Page 118 of Daring You

“Oh my God, I love you,” I say, my head thrown back as far as it can go, chin tilted to the ceiling.

The crescendo comes and I can’t make sound as my body spirals and explodes. Ben keeps fucking me through the pleasure, joining the ride.

His muscles tense and bulge as he comes. He grabs my jaw, jerking my gaze to his so I can see the moment he lets go, so we can stay connected, when he spills inside of me.

Ben collapses on me, both our chests and stomachs heaving, but he gathers enough remaining stamina to whisper against my ear. “Say it to me again.”

I don’t need to ask what. And I don’t need to hesitate. “I love you. I’ve loved you a long time, Ben Donahue. Even when I hated you, I loved you.”

He turns his head into my neck and presses his lips against my skin. “I love you too, my obstinate, amazing, ridiculously impossible gorgeous girl.”

My fingers press into the his shoulder blades. “Ben, what are we going to do?”

“About telling our friends?” He lifts his head. “Or about your boss and company knowing who I am? Or about the drug kingpin learning my identity?”

“Oh, God.” But I burst out in laughter, because what other alternative is there? Sob? Scream in fear?

“We’re in the fucking thick of it,” he says.

“But together, right?”

Ben finds my hand above my head and laces his fingers through mine. “You’re damned right.”

* * *

Ben showers with me,and we have slick, soaking hot sex against the tiles, his dick sliding into me with my back against the chilled marble, then bent over, with my hands squeaking down the glass partition.

He exhausts me in all the best ways, and maybe it’s for the better, since we plan to go to my brother’s as soon as we’re dry.

“Locke’s the first stop,” Ben says when he steps out and hands me a towel. “Maybe Ash or East will be there, too, I dunno.”

“We’ll tell them, and then I’ll go to Yang, see what I can do to staunch any leaks.”

“You think he’s said anything to Chavez about me?”

I’m upside-down, spinning a towel around my wet hair, but I shake my head in the negative. “He just doesn’t seem the type to compromise his career that way. Besides, he got what he wanted—your deposition transcript. He just didn’t get to be the interrogator.”

“I don’t have a huge handle on your business, but something tells me that’s a huge poker up his ass.”

“Sure is.” I straighten and wrap another towel around my body. “Which is why I’m going to gauge the temperature.”

“And possibly be thrown into the fire.”

“I’m prepared for that.”

Because I want to—and I get to, any time I want—when I pass Ben, I lay a kiss on his cheek. “You’re worth it.”

“You say that now,” he says as he follows me out of the bathroom. “But this is a huge hit against your career.”

“Ben, I love you,” I say sagely. “But I’m not choosing love over my career. This firm isn’t the only one in the city. I have the talent and I have the proof to back it up. You have enough to worry about right now. So, don’t worry about me, okay?”

Ben offers a smile. “Exactly why I love you, too, baby.”

I’m about to respond, but my phone rings. I hold the display up to Ben.

“Oh, boy,” he says, then busies himself finding his pants buried somewhere in our sex-sheets.

“Astor speaking,” I say when I answer.

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