“Move it into my closet, Harper,” Ben says, appearing behind me, hands on his hips. “Solves the problem, right?”
“It does. You’re okay sharing that space?” I ask, wiggling my eyebrows.
He shrugs. “You’re doubting what I’d do to keep you here.” He nudges me out of the way and grabs my suitcase and carries it to the bedroom.
The doorbell rings while he’s gone. “Shit,” I say under my breath. I pull on the hem of Ben’s shirt. All of my clothes just left the coffee table and entered his room.
Ben runs out, his lounge pants slung low on his hips. “I’ll get it,” he says, eyes flicking from my bare legs to the door as he jogs.
Of course it’s Norah, and blessed be, she didn’t use her key to waltz right in. “Ben. Sorry I didn’t call first,” she says. If I’m correct, like I probably am, she’s been crying. I have a reverse memory. The one where I barged into this house after Marcus ruined everything. Norah was so kind and gentle with me. The mere sight of me right now is going to be the opposite of that. My gaze darts around to find a hiding place.
I can’t make it to the kitchen without being seen. I swear in Arabic under my breath and duck down next to the couch, getting on my knees to try to make myself smaller. “What happened? Are you okay?” Ben asks.
“I need to talk to you,” she says, sobbing a little.
Ben clears his throat. “It’s not a good time, Norah. Can we talk tonight?”
“Oh. I guess so,” she replies. She’s getting the brush-off and she’s still being perfectly polite. I know I couldn’t do that. “What time works? It’s important I speak to you about something, Ben.” My stomach knots and an uneasy feeling invades the place that just held nothing but love.
I peek out and Ben spies me in my hiding place and his eyes widen. Norah steps inside and immediately catches sight of me. “I was just cleaning…something. Over here. Dirty. Ah, needs to be cleaned.” The only dirty thing is Ben’s come dried on the inside of my legs and on my stomach and neck, and I’m pretty sure it’s in my left eyelash.
I stand quickly in one fluid movement. She’s a woman. A smart one. It takes nothing more than a nano second for her eyes to dart to my bare legs, my appearance, and the smears of the lipstick on Ben’s shirt. The same shade she helped me select the day before to know everything that matters right in this awkward moment.
“I’m so sorry, Norah,” I say, swallowing hard. “I need to use the restroom.” I excuse myself and flee the room with hot cheeks and a shame so deep I’ve never felt the likes of it before in my life. That’s what happens when you follow the straight and narrow path without deviating. Last night felt like flying. This morning, as it makes perfect sense, I’m crashing.
The front door closes with a thud and I think they’re probably going to talk in the living room, but Ben strolls into his bedroom right behind me. “Harper. It’s fine. Don’t be embarrassed.”
“How was that okay? She didn’t do anything wrong. That was cruel.”
He throws his arms out. “She knew! That’s why we broke up! She knew. She didn’t call. It’s okay. Everything between us is fine.” Ben takes me in his arms and his scent comforts me even if it’s the one thing that marks me as a traitor. “We weren’t together. There wasn’t cheating or lying. I was honest with her about my feelings for you and that was when I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way. This was always going to happen between us. Always.”
“It doesn’t mean I feel any better about it. I actually feel pretty shitty. Is she okay?”
He sighs long and hard—relieved I seem to be coming around to his logic. I’m not. But I can let him think so because I don’t feel like arguing with him. “I’m sure she’s just torn up about the breakup and wants to talk. I’ll call her later on tonight. The scene in there as awful as it was, was what she needed to see.”
I widen my eyes. “No one deserves to see that. I would have sat her down wearing a nice sundress and strappy sandals in a little café, and I’d tell her over coffee. Like a real woman would. Not some dirty whore. You’re all over my body. Literally. All over it.”
“I’m sorry. It does make things easier, though, regardless of what it looks like. Plus, you just made my cock hard.”
I scoff. “Don’t be such a dude. We’re having a conversation.” I feel giddy I have that effect on him. “You’re all over me,” I say again, smiling this time.
He slides his right hand into his pants and pulls out his cock and starts stroking it in between us. He doesn’t take his eyes off mine. “I want to be in you,” he says, mouth slightly parted as his breaths come quicker.
I reach up and unbutton the few buttons I have done and let his shirt fall to the floor. “I’m already wet,” I reply, bringing my hand down to slip my middle finger into my wet slit. Ben’s lustful gaze watches, lighting like fire when I move my finger in and out, to stroke my clit.
He drops to his knees and moves my hand with his chin. He scratches my inner thighs with his five o’clock shadow, but his lips and tongue? Oh, they lick and suck and fuck me into a wild orgasm that brings me to the floor.
Ben fucks me doggy style in front of the full-length mirror. He forces me to watch him in our reflection, holding my face in place with one hand. “I’m yours, Harper. Do you understand that?” he asks, eyes painfully serious as he pounds me furiously.
I nod. He shakes his head. “No. I want to hear you say it. You need to know I’ll never belong to anyone else the way you have me.”
“I understand,” I moan. “I’m going to come hard. All over your cock,” I say, keeping my eyes on his.
He reaches around with his free arm and strokes my clit until I explode around him, flexing and clenching furiously. Waves and waves of pleasure knock me over. Never in my life has sex been such blind bliss. His cock is a balm to my body, the only thing that brings it to life. He comes seconds later, driving his dick deep inside me, hot bursts spraying over and over. I feel the last jerk and he falls on top of me, holding himself up barely.
We’re both covered in sweat when he rolls off me to rub his knees.
“Guess we have it all sorted then,” Ben says.
