The corner of his mouth tilted. “Oh yeah?”
I rolled my eyes. “Not likethat.”
Though, now that he’d mentioned it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. What it would be like to make a man like Bennett feel good. To have him between my legs, pressing his length into me. Our chests brushing. Lips locked as his body settled over mine.
“It’s fine.” I lifted my shoulder. “I was going to offer to rub your head, but…”
“Rub my head?” He started laughing. “I’m sorry.” He held up a hand. “Okay. I’ll stop.”
With the way he was acting, it reminded me of River when he’d get slaphappy because he was overtired. I almost sent Bennett off to bed, but selfishly, I wasn’t ready to say goodnight.
He climbed down to the floor, his neck almost aligned with my crotch, his shoulders pressing against my thighs. He was warm and solid, grounding me in a way no one else ever had.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
“Mm-hmm.” I studied the shape of his head, the way his hair felt as I ran my fingers through the golden strands.
“That feels so good,” he said on a sigh
I nodded and imagined him closing his eyes. I could feel his body relaxing against mine. It was nice to do something for Bennett for a change. He was always taking care of everyone else—the animals at his clinic, River,me. I wanted him to know that he was appreciated. That it was okay to do something for himself.
He sighed, tilting his head back so the top was practically resting against my center. Suddenly, I was very aware of his every breath, his every move. My nipples pebbled, rubbing against the silk of my shirt every time I shifted.
He ran his fingers up my foot, over the skin of my legs. His touch was light, but still firm enough that it was relaxing instead of tickling. He peered up at me, his beautiful blue eyes questioning. Is this okay?they asked.
I swallowed hard and nodded, not wanting him to stop. It felt so good—his hands on my skin. And the way he was looking at me had desire flooding my body, pooling in my core. But there was no rush, no push for more. Just the two of us, taking care of each other.
I moved to his temples, massaging, exploring. His skin was so smooth, and while I’d looked at him countless times, I’d never really had the opportunity to study him like this. The way his eyelashes fanned against his skin, dark and long. The scar on his forehead that looked like Harry Potter’s.
“Where’d you get this?” I asked, tracing it. Another mystery about his past. About the years we’d spent apart.
He chuckled but didn’t otherwise move. “That’s a crazy story.”
“Yeah? Was it Voldemort’s doing?” I teased.
He laughed. “No. Though the guy who did it was pretty evil. I didn’t even know him.”
I waited for him to continue, brushing my fingers over his face, allowing myself to just look at him. He was beautiful in a rugged sort of way.
“I guess you could say it was a case of mistaken identity.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he sighed and closed his eyes once more. Both of us touching each other gently, exploring. I briefly wondered if he did this with the other women in his life, but there didn’t seem to be any. Or maybe I just didn’t want there to be any.
“I was out with some friends during veterinary school,” he said. “Liam came with us, though he’d disappeared at some point to use the restroom. Anyway, this guy comes up and starts yelling at me out of the blue. Accuses me of stealing his girlfriend.”
I frowned, not liking where this story was headed. Even so, it was a reminder that nearly every important memory of Bennett’s was tied to my brother.
“When I told him I had no idea who his girlfriend was, he described her in detail, down to the globe tattoo over her right breast.”
He scoffed. “Perhaps he thought I was trying to be cute. Next thing I knew, he was busting his beer bottle over my head.”
“Ouch.” I winced. “I bet that hurt.”
“Mm. So, my buddy gets a few good shots before the jackass runs off. Then, guess who shows up, arm around a blonde with a globe tattoo on her chest?”
I cringed. “My brother.”
