CHAPTER FIVE
BEN
“YOU CAN’T BE,” CAMI WHISPERS, and her face falls. She looks at me shocked and worried, trying to piece everything together, but unable to comprehend it all.
She looks different from the woman in the library. Her hair is down, and it’s longer than I imagined, hitting her at the middle of her back. Her clothes are tighter, more revealing of her sexy body. Her strapless dress has me wishing she’d worn a sweater. From the moment I walked through the door of the restaurant and my eyes found her alone at the table, I was hard. Uncomfortably hard.
What I’ve learned in the short time I’ve known her is that I like Cami, in all shapes and forms, and seeing her tonight, her skirt showing more thigh than I’ve ever seen from her, I can’t stop thinking about those legs being wrapped around my waist as I pound into her, making her scream my name.
“Why can’t I be?” I clear my throat, shifting my body so my hard cock is hidden underneath the table.
“Because,” she says, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper and leaning forward a little. “My date is—”
“An escort?” I watch as her chest concaves with the air exiting her body because the shock of my words are almost too much for her. Cami doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who needs to pay for a date, but if there is one thing I’ve learned in this business, looks are deceiving. “I work for Jason, babe. I’m your date. Your Louisiana Hot Link.”
Her mouth flaps open and closed a few times, and she blindly blinks at me. My chest aches, and for the first time tonight, I realize I might not be what she is expecting. A divorced-father-of-two, who works too much, reads suspense thrillers, and takes women out because they pay him to. I must look like a real winner to her. I let go of her hand, suddenly very self-conscious.
“Ben—” she starts, but I stop her, unable to handle her rejection.
“Look, don’t say anything yet.” I sigh, raking my hand through my hair, thankful I didn’t use any hair product tonight. “I can see I’m not what you were expecting, so if you want, I’ll call Jason and have him schedule someone else for you.”
Mine. The thought of another man with her angers me, but I have to consider what she wants, too. We’ve never gotten to the point where I could stake a claim on her, but given the chance to ever do so, I would in a heartbeat.
I shift my body, getting ready to stand, but she reaches out and grabs my hand, keeping me in my seat. I look at her, and the moment our eyes connect, her entire demeanor changes. She relaxes, and the worry I felt vanishes.
“Stay.” Her voice is soft and gentle, but I still see confusion in her eyes.
“Cami, I’m sorry if I’m not what you expected. I don’t want to disappoint you,” I tell her honestly because it’s the last thing I want to do. “I wouldn’t have taken this appointment but Jason…” I trail off, unable to tell her why Jason really wanted me to be her date.
“Did you know it was me?”
“Yes.” I nod
“But you came anyways.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand. Why?”
“Does it bother you? Me knowing it was you tonight.” I ignore the “why” because it will make things too complicated right now.
“I guess not, it’s just, I never would have thought you were—that you did this kind of thing.” I laugh lightly, watching her cheeks flush from my reaction. “I mean, not that I’m judging you or anything, but you’re a good-looking guy—”
“I shouldn’t have to escort beautiful women?”
“I didn’t mean to imply—” She slaps her hands over her mouth, making me laugh louder this time. “What you do on your dates—”
“Cami, it’s okay.” I reach across the table and grasp her hands, trying to calm her. “I take it you didn’t look over the menu?”
“I didn’t,” she breathes, her body tense and wound up. We both fall silent and sit staring at each other, trying to figure out what to do next. Being the gentleman the menu describes me as, I wait for her to decide what happens next, even though my instinct to reach across the table and kiss her senseless boils under the surface.
I hope she decides to stay, to pursue this, because I want this woman. More than any other woman I’ve ever been with. The idea of finding myself in between her glorious long legs tonight, tasting her, fucking her, had me relieving myself more than once before my arrival. Not that it helped; the tightness in my pants tells me as much.
“So, what now?” she asks, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
“It’s your call.” I can’t help the smile that slips onto my face as I imagine running my hand through her dark silky hair, gripping it at the roots for a little tug. I wonder if she’ll purr or growl from the action. She eyes me carefully, fingering her glass of wine.
“What’s your description on the menu?”
“Louisiana Hot Link. Ben, age forty-one, brown hair and brown eyes. Always the gentleman, Ben will remind you how a woman is supposed to be treated. With arms thick and strong, he’ll wrap them around you and make you feel safe and protected.”
She smiles brightly. “A gentleman?”
“I try to be.”
She lifts her glass to her lips and drains it. I glance around, looking for the waiter to refill it for her, but there is no one around. In fact, I find it odd that no one has bothered approaching for a drink order since I sat down.
“I asked them to stay away,” she explains, reading my mind. “My sister owns the place, and I asked her to make sure no one approached us unless I summoned them.”
“I see. Would you like more wine?”
She pauses, contemplating her choice.
“No,” her voice is soft, but her eyes have turned golden. “What if I don’t want you to be a gentleman?”
I lift an eyebrow, watching the way her face flushes and her chest puffs as her breathing rate increases. She’s feeling braver now.
“I can be whatever you want me to be, Cami,” I lower my voice and narrow my eyes on her, watching the way my words physically affect her. She shivers, and her nipples harden, peaking at me from underneath her dress. Her tongue flicks out and runs across her lower lip. I hold back the urge to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of here.