted playfully. “But you’re mine.”

I felt that comment down to my toes.

“I am yours, but as her maid of honor, I’m Clara’s today.”

As well as her wedding coordinator, I should have added. It was my duty to get there early and make sure everything was set up according to plan. I had one hell of a day ahead of me.

“Fine,” he grumbled and let me go. “I’ll make you some coffee for the road.”

“Thanks, honey.”

I smiled and watched as he opened the glass door to the shower. Steam followed him as he ambled out and cool air rushed in. I was far from cold, though. Watching his ass as he moved was enough to get me all hot and bothered again. Seriously, that man’s body was something else.

I rushed through the remainder of my shower and then hopped out a few minutes later. Since I’d stayed at Ben’s last night, I had already taken everything to the B&B yesterday, where Clara and Grey were getting hitched later this evening. It was one less thing to worry about.

I threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. We were getting our hair and makeup done at Teresa’s, so I wasn’t worried about getting ready. I towel dried my hair as I slipped on my shoes and walked out of Ben’s room to join him in the kitchen.

The first time I stepped foot into Ben’s house, I was in love. For a manly-man, he did an exceptional job decorating and furnishing it, everything done in black, tan, and gray tones. It went well with the rustic bones of the house. Large and comfortable furniture made it perfect for a family, too. I especially loved his bed and his massive bathroom. However, one thing that saddened me was the lack of pictures of Gwen or Ben’s parents. I’d only been in Linc’s room a handful of times, and even he didn’t have any. At least Ben had some of him and Linc and him and his grandfather.

Lost in my head, I didn’t realize there were voices coming from the kitchen. But I realized it when I walked in and saw Linc and Dr. Melbourne sitting at the bar, freezing me in my tracks.

Though Linc knew his father and I slept together – a mortifying fact I found out when Linc let it slip that he knew about London – we never rubbed it in his face. If I stayed the night while he was home, he didn’t see me go into his father’s room at night or leave the next morning. Ben and I waited until he was in bed, and I was gone by the time he woke up, so I was in uncharted territory.

Why Linc was even up this early was beyond me, especially on a Saturday. That boy didn’t get up until noon on the weekends. And why was Dr. Melbourne here? He never dropped by unannounced.

I pulled the towel away from my head, letting it dangle from my fingers, and wondered if I could sneak out before they noticed me.

Wishful thinking.

“Hey, Sam,” Linc hollered. He shoveled a spoonful of Cheerios into his mouth and acted as if everything was normal.

“Uh…hey, Linc,” I murmured back, my eyes wide.

“Mornin’,” Dr. Melbourne said, sipping his coffee. He watched me over the rim of his mug, entertained by my predicament.

“Hi, Dr. Melbourne,” I replied and gave him a finger wave, having no idea what to do.

“Here’s your coffee,” Ben stated, leaning against the counter by the Keurig. He already had a thermos topped off and ready to go on the counter next to him.

Had I woken in another world where this was normal?

If I weren’t so distracted, I would have enjoyed seeing Ben in his kitchen in nothing but his running shorts, with his hair wet and disheveled.

Damn.

As I walked towards Ben, Linc asked, “Do you have to leave so soon?”

My smile was tight. “Sorry, klutz, but yeah. It’s gonna be a busy day.”

“I’ve never been to a wedding before,” he commented, continuing to eat. “Should be fun.” The last part was garbled since his mouth was full again.

“Yep.”

It was the only reply I could come up with.

I stopped next to Ben and whispered, “A little notice would’ve been nice.”

“What?” he asked, surprised. He took the towel from my hands and laid it on the counter while he encircled my waist.

Stepping closer, I tipped my head at our audience. “Should they be seein’ me here, both of us fresh out of the shower,this early in the mornin’?”

A brilliant smile spread across Ben’s face. “Sweetheart, both of them know about us. What’s the difference?”

I didn’t have time for this.

“We’ll talk about this later,” I warned, narrowing my eyes.

Ben’s gaze glittered with mirth.

I grabbed my coffee, continuing to give him the evil eye. “I’ll see you later,” I told him and stepped out of his embrace.

“Not so fast, baby girl,” Ben murmured, tugging me back against him. He laid a wet and deliciously long kiss on my lips. My head spun when he let me go, and if I wasn’t prepared, I would have fallen over. “I’ll call you after we’re done fishing to let you know we’re on our way,” Ben informed me as he turned back to the Keurig. I could hear the laughter in his voice. He got a real kick out of doing that in front of them.