had carried her to bed. Taken off her clothes, and his, and then he’d climbed in beside her.
Rhianne gingerly lifted the blanket and peered beneath it at Ben’s body. She wasn’t certain she was relieved or disappointed when she saw boxer briefs hugging his hips.
Still, it wasn’t a bad view. The briefs were tight, showing her exactly how he was shaped when relaxed. Her imagination inserted what he’d look like when not relaxed, and sudden warmth flooded her.
Dangerous. She lay here bare-skinned, desire flushing her. Her nipples tingled, and the heat between her legs made her quiver. If Ben woke, he’d find her ready and wanting him.
Would he be aghast? Or would he touch her, pull her down to him, rid himself of the briefs, and take her fully?
Rhianne gulped. She should return to her original plan of grabbing the blanket and running.
But what if she encountered Dimitri or Jaycee in the hall? She’d be mortified. Worse, Jaycee might mention to Rhianne’s mother that she’d run out of a bedroom, clad only in a blanket, where Ben lay in her bed.
Best to stay put. When Ben woke, they could discuss what to do.
Discuss. As though they were in a banquet room conducting a formal meeting.
Rhianne’s need clenched her. There was something about Ben that made her forget her loneliness and throw caution to the wind. Maybe it was his laughter, the low rumbling that told her everything would be all right. Or the sparkle in his eyes when he said something deliberately ridiculous. Or the pain she read in him that told her he was as desolate as she was.
The two of them were alone, the house silent, the sun shining, no evil present. Rhianne let good sense desert her.
She leaned down and softly kissed his lips.
Ben jerked. His arm came down, his eyes opening in an instant. Rhianne made herself remain beside him, determined not to flee.
Ben stared in surprise when he saw her, and for a moment Rhianne thought he’d be the one snatching up the blanket and racing out the door.
Then desire flared in his eyes, and Ben abruptly slid his arms around her, pulling her over on top of him.
Rhianne fit nicely on him, the shape in the briefs, no longer relaxed, at the join of her legs.
He cupped her neck, hand under her hair, as he’d done in the park in New Orleans, blunt fingers caressing, and kissed her.
Rhianne’s untamed hair flowed over them both. She couldn’t be bothered brushing it aside as she kissed Ben’s mouth. He parted his lips, drawing her in, tasting her as he had last night in the garden. He’d been gentle then. Now she felt the force of him, no longer subdued.
Her body thrummed with excitement. Ben’s strength was evident in the way he held her, the way his mouth possessed hers. One hand stroked down her back, found her bare hips, and slid between her thighs to sink a finger into her liquid heat.
Rhianne gasped, breaking the kiss. Ben gazed up at her, loosening his hold, giving her the chance to spring up and run.
Rhianne moved the slightest bit on his finger and lowered herself to kiss him again. Ben’s smile warmed everything inside her before she covered his mouth with hers.
Ben’s fingers performed magic, and Rhianne’s thoughts dissolved into pleasure and need. It had been a very long time since she’d been intimate with a man, a long time since she’d trusted any enough to do so. She’d at first been too innocent to understand that her Tuil Erdannan lovers simply wanted to get close to the daughter of Lady Aisling and Lord Ivor—either to gain power for themselves or to have a hold over the two—and had closed herself off once she’d realized this.
Why did she not feel worried with Ben? Ben was dangerous, his threat greater because he presented himself as affable and friendly.
She saw nothing of his friendliness now. Ben kissed her with command, holding her hard while he pleasured her with his fingers, faster and faster. Rhianne writhed, needing his touch, this fire.
He sped his strokes, and Rhianne clenched around him, wanting the depth, the madness. She arched, wishing it was his cock inside her, but he was very skilled, this pleasure wonderful.
Ben’s iron-firm arm kept her solidly against him. His kisses held fierce desperation that matched the torment raging inside her, drowning all her senses.
Rhianne became aware only of Ben’s mouth on hers, his hand bringing her to life. Her shouted words