And Then You Fall (Crested Butte Series) (3 page)

She started to laugh too. Then Paige did. Soon all three of them were laughing. Ben reached over and put his hand on Liv’s arm. “Better now?”

“Yes,” she giggled a little. “I’m better now.”

He talked them into ordering lunch and when they finished, Paige excused herself to go to a meeting she had that afternoon.

“I should go too,” Liv started to get up from her chair.

Ben put his hand on her arm. “No. Stay. Can you stay? Please?” He wasn’t used to women trying so hard to get away from him. It was usually the other way around.

Liv turned and looked at Paige, as if to ask for a reason to leave. “I won’t be back until dinner. Stay.
Enjoy
yourself.”

“Well, I guess . . .”

“There, it’s settled, you’re staying. Paige, before you go, what do the two of you have planned for dinner?”

“We hadn’t gotten that far.”

“Good, then you’ll join me, and the band. We’ve got something special planned tonight. I think you’ll like it.”

***

She was having such a nice afternoon spending time with him. She had to admit it was completely unexpected. They talked and hung out at the pool, sitting on the steps. He told her about his two boys and she told him more about Renie. He noticed her getting chill bumps and led her over to the hot tub. “Let’s get warm,” he said. She was plenty warm, overheated in fact, but that wasn’t something she’d admit to him.

Ben, with clothes on, made her blood boil. Without them, she could feel the sweat bubbling on the surface of her skin. Every bit of him was muscle. She longed to know what it would feel like to have those powerful arms hold her, his ripped chest flat against hers, his strong legs wrapped around her.

He sat down first and pulled her to sit in front of him, as if he’d read her mind. She could feel him hard against her when he pulled her back closer to him. She tried to move further forward.

“Feel what you do to me Liv?” he whispered, pulling her closer still as he ran his lips along the place between her neck and her shoulder. Liv heard a moan and wasn’t sure
if it came from him or her. She closed her eyes and leaned further back into him.

“That’s my girl.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and scooted her so she was sitting on his lap.

“Ben—”

“Shh . . . the music is starting to play. Listen.” He started to hum, then sing softly in her ear.
The soft skin on your bones and the smile I would own.

He nuzzled into her hair and breathed in. “You smell so good, God, what is that? Lavender? Or lemon, I can’t figure it out.”

Liv couldn’t wait a moment longer, she turned far enough that her lips could touch his, and that was all it took. His mouth devoured hers. Liv pulled back and bit her lip, her stomach lurched and her eyelids drooped. Ben’s hand slid into her hair and gripped a fistful of it, gentle but firm. He tugged her head back, feasting his eyes on her lips.

She trembled at the heat between them, the steam rising off the warm water in the hot tub swirled around them. His arms moved back to her waist and tightened around her, pulling her even closer. He gave a rough groan as he lowered his head and kissed her again. His body was big and solid against hers. She sank into him, his mouth was warm and firm, yet so tender. He slid his tongue over her bottom lip and nipped at it.

“Want you,” he groaned. “Want you naked, under me, around me.”

Liv pulled back, gasping to ge
t air into her straining lungs.

“Let’s go somewhere we can be alone,” he said, his lips parted, his eyes dark and hungry. “I want to get you out of this bikini,” he finger slid just under the small triangle of material covering her breast, “and see every inch of skin on this amazing body.”

Liv shifted away from him, trying to get her wits about her. She wanted his lips back on hers, wanted him naked too, but . . . she needed to slow down. She moved further away from him, but held his gaze as they sat looking at each other.

“Too much?” he ventured.

“Too soon,” she answered.

Ben insisted on walking her back to her room, to her door. “This way if you run again, I’ll know where to find you.”

“But—”

“Shh . . . I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I can’t explain this overwhelming attraction between us. It doesn’t feel as though I’m just getting to know you, it feels like I’ve somehow known you forever. That must sound crazy. Listen, I won’t push so hard.”

It wasn’t that. She was sure he was used to getting what he wanted, and in this case she wanted the same thing he did. She just wasn’t sure how to tell him how long it had been since she’d done this.
I hope it’s like riding a bike.

“Pretty much, but like no other bike you’ve ridden before baby,” he said, nuzzling her neck. Oh no, had she said that out loud too?

Ben leaned up against the wall outside Liv’s hotel room. His body pulsed with lust, his eyes closed, his heart thundering. They opened and fixated on Liv’s gaze. She really had no idea how breathtakingly beautiful she was. He could spend all day studying every inch of her.

Her skin was kissed by their day in the sun, and her hair hung in waves around her face. The thin cover up that left her arms bare was so feminine, the way it wrapped around her slender body. And her eyes, the bluest he’d ever seen, were gazing at him apprehensively, he could read every ounce of her insecurity in the look she was giving him.

“I’m going to leave now Liv, and it isn’t because I want to. We have reservations at Charlie Palmer at eight. Would you like me to come back to your room and walk down with you, or would you like to meet me in the lobby?”

“Paige?”

“Paige is invited as well. The band has a private dining room reserved for a special dinner tonight. We’d love for the two of you to join us.”

“Do you need to check with them first?”

“No Liv, it’s my band. Which reminds me, do you have tickets for the show tomorrow night?”

“Um, no, we hadn’t gotten around to getting them yet.”

“Good, yo
u and Paige will be my guests.”

He wanted to reassure her, explain how he didn’t care about anything else at that moment besides being with her. How could he tell her what he was feeling when they’d essentially just met? She’d really bolt then. This was new for him, having to exercise such restraint. He was used to reaching out and taking whatever it was he wanted. Something was telling him that wouldn’t work with this woman.

He touched her face, her cheek velvety soft beneath his fingers, calloused from years of guitar playing. He pulled her back into his arms, bent his head and found her mouth again with his, to show her how much he wanted to be with her, when he couldn’t find the right words to tell her.

Dinner with the band was raucous, loud and fun. Liv envied the way they all embraced life with such gusto. Some of the other bands that were playing the benefit were there. Before she knew it, it was after one in the morning.

Paige was much more of a night owl than she’d ever been. And it didn’t surprise Liv one bit to hear Paige discussing record deals and song rights with the other guys in the band, or that she’d gone outside to smoke a cigar with a couple of them. It would never have occurred to Paige to be unfaithful to Mark, she just fit in easily wherever she happened to be. And when business was involved, Paige was in her element.

Ben was stroking his fingers down her arm, going back and forth, lulling her into a state of complete relaxation. “Tired?”

“A little,” Liv answered as she stifled a yawn. “What about you? You have a big day tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about that.” He took the glass of wine she still held and set it on the table, his eyes focused on hers the entire time. He rose slowly and took her hand, pulling her with him. Ben’s eyes darkened, he bent down and his lips closed over hers. He ran one finger from beneath her chin, straight down and stroked over the place where her dress met the top of her breasts. She breathed in deeply, inadvertently pushing herself closer to him.

“Come with me,” he murmured, slowly walking toward the door.

“I can’t.”

“Oh, but you can. Let’s take a walk in the moonlight.”

“A walk, and then we have to say good night.”

Ben started humming, then singing again.
The charm of your tease when you make me say please, your eyes and your hair, the look of your stare, the way that you laugh . .
.

There was that ache again, it hadn’t really gone away, not since that morning. “Wooing me with your music, that’s not playing fair.”

He kept singing,
All I want is your mouth, and your lips, and your soft fingertips, the curve of your spine well it’s gotta be mine, the warmth of your kiss when we’re lying like this. The heat of your touch well it’s never too much.

His lips crushed into hers. “Jesus, Liv, do you know how much I want you?” They shared a heated smile and Liv started walking in the direction of the elevators.

“But my room is this way,” he tried to pull her in the opposite direction.

“And my room is this way. Would you like to say goodnight here?”

“No, I wouldn’t like. But think about this Liv, if I walk you to your room, the room you’re sharing with Paige, we won’t be able to be alone. On the other hand, if you come with me, we can be alone all night.”

“Which is precisely the reason I’m heading to my room. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow will be too. Let’s say good night Ben.”

“Not yet Liv.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed across her knuckles.

The elevator dinged. “Walk me to my room.”

They made it almost all the way down the hall to her room before he pushed her against the wall, torturing himself kissing her lips, her neck. “Just let me feel you against me . . .”

His hands crept up to her breasts as he ravaged her mouth. He lifted her off her feet and slid her body back down his. He wanted her warm, smooth skin against his. Liv arched against him, crying out as he nipped at her neck.

“Stop, wait. Ben, stop. We have to stop.” Liv put her hands on his arms and pushed him back away from her.

“Don’t go . . . let me stay. Let me stay with you tonight.”

Liv managed to get her key card in the door, and was halfway through, “Good night Ben. Sweet dreams.”

Ben turned and put his forehead against the wall as he heard the door click behind her. He doubted the sweetness of his dreams, but he didn’t, for a second, doubt how hot they’d be. He’d never wanted a woman the way he wanted her. How much of that had to do with her resistance to him, he wondered.

Chapter 3

Liv hadn’t heard Paige come in last night, or this morning, but she could hear her in the shower. What time was it? Eleven? She’d slept until eleven. She never slept past eight, not ever. How could this be?

“Well good morning,” Paige said, coming out of the bathroom door in a waft of steam with one of the hotel’s big, fluffy robes wrapped around her. “I wondered if you were going to sleep all day.”

“You got in after I did, how is it that you are always so chipper first thing in the morning?”

“First thing in the morning? It’s nearly noon. I’ve been up since before nine, went and got coffee, read for a while and had decided if you were still asleep when I finished my shower, I was going to start blasting CB Rice songs through the iPod.”

Liv rolled over and buried her head in the pillow. Paige sat down on the bed across from her. “Spill. I want to hear all the details. I’m dying of curiosity over here.”

“He’s just so . . . hot.”

“Yes. That part is obvious. But what else? What happened when you left the restaurant last night? Oh, before I forget, I found an envelope containing two tickets to the show slipped under our door this morning.”

“Nothing happened. He walked me to the room. We said good night.”

“That’s it?”

“Paige, what did you expect? That I’d invite him in and have hot sex with a total stranger?”

Paige stared at her, dumbfounded.

“Paige? Is that what you thought?”

“Of course it’s what I thought. I don’t want to hurt your feelings honey, but for God’s sake, when exactly
is
the last time you had sex? You have had sex since Renie was conceived, haven’t you?”

“Of course I have.”

“Wait, I better clarify. You have had sex since Scott, haven’t you?”

No response.

“Liv, that was over twenty-one years ago!”

“Thank you. Thank you for reminding me. I guess it’s pretty obvious then why I didn’t invite him in.”

Paige shook her head. “It’s about as far from obvious as it gets.” She got up and started getting dressed. “No wonder you’re so grouchy.”

“Hey! Be nice. Just because someone isn’t having sex doesn’t make them grouchy. After a while you just get used to it. It’s the idea of having sex again, and then not having it that makes a person grouchy. And quite honestly, I am
very
grouchy this morning.”

“So again, why didn’t you do something about it last night?”

“Argh—I just told you why not. He’s this hot, younger guy, who for some reason, wants to have sex with me. How long do you think that’ll last when he finds out I’m a forty-year-old re-virgin?”

“Re-virgin? Is that a thing? I haven’t heard about that. Do you actually call it that?”

Liv buried her head back into the pillow. This was pointless. There’d be no getting through to Paige and why bother? That was last night, she’d missed her chance. Even if she saw him tonight, he’d be busy with the benefit, there’d be lots of other, younger, hotter women at the show.

Oh God
.
What had she done? She’d missed her one chance to have sex, in twenty years. Maybe she’d never have sex again. She’d die a shriveled up old lady who hadn’t had sex in sixty years. Maybe longer.

Paige jumped and Liv nearly screamed when the room phone rang. Who called anyone on hotel phones anymore? Paige picked it up.

“Hello, yeah, good morning. Yep, she’s right here.”

“It’s him,” she mouthed silently.

“Huh?”

“It’s Ben,” she said out loud this time, her hand covering the receiver.

“Oh.”

“Here, take it,” Paige shoved the phone in her direction.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning yourself. I slept longer than I meant to. Actually I didn’t sleep much at all, your fault you know. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Then when I finally drifted off it was nearly sunrise. I just woke up and realized I missed my chance to have breakfast with you this morning.”

“Actually, you didn’t. Paige just woke me up too.”

“Did you dream about me last night Liv?”

Silence.

“Liv? Are you there?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“And? Tell me what you dreamt about.”

“Not a chance.”

“I’ll try to get it out of you over breakfast. How soon can you be ready?”

“Um, I don’t know. I should probably see what Paige is doing for breakfast.”

Liv looked over to see Paige waving her hands and shaking her head no. “Go. Go with him. I have a meeting.”

“Oh. Paige has a meeting, so I guess I could be ready in a half hour.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Wait. What? I just said it would take me a half hour to get ready.”

“Yeah, but I’m gonna help.”

Silence. He’d hung up.

“What? What’s going on? You know, you’re supposed to tell your best friend what’s going on. I shouldn’t have to force it out of you.”

“He’ll be here in ten minutes. He’s going to help me get ready.”

Somehow Paige had managed to get dressed while Liv was on the phone with Ben. She’d even put on makeup and her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail.

“How did you do that? Five minutes ago you got out of the shower, and now you’re ready to go. And you look good. How?”

Paige picked up her bag and briefcase and nearly ran in the direction of the door. “See you later,” she said as the door closed behind her.

“Wait! When? When will I see you later?” Too late. She was gone. Liv would have to text her.

Oh no! Ben was on his way. She hadn’t brushed her teeth, did she have time to jump in the shower? She had to at least try.

When she got out she could hear him pounding on the door. He barged in as she opened it, grabbing her and lifting her in his arms as though she didn’t weigh a thing.

His hands went to the sash on her robe and instinctively her hands rested over his. “Liv, I’m sorry, last night I told you I wouldn’t push, but please, I can’t keep my hands off of you.”

“Don’t. I don’t want you to.”

“You don’t want me to what?”

“I don’t want you to keep your hands off of me.”

With a growl he untied the sash and slid the robe off her shoulders. “Christ, look at you. Want you, can’t think I want you so much.”

He lifted her off her feet and spun her around, setting her down with the back of her knees at the foot of the bed.

Ben reached behind him and pulled his T-shirt over his head. Their hands met at his belt, both trying to loosen it.

“Hurry,” she heard herself plead.

He slid off his jeans. They stood before each other naked. His lips started working their way down her body. She arched against him.

He knew he was being rough, going too fast. He wanted to slow down, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He stopped and breathed her in. He could feel her trembling. He brought his mouth back up to hers. Softer, slower this time. He wanted to savor her, not devour her.

Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as he grasped her face between his hands. “Liv, I want to be inside you.”

She fell back on the bed and scooted herself up. Ben stood, watching her as she moved.

“I need to look at you.”

She started to move her hands to cover herself and he gripped her wrists, stopping her. “No, don’t hide from me. Let me look at you.”

He let go of her wrists and spread her legs, kneeling between them. He bent down and kissed across her pelvis then up her body. She gasped as his mouth closed on one nipple and his fingers found the other.

“I want to take this slow, but Liv, I need you. Now.”

His voice broke through the haze of pleasure. “Condom,” she said at the same time he ripped one open.

Her body arched as he slid into her. Her breath caught. He’d stopped moving.

“Open your eyes. Look at me Liv. I want you to look at me.” As she met his gaze he started to move again. “So good. It’s so good.” He moved faster, thrusting into her harder. Her hips rose meeting his.

“Please Ben,” he heard her say as the pleasure reached its peak, taking them both over.

Two hours later they decided to order room service since every time they tried to leave, one or the other pulled them back to the bed.

They sat as they had in the hot tub. Her back snuggled up to his front as they fed each other bites of muffin and strawberries.

“I thought you had a full day today.”

“I did. I do.” Ben was sure he was in a heap of crap with everyone. Nobody knew where he was.

Liv scooted away from him and grabbed his phone from his jean’s pocket. “Here, better to face it than sit here worrying about it.”

“How did you know I was worrying about it?”

“Worry is seeping off of you. And quite honestly, it is ruining my post-orgasm fog of pleasure. Figure it out so you can either leave or relax.”

Ben threw his head back and started to laugh. More like roared with laughter. “God, you are really something else. Just when I think I’m starting to figure you out, you go in a direction I never expected.” He squeezed her when he said it, and started nuzzling her neck.

“Check your phone.” She squirmed against him.

“You keep that up and I doubt I’ll make the benefit later.” He looked at his phone. “Huh. That’s weird.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t have a single message, not even a text.” He started to punch in a number. “Hey,” he said to whoever answered. “What the hell’s goin’ on?”

His crew wasn’t as worried about him as he thought they’d be. In fact, when he left the dinner with Liv, they’d assumed he’d spent the night with her, so when he didn’t come down for breakfast, and didn’t show up to help set up, they figured that’s where he was.

“So,” he said, laying back down and pulling her with him. “I’d say we have at least another hour before I have to leave.”

“Yeah? And what should we do with that hour.”

“The possibilities are endless,” he said as he started kissing his way back down her body.

***

Paige and Liv were seated just to the right of center of the stage, in the first row of tables. They’d missed the first couple of opening bands, but had gotten there in time to see the last one on the stage before CB Rice played. From the glares coming from the people seated around them, Liv guessed their reserved table had sat empty for hours before they arrived.

She hadn’t seen Ben since he left the room a few hours earlier, and the thought of seeing him perform now, when the memory of the two of them together was so fresh in her mind, brought color to her cheeks.

“Whatcha’ thinking about?” Paige smirked. “Did you have a nice afternoon while I slaved away in meetings?”

“Stop it. First of all, you don’t slave. You talk and everyone else listens with bated breath. Secondly, yes, I had a very nice afternoon.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Paige—I don’t ask you to tell me about your sex life with Mark!”

“We’ve been married forever, no one would want to hear about our sex life. You, on the other hand, are sleeping with Ben Rice. That’s something everyone would want to hear about.”

“Shh, lower your voice. God, I’m so embarrassed.”

“No one can hear me over the band, and why would you be embarrassed? He’s . . .”

“Hot. Very hot. Scorchingly hot.”

“See?”

“And that’s all you’re getting out of me.”

“Damn.”

Liv looked in the direction of the bar and saw one of the guys she’d met at dinner, Johnny or Jimmy, or something like that. He waved and motioned for her to come to the bar.

“I’ll be right back.”

As she walked up she saw Ben standing at the bar next to whatever his name was, with his back to her. He turned as she drew closer, and smiled, that devastatingly perfect smile that made her want to slide into his arms and never leave. His worn jeans, with holes and tears in all the right places, sat low on his hips. His Henley crept up as he reached his hand out in invitation, revealing a peak at his rock-hard abs. His signature True Grit plaid shirt, open in the front, stretched across his broad shoulders—and that cowboy hat, sitting down low on his head, almost covering his eyes, was just another of Liv’s weaknesses.

“Wow, look at you all sexy and hanging out at the bar. Aren’t you afraid your fans will mob you?” She slid her body up against his and breathed in the scent of him.

“Nah, I’ve been out here forty-five minutes waiting for you. Nobody recognizes me.”

“Had I known you were waiting for me, looking as hot as you do, I would’ve gotten here much sooner.”

“Me? Look at you, you’re like fire and ice baby.” Liv’s sleeveless red dress clung to every curve of her body. She wore only a single, solitaire diamond necklace, on a long chain that hung down, resting in the hollow between her breasts. Her four-inch nude heels made her legs look impossibly long and her wavy hair framed her face with perfectly placed blonde highlights.