“You look adorable,” Ben countered, which I chose to ignore.
“What else is in the bag?”
“I brought us food,” Ben answered then rushed to explain. “I know you said this wasn’t a date and I’ve accepted that, but I worked later that I anticipated and I’m very hungry. It would have been really rude to eat in front of you.”
“I could eat.” My casual reply set him at ease, but I wasn’t letting him off that easy. “There better not be anything in that bag that indicates you lured me here so you could seduce me. How’d you even know about this place?” Ben pulled out a file folder and handed it to me. I opened it immediately and read a shocking amount of information about Drake Anderson, including his home address, phone numbers, a photo of his driver license, and a list of establishments that he frequently visited. “Was this information obtained legally?” A chorus of raucous laughter broke out several rows in front of us in the parking lot, pulling my attention away from the file and the legality of the information it contained. “Please – for the love of God – tell me that my sister wasn’t hanging out in dive bars like this place?”
“Ellie told me she met Drake at the gym,” came his simple reply. “I’ve never know Ellie to go to bars unless we all went out for a drink after work. We normally go to Bottoms Up where Chase used to work, because the food is great, the beer is ice cold, and it has a great vibe.”
“Yeah, I know the place,” I answered. “I went a few times with Chase and Gray before I returned to LA last year.” I looked back at the file in my hands and waved it slightly to get Ben’s attention. “How does Bevan find out this information?”
“I don’t know all of his tricks, but I’m grateful for them. I need to learn all I can about this douche so that I can help Ellie make sure he stays out of her and the baby’s life permanently.” Ben’s devotion was another admirable trait and it was becoming harder and harder to keep my guard up around him. Luckily, he started pulling food out of the bag and passing it out between us. “It’s my specialty sandwich,” he told me. “Thick slices of turkey breast, hickory smoked bacon, avocados, and herb infused mayo.”
“Wow.”
“Wait until you taste it,” Ben said smugly. “I also brought Saratoga chips and bottles of peach tea and water, because I wasn’t sure what you like to drink.”
“Wow.” I sounded like a parrot. “Thank you, Ben.”
“Thank me after you devour your sandwich.” Ben unwrapped his sandwich and took a hearty bite then moaned in pleasure. The sounds were similar to those he made when I had my dick inside him just the night before. I looked away from him and focused on my own sandwich. I took a bite and gave an appreciative moan of my own when the flavor combination burst onto my tongue. “Right?” Ben asked around a mouthful of food. I couldn’t answer so I just nodded.
We made quick work of our food as the sun began to set on the horizon. I looked over at him and the content smile that lit up his face made me feel warm and gooey inside. I noticed a little smidge of mayo at the corner of his mouth, which almost resembled a little something I had left on his mouth a few days ago. Just that quickly, my mind derailed off the track and was heading for my crotch.
“You have a little something on your mouth.” My voice sounded a whole lot huskier than a friend simply telling another friend about a little mayo on their face. Ben swiped the wrong side of his mouth and I automatically leaned closer. “Here,” I said, wiping the smudge away with my thumb. I licked the mayo off my finger without thinking and Ben sucked in a shallow breath.
I felt his hot eyes on me, even though they were hidden behind his dark frames, as sexual tension started to build between us. I should have apologized for my little stunt since I was the one who jokingly accused him of parking back here so he could seduce me, yet I was the one acting inappropriately. I couldn’t get my mouth to form the words needed to apologize.
“What was that on your tongue? Is that another piercing?” Ben whipped off his sunglasses and ball cap and tossed them on his dashboard, never taking those intense eyes off of my mouth.
I had questioned my sanity when I stuck the piercing through my tongue before he picked me up. Was I deliberately trying to torment both of us? When had I become a shallow narcissist who needed constant attention? Worse yet, could I have possibly sent more conflicting signals to Ben? Try as I might, I couldn’t tell him that I was sorry when he looked at me with such heat in his eyes. I felt like I would combust at any moment.
“Yes.” I finally found my voice, but was only capable of a monosyllable response. My mouth was dry and my throat felt scratchy. I should’ve reached for my drink, but I couldn’t look away from him.
“Did you also get that piercing to drive a man out of his mind with pleasure?” I could tell by his half-lidded eyes that he was thinking about the feel of that metal ball rolling up and down his hard shaft.
“Yes,” I answered honestly and a bit hoarsely, I cleared my throat before I could continue. “Is that a pleasure you’ve experienced for yourself?” A war raged inside my brain while I waited for him to answer my question. I didn’t want to think about another man pleasuring his dick with a pierced tongue and I wanted to be his first, I had no right to think those things, but right or not, I couldn’t stop myself from picturing doing that and more with Ben.
DID HE HAVEthe slightest inkling just how fucking much his question affected me? Did he know where my mind went the second I saw that silver ball poking through his tongue when he licked the mayo off his finger? I couldn’t be sure, because his expressive eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses. I reached over and pulled his disguise off, tossing them aside like I had my own. That was much better and I had the answers to my questions, he knew exactly where my mind went and how his question affected me.
“No, I’ve yet to experience the feel of a little ball sliding up and down my cock, teasing that sensitive spot just beneath the crown while a lover sucks me into his mouth. I can only imagine the act and only guess how amazing it feels.” I had to stifle a groan that threated to escape with the thought. “Mmm, what about kissing? Does it feeling amazing when a man kisses you with a pierced tongue?”
Xavier squirmed slightly in his seat and I didn’t need to look at his crotch to know he was just as affected as I was. I turned in my seat and faced him full on, but resisted the urge to reach for him. I needed to let him be in control of what happened between us, no matter how difficult it would be to wait. There was even a chance that Xavier would never want more from me than what had already transpired. I knew that and I would need to live with it, regardless of the physical attraction between us. I would never pressure him in to doing anything, especially after hearing about his abusive relationship with his former band manager. God, how I’d love to get my hands on that jerk.
“Yes.” Xavier took so long to answer that I almost forgot my question. Almost.
“I’ll add that to my sexual bucket list.” I was going for matter-of-fact, but my voice sounded too raspy to my own ears.
“Bucket list?” Xavier narrowed those eyes in speculation, as if he didn’t like the thought of me making a list of things I wanted to try with a man. “How long is the list?”
“Well, I just started it this week so it’s not very long. Oh, and you already helped me mark one item off the list. Thank you.” I shot him a playful wink.
Xavier also turned in his seat so he too was facing me. His eyes locked on my lips and I knew he wanted to help me scratch off another item. Did he like being my first as much as I did? Was goading him in to kissing me wrong when I could see how badly he wanted it?
“Ben.” The raw need in his voice clawed at my guts and sent shivers up and down my spine. His pink tongue slipped out to wet his lips at the same time he whet my appetite. “I ...”
“Xavier.” I watched as his pupils dilated and nostrils flared. “You’re in control here. If you want something then take it.”
Xavier’s eyes closed slowly, his body swayed slightly forward, and the tiniest of whimpers escaped his closed lips. His eyes opened slowly and I saw determination to carry through what he started. My heart started to pound out a staccato rhythm in anticipation, as his body leaned closer and closer until his forehead was pressed to mine. Xavier’s hands crept up ever so slowly until they cupped my face, he traced my lower lip with his thumb as he bit his own lip in anticipation.
