Hungry Heart: Part Two (7 page)

“Kay. Love you too.”

I relax on the couch as the call disconnects, feeling better now that I’ve gotten to speak to Nathan for more than just a brief moment. All the anxiety and worries over the last few days disappears, and I decide to call Ethan since I know he’s been worried about me the last couple of days.

“Caro, something wrong?” Ethan sounds breathless — and worried — as he answers the phone.

“Nah. Nathan just called me and everything’s fine. Guess I got all worked up for nothing.”

“Oh. Well, awesome. You sound better too. But hey, did you hear what happened at the club last night?”

I know he can’t see me roll my eyes, but I do it anyway because he had to know I spent most of my time there now. Sometimes I think all the time he spends with Destiny and all the sex they have is rotting his brain. “Yeah, of course. I mean, Benedict just told me he caught two guys. He sent me home though so he could deal with it without worrying about me while I waited for him.”

“Right, right. Well, I saw on the news they suspect the guy who was selling it works for the people they’ve been trying to catch for a while now. I didn’t know much about it but guess it’s been going on for a few years. I know it’s probably not that crazy in a college town that someone’s dealing drugs, but kinda odd we didn’t hear about it before now, don’tcha think?”

“I dunno. Can’t say I’ve ever thought about since I’ve never been interested in drugs.”

“Hmm, well make sure you stay safe and keep an eye out. I bet Benedict’s pissed they brought it into his club and thought they’d get away with it.”

“Yeah, he’s not awake yet since he had to deal with the police and all, but I’ll probably go wake him up soon since I’m bored.” I yawn as he laughs, and then ask him, “What are you up to anyway?”

“Oh, I’m with Destiny. I’m about to go get stuff for the party tomorrow night. You’re coming right?”

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Nathan told me he probably won’t be back ’till New Years during the day at some point, so I’m free. I’ll see if Benedict wants to come.”

“When doesn’t he?”

“Ha, shut up perv. Pretty sure you’re the same with Destiny. Put her on the phone so I can ask.”

“She’s tied up right now. Which means I gotta go, she’s probably getting cold.”

“Oh my god, Ethan!”

“What? You know I’ll always answer your calls no matter what I’m doing, but guess I should go finish so she can come with me.” He laughs and I hear Destiny cracking up in the background which makes it clear they are both fucking with me. “Love ya Caro. See ya.”

“Love ya too.”

“All that love going around is making me jealous.” Benedict’s unexpected and amused remark makes me jump as I hang up the phone, but with a quick recovery, I smile at him as he takes a seat beside me. Putting his arm around my shoulder, I lean into his side after he gives me a short, soft, and sweet kiss. “Morning.”

“Hi.”

“You must be having a good day since you’re grinning like a fool.”

Leaning forward, I set the phone on the table and move until I’m straddling Benedict’s lap with my arms around his neck. “Yeah, I’m great. Nathan and I finally talked. He misses me as much as I miss him.”

“Good. I didn’t like seeing you doing nothing but worry.” He reciprocates my embrace by putting one arm around my waist and the other on the center of my back, dragging my upper body forward until my t-shirt covered chest is touching his bare one. “Mm, I like you in this position, where I can see down your shirt and feel how hot you are for me as you rub your body against mine.”

“Maybe I’m making myself hot.” He relocates his hands to my hips, pushing down as he moves his hips, grinding his hard and ready to go cock against me as he demonstrates his desires. Gasping, I wiggle and return the favor, teasing him as much as he’s teasing me, saying, “Don’t you hate that I’m wearing pajama pants right now? I do. There’s something to be said for always having a skirt on because this is fucking inconvenient.”

One of his hand leaves my hips and slips under my shirt, cupping and massaging my breast while he grinds against me again, using two fingers to pinch the nipple to make it perk up. He chuckles at my gasp, grinding against me once more before capturing my lips with his, and in what can only be described as one hot, swift, and sexy move, he adjusts position until I’m lying flat on my back on the couch with him between my legs. Our tongues continue to tangle as the hand he uses both hands to pull off my pants, spread my legs, and thrusts into me, making us both moan as he pauses once he’s as deep as he can go.

Gripping my hip with one hand again as I wrap my legs around him, I feel his other hand move behind my head and grab a fistful of hair. Dragging his mouth away, I whimper as he tugs on my hair until my neck is exposed, followed up with him kissing down my jaw before heading back toward my ear. He nips at the lobe as pulls his cock to the tip, pauses, and then plunges back in, making my back bow with the force of it and my eyes flutter shut. For a split second, I actually worry he’s going to break the couch from the force of it, and then he laughs softly into my ear.

“I don’t know what it is, Caroline, but I just realized we do a lot of fucking on couches.”

“We,” I say with a lick of my lips, enjoying the feel of him surrounding me but wishing he was still kissing me. “We do a lot of fucking in general. I didn’t notice a particular interest in couches.”

“No? Perhaps now you will now since I’ve pointed it out.” He moves again, thrusting hard enough the couch moves a little beneath us, and he full on laughs as I squeak in surprise. “Don’t worry, this couch is sturdy as hell, or at least it better be considering what I paid for it.”

“Oh god.”

“Don’t worry if it isn’t. I’ll just buy a new one and we can break that one too.”

Now I laugh as he starts kissing down my jaw and back to my lips, brushing them against mine in a soft tease as if he wants me to look at him, but I don’t since I’m pretty sure my face is flushed. “Isn’t it awkward to fuck me like this with one leg on the ground and the other squished against the back?”

“Not really. I’m rather focused on the feel of your pussy around my cock and the noises you make while we fuck.” My eyes pop open at that only to see him gazing down at me with a naughty glint in his. “There you are, beautiful. Now keep them open.”

“And if I don’t?”

His lips twitch with amusement. “Then I’ll quit fucking you, and that wouldn’t be nice for either of us, would it?”

“I can’t help if you fuck me so hard my eyes can’t stay open from the pure pleasure. Now shut up and fuck me like you mean it.”

“Ooh, bossy.” He tests me by thrusting hard and fast a few times, and when I keep my eyes locked on his the whole time — just fucking barely! — he leans down as he pauses again to kiss my lips and murmurs against them, “I thought about you all night last night. How you were in my bed, naked and waiting for me, and I couldn’t be with you. I’ve liked having you all to myself, and I’m going to fucking miss you sleeping with me every night.”

His statement has me sucking in a breath. “Benedict—”

“I know.” He shuts me up with the thrust of his cock and of his tongue, kissing me deep while fucking me hard, and continues talking once I’m gasping for air while he speaks as if he isn’t exerting himself at all. “I know you’re more complicated than me, but I meant what I said last night. It’s all I could think about and honestly, I enjoyed the look of absolute fucking surprise on your face when I told you I love you.”

“We haven’t known each other very long,” I finally manage to say, feeling as if I want to cry but not knowing why. “I didn’t expect you to say it so soon.”

“Since when does length of time have any control over the way someone feels?” He smiles as I feel my face flush and his gentle kiss makes a tear leak from my eye. “I know how I feel, and I fucking love you Caroline. Whether you feel the same or you’re on the way to feeling the same, you tell me when you want to, not when you think you should.”

I’m so beyond words at this point, surrounded by this man in every way possible, that I simply give him a nod as he gazes down at me. And he makes it clear he understands how tumultuous my feelings are by giving me a wicked grin and saying, “Now, I’ll fuck you like I mean it.”

And he does.

11

“Two minutes until midnight! You ready, Caro?”

Held close in Benedict’s arms in his club, which is packed as it is every New Year’s Eve, I give Ethan a happy smile. “Hell yeah. I think this is the best party yet!”

“Of course it is, I’m here!”

Destiny and Ethan cling to one another, and the looks on their faces make me so happy for them. You can tell they are in love, and I guess Benedict sees what I do because he puts his mouth real close to my ear and says, “You’re welcome.”

I know he’s saying that because he introduced them, and for a split second, I wonder if it’s hard for him to see them together like that since she’s Len’s sister, but then shove the thought aside. We’ve seen Len and Miranda a few times since then, and each time it’s gotten a little easier, a little less awkward as they seem so genuinely happy.

They came to the party tonight, and while Benedict had hugged Miranda earlier, wishing her a happy new year, Len had only gotten a nod in greeting and not much else. Once they walked away, Benedict explained that Miranda and all her issues meant he blamed Len more for keeping the secrets because it wasn’t something he expected of him, and I got it. It was harder for him to forgive Len than it was to forgive Miranda because Len had never betrayed him before. I imagine it would work the same way with Nathan, especially if I were the one to betray him and not Rissa. And that thought is when I notice something.

“Benedict, have you seen Rissa lately?”

He furrows his brow as he gazes down at me, probably wondering why I am suddenly asking him such a random question, and then shakes his head along with a shrug. “No. I figured she went home for the holidays.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess that would make sense since she’s not from around here.”

“I’m glad you live here.” He moves so my back is against the bar and he’s got me trapped with no way to escape. Not that I would want to anyway. “I don’t think I would like you being gone for weeks, leaving me with nothing but my hand for company.”

“Hey, even your hand needs a little love every now and then. I’m sure it’s feeling rejected lately, you focusing your attention on me and all. Give it a little love already!”

As his lips curve, his eyes light up, and his lips move dangerously close to mine, he grabs one of my hands with his and slides it down the side of my body before moving them in between both of ours. He uses his hand to press my palm against the bulge in his pants, holding it in place as he gives tiny thrusts of his hips to encourage me to play, and that’s when the countdown starts as everyone in the room starts yelling.

“Ten!”

Benedict moves his hips to trap my hand there and uses both of his hands to hold my head still, our lips barely a breath from melding, and says, “Tell me Caroline.”

“Nine!”

“Tell you what?”

“Eight!”

“I see it in your eyes sweetheart,” he growls, using his teeth to give a gentle bite to my bottom lip. “You look at me like Ethan looks at Destiny, so say it.”

“Seven!”

“Benedict—” I don’t know how I look at him, but I do know how I feel. I’ve been falling in love with him from the moment we’ve met and if anything, the way he makes me feel only gets stronger every day we spend together. And I want to tell him, but the words just stick in my throat and I’m not sure I should say them. Because once I do, there’s no going backward; there’s no letting him go no matter what.

“Six!”

He drops one of his hands, causing my eyes to widen as I feel him grip the bottom of my skirt and yanking it up until I’m close to being bared, even though the fact we’re surrounded by people and closed in means nobody knows what’s going on except the two of us. I spread my legs a little to give him better access, closing my eyes with delicious anticipation.

The thrust of two of his fingers into my pussy while his thumb stimulates my clit is simultaneous with the room as it yells the next number in unison. “Five!”

“A kiss and an orgasm at midnight, Caroline. Who d’ya love?”

“Four!”

“Oh…you—you play dirty.” I can’t drop my head back because he’s holding it in place, and he chuckles against my lips as I gasp because he’s touching and stroking me just right, winding my body tighter and tighter to the point I know I can’t fight it. He’s going to get me off right here at the bar in his club and I don’t care. I don’t want him to stop. I want him as much as he wants me, all the time. “Fuck.”

“Three!”

“Yes, I do. And I’ll fuck you later, Caroline, promise.”

“Two!”

“Benedict?” I feel him smile against my mouth at my high pitched voice as my body hovers on the edge of orgasm, and as it starts to roll over me I give him what he wants and what I want too as I say against his mouth, “I love you.”

“One!”

Time doesn’t matter anymore as I come around his fingers and he covers my lips the moment I make a sound, which is a split second before the room erupts into yells of ‘Happy New Year!’ but we aren’t paying attention. I’m wrapped around Benedict, the pleasure he’s given me in one of the most perfect moments of my life shooting through me, and he’s kissing me like he’s the happiest man in the world while he removes his fingers from inside me and puts my skirt back into place.

When we finally stop kissing, I let him know what I think of his tactics by taking his bottom lip between my teeth and nipping it. Of course, he doesn’t care as he laughs softly and slips a hand to my ass before giving it a pinch, which makes me object just like he knew it would and I let go of his lip to object. “Hey!”

“Hey.” The smile on his face is wide and happy, his eyes warm and filled with tenderness as he pushes my hair behind my ear before saying with a wink, “I love you too, Caroline. Here’s to a wonderful new year.”

“Yeah!” Ethan jumps into the convo, stepping close to kiss me on the cheek. “Happy New Year, Caro. Sounds like you’re off to a good start.”