Chasing Trouble (10 page)

B
enedict didn't say much
in the car as they drove to his apartment, though he held Eloise's hand and took mental stock of all the tasks still waiting before they faced off with the hyenas. The first and most important was taking care of Eloise -- feeding her, getting her to calm down and relax, and maybe sleep. So he walked her into the penthouse apartment in one of the high-rise apartment buildings in the heart of downtown and sat her down at his kitchen table. She watched him in silence, some of the apprehension back in her face.

He put a cup of coffee in front of her and poked her side. "Smile already. How's grilled cheese?"

Her nose wrinkled. "Grilled cheese?"

"It's my specialty." He tried to channel Natalia's wounded professional pride when someone challenged her cooking and arched his eyebrows. "You haven't lived until you've had my grilled cheese."

She still looked dubious, but she shrugged and concentrated on the coffee. "I guess we can always order in."

Benedict snorted. He needed to up his game. But grilled cheese was his default comfort food. When he was younger and Carter came home from school upset, grilled cheese was the only thing Benedict was allowed to make after a few near-misses with kitchen fires. So he made a sandwich for Carter and tried to talk him through whatever bullying or torment the other kids heaped on him. His younger brother refused to tell their parents or older brothers, assuming that the teasing would only get worse if he called in adults to help. So Benedict tried to look out for him and remain the shoulder to cry on. Grilled cheese always helped, and tomato soup in winter.

He stacked sharp cheddar, Gruyere, smoked bacon, and the last few slices of a rosemary ciabatta loaf he'd stolen from Natalia's kitchen on his counter. He waved a spatula over his shoulder at her as he bent to search for the single frying pan he owned. "Just wait. Your hair is going to go nuts over this."

That got a laugh at least, and something inside him eased. The flat expression and dead eyes when she faced him at the hospital still chilled him to his bones, and the devastation in her face when she realized he feared her hurt worse still. That she could laugh meant they could recover. They could rebuild. He hummed at he cooked, trying to disguise the purr that rattled through his chest as the lion luxuriated in the knowledge that she was safe in his den, he would feed her, and then he would take her to his bed for some fun. Then he would kill her enemies. A good day overall.

Benedict served her the first sandwich, golden and melty and smelling heavenly right out of the pan, and winked as he set it in front of her and snuck a kiss. He didn't even mind the strands of hair that tickled his throat. He minded even less as she took the first bite of the sandwich and what might have been a moan escaped. He just concentrated on the pan and his sandwich, sneaking a piece of the bacon before saying, "Was I right?"

"Maybe." The word barely snuck out as she chewed. "Is there enough bread for another one?"

"Of course." Benedict smiled, pleased that she would be well-fed. He slid his sandwich onto her plate from the pan and snuck another kiss. That one lingered and instead her hands caressed his shoulders and neck, holding him close. She tasted delicious. He broke away before he dropped the hot pan on either of them, but pecked her lips once more. "And enough for more if you want them. Always whatever you want, Eloise."

She smiled dreamily, palms sliding against his cheeks, and she rose from the table to kiss him. "I want you."

"Good." He growled more than he intended, imagination going into overdrive with his bedroom only steps away, but he held the lion back. "Finish your sandwich, and I'll eat my sandwich, and then ... then I get you for dessert."

Color suffused her cheeks and the hair started to float in a cloud around her. Her gray eyes turned more silver as her fingers trailed down his chest to rest on his belt buckle. "Sounds like a plan."

The effort to walk away and finish the sandwiches probably took a couple years off his life, but they both needed food. Fucking on every surface of his apartment could wait at least thirty minutes. He still barely waited for the cheese to melt before pronouncing his sandwich was done, and she still chewed her last bite as he threw her over his shoulder and marched into his bedroom.

Benedict tossed her onto the bed and pulled off her shoes and pants while she fought off the shirt and tossed it across the room. He stood back to take her in, the rise and fall of her perfect breasts and the round, welcoming curves of her hips and thighs. His dick had been hard for the last hour, at least, but the sight of her on his bed, reaching out to try to take off his pants, nearly pushed him over the edge.

But he pulled out the drawer of his bedside table before her touch became too distracting and held up a scrap of silky fabric. Her eyebrow arched and a smartass comment hovered on those lush lips, still red and bruised from kissing.

He beat her to it and kissed her again, then sat back. "Just so you don't blind me with those lasers of yours," he said, then tossed her the velvet sleep mask. "I don't want to be interrupted."

She laughed with a shiver of excitement running through the sound. "You're not serious."

"Very." He crawled up her body to straddle her hips and brace his hands by her shoulders. She shivered, staring up at him with smoldering heat. He kissed her and settled his weight on her hips, loving the warm comfort of her body. The give as he squeezed her thigh. He moved enough to put the mask on her, smiling as she went still. "Just relax."

"Easy for you to say," she said under her breath. "You're not facing a firing squad in six --"

"Nope." Benedict tugged on the mask and peeked underneath, made sure she could see his serious face. "We're not talking about six hours from now. We're here, now, in this bed. Together. That's all the matters. Right?"

For the first time, he saw fear in her eyes. But she nodded. "Right."

"Good. Now stop interrupting me." He let the mask snap into place and slid back down her soft curves, running his hands over as much of her bare skin as he could manage. So soft and warm and smooth, smelling like cocoa butter and honey and lust. Her breasts tightened, peaked, as he teased. Her breath caught when he nibbled on her pink nipples, and her head fell back on the pillow. He knew the blindfold was a good idea.

Benedict hummed against the tender flesh in his mouth and she jumped, catching his shoulders. A purr ignited in his chest as he smelled her intensifying desire, and he continued to play with her breasts until her hips lifted against him, asking for more. She grabbed handfuls of the sheets and a low moan escaped as he slowed the torment, backed off, refocused on blazing a trail down to her pussy.

Eloise wiggled under him until Benedict pinned her hips down with one hand, the other pressing her thighs apart. Her head lifted in alarm as he breathed against her stomach. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" He laughed, then blew a raspberry on her stomach. "I'm going to eat your pussy until you come all over my face, then I'm going to fuck you. Or you'll fuck me. Depends on how tired I am from all the pussy licking."

She covered her face with her hands, entire body shaking with what he hoped was laughter, then tried to push his head away. "Just fuck me already, I don't want to wait."

He studied the quickening of her breath, the tension in her legs against his shoulders. So he stroked her damp slit, already open to him, with the tip of his finger. Teasing more. Eloise cleared her throat, though her voice went high as he kissed the warm mound above her clit. "You don't really have to --" She trailed off into breathy moans as his tongue circled the heated pearl and Benedict pressed his middle finger into her channel.

God, she tasted amazing. Her thighs tightened against his ears but he didn't care. He would eat away all damn day if he could, especially with the sounds she made -- all soft and needy. He backed off to nibble the insides of her thighs when Eloise's hips started moving. He wanted to draw it out as long as possible, to bring her to the edge again and again until she knew -- would always remember -- he was the one who made her come harder than she ever had before.

Her intoxicating scent swirled in his senses, invaded his brain, imprinted on his heart. His lion wanted her, wanted to mark her. Benedict bit her clit gently and she came off the bed with a cry, her entire body flushing from head to toe as she shook. He smiled against her flesh but didn't stop. A leisurely pace sucking and licking and nipping kept her on the edge after the first one. He worked two fingers into her as her muscles clenched, drawing him in.

Her hands gripped his hair as her head tossed on the pillow and her hips pushed up at his mouth, begging for more, and he only backed off again. She growled in frustration and tried to drag him on top of her. "Please. Come on. Please."

"Please what?" he murmured. He ran his tongue over and around her clit until every muscle in her body tightened and she answered only in incoherent mumbles. His dick was hard enough to break itself off, it felt like, and he wanted to be in her. He wanted to feel the ripples of her orgasm, wanted to know she fucked back at him when she raised her hips.

"Please," she said, half-moan. Sweat beaded on her upper lip and she squeezed her breasts before trying to pull him on top of her once more. "Benedict, please."

"Well, since you asked so nicely..." He moved up her and kissed her deeply, tasting her pussy and mouth at the same time, and his cock nudged between her legs.

She inhaled sharply. Her legs fell open and he groaned, easing the tip into her past the tight muscles of an aftershock. Eloise arched her back, tilted her hips, and he slid home. She encased him like a hot, wet glove, and every little ripple of her core tried to drag him to climax.

Benedict groaned a curse, resting his forehead against her shoulder. Heaven. Heaven was a pussy slick with desire, open and willing and moving to draw him in. He kissed her again, thrust as gently as he could to fill her. She winced a little, moving, and he started to withdraw. Disappointing, sure. He wanted to see her face as he fucked her. Wanted to hear every little sigh and gasp, wanted to see the sweat dripping down her face.

Eloise locked her legs around his waist. "Stay. Deeper."

"I'll hurt you," he said. He kissed her again, wanted to reassure her he wasn't disappointed, even if he was. "It's okay, we can --"

"I want you," she said, locking her arm around his neck. Her voice coming from behind the velvet eye-mask made it kinkier, somehow. But she wasn't letting go. "I want you in me. I want you to fuck me hard.
Hard
. I want to feel you."

He groaned at the dirty words, his hips jerking forward until his stomach pressed against hers and she tensed and cried out under him. She bucked, nails raking stinging furrows down his back. Benedict couldn't have stopped for anything in the world. He grabbed her hips and held her in place to receive him, pounding into her ample hips until he knew she bruised under his hold. Heard only the wet sounds of their mating and the slapping of flesh -- his balls against her ass, over and over and over as he struggled for control and the lion roared to put her on her knees and fuck her from behind. Claim her.

Benedict pinned her shoulder down as Eloise writhed, and her pussy clenched around him like a velvet fist. She cried out and went still, the sound dying in her throat as her expression froze. He couldn't stop, pounded through the orgasm until she twitched with each drag of his body against her but he only caught her leg, pressed it up until her ankle braced on his shoulder and her body was truly his to plunder.

He snarled, lost control. He moved in abrupt, vicious thrusts, spreading her open and taking all of her. Her dark hair covered his pillows, her sweat soaked into his sheets. Blush stained her cheeks as she tossed and moved under his punishing rhythm, begging him. Begging him for what, he didn't know.

Pressure built in his balls as the orgasm approached like a freight train, and he snarled, slapped her hip hard enough to leave a mark. Fucked her until she wailed and went boneless in the sheets, until his entire fucking body seized up as he shot wave after wave of himself into her.

Eloise remained still except for her panting breath. Benedict released her leg and held his weight off her chest, waiting for his own breathing to slow. He removed the blindfold as he kissed her throat. "Good?"

She nodded with her eyes closed, a hint of a smile curving her lips, and he exhaled in relief. He hadn't meant to get so rough, but having her beg him, all soft and delicate and helpless, turned him into the lion in human form. Benedict lay next to her and traced a path around her breasts and stomach, inhaling the scent of her sweat and their intermingled fluids. He wanted to lick everything off her, roll around in her scent until she marked him as deeply as he'd marked her.

But there was still planning to do. Val Szdoka and her pack still waited for them in a few hours. Benedict kissed her forehead and drew the sheets up over her, murmuring, "I'll be back in a minute," before slipping out of bed.

He didn't bother with clothes as he found his cell phone and wandered through his living room. Edgar, as usual, was his first call. He answered but didn't speak. Benedict let the silence stretch, then took a deep breath. "What's the verdict?"

"You should call Logan."

"Ed --"

"Call Logan." And the line went dead.

Benedict rubbed his face, pacing another few minutes before daring to dial his oldest brother's number. When Logan answered, Benedict said, "Just listen. I --"

"You listen." Logan's voice was at least half growl. "Are you fucking kidding me? After everything we've accomplished here, everything we've built -- you'd throw it away for this girl? A girl who stole your wallet, ditched you and took your clothes, and probably stole from Val Szdoka. And you want to go to war with the hyenas over her."

Benedict braced his free hand on the marble counter in his kitchen, bending forward to stare at the floor. He only had one answer. "Yes."