An Act of Persuasion(74)

Anna rubbed her hands on the mound that was her stomach. It baffled her—she didn’t even know this kid’s name yet and already the idea of being separated from it was like tearing off a limb.

“Anna—”

“No, I don’t want to talk about that. Or her. This is my first night in my new home. My forever home. I want it to be a happy one. I want to remember it, always, as the best night ever.”

“I think I can handle happy. For you, I’m guessing that means pizza with mushrooms and anchovies—which continues to boggle my imagination—and a quart of some type of ice cream you will name at the very last minute.”

Anna’s stomach rumbled at the mention of pizza. It had been maybe only an hour since she snuck in a peanut butter and banana sandwich, but suddenly she found herself craving something she couldn’t name.

“Then we can segue from pizza into a movie. Something sappy that will have you in tears, which you will insist are happy tears, whatever the hell those are.”

No, she didn’t want a movie or pizza or ice cream. Suddenly Anna realized the thing she was ravenous for was him. It was as though a rolling wave of desire slammed on top of her, filtering down from her head to her knees to her toes.

She wanted him.

This wasn’t about trying to make them work as a couple. This wasn’t a relationship experiment. This wasn’t some random moment of weakness that they would try to brush under the rug after it happened. It was her, Anna Summers, wanting a man in her bed, wanting to get sweaty and hot with him. Wanting him to touch her. Claim her.

She scared him. He’d told her so. It was the most romantic thing he could have said because simply knowing that she had the power to make big, bad Ben Tyler afraid made her own fear less powerful. Less controlling.

“I don’t want the pizza or the ice cream or the movie. Well, maybe the ice cream, but later.”

“No?”

She shook her head. “I want something else entirely. I want you.”

Ben smiled and offered her a hand to help her out of the rocking pillow. She accepted it and let him pull her close until her arms were circling his waist and her round belly was pushing against his.

“Yeah, I sort of figured that out.”

“You did, huh?”

“You’re looking at me like I’m the ice cream.”

“That’s funny because I do have the word lick on my mind.”

She felt a vibration flow through his body. “Anna, don’t tease me. I’m on a very short trigger.”

“No teasing. I want this. I’m ready for it. Really ready this time.”

He frowned. “You sound like you’re bracing yourself for a dentist visit.”

She rubbed his chest in a soothing gesture. “No, I’m excited. Nervous, but excited.”

“You know, we have done this before.”

“That night was a Dali painting. This will be real. I want it to be different.”

“I thought we did pretty okay last time.”

She shook her head, knowing she has having trouble explaining herself. “Last time everything seemed to happen—like it was happening to us. We weren’t thinking. Not really. We were going through the motions without really being aware of one another.”

He lifted her chin so she could see the truth in his eyes. “You’re wrong. There wasn’t one second I didn’t know who was in my arms, Anna. You were always there. I just didn’t handle the after part correctly.”

“To be exact, you fell asleep after,” she teased, trying to lighten the intensity she felt from him.

“And I imagine I will do so again. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll call out your name several times during the act so you’ll know I know who I’m screwing. Now let’s go.”

“Yes, sir!”





CHAPTER SIXTEEN



ANNA SAT ON the bed and watched as Ben shucked his T-shirt and toed off his sneakers. He’d worn shorts in deference to the early September heat and she admired his calves and the muscled bulk of his thighs. Then he lost the shorts and the underwear and she was admiring something else entirely.

For a moment she took in the sight of him. Tall and lean with corded muscles. His hair had grown in all over his body and she could see that he’d spent time outside without his shirt on this summer because his skin had a nice healthy glow to it. She knew he enjoyed swimming and had probably spent time at his club rebuilding both his endurance and strength.