“No,” I said on a half moan. “It’s okay. I won’t freak out like last time.”
He looked up at me, his eyes soft, his breaths ragged. “Well that’s good to know.” His eyes fell to my bare breasts and with a groan he gathered up the ends of my halter top and leaned over my shoulder.
I rested my forehead on his chest, not really sure what had just happened. Maybe he didn’t want me. Maybe this was a game and he was seeing how far he could go?
When was the last time I had been with a guy who wanted to wait? Had he somehow figured out how screwed up I was? Was this his way of letting me down gently?
My fingers splayed out along his chest as he carefully lifted my hair off my neck. I heard his heart beating. Rapidly. Hard. Fast.
And it confused me more than ever.
“Ben,” I said shakily.
“It’s okay, peaches.”
Peaches. I loved that.
My dress was tied and his breath was warm along my exposed neck. “I don’t want you to think this is easy for me. Fuck, I’ve dreamt of getting you naked in my bed for days now.” His fingers caressed my skin and I shuddered. “But we’re not quite there yet.”
“I don’t…I don’t understand. Don’t you want me?” I yanked my head back so that I could see him. Shadows fell across his face and I hoped I didn’t look as pathetic as I sounded.
“Georgia, it’s easy to give in to something that feels good.” His eyes smoldered. “But I don’t want easy. I’ve had easy. I want something worth a hell of a lot more than easy.”
Oh.
Oh. Wow.
It was then, in that moment, that I knew I was in deep trouble. Ben Lancaster was going to break me and I didn’t care.
I didn’t care at all.
Chapter Fifteen
Ben
“You’ve got it bad, bro.”
I was at the airport with Eden waiting for her flight back home. It was a week since Georgia had moved her stuff into the barn and made it into a cool studio. A week since I’d covered those luscious breasts and put the brakes on what had to be the hottest make out session I’d ever had.
A week of endless fucking cold showers.
I glanced at my sister and scowled, but she just smiled and shook her head.
“Bad,” she repeated.
“No thanks to you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t play games, Eden. You made it pretty much impossible for me to get Georgia alone all week.” She opened her mouth to say something but I didn’t give her the chance. “No, don’t bother denying it. I just don’t get why.”
“You need to be careful, Ben.”
I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Eden shrugged and grabbed her bag off the floor as her flight was called to board. “Don’t get me wrong. I like her but she’s holding something back. I can’t figure it out and I just…”
I got to my feet and shoved my hands into the front pockets of my cargo shorts. “You just what?”
She glanced at the ticket counter and sighed. “I don’t want you to get in too deep with her until...” At my raised eyebrows she paused, her brows furrowed. “I’m serious, Ben. I can’t read her. She’s really good at deflecting and I don’t know where she’s at. I don’t know anything about her all, except that she lives with her brother and she dropped out of college. Don’t you find that kind of weird?”
“College isn’t for everyone, Eden.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it. I don’t know anything else about her. She never talks about her family or her friends. Doesn’t she have any girlfriends? She paints a lot and yes, she’s talented but what are her goals? Is she just going to fill up your barn with her paintings and leave them there for the mice to admire? I’m not the one sleeping with her so that’s fine if she doesn’t want to share that shit with me, but you? Has she shared any of that stuff with you?”
My scowl deepened. I hated that my sister hit the nail right on the head. I knew nothing. Fuck, I didn’t even know who this Seamus guy was and she was seeing him today. I tried to talk her into coming with me to the airport. I said after Eden’s flight left I’d take her anywhere she wanted to go. To the beach. Golfing. A bar. Anything.