Once in a Lifetime(36)

He smiled. “The memory of how you look, just like this, is going to fuel my dreams for a long time to come.”

She gave him a little nudge. Taking the hint, he disentangled their bodies with care, but she couldn’t control the needy little gasp that escaped her at the loss. He went still for a beat, but she nudged again. Her torn panties were useless, but she managed to twist her dress back into place.

Ben hadn’t made a move to get dressed. He unselfconsciously dealt with the condom disposal and then offered her a hand to help her hop down from the counter.



Life was simple for guys, apparently. No complicated emotions to think about. They could walk around naked without worrying what they looked like.

Of course, she thought, Ben didn’t have to worry. He looked…edible.

The bastard.

She bent for his clothes and shoved them at him.

Taking his sweet-ass time, he pulled on his pants and straightened, and she did her best not to stare at him. But she failed. She couldn’t help it; he was just so damn…hot. She let her eyes soak him up, from his still-bare chest to the fact that though his pants were on, they were unbuttoned and riding low, and he was still semihard. He looked…dangerous, she decided. And primed for another round.

Her body was game.

He flashed her a smile. He knew what she was thinking. She turned her back while he finished getting dressed, which made him laugh softly and pull her around to face him again. “Okay?” he asked.

She swallowed her half-hysterical laugh. “Well, let’s see. I just had wild monkey sex with a man I can’t get along with to save my life, in the bathroom above my shop, no less—which, by the way, I don’t even think is locked.” She tossed up her hands. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

He studied her a moment. “We got along just fine in the past hour, I’d say.”

She felt the blush race up her face. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I suppose I do. Do we need to talk about it?”

“Hell, no.”

He looked relieved. “We said this wasn’t going to change anything,” he said. “We both got what we wanted.”

“Yeah,” she said. But what if she suddenly couldn’t remember what she’d wanted?

And suddenly, he wasn’t looking so relieved. He was looking…wary. “Did you change your mind, Aubrey?”

“No.” Not that she would admit it anyway, not even over the threat of death and dismemberment.

“Good,” he said with quiet steel. “Because I don’t want a committed relationship.”

“Ever?”

He hesitated. “Not any time soon, anyway.”

She absorbed the unexpected shock of disappointment, and, she hoped, kept it from her face. “Then we’re good.”

He paused again, as if searching that statement for honesty. “I locked the shop before I came up here,” he said. “The flower shop and bakery are long closed.” He smiled, his voice light and teasing when he added, “So no worries. No one could have heard you.”

Oh, hell, no, he didn’t just say that. She opened her mouth to tell him that they’d both been loud, but she shut it again.

Because he was right. She’d been the noisy one.

Damn. She should really have orgasms with other people more often. She moved from the bathroom to the door of her loft and not so subtly opened it for him to leave.

Ben looked amused but didn’t say one word as he crossed the room. As he came up even with her, he cupped her jaw and planted one hell of a kiss on her. If she hadn’t still been trembling from what they’d just done, she’d have pushed him away. But as it was, she had to fight her limbs, which wanted to cling to him like Saran Wrap.

Lifting his head, he sent her one last look of wicked promise, and then he was gone.

Alone, she shut and locked her door and then leaned back against it. What had she just done? There was really only one man in town who had the power to hurt her. And she’d just had sex with him.





Chapter 13



Ben dreamed about Aubrey writhing in ecstasy in his arms. Best dream ever. He was late getting out of bed, but it was worth it, he thought, hitting the road running as he headed along the harbor. The icy ocean air—so cold it felt like hell had frozen over—sucked the breath from his lungs, but the discomfort was nothing compared to what he’d felt in some of the places he’d been.

Sam was waiting for him at the pier, running in place, his breath puffing out in little white clouds. “Thought maybe you weren’t coming,” he said, and looked Ben over carefully. “Rough night?”

Yeah, not exactly. “I’m good,” Ben said. And he was. Possibly a little too good.

Sam let it go, and they ran hard, as usual. No words necessary.

An hour later, Ben was in the bookstore when Aubrey stormed in with eyes flashing, boots clicking as she moved across the floor, anger coming off her in waves. She was wearing yet another businessy dress, this one made of soft, sweater-like material that covered her from chin to knee but nicely hugged the curves he now knew intimately.

He was pretty damn sure he should have been over her enough not to get hard at the sight of her. “What’s up?” he asked.

Like he didn’t know…