His lips moved back down my throat, licking a sensual path. His tongue delved into the hollow of my throat and I whimpered. My usually cluttered mind completely emptied and all I could do wasfeel.
The porch light flicked on and we jumped apart, both of us breathing heavy. I planted my hands on the glass behind me and tried not to melt into a pool of lust.
Ben watched me with heavily-lidded eyes. His chest breathed raggedly and I could feel his desire from a foot apart.
I wanted him too.
And I didn’t know what to do with that.
“I’m going to ask Emma to watch the kids overnight next weekend.”
His words hit me with a punch of reality. I stood up straight and tried to keep from panicking.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He reached out and tangled his fingers with mine. His touch was so light, barely there, but I felt it to my toes. My mind swam with lust and fear, with heady desire and breath-catching anticipation.
But I couldn’t go that far with him. I couldn’t take those finalizing steps.
I had so many feelings for him and I’d given up so much of my heart. This… sex… felt like it was the only thing Grady still owned completely.
Maybe that was a harsh exaggeration, but it was the only tangible thing I had left to save.
“We don’t have to have sex,” he rushed to explain. “But I want one night where I don’t feel rushed to leave you. I want one night where I can kiss you for as long as I want and not worry about having the police called on us or one of the kids walking downstairs.”
“Ben…”
“We won’t have sex.” He ran a hand over his jaw and some of the drowsy hunger cleared from his gaze. “Okay? We won’t. I’ll turn down your advances. I won’t let you seduce me.” I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “Just spend the night with me,” he pleaded gently. “Stay with me one night.”
“Okay,” I heard myself whisper without any hesitation.
His lips broke into a staggering smile. “Good.”
The door opened behind me and Emma found us staring at each other like moonstruck teenagers. I blinked back into reality and untangled my hands from his. “Thank you for introducing me to your parents, Ben. I had a great night.”
“I thought you might.” He leaned forward and placed one more kiss on my forehead. “Goodnight, Liz.”
I stepped inside and Emma and I watched him walk back to his house.
“Sorry,” she groaned. “I didn’t realize it was you at the door.”
“It’s okay.”
“Did I interrupt anything naughty?” Her singsong voice did nothing to disguise her hopeful tone.
“Not tonight.”
She pushed my shoulder until I faced her completely. Her eyebrows rose comically and her eyes bugged, waiting for more information.
“He wants me to spend the night next weekend.”
Her screaming excitement, excitement I had yet to feel, wokeJaceand Lucy.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Friday came too fast like a train barreling down the tracks that I could not stop.
We only had a couple more weeks until school started, so I had been filling up our days with as much activity as I could fit in.
