got involved in when you were a teen?” Silver asked sweetly.
Ben held up the book like a shield. “You can borrow this if you like. I don’t mind.”
Silver choosing to answer his question about her dad had been quite unexpected, but her answer had lined up pretty accurately with what Mr. Meadows had told Ben after he’d agreed to take the job. The only difference was that Silver’s dad seemed convinced she’d gone back on drugs, and that a ten-day trail ride would act like some kind of mini-rehab. Ben was looking forward to reporting back to Phil Meadows and giving his daughter a clean bill of health.
“That’s very kind of you, but I’d rather you answered the question.” Silver was speaking again, and Ben forced himself to pay attention. Her damp, blond hair was piled up on top of her head and she wasn’t wearing any makeup, but she still looked formidable. “I promise I won’t tell anyone a single word you say.”
He put the book down.
“It’s only fair, Ben.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him expectantly. “What did you do that was so bad it made you believe you’re not worthy of being loved?”
Her words hit him hard and he resisted the urge to run out into the rain and never come back.
“That’s a bit deep,” Ben commented, playing for time. “I didn’t know you had a degree in psychology.”
“I’ve seen enough therapists to play one, and you’re just prevaricating. Answer the question.”
“How about you ask another one?” He met her gaze. “We could revisit the idea of me helping you out with that virginity thing if you like.”
“Wow.” She shook her head. “You must be really desperate not to talk about it to go there.”
“We’re stuck in this tent together for a few hours; we could work on your foreplay skills.” Ben was improvising now, but what the hell. “Because when you do find the right man, you should expect him to be good with his hands and his mouth before he even gets to the penetration part.”
Silver’s gaze fixed on his mouth and then she flopped back onto her sleeping bag. “I can’t believe you’re saying this out loud.”
He followed her down and leaned over her, his elbow parked near her shoulder, his hand supporting his head. “I’m good at foreplay. I love going down on a woman.”
She briefly closed her eyes. “Now you’re just being silly. All my girlfriends say that getting a man to give as good as he gets is impossible.”
“Not this man.” He picked up her hand and pressed her fingers to his bearded chin. “Just imagine how this is going to feel against your skin.”
She shuddered as he gently sucked her fingers into his mouth. “Come on, Silver, we’ve got a couple of hours before I need to go and check on the horses again. We might as well put it to good use.”
“You’d really rather go through with this than answer a single question about your past?”
“Hell, yeah. This is much more fun.” He lowered his head and kissed her slowly and lavishly. “Have I convinced you yet?”
She licked her lips as if she tasted him and his cock woke up big-time.
“I’m so confused.”
“Why?” He kissed her again until she made that desperate humming noise in her throat that drove him wild.
“Because I want both things.” She looked up at him and grimaced. “And don’t tell me I always want everything. I get it.”
“You’ll have to choose.” He nipped her lip and then sucked the tender spot into his mouth. “I’m a man. You know I can’t multitask.”
* * *
Silver’s hand came up of its own volition to caress Ben’s neck and keep him exactly where she wanted him. Unfortunately, all he was proving was that her physical desire was stronger than her blatant curiosity about his early life. She could always ask him about that later, whereas she feared the opportunity for a lesson in foreplay would never come up again.
She took a deep breath. “Okay, then this had better be good.”
“It will be.” Ben’s slow smile made everything inside her perk up. “The first woman I dated long-term was a lot older than me, and she had ... high expectations.”
“As to what exactly?”
“How to properly please a woman. She was a damn fine teacher. She said she considered it her mission in life to send well-educated men out into the world who women would appreciate.”
“Was she right?”
“Damn straight.” He smoothed his thumb over