Page 54 of Spark
She’d given up ever hearing those words from anyone, much less someone as effortlessly confident and charming as Chris.
Chris, who could pretty much date anyone he wanted, wantedher?
He must have misread her hesitation in replying, because he added, “Maybe Iwascompeting with Matt, just a little bit, but that wasn’t the reason I wanted to see you. You mean a lot to me. You always have. Forgive me. Please.”
“I—ah—thank you for your apology,” she managed. “I really appreciate it. And I’m sorry if I jumped to conclusions. I didn’t mean to freak out so hard. It’s just—well, your comment brought up a bunch of bad memories from college.”
His expression darkened at that. “Someone slept with you and told you it was because of a bet?” he guessed. His voice dropped to a growl. “Who was it? And can I kick his ass?”
Sophie gave a faint laugh. Now that they had cleared the air between them, she suddenly felt a thousand times better. The sharp ache of hurt and betrayal vanished from her middle. “I don’t want to talk about it, but it was unfair for me to freak out on you like that just because someone else was mean to me once.”
“So, we’re good?” he asked, with a hopeful expression.
She nodded. And suddenly, everything felt right with the world again. He opened his arms.
Sophie didn’t hesitate. She stepped into his embrace and they hugged for a long time.
Chris held her tightly. “Jesus, Sophie, I couldn’t stand it if you’d decided that you never wanted to talk to me again.”
“I realized that I’d miss you a lot if that happened,” she told him, her face pressed against his white chef’s jacket.
His chest was hard and very warm through the fabric.
“Would you be willing to give me another chance?” he asked after a while. “I mean, I know that Matt is interested in you, too, but it’s not a competition to score with you or anything. What would you think about becoming friends with benefits?”
Sophie thought about it.
Standing like this, pressed against him from hip to breasts, reminded her of how much she liked his scent and his touch. And how amazing it had been to kiss him and to have him touch her.
"Friends with benefits" sounded good, because then she would know exactly where she stood with him.
Plus, it would be her chance to learn about having good sex with someone she knew and liked and trusted.
“I’d love to add benefits to our friendship,” she replied. “And I’m really glad that we talked, Chris. The last few days have been really rough.”
“Tell me about it,” he said fervently. “I’m glad that you’re willing to give me another chance, and I can’t wait to fool around with you some more.” He looked over her shoulder and stiffened. “Shit. I’m going to be late for work. And if there’s one thing Uncle Dan can’t stand, it’s showing up late for a shift.”
She stepped back. “Go forth and cook mightily.”
He flashed her a grin and grabbed his key fob from a hook near the front door. “I’ll see you later tonight.”
Chapter Seventeen
Grizzly Creek Ranch
Nine hours later
“Chris, please fuck me,” Sophie pleaded in a low voice.
It was late, and they were lying on her twin bed, both of them naked to the waist. Her sleep t-shirt and his chef’s jacket lay crumpled in a heap on the floor next to the bed.
He spooned her, rhythmically grinding the cleft of her sweet rounded ass against the hard, aching length of his cock. Her heat soaked through the layers of her pink cotton panties and his loose, checked chef’s pants
He was totally on board with going all the way with her. The sooner the better. It had been a while since he’d gotten laid.
Since she’d returned to the ranch, all he could think about was her, and how good it would be to feel her come while he was inside her, her pussy clenching his cock while she tried and failed not to make any noise…just like now.
Chris’s hands were filled with her luscious breasts as he learned exactly what she liked, touching her and playing with her until her nipples were pebbled and so sensitized that the lightest flick of his fingertips over them made her gasp and shudder and arch against him.
