Free Man Candy by Jessica Ingro Page B

with her when she was this drunk. For as much as I wanted her, I wanted her willingly. I wanted her to tell me how much she needed me without any outside influence. It was the only way.
    Damn my conscience for rearing its ugly head at the most inopportune times.
    Needing to make the atmosphere a little lighter, I dug my fingers into her side and tickled her. She squirmed and laughed, spurring me to continue. I loved the carefree sound of her laughter. It settled in my chest and made me feel lighter.
    “I feel kind of like royalty up here,” she said in between giggles.
    “You’re the Queen and I’m your King,” I whispered in her ears. Stopping my torture, I let my hands rest loosely on her waist. It was an effort to keep them there and not let them roam over her luscious curves.
    She cocked her head to the side and for some odd reason I found it extremely adorable to watch. “You seriously listen to Taylor Swift?”
    “I was thinking more along the lines of Prevail’s version,” I studiously told her.
    “You know the part about a nightmare and a daydream? That’s me,” she said with all seriousness. I wish I knew what was going on in her head. She was so damn hard to read, especially when she said things like that.
    “My nightmare. My daydream. Don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter what you say. Something about you is telling me that we are supposed to be together. I feel it in here.” I pressed my fist to my heart while my eyes pleaded with her to admit that I was right. Ever since I first laid eyes on her, I knew she was the one. Every day for nearly a year, that belief never wavered.
    When you know, you just know.
    “It does matter. We barely know each other. Don’t confuse lust with love, Ben.”
    “What are you so afraid of?”
    “Nothing. Everything. I don’t know okay. You should bring me back to my room now.” She tried to stand but I tightened my hold on her waist, forcing her to stay in my lap.
    “No. This is too important.”
    “You might want to take a page from Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” and recognize when you should walk away.”
    “Do not make me laugh when I’m trying to be serious. Being cute isn’t going to get you out of telling me why you won’t give us a chance.” My lips twitched, and I fought and won against laughing. Damn she was something else.
    “I wasn’t being cute!” she yelled exasperatedly.
    “Babe. Any woman who can sit here in the middle of a serious conversation and quote Kenny Rogers is being cute.”
    “I wasn’t trying to be cute,” she grumbled.
    “Well you were. And I’ll raise your statement with this one—you also need to know what cards to keep, and you, sweetheart, are a keeper.”
    Taking her face in my hands, I leaned in to finally kiss her. She licked her lips in anticipation. Her breaths were little puffs of air on my face. Her eyes closed, mine followed suit and just as my lips were about to brush hers the lights flickered off and then on, signaling that the night was drawing to an end.
    Filled with frustration, I pulled back and waited for her eyes to open. She blinked at me in both surprise and disappointment. I gave her a crooked smile and said, “Let’s get you up to the room.”
    *****
    Arm braced on the doorframe above Rissa’s head, my body leaned towards her. “Thank you for tonight,” I whispered.
    “I didn’t do anything,” she said in confusion.
    “Trust me. You did more than you know. I had a really good time hanging out with you.”
    “Ben?”
    “Yeah, sweetheart?” I took a lock of her hair and wound it around my finger.
    “Are you going to kiss me?”
    “Do you want me to?” I leaned in a little closer, loving the way her breathing accelerated and her eyelids fluttered.
    “Not as much as I want that orgasm you promised,” she breathed.
    Fuck. I was going to Hell, but no way would I walk away after that comment. I always made good on my promises.
    Dipping my head to capture her mouth, we both stumbled