Stony Creek Hero [Stony Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (23 page)

She had felt a moment’s panic when he had withdrawn his hand again and sat carefully on her old couch, adjusting the evidence that proved that she affected him just as much as he did to her.

“Ben, did I do something wrong?” Lizzie whispered, unsure of why he pulled away.

He had a tightly controlled look on his face when he had said back to her, “No talking, baby. Just do as you are told. I am the one withholding our mutual satisfaction until I can take you the way I need to but until then, you will not suffer. Touch yourself. I want to watch you stroke yourself for me and me alone.”

Lizzie got the chills even as she was recalling this all from memory. She didn’t even hesitate to respond to his demand. In fact, she had lowered her head and looked at him from beneath her lashes, trying to drag him further under her spell. It definitely was working as she had watched the cool, dark façade begin to crumble as she ran her hands over her belly again and up to her breasts. She allowed her facial expression to convey her own enjoyment of her soft skin that contrasted completely with the masculine roughness that she so usually enjoyed while touching him. This time, she had enfolded an ample breast in each palm and massaged them firmly, forcing them up toward her chin. Lizzie repeated the motion that held him transfixed, while never disengaging her eyes from his. At his shift in position, she moved her hands over the top button of her silky short-sleeve blouse. With each button that she had slowly and sensuously undone, her eyes had held his, bonding them both in the moment. As the blouse edges had finally fallen apart, she let it flutter soundlessly to the ground.

“Please kneel for me, baby, right there.” Ben’s voice had sounded deep and full of heavy restraint.

Gracefully, Lizzie had fallen into the position that he seemed to crave and allowed herself to continue. Her courage had grown at that moment as she allowed him to study her standing there in only a lace bra that kept her breasts pushed to maximum cleavage. She knew that he loved her in this type of lingerie and had been adding pieces to her collection for moments like this that had been increasing in frequency. She took a deep breath, with her sultry lips parted while she had gently run her tongue over their soft surface. Ben had let out a low groan which pushed her on with her performance, the one that he had ordered her to do. Lizzie had run her hands to the snap holding the bra cups together and paused, lifting her eyes back to his, awaiting some sort of response to her delay.

As though on cue, Ben had immediately moved to force her to continue. “I didn’t tell you that you may stop, baby. Please, continue.”

The tone that he had used allowed for no refusal, nor was she inclined to give him one. She had wanted the pleasure that he was forcing on her and there was little that was going to prevent her from getting it. She unsnapped the clip and allowed the cups to separate, revealing her soft skin of the insides of her breasts to full advantage. She felt more sensual and desired at that moment than she had ever in her whole life. Ben’s eyes had glowed as she pushed her breasts up to her mouth as, keeping her eyes on his, she lightly licked the cleavage that was now within her reached. She had never tasted her own vanilla-flavored body cream and now understood what made Ben always want to taste her skin.

Ben had definitely not meant for himself to be simply an observer in this performance as she trembled in the lust being stoked as he had unzipped his jeans and pulled his thick length out into his waiting hand. In the position that he had sat in, it almost reached his belly button, reminding Lizzie of what it felt like to have that thick part of him thrusting against her womb. Cream had dripped onto her thighs as he, too, kept his gaze on her as she obeyed his commands.

With her breathing hitched, she had let both her hands, palms down, slither over her soft belly, around to the tops of both thighs and then back up to where they met her soaking pussy. Lizzie had let out a soft moan as she allowed her left palm to shift slowly back up to massage her breast while the fingers of her right began a pleasurable dance that had Ben squeezing his palm up and over his huge erection. Though several feet had them separated, they had been connected as one through the intimacy of their actions. Harsh breathing had filled the room as sounds, wet and rhythmic, sped them both on toward their mutual satisfaction.

Lizzie slid her fingers over and around her clit while pinching and pulling at her nipple, throwing her head back, breaking contact with Ben.

“Now, baby, come for me now,” Ben had commanded.

Her body had responded with immediate obedience as consuming rapture raced through her oversensitized body. She had wailed out in her orgasm as she writhed on her knees watching as Ben’s strokes on his cock became practically violent. He held her with his look as he face had contorted with his own intense release that spurted out in long, delicious streams over his ripped abdomen.

Without permission and with ragged breaths, she inched over to his open thighs and leaned into him, allowing her chest to be creamed with his seed. Ben had threaded his hands in her hair and pulled her face close, allowing their harsh breaths to mingle. They both held each other’s bodies meshed together with the evidence of their mutual satiation while they held on to the moment. Their gazes locked on each other. Passion was savored in the silent aftermath. In an unspoken communication, they had both known that they were of one mind. He was hers and she was his. Not for a short time, not after the feeling of oneness, the connection they had felt. They were evolving from being individuals into the spiritual bond that true lovers felt, a consuming confidence of love. Lizzie was sure that she had never felt this happy, this complete.

The memory of last night would forever be a cherished emotional and intimate moment in their developing relationship. She let out a sigh, one that she would probably give over and over again if their relationship progressed, as she allowed him to think he had won an argument.

“I guess I am getting my roof fixed tomorrow,” Lizzie said into the peaceful silence of her house. If he ended all their future fights in the manner that he had employed last night, she wouldn’t ever mind being the loser ever again.

“Who on earth is in all those trucks, Billie?” Lizzie looked to her best friend nervously. Billie was feeling well today and actually glowed with even more beauty than she naturally possessed. It was no wonder that half the men of the town practically tried to woo her when she first arrived. It had taken a man like Jackson to not only woo but make her believe that a loving, passionate relationship was not just found in a dream. Perhaps it ran in the family as Ben had been doing nothing but putting in overtime, using his physical and emotional expression to demonstrate without words his feelings for her. Every day she was beginning to feel more and more secure with his every caress and each heated look of renewed hunger. What he couldn’t quite yet put into words, he validated convincingly with his appetite. The man was insatiable, thank goodness. Whether it was food or physicality, the man enjoyed himself. Lizzie gave a wry smile. She wasn’t going to complain about either. Both of Ben’s desires made her feel a sense of worth, value, pride, and most importantly, love.

Then why did she feel like she was going to kill that man at this moment.

“It is the ladies from the church, hon. You didn’t think that this ‘event’ was going to be wasted. Wait until you see what they are going to do,” Billie said with a smile in her voice that matched her face.

Lizzie whipped around. “What? What are they going to do? I feel embarrassed enough that Ben is making the men all do this. What are the matrons going to do?”

Billie started laughing and gave Lizzie a hug. “Why don’t I just let them explain? Oh, you are so wrong, by the way. Everyone loves you and wanted to be here, even Theodore Davis. However, Ben took him aside and explained to him that it wasn’t really good for his health if he showed up. He said something about the roof being steep and people having a tendency to fall off. I pretended not to hear that. That disgusting man looked pretty darned convinced that Ben could make an accident a distinct possibility. Anyway, it is way more funny coming out of Millie Braxton or Mabel Winston’s mouth. Oh look, even Thea is here. Your roof raising is only bringing out the finest of people, Lizzie.”

“Oh good Lord. I am never going to survive the day. Let’s go get this over with already,” Lizzie threw over her shoulder as she proceeded out the door.

Ben and most of the town’s men were already there and getting themselves organized for the scheduled event. Lizzie couldn’t help herself as she admired Ben’s commanding presence as he discussed some particular detail of the project with his father and the Taggart brothers, both Adam and Sean. There was something about a man doing man things that just did it for her. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that her father hadn’t done these responsible things, taken care of the house or her. Lizzie had always had to take care of herself and did it quite well but somewhere deep inside she found herself admitting that there was something infinitely addicting to the feeling of being cared for, someone else taking the control.

Heat felt like it suddenly was emanating from her pores in reaction as just those simple things caused her to soften and wish he would run his hands under the hem of her shirt. He caught her observation and threw her a huge smile, oblivious to her sexual interest and the curiosity being expressed by others. The other men looked at him in confusion as though he was losing his mind. Ben never smiled like that and it looked like even his father, Bill, was very pleased by the sudden show of happiness. Billie tugged Lizzie over to the congregating matrons who were chattering like excited magpies. They were in a tizzy about something, apparently something very good.

“Oh Lizzie dear! How can we thank you for this opportunity?” Thea Carson gushed as she took both of Lizzie’s hands in hers.

“Lizzie, this is going to be just the thing we need to repair the stained-glass window! How clever you are to think of killing two birds with one stone,” Mabel Winston complimented her.

“Lizzie, sweetheart, I always knew my son was smart since the day he was born but now I know why he chose you. This plan is just brilliant, really brilliant if a bit naughty,” Lillian Powell said with a smile.

Florence gave her sister-in-law a funny look. “What are you saying, Lillian? We made those boys and toiled day and night to make them look the way they do, so why shouldn’t we earn something for all our hard work?”

Lizzie felt like the world was spinning and couldn’t make heads or tails of what the ladies were jabbering about all at once. Had they all had some of Florence’s medicinal tea before they got here or something? It was then that she noticed several of the church ushers setting out the chairs from the Ladies Guild. They were set back in rows of semicircles as though an audience for some sort of outdoor performance. A prickle of unease stared to shiver up her spine.

Trying to maintain her composure, Lizzie looked in horror at the women. “Will someone please explain what is going on?”

Lizzie turned slowly in Julia’s direction. A guilty look was on that woman’s face and she appeared like she was about to bust a gut if she didn’t confess something.

“Julia?” Lizzie said accusingly.

“What? I just told the ladies ‘your suggestion’ on how to make Ben’s generosity into something beneficial for everyone. I think it was sheer brilliance how you figured that the humidity and heat of summer in Wyoming could be turned into money for the church. Very generous of you, I would have never thought of such a thing myself you understand but now I cannot wait to see it for myself!” Julia crowed slyly.

“What? What did you tell them I suggested?” Lizzie cringed, waiting to hear the answer.

As if to drive home her point, Julia extended her hand as she half turned, indicating Lizzie’s roof now that was now covered with sweating men, all of whom were very fit, and not one shirt on any of them. The sun not yet at midday was producing rivulets of perspiration to run down the now bare chests of the many delicious-looking cowboys up there. Ben in particular was causing her heart palpitations as she took in his cowboy-hat-covered head, tan, chiseled chest that led to those incredible indents of cut muscle dipping below the waist of his jeans. Lizzie licked her lips with a sudden hunger to run her tongue down those cuts below where they were hidden by cloth. She could practically taste the beads of delicious sweaty muscle as they were committed to her memory. Clad only in his Wranglers that fit him as though made specifically for his award-winning rear end, Lizzie forced a smile as she secretly clenched her wet pussy as her arousal began to simmer. His muscles bulged as he lifted a case of shingles over to Gabe Preston who wasn’t looking too shabby himself, chiseled muscles shining in the beaming sunlight.

“Oh Lordy. I hope you brought your defibrillator, Billie, because we are going to need to resuscitate one of us before the day is over. Look at them all. Lillian, your boys…Lillian, um Earth to Lillian!” Thea said, trying to gain Lillian’s attention which was focused on her husband of thirty-seven years.

The ladies were all indulgently smiling at the very distracted Lillian who was acting like she hadn’t even seen her own husband with his shirt off.

“What? I am allowed to ogle my husband. He still is ridiculously fit. I have always said it, you have got to love a cowboy. My boys should help bring in a few dollars, don’t you think?” Lillian said with a laugh, not appearing to Lizzie to be the least bit embarrassed at being caught staring at her sweaty Bill, not bothering to hide the expression indicating her own salacious thoughts.