“Let’s find a little quiet. That okay with you?”
“Sure.” Because she was here for a reason tonight, because she’d silently picked Ben out of Meg’s lineup and there was no point in putting off her rebound sex.
Grabbing the tequila bottle, Ben took her hand and led her through the kitchen and down the hall to the bedroom. He knocked, saying with a grin, “Just in case. Or we could go to my place if you like.”
She smiled. “Here’s good.”
“Hey, we lucked out.” He shoved the door open.
Or Meg had warned everyone else off, Kate thought, but was too tipsy to give it much thought. Because, bottom line, this was about her leaving the past behind. This was the night she erased Dominic Knight from her memory.
Ben pulled her into the bedroom, shut the door, and walked to the bed, where he placed the bottle on the bedside table, sat down, and drew Kate down on his lap. “You should stay in Missoula for a while,” he whispered, kissing her lightly. “You could stay with me. I’ll show you how to ride.”
“Maybe,” she murmured, because it was easier than explaining why she couldn’t. And reaching up, she took his face in her hands and kissed him hard, shoving her tongue down his throat, wanting to feel something. She felt something all right, but it was his erection swelling against her bottom. Nothing for her. Not a scintilla of emotion. She might as well have been kissing the mirror. Christ, she could see a future devoid of mind-blowing sex stretching before her and she knew where the blame lay—with Dominic’s goddamn sexual prowess. She reached for the tequila bottle. “Want some?” She held it out.
“Nah. I’m good.” Ben smiled. “Take your time.”
Tipping the bottle to her mouth, she smiled back. “You’re way nice.”
“I’m not in a rush.”
Jeez, he was really nice. Although a guy with his looks wasn’t hard up for women to fuck. Swallowing, she took another quick shot, then put the bottle back and wrapped her arms around Ben’s neck. “There. Sometimes I’m real small town. Sorry about that.”
“Not a problem. Everyone in Montana’s from a small town.” He dipped his head and brushed her lips with his. “I can relate.”
In an effort to overcome her body’s stunning indifference to Ben’s delicate kiss and huge erection, Kate moved her bottom in a gentle undulation over his rigid dick.
With a low groan, he fell backward, taking her with him, and stretched out on the bed—cowboy boots and all. Shifting her slightly on his lean, muscled frame to accommodate the hard swell of his erection, he cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer for a kiss. “We’ll take it easy,” he said, his smile only inches away. “Small-town easy.”
Maybe that was the problem. Ben was too polite. Dominic often wasn’t; he was demanding, occasionally coercive, always in control. Jeez, did that make her some kind of masochist? Did normal sex leave her cold? But then she remembered their days on the Glory Girl when Dominic had been all tenderness and affection, when he’d made plans for their future, when he’d not said no to her even once. And suddenly, her eyes filled with tears and she was choked with grief. “I can’t do this,” she said on a suffocated sob, shoving herself upright. “I’m sorry.” Her tears spilled over, and sniffling and sniveling she said in a cracking voice, “I just broke up with someone. I’m a basket case.”
“I know. I’m not here to push you.”
Her eyes flared wide. “You know!”
“Luke told me. Hey, it’s no big deal.”
“Oh God,” she groaned, the shock at least drying up her tears. “How pathetic is that?”
“Hey, babe.” He slid his finger over her bottom lip. “I’d take on any guy to have you. Okay?”
“I don’t suppose this has ever happened to you? Only women cry about this shit.”
“Everyone’s gone through a breakup.” He smiled. “I didn’t cry, but I know what you mean.”
The way he said it, she doubted his world had gone dark. And for a second she debated shutting her eyes and going through with it. She sighed. “I guess I’m too much of a wuss.” And rolling off him, she sat on the edge of the bed.
He brushed her arm in a light downward drift of his hand. “We don’t have to do anything. We could go see a movie or something.”
“I feel really dumb,” she whispered.
“I could kick his ass for you.”
That brought a small smile to her face; she turned back to him. “I might take you up on that.”
“Anytime.”
Meg was right. There was no lack of testosterone in Montana. “I’ll let you know.” She came to her feet. “And thanks. Really.” Then she left the bedroom, walked to the bathroom, locked herself in, and quietly cried.
Ben followed her and talked to her through the door. Still polite. A real gentleman.
“Maybe next time,” he said. “Call me.” And he walked away.
What was wrong with her?
Did only arrogant pricks turn her on?
The day of Dominic’s rescheduled meeting finally arrived. Max, along with the other attendees, met in the sumptuous conference room of the Paris office, with Dominic lounging at the head of a long Empire table that had once graced the Château de Malmaison. Coffee, tea, and pastries were available, the cups set before each man Sèvres porcelain contemporary with the table. Small flower arrangements offered scent and color without blocking any sight lines. Dominic’s office staff was efficient.
“Sure.” Because she was here for a reason tonight, because she’d silently picked Ben out of Meg’s lineup and there was no point in putting off her rebound sex.
Grabbing the tequila bottle, Ben took her hand and led her through the kitchen and down the hall to the bedroom. He knocked, saying with a grin, “Just in case. Or we could go to my place if you like.”
She smiled. “Here’s good.”
“Hey, we lucked out.” He shoved the door open.
Or Meg had warned everyone else off, Kate thought, but was too tipsy to give it much thought. Because, bottom line, this was about her leaving the past behind. This was the night she erased Dominic Knight from her memory.
Ben pulled her into the bedroom, shut the door, and walked to the bed, where he placed the bottle on the bedside table, sat down, and drew Kate down on his lap. “You should stay in Missoula for a while,” he whispered, kissing her lightly. “You could stay with me. I’ll show you how to ride.”
“Maybe,” she murmured, because it was easier than explaining why she couldn’t. And reaching up, she took his face in her hands and kissed him hard, shoving her tongue down his throat, wanting to feel something. She felt something all right, but it was his erection swelling against her bottom. Nothing for her. Not a scintilla of emotion. She might as well have been kissing the mirror. Christ, she could see a future devoid of mind-blowing sex stretching before her and she knew where the blame lay—with Dominic’s goddamn sexual prowess. She reached for the tequila bottle. “Want some?” She held it out.
“Nah. I’m good.” Ben smiled. “Take your time.”
Tipping the bottle to her mouth, she smiled back. “You’re way nice.”
“I’m not in a rush.”
Jeez, he was really nice. Although a guy with his looks wasn’t hard up for women to fuck. Swallowing, she took another quick shot, then put the bottle back and wrapped her arms around Ben’s neck. “There. Sometimes I’m real small town. Sorry about that.”
“Not a problem. Everyone in Montana’s from a small town.” He dipped his head and brushed her lips with his. “I can relate.”
In an effort to overcome her body’s stunning indifference to Ben’s delicate kiss and huge erection, Kate moved her bottom in a gentle undulation over his rigid dick.
With a low groan, he fell backward, taking her with him, and stretched out on the bed—cowboy boots and all. Shifting her slightly on his lean, muscled frame to accommodate the hard swell of his erection, he cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer for a kiss. “We’ll take it easy,” he said, his smile only inches away. “Small-town easy.”
Maybe that was the problem. Ben was too polite. Dominic often wasn’t; he was demanding, occasionally coercive, always in control. Jeez, did that make her some kind of masochist? Did normal sex leave her cold? But then she remembered their days on the Glory Girl when Dominic had been all tenderness and affection, when he’d made plans for their future, when he’d not said no to her even once. And suddenly, her eyes filled with tears and she was choked with grief. “I can’t do this,” she said on a suffocated sob, shoving herself upright. “I’m sorry.” Her tears spilled over, and sniffling and sniveling she said in a cracking voice, “I just broke up with someone. I’m a basket case.”
“I know. I’m not here to push you.”
Her eyes flared wide. “You know!”
“Luke told me. Hey, it’s no big deal.”
“Oh God,” she groaned, the shock at least drying up her tears. “How pathetic is that?”
“Hey, babe.” He slid his finger over her bottom lip. “I’d take on any guy to have you. Okay?”
“I don’t suppose this has ever happened to you? Only women cry about this shit.”
“Everyone’s gone through a breakup.” He smiled. “I didn’t cry, but I know what you mean.”
The way he said it, she doubted his world had gone dark. And for a second she debated shutting her eyes and going through with it. She sighed. “I guess I’m too much of a wuss.” And rolling off him, she sat on the edge of the bed.
He brushed her arm in a light downward drift of his hand. “We don’t have to do anything. We could go see a movie or something.”
“I feel really dumb,” she whispered.
“I could kick his ass for you.”
That brought a small smile to her face; she turned back to him. “I might take you up on that.”
“Anytime.”
Meg was right. There was no lack of testosterone in Montana. “I’ll let you know.” She came to her feet. “And thanks. Really.” Then she left the bedroom, walked to the bathroom, locked herself in, and quietly cried.
Ben followed her and talked to her through the door. Still polite. A real gentleman.
“Maybe next time,” he said. “Call me.” And he walked away.
What was wrong with her?
Did only arrogant pricks turn her on?
The day of Dominic’s rescheduled meeting finally arrived. Max, along with the other attendees, met in the sumptuous conference room of the Paris office, with Dominic lounging at the head of a long Empire table that had once graced the Château de Malmaison. Coffee, tea, and pastries were available, the cups set before each man Sèvres porcelain contemporary with the table. Small flower arrangements offered scent and color without blocking any sight lines. Dominic’s office staff was efficient.
