A sense of eager anticipation filled Aria as she turned the knob and pushed open her apartment door. "Got the—"

A strong arm reached out and hooked around her waist.

“Ack!” A second arm slid beneath her knees and scooped her off the floor, and she found herself being carried toward the bedroom by a very naked, very hard, very sexy man.

She smirked, holding on to him and kicking her legs for fun. "Someone's eager…"

Ben's eyes were dark and brooding, but the grin on his face sent shivers through her body. "You took forever."

"I was gone five minutes!"

"Exactly."

Her clothes were already being pulled off in a combined effort as he lowered her onto the bed and climbed back on top. She loved every touch of his body pressing down on hers, completely covering her. His skin was fire against hers, and she never wanted to cool down.

She handed him the box she'd just purchased which he quickly ripped open, grabbing the first one he could reach. Once fully situated, Ben tossed the box on the nightstand. "We're going to need the rest of those later."

Aria's heart beat faster in her chest. "Oh."

"Problem?" He was nearly growling, brushing himself against her entrance as he kneeled between her legs.

"Only if you don't keep your promise."

He shot her a wicked grin. "God, I like you."

Aria tried to ignore the flutter in her chest. "Then fuck me."

He pressed inside of her slowly at first, letting her adjust to his width. "You feel amazing," he groaned.

She arched her back, gasping at the perfect invasion that hit each and every nerve ending in her body. Trembling, she wrapped her arms around his neck, securing herself to him, kissing his skin.

They turned feverish as he pressed in and out of her, clawing at each other like it was never enough, like they needed more. She needed more. Then he slid one hand between them, finding her clit with his thumb and rubbing circles over it until she couldn't see straight.

Stars burst and dazzled behind her eyelids. Everything was floating, fading, yet, at the same time, she'd never felt such tension building before.

"Come for me, Aria," he whispered into her ear, nibbling and kissing down her neck as he thrust harder, faster.

Lights crackled as she fell over the edge, tumbling into ecstasy as her body spasmed and shook with the weight of her orgasm. "Oh, Ben. Ben!"

"Holy shit," Ben ground out, grabbing her hips and pressing deeper than before. He froze for a moment, holding her there against him, groaning.

She ran her fingers across his arms—rigid, solid muscles. Every part of him was chiseled and defined, something she hadn't fully appreciated until she'd seen him entirely naked.

Being an actress, she often saw built men, but they were...polished? There was no mystery that they made fitness a big part of their lives, and much of their time was devoted to it. But Ben? He was rugged and natural, and while she was sure he worked out, there was also an ease to him that was comforting.

The tension finally left his body as he sagged against her, sliding to the side instead of crushing her. Exhaling loudly, he pushed off the bed and headed for the bathroom. Returning a minute later, he crawled back in to bed next to her.

"Come here." His voice was subdued, but he reached for her.

She curled into his side, drawing circles on his chest with her index finger. "Worth the five-minute wait?"

"Would have been worth a five-year wait."

Aria smiled. "I like free-agent us."

He just grunted at that, but wrapped both arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "Do free agents nap in the middle of a Saturday?"

"That's actually a requirement."

Ben laughed, and damn, she loved his laugh. It moved his whole body, rumbling inside him with such genuine spirit. It was contagious, making her heart lighter. The feeling of his chest moving against her cheek, roaring and muted all at once.

"Oh, but there is one stipulation for free agent napping," Aria added.

"What's that?"

She wiggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his torso even though she knew the arm beneath him would probably go numb soon. "Free agents cuddle. It's mandatory."

"Good, because that's my plan for the entire weekend." Ben kissed the top of her head. "Don't let go," he mumbled around a yawn.

His breathing evened out and his muscles relaxed, and she realized he'd fallen asleep.

"I won't," she whispered.

Aria swallowed hard, trying to push down the overwhelming emotion she was feeling right now. What on earth is my problem? This wasn't like her. She wasn't the kind of woman who got invested in a man she'd known less than few weeks in passing, let alone have sex with him.

And yet, here she was.

There was no denying the chemistry between them, but it was more than that. An intimacy, a vulnerability...he saw her. When Ben looked at her, he really saw who she was. And he barely even knew her.

He made her feel adored. Worthy. Precious.

Am I being foolish? Is this just the way Ben is?

Part of her was terrified it was, and another part was terrified to find out. She wanted this to be real, even if it was only for the weekend. She wanted to feel whole and healed and being with him was already making that happen.

This had to be special to him, too. It had to.

She had never been special to anyone else.

Ben stirred. "Aria? Are you crying?" He leaned back enough to see her face.

Am I? She quickly wiped at her face, and sure enough, there were tears on her cheeks.

Ben immediately sat up and pulled her onto his lap, rubbing her back. "What's wrong, beautiful? Please talk to me."

Aria couldn't speak, a lump in her throat refused to let her. Instead, she just shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder, holding on tight. The tears continued to flow, her embarrassment rising.

He murmured sweet nothings into her ear, softly rubbing her back and cuddling her to his chest. After a few minutes, he handed her his shirt. She pulled it on, feeling instantly cradled by his scent and the soft comfort of the fabric.

"I'm sorry," she finally managed to get out. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Honestly, I have no clue why I'm crying."

"It's okay," he assured her, pulling her back down onto the bed and lifting the covers over them both. "We can lay here as long as you want."

"Thank you," she murmured, already feeling sedated from crying. Wrapped in the warm blankets and his strong arms, she drifted off to sleep feeling completely overwhelmed with everything she'd been avoiding feeling, and everything she'd been wanting to feel her whole life.