Straddling the Line - By Sarah M. Anderson Page 0,44

drew him to her? She expected better of him. And he wanted to be better for her.

“I didn’t come home with an arrogant asshole.”

His head popped up and he looked at her. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the dark, he could make out her eyes. Had he ever heard her cuss before?

She leaned up until their faces were parallel. “I came home with a man who lets artists pay their rent in paintings. A man who bought drums for complete strangers so they wouldn’t have to share just one. A man smart enough to run a company and crazy enough to play in a rock band. A man who makes sure ladies are first. I came home with a true gentleman.”

She kissed him, one of those soft-and-gentle things that should have made him horny but just left him with a strange sort of lightness.

“Good night, Ben,” she murmured as she slid to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“My Josey” was all he got out before he drifted, trying to think of what that strange feeling was.

Happy. That’s what it was. He felt happy.

*

Ben woke up at his normal time, with the light streaming in through the windows. He turned to where Josey was stretched out on her stomach next to him. The sheet was slung low over her hips and most of her hair was off to one side, leaving the smooth expanse of her back uncovered. It had been a long time—way too long—since he’d woken up wanting a woman. He leaned over and brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. He should let her sleep. That would be the gentlemanly thing to do—and she seemed to think he was a gentleman.

But he wasn’t.

He trailed his fingertips up her back, watching as each muscle twitched in involuntary response. When he did it a second time, her eyes fluttered open.

“Hi.” Her voice was soft and breathy as she reached over and touched his cheek.

He went from half-hard to rock-hard in seconds. He should let her wake up a little, he tried to tell himself. He wasn’t some sex-starved teenager who couldn’t control himself.

But something about this woman made him do impulsive, crazy things. He caught hold of her fingers before she could pull them back and kissed her palm. She gasped, her eyes going wide. Then she exhaled, a coy smile on her face.

That was all the invitation he needed. He rolled, pulling her with him until she was right where she’d been last night—on top of him.

She stretched out like a cat after a delicious nap, making the sheet fall away. Yeah, he’d sort of seen those breasts last night, but the difference between light and dark was literally day and night. Her nipples were a deep wine color that almost perfectly matched her lips. This time, he wasn’t stopping at just a taste.

He leaned up enough that he could capture one of those perfect breasts. She ground her hips down on him, enough that he could feel her warmth against his erection. When he fastened onto her, a small groan shuddered out of her.

Logically, he knew he should slow down. He should take his time to savor her, make sure that she was ready for him. But the way she moved on top of him—where were the condoms?

He used the last of his self-control to lift her bottom off him and lunge for the nightstand. He snagged a condom on the second try. Quick enough, he got it rolled on and she settled her weight back on him.

“Go slow,” he pleaded as her wetness sheathed him. “I want to watch you.”

Her eyes drifted shut as she nodded. She had complete control this time, and he was dying to see what she would do with it. She rocked down onto him with great care, making small gasps as she took him in.

The going was slower this time. That was his own greedy fault, but he watched her face for any sign that it wasn’t working. None. Her mouth parted as she panted until she surrounded him completely. Once there, she paused to stretch back, giving him plenty of time to feel her firm breasts, her firm backside.

She’d be the death of him, because he’d die for this kind of pleasure. Something about the way she arched her back, the way her small movements felt huge—the way her tightness felt so damn good around him—was different than anything he’d ever felt before.

“You’re so