Take Me Under Page 6

  “Haven’t you heard? Ben suffers from PDD.”

  Her mind raced, trying to place the acronym. “PDD? What’s that? What does it stand for?”

  “It’s short for Panty Dropping Disease,” Connie proclaimed in a bubbly voice. “The instant women set eyes on him, they drop their drawers. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of it.”

  Reese drew in a deep, shuddering breath, then exploded in another quiet hiss. “You jerk! I thought you were being serious!”

  Connie snickered. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist. You’re still so easy to tease, Reese.”

  “Glad you find me so amusing,” she muttered.

  “Hey, you know I love you. I want you to be happy and have some fun, which is why I’m thrilled that Ben’s smart enough to be paying you attention. Just . . . just watch yourself around him, okay?” Something in Connie’s tone had changed. “Guys like Ben can be a blast, as long as you know what to expect.”

  “Trust me, I know the score.” Which was why she doubted anything could come from his surprising flirtation. She was so unbelievably tempted, but couldn’t help seeing it as a potentially massive catastrophe. No matter how badly she wished otherwise, she wasn’t programmed for a gritty sexual fling. And that’s definitely what he’d been putting on the table with his shocking sex talk. Smoothing her hand over the top of the light blanket she’d used to fight off the chill of the air conditioner, she added, “I still can’t believe Mom rented this place from him. What was she thinking?”

  “Well, once Ben heard you were moving down, he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  Her breath caught as she thought of what that meant. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Ben’s the one who told Mom about the beach house?”

  “That’s right. He thought it might be perfect for you.”

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean why? Don’t you like it?”

  “It’s not that. I just wouldn’t think that a single man like Ben would want some stuffy schoolteacher living so close to him.”

  “Hey, don’t talk like that,” Connie snapped. “You’re not stuffy.”

  “You have to say that because you love me,” she said with a smile in her voice. “But I’ve been told otherwise.”

  “By who? That asshead Drew? That evil little bastard!”

  “Yeah, well, he’s an evil bastard who isn’t my problem anymore, so don’t waste your time cursing him.”

  They talked for a few more minutes, making plans to get together for lunch the next day, and then Reese finally got off the phone. Before they hung up, Connie made her promise to call and let her know if anything juicy happened with Ben that morning.

  Hah! As if, she thought, making a strong effort to convince herself that she wasn’t incredibly tempted to dive right in. She had to be smart about this, damn it. She couldn’t go gunning for him like a sex-starved maniac just because the guy was the hottest thing she’d ever seen or heard or known.

  Climbing out of bed, Reese pulled a soft gray cardigan over her sleep shirt and headed to the bathroom. After brushing her teeth and running her brush through her hair, she debated hiding out in her room until she heard Ben start moving around in the living room or sneaking to the kitchen to make some coffee. Her mouth watered at the thought of a hot cup, making the decision for her. Creeping down the hallway, she tried to be quiet as she made her way past the entrance to the sitting room, but he called out to her just as she went past, his voice deliciously husky from sleep. “Reese?”

  “Sorry,” she murmured, peeking around the edge of the archway. He lifted his dark head from the far end of the sofa, and her heart raced as she got a good look at him. The light blanket she’d given him to sleep with was wrapped around his lean hips, his powerful chest completely bare. Hard muscles were packed under his tanned skin, his body so long that his feet hung over the other armrest. She tried not to fixate on how big they were, remembering the old adage about big hands and feet meaning a guy would be big in other places, as well. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “You didn’t. I heard the phone ring.” He looked sleep rumpled and sexy as he stretched, his jaw dark with stubble and his hair falling over his brow.

  “You didn’t need to sleep on my sofa, Ben.”

  “’S that right?” He swung his feet to the floor as he sat up, shoving a long-fingered hand through his tousled hair. One of his dark brows lifted in a wry arch as he held her gaze. “You were gonna share the bed with me?”

  “No,” she said, relieved she’d been able to keep her tone even. “But you didn’t look very comfortable. You could have gone home and slept a lot better in your own bed.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I wasn’t about to leave you here alone with that glass busted.” He jerked his chin toward the French doors that led to the patio, the shattered pane on the left letting in an early morning breeze.

  “I’m not in any danger here.” More than ready to stop looking over her shoulder, Reese willed herself to believe it. “And like I said last night, I could have gone over to my mother’s.”

  His sculpted lips turned down in a frown. “I didn’t want you having to go to your mother’s. I want you to feel at ease here.”

  “Well, that’s sweet, but it’s not your job to give me peace of mind.”

  He gave her a kinda crooked, sexy smile. “I thought I made it clear last night that I’d like to give you a hell of a lot more than that.”

  A soft laugh slipped past her lips. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”

  “No.” His lashes lowered a little over his eyes. “I was just hoping you might have given it some thought.”

  “I . . . did.”

  “And?” he prompted.

  “Well, I guess I’m still having a hard time believing that the, um, pleasure you’re offering would be worth the . . . stress.”

  There was so much heat in his heavy-lidded gaze, she felt burned. “You won’t know that until you try me out, Reese. You might find it’s worth the restless night we both just had.”

  It wasn’t so much his words as his tone, but suddenly all the pieces started clicking together. She’d been so close to coming last night. If he’d touched her clit, she’d have gone over screaming. But he hadn’t, and now she was pretty sure she knew why. He wanted her on edge, aching for it, unable to get him out of her mind.

  Moving into the archway, she crossed her arms over her chest and held his stare. “Why didn’t you make me . . . come last night?” Once the words were out of her mouth, she couldn’t believe she’d found the guts to say them, but was feeling pretty proud of herself. And pretty irritated, too.

  He went still, but didn’t look away, his gaze locked hard and tight with hers.

  “Were you . . . You did it on purpose, didn’t you? To keep me on edge?”

  He moved to his feet, his cut abs rippling with the movement, arms hanging loose at his sides. The guy was so freaking sexy it should have been illegal. Instead of denying her accusation, he simply raised a hand to scratch his dark jaw and asked, “Is it working?”

  Reese bit her lip, hating that he could look so calm when she was shaking apart inside. And then she lowered her gaze, staring at the rigid bulge trapped inside his jeans, and something inside her loosened at the proof that he was on edge, too. There were no other women here, which meant that breathtaking erection was all for her, and she almost licked her lips, the thrill surging through her veins as intoxicating as a drug. “Yes. It’s working.”

  He made a thick sound, and she watched as that firm ridge got even bigger, the head poking out from the top of his waistband. Dark, flushed, and gleaming, it was as round and full as a ripe plum. He didn’t move toward her, but he fisted his hands at his sides, squeezing until ropy veins stood out beneath the golden skin of his forearms and biceps, his hard, masculine beauty making her want to do crazy, irresponsible, stupid things. Like walk across the hardwood floor, drop to her knees, and try to take that massive thing inside her mouth, suckling and t
asting, doing everything she could to drive him mad, until he exploded against her tongue and cursed something dirty in that deep, decadent voice that made her melt.

  But whom was she trying to fool? All he had to do was look at her and she melted, her sex going moist and warm and ready.

  The question was, did she feel like being used?

  Obviously, it wasn’t a situation any woman would seek. But then, it wasn’t every day that a woman like her got the chance to get down and dirty with a guy like Ben Hudson. Could she really just walk away and tell him no, without finding out what it would be like? It seemed like such an impossible feat, because she wanted to experience the reality of being under him, that long hard body pressing her down, with a desperation that bordered on craving. Wanted to know what it felt like when he pushed that big cock into her body and fucked her into one screaming orgasm after another. She might get her heart bruised when he left, but would the pleasure be worth it?

  She wished to God she knew the answer.

  It wasn’t easy, but Reese somehow forced her gaze away from the heavy head of his cock and back up to his gorgeous face. Rubbing her hands over her arms, she said, “I keep telling myself that I just need to tell you no, but I want to say yes. I . . . I just don’t know if I could do a casual relationship. I’ve never had a fling in my life, Ben, and things are pretty crazy for me right now.”

  A notch formed between his dark brows. “I thought we agreed not to label it.”

  “We did?”

  He nodded, his gaze sharp. Determined. “No labels. We can make our own rules as we go along. And I know you’re just getting settled here. I won’t take up too much of your time. Outside of the bedroom, you can have as much freedom as you want.”

  “And in the bedroom?”

  Something dark and intense moved through his eyes. “I won’t lie to you. I don’t play nice when it comes to sex. But I swear I’ll never hurt you. I just want to make you come so hard you scream.”

  Wryly, she admitted, “I’m really not much of a screamer.”

  “Maybe not yet,” he said. “But you could be. Whatever it is that’ll make you lose control and let go, Reese—that’s how I’ll give it to you.”

  She stared, wanting very much to believe him. “That’s a bold claim.”

  “When you want proof”—he gave her a slow, sexy smile—“just say the word.”

  There was a wild woman inside her who wanted to tell him that yes, she was ready now, but the worst interruption in history came when someone started knocking on her front door. She jumped, startled, and took two steps back. “I have no idea who that could be.”

  He checked the watch on his thick wrist. “It’s probably a little early for the glass repair company.”

  “You already called them?”

  Turning a bit to the side, he nodded as he reached over to snag his shirt off the back of the sofa. “I could get called in to work at any time, and I don’t want to leave you alone until that door is fixed.”

  Before she could comment, another knock sounded, along with her mother’s voice shouting through the door. “Reese? Aren’t you up yet? It’s almost eight o’clock!”

  Her wide eyes locked with Ben’s, and she felt her face flame with color. “That’s my mom.”

  His lips twitched. “I know. Go answer the door, Reese.”

  She could tell by the twinkling in his eyes that he was enjoying her discomfort. With a hot glare, she turned and headed down the hallway. Hating that she felt embarrassed by the thought of her mom finding a man in her house, as if she were some underage teen, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

  Her mother stood there in yoga pants and a tank top, still looking beautiful and far younger than her age. She had the same blond coloring that Connie and Cami had, but with Reese’s blue eyes instead of their brown ones. Before Reese could get the first word out, her mother breezed into the house, her blond hair swinging in a ponytail. “Morning, sweetheart. I was in town for coffee and thought I’d come to see how—Oh! Um, wow. Am I interrupting anything?”

  She knew, by the stunned look on her mother’s face, that she’d caught sight of Ben. Sure enough, when Reese looked over her shoulder, she found him standing in the hallway, arms crossed over his chest, shoulder propped against the wall. He’d pulled his shoes and his polo shirt back on, hiding anything she wouldn’t have wanted her mother to see, thank God. But he still looked all mellow and sleep-tousled, as if he’d just rolled out of bed. Another one of those slow, suggestive smiles curved his mouth, and she blasted him with a glare again before looking at her mom.

  “Of course you aren’t interrupting anything,” she said a little too brightly, thankful that Ben’s shirt was long enough to conceal his erection. “There isn’t anything to interrupt.”

  Ben’s smile melted into a sexy smirk. “Morning’s still young, though.”

  It wasn’t easy to get her next words out through her gritted teeth, but she managed. “Ben slept on my sofa.”

  “Oh?” Her mom’s eyebrows had risen nearly to her hairline.

  Ben finally took mercy on her, though it was a little late in coming. “I’ll put on the coffee while you explain, Reese. Mrs. Thompson,” he said with a nod, using her mom’s married name. He pushed away from the wall and headed into the kitchen.

  Her mom blinked a few times, then slowly turned her stunned gaze on Reese. “What’s going on?” she whispered with false concern, doing an incredibly crappy job of trying to hide her excitement.

  Reese scowled. “Don’t even try that innocent act,” she snapped. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he was my new landlord!” And the conversation pretty much deteriorated from there, with her mother trying to look contrite, but failing miserably. For some inexplicable reason, the woman obviously thought the idea of her newly divorced daughter hooking up with the town stud was a stellar idea. Go figure.

  When Reese came into the kitchen a few minutes later, after sending her mom on her way with a promise to call her that evening, she found Ben waiting for her. He was leaning back against one of the counters, the dark hair hanging over his forehead only adding to his bad-boy image. He might be the sheriff of this beautiful, upscale county, but she wasn’t fooled. Yeah, he was a respectable guy, but he was also rough and wicked and wild. It was like having a beautiful predator lounging in her kitchen, making her feel like the proverbial mouse.

  He appeared to calmly be drinking a cup of coffee—until she noticed the long fingers wrapped around his mug were white with tension. Did he think she was going to kick him out? And would it really bother him so much if she did?

  With those strange thoughts running through her head, something she wasn’t ready to put a name to spread through her chest in a warm, kinda soothing rush. She could see how hard he was trying to hold on to his control, and it made her own nervous tension easier to deal with. But she was still irritated by how he’d handled the situation with her mother.

  “What exactly was that?” she demanded.

  He set his mug on the counter. “What was what?”

  Tossing her hands up in frustration, she said, “You do realize that my mother now thinks we’re sleeping together, right? She’ll have told half the town by lunchtime!”

  He whistled under his breath. “She works fast, huh?”

  “She’s not the only one,” she muttered, knowing everyone was going to assume that she’d thrown herself at Ben, when it was actually the other way around. But how could she expect anyone to believe that shocker when she could hardly believe it herself?

  He lifted his hands, as if claiming innocence. “Hey, I’ve been golden. I might have kissed you last night, but I kept it tame, despite how badly I’m dying to fuck you.”

  She shook her head with disbelief. “You call that tame?”

  He closed the distance between them, crowding her against one of the counters, all six plus feet of sexy, sleep-tousled male. “As soon as you’re ready, let me know.”

  Reese st
ared up at him. “Ready for what?” she asked a little breathlessly.

  His eyes gleamed with wicked heat. “The untamed version.”

  She gave a nervous laugh, needing caffeine if she was meant to handle him this early in the morning. “What I’m ready for right now is coffee and food. Thanks to your grocery shopping, I can offer you some Cheerios and milk.”

  He cocked his head to the side and smiled. He was so gorgeous she thought it might actually hurt to look at him for too long, like staring at direct sunlight. But she couldn’t look away as he said, “I’d rather just have you.”

  She blushed as she started to respond, but was cut off by the beeping of the phone he’d attached to his belt. “Don’t you need to answer that?” she asked, when he just stood there, staring back at her.

  “No.” He leaned forward, gripping the counter on either side of her hips, caging her in. “I can tell from the notification tone that it’s a text from work.”

  “You can?”

  His face was right over hers now. “I can.”

  “But don’t you need to—”

  “Shh.” His lips brushed against hers, tempting and warm. “I don’t want to talk about work or my phone, Reese. So just shut up and let me kiss you.”

  Her voice was little more than a whisper. “I already let you kiss me. Last night.”

  Her eyes slid closed, but she could feel him smile against her mouth. “Then let me do it again. I get better with repetition.”

  She laughed, unable to believe she could be so turned on when he’d barely even touched her. Then she gasped as his hands slipped under the hem of her sleep shirt and settled on her hips. “I thought we were going to have breakfast,” she said, gripping his biceps.

  “But you were complaining earlier about how I left you hanging last night.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I think we should take care of that first.”

  Reese moaned, almost sobbing with anticipation, until he finally took her mouth in a deep, eating, toe-curling kiss. The guy did things with his tongue that should have been outlawed, and she drowned under the onslaught of heat and excitement, her heart tripping as he suddenly moved his right hand, shoving it down the front of her panties. Rough fingertips softly stroked her damp folds, separating them, brushing over screamingly sensitive flesh. He made a hard, guttural sound and pushed one big finger inside her, her hips jerking as she felt that heavy penetration roll through every part of her, blindsiding her senses.