“Thanks, Chase. I appreciate it.”
“I ain’t one to brag, but I’ve gotten good at this touchy feely shit since meeting my Ava Rose.” Chase belched. “Speakin’ of…gotta see what my missus is up to.”
Ben had a strange pang of jealousy when Chase swept Ava into his arms and plopped her on his lap, kissing her soundly. They were so in love, so attuned to each other—so oblivious to assorted family members shouting at them to get a room.
He had time to study how his family clustered together. His cousin’s wives, Channing, Macie, AJ, Ginger and India had babies propped on their hips. His mom, Aunt Carolyn and Aunt Kimi were carting around their grandkids. Tell, Dalton, Brandt and Jessie had formed their own group in the living room corner. The rest of his cousins were outside because it was damn hot in here. The horde of kids running in and out every ten seconds hadn’t done much to cool the place off.
No one bothered him. The groups shifted. He saw his sister-in-law Libby bustling around in the kitchen with Domini and Skylar. No surprise Keely had cornered Gavin, but from the looks of it, Gavin was holding his own.
He realized while amusing himself with his family’s antics, he’d lost track of Ainsley. He turned and there she was. “Hey. I was wondering where you’d gone off to.”
“I’ve been behind you the last fifteen minutes.”
“Really?”
“It’d be easy to get overlooked in this family, wouldn’t it?”
Ben let her insightful comment pass. “You’re welcome to share my section of wall if you don’t mind bein’ overlooked.”
“Thank you.” She scooted next to him, but not right next to him. “You’re pretty quiet around your family.”
“Sorta hard to get a word in edgewise, if you hadn’t noticed,” he said dryly.
“I met Quinn. He’s…reserved.”
“Only around people he doesn’t know.”
She blinked at him. “He doesn’t know his family? Because he hasn’t said much to them either.”
He shrugged. “It’s always been that way with us.”
“Do you two talk at all when you’re working together?”
“Sure. If something needs said. But neither one of us jaws on and on just to fill the silence.” He let his arm dangle by hers. “What enlightening things did you learn about other McKays?”
A panicked look crossed her face. “I’ll never keep the names straight. I asked your cousin…Keely? If they’d developed a smart phone app for the family tree. I was kidding but her husband seemed serious about it.”
He leaned closer. “To be honest, I’d buy one. Then I’d have a reference point for each new baby and that baby’s siblings. I think I called Colby’s second boy the wrong name for the better part of a year.”
Ainsley laughed softly.
“God I love to hear you laugh.”
“Ben.”
“Ainsley.”
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“I can’t help it. I’ve been thinking about the first thing I’m gonna do to you after I peel off that sexy skirt. It makes your ass look amazing, by the way.”
Her gaze fell to his mouth and she licked her lips. “What idea is winning?”
“It’s a tie right now between smacking your ass until you come, or f**king it until you come.”
“I can’t believe you said that. Here in your mother’s house, with all your relatives within earshot.”
His smile held no guilt whatsoever. “But I didn’t hear you sayin’ no.”
Ainsley cocked her head, acting coy. “Because I’m trying to decide which option holds more appeal for me, Bennett. Not that you’d give me a say.”
Without breaking eye contact, Ben reached for her hand and squeezed before releasing it. “I’ll give you a say, but there is a condition.”
“Which is?”
“We leave right f**king now.”
Her hazel eyes heated to a molten gold. Those ripe lips curled into a smirk. “I am feeling tired, now that you mention it.”
It took ten minutes to say goodbye, and Ben knew he’d missed people. If it’d been up to him, they would’ve just left, but Ainsley was too polite for that.
Once they were finally in his truck, he said, “Straight to my place?”
“My car is still at the community center. I need to get it and I’ll follow you out.”
He kept hold of her hand, absentmindedly running his thumb over her knuckles. He’d thought the simple touch would soothe him, would lessen his overwhelming need to pull his truck over and f**k her blind. But it only made him more impatient. He shifted in his seat, trying to combat the pressure from his jeans on his already hard cock. Trying to combat the pressure inside himself he didn’t quite understand.
He’d been with her last night. Pushing her limits. Mixing it up. Not holding back on his Dom side, but keeping their slap and tickle more focused on the tickle side, than the slap. Using the flogger on the front side of her body. Holding her on edge, waiting for the multi-point sting that never connected. She hadn’t acted frustrated, especially not when he’d set the flogger aside and f**ked her, face-to-face. Taking his time, building up, pulling back, dragging out the pleasure for an hour before letting them both come. Afterward, Ainsley had been so exhausted, she’d crawled in his bed and had fallen asleep. And like some kind of lovesick sap, he’d crawled in bed beside her and watched her sleep, unable to stop from touching her even when she wasn’t aware he was doing it.
He had no f**king idea what was wrong with him.
He parked next to her car, noticing it wasn’t the only one left in the lot. He took her hand and helped her from the cab.
She surprised him with a kiss. “Can I just say that I really love how you always open my door? And walk me to my car?”
“It’s my pleasure.”
Her fingers toyed with the snaps on his shirt. “I can tell you’re antsy. My place is closer than yours. So since I have some say in tonight’s fun and games, can we play there? You could even keep your truck parked here, if you’re worried about someone seeing it parked in my drive.”
She was worried about his reputation? Right.
But he was too horny to care.
“Drive.”
Chapter Eighteen
Wally and Charo usually greeted her at the door no matter what time she rolled in, complaining loudly, and sniffing her shoes. Not tonight.