Never Too Much Page 18

  He’d said it as a question, but Sierra could tell he expected her agreement.

  She quite honestly didn’t know what to do. This was Noah, the man who’d been raised on the streets, the man who hadn’t had anyone. She’d felt so much sympathy for him, that even now her heart softened just looking at him.

  Ben had described him as dangerous. Well, other than his impressive size, he looked harmless enough now, but there was a distinct wildness shining in his electric blue eyes that was missing in Ben.

  Though, come to think of it, Ben was looking pretty savage himself at the moment.

  Her long delay in replying made Ben explode anew. “Are you going to let us in or not?”

  She glared at him. “They’re more than welcome.” And she shoved past him to the front door.

  From behind her, Sierra heard Ben groan, heard Noah burst out laughing, and then Grace whispered, “I’m sure she didn’t mean it, Ben. Come on, you can help us all get acquainted.”

  She’d meant it all right, but ten minutes later they were all settled in her tiny living room. She and Ben were on the couch, and because it was so short, they practically touched though Sierra did her best to keep space between them, without being too obvious about it.

  Grace was in a kitchen chair, which she proclaimed more than comfortable, and Noah had propped his big body up against the wall. For just a moment, Sierra was embarrassed that she didn’t have more furniture. Of course, she’d never expected to have guests, either.

  That worry was forgotten, however, when Noah said, “We’d like to hire you for some landscaping.”

  “Lots and lots of landscaping,” Grace added with a happy smile.

  Sierra knew they were only trying to help her, offering her work because they thought she needed it. Had Ben put them up to it? Did she look that desperate? Didn’t anyone trust in her capabilities? She’d been through too much that day to take a handout.

  Despite his size and dark countenance, she scowled at Noah. She could always use the work, but not out of pity. And the fact that these people were related to Ben would only tie her more tightly to him, when now, more than ever, she needed distance from him.

  She met Noah’s icy-blue gaze and straightened her shoulders. “Now why would you want to hire me?”

  And Ben, who evidently took exception to her tone, muttered, “Well, it sure as hell isn’t for your sweet disposition.”

  When Sierra looked ready to clout him, Ben regretted his words. There was a fragile look about her tonight, and it pulled at him, making him want to lift her into his lap and kiss away her worries. But she was being so surly, her mood toward his family so distrustful, that he wouldn’t take them back.

  Noah didn’t seem to think anything of her grumping. But then Noah hid his thoughts well whenever it suited him to do so. “I saw the work you did at Parker’s Point, and I saw how fast you got it done.”

  Grace nodded. “We own condos here and in Florida. We like to keep them looking nice. But we just bought a place that’s in horrible shape. No grass, scraggly shrubs, not a single flower or spot of color anywhere. We can’t very well keep the units rented when it looks so ugly. We were hoping you’d have time to give us an estimate on a custom design. I can tell you what I’d like, but I don’t know enough about sunlight and soil to know what’ll grow well there.”

  Bless sweet Grace, Ben thought, when she finally wound down to take a breath. Now there was a woman with a lovable personality. Unlike Sierra—Ben gave her a dark look—Grace was always happy to see him, always smiling at him. He looked at Sierra’s profile, watching her swallow her annoyance long enough to talk business with his brother. For the first time, he noticed the dark shadows beneath her eyes.

  Hadn’t she been sleeping enough? How long had her ex been bothering her?

  With sudden clarity, Ben remembered the phone calls. She hadn’t wanted to answer, but he’d goaded her into it. “It was him on the damn phone, wasn’t it?”

  Everyone went silent, until finally Noah asked, “Him who?”

  Sierra glowered. “Not now, Ben.”

  Grace stared in fascination.

  Ben withdrew, but only for the moment. He continued to think, to ponder different things that were starting to make sense to him now. Perhaps Sierra wasn’t comparing him to her ex. Perhaps she feared what her ex might do to her if she got involved with another man. Ex-husbands could still be very jealous, even territorial. Had Sierra left him, or vice versa? Did the man still care about her?

  No one bothered Ben in his sullen ruminations because they were all too busy ignoring him. That suited him just fine. He felt like he was finally getting some things figured out and he didn’t want to be interrupted.

  Kent had said that Sierra tried to protect everyone but herself. Uneasiness prickled along Ben’s spine. Did that mean her husband might hurt her? Or that he’d already hurt her? Or both?

  Sierra had made statements about men taking away choices, making women do things, and now those comments took on new meaning.

  His hands curled into fists. He should have beat the shit out of the guy when he’d had the chance.

  His only excuse was that Sierra had bordered on hysteria, and that had knocked his knees right out from under him. She was usually so confident, so strong, that seeing her shaken had shaken him. He’d been frantic to reassure her, to make certain she wasn’t hurt. She hadn’t wanted them to fight, that was certain. But why?

  Did Sierra think her ex could hurt him? Ben snorted, drawing startled glances from everyone. He waved them and their unwanted attention away and went back to pondering the puzzle of Sierra’s behavior.

  Usually she was so tough . . . No. Ben shook his head, disregarding that thought and drawing more curious stares. Sierra was small and sweet, she just pretended to be tough.

  Because she’d had to be in order to survive?

  Well, that was over. He gave a sharp nod and again had his brother and Grace glancing at him. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her ever again. He’d take care of her.

  But Kent had claimed her independence and privacy to be very important to her, and from what he’d learned of her, it was true. She wouldn’t take kindly to him interfering in her troubles, even if he acted in her best interest. So what should he do?

  Grace touched his knee. “Ben? You’re sitting there muttering to yourself and gesturing like a deranged man. Are you okay?”

  He was so lost in thought that for a moment, he had no idea what Grace had asked him. He stared at her, totally blank, then he gathered himself and slapped his knees. “Yeah, I’m fine. Is your discussion over?”

  Grace settled back in her seat, bemused by him. “Yes. Sierra will give us an estimate tomorrow.”

  “Great.” He pushed to his feet, eager to be alone with her. “Then if you two will excuse us?”

  Grace coughed away her smile, but Noah didn’t bother. “A little tact wouldn’t kill you, you know.”

  Sierra stared at him, her look mean, her tone more so. “No, but I might.”

  Ben tsked-tsked her, grinning all the while and filled with purpose. He herded his brother to the door. “Thanks for stopping by Noah, Grace.”

  Grace hugged him, and whispered in his ear. “You’re coming on awfully strong, Ben.”

  He smacked her on her ample behind. “Trust me, she loves it.”

  Noah scooped Grace away from him. “Yeah. She looks real smitten the way she’s grinding her teeth.” Then he punched Ben in the shoulder. “Keep your hands off my wife’s ass.”

  Rubbing his shoulder, Ben repeated, “She loves it,” and had to duck when Grace swatted at him.

  He was still chuckling when he turned the deadbolt on the front door and walked back to Sierra. One look at her tense, sullen expression and his humor died.

  He’d known her less than a month. Except for that first night, he hadn’t had her naked, hadn’t been able to touch her as he wanted to. But he’d gotten closer to her in other ways than any other woman he’d kn
own.

  Most times she was so easy to read, so open to him. Other times she shut him out completely. Always, she tugged at his heartstrings.

  Looking at her now, he smiled. “Uh-oh. Am I in trouble here?”

  She opened her mouth to blast him and he blurted, “I am so damn sorry, sweetheart.” Sorry for the assumptions he’d made, sorry for not understanding. Sorry for trying to manipulate her.

  While she sputtered, Ben sat next to her, caught both her hands in his, and kissed her. It had been far too long since he’d had her mouth and his senses rioted. He meant the kiss to be brief, a show of tenderness.

  Her mouth was already open and she didn’t pull away, so he took advantage, licking along her bottom lip, slowly, gently, then slipping inside. Sierra made a soft sound and tipped her head back a little, inadvertently giving him better access. She always tasted so good to him, so . . . perfect.

  She didn’t slap him, so Ben continued, dipping, retreating, dipping again. When she still didn’t object, he settled in for a long, slow, tongue-thrusting, mating-of-the-mouth kiss.

  Like a snowball in July, Sierra melted.

  Ben heard her gruff moan, felt the way she shifted marginally toward him. God, it had been an eternity since he’d tasted her like this. A week had felt like a year when he’d wanted her mouth his every waking second.

  Her hands first touched his chest, tentative and shy, then moved to his shoulders before looping around his neck so her fingers could twine in his hair.

  He was lost.

  “I’ve missed you so goddamned much.” Ben groaned that sentiment against her lips, unable to stop himself. Before the words were fully said, Sierra pulled him back, fusing their mouths together again, catching his tongue and sucking on it.

  It seemed every bit of anger she’d felt, all his frustration and worry, had exploded into blinding passion. In a near frenzy, he searched out her breast and cuddled it in his palm, found her nipple with his fingertips, teased and rolled and plucked. She arched into him with a soft, hungry cry.

  “Jesus, you are so hot.” She took his breath away with her quick acceptance. When Ben lowered her to the couch cushions, she didn’t complain. In fact, she opened her legs to make room for him, allowing him to settle into the cradle of her body. It felt like she’d been made for him, the alignment perfect enough to drive him wild.

  He struggled with her shirt, shoving it up until it tucked beneath her chin leaving her nearly naked from her chest to the waistband of her shorts. She looked so pretty with her pale breasts rising and falling, her abdomen expanding, her belly pulled tight.

  Using his teeth, Ben caught her nipple through her bra. Her fingers clenched painfully in his hair and she groaned. He nipped at her, tugged insistently, and when she cried out, he tugged again.

  “Ben.”

  “Swear to me, Sierra.” He raised up to see her and caught her face in his hands so she had no choice but to look at him. “I’ll trust you to know what’s best for you. But you have to trust me a little, too.”

  She twisted against him. “No, I don’t know how.”

  There was so much sadness in her tone, it scared Ben. He took her mouth again, long and hard and thorough, just to erase that awful desolation from her eyes. “Swear to me that if you need me, you’ll call.”

  “Ben.” Green eyes smoldering, she ran her hands over his chest, down his sides to his hips, making him shudder. “I haven’t been able to sleep for wanting to touch you again.”

  “You’ll sleep tonight, sweetheart.” He traced her cheekbones, seeing the signs of fatigue that proved her words. God, he’d been a fool with his stupid plans of a bogus friendship. He’d been playing cat and mouse games, with Sierra as the mouse. She deserved better. He should have told her all along that he needed everything. “Now swear to me.”

  “There’s so much you don’t understand.”

  And so much she didn’t want to explain. It shook him, this great reserve of hers. No one should be so alone. “We’ll figure everything out later. But for now I just want your word that you’ll let me know if you need me.”

  “All right.” She drew in a deep, uncertain breath. “But otherwise, Ben, please don’t interfere.”

  It was a start. Ben nodded his agreement and saw the smile in her eyes, the softening of her worry.

  And the burning of desire.

  “You care about me, Sierra.”

  Her mouth trembled, and she swallowed hard. “Maybe.”

  That small admission made his heart thunder, made him shake with urgency. He had to brace himself to keep from moving too quickly. She’d been through a lot tonight and he didn’t want to rush her.

  “Ben?”

  He drew a calming breath and summoned a smile. “Yeah, sweetheart?”

  “I . . . I can’t take it anymore.”

  Ben’s first thought was that she meant her situation with her ex. Fury stirred within him, warring with his need to comfort her. His muscles hurt from clenching so hard. “Tell me what I can do, Sierra. Anything.”

  Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and with one fingertip, she touched his bottom lip. “What you’ve done to me, the ways that you’ve touched me . . . it’s all been so wonderful.”

  Ben held his breath. “But?”

  Her gaze locked on his. “But I want more than that now.”

  Damn. The husky way she said that proved his undoing. Already he burned, and his words emerged as a growl. “How much more?”

  “Enough to get you out of my system.”

  “Sierra . . .” She’d never be rid of him, but she didn’t give him the chance to explain that.

  Opening her thighs wider, she arched up, pressing her soft belly against his erection, and Ben was lost.

  He tried to tell himself to slow down, but he couldn’t. He felt primitive, and he felt protective. The two combined were potent enough to blur his vision and steal what little common sense he possessed. Getting her naked, getting inside her, seemed more important than anything else possibly could. His muscles throbbed and his guts cramped.

  Ben tugged her shirt off over her head and heard a seam rip. Sierra didn’t care. She struggled with her bra, trying to help him get it open so her breasts would be naked to his hands and his mouth. The small plastic front catch finally gave way to her frustration, and Ben shoved the cups aside.

  Already her nipples were puckered tight, flushed dark. He lowered his head, closed his hot mouth around her and sucked.

  With a long moan, Sierra shivered under him, trying to wiggle away from him, instinctively fighting such an onslaught of pleasure even as her hips rolled against his, stroking the length of his cock, further inciting him. He was voracious in his hunger, deaf to her small cries.

  Locking his arm beneath her, Ben curved her back, keeping her breasts raised up while he feasted on her nipples. He drew on her, nipping, licking, sucking hard until both nipples were ripe and swollen and tender. Her legs wrapped tight around him, her ankles locked at the small of his back. He couldn’t get enough of her. They moved together in a parody of intercourse, both fevered, both anxious. The thin cotton of her shorts and panties weren’t much of a barrier. The material of his slacks was rough, rasping against her.

  Ben felt her tighten, heard her breath catch sharply.

  He was swirling his tongue around her left nipple one last time when suddenly she came. Her neck arched, her eyes squeezed shut and she clasped him tightly with her thighs. A little stunned, Ben continued to move on her, keeping the hard ridge of his cock in just the right spot, pleasuring her and relishing the bite of her nails on his shoulders.

  He stared down at her in awe, watching her face as it crumbled in her pleasure, seeing her glossy hair tangle on the couch cushion, enjoying the sight of her heaving breasts. He struggled for breath and knew in that moment he’d fallen in love with her.

  She went pliant beneath him. Overcome with tenderness, Ben smoothed her hair away from her face. “You needed that,” he whispered.

>   She was panting hard, her eyes closed, her lashes resting in damp spikes, her cheeks flushed. He felt good, very good. He felt like a man who’d found that one special woman.

  “You okay, sweetheart?”

  She swallowed, drew a shuddering breath, and nodded. Two seconds later, she chuckled roughly, but the humor faded into a groan. “God, I am easy.”

  “You,” Ben said, punctuating his words with a kiss, “are incredible.”

  You, he added to himself, are mine.

  Her lashes lifted. Her eyes were dark and stormy. “What you do to me is incredible. And wonderful. But I want—I need—to know what it feels like to have you inside me.” As she said it, she caught the hem of his shirt and pulled it up.

  Hell, yes. Ben helped, reaching back and catching the shirt in his fist, ripping it off over his head. Sierra’s eyelids went heavy as she touched him.

  “I’ve been obsessed.” Her hot little hands coasted over him, making his muscles ripple in pleasure. She thumbed his nipples, tangled her fingers in his chest hair, looked up at him with wonder. “I can’t seem to get through the day without thinking about you and this, and how you make me feel. I’ve had more fantasies since meeting you than ever before in my whole life.”

  Ben barely heard her words. Watching Sierra explore his chest was a distinct pleasure, and he couldn’t take it for long. He trembled like a virgin at an orgy. “There are more interesting places for you to check out.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh yeah.” She didn’t say anything more, so Ben prompted her with a quick peck on her smiling, teasing mouth. “Want me to take my jeans off?”

  Her smile turned impish, sweet. “Sure.”

  Ben rolled to the side of her. The damn couch was fat, but short, and if he had any sense, he’d drag them both to the bedroom.

  Lust ruled the day, not sense.

  His shoes got kicked off and fell to the floor. He struggled with his belt, cautiously slid down his zipper over his engorged erection. Sierra rose up to her elbows to watch. Her gaze was so direct, so unflinching, he would have smiled if he hadn’t been so close to losing it.