Stony Creek Hero [Stony Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (25 page)

“Lizzie, I have something I need to say to you.” Ben decided to start simply.

Lizzie appeared startled, the look of contentment now gone and replaced with something that looked very much akin to fear.

“Okay, Ben, I am listening. Say whatever you have to, be honest,” Lizzie returned with a barely concealed sense of despair.

“Lizzie, darlin’, relax. I just need to, um, tell you something. Shoot, honey, I think that this will be easier for me if I was dominating you or something. I have an idea. Take your clothes off,” Ben quickly decided.

“What? You want me to be in the nude when you tell me something, something important? Perhaps you have a touch of heat stroke or something. Maybe I should go get you a glass of water, honey,” Lizzie said while looking at him like she was concerned that he really was unwell. Shoot, he was. He was teetering on a dangerous precipice, a place that he had never been thrust into before and he was almost afraid that he would end with a heart so broken even Dr. Rothman couldn’t fix it. Hell, he’d be damned if he went to Billie and told her that he was suffering heartache at being in love with Lizzie, her best friend. There is no way she wouldn’t tell Jackson and then that would be the beginning of his torture that would go on for the rest of his life.

Ben sat up determinedly, dumping Lizzie to the side on the bed. “Lizzie, I said take off your clothes,
now
!” The rapidly darkening expression on his face broached no argument. Apparently Lizzie had caught on that he meant serious business and was apparently struggling with something of great importance.

Without being told, Lizzie sank gracefully back down onto her bed, taking a kneeling position in the small amount of space that his hulking form didn’t occupy. Palms up, knees parted, and her gaze down, Lizzie was his goddess. For some reason she was keeping her clothes on, despite his demand. It was a disobedience that would warrant a punishment from him later but for the moment he allowed himself to indulge in the image that she presented to him. She understood and enjoyed his needs, perhaps because she had some of her own, ones that they had yet to explore and admit. Later, man, get back to that later, Ben laughingly told himself as he took in the tantalizing picture she presented.

Ben also rose up on his knees. However, he hovered over her delicate form deliberately, wanting, no needing to be in control of the situation. His hands slid along the silk of her bare shoulders finding comfort in just being able to touch her whenever he wanted to. He briefly recalled a time months ago that he would have given anything to be able to caress her as he was doing at this moment. Instead, he just practically lived in Stony Café, he remembered, laughing to himself. Anything just to be near her.

Taking a deep breath, Ben commenced in another first in his life.

“Baby, I want you to know that I think you are the most remarkable of women, and I have known many. I tell you this not because I want to make love to you, or need you to need me but because I feel, well, I feel differently about you. You have a fire inside of you that makes me burn. There is an endless supply of love that you give to everyone around you and it made me want to be the sole recipient of it since the day I realized how special you are. I feel a yearning, a need to be near you all the time. Your laugh, your smile, shit, it’s like I need to see and hear them in order to breath. Sorry, I have never felt like this before and sure as hell have never said anything like this either. I need you and now that I know what this feels like, I can’t live without it. You are the first thing that I think of in the morning and you distract me all day when I should be focused on the ranch. The guys even noticed before I did, the faces that I guess I make, although I hate to admit it. I, um, I love you, baby, I guess that I really do,” Ben finished, looking hesitant as Lizzie hadn’t said one thing or moved to indicate her feelings at his declaration. Damn it, she was the girl. Why wasn’t she gushing or something?

Nothing, she stayed in the same position that he had asked her to maintain.

“Lizzie, baby, say something, please,” Ben entreated as he was feeling the totally alien sense of vulnerability. He didn’t like it, not one bit.

“Lizzie?” Ben used one fingertip to gently raise her chin, trying to look into her eyes, speaking a little more firmly.

Lizzie had her eyes shut tight but Ben could not mistake the tears that were now seeping from the corners. Cupping her face with both of his meaty palms, he used his thumbs to wipe away the wetness while placing featherlight kisses on her cheeks and lips.

Almost worried that he had said the wrong thing, that he had somehow messed up the moment, Ben tried to sort out the problem.

“Darlin’, if I…” he began but was immediately interrupted by Lizzie.

“Ben, no one has ever said anything like that to me before, in my whole life. No one has seen me, not really. No one has ever made me feel like I am accepted for being me, the way I am. I feel overwhelmed that a man like you wants a little, simple woman like me. I enjoy dinners with my friends and nights of riding in the twilight on the horses. You always seemed to me to enjoy louder and more, well, fancy women than someone like me. There was never a chance in my mind that I could be anything to you other than a quick tumble. I don’t know what to say. You have made me see things about myself that I didn’t even know were there. All women want love, Ben, me especially. However, before you I led a very vanilla sort of life. You made me realize that I like to be a little naughty, that I enjoy the way you want to control me, a little. Give me a moment to process all of this, Ben, because coming from you, it is a little breathtaking, like I am hallucinating a dream,” Lizzie whispered up to him, never taking her eyes from his.

Ben understood her trepidation as he felt the same way, but he liked taking control of this and probably most things in their lives. It made him feel more secure to be in this position and probably was for her, too.

“Baby, it’s definitely not a dream and I will take care of you and everything that you are. I want to, I almost need to. I feel so good, in a way that I never have in my life. When I know that I have made you feel better, happy or safe, I get a feeling, a rush that I need to keep having. Please let me love you, baby,” Ben gently continued.

“I confess that I need the love that you are so freely bestowing on me, Ben, but I am not used to it and am afraid of it going away. What if I allow myself to fall even farther than I have with you and then you decide that I am not the woman you thought I was? What if you tire of me and then your love wears away, then what will become of me? This is all new to you so my fear is of being a novelty, a new experience. You know that I never had a loving father or family, now that I have had a small taste of yours, well, it’s what I want. I am afraid, so afraid of getting my heart broken. Surely you understand,” Lizzie said as more tears began to drip from her long, sultry lashes. Ben felt like he was drowning under her spell. She needed him and he needed her. Her very soul had brought him to life and gave him such a sense of contentment. He didn’t think he would ever stop loving her.

“Ssh, baby, everything is going to be okay. You want me and I want you, in every way. Let’s just love on each other and let me take care of you tonight. Don’t think that I didn’t notice that you still have your clothes on either,” he said with a soft smile.

Lizzie gave him a knowing look and whispered with a slight edge of desperation to her voice, “You always take care of me, Ben. Love me, please just love me.”

Ben silently promised to always love her as he leaned down. His lips tenderly moved over her salty cheeks, branding her with their strength. He felt her hands slide up his chest, caressing the hard planes and ridges of his pectorals and shoulders, as though reveling in his strength. Pulses of sharp pleasure shot to his groin as her feminine fingers moved to slip under the top of his unbuttoned jeans to wrap seductively around his throbbing length. Ben followed her hungry gaze down to see the head of his cock that was now exposed, dripping with a small bead of pre-cum. He let out a shudder as she gracefully lowered her body, allowing her hair to run down his chest and chiseled abs as her soft cheek caressed him in her descent. The sound of his zipper being lowered filled him with both anticipation and a sense of control again as she let her tongue taste the tip of his heat, murmuring her delight. He allowed his fingers to lightly thread through her thick chestnut hair, massaging her scalp as she aroused him by licking the sensitive skin of his arousal. Her talented little tongue swirled over the tip before sucking it into the heated heaven of her mouth. The sensation of hitting the back of her throat almost had him losing control as she slowly slid him all the way in and swallowed, knowing the pleasure that it would give him. Ben allowed himself the decadence of only a few strokes with her scorching little mouth before pulling out, loving the mewing sounds of her displeasure.

Feeling a sense of urgency building within him, Ben’s hands practically shook as he pulled her soft white halter top off, allowing her breast to bounce down. His hands plumped each globe up to his mouth, taking the moment to savor her taste. He sucked lightly on the soft skin surrounding each hardened nub, allowing his fingers to slide deliciously over her heated skin. He heard her breath hitch as he suckled one bud into his hungry mouth. He needed her, this taste and the scent that was uniquely hers. He was always a sensual man but with Lizzie he found his mouth always watering to do what he was doing right now, suckling her breast into his mouth and allowing her moans of pleasure to fill his ears. Ben continued worshipping her breasts as his hands continued on their quest down to her beautiful rear. He allowed one brief squeeze before sliding his hands under the skirt to cup her bare skin and force the garment off. What the hell?

Tearing his mouth away from his feast, he looked down at her in a momentary dark flash of jealousy.

“You had no panties on all day?” he asked her incredulously.

“Is this a problem, Mr. Powell? I figured since you were taking such good care of me, fixing my roof and all, the least I could do was be prepared for any possible, ah, needs, that you would require attendance to while you worked,” Lizzie returned with a newfound sense of confidence.

“Shit, oh excuse me, shoot, that is why you wore this outfit today, not just to piss me off. Sorry, baby, I guess I didn’t realize. I am glad I didn’t know though as I had a hard time not falling off the roof as it was. You looked so hot I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you or of the other idiots that were noticing you as well,” Ben said with a smile and felt some measure of relief that she didn’t do it maliciously, like other women he knew would have.

Lizzie kissed him lightly. “Only for you, Ben, I would do anything for you. I am yours.”

That confession from Lizzie was all it took to fuel Ben’s sense of possessiveness. She was his and now she knew it. He wanted her and he wanted her his way, to mark her intimately. His mouth bore down on hers as his touch became a bit rougher expressing his need, his hands needy as they drifted from her hips to the cleft between her soft cheeks. Lizzie let out light pants as his fingers pulled her juices from her dripping core back through that very sensitive area. He knew just what that did to her when he touched her there as her hips began to undulate against him causing his rock-hard erection to pulse against her belly.

Ben shifted their positions by simply lifting and turning her around in an amazing display of his strength and muscles. They were both now kneeling while sitting up on her white, frothy bed but now her thighs were straddling over his and his chest was intimately bonded against her slim back.

His lips were nibbling at a sensitive spot on her neck as both of his hands ran down her belly to massage her smooth outer lips that were flooded with her cream. He felt his shaft pulse as his fingers slid through her arousal easily, causing her head to fall back trustingly against the solid wall of his chest.

“Lizzie, baby, you are so wet for me, aren’t you?”

Lizzie was panting at the arousing, deep tone to Ben’s voice.

“Only for you, Ben, only you,” she murmured out in pleasure while trying to grind her hips against his hand, searching for the pleasure she desperately needed.

“I want to fuck you, baby, my way,” he said, increasing the intensity of his kisses and the possession in his touch on her pussy. He allowed his fingers to slip into her hot depths with every revolution of his hands. Her hips were sensuously rotating over his rock-hard erection as he slid it up and down the slick crevice of her ass. Ben kept sliding his dripping fingers from her core back up to her rosette, each time tempting her by pushing on the outside of it indulgently and starting to slip inside.

“Oh, Ben, please. Please take me,” Lizzie implored him with her eyes shut to the onslaught of sensation that Ben was drowning her in with deliberate intent.

His fingers found her clit and he began strumming his pads over and over it, alternating wickedly between light and more determined touches. As her tortured body began to tense with anticipation, Ben lifted her up only to impale himself with her molten sheath. He heard his own groan of delight bouncing off the walls of her room as she sucked him in all the way to her womb. He sat still momentarily, savoring the sensation of being completely and intimately linked within the silken heat of his Lizzie, the woman he now admitted that he couldn’t live without.

“I love you, baby. Never fear for anything,” Ben whispered into her ear. “I will always take care of you, always love you.