Page 18 of Break Me
Benji sets down his beer and I twist in his lap to face him. He reaches around his chest with the hand not on my waist and massages his opposite shoulder, as if it’s sore. He’s definitely in shape, and I find myself wondering what he does to work out while I wait for his answer.
Dumont plays tennis and is a runner. I make fun of him for it, but it keeps him lean. Benji isn’t exactly lean. He’s built. I wonder what it would feel like to run my hands over his chest. He’s so fucking close to me, I might as well try…
I shake my head, trying to clear it. I need water. Not another drink.
Benji is watching me carefully. He drops his hand and rotates his neck. “It’s complicated,” he finally answers me. It seems like the truth.
His hand trails down from my waist, to my thigh, over my dress.
“Whatever,” I say, giving up. “Keep your secrets.” But I remember why this entire conversation started. He wanted me to tell him something no one else would know. “And I’ll keep mine.”
He chuckles and I feel my phone vibrate again in my dress pocket. I realize I never replied to Dumont’s text. I go to reach for it, but it’s in the pocket right by Benji’s hand. He pulls it out first as I lean in toward him, grabbing at it.
I can see the caller ID. It’s Dumont.
And he’s calling me.
He never calls. We don’t do the whole talk-on-the-phone thing. It takes me off guard and Benji looks at the screen, but all he sees is my professor’s initials, JD.
“Give me my phone,” I say.
He shakes his head and smiles. “Boyfriend?” he asks, raising a brow.
“No,” I reply quickly. Too quickly. It’s the truth. Kind of. I reach for it again, turning in Benji’s lap, my legs dangling off the side his chair. But he lifts the phone out of my reach.
He doesn’t look persuaded. “No?” he echoes, smiling as the call keeps going.
“No,” I say again, firmly. I reach up to grab it again and this time, Benji hoists me up with one fucking arm and turns me all the way around, so I’m straddling him. A gasp escapes my lips and my hands go instinctively to his shoulders, to steady myself. My legs are spread, dress hiked up, and I can feel him pushing against me.
Oh. My. God.
He reaches around me and sets the phone down, then his hands go to my waist as he looks up at me, smirking. “If it’s not your boyfriend, Princess, what’ve you got to worry about?” His hands trail lower, until they settle on my waist.
Before he can answer, I hear Riley walking through the kitchen, and I nearly fall when I jump up, lurching out of Benji’s grasp and spinning around.
She walks in just as I steady myself, her eyes going from me, to Benji, and back again. But mercifully, she doesn’t say a word about the shock that must be on my face, even as I tug my dress back down. Instead, she takes a seat beside Benji.
“Tyler is on the way,” she announces. I sink down in my chair and see Benji stiffen in his seat. She ignores his reaction and looks at me. “Tyler is one of my oldest friends. He flew in today to surprise me.” She’s grinning, and whoever this Tyler is, she looks very excited to see him.
“You didn’t tell me that,” Benji butts in. He sounds totally fine. As if his hard cock wasn’t just pressing against my underwear.
I, however, am having trouble catching my breath.
Riley glares at him. “I just said it was a surprise.”
Benji rolls his eyes. “Fucking Caden,” he whispers under his breath. “You have school tomorrow and—”
“Are you her father?” I ask Benji, playfully, trying to compose myself.
Riley laughs, and I see she’s got herself another drink.
Benji’s jaw tightens. It’s the first time he’s actually looked kinda angry. He takes a breath. “Okay,” he finally says without glancing at me. “How long is he staying?”
Riley pulls her knees up to her chest on the chair. She kind of looks like a kid like that. “I dunno,” she answers. “Caden paid for his flight.”
“Okay, hold up,” I interrupt. “What, exactly, does Caden do for a living?” I ask her, unable to wonder anymore. I’ve never been one for beating around the bush. Besides, anything to get the focus on Caden and not on Benji…yeah, that’d be great right now.
Riley laughs and tucks a strand of light brown hair behind her ear. She looks down at the table. “He uh…”
