Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series Book 1) (20 page)

It was Lea, holding another white
bag with more delicious smelling food, and staring slack-jawed at him, heat and
need suddenly smoldering in a gaze that slowly swept him from head to toe and
back. “Hi.”

“Come in.” He took the bag from her
and used all the restraint he had not to act on the desire blazing in her eyes,
or they’d never make it out of the foyer.

Opting not to speak, he backed up
to let her in and motioned for her to walk before him until he got a handle on
his control. Which needed work because he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in
to inhale her sweet, sexy scent as she led the way to the open kitchen. He set
the food on the counter then turned to face the silent woman, standing only a
few feet away, devouring him with her gaze.

“Is there a reason you’re only
half-dressed? Not that I’m complaining.”

Her voice was so deliciously low
and hungry he felt it to his very tip. He pulsed.

Damn
, she was potent.

“You were early. I just got out of
the shower when you knocked.” He swallowed. “Maybe I’d better put on a shirt,
so we can eat.”

“No. Don’t,” she stepped forward,
blocking his escape. “I love what you’re wearing. You’re so hot I can barely
breathe.”

He clenched his jaw against the
heat skittering down his spine. “Lea, if you don’t stop looking at me like
that, we—”

“God, I hope so.”

His zipper was cutting off his
blood supply. “But the food…”

“Can wait. I can’t.”

He sucked in air. “Are you sure,
Lea? I don’t want you to think that’s all we have to do.”

What the hell was he saying? Of
course that was all they did. They didn’t have a relationship. They had fun.

“I’m sure.”

Cocking his head, he gave into the
mischief whispering inside. “One of us has on too many clothes.”

An answering grin pulled at her
lips. “True,” she said, then shocked the shit out of him when she lifted her
blue sweater over her head, unhooked her bra and dropped them on the floor at
his feet.

Oh, hell yeah!
He was
definitely on board with this. She was right. She looked hot. Smoking hot with
her hair hanging down, gorgeous breasts hanging out, tempting peaks tightening
right in front of his eyes.

Jesus, he was about ready to burst.

“Well?” She held her arms out and
did that turn around thing of hers, making him smile. “Better?”

“Hell, yeah, you look hot.”

She smiled back. Then blinked at
his feet. “Oh, wait.”

Backing up, she leaned against the
wall and yanked off her boots and then her owl socks, her breasts jiggling
lusciously with each move. His mouth was watering by the time she stood back up
and smiled again.

“There. Now we’re even,” she
proclaimed, wiggling her burgundy tipped toes.

Fire flittered through his veins at
the sight of her. “No. Actually, we’re not.” He stepped to her, unable to
remain at arm’s length any longer.

“We’re not?”

“Nope.” Using one finger, he traced
a circle around her belly button before drawing a line down to her jeans, where
he popped her top button. “Not unless you’re commando under these.”

Her intake of breath cooled the air
between them, and he watched her nipples pucker.

“Y-you don’t have…”

“Nope. I just got out of the
shower, remember?” He smiled, tracing a circle around her breast before he
skimmed her gorgeous peaks. Both of them. He just had to touch them.

She trembled, but instead of moving
forward into his touch, she stepped back and grabbed his hands. “Ben, look, I
know this is just for fun, that we’ve been having a lot of fun for weeks now,
but, I need to know that when I’m gone you won’t think of me as one of your
regulars. Someone who is here today, gone tomorrow. I really couldn’t bear it
if you thought of me like all the other women you’ve had in your life.”

How could she even think such a
thing? She was head and shoulders above those women.

“I don’t.” He’d never lump her into
that category. “You’re not.” She stepped to him then, sweet scent calming his
senses. “It has been fun. Hasn’t it?”

“Yes,” he replied, then let out a
long, shaky breath when she slid her hands up his chest, over his shoulders to
lock behind his neck, and pressed her glorious curves against him. The feel of
her breasts brushing his chest was too amazing for words, but he knew she
needed them right now for some reason, so he used that one. “It’s been
amazing.”

She nodded, nuzzling his neck; she
breathed him in and sighed.

The woman was so enchanting and hot
and soft. He ran his hands down her back and turned his head into her hair and
inhaled, took her in, imprinted everything about the moment in his mind for
later, when she was gone.

“Ben?”

She drew back enough to catch his
gaze and peer deep inside, seeing things only she could see, things he couldn’t
hide from her, things he never showed anyone else.

Her mouth was so close to his he
could feel her talk when she whispered, “It’s been real, too. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you,” he
said, mouth tingling by the almost brush of lips. She was incredible and
exciting and fresh. So damn fresh and wild he was always just a little bit out
of control with her.

She was also steady and reliable, a
true constant for him, something no other woman had ever been for him.

“Sorry, I’m not commando.”

He chuckled and tightened his hold
on her. God, she was adorable. He was going to miss the hell out of her. And
because of that, he closed his eyes and breathed her in again. Sweetness,
fruity shampoo and warm woman. He was not likely to ever forget her. Then he
kissed her, slow, tentative kisses, tasting first one corner of her mouth, then
the other, then everything in between.

Her hitched breathes took away his
and he rode the anticipation of all he knew was to come. Their amazing
connection. Being with her was a crazy, incredible ride.

Crazy, because for years, he’d
created a wall around his heart and emotions, keeping them guarded and
untouched, then Lea came along and inched her way past his defenses, past
layers of barricades and resistance and stripped away every last one of his
barriers, leaving him vulnerable, exposed, and bare. And yet, the incredible
woman treated that find as if it was as precious as air.

If he was in his right mind, he’d
no doubt run. These were very serious alerts. Threat level red. Yet, he was
still with her, holding her, savoring her kisses. Wanting her. Wanting to be
with her.

“I hope you don’t have to go home
tonight,” he said against her jaw.

“No. I’m all yours.”

An unnamed thrill raced through him
as he twisted them around and pressed her back against the wall. “Good.”

Grabbing both wrists, he set her
hands above her head and held them loosely with one of his while he kissed her
deeper, longer and trailed his other hand down the curve of her throat, over
her collarbone, to lightly trace her breast.

She moaned; her body trembled, and
she arched into him, driving him out of his mind, but he would not be rushed.

Not tonight.

No. He was going to savor this
night.

L
ea’s heart rocked in
her chest, and she could hardly catch her breath. The man was incredible, and
driving her mad with his feather light, barely there touches and kisses. She
was going to be certifiable in seconds.

He drew back and released her
hands. “Keep ‘em there,” he ordered, eyes so deliciously dark and heated, her
core contracted.

His mouth was on her neck, nuzzling
that spot behind her ear, and she couldn’t stay still. She gasped and squirmed,
and silently pleaded for him to touch her. But still, his hand brushed around
all the good parts, skimming down her belly and hip to her thigh where he
lingered, inching ever so close she could feel the heat of his hand through her
jeans. Then it was traveling back up, while his other one traveled down,
creating circles of sensations, and she was having a hard time concentrating on
just one.

He was a force of nature; the
reactions he drew from her were fierce and untamed, and she loved ever blessed
minute. His touch grew firmer and bolder until finally,
finally
he
brushed her nipples.

She cried out, and he drew back to
cup both breasts and tweak her nipples. Lea arched into him, always remembering
to keep her hands up. But she wanted to touch him. Oh, God, how she wanted to
touch him and taste him.

“Not yet,” he said, as if reading
her mind, dipping down to kiss her breast and elicit a moan from deep in her
throat.

And when he started to pull her
zipper down, she felt the rumble of every single tooth as he neared the bottom.
Then a hand was inside, and she shameless sucked in her gut so he would have
more room to get to her tingling center. And then he did, and she could feel
his ragged breath against her skin.

“So wet…”

He slid his thick finger inside
her, and she was so close already, so darn close he ripped a needy sound from
her, but she didn’t care. She rocked into him, and he upped the pace of his
strokes, captured a nipple in his mouth, and when he pinched the other with his
fingers, she exploded with a shameless, low, needy cry filling his kitchen.

Catching her before her knees
completely buckled, Ben helped her put her arms down and held her close while
she found her way back to the world and regained feeling in her fingers.

“That was…incredible,” she gushed,
and his dark, smoldering gaze had her belly heating again.

“Just the prelude,” he said, then
tossed her over his shoulder and carried her down the hall to his room, where
he dropped her on the mattress. “We have the whole night.”

With a thrill shivering through her
at the heat in his words, she propped up on her elbows and watched as he
stripped off his jeans.

Yep, commando.

His erection stood thick and long
and proud, and her body ached to have him inside. She was such a Ben groupie.
His six-pack abs and defined chest were on her list of
must tastes
for
the night.  He fished a condom from his jeans, and she loved the way his
muscles rippled.

“You want help?”

“No,” he said, voice low and
gravely. “If you touch me now, I’ll burst.”

Her mouth watered, and body quivered
as she watched him roll on the condom. She was
such
a Ben groupie.

Then his hands were on her jeans,
and in one swift move, he yanked them and her panties right off. “Oh!” she
gasped. His take charge, determined movements had her heart racing and body heating
in anticipation.

Ben crawled up her body, kissing
and licking on his way to her mouth where he plundered with a groan. His hands
were gliding everywhere, spreading the heat that was simmering inside. She
traced his abs and would’ve gone lower, but he drew back, nudged her legs apart
then entered in one thrust.

Lea’s cry of pleasure mixed with
his, and they were both damp with need.

“You feel so good,” he said, his
voice a throaty whisper.

Then he began to move, and she
closed her eyes, riding the sensations. And when he spread her thighs and
thrust in farther, she gasped and clutched his arms.

His mouth was on her throat as he
pulled nearly all the way out, then drove back in, over and over again. “So
damn good.”

Heat flooded through her belly and
settled between her legs.
Oh, yeah…
He
felt so damn good, all
big, and thick and thrusting. “Ben…”

He drew back and stared down, his
gaze incredibly open and trusting, sharing emotions with her he wouldn’t
normally reveal. Her throat tightened, incredibly humbled by the trust.

She arched up, pressing her chest
to his, needing to connect as much of her body to his as possible as she neared
that blissful edge.

The angle afforded him to push even
deeper inside. He made a raw, rough, rumbling sound deep in his chest as he
captured her mouth, and their tongues matched the push and pull of their
bodies. Then he upped the pace, and it was all too much, and just right, and
perfect. So perfect, she came with him buried deep inside, with barely any room
for air between them. Irrevocably connected, she trembled around him, calling
his name, and as he thrust deep and hard one last time, he followed her over
the edge with her name falling from his lips.

B
en woke the next
morning to find himself wrapped in a
Lea blanket
of warm, soft, naked
woman.  He decided then and there that was the only way to wake up in the
morning.

Too bad she’s leaving…

The truth in that statement slammed
into him, and he stilled, willing the tightness in his chest to ease. He was
confused; the woman put the tightness in his chest, but she was also
responsible for taking it away.
What the hell?

She wiggled closer, and the feel of
her soft curves brushing his skin pushed the confusion away.

Last night had been another
incredible night with the giving woman. It had also been more, but he refused
to dissect what had set last night apart. Her cries, and touches, and
responses, and the way she panted his name as she clutched tight…they were
always good. He could still hear the soft, throaty little mewling sounds she
made as he stroked her just the right way.

And now he was hard.

Which was actually pretty amazing
considering the marathon they’d had. In the bedroom, on the kitchen island,
outside on the back porch swing. That one had been tricky, but with a little
ingenuity, they’d found their groove, and lost the last of their strength in
the process. They had been too exhausted to go back inside. Okay, he couldn’t
feel his legs, that’s why they stayed put. They’d been relaxed, warm and
satisfied. Yeah, they weren’t going anywhere.

Surrounded by woods, the fifty-two
acres he owned were private, so he hadn’t been concerned with exposure to
either the public or the elements.

After Lea’s sexy, low cries scared
the night creatures while they were in the throes, he hadn’t been too worried
about falling asleep outside. The heavy blanket that was now thrown over their
snuggling bodies had kept them warm. There had been no need to go back inside.
And despite the cold temperature, the two of them had generated enough heat to
keep them toasty.

He was acutely aware of the fact he
was ready to generate more.

She snuggled close again, this time
running a very wicked hand down his chest to splay over his abs, just inches
from where he needed her touch.

“Mornin,” she said, voice muffled
against his chest. “You feel good.”

He ran his hand down the curve of
her ass and gripped her tight. “So do you, but I know how to make you feel
better.”

“Mmm…not sure that’s possible,
because I feel pretty damn good.” She lifted up on her elbow to stare down at
him, the slight movement sending the swing into motion.

That wasn’t the only thing moving.
His heart rocked hard then started to race, and chest squeezed tight, real
tight, and he tried but couldn’t drag in any air. What the hell happened to all
the air? They were outside, for Christ’s sake.

He didn’t know. Couldn’t think past
the need to get away from the soft, sweet, emotional look in her eyes, directed
at him.

Shit
.

No, he didn’t do emotions. He
didn’t want them.
Ah, hell
, why did she have to bring emotions into
this?

He didn’t mind some of them.
Desire. Passion. Lust. Lust was a great one. One of his favorites. But those
weren’t the ones shining in Lea’s eyes this morning, softening her face, making
her all doey eyed, and him feel all warm inside.

Shit
.
Shit. Shit.

This was bad because right now, he
was responding to the look of fondness, affection and…love.

Christ
, his chest hurt.

The feelings she generated reached
in and touched something deep inside, cracking something open.

Damn it
. She broke him.
That’s why his chest hurt so bad.

What the hell did he do now?

Call Scott?

No. He needed to go outside for
air.

He was outside.

“Ben, what’s wrong?” She touched
his face, concern mixing with the emotions still warming her gaze.

He opened his mouth, but the only
thing that came out was a squeak. So he lifted the blanket, rolled off the
swing and tripped his way back inside his cabin where, apparently, all the air
was being held captive because he sucked in several good mouthfuls.

Until Lea followed him in.

“Ben?”

He couldn’t look at her, not yet.
“Yeah?” he asked, taking the wuss’ way out by walking to the laundry room in
the hopes of finding some clothes, any clothes to throw on so he could get out.
Go for a drive, hike, unicycle ride. He didn’t care. He just needed to think,
and he couldn’t do that around Lea. That wasn’t an excuse. It was fact.

“You okay?”

Jackpot. He found clean clothes
stacked on his dryer.

“Yeah. Just need to be somewhere.”
Anywhere she wasn’t so he could find his brain.

He pulled on clean clothes, slipped
into the cowboy boots he’d left by the wall, and nearly jumped three feet when
he felt her hand touch his shoulder.

Ben twisted around and lost his air
again.

Ah hell, she was naked. Gloriously
naked, and he was hit with a foreign urge to reach for her and cradle her
close, hold on tight and never, ever let her go.

Damn
. Oxygen deprivation was
setting in. He was worse than he thought.

“Where are you going? Panicville?”
she asked, her voice soft.

He didn’t deserve soft because he
was an ass.

She stood in front of him,
unconcerned by her lack of attire. How did she do that? He was piled under
clothes and had never felt more naked in his life.

“Nope. Just need to be somewhere.”
He brushed past her out of the laundry, grabbed his keys off the rack and
headed for the front door.

“Ben.”

“Just need to be somewhere,” he
repeated, as if saying it three times made it not a lie.

Ah hell.
He was telling her
lies. She so didn’t deserve it, but damn, he just needed to think. Needed space,
and if he’d been smart, that is what he would’ve told her.

“Fine.”

The softness had disappeared from
her voice, and he knew, with an inexplicable certainty and chest-tightening
dread, if he had the balls to turn around and face her, the warm light, the
soft look, the happiness would no longer be in her eyes.

“Have a good life.”

He was a jerk. Who needed to run.

“I’m sorry,” he said, glancing over
his shoulder, but not meeting her gaze. He couldn’t bear to see the pain he’d
caused in her eyes.

She didn’t answer.

He didn’t blame her. This stupid
panic attack and the horrible way he’d handled it proved Lea Gablonski was
better off without him.

And as he closed the door, he
already hated himself.