Page 46 of Because of You
We break apart, and Ben moves up towards the pillows, pulling me with him. We crawl under the blankets and lay facing each other again and I ask, “So, what are we going to tell everyone? Should we tell everyone?”
Ben considers this. “I don’t really want to keep it a secret, but I also don’t want to put any pressure on us before we figure this out.”
“I don’t want this to be a secret either. I have enough of those. I also don’t think we need to make an announcement or anything. Let’s just…be ourselves, whatever that means now. They’ll figure it out when they figure it out. Hey, it might even be fun to watch everyone react. Except, before we do that, we need to tell Julie that we’re more or…whatever we are.”
Anxiety shoots through me at the thought of telling Julie and how she’ll react. “Actually, I need to tell Julie. I think I should do it alone and first thing in the morning.” The thought of a confrontation makes me vaguely nauseous, but the thought of keeping something else from her and letting her find out on her own that her best friend hooked up with her brother and might bemoreis worse.
Ben pushes a piece of hair behind my ear and cups my cheek. “Are you sure? You don’t have to tell her alone. I know that’s not always easy for you.”
“I love that you know that, but I’ll be okay. I think.”
“You can tell me if you change your mind. I’ve told you before, Hallie girl. I see you. I’ll always see you.”
He leans over and kisses me softly, then turns me so that my back is against his front. He wraps an arm around me, and I snuggle back into him, trying to press even closer. Ben drapes a leg over both of mine, tangling us up even more, and tightens his arm around my waist, and I feel calm and safe and so unbelievably cared for.
If this is what it feels like to bemorewith Ben Parker, then sign me right the fuck up.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ben
Iwake up slowly, stuck for an extra few minutes in that hazy window between asleep and awake. I am still wrapped around Hallie, her arms covering mine, our legs tangled together under the blankets.
Last night comes back to me in flashes. Kissing Hallie at her bedroom door. My head buried between her legs. Hallie on her knees. Laughing. Talking. Deciding to give us a try. Her looking at me the way I always hoped she would. Our talk by the bonfire. Hallie opening up to me in a way I know she doesn’t open up to anyone else felt like the world’s greatest gift, and I’ll do anything to make sure it keeps on happening.
For a second, I’m afraid to move—afraid that the whole of last night might have been a dream. Then I breathe in the cherry vanilla scent that has meant Hallie to me for as long as I can remember, and I crack open my eyes to the morning light filtering through the blinds. She is still fast asleep, her golden-brown hair spread all over the pillow in a tangled mess, so beautiful it makes my chest ache. The fact that I am in her bed, with her in my arms, makes me feel like nothing else matters but this moment, right now. Outside of this room is a houseful of people who are going to have questions. There is my giant careerdecision and hers. There is wondering whether we can make a real go of this and whether her feelings will catch up to mine. But right now, it’s just Hallie and me and this bed—for now, that’s more than enough.
Hallie’s arms tighten over mine, and she starts to stir. She stretches out her legs and then turns her head to kiss my cheek. “You’re still here.” She smiles and turns her head back around, tucking herself deeper into me.
“I couldn’t miss seeing how you look first thing in the morning.”
She reaches a hand up and tries to pat her wild hair into submission. “Going to sleep with mostly wet hair is never my best move.”
I grab her hand and pull it down. “Leave it. I like knowing that part of the reason it’s a mess is because of my hands in your hair while you were on your knees for me, taking my cock down your throat.”
She makes a choking sound. “Jesus, Ben. Has your mouth always been so dirty?”
“Only for you, Hallie girl.”
“Well in that case…” She trails off, pushing her hips back, her ass making contact with my already hard cock. I hiss out a breath and push forward, cock sliding between her ass cheeks. I drift my hands up her ribcage and palm her breasts, rubbing my thumbs over her nipples and then plucking at them until she is whimpering and moving her hips, looking for friction.
“Need something, Hal?” I whisper in her ear and then nip at her earlobe, making her suck in a breath.
“Ben,” she gasps out. “Touch me, please.”
“Touch you where?”
She puts her hand over one of mine on her breasts and slides it down until it’s between her legs. “Touch me here.”
“Anything for you, Hallie girl.” I dip my fingers into her center, where she is already wet and dripping for me. I spread her wetness up and over her clit, drawing lazy circles over the tight bundle of nerves. She’s breathing hard, already close. That I can turn her on this much, make her come so fast, has my aching cock hardening even more. I rock my hips against her ass, and she rocks hers back against me and then grinds down on my hand.
“That’s it, Hallie girl. Fuck my hand until you come all over it.” I thumb her clit and slide two fingers in, curling them up to hit that spot deep inside her that has her moaning so loudly I hope it’s too early for everyone on this side of the house to be awake.
“Yes, god, that feels so good,” she gasps out, as I press my fingers deeper inside her. “I’m so close.” She pushes her hips forward, and I tap her g-spot over and over and press down harder on her clit, strumming it with my thumb faster and faster until she comes, covering my hand in her release and turning her head so her cry is muffled into the pillow.
I stick with her through her orgasm, slowing down the rhythm of my thumb on her clit until her entire body relaxes into the bed. I slide my fingers out of her and roll her onto her back, covering her body with mine, my eyes locking with hers.
She gives me a wicked grin. “I want my hands on you.” She slides a hand between our bodies and has barely grazed my cock when there’s a knock at the door, Molly’s voice then coming through it loud and clear.
