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Opal caught her breath, and his smile softened the severity of his face. A sly boyish charm lit in his eyes, and he grabbed her hand. Her tiger purred at the contact.
“Good night,” he said, shaking her hand, his thumb rubbing small circles on her searing skin.
Her voice was almost a sigh. “Good night. It was nice to meet you, Benton.”
He closed the distance between them, tilting his head down as she angled hers up. Her heart raced. This unwavering gaze penetrated her. His eyes flashed, and his tiger was just underneath the surface.
Opal’s tongue darted out, skimming the round surface of her lips. Benton traced the movement with his eyes, his nostrils flaring. He leaned in until she could feel his breath colliding with hers. Turning his face at the last moment, he kissed her cheek.
“I'll see you tomorrow,” he said.
Benton held the door open for her. She slid into the driver's seat in a daze. After one last smile, he shut the door, disappearing into the shadows of the parking lot.
Opal let out the breath she’d been holding. The memory of his soft lips left a trail of heat on her skin. It roared as blatant as the engine of her car, spreading through her body in a rush of unspoken possibilities.
This was more than lust.
It opened a door inside her that she didn't know existed.
Opal drove toward home, her cheek still tingling.
She was exhausted.
Spending the day organizing tomorrow's events, followed by a night with her mate, had left her feeling like she’d run a marathon. Her heart agreed, beating in her chest in rapid succession.
She made her way inside her home with long strides, suddenly determined to delve into the abyss of sleep. Anything was better than sitting up thinking of Benton and all the paths their night could have taken.
Opal opened the door to her room, throwing herself down on the mattress. She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. She tried to squeeze her eyes together and wait for sleep to take her. Time began to stretch. Every second that passed was another moment trapped in the mystery of Benton. Her mate.
Tonight wasn’t nearly enough. She needed to know more about him.
Fuck it!
She turned to the nightstand and plucked up her laptop. Her fingers paused over the keys considering all the things she could find. She was never one to enjoy surprises, so she typed Benton’s name into the search engine.
He was listed as one of the world’s top poker players. She could barely contain her delight. This just made Senior Rights one of the top contenders for the win. As she continued her search, she was surprised to see that there wasn’t a trace of anyone in his life but him. He never had a long-term girlfriend and no photos, either. When she cross-referenced social media pages, she came up blank on every platform.
Her curiosity was piqued.
Just whowasBenton O’Connell?
SIX
BENTON
Benton rolled over in the king-sized bed. Opal floated through his mind.
He groaned. His first thought in the morning was her. Benton had stopped himself from rubbing one out last night to her curves, cleavage, and bouncing hair. Her blue eyes were the color of the water. If he wasn’t on the poker circuit for charity right now, he would have bent her over a poker table and had her screaming until dawn.
As it stood, he did not allow himself a release during tournaments. It helped him focus. It was what gave him that edge. But, once this tournament was over, he would spend hours, days probably, fucking Opal sideways.
Benton shook his head. He had to focus. He hadn’t ever had trouble like this.
Annoyed thoughts drifted to Gerri. He would have been fine if she hadn’t introduced them before the event. Maybe he would have sensed or smelled Opal, but he wouldn’t wake up to thoughts of wanting her to rip the sheets to shreds while he drove himself into her.
But now, irritation and horniness percolated in a mixed drink of frustration, confusion, and bliss.
Dinner last night was wonderful.
