Raven McGregor shifted restlessly on the fit ball at her office desk. Ben was on her mind again. Tonight was the night that they had arranged to meet last year when she last saw him.Will he be there?
She refocused her attention between the two large computer screens in front of her angled so she could easily work between the two. The wine label with stylized grapes, blurred, and she blinked quickly to bring the image back into focus. It was a simple job—design a wine label—but for the life of her, she couldn’t get it done. It didn’t help that she was already on borrowed time on this job, and her boss wasn’t happy with her output. It added to the pressure Raven was feeling, and to intensify things, she wanted to get out of the office on time today regardless of whether or not her job was on the line.
Her stomach churned, again. Did she risk showing up? What would the chances be that he wasn’t single? He was a hot farmer, healthy, and his body toned. Surely, he’d found a woman? Fallen in love? But then, she hadn’t found a man to fall in love with. That’s what she really wanted. This arrangement with Ben was mutual and a hell of a lot of fun, despite the conflicting emotions roiling through her right now. The last two years had been a meeting of passion with him, all thanks to an online dating site. He’d been down at the Royal Show with his alpacas and looking for a bit of fun. She’d recently broken up with a guy and wanted to get back on the horse so to speak. They’d had a week a hot, adult fun. They agreed to meet the following year. Had another week of hot fun. Tonight, she was going to meet him for the third time. She clenched her legs together against the rising desires dampening her panties.
Her thoughts wandering like this was the entire reason why she couldn’t get this job done.
“What’s gotten into you?” Jax asked from the working space next to hers.
“Nothing.” She wasn’t about to tell him. Her abdominal muscles spasmed as she struggled to keep her desires in check.Ben. I hope you’re still single,even though that was a very selfish thought. Only a few more hours until the rendezvous. Then she would have a night of indulgent pleasure and come to work late tomorrow or perhaps call in sick because she was too tired, even though it was the start of the week. Rest up, then hopefully again do the same with Ben for the next few nights, all being well that he was still single and still wanted to see her. Since the start of the Royal Show on Friday, her imagination had been going wild with naked images of Ben remembering how his hands felt on her body, the strength of his arms around her, the feeling of him inside of her.
“Are you finished?” Sarina’s voice broke through the daydream she was starting to really get into.
“Yes,” Raven answered quickly to her boss. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. She made a few quick adjustments, hit save, then stood up. “Okay?”
Sarina leaned closer to the screens. “You have other designs for them to choose from?”
Raven opened up the files. She had a feeling her boss wasn’t going to like them. It might be a simple job, but it was a big client, and this label was part of a series of labels. It was all going to add up to big money, and based on the fuck-up with the last client not liking her work, she had to get it right. Raven knew it wasn’t her fault. That client had kept changing their mind, but her boss was no-nonsense, and they were all expected to work their fingers to the bone, literally, on their computers to get whatever designs needed to be done, done.
“Hmmm. Maybe put more purple tone in that one.”
Raven pursed her lips together as Sarina rattled off a dozen or so changes. It would take the best part of an hour and reduce the time she had to get ready before seeing Ben. This was all about pleasure for him, for her, for them together, and so she wanted to make sure she was at her best. Over the weekend, she’d gotten her yearly triple X wax, shaved her legs last night, and even bought sexy lingerie and a new dress.
A flutter of anticipation and nerves moved inside her.Would he still look the same as last year?This was the third meeting. Last year had nearly given her an ulcer beforehand. This year she was a little calmer. Will there still be passion? There was some basic attraction between them. She couldn’t sleep with anyone she didn’t like, but this year, something had been developing within her. They had agreed on no commitment, and she was still good with that. It was purely about safe, steamy sex. That’s why they didn’t have each other’s phone details or knew where they lived. Though she did figure if she put her mind to it, she could probably find out where his farm was in the Southeast. Like he could find out more about her from where she worked. There weren’t too many successful graphic design businesses in Adelaide. But she hadn’t. And neither had he. Her career was her focus right now. And she had no intention of moving out of the city to live on an alpaca farm with Ben, no matter how hot he was and how many times he could get her to orgasm in one night, which was a very good number indeed. Fuck, he was good. The perfect lover, perhaps?
She sighed.
“You’ll get it done,” said Jax. He was the office moral-support guy. And he had no idea what she was really sighing about. Thank God.
Steeling herself, Raven pushed through and completed the changes. It took her nearly two hours. Then she emailed them to her boss and quickly packed up.
“Finished?” Jax asked. He was working late too, which was usual for both of them.
“Good as finished.” She didn’t like the tone of surprise in his voice. Guilt gnawed at her gut. She hadn’t done her best, and she knew it. But fuck, as nervous as she was, there was no way she was going to be late tonight and miss seeing Ben because of work. She turned off her computers, pushed the fit ball under the desk, and grabbed her bag. She was going to get laid tonight, and there was no time to waste to ensure that it actually happened.
Ben Sanderson sat at the Goody Hotel, where he was staying until Sunday. He’d spent the day settling in his five alpacas at the show. They were as cozy as he could make it for them and were well fed and ready for their first night in the city. And he was now all showered, cleaned, and drinking a beer at the bar waiting for her. Raven. He took a long sip of cold beer. It cooled the hot desire building within. He wasn’t even sure if she’d turn up. He was betting that she’d found someone else. That was part of their agreement. Don’t turn up unless you’re single. A hot, young woman like Raven wasn’t going to be single for long. This was the third time they were potentially going to see each other. Last time? He doubted they could keep on like this. As fun and pleasurable as it was, she was bound to have a man and be in a serious relationship. A lot can happen in a year. He was hoping against the odds that she was still single.
“Going alone tonight?” asked Jason, another alpaca breeder.
This was another thing he was hoping, that no one would bother him. If they did make it through their sexual meeting this year, then they needed to think of another place to meet. He had too many mates here, and they would be ready with a lot of cheeky comments if he were seen with a hot woman. And Raven was just that and more with her light brown hair, short and stylish, modern city clothes that clung to her body revealing her curves that his hands longed to touch once more.That’s if she turns up.
“Meeting a friend,” Ben responded quickly before he got too far ahead with the fantasy in his head.
“Oh, I see, that sort of friend. Online dating while you’re in the city again?”
Ben grinned. “Something like that.”
“Well, I better move on so that I don’t cramp your style.” Jason patted him on the shoulder.
“Thanks.” That’s exactly what Ben wanted him to do. He didn’t want Raven to be put off from approaching him because he was talking with someone.That’s if she did turn up.
“Well, if she’s a no-show, come and join us.” Jason winked before walking around to the other side of the bar. Ben hated how the doubt rose within him and caused his stomach to knot. It was bad enough that there was the alpaca judging tomorrow, and he was nervous about that. If his two stud males did well by winning the championships as well as his female breeders, then it would be something that would boost his stud sales and give him great publicity. He was prepared. And so were his alpacas, all groomed and ready to be presented for the judging in the morning. He should be off socializing with the other farmers, most he only saw here at the show each year, but first things first. He was going to see if Raven was going to turn up and then have some consensual fun with her.
Ben took a mouthful of his beer and resisted the urge to drink it fast. Tonight was one night he was planning to stay close to sober. He just needed a little Dutch courage, or more to the point, something to settle the anticipation that was threatening to burn through him and make him crazy. All day he’d been musing whether or not she would show up. More than once, he’d nearly lost his nerve. But he figured since he was staying here at the Goody for the week then he had nothing to lose by simply sitting in the front bar where they’d arrange to meet a year ago after their hot meet-up almost every night. He’d returned home to his farm, tired, exhausted actually. He’d played hard with Raven at night and worked hard during the day with his alpacas and catching up on industry news with the other farmers since he was busy in the evenings and missing most of the catch-ups in the bar. Ben was bloody glad he had. She’d been totally worth meeting up with for a second year.
How would things go a third year in a row?
Ben knew damn well that flings weren’t meant to last like this even if, technically, they were only seeing each other once a year. This third-time meeting could work or go horribly wrong. The memories of the lustful evenings with Raven had kept him going all year, the long hours enduring the isolation. Sure, he could’ve hooked up with some of the local women, but they had wedding bells in their ears, and he wasn’t ready to settle down. At least not with them. Not when he had another chance of seeing Raven again. He needed a distraction from his life. There were financial woes, and then the current drought wasn’t helping him to find an easy way forward. With the passing of his dad in the last year, the farm was now his to manage, and it couldn’t be a more difficult time again. He hated thinking of the problems. This week was a distraction, was a bit of fun. That’s what he told himself.
