Page 60 of Standing Still

“Either time.”

His mouth falls on mine again and I melt into him. Hearing him say that does all kinds of things to my heart. He hooks my dress up, gathering the voluminous skirts in his palms, then his hands go around my waist and he lifts me up onto the counter.

The marble is cold against my ass and the backs of my thighs, and I suck in a breath, but it does nothing to quell the heat burning inside of me as Ben drops to his knees and grabs my underwear, deftly removing it in one quick pull. He tosses it over his shoulder, his face full of lust as he spreads my legs.

I can do nothing but watch and cry out as he lowers his head and, with a soft growl, laps his tongue in a long stroke all the way up to my clit, which he lightly takes in between his lips and flicks.

“Holy shit.” I let my head fall back, and it bangs against the cupboard behind me. Ben looks up.

“You okay?” he asks, his brows lifting.

“Fine, yes. Don’t stop,” I tell him.

He grins, then lowers his head again. I push against him and his tongue alternates between teasing my clit to lapping up and down. He is so good at this. I don’t think anyone has ever brought me to the edge this quickly before. But as the telltale fluttering and tightening takes over, he stops.

My eyes open in dazed surprise. He’s taking off his t-shirt, unveiling that impressive chest with the fine layer of hair that I want to run my fingertips over and follow all the way down into his jeans. Ben doesn’t waste any time unhooking the button and lowering the zipper on his jeans, but not before he grabs something from the pocket. He kicks off his boots and socks and steps out of the jeans, handing the condom to me.

The kettle on the stove whistles, and we both jump. He grins and turns it off, then comes back to me. I open the condom in a hurry, my breaths shallow and desperate. My eyes lower down the length of him, every dip and rise of his muscles and that hard cock straining up towards me. I waste no more time either, unrolling the condom on him.

“You ready for this, Elle?”

I nod.

“I don’t just mean now, Elle.” He hooks my chin and forces me to look at him.

“What else do you mean?” I ask.

Although I know what he means, I’m desperate to hear him confirm it. Knowing he wishes he hadn’t let me go all those years ago fills me with a happiness I didn’t know I was missing. We’re standing here, obscenely naked in my bright white kitchen, staring at each other, both of us knowing what we want.

“I mean, when you come back to Mystic, I’m going to do everything I can to make it permanent.”

“Ben, I-”

“Maybe I’ll consider coming here, every now and then,” he glances around. “Maybe.”

I can’t help the laugh that skitters out of me. But it stops when he presses closer to me. He cups the back of my head, glancing at the cupboard I’d knocked into before. He keeps the hand in place as he pushes forward deliberately until he’s buried all the way inside of me.

I’d promise him anything at the moment, but that is a conversation for later. We can work out the details then. Right now, all I care about is having him here, inside, and around me. He pumps his hips slowly, making me gasp as he leans in and kisses me.

Not once does he remove his hand from behind my head, protecting me from hitting it again, and that makes my heart melt even more. As his thrusts strengthen, he uses his other hand to pull my leg up around him, pulling him tight against me.

I shift on the counter, meeting every movement of his hips with mine, never wanting him to let go. He changes the pace, moving slower but no less deep, making my body totally lose control.

“Keep squeezing me like that, Elle. Fuck yes. God, you feel so fucking good. Never gonna stop fucking you. Never wanted anyone the way I want you.”

“Ben,” I breathe out his name and he throbs inside me.

He arches back and I lean with him as he lets out a guttural groan, coming hard and fast, tipping me over the edge too. I reachup and cup my hand over his where it has protected my head the whole time. We’re both panting hard.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he says, kissing me deeply once again.

I feel bereft when he lets go and disposes of the condom, but he’s right back there, lifting me off the counter, my dress falling down around my ankles and bunched at my waist. His smile widens when he stares at my breasts, but he lifts the material to cover them, setting the straps back in place. I’m fully dressed, and he’s still nude.

“I think I like you naked in my kitchen.” I raise a brow.

“I’ll be naked in your kitchen as much as you like,” he waggles his own brows. “If you’ll have me.”

I bite my lip and a surge of emotion has me blinking my eyes rapidly. Ben shakes his head at me in a teasing way, then presses a quick kiss to my lips before stepping back and grabbing his jeans. Once they’re on, he toes the rest of his stuff into a corner, and I eye him with a frown.

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