Mowed Over (Sonoma Book 2) Page 8

  She doesn't flinch or pull away when I run a finger up her arm, smooth skin gliding under mine. I lean down, placing my hands on the counter, caging her in before I put my lips next to her ear and breathe her in. She trembles against me, her breathing faster and deeper than normal, like she's trying to maintain control. That won't do.

  "I've been thinking about you," I tell her quietly as I brush my nose against the shell of her ear.

  "Have you?" she whispers back.

  I let my lips trace the side of her neck, loving the way little goosebumps pop up on her skin. No matter how hard she tries to deny it, her body was made for mine. No one can fight this kind of attraction, especially me. Not that I want to. My mind races with the dirty things I'd like to do to her, but I move slowly, taking my time as I kiss the tender skin below her ear.

  "I can't seem to stop thinking about you," I whisper as my lips graze her neck. Lilah practically purrs against me as her hands slowly move over my biceps and chest in soft exploratory touches. The combination of her sweet cinnamon skin and silky soft hair is doing dangerous things to me. I couldn't resist her if I tried.

  "What do you think about?" Her soft breath fans over my collarbone, sending tingles across my skin.

  I groan softly. "If I told you every filthy thought I've been having, you might just run for the hills, and I'm not trying to scare you off, Princess," I whisper.

  Lilah leans back to look up at me with a little scowl. The motion arches her back and does breathtaking things to the front of her dress. It's all I can do not to groan out loud. "I'm not a princess. I'm a grown-ass woman. Don't patronize me."

  Even the defiance that flashes across her face can't disguise the lust in her hooded eyes, and the spark of temper does nothing to abate the need pulsing through my body. If anything, the way she challenges me turns me on even more.

  She wants to hear it?

  Alright, then.

  Slipping my hand to the small of her back, I pull her soft curves into me, letting her feel every inch of her effect on my libido. She exhales roughly and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as her eyes grow wider.

  "I think about unzipping your dress and peeling you out of it. Slowly." I run a finger up her back to emphasize my point and she lets out a little shiver.

  "I think about the way your legs felt wrapped around me when we kissed. I picture you naked. In my bed, in my shower, bent over the kitchen counter. I remember the way you taste, the sounds you make when you like what I’m doing... and I wonder what it would take to make you scream in bed." I nip her neck, eliciting a small moan. "I think about setting you on this counter and picking up where we left off. Mostly I think about kissing you, sinking into your tight pussy, and making you so needy you beg me to let you come."

  She pulls her head back and looks at me, defiance and lust battling for control in her narrowed eyes. "I would never beg for it. I could just do it myself."

  With a groan, I pull her hair into a ponytail, tilting her head farther back, watching the desire in her gaze win as I tell her the truth. "And I would beg you to let me watch."

  Color flushes her cheeks. She wets her lips before saying, "Anyone ever tell you how dirty you are?" Her voice is breathy and rolls over me like silk. Her shallow, rapid breathing is causing her chest to rise and fall, brushing against my rib cage. She's trying to sound indignant, but lust is curled around every word as they tumble from her lips. She may think I'm dirty, but she obviously loves it.

  "That's just the tip of the iceberg," I tell her, trying not to grin like a cocky bastard.

  Chapter 18: Lilah

  Holy shit. No one has ever spoken to me like that. Not even in a text message. I should not like it. It should offend me, right? I should slap him or throw a glass of ice water on him, but I don't have a glass of water handy and it would be a crime against humanity to mess up a face like that.

  And maybe, just maybe, I like it a little. And maybe I really like the way he looks at me. His cocky smile is back, but the look in his eyes is pure sin. I suddenly have no doubt that this man could make me scream in bed.

  If you had asked me a week ago, I would have told you that chemistry like this was a myth. A way to sell Hallmark movies and romance novels. But this intense attraction to one specific person is entirely new and, if I'm honest, scaring the shit out of me.

  I never understood why other girls would get so boy-crazy or why my sister went so cuckoo-bananas over Brooks. Don't get me wrong, I think sex is great. Everyone needs to blow off some steam and a quick hook up is usually effective, even if the orgasms are lackluster. But I get it now. All I want in the world is to rip Ben's clothes off and lick him like a lollipop.

  I wet my lips as I try to put together a response in my lust-addled brain. "This dress doesn't have a zipper," I mumble.

  Oh, fuck me and my mouth. Why did I say that? In the entire lexicon of sexy things I could have responded with, why the hell did my mouth go with that one?

  Ben's dimple pops as his grin spreads across his stupidly handsome face. From the tousled hair to the dimples and crooked smile, to, well, everything about his body, he's like my own personal kryptonite in a man suit. He literally melts my panties.

  "I think I could figure something out," he says as he brushes the backs of his fingers up my side, grazing my ribs and the sides of my breast. It's all I can do to stifle the whimper trying to escape my lips.

  "I bet you could." That's all the invitation he needs. The next thing I know, he's tunneling his fingers into my hair, cupping my head in his massive hand as he leans down to kiss me, fire burning in his eyes. He's so intense that I half expect him to maul me, but his lips are gentle as he presses them to mine. His thumb strokes my cheek as he pulls my lower lip between his teeth, grazing it sweetly before sweeping his tongue over it.

  God, it's so good. He's so good. He takes charge of the kiss, holding my head where he wants it as his tongue sweeps into my mouth, tasting me and teasing me. His enormous body is pressing me into the countertop, half holding me up as I surrender to his touch. His hard length pulses against my belly and lust is winning out over good sense.

  I'm gripping his shoulders like a life preserver in a stormy sea. If he stepped back, I'm afraid I would melt to the floor in a boneless heap. Maybe he can tell the effect he's having on my motor control, or maybe he just wants me higher because he scoops me up and deposits me on the counter, just like he did in his own kitchen. A lusty growl slips past his lips as he grabs my knees and spreads them, stepping between them. His hands slip up my thighs and under my dress to grip my ass and pull me closer as his tongue strokes against mine, claiming my mouth and sending hot waves of lust through my body. I can't fight the need to be closer to him anymore than I could stop a train barreling down its tracks.

  My hips move against him desperately, seeking contact and friction and I can feel his steel length when I rock against him. He swallows my moan and kisses me breathless. I let my hands trail down his sweater and slip underneath to his tight, flat stomach. The contact makes him suck in a sharp breath, and I'm inordinately pleased to know I'm not the only one who is so affected by this. My fingers skate over his abs through the light sprinkle of hair trailing downwards from his belly button.

  Ben's hand slips over my hip and lower stomach, teasing the edges of my panties. His touches are feather soft and I'm so overwhelmed and desperate for him to touch me, I very nearly say "please" out loud. But that's what he wants, and I can't make it that easy. I smile into the kiss and feel his lips pull up with mine. He knows exactly what he's doing to me.

  He skims a finger over my sex and the sensation of his skin slipping over my panties is almost more than I can bear. He pets me and I gasp against his lips, spreading my legs wider to give him as much room as possible. His fingers sneak under the waistband of my panties and one digit slides between my folds.

  Ben growls, cursing under his breath as he presses his forehead to mine. "You're so damn wet." His voice is ragged, and he's
shaking like his control is stretched to its limits. I can't put words together, only gasp as he slips a finger deep inside me, his thumb gently pressing on my clit. I wrap my arms around his neck, clinging to him. Our breaths mix as he strokes in and out of me until I'm stretched tighter than a bowstring.

  "Lilah," he grunts my name and I open my eyes, meeting his hungry look. It's too much, too intimate, and too intense, but it pushes me over the edge, and I come, my body releasing every last bit of tension in a wave of pleasure.

  I let my forehead drop to his shoulder as my body goes slack. I reach down and fumble with his belt before I've even thought it through. I just need him in less clothing. I've got it halfway undone when Ben grabs my wrists. He's not rough, but his grip is firm as he holds both of my hands in one of his.

  He lifts my chin gently, tilting my face to look up at him. His eyes hold mine so completely that I couldn't look away if I wanted to. I swear, something tangible passes between us. I'm confused about why he stopped me, but I can tell from the pained look on his face that it's killing him at least as much as it's bothering me.

  "You are so beautiful," Ben whispers reverently as he strokes a thumb over my lower lip, before kissing me again. "I'll make you a deal. If you sit and have dinner with me, you can steal my belt buckle, my pants, and anything else you want."

  My mouth is hanging open as I try to process what he's saying. I want him so badly. Nothing has ever felt so right.

  "You're telling me that getting into your pants is contingent on us eating dinner together first."

  Ben smirks, dimples on full display. "Yes, ma'am."

  "This feels really backwards. You must really like roasted chicken." Even as I say it, I know I sound a little defensive.

  Ben cups my jaw with both hands and kisses me sweetly. "I'm sure your chicken is great, but I've been trying to get to know you and this is the first chance you've really given me."

  I cock my head to the side and open my mouth to argue, but he's not wrong. I can have one dinner with him and then I can sleep with him and get him out of my system... That always works the way it's supposed to, right? He's probably not even super likable once you get to know him.

  Yeah... I don't know why I'm trying to lie to myself either.

  Chapter 19: Ben

  Even as the words leave my mouth, the entire lower half of my body screams in frustration. I'd have given almost anything to keep going. To let her take off my pants and wrap her hands around my cock. To pull that dress over her head and carry her ass to the bedroom.

  But more than anything, I don't want this to be a one-time thing. I still don't understand what draws me to her so strongly, but I've never felt anything like it before and I'm damn sure going to do everything in my power to ensure I get to keep it. I genuinely want to get to know Lilah and if that means I have to give myself a case of blue balls, then so be it.

  Lilah gets plates out of the cabinet and puts a whole chicken on a serving dish while I set the side dishes on the table. She directs me to a bottle of white wine in the fridge and I open it, pouring two glasses. I'm more of a beer guy, but you can't live in Sonoma without picking up a passing appreciation for a good chardonnay. Just don't tell my dad.

  I pull Lilah's chair out for her and wait for her to sit down. My mother (figuratively) beat good manners into me, and she'd be appalled if I did any less. Lilah squints at me as I push her seat in, like she can't figure me out.

  "Something wrong?" I ask her with a grin as I sit down next to her instead of across the table where she put my plate. I pull it over in front of me and let her pile food on it for me.

  "Nope. I'm just trying to figure you out. You go from dirty talk to Southern gentleman in, like, the blink of an eye. You know that, right?"

  She should hear my inner dialogue, it's still dirty talking her. It's also dirty talking her cooking skills. I try not to moan out loud when I bite into the chicken on my plate, but I can't stop myself once I hit the pasta.

  "Hungry?" she teases.

  "Always. But this is the best meal I've ever had."

  Lilah blushes but takes the compliment. A trait I already love in her.

  "So, what do you do?" she asks, breaking the silence. "I know you said you work from home."

  "Cyber security," I tell her after a beat of hesitation. That's only a part of what I do, and it feels wrong to leave out the rest, even if it's still too soon to tell her about it. Lilah's eyes narrow as if cataloging my hesitation.

  "What does that entail, exactly?"

  "I test online systems for weaknesses. Mostly I find backdoors that other programmers might have left behind, or holes in security that someone else was too lazy to fix. Occasionally, I run phishing simulations for large corporations so they can identify employees that might be weak links. Once in a while I get to track down leaks and corporate spies. Those are the fun ones."

  "Not to be pushy, but how do you get into that kind of work?"

  "Do you want the nice version or the real version?" I ask her.

  Lilah purses those pink lips at me like she can't believe I'd even ask.

  "The real one, huh?" I sigh dramatically. "First, you have to understand that I was a reckless kid. I crashed my bike so many times my dad couldn't fix it anymore. I jumped off the town bridge into the river on a dare and got into fights with kids twice my size. Pre-growth spurt, obviously."

  Lilah's lips twitch up in a smile, like she's imagining a scrappy little version of me. She's so magnetic, I just want to tell her everything, including the parts I can't.

  "My dad started teaching me to code when I was nine, mostly as a way to keep me out of trouble. I took to it like a duck takes to water. I'm dyslexic, so reading and writing were hard for me. But as it turns out, my brain works a lot like a computer. I built my first computer when I was 10, started building webpages, even worked on a video game for a while. But eventually I got bored and went looking for more exciting things to do..."

  She's watching me with so much quiet curiosity and despite my hesitation she gives me a little nod, raising her eyebrows as if to say, "Go on."

  I clear my throat. "Well, I hacked the FBI when I was 17. It was stupid and impulsive... and I got caught. Six FBI agents showed up in tactical gear within the hour. They broke down the front door and scared the shit out of my sister and parents. God, my mom was so pissed."

  "Did they arrest you?" Lilah has both elbows propped on the table, chin in her hands as she listens intently.

  "Nope. They gave me a deal. They put me in a training program, and I had to work for them for five years. In exchange, I didn't have to go to Federal prison. I did my five years, buried my head in my work, and when it was over, I left to pursue work in the private sector." And help my sister pick up the pieces of her broken life, though I don't say that out loud.

  I don't know what reaction I was expecting from her, but laughter isn't it. She chuckles softly with a look that I can only identify as relief.

  "Why are you laughing?" I ask.

  She looks up at me with her big green eyes. "Because you might be the first person I've ever met with a childhood more dramatic than mine. I mean, my brother Lukas got into a few scrapes with the law and we had a messed-up childhood but none of us hacked the FBI and lived to tell about it."

  Lilah takes a deep breath in and holds it for a second before making her mind up about something and exhaling. "In the interest of honesty, my Gran raised me and my siblings. Mom and grandpa died in a car accident and my dad decided he didn't want to deal with five kids on his own, so he dropped us off with Gran and never came back."

  "Jesus Christ."

  "Yeah, my dad was kind of the worst, but I don't remember much about him. Olive and Asher are older, and they remember more. He wanted Gran to give him access to our trust funds, and when she said no, he took off." She scrunches her mouth to one side in a heartbreakingly adorable scowl. "Sorry. This got heavy really fast," she laughs softly.

  I shrug and take her hand, "I'm
glad you told me."

  Lilah gives me a wobbly smile. "Me too." She opens her mouth to say something, but her phone vibrates on the counter behind her and she stands to grab it. Her dress gets hung up on her legs as she stands, I'm treated to the sight of her sexy-as-hell thighs. It's all I can do to keep my hands to myself.

  She frowns at the screen. "Something wrong?" I ask as I try to ignore the way my pants are fitting too tight in the fly area.

  "No, it's fine. I just keep getting these calls that say, ‘Unknown Number.’ I'm sure it’s just a scam or telemarketer or something, but it's so annoying."

  "I can look into that for you," I tell her with a grin.

  She flashes me a megawatt smile as she gets two little jars out of something white out of the fridge. "Ooh, you might be handy to have around."

  "Oh, I promise you I am very good with my hands," I tease back.

  Lilah blushes so hard I wonder if I should be worried about her combusting. She sets one of the jars in front of me with a tiny spoon.

  "Is that vanilla pudding?" I ask her. I haven't had vanilla pudding since I was a kid, but I used to love it.

  "Excuse you, sir!" she says in mock-outrage as she tops the contents of the jar with a thick yellow sauce and sprinkles little cookie looking pieces on top.

  "That is coconut panna cotta with passion fruit curd and brown-butter coconut shortbread."

  Now it's my turn to let my mouth hang open. "I don't know what half of that means, but you had me at coconut."

  Lilah grins at me as she sits back down and takes a small bite of the dessert. "Can I ask you something?" She doesn't lift her eyes as she says it.

  "Anything," I tell her as I scoop up a spoonful of the stuff in the jar and take a bite. "Holy sh- I mean, that is really good."

  Lilah laughs and takes another tiny bite. "You can swear, it doesn't bother me. My whole family swears like a crew of drunken sailors. You should hear my grandmother. Were you really mowing in the morning just to push my buttons?"