Five Ways to Fall (Ten Tiny Breaths, #4)(10)
But what makes Ben the most compelling candidate is the fact that he has effectively distracted me from all thoughts Jared. I mean, he’s about as opposite as you can get. Ben is rugged and blond, whereas Jared is “pretty” and dark. Jared’s chest and arms are covered in tats, while Ben’s body boasts a naked—and appealing—canvas. And where Jared is quiet and introverted, Ben is as outgoing and obnoxious as you can get.
An interesting bonus? He’s had me laughing all night long. Granted, I was usually laughing at him, but still.
Thanks to Ben, I’ve had several hours’ respite from excruciating thoughts of my ex-husband and his elaborate wedding to her in Savannah, Georgia, happening at this very moment. I only know about the wedding because I stalk Jared’s Facebook profile daily. While he has never been good at posting status updates, Caroline could join an Olympic Facebook team the way she plasters pictures and wedding plans and “I love you’s” on his wall like unsightly graffiti.
Unfortunately, even a guy like Ben couldn’t cure me of all thoughts completely and the second they crept out from the dark recesses—the moment I felt the drunk-girl tears about to erupt—I told Ben that he was bringing me to his hotel room.
Wandering farther in, I throw an arm toward the bed not covered in his clothing and suitcase. “You sleep in this one?”
Heavy footsteps approach behind me. “Yep.”
“Okay then.” I lean forward to shove everything from the unused bed.
“What are you doing?” Ben asks with a chuckle.
“I’m assuming you’ve had your other conquests over there,” I mutter, his suitcase making a loud thud as it hits the ground, the contents spilling out. “I want an untainted bed.”
“Hey, you’re the one who grabbed me by my belt and demanded that I bring you here. I was just as happy hanging out by the bar.”
I snort. “Yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as bad a case of eyeball static cling as tonight.” If his eyes weren’t on my boobs or my legs, they were glued to my face. I’ll admit, his undivided attention on me felt damn good. A real ego booster when I needed it most.
Strong hands grasp my hips and pull me back toward him. Even in my drunken state, it’s impossible not to notice Ben’s prominent erection digging into my ass. “How long have you had that problem?” I joke as heat rushes to my thighs. Am I actually going to go through with this? I’ve had only one other one-night stand before and I don’t even classify that as such because I knew the guy. I just didn’t particularly want to date him. He was arrogant. Just like this one.
He chuckles softly. “Since I watched you fall off your chair. And I don’t consider it a problem as long as it’s dealt with before the morning.” A large hand curls around to my abdomen and starts sliding up along my rib cage, guiding my body upright. “I don’t fly out until eleven, so we’ve got lots of time.” Spinning me around to face him, he lifts my arms to settle on his shoulders before his hands fall down the length of my arms and farther, his thumbs running over the contour of my breasts on their way to wrap around my waist. His eyes rest on my mouth. “So . . . invertebrate zoology? Biotechnology?”
“Your dirty talk is going to make me lose control.” What the hell is he talking about?
“Why’d you lie, Miss Marine Biologist from Seattle?” I can tell by his smile that he’s not angry, or even annoyed. Amused, if anything.
Oh . . . I shrug. So he figured that much out. Doesn’t seem like he’s picked up on the fact that we’ve been using cast names from Charlie’s Angels all night. I’m actually surprised. I could see him being the type of twelve-year-old boy to jerk off to reruns of a young Farrah Fawcett. “I don’t know. I like to role-play.” Adding coyly, “Sometimes I like to play dress-up, too.” I actually f*cking hate costumes, but judging by the spark of excitement in Ben’s eyes, his imagination is taking that and running to all kinds of filthy places.
He’s fun to toy with.
That’s exactly how I ended up here.
That and too much tequila.
He leans in. His lips—so contradictorily sweet next to that obnoxious mouth—land on the nape of my neck, eliciting an embarrassing groan out of me as I tip my head back and coil my arms around his head. It’s not Jared’s mouth, but it will work.
The room is beginning to spin, but this feels so good that I force myself to ignore the revolutions as I lean farther into him. I continue to ignore them as his fingers slip under the hem of my tank top to pull it up and over my head. Tossing it aside, his hands quickly find and unfix the clasp to my bra.
“Damn, I knew it.” He shifts back to get a good look at my bare chest as cool fingers graze the silver hoop through my left nipple. He gives it a skilled tug, just enough to elicit a gasp and a burn in my lower belly. With a devious smile, he murmurs, “What else you got?” He has my shorts and panties on the floor before I know what’s going on.
“I thought there was no rush?” I mutter, grabbing Ben’s arm to stop myself from toppling over as I step out of them, a spike of nervousness jumping in me as I acknowledge that I’m completely naked in front of this fully clothed and fit man who works at a freaking strip club. I have a small waist and decent boobs, but the package comes with a tiny abdominal “bump” and an ass that’s a tad fuller than I would like.