Page 11 of Wine, Whiskey, & Lipstick 2

She tried to pick up her butt, but it dragged heavily behind her as she descended the stairs to the foyer.

“Ugh! This is new!”You’ve got to be kidding me.Her back ached, and her feet were sore. “All this from a night out at the bar?” Father time was funny. He had a way of reminding people . . . people, meaning Dillyn, that her days of going out with careless abandon were over.

Clearly, I am way too old for this. Dillyn could admit defeat as she massaged her aches and pains.I wonder if Cat and Palmer know that they are too.

Dillyn couldn’t keep the silly smirk off her face as she thought about her friends. Their recovery will probably take at least another day or two. She laughed inwardly as flashes of their night came to mind. Her girlfriends were tossing back shots like it was water. They, for sure, were nursing hangovers and probably woke up to realize they weren’t twenty-one anymore too.

We had a good time, and that was all that mattered.

Aches and all, Dillyn was still grinning when she reached the bottom of the stairs. She walked over to the front window and pulled the curtains back, looking for Ben.

It was the golden hour. The time of day when the sun hung low and cast a beautiful glow over everything.

Perfect timing.He was walking up onto the porch. When the doorbell rang, Dillyn quickly approached to open it. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him standing on the other side, bathed in gold and wearing a cocky little smile. There was no need to fight it, smile or no smile, she was putty in his hands.

Ben held a blanket in one hand and a picnic basket in the other. Dillyn glanced up into his unshaven face, which was made even more handsome by an after-five-shadowed beard that had grown in the hours they’d been apart. Dillyn wondered if she would ever stop being mesmerized by those cool, ocean-blue eyes. If Dillyn were honest, she was bowled over by his impish grin too.

Ben leaned onto the doorframe and crossed his legs at the ankles, “You busy?”

You. Busy.Those words said in that husky timbre and southern drawl made Dillyn quiver.He was so wrong for this.Her backlog of work would get longer, but what could she do when he looked at her like that? Most assuredly, anything he asked.

“Never too busy for you.” Her smiles came so much easier when he was around.

Ben was in the same boat. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her and knew he looked like a besotted fool, but he didn’t care. “That’s what I’d thought you’d say.”

Dillyn did her imitation of looking stern and failing miserably, “Did you now? What if I said no?”

“Nah. You wouldn’t miss hangin’ out with your man, especially if he cooked all your favorites.”

Dillyn laughed as she tapped the tip of his Stetson. “More like Selah made my favorites.”

“Semantics. I brought them, so I should get the credit.”

Dillyn placed her hands flat against the hard wall of his chest before stepping up on tiptoes. Her lips hovered just shy of his. She whispered, “You think so?”

Ben used his arm to pull her flat against him. “Definitely.”

She could feel his semi-erect cock pinned between them. It activated a dull ache between her thighs. How was it possible to desire him so much? Ben had done the impossible and made her crave sex. He was hers, so she wouldn’t fight the feeling. It brought a hint of a smile to her face, knowing she would be screaming his name at some point tonight. She always did. For now, Dillyn would breathe in his woodsy scent, savor it, and look forward to that moment.

Would she ever stop feeling this way?Would he?“Aren’t you tired of me?” Steven always looked for any excuse to get away, but Ben was the opposite. “After our early morning escapade, I’d think you’d need a break.”

“From who? You?A break?Never.” Dillyn kept Ben in a semi-state of arousal too, but she was also funny, and he enjoyed her company. Most of all, he was in love. It made the sex so much better. If Ben thought Dillyn was ready for marriage, he would have already gotten down on one knee. For now, he would be patient and move at her pace. Instead of whisking her away to the land of happily ever after, Ben kissed her hard.

Reluctantly, he pulled away. Otherwise, his plans for the evening were going to go to shit. Gently, he placed his hands on Dillyn’s shoulders, turning her around towards their mode of transportation, “my chariot awaits.” Instead of driving his truck,aka, Bertha, Ben had ridden Whisper.

Dillyn squealed. She’d been so focused on Ben that she missed the Golden Goddess behind him. It had been a couple of weeks since she’d seen her.

Excited, Dillyn bounded down the porch steps and ran towards her. Once within arm’s length, Dillyn ran her hand down Whisper’s head, “Hey, girl. Did you miss me?” She made a noise that seemed to acknowledge that she had. “I missed you too.” It had felt like ages since she’d sat atop the magnificent beast.

“Figured Whisper is much safer than that bull at Franks.”

Dillyn teased. “Ah. C’mon. That looks like fun.”

“Nothing beats the thrill of ridin' a real bull, but you ain’t getting on either of them.”

Dillyn wasn’t going to argue, especially since she had no intention to ride one in the first place.

“We should get going before we lose the sun,” Ben motioned for Dillyn to hop on Whisper.

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