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“Any of her aunts and uncles would have come to the rescue.”
“But they didn’t,” I pointed out. “Youdid.”
He shrugged. “I was around. It was no big deal.”
Obviously, I’d never been a single mother with a sick child, but I was sure it was a big deal to Lyra to have someone to count on. Bennett was uncomfortable with the praise, though, so I let it go as he drove us to his house. While I’d been there before, I’d never actually been inside, and I was curious. I pictured a bachelor pad with a massive TV and pizza boxes strewn about. Or perhaps his mother and sisters had lent their touch to make it homey with curtains and throw pillows.
As soon as he unlocked the front door, a flash of fur leaped out of the darkness at me. Bennett was prepared and grabbed Larry’s collar before he could slam into me. The poor pooch was jerked to a halt with a yip.
Bennett sighed. “When will you learn, you mangy mutt?”
I knelt down to greet my furry friend. “You’re just exuberant.”
Bennett flipped on the light switch. “He’s a pain in the ass.” His tone was affectionate, making his words softer than they seemed at face value. “He’s going to obedience school as soon as I can manage it.”
I stood and took a gander at the room. Aside from the big screen TV mounted on the wall, I’d been wrong with both my guesses. Bennett was a minimalist. A single gray couch with a matching recliner and one end table graced his living room. The walls were bare.
He caught me inspecting the place and rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, never got around to decorating.”
I cocked my head. “Do you ever plan to get around to it?”
He chuckled softly. “No, I suppose not. With so many people in my house when I was growing up, it always felt cluttered to me.”
His parents’ house hadn’t seemed at all cluttered to me, but they also had nine fewer people living there now. The bareness of Bennett’s house suited him. Like him, it was straight and to the point. Bennett didn’t like bullshit in any shape or form.
I followed him into the kitchen, which was just as underdecorated as the living room. There were only two things on his kitchen counters—an old-school coffeemaker and a ceramic container with the words “Woof, woof! Who’s a good boy?” I guessed the latter was a gift from his parents.
Bennett opened a cabinet and pulled out a bag of dog food. Larry yipped and hopped while Bennett measured out two scoops. “Do you want something to drink?” he asked as he set the dog bowl on the floor.
I only needed a second to consider my options. I was done screwing around with this man. Or perhaps it would be more correct to say I wanted to start screwing this man. I didn’t see how a future could work for us, but we had the now, and I intended to make the most of it.
Bennett turned toward me, and I was on him, throwing my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his in an urgent kiss. Gripping my ass, he lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around him. He set me on the counter, but I didn’t release my hold on him.
I was kidding myself if I thought I’d be able to walk away from this man unscathed. I was already in deeper than I should have been, but there was no turning back. I’d already fallen.
After a few moments, Bennett broke away. We were both panting. “I take it you don’t want a drink.”
“I only want you,” I said quietly.
I wished that weren’t true. I wished this was only a physical thing for me, but I was smitten with this man, warts and all. Bennett was ornery and stubborn, but he was perfect in all ways that mattered—he was kind, generous, and loyal.
And to use his words, hot as fuck. I really needed to check out the back of the Banks Brew Co. to see if the man kept a weight bench there. A man who spent most of his time standing behind a bar should not be so ripped.
“I’m yours,” Bennett said.
But is he really? No, he isn’t.A lump formed in my throat, which only served to piss me off. I needed to stay out of my own damn head.Easier said than done.
I didn’t want to talk anymore because that only complicated things. I fumbled with the buttons on his shirt then slid it down his arms. I tugged his T-shirt over his head and splayed my fingers over his chest. His nipples immediately hardened, making me smile. I drew one into my mouth and nipped at it with my teeth.
After a moment, Bennett whispered, “I can’t take your shirt off when you’re doing that.”
“Maybe I’m happy with that status quo.”
“I’m pretty sure you want what I have to offer.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. So many double meanings in our words. The talking needed to stop.
I pulled my shirt over my head, and Bennett made quick work of my bra. He pulled one nipple into his mouth, and I moaned as heat pooled in my core. If his mouth on me couldn’t turn my brain off, nothing could.
