Page 105 of Loved By The Bad Boy

And judging from the state of the house, all Ben needs is my answer. Tears roll down my cheeks. When Ben’s arms tightens around my shoulders, I break down. I love this boy so fucking much.

On a closer look, I see the pictures taped to the mirror. There are pictures of me, and Maria glued to the mirror, and some of me and Ben from our dates in San Francisco and some in New York.

How did he even get the pictures of me and my best friend? There’s one from Jon’s shoot. It’s grainy, a testament to the fact he must have printed it from his or Mira’s phone.

The best boyfriend award goes to… Benjamin Louis Carter.

Ben steps away from the chair when I stand. He rubs the back of his neck, cheeks staining a dull red. “Your mom let me take those pictures. I hope you don’t mind?” Of course not. My mouth dries up. I am lost for words. My heart has forgotten how to function. I want to kiss him. I want to hug him. I want to touch him. I want to love him right. “Did I do good? I didn’t tell you about SAS because I was afraid to ruin the other surprise. It killed me to keep it away from you, babe.”

“You did good.” Another sob escapes me, and I’m speechless again. Ben bridges the gap. I kiss him through my tears, emptying the words in my heart into the kiss. He has granted all my wishes, even the ones I never voiced out. “You did great, Benny. You did awesome. Thank you.”

I swipe at my cheeks. My gaze sweeps over the room, noting the little Gracie touches he added. Ben presses a button on the table, and a drawer shoots out. I giggle. I can picture myself studying here. There’s a Hollywood postcard in it. Maria Vega. I turn the back, and her signature is there.

“She knew?”

“Your parents too. But that was only because they wanted to know how we would handle a long-distance relationship.” I nod, smiling. I told them we would be fine. Maybe I didn’t do so well at hiding my fears from them. He plucks out two wrapped boxes from the drawer. The first has a red ribbon, and the second is blue. “Plus, they wanted to give you housewarming presents. Asher too.”

Ben has a house. We have a home.

“I need to call and thank them,” I say.

Josef. Maddie. Maria. Asher. Mom. Dad. Everyone.

“Tomorrow.” He captures my lips, lacing our fingers. “It’s late.”

My tears dot the postcard, and I nod. I’ll open the gifts later. He pries the postcard from my hand and lifts me off the floor. I hook my legs around his waist. His pretty eyes sparkle with mischief. I want to indulge him. I want to make him happy today, tomorrow, and every day of our lives.

“I love your surprise,” I say. “I love the gift.”

“I love it too. I love my roommate more.” He moves as he tells me this. Soon, my back hits a soft surface. The mattress. His teeth graze my neck, and he looks up to say, “We have a house, babe.”

“Yeah.” Locking my arms around his neck, I push myself up to brush my lips against his. There were so many thoughts in my head on my way here. But he blew my mind. “This is the best gift ever, babe.”

“Right? We get to live together now.” He nibbles on my lips while dragging the dress down my legs. My fingers latch onto his belt. I undo it as fast as I can and palm his erection. “Gracie.”

Biting my lips, I whisper, “Benny.”

Ben sheds his suit pants, leaving him in only his boxers-briefs. I hook my fingers behind me to get rid of my bra, and he stops me with a glare. “Hands off, lady. Nice and slow. That’s my job.”

“Including cooking for me?”

“Yes.” He’s on the bed, stalking me like a hunter ready to snatch his prey. My back hits the headboard. He drags me down gently so he’s towering over me. “And taking off your bra and your panties. And kissing you daily. And being your roommate. And making you happy, too.”

And he is doing a great job at it. There’s no moment of sadness with him. Even if there are, they don’t last long. His fingers skitter over my nipples, he palms my belly, and I shudder. Heat pools between my thighs. I sink my teeth into my lips, and the metallic taste of blood fills my senses.

Ben kisses me, sucking on the self-inflicted cut. “Don’t do that again.”

I want to obey, but I can only manage a nod. His hands reach behind me to tackle my bra, and my breasts escape their confines. My nipples peak. Under his intense eyes, I grow wetter and soak my panties. He tosses the bra to the floor. His eyes meet mine one last time before his mouth fastens onto my nipple. My head falls back to the pillow, and a shudder ripples through me.

His teeth prick my nipples as he takes turns between them. My nails graze his back, and my lips part. His kisses light up my body, and my hairs stand on edge. I wiggle and squirm under him, locking my legs to trap his hand that slides between my thighs to bring me more pleasure. His eyes flit to mine, watching my reaction as he pushes me closer to my climax with his fingers.

I dig my fingernails into his shoulders when his dick slides into my vagina. We maintain eye contact as his strokes become frequent. I arch my back to meet each thrust, and my mind blanks.

The start of an orgasm rocks my body. My eyes shut, and I welcome this completeness with him.

Forty-Four

A faint noisejolts me awake. I peel one eye open, then the other. Where am I? I don’t have a portrait in my room. I yawn again. Everything is foggy until the memories from last night rush back in.

---