Um, I don’t understand him. He’s Ben Barrett, for God’s sake. After watching a two-minute TV segment on him, I’m pretty sure he could walk out of here and have five phone numbers in his pocket before he even leaves the building.
So why the hell is he still here?
“All I want to do is spend some time with you,” he adds. “And if you’re honest, you’ll admit you want to spend time with me.”
“Ben—”
He silences me by raising a hand, and like an obedient third-grader, my jaw slams shut.
“I have a proposition for you,” he announces, a grin tugging on one side of his mouth.
Wariness circles me. “What kind of proposition?”
“I’ll have sex with you if you let me stay here a while.”
Wait. What?
With a pleasant expression, he begins removing items from the take-out bag. He carefully places each cardboard container on the table. He reaches into the bag for the napkins and cutlery.
I stare at him.
Obviously I misheard him, because no way did he just offer to sleep with me in exchange for room and board.
Yeah… I’m not even humoring this one.
I shift my suspicions to the feast he’s laying out on the table. I told him to check into a hotel, and instead he’s come back with that cocky attitude and a bag of Chinese food that smells so damn good and makes my empty stomach growl in anticipation.
“Gimme that,” I grumble, grabbing the carton of egg rolls from his hands.
“That’s all you’ve got to say?” Ben watches as I munch on a roll, his eyes bewildered. “You’re not going to respond to my proposition?”
I spare him a withering glance. “No.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because it’s so ridiculous it doesn’t merit a response.”
“It’s not ridiculous and you know it.”
“What I know,” I say, swallowing before reaching for another egg roll, “is that you’re nuts. I’m not giving you a place to stay in exchange for sex.”
“Why not? We both know you really need the sex.”
My nostrils flare. Deciding it’s best to ignore this entire absurd exchange, I reach for a carton of chicken fried rice and grab a fork.
My silent treatment seems to work, because Ben closes his mouth. But he continues to watch me, so intently, so knowingly, that it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore the flicker of heat in my belly.
Fine, so maybe his proposition isn’t totally ridiculous. Maybe the thought of having sex with Ben is even more delicious than this food. Maybe giving him a blowjob in the shower had been one of the hottest sexual experiences of my life and maybe I want to do it again.
Doesn’t mean I’ll give in.
“How long is your roommate away for?” he finally asks.
“Eight days.” I chew slowly. “Not that it should matter to you. You’re not staying here.”
He leans back against the sofa cushions. “You don’t find my offer the least bit tempting?”
“Nope.”
“Liar.”
I ignore the jab and dig into a plate of vegetables, hoping he’ll just drop this.
But that’s hoping for too much, of course.
Before I can blink, he swipes the fork from my hands and tosses it on the table. Then, without giving me time to protest, he pulls me onto his lap and grasps my hips so I can’t move.
“Let me stay with you, Maggie.”
“No,” I say, trying very hard to ignore the warmth of his hands against my hips, the heat of his groin against my thighs.
He dips his head and brushes a soft kiss over my lips. My attempt at moving away is futile. He just moves one hand to the back of my head and threads his fingers through my hair, holding me in place.
“Let me stay with you,” he whispers against my mouth. Then he licks my lower lip. Captures it with his teeth and starts nibbling.
I give an involuntary moan.
Grinning, he pulls back. “C’mon,” he coaxes. “You know you don’t want me to leave.”
An argument reaches my lips, but when I open my mouth, nothing comes out.
“You came to that hotel because you needed a release. I can give you that release.”
I shift, trying to ease off his lap, but all I succeed in doing is rubbing against his dick, which hardens instantly.
“Forget about Tony. I’ll give you all the sex you crave and more.”
My cheeks grow pink and finally I find my voice. “I’m not some virgin you need to deflower.”
“I don’t want to deflower you. I want to fuck you.” His voice takes on a seductive note. “Eight days. For the next eight days I’ll fuck your brains out. Anything you want me to do to you, I’ll do. Anytime you want it, you’ll have it.”
Oh God. His words send a bolt of desire down my spine and straight to my pussy. I’ve already come twice today, but suddenly I’m aching for release again. How does he manage to do this to me, to send me into a state of mindless lust?