Remembering You: Pushing the Boundaries, Prequel (5 page)

She shrugged. “If you insist.” She looked at Ben, waved goodbye to his friends, then headed out of the bar with him at her side. She was all too aware of his solid presence beside her as they exited into the cold night, the heat coming off his body. Nina wrapped her arms tightly around herself, trying not to shiver. The drink had helped a bit to warm her up, but her buzz was quickly dying with the effort to keep the chill off.

He looked over at her and grimaced. “Hell. You’re freezing.” He shrugged out of his jacket before she could even register what he was doing, and draped it around her shoulders. He had to step close and put his arms behind her back to do it, and when his chest brushed her breasts, she gasped.

Her inhibitions were still a bit down, and it felt so good…

His arms stilled for a second when he heard her gasp, and he looked into her eyes questioningly. Everything she’d been thinking about him must have been written all over her face, because the next thing she knew, his warm lips were on hers, and she was drowning in him.

Chapter Five

Did people ever really say, “I feel like I’ve known you all my life” outside of movies?

Ben was on fire from merely kissing Nina, the heat spreading through his body like an explosion at the press of her lips against his. She stroked her tongue into his mouth and he shuddered, too hot and too wild-feeling not to let it out somehow.

She already felt so different from any other woman he’d ever known, and at the same time he felt he’d always known her. He wanted her as much as he’d wanted that woman from the hospital room. More, even. Because this woman was flesh and blood. Touchable. Lickable…

He broke the kiss and moved his lips to her neck, nuzzling the soft skin there. She moaned at the sensation and he couldn’t help himself. He pushed his hips into hers. Hard.

“Oh God. That feels so good,” she gasped, pushing back against him, grinding hard.

Hell yes, it did. He was practically dizzy from the sheer pleasure of feeling her against him, his hands on her shoulders now, over the rough fabric of his own jacket covering her slender body. He moved his hands downward, stroking her arms, moving closer to those sweet, soft breasts—

Beeeeeep!
The sound of a car horn at the end of the street had them springing apart.

Shit. Really? Did he really just maul a woman on the street, in full view of the public?

There weren’t many people around this part of downtown at this time of night, but still…he’d completely forgotten everything else but her. Them.

A journalist, for fuck’s sake.

And somehow, he couldn’t seem to muster up the animosity he usually felt toward the press. In fact, what he was feeling was something very, very far from animosity…

He took a few deep breaths and looked at her.

Flushed, even in the dim light from the street lamps. Lips swollen from his kisses. Wide-eyed, panting, needy…

Fuck it. They needed to get out of here. To where, he wasn’t sure, but…somewhere else.

“Where are you parked?” He practically growled it.

She moved her head slowly to the side, almost dreamily, pointing in the direction of Whitehall Avenue. “I’m in Center Garage.”

Of course. Because their lives seemed determined to intertwine today.

“I’m parked there too,” he breathed out, not sure how to ask her for what he wanted so badly.

But turned out she did the asking for him. “Why don’t I follow you home, then?” she purred. “You know, to make sure you get there safely.” She stepped forward and punctuated her offer by licking the cords of his neck.

God, he already adored this woman. She knew exactly how to handle him. Except at this rate, they wouldn’t even make it to the parking garage before he pushed her against a wall, yanked her pants down and wrapped her legs around his waist. He didn’t bother questioning that he’d do it, even though he had never, ever done such a thing in his life.

“Let’s go,” he managed to get out before grabbing Nina’s hand and walking toward the garage.

They took turns surging ahead, pulling the other one along, and when they got inside the garage, he recognized her car immediately from the big dent in the bumper.

Plus, he’d memorized her plates.

Habit.

Against the car, he kissed her again, thrusting his tongue gently until she pulled away. “I hope your place is fit for company, Crewes.”

He grinned at her use of his last name. “I’ve got a bed, if that’s what you mean.”

She stilled for a minute, and he immediately regretted his words. He hoped he hadn’t offended her. He hadn’t intended it to come out so crudely. Or maybe he had, but he meant it in a good way, not an offensive—

But then she whispered, “I’m not sure we’ll make it all the way to your bedroom.”

He groaned and yanked open her driver’s side door, and she slid behind the wheel, buckling her seatbelt before turning back to him for a quick, rough kiss.

“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” He searched her face for any signs of inebriation. She looked pretty sober now. Sober and sexy.

She nodded. “I promise. I’ll be fine as long as you don’t drive like a granny. Then I might be forced to tail you and flash my lights and honk my horn.”

“I should have known you’d be the kind with road rage.”

“Not rage. Just skilled enough to find other people frustrating. Try driving in Africa sometime.”

He gave her a last, quick kiss. “I’ll take my chances on the 116.” That was the freeway leading to the west of Greenbriar and the one they’d both been driving when he had rear-ended her this morning. “My car is one level up. I’ll pull right around here and you can follow me home.”

He shut her driver’s door, then turned and sprinted to the stairwell, taking the stairs two at a time. Thank God for all those punishing workouts and training sessions that kept him in great shape. Every minute he spent away from Nina was a minute he lost in kissing her, touching her and sliding in and out of her luscious body.

He reached his car, unlocked it, jumped in and pulled out of his parking space in record time. The garage was fairly deserted at this time of night on a Monday, and he was in front of Nina’s car in less than a minute.

Please don’t let her change her mind.

He’d never wanted a woman this much before. He’d never needed a woman like this, like he would die if he didn’t have her. Well, a whole woman, anyway, and not just the voice of one. By the time they pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex, he was sweating with need, nerves and the dull pain of an erection contained for too long in his pants.

Ben willed himself to slow down, not to jump on her like a great beast in heat, but even as he told himself those things, when he met her on the sidewalk in front of their cars and their bodies pressed together, lips fusing, all he wanted to do was fuck her right there on the concrete.

Slow down. Slow down.

He pulled away slightly. “And here I thought you were joking about not making it to my bedroom.”

Thankfully, his words made her giggle, the sound cooling his urgency a little.

But then she nipped his ear and ran her hands down his back, squeezing his ass gently. Urgency back to level: spontaneous combustion.

“Lead the way, then, unless you want to put on a show for your neighbors,” she murmured, a husky tease. And even though he knew she wasn’t serious, the idea of Nina pushing him down and riding him right there made his cock stretch the fabric of his pants to an unbearable degree.

He practically sprinted to his apartment—which wasn’t easy to do with a massive erection—and fumbled with his keys as he unlocked the door. As soon as he got it open, he stood back and held it for her to enter.

Extreme horniness apparently did not overrule his manners.

As she passed him to go inside, one hand trailed over his chest, fingertips leaving a sensation of throbbing fire in their wake.

Ben drew a ragged breath, then stepped in behind her and shut the door.

She was on him so fast he didn’t even have time to flip on a light. The borrowed jacket fell off her shoulders, dropping to the floor and leaving her in only her billowy top, which was much too light for the cool weather outside.

She must have assumed she’d be going from her car to her office and back.

Not hooking up with a guy who’d dented her bumper, bought her a drink and considered her to be even more amazing than a voice he’d shared himself with in the past.

Of course he couldn’t tell her that. She’d leave in a heartbeat, to get away from his crazy.

He gripped her waist, squeezing. Wow, she had a tight, strong body. His hands moved under her shirt and ran upward, skimming over her ribs as she slipped her own hands over the buttons of his shirt, slowly undoing them to reveal the cotton tee he was wearing as an undershirt. He reached her breasts as she tugged both shirts from his pants, pushing up the fabric to touch his bare skin.

Fuck. Just…fuck. They really weren’t going to make it to the bed. The feel of her hands on his stomach amped up everything. They were moving too slowly. He needed to get to her. He needed to be in her.

Now.

He pushed aside the cups of her bra and squeezed her breasts, too hard, too desperate, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she moaned and arched into his hands even as her own fingers worked at his buckle, then she leaned back toward him for a hot, wet kiss.

He couldn’t stop fondling her breasts, massaging the soft mounds and lightly pinching the nipples as she panted into his mouth. The feel of her knuckles against the hard ridge behind his boxers as she unzipped his pants almost snapped the last thread of his pathetic control, but he at least managed not to come in his pants before she pushed everything down enough for his cock to spring out, ready to go.

She didn’t hesitate. Just curled her palm around his shaft and squeezed.

She smiled against his lips. “Big,” she whispered, before she dropped to her knees and sucked him into her mouth in one smooth motion.

He nearly wheezed with relief and pleasure.

“Holy shit. Nina. Holy shit. Oh my God.” The way she was sucking him, the wet heat of her mouth…he was going to come too soon.

Please, God, don’t let me make an idiot of myself.

But it was impossible. It felt too good. She was too perfect, and he couldn’t stop the tight feeling of need from rushing up his back. “I’m having a hard time holding back,” he gasped, as she took him deep, then slid up and gently sucked the head of his straining cock.

“Really, I—”

She slid back down and up again and he shut his eyes tightly against the sight, trying to keep from exploding right then. This time, he had to clench his teeth against the need to let loose in her mouth.

But it was useless. Nina slid down and sucked him again and again, fast and deep, and everything else fell away as he erupted, spasming into her mouth in the most intense orgasm of his life.

Chapter Six

“Ben?”

Nina knew it was relaxing for guys to get off, but Ben had gone beyond relaxed and was bordering on catatonic. Even though she had meant to bring him off fast and intense, she’d also thought they would actually get to his bed at some point.

That wouldn’t happen if he passed out now. She could tell, though, that he’d been dying for release after such a drawn-out tease, and she wanted to help him out a bit before they got to having actual sex.

Which would include an orgasm for her too, she’d hoped…or two. Or three.

She wanted him. Nothing serious of course, but she didn’t want this night to be a disappointment, just the same. And she didn’t think it would be a good idea to see him again. Like Jerry had said, who knew how long she would stick around Greenbriar? As soon as Dad became more stable, she was out of here. That could be months…or a matter of days.

It was ironic, really, that her dad was the one who’d insisted on stability in her life, only to have her turn out exactly like him. At least, when it came to traveling the globe for work. Except her work was about the chaotic lives of others, while Dad had been busy implementing law and order. Either way, neither of them seemed to stay put for long.

In the meantime, Ben was a good way to pass a night.

Speaking of…

“Ben?” she asked again, and he blinked a few times, seeming to come back into himself.

“God, Nina. I’m sorry. I—that was amazing.” His voice was guttural, and he certainly sounded sated. She was starting to feel a little disappointed, but then he pulled her up and against his body, hugging her tightly, and she welcomed his kiss. She could feel his penis against the soft material of her leggings, and for some reason, she was hit with a strong sense of familiarity, a need to protect any vulnerability in him.

There it was again, the desire to keep this man from harm, to rage at anyone who had ever hurt him. Why was she feeling this way?

“I’m sorry it was so fast,” he murmured into her hair. “I promise I’ll make it up to you. It’s been a while, and you’re so damned hot…”

“It’s okay,” she whispered, squeezing him in a reassuring hug and kissing him lightly before stepping back a bit. “I meant to do it.”

He laughed, then kicked off his shoes and pants and threw off his button-down shirt. But he pulled his boxer briefs up and left his T-shirt on before grabbing her again and settling her against him, rubbing circles on her back with his hands.

The calluses on his palm kept catching in the soft silk of her top, though, and she couldn’t keep from laughing at the way he had to pick up his hand every time the material snagged. At this rate, her blouse was going to be shredded. She moved away far enough to grab the hem of her shirt and pull it up over her head, tossing it onto the floor.

He yanked her back against his body, this time more roughly, growling as he nipped at her lips. He ran his hands down her back again and, without the shirt between them, the roughness of his hands felt incredible as they stroked over her skin. She arched her breasts into his chest, and one of his hands came up to unclasp her bra, drawing it down her shoulders and letting it fall to the ground between them. He brought his hands up to cup her now-bare breasts, rubbing them like he had before, rolling her nipples gently between his fingers, then pinching lightly.

“That feels so good,” she gasped, arching into him and letting him rub her until the sensation was so overwhelming she had to hang on to his shoulders to keep from falling in a graceless heap at his feet. And then he bent forward and replaced his hands with his mouth, nibbling and sucking at her breasts, and she was gone, grabbing at his hair, trying to pull him inside her.

She heard him laugh softly as he dropped down, taking his talented mouth away and making her whimper. He unzipped her boots, the metallic growl of the teeth sounding out of place, and she slipped her feet out of the shoes to stand on the floor in her socked feet. Then he slowly rose again, kissing her knees through the stretchy fabric of her leggings, making her giggle a little in ticklish response.

The next thing she knew, he had one arm under her knees and the other at her back, and had scooped her into his arms like she weighed nothing.

There are some definite benefits to being with a man like this.

The sheer size and strength in his muscled body was so arousing she felt like it was foreplay enough just to look at him.

But he had other ideas, apparently. He carried her through the sparsely furnished front room and into a short hallway, where he turned through an open door, then lowered her gently onto a large platform bed.

Definitely not zoned out anymore. His eyes on her were practically burning as he straightened up and stripped off his T-shirt and underwear.

Wow.

Ben was standing in front of her, completely naked. Her eyes roamed wildly over his torso, not sure which fascinatingly sexy part to look at first. Ben’s body belonged in a museum. Lines of muscle were drawn everywhere, turning his chest, stomach and arms into a work of art. One she could touch, taste and wrap herself inside of all night long. The kinds of things real museums usually frowned upon.

Not to mention the idea of having him on display for all the world to see was making her inexplicably jealous.

Quit being jealous of something you made up and touch him, already!

In the low light, his skin gleamed, and she could make out a few spots on his chest that might have been scars. She brought her hands up to curve around his shoulders, digging into the muscles there as he lowered himself again to kiss her. His weight settled on top of her, pushing her into the mattress. She spent the next few minutes exploring every inch of skin on his body, feeling the heavy muscles of his back, dipping her fingers beneath his boxer briefs to caress the top of his ass, firm and warm, as he lay between her legs.

She could feel too, he was hard again, a promise of satisfaction to come. She rolled her hips up, searching for the perfect place for the rigid pressure to caress, and when she found it, she splayed her palms across his ass and pushed his body into hers, using him in a base way.

He groaned in her ear as he nibbled along her neck.
Yes. God, you feel so good.

The rush from earlier had slowed a bit, and after a while, he rolled to one side, propping himself up on one arm and moving the other hand to the waistband of her leggings and panties, sliding them downward. She lifted her hips to help him, the two of them pushing and tugging until she was naked except for her white-socked feet.

She giggled, feeling foolish for still having her socks on, and he grinned. “It’s actually kind of sexy.”

Nina laughed, but toed off the short socks and kicked them to the bottom of the bed, while he sat up and knelt between her legs, his hands on her knees, and the mood changed again.

Slowly, he slid his hands upward, following them with his body until his head was at her navel. He dipped, swirling his tongue, and she whimpered.
So good.
His mouth was so hot, and he was so beautiful…

“That looks like it was something painful,” he whispered, tracing the long scar on the side of her abdomen.

“Appendectomy,” she whispered back, trying to pull him away from looking at it. She hated the scar. It reminded her of more than the physical pain. She’d lost the last ties to her childhood that day.

He tsked and kissed the scar, then slowly licked his way across her belly, then dipped lower, until she could feel his breath on her sensitive mound. She’d had most of her hair there permanently lasered a few years ago because it tended to itch less when she was on long assignments in remote areas or extremely hot climes, but as a result she was much more sensitive too.

It didn’t hurt that Ben seemed to really like it, though. He hummed in appreciation as he licked down her center, her folds parting at the push of his tongue, and she moaned loudly, without shame, her legs spreading as he pushed farther between them, stroking his tongue up and down, over and over, until she was practically thrusting against his nose in an effort to pull him deeper, harder, where she needed him most.

One of his large hands rested across the place where her appendectomy scar marked her body, a pale slash against her skin, while he brought his mouth up, finally, to suck gently on her clit.

“Oh my God,” she panted. “Yes. Fuck. Please.” She tugged at him, trying to get him to come away and kiss her. She was so close, but she wanted him fully inside her when she came.

He understood.

He slid up her body and gave her a quick kiss, then rolled away for a moment, grabbing a condom from the nightstand, ripping it open and rolling it on so fast the wetness between Nina’s thighs barely registered the suddenly cool air before he was back, the broad head of his cock pushing in, breaching her as she spread her legs wider and angled her hips up to take him.

It was so good.

He thrust into her in a rough-gentle slide, going farther and deeper than she’d ever experienced, until he was all the way in and they were both groaning with pleasure. She was writhing under him, punching her hips up, trying to force her clit against his body, but he didn’t give her what she wanted. He only laughed wickedly and pulled out nearly all the way, causing Nina to moan in protest until he slid back in on a measured stroke, not as slow as the first time, but it was just right.

“That feels so good.” She was barely whispering, but he heard it. He grunted in response and kept pumping in and out of her, his hand slipping between their bodies and pushing down on the little nub at the juncture of her thighs every time he filled her with his cock, the pressure releasing as he pulled out, but growing more intense at the same time. Over and over. Thrust and push. Rough breaths and soft moans.

She could feel the sweat gathering between her breasts, and the scent of him grew stronger as he worked over her. The needy pressure climbed higher and higher, stronger and stronger.

She was nearly there. So close. She was meeting him thrust for thrust, moaning with abandon until—

“Oh! Oh God. Oh fuck.” Her eyes rolled back in her head as she came so hard her legs started trembling uncontrollably, and Ben gave a shout, pumping a few last hard strokes into her body before he collapsed on top of her.

Nina sighed and hugged Ben as he lay atop her. She liked cuddling as a general rule, even though she didn’t get to do it often with the temporary relationships she struck up when out in the field. Fellow reporters for a week or two, thrown together in tight situations…it never went anywhere. That’s what made it so perfect. But she missed cuddling. And considering this was post-coital cuddling with a virtual stranger, it was exceptional.

But he doesn’t feel like a stranger.

Too bad she was going to have to get up and leave soon. She needed to get back home and try to get some sleep before tomorrow’s exciting day of combing through fashion websites.

Don’t think about work. You just had the best sex of your life and you can spare a few minutes of pretending this is your normal before you run away.

Where did that come from? She’d never pretended before, with anyone. Both sides had known what they were getting into when she started a relationship in the past. She’d never had a desire for anything more, right from the start.

Why was she thinking this way with him?

She traced circles on his biceps as she mulled it over, and he hummed in sated appreciation, pushing up a bit and looking down at her. A tremor of silent laughter went through him.

“So you’re beautiful, sexy, you blew my mind in bed, and what little conversation we’ve had I’ve enjoyed. Maybe I shouldn’t be so open about this, but is there anything you’re not good at? Skeet shooting, perhaps?”

She smiled. She liked his openness. She appreciated men who didn’t hide what they liked and wanted.

And she was pretty damned good at shooting. Should she tell him about the Western revival she’d attended one year, when she was doing a background piece on Native American rights? She’d thrown herself into the experience, learning how to ride, shoot and even skin a deer.

Though processing an animal probably wasn’t the most welcome topic of conversation at the moment. So instead, she replied, in a raspy, sex-slow voice as she brought her arms up and played with his hair, “Actually, I’m good at that too.”

But instead of saying something light, like she’d expected him to, his body jerked at her words, his head snapped forward, and she found herself suddenly staring into a pair of shocked brown eyes.

Not like,
Wow, you’re so awesome, I can’t believe you don’t have your own TV show
kind of shock.

More like,
Who the fuck are you and what the fuck just happened?