Stony Creek Hero [Stony Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (3 page)

Ben heard Lizzie sigh as he placed her into the passenger side of his dually and watched as she slightly turned as though to doze off into sleep. Even though the rain continued to fall, he couldn’t help himself from indulging himself in the pleasure of seeing to her comfort and safety as he buckled her in. Gently pushing a strand of wet hair from the smooth skin of her face, he tried to remember one of the countless women that he had enjoyed over the last several years of casual indulgences. Funny how none of their faces came into detail as he tenderly looked into hers. Shit, what sort of pheromones did this woman give off that affected him so much? Maybe she put something in her cooking? Perhaps it was MSG, or oysters, or Viagra? Not Viagra though. Who the hell needed that when she was within two miles of him? Maybe he should talk to Billie about an erection antidote so he could give his cock a rest. Nah, he knew how to get himself to settle and it was a tried and true home remedy that involved being inside of her body as often as possible. She mumbled something softly in her sleep as he realized that she might be getting cold.

He jumped up into his side of the enormous midnight blue truck and turned it toward her home. It was a good thing that it was so high up as the heavy rains that they had been having lately caused minor flooding of the roadways issuing several flash-flood warnings in the last month. His little Lizzie drove an old piece of crap with more rust than not. Leave it to Lizzie to find a way to consider it charming.

He had heard the Saunders crew, Joe, Preston, and Gabe, several times try to convince her that she needed something with less, well, holes. The Saunders men, along with their sister Beth, ran the Wild Mustang Ranch. Horses, who the hell would want to raise only horses? However, Ben would grind his teeth when they started in flirting with Lizzie because they probably were attempting to give her another type of mustang. As the Saunders men liked to share, Ben kept a close eye on that situation. He had laughed every time they tried because he thought she was just emotionally attached to the piece of junk but now he knew the unpleasant truth. She didn’t have the funds to invest in a new car much less save her home. His hands tightened on the steering wheel in anger, again at the thought that this woman was in such dire straits. Ben was old fashioned, like the rest of the men in his family. He didn’t like the idea of a woman suffering and dealing with heavy stresses all alone. Oh, he knew full well that this little spitfire could handle herself and then some, without a man, but why should she? He would see to it that she didn’t have to struggle so much.

He had money to spare. He had been living ridiculously and frugally in a nice trailer on his family’s place, Rugged Hill Ranch. He lived so simply in fact, his mother, Lillian, teased him every Sunday dinner that perhaps he was saving up for when he finally met the “one.” It had never failed, however, for his father, Bill, brothers, cousins, and their friend and neighbor, Hunter Lang, to rib him that in order to find the “one,” he would have to first stay with a woman long enough to find out her last name. Maybe at thirty-three years old it was time to spend a bit on a good cause. Maybe.

He figured a man-to-man conversation with Mr. Davis was the least that was in order as soon as the bank opened on Monday. He slowed his speed as the rain again increased its intensity, while he spared a glance over to his sleeping beauty. Nope, probably not ever going to be his but still he couldn’t stand to see such a precious woman suffer in such obvious pain, not when he could prevent it. Humm, this was going to take some planning and thought. Maybe he could be like Lancelot, just lusting and caring for her from afar? His thick cock throbbed as though in protest of the thought, never to ever receive its satisfaction, but then again, there were many women out there for that sort of relief. Lizzie could just be his charge, concern, and dream woman. He could leave it there so neither of them could get hurt with his oh-so-obvious handicap when it came to relationships. Maybe.

He stopped in front of her little white gate at her front walkway. The one-story small cottage was surrounded by a charming wooden picket fence that looked as though she must whitewash it every year. There were climbing roses dangling over the top edges with colorful lilies interspersed everywhere. The house itself, a soft butter color, was framed with big windows and wooden shutters which were accented by intricate carved wood details. Someone had loved this cottage once but sadly, he could see several places where the shingles needed replacing, paint needed to be replaced, and a general sense of disrepair. He let out a sigh and felt an even greater need to protect this sweet woman. Since he met her, he had felt a need to be near her, watch over her, all while sporting a huge hard-on more often than not. He had driven by her cottage so many times before but had never taken in the details that made it Lizzie before. Maybe she would let him do some little things like a fresh coat of paint, or re-shingle it with the guys. Maybe.

“I must be waterlogged,” he mused, thinking that he was thinking about her too much, too deeply. Any second he was going to be the subject of an Oprah episode. As quietly as possible, he shifted himself off of his seat and out of the truck. Thank heaven, he thought as he was able to adjust the monster erection that had reared up from being trapped in the cab of the truck with her, intoxicating him with her sweet scent. As though she weighed nothing at all, he swiftly plucked her from her seat and hurried her to her front door. The overhang leaked onto his hat, adding another repair to his mental calculations. What were the chances her keys were at the top of her purse?

“It’s unlocked, Ben,” he heard her murmur. Her eyes were still closed and he could feel her soft breasts burning into his chest.

In shock, he looked at her, not taking any care in controlling the tone of his voice. “What the hell do you mean it’s unlocked?”

“Well, the lock broke two months ago, and well, add it to the list of expenses that I don’t exactly have the money to pay for. You want me to get a new lock in gold or platinum, tough guy?” Lizzie laughed out.

With a snide look, he opened the door and slowly entered her house for the first time. His body reacted instantly with another surge of familiar arousal. This was the reason that he had never dared to step foot in her space. The whole house smelled like her scent, fucking delicious. At this rate he was going to have to invest in a cup to prevent the bruising on his cock as it kept banging up against his wet jeans. It was becoming damned uncomfortable. She stumbled toward the bedroom, telling him to make himself at home. He glanced in her direction, unsure of whether or not she could actually walk well. What he saw was a blessing for all the good deeds he had done while he had been on this earth so far. Lizzie, either unaware or uncaring of his presence, had peeled off her wet shirt, leaving her in a cream lace bra and her brown short shorts. As though he willed it, she continued to disrobe by bending at the waist and pulling her shorts, allowing them to drop to the floor with her still bent in half, her luscious ass beckoning him in a matching lace thong. Her skin appeared as smooth as silk, creamy and white, and he longed to be able to run his hands over it. He stood there spellbound at his good fortune, mouth slightly agape as he took in her retreating form. She was unbelievably perfect. It almost made him nervous. How could a woman stimulate him in so many ways, intellectually and physically? He was going to have to start looking for some flaws. There must be some that would cool him down. Otherwise he might be doomed like his elder brother, Jackson. Jackson and Billie, now engaged, made his mother and father giddy with joy at their impending union and made Ben want to run for the hills to escape their ghastly fate. Then why the hell was his mouth suddenly salivating to run his tongue down the center of her spine until it hit the top of the crack of her ass? It must be confused, like his cock. Dumbass organs. Lizzie would probably say male organs, which was why they were dumbass.

Ben took several deep breaths as she paused to turn over her shoulder to gaze at him with a scorching look. He figured that this wasn’t a blessing for something good but a punishment for being bad. She allowed her eyes to sensuously slide from the top of his great height, to meet his smoldering eyes and then shift slowly down his body, taking it all in with her hungry observation. He felt like his erection was made of molten steel as her gaze lingered on its length that was pressing against his wet denim. He swore it felt like she was gently caressing him. He let out a small groan as she turned away and stumbled forward again toward what he assumed was her bedroom.

“Breathe, man, just breathe,” he told himself out loud. He figured if he spoke the words aloud, it would help him gain some semblance of control over himself and his body. Nope, not working. Hard as a rock and having a difficult argument with his legs which wanted to run their way right after her into the bedroom to see what other kinds of treats she had hidden under her lingerie.

Instead he did allow himself to glance around her home. Definitely filled with character and elements that had to be all Lizzie. He tried to walk off his arousal while looking at her personal space. He actually liked it as it felt like a home. Small little pieces of femininity were placed here and there that a rancher like him would never have thought of. His own space was simple, functional, and more often than not, messy. Her furniture was obviously worn but made the space cozy and comfortable. That is until he hit the kitchen. He felt his shoulders sag as he took in her small serviceable fridge, obviously leaking, dishes in the sink indicating that the dishwasher obviously was broken, and very few of the luxury appliances that a woman like her who cooks should have. It was wrong.

He didn’t have much time to dwell on the kitchen situation when he heard a sultry voice from behind him.

“Can I offer you a drink, Ben? It’s the least I can do for you listening to me and taking me home on a Saturday night. I am so sorry. It is one of the few days you have to just chill out and relax. Instead, you spent part of it being my babysitter.”

He turned abruptly to counter her summation that he somehow minded spending a few hours with her much less a lifetime but was waylaid by his inability to breathe as he took in her attire. She was wearing a deep ruby-red silk robe that only reached to her midthigh. His mouth watered and he struggled to remember how to speak English. He was going to need a pain med for the bruising his cock was taking. His palms itched to run themselves over the undersides of her plump breasts that were barely covered by her scrap of a robe. Ugh. He had to get out of here or do something that he wasn’t really ready to do.

“Ben?” she whispered softly. He didn’t know how much liquor was still in her system and didn’t care. He gathered her into his arms and pulled her against his tall, damp frame, ignoring his previous reservations. He groaned at the full-body contact, including the sensation of his cock pressing against her upper belly covered in the silk. Ben took a deep breath and willed himself not to throw her onto the nearest surface and lean her over, licking her nether lips from clit to perineum.

He leaned down and for the second time that night tempted himself beyond reason. Her eyes closed as her lips touched his, looking like she was basking in his attention. He allowed her to brush her lips over his as he tightened his arms around her lush body, feeling the slight tremble as she gave herself up to his kiss. He took control from her as he slipped his tongue into the caverns of her mouth, tasting her sweetness while deepening the kiss. He let out a growl as he allowed one hand to thread into her hair, pulling her head to the side while he started to plunder her mouth with an almost uncontrollable hunger.

Ben tried desperately to gather his senses together. This was Lizzie. Beautiful, gentle, and funny Lizzie, and he felt like he was taking advantage of her inebriated sorrows. Damn, if only she weren’t silk clad. If only she didn’t feel like perfection with curves and swells pressing against him in exactly the way a woman should. If only she didn’t taste like the most addictive thing he had ever indulged in. Damn. With no warning, he swept her up into his arms and carried her to what he assumed was her bedroom. It was quite the surprise. The white everywhere was to be expected but the gauzy drapes and huge downy bed made him itch to slide under the covers with her in the seductive cocoon. Humm, he could fit…

Nope, couldn’t do it. Not today, not yet.

How the hell did he end up in this position? He was the guy who would be taking off his clothes and preparing for a night of debauchery right about now. His body practically screamed out in protest as he slid Lizzie under her soft, feminine sheets and blankets. She looked up at him dreamily and held out her arms to him, as though for a good-night kiss. He sighed, loudly.

“You don’t want me to give you a kiss, Ben? I am not so drunk that my lips won’t work, you know,” Lizzie slurred out with her eyes half closed.

Ben thought he would burn in hell as he knew a way to test out her theory that her lips were fully functional. He could just unzip his jeans and slip out his…Shit, he had to get out of this bedroom, now. He felt a trickle of sweat run down his temple as he fought for control.

“Good night, baby. Sleep well, I will watch over you. Everything will be better in the morning.” With that, he quickly kissed her gently on the lips, pausing to press a second kiss lightly to her forehead. He meant it. He would stay on her couch, breathe in her luscious scent, and not sleep a wink so he could be assured of her safety. He felt his heart do some sort of tumble-pounding thing. Must be indigestion. He didn’t get all sensitive over anything except seeing one of the animals sick, although not as badly as his younger brother, Troy. Nope, couldn’t be anything other than he was worried about her.