College Girl (15 page)

“Ryan Bennett. Both your father
and your sister have met your young friend. Am I not to expect the same
courtesy?”

Ryan’s mother was beautiful, like
an older, more delicate version of his sister. But she had a coldness to her
that scared me, and I couldn’t help noticing her description of me.
Young friend
. It was accurate, but
pointed.

“Alex Reed, meet my mother,
Kathleen Bennett.”

“Alex?” she asked with a raised
eyebrow.

“Alexis,” I said quietly, very
aware that I was not passing her appraisal.

She turned to Ryan.

“Have you seen Gretchen this
evening?”

I looked down, wishing I could
sink into the floor.

“Yes, I did—and that was
enough for me.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to
keep a gurgle of laughter from rising to the surface.

“Ryan!” she scolded.

“Are we done, Mother?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. He
took my hand and began leading me toward the door, stopping at a table and
grabbing two empty wine glasses from a display before pulling me outside. The
air outside was cold, but at least it wasn’t raining. I shivered and wished for
jeans. Ryan took off his jacket and draped it around my shoulders.

“Your mom seemed—”

“Bitchy? Cold? Passive
aggressive?”

“I was going to say unhappy.”

“My mother is always unhappy. I
call it her perpetual state of being.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“No, it isn’t. It’s a terrible way
to live.”

He led me back to one of the
outlying buildings and opened the door. It was dark when we stepped inside
until Ryan flicked on a row of florescent lights. I watched as he picked up a
crowbar and
pried
open a crate. He pulled out a bottle
of wine and gestured for me to follow him back outside. As we walked toward the
edge of the grounds, I looked up and saw that the sky was mostly clear. We
reached a gazebo that must have had an amazing view during the day. Even now,
though, under the pale moonlight, I could see most of the grounds, bleached
colorless by the moon. I jumped when a cold, wet nose hit my bare thigh. Looking
down, I saw Finn.

“Hey, buddy.”

Ryan had already opened the bottle
of wine with an opener that he must have been keeping on his keys. He poured me
a miniscule glass of wine and helped me up the stairs of gazebo. The heels were
killing me, so I slid them off.

“Alex?”

I looked over at Ryan. His blue
eyes were shining in the moonlight.

“Thank you for coming with me.
Without you here, tonight would have been …” He shook his head. “It was better
with you here.”

I took a sip of wine and realized
I was starting to feel woozy, which wasn’t good, because it was making me want
to kiss Ryan and run my hands through his perfectly golden hair. Then my
stomach growled, and he laughed.

“Sorry! It’s just, the last time I
ate was like four-thirty.”

He shook his head.

“I’m being an asshole. Just
because I’m subsisting off of a liquid diet doesn’t mean you have to. Stay
here. I’ll be right back.”

Ryan

Bennett, you fucking asshole!
I had dragged Alex all the way out
here and forgotten about dinner. Going through the kitchen, I scavenged what I
could.
Some Brie, a pear, a French baguette, Greek olives, a
stick of salami, a couple of plates, a knife.
I shoved everything into a
basket and went back to find Alex. She was huddled on the steps of the gazebo
with Finn next to her. Looking down at her bare thighs, I saw goose bumps.

“Come on. We’re going somewhere
warmer,” I promised her.

I led her over to the guest
cottages and unlocked mine. Flicking on the lights, I bolted the door behind
us, watching as Finn trotted over and looked down at his food bowl.

“Whoa! What is this place? It
looks like a hotel—a nice one.”

I walked over and turned on the
fireplace.

“Guest cottages. This is where I
stay when I come to visit the parental estate. It beats staying in the main
house.”

She frowned and looked down at the
bottle of wine in my hand.

“Oh, shit. You can’t drive, can
you?”

“Legally?”

“Not funny,” she said, shaking her
head.

“No, it’s not,” I admitted. “Can
you fill up Finn’s water bowl? I’m going to grab his food from outside.”

She nodded, and I unbolted the
door and jogged over to the SUV that I had “borrowed” from the winery. By the
time I got back, Finn was drinking his water, and Alex had disappeared. I
poured some kibble into Finn’s other bowl, and a few seconds later, Alex came
out of the bathroom, her eyes wide.

“This place is insane!” she
laughed. “The bathroom’s like a spa, and there’s a kitchen?”

“Nothing but the best at Bennett
Family Cellars.”

I took the fleece blanket that had
been rolled up on the couch and laid it out in front of the fireplace. Alex
came over and kneeled next to me.

“I didn’t really think things
through well,” I admitted. “There was a dinner at the restaurant earlier … but
I didn’t want to subject you to it. I’ll do better next time.”

“Next time?”

I smiled.

“The next time I kidnap you and
take you to a family event.”

Taking out a plate, I started
slicing the pear and salami.

“That’s a big stick.”

I looked up at Alex, and she burst
into laughter.

“Sorry! I couldn’t resist.”

I ripped off a few pieces of bread
and sliced off a slab of Brie before handing her a plate.

“Seriously, though. This is …” She
took a bite. “This is great, and it beats trying to figure out which fork to
use.”

I sat down next to her.

“What do your parents do?” I
asked.

Alex swallowed a piece of bread.

“They’re both professors.”

“At UCI?”

She shook her head.

“No, Stephen is a professor at Fullerton,
and my mom teaches at Saddleback.”

“Both teachers, though.
Interesting.”

“Yeah, do you have any idea what
it’s like growing up with two people who think they’re right all the time?”

“I know something about it.”

We finished eating in silence, and
I watched Alex staring at the fire. When she turned to face me again, her
features were serious.

“When did your brother die?”

“A long time ago.”

“I’m sorry, Ryan.”

I nodded and got up. Gathering
everything into the basket, I set it by the door. When I came back, Alex had
taken off my suit jacket and was reclined on her elbows, her legs out in front
of her and crossed at the ankles.

“Your sister’s dresses aren’t
really designed for modesty,” she pointed out.

Relieved that she had changed the
subject, I stood over her, admiring the view. And that’s when I realized that
my sister’s dresses were designed to make men insane.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thanks.”

Suddenly she looked nervous, and I
felt a pang of guilt for dragging her here.

“So, how long until you sober up
enough to take me back to the dorms?”

Her tone was light, but I sensed
an edge beneath it.

“Could be a while.”

My phone buzzed. Reaching into my
pocket, I groaned when I saw my sister’s text.

“I’m expected back at the manor.”

“Do you … want to go alone?”

“Hell no.”

I reached down, and she took my
hand. Lifting her, I pulled her toward the door, and Finn trotted out after us.
By the time we got to the main building, the band had set up and people were
already dancing. I exhaled.

“Family photo time,” I smiled
grimly.

I could see my parents on the
veranda, the photographer snapping away as my father shook hands with some
politico from Sacramento. Alex pulled her hand from mine.

“I’ll stay here.”

I hesitated, not wanting to leave
her in a crowded room where she didn’t know anyone—except for James.

“I’ll be back.”

I reached out and squeezed her
hand before plastering a fake smile on my face and joining the rest of the
Bennett clan for pictures. My mother, as always, was smiling like the world
might end if she didn’t. Kathleen Bennett never let her emotions interfere with
a good photo op. My father’s personal assistant, Roger, handed me a glass of
wine and positioned me next to my mother. Becca took her place between the
parents as the camera started flashing. I smiled, pretending to share a quaint
moment with the rest of my family when what I was really focusing on was the
scene beyond the veranda. Alex was standing alone next to a column, looking out
at the dance floor. When I saw the son of one of the vintners from Napa walk up
to her holding two wine glasses, my hands clenched. For a few seconds, Alex
looked confused. Then she laughed and shook her head. He continued talking and
smiling, and I gritted my teeth.

“Smile!” the photographer
commanded, because apparently I had stopped.

My mother glanced at me with a
sharp expression. The next few shots were of the family standing around a
magnum of the latest vintage, and by the time I looked again, Alex was gone. My
sister’s husband Mason joined us, which surprised me since he was usually
on-call. Lucky him. Or maybe that was his excuse for getting out of these
family functions. He slapped me on the back, and I asked him how things were at
the hospital. Then Gretchen walked up and kissed my mother on the cheek. I looked
over at Becca, who shrugged and mouthed,
Mom
.
We took half a dozen more pictures with Gretchen and I posing as the happy
couple. If my mother thought this would inspire more trips home on my part, she
was out of her fucking mind.

When the photographer released us,
I walked away without a word. I had had enough of this family bullshit for one
night. My eyes scanned the crowded room for Alex. She was on dance floor with
James, who had his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, practically on her
ass. His other hand was gripping hers, but he was staggering too much to call
what he was doing dancing. I came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
He didn’t turn around, but when Alex saw me, she practically wilted with
relief.

“Find your own partner, asshole,”
McDevitt mumbled.

Drunken shithead.

“If you don’t let her go now, I
have absolutely no problem with laying you out again.”

He turned.

“Ryan, buddy. I was just keeping
your little coed warm for you.”

He stepped back, and I took Alex
in my arms.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered in her
ear.

She pulled back and looked up at
me.

“What did you mean by
again
? You mean that cut on his mouth is
from you?”

I smirked.

“James and I had a little
difference of opinion back at the house.”

“Do you always get into fistfights
with your friends?”

“McDevitt’s an exception. Everyone
wants to kick his ass eventually.”

“I can see why. How was family
picture time?”

“Over.”

I took out my phone and held it
out, snapping a picture of the two of us and then holding it out for her to see.

“Now I can tell people I danced
with James Bond!” she laughed.

I pulled her closer, leaning down
to press my face into her hair, which I was longing to pull down. It was the
wrong thing to do. The second I felt her body through the thin material of her
dress, my cock thickened. A moment later Alex pulled back, her pink lips
forming a perfect
O
. Then she
smirked.

“Wow. I didn’t know you brought
that huge stick of salami with you,” she whispered with a straight face.

I used the hand at the small of
her back to pull her all the way against me. Then I leaned down and grazed her
ear with my lips.

“Alex, I can’t be held responsible
for my body’s response to you.”

When I looked at her face, her
eyes were closed.

“Do you know why I said I couldn’t
do this?” she whispered, opening her eyes. “Because I can’t control myself
around you. Do you think I don’t
want
you to kiss me or touch me? I can’t do what’s best for me when I’m around you.
These feelings are … I can’t …”

She stopped, and I stared down at
her, trying to maintain any grip I had on my self-control. Then, I stopped
trying. Reaching out, I took her hand and led her through the crowd toward the
back exit. She didn’t say anything as I pulled her toward the cottage.
Unlocking the door, I stepped inside and locked the door behind us before
turning on the lamp at the side of the bed and kicking off my shoes. Shrugging
out of my jacket, I took the lighter out of my pocket and lit the candles
throughout the room. By the time I returned to Alex, her features were clouded
with uncertainty, so I took her face in my hands and kissed her gently,
brushing her cheeks. Then I pulled her toward the bed where I sat down and
reached forward to trace my hands down to her waist.

“Not often that I’m taller than
you,” she smiled nervously.

Lifting her, I set Alex down in my
lap, watching as the dress rose to the very tops of her thighs. Slowly I edged
the material higher as my hands drifted along the smooth, warm skin of her
lower back. Letting my fingers skim the lace panties, I watched her face as I
dropped my hands down to cup her ass. Very quickly I rocked her hips forward
all the way. Hearing her soft whimper, I brought my mouth to hers, thrusting my
tongue between her lips. But when my hands moved to her breasts, Alex stiffened
and pulled back.

“Oh fuck! I totally forgot about
these stupid things!”

“Your breasts?” I laughed.

She started cracking up, which
just caused her to bounce against the hardness straining at my zipper. I
swallowed.

“No, it’s these silicone pasties.
They’re totally embarrassing.”

“
This
I have to see.”

“No!”

I reached up and undid the knot I
had tied in the dress, letting the top fall around her waist. Staring down at
the silicone cups, I laughed.

“That looks uncomfortable.”

Alex blushed.

“All in the name of fashion,” she
said dramatically.

Carefully peeling away the edges
of the bra with my thumbs, I slowly exposed her pale, perfect breasts. Then I
began to pull her hair from the intricate knot at the nape of her neck.

“That’s better.”

“Not fair.”

She began to unbutton my shirt and
then pulled it away before awkwardly lifting the T-shirt over my head. When her
fingers traced my chest tentatively, I measured my breathing and tried to keep
my response under control—until her hands fell to my pants. Her fingers
nudged my cock, and I sucked in a breath. Lifting her again, I turned with her
in my arms until I could lay her down on the bed. I began to pull the dress
down her body, and she jumped again, like she had just realized how close to
completely naked she was. I leaned forward to kiss the serious expression from
her face and slid her heels to the floor. She shook her head against my mouth.

“Ryan! We can’t. I told
you—”

“Shh … I promise we won’t do
anything you’re not ready for.”

Her expression was still apprehensive
as I came down on top of her and touched my lips to hers teasingly. Apart from
the black lace panties, she was naked beneath me, and the feel of her breasts
against my chest was stretching the limit of my control. I rolled onto my side
and let my fingers trace her breasts, listening to her breath catch as I leaned
forward and caressed one nipple and then the other with the tip of my tongue
until each one peaked. Sliding my hands slowly down her sides, I trailed my
fingers across her hip before tracing the line of her panties. She became very
still in my arms.

“It’s okay, Alex,” I whispered
soothingly. “I just want to show you what your body is capable of.”

My fingers dipped beneath the
lace, and she gasped, her eyebrows stitching together as my fingers parted her.
When I found her clit, her sharp intake of breath caused every muscle in my
body to tighten. Using just the tip of my finger, I grazed her, and she cried
out. I watched hungrily as her eyes closed. Then I brought my finger down with
more force. She shuddered, and I did it again. I began to caress her over and
over, feeling her body straining under my grip as she whimpered. By the time I
quickened my touch, she was panting.

Desperate to be inside her, I
trailed my fingers down to feel how ready she was for me. But the second she
felt my fingers at the entrance to her pussy, she opened her eyes and went very
still again.

As badly as I needed to feel her
soft wetness against my skin, I didn’t penetrate her. Instead, I slid my finger
back to her clit and stroked in tiny circles until I could sense how close she
was. I held back. I
wanted
to see her
aching. I
wanted
her to feel what I
was feeling—hunger, desperation,
need
. I kept my
touch gentle, slowing each time she got too close. Then, when the sound of her
whimpers and quick breaths became more than I could
take,
I leaned forward and whispered roughly in her ear.