The New Rule: (The Casual Rule 2) (3 page)

“You,” I poke his chest with my index finger, “are the key to my heart. I love that you went to all this trouble for me.”

“It’s not trouble if it makes you happy.”

I inhale deeply. The smoky scent of the hot dogs mixed with a combination of I’m not sure what’s cooked with it is floating in the air. “Mmm, it smells so good.”

“Most girls would prefer a fancy dinner out, but it’s hot dogs and beer for my Julia.”

My Julia… I love when he says that. I’m such a sap.

“So what do we have here?” I ask.

He points to a hot dog at the end of the plate. “This is the Magnum. All beef foot-long wrapped in bacon with pickles, tomato, onion, and sauerkraut.”

“You had me at bacon.”

He laughs. “I thought I might. The hot dog next to it is the Italian. That’s from Miami. It’s topped with onions, grilled peppers, and fried potatoes in pizza dough.”

“You keep talking food and foot-longs, and I’m going to orgasm right here, right now. It all looks so good. I can’t believe you did this. You’re so good to me.”

“You deserve it.” He takes my hand and kisses the back.

I look at the plate of hot dogs, uncomplicated yet complex, but so us. I know he’s downplaying how difficult it must have been to coordinate these… two pairs of hot dogs from two stadiums in two different cities, flown to New York and served hot.

We sit down on the floor, our legs occasionally brushing against each other. Naturally, I grab the Magnum first. The bacon is calling my name.

I have to keep my mind off his body… his incredibly muscular hard body. I need to concentrate on other things or I’m going to jump him.

“Have you spoken with your grandmother lately?” I ask while picking the fried potatoes off the other hot dog and popping them in my mouth.

“I called her from my hotel last night. She sounded tired. I suppose that’s to be expected with her age.”

“Maybe you caught her at a bad time.” One of the many reasons I love Ben is because of the way he cares for his grandmother. I can live without the rest of the Martins; they’re nothing but self-centered idiots. I’ve visited his grandmother with him a few times. She’s always been very sweet to me. I know her declining health is tearing him apart inside. He never wants to talk about it. So I let it go.

“Yeah, maybe.” He shrugs a shoulder. “I spoke to my father the other day.”

Crap, this rarely ends well and usually puts Ben in a bad mood. I’m glad I wasn’t there for the fireworks. His father is a colossal asshole.

“Oh, what for?”

“He had some questions about my grandmother’s caretaker. Since I made the original arrangements, I had the answers.”

“So, how did your conversation go?”

“Same as usual. Civil until he brought up how I’m wasting my life writing for a living.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it. He can say whatever the fuck he wants. I don’t give a shit.”

He’s lying. I know it bothers him. I don’t think he’s seeking his father’s approval, but he does expect respect for his decisions. I know he earned it. Too bad his father has blinders on to anything that’s not in his plan.

Asswipe.

It’s time to change the subject. Ben has a lot on his plate. Between the pressures of deadlines on his book, his grandmother’s health and his father’s finger wagging every time he sees him; it’s taking its toll on him. He closes up, even to me. I’ve accepted that this is part of Ben’s personality. Maybe that’s why he never committed to anyone in the past, so he could keep these things bottled up. He’s great at sharing the good stuff… but he’s broody and distant when he looks deep within himself. It’s probably a defense mechanism, so he never gets hurt. I don’t know. I’ll leave that up to his shrink to figure out.

Sex cures everything. That’s what Allie says, anyway. I plan on testing her theory and see if I can readjust Ben’s mind-space.

Casually, I push the uneaten end of my hot dog until a few inches are hanging out past the bun, then turn it around so it’s facing my mouth. Bringing it to my lips, I swirl my tongue around the tip of the exposed hot dog.

“Mmm,” I groan. “This is delicious.”

Ben shifts uncomfortably; takes a big swig of beer then clears his throat. “It looks like you’re really enjoying that.”

“So good. I want to make sure I get every juicy drop.” I tip the hot dog end in my mouth and slide it in and out.

“That’s one way of doing it. Most people would just bite it.”

“Is that what you want, Ben? You want me to
bite
it?” I ask seductively.

He shakes his head and grins. “Are we still talking about the hot dog?”

“What else could we
possibly
be talking about?” I bat my eyelashes, feigning innocence.

Admittedly, this is a pretty pathetic act of desperation. Deep-throating a hot dog to turn on my boyfriend has to be a new all-time low. At least it’s getting his wheels turning… I think.

He leans back against the couch, grabs his beer and takes a quick swig. The beer is a diversion. He’s trying to calm himself down. The sinful way he’s watching my mouth tells me I’m getting to him.

“Should I leave?” he asks.

“Hmm?”

“You and that hot dog look like you’re getting pretty intimate.”

“I don’t mind if you watch. You like to watch… don’t you, Ben?” I ask coyly, licking the tip of the hot dog again.

My God, I’ve turned myself into a Hot Dog Harlot.

He shifts again. If I’m playing this game right… and I think I am… it must be getting pretty tight in his pants right about now.

“You’re wicked,” he says, his voice low.

“I’m hungry.”
And horny. Mostly horny.

“Your dinner is right in front of you.”

“That’s not what I’m hungry for. Do you have anything else in your apartment I could…” I pause, running my tongue across my top lip, “wrap my mouth around?”

“I’m sure I could find something to keep your mouth busy,” he says, placing his beer down on the coaster in front of him. He takes the hot dog out of my hand and puts it on the plate in front of me. He glides his fingertip lightly across my mouth. “You have beautiful lips. As I recall from your texts this morning, I get to decide where they touch.”

“Yes, well, unlike you, ‘Mr. No-Sex-Until-After-Dinner’, I keep my promises. Where would you like them to touch?” I lick my lips, ready to go to town on him.

“Here.” He taps a finger to his cheek.

I lean toward him and give him a quick peck. He grabs my arm and pulls me hard toward him, pulling me down, until we’re both lying on the floor. He kicks the table legs to move the table enough to give us a little more space to stretch out. Luckily the beer bottles didn’t fall.

Twisting me until my back is to the floor, he lies on top of me, holding my arms over my head. Looking down at me, he grins wickedly. His grin suggests sex… and the sparkle in his eyes guarantee it.

“I know what you’re doing,” he says menacingly.

“What am I doing?” I ask innocently.

“Trying to turn me on.”

“Trying?” I ask, raising a brow.

“Turning me on,” he corrects himself.

“That’s better.”

“You can’t even wait until after dinner. You’re weak.”

“You made me this way.” The weight of his body on mine leaves me aching for him, desperate for that connection; the intense, passionate, fiery bond we share when we make love.

“I want you,” he murmurs, burying his face in the nook of my neck then nibbling my earlobe.

“I want you more,” I whisper. I wrap my legs around him, pulling him closer to me.

“Fuck dinner. Let’s go to the bedroom.”

“No, make love to me here.” I’m pure sensation, every nerve ending begging for his touch.

“I need a condom,” he murmurs, his lips grazing my ear.

“No, you don’t. Take me now.”

“Julia…,” he warns, shaking his head. If there’s one thing Ben takes seriously, it’s birth control.

“I’m on the pill.”

He jerks his head back slightly and gazes at me. “Since when?”

“Last month. I wanted to surprise you.”

He stares at me with wonder in his eyes. “Why?” he asks.

“I want all of you. I don’t want anything between us. Ever. That’s okay, isn’t it?”

He sighs and smiles warmly. His expression changes from lust to bewilderment to love. I see the change happening in his eyes, like a window into this beautiful man’s soul. It’s showing me how much he loves me and it’s going to make me cry.

“Yes,” he says softly. “That’s okay.” Leaning on one elbow, he caresses my cheek with the back of his hand.

I smile back. “Now take me already.”

 “Okay. Do you want it fast and hard… or do you want to take our time?”

“Yes,” I breathe.

He leans down and laughs against my neck. “Okay, the combo special it is. No floor tonight. Let’s take this party to the bedroom.”

He rolls off me and stands, holding his hand out to me. I grab his hand and he pulls me up off the floor. Lacing his fingers in mine, he leads me to his bedroom. He stops midway in the hall and in one fluid motion, pins me against the wall holding me in place with his hip. He cups my face with both hands and gazes deeply into my eyes.

“I love you, Julia Conti,” he says quietly.

I smile at him. “I love you too. So much.”

He wraps his arms around me, holding me so tight I could feel his heart beating fast in his chest.

“God, I missed you,” he whispers into my neck. His words muffled against my skin and damn if that didn't fuel a fire between my legs.

“Please, Ben. I need you.”

He takes my hand and we silently stroll to his bedroom. Once we reach the foot of his bed, I turn and face him. He twirls a few strands of my hair around his finger then caresses my cheek. I smile at him and he returns the smile, playfully pushing me down on the bed. I crawl back on my elbows until I reach the pillows.

He walks to the edge of the bed, gazing at me. Normally after we’ve been apart for a few days, he fucks me like a whore. Not complaining. Not complaining at all. I’ve been looking forward to it all day.

“I’m not going to fuck you tonight,” he says, pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it on the floor. My gaze focuses directly to his ‘V’ and happy trail… that sexy pathway that leads me straight to the Promised Land.

“No sex?” I frown, confused.
Geez, are we back to this again?

“Tonight, I’m going to worship you. I’m going to make love to you. I want to show you how much you mean to me. How much I love you.”

I tilt my head and gaze at him lovingly, my eyes brimming with tears. “That was beautiful.”

“
You
are beautiful. Come over here,” he says in a low seductive tone, crooking his index finger.

I make my way to the edge of the bed on my knees. His pupils are dilated, his sultry gaze traveling up and down my body. I know his eyes have undressed me before he has. He exhales a long breath, running his index finger under his bottom lip. I feel wanted, desired… and wickedly dirty in all the right ways.

Gathering the fabric from the hem of my dress, he lifts it over my head. He reaches around me, unhooks my pale pink lace bra and slides the straps slowly down my arms until it’s lying on the floor next to his discarded shirt. My face heats up as he inhales a deep breath, admiring me with a salacious gaze so hot it just may set this bed on fire.

“I still make you blush?” he asks.

I smile shyly and nod.

“Good.” He smiles back. “Lie down.”

I lie down with my head on the pillow. He unzips his jeans. Just the sound of his zipper gives me a quick thrill. It’s the promise of things to come. Ben slips off his jeans and boxer briefs, standing at the edge of the bed—naked, gorgeous, and mine. I inhale deeply and soak him in.

“You’re still blushing,” he says with a hint of humor in his voice.

“Hot naked men do that to me,” I murmur.

“Hot naked
men
?” he asks, arching a brow.

“I’ll rephrase that. The hot naked man standing in front of me does that to me.”

“Much better.” He climbs on the end of the bed, his arousal obvious by the rock hard erection he’s sporting. I lick my lips and stare at it, thick and stiff. I want that inside me so fucking bad.

"Silk panties. Very nice. I don’t know why you bothered to wear them,” he mutters. Hooking a finger on either side of my panties, he slides them down my legs slowly and drops it to the floor.

I lie on the bed naked, above the sheets. Ben likes to look at me and I love to let him.

“Christ, you’re stunning,” he says in wonder. “I swear to God, every time I see you, I fall in love with you all over again.”

“I’m glad when you fall, I’m where you land.”

“Always,” he says sincerely. It never ceases to amaze me how he still looks at me like it’s the first time he’s seen me. It’s carnal and raw yet romantic at the same time. Incredible.

I feel the same way. Every time we’re together, for as often as we’ve done this and for as well as we know each other’s bodies, there’s always a feeling of newness… of discovery. I’ve never felt this way before. I don’t think he has either.

He lingers at the end of the bed, between my feet, taking hold of one foot and kisses the pad to each toe, lightly nipping at a few. I close my eyes and whimper softly. I know this is just the beginning of something extraordinary.

The tip of his tongue trails up my calf. He works his way back down with feather-light kisses. Each time his soft lips touch my skin, I quiver. He takes my other foot, running his hand up and down that calf, before kissing each toe.

He’s seducing me, a slow sensual seduction. And I’ve fallen completely under his spell yet again. I’m dying to touch him, to pull him on top of me and feel him inside me. But he’s in charge tonight. He sits up on his knees and looks at me with sin written all over his face.

“Fuck,” he says, shaking his head. I know that’s a compliment, he likes what he sees. Slowly, he crawls in-between my legs and kisses my inner thighs. My skin is super-sensitive here and he knows it. He takes his time with light kisses, small nips on my skin, delicately caressing my thighs with his hand.