Free The Inn at Laurel Creek by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson Page B

pushed him away and tried to pull my shirt over my head, but my hands shook and it got stuck on my neck. I wanted to crawl away in shame, but I couldn't see through my shirt to do so.
    "Here, let me get that," he said. He moved the shirt around and pulled it off slowly. I caught him staring at my breasts, loosely covered by my unhooked bra. The air, just a touch cool, brushed my skin, sending shivers across my body and creating goose bumps.
    He caressed my stomach with the tips of his fingers, dotting my skin with even more goose bumps from his touch. He lifted his eyes to mine, gave me a slight, sweet smile, and gently pulled the straps of my bra down over my shoulders and lifted it from me. Instinctively I covered myself, but he pulled my arms away.
    "Don't," he said. "You're beautiful. Don't hide from me."
    "It's not fair that I'm half naked and you're fully dressed," I said.
    He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it aside. "Better?"
    I nodded, distracted by the ripples on his tanned abs. I slid my fingers down from his chest to his trim waist, feeling each bump and curve, feeling his strength in contrast to the softness of his skin. The sun sent rays through the tree branches above us, making his skin glow with warmth. "You have an incredible body. I've wanted to touch you since the day I met you," I said, trailing my fingers around his chest in tiny circles.
    I kissed his neck, breathing in his scent and holding my breath, letting it bury itself inside me. I wanted to keep his smell with me forever.
    I dropped my hand to his shorts and tried to unbutton them, but my hands shook again.
    Ben chuckled, and grabbed my hand, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing my fingers. "You're not good at undressing, are you?"
    "Apparently not so much."
    He kissed my hand again while his other hand unbuttoned his shorts in one move.
    "Wow, you're good."
    "More like impatient," he said, his voice deep and soft. "I just want to feel your skin against mine."
    "Well then," I said, my voice barely a whisper, "what are you waiting for?"
    We made love for hours right there next to the creek, our bodies entwined and our hearts connected. It was exciting and sexy and amazing and familiar too—like we were meant to be together, and I didn't want it to stop.
    ***
    Ben lay next to me, twirling my hair between his fingers.
    "You're incredible."
    "So are you."
    "We missed dinner," he said, running a finger down my neck.
    "I know," I said, not sorry at all. "Lou's probably mad."
    "Are you kidding me? She's probably doing her happy dance, knowing we're together and you know about Bret."
    "You're probably right."
    He sat up, keeping me covered with the throw from his bag. He grabbed my bra and shirt and handed them to me, then put on his own shirt. "We should get back though. It's dark and there are wild animals out here."
    "Are you scared of wild animals, Ben?" I tried to maneuver the throw so I could put on my bra without dropping it, but it didn't work. "Because that's not very manly and you don't want to mess up that manly image I have of you, do you?"
    "Do I need to prove to you—again—that I'm a man?"
    I pulled my shirt over my head. "I think you're going to have to, but not here. First I need some food and a big glass of that sweet tea Lou makes, but you can start to prove it by protecting me from the wild animals on the way back to the Inn."
    "Deal," he said, a big smile on his face.
    ***
    Lou was frantic when we arrived, and after apologizing repeatedly for worrying her, we walked the walk of shame up to our rooms, with the addition of our tails between our legs for upsetting her.
    "That was embarrassing," I said, standing next to my room.
    "Lou's a big girl. She'll be fine," Ben said. "She'll have dinner up on the deck for us as soon as we're finished showering, too." He kissed my forehead. "Do you need help washing your back?" He bobbed his eyebrows up and down.
    I opened my door. "So cheesy."
    "Is that a