Simmering Love (Slow Burn Book 3) Read online

  I study myself in the mirror, twisting and turning to look at my outfit before ripping it off over my head and sighing. Grabbing my phone, I pull up Andi’s name and press Call.

  “Hey, Pep. What’s up?”

  “What do you mean, what’s up? I’m freaking out over here,” I hiss into the phone, and I hear her laugh.

  “Oh, wait, tonight is your date, right?”

  “I literally told you about it this morning. Don’t play dumb.” I scowl at my reflection as she laughs even harder.

  “What is the emergency?”

  “What do I wear? Do I need to wear matching bra and panties? Do I go shop for lingerie before work? Is that trying too hard—”

  “Whoa, slow down. One question at a time. You wear something comfortable. Just go casual with a matching set, no need to go buy something extra. Believe me, once he starts undressing you, it won’t matter what you took off. Wait, are you finally doing it tonight?” she shrieks, and I have to jerk the phone away from my ear.

  “Jeez, now, I can’t hear. Yes, I’m hoping to seduce him into sleeping with me.” I laugh.

  “I don’t think it will take any seducing at all. That guy has probably imagined you in his bed every single day since you met.”

  I can hear her smacking her mouth across the phone.

  “Will you quit eating right in my ear?”

  “Okay. Don’t forget to wrap it before he taps it. Don’t be silly; wrap his willy. No love without the glove. No—”

  “Okay, I get it,” I say, cutting her off with a laugh.

  “Have you told him?”

  “Told him what?” I play dumb.

  “That this is your first time?”

  “Hasn’t exactly come up in regular conversation, Andi,” I say sarcastically.

  “Well, make sure he knows. Your situation is a little different than most girls.”

  “What, most twenty-three-year-olds aren’t virgins? Shocker.” I roll my eyes and plop down on my bed with a huff. “I’m not ashamed of it, just worried about my inexperience.”

  “I think it’s sweet,” she says, trying to make me feel better.

  “I don’t want to be sweet. I want him to think I’m a sex kitten.”

  Andi bursts out laughing across the speaker, and I grimace.

  “Sex kitten. That’s a good one, Pep.”

  Danger noses my door open and jumps up on the bed with me, laying his head in my lap while I absently pat his belly.

  “Just be yourself, Pepper. That’s who he fell in love with.”

  “Oh my God, he’s not in love with me,” I exclaim.

  Is he?

  No.

  “Whatever you say,” Andi says in a singsong voice. “Just be chill. Don’t overthink things and call me with all the gritty details in the morning.”

  “You know I will.” I smile, standing to rifle through my drawers.

  I find a pair of jean shorts and a tight-fitting V-neck T-shirt. I pull out the matching pink thong and lacy bra before shaking my head and shoving them back in the drawer. I’m just going to be me tonight, wearing my normal, everyday attire. I jump in the shower to wash and shave every inch of my skin.

  Ben has been gone since I woke up this morning. Not sure why. I know he doesn’t work today, but maybe he’s avoiding seeing me until our date. The thought only builds the suspense in my mind.

  Tonight’s the night. V-card is getting turned in, and I couldn’t be more excited that it’s going to be with Ben.

  I quickly change my sheets, just in case. Then, I swipe some makeup on and throw my hair up in a ponytail before thinking better about it and leaving it down, running my curling wand through it.

  I check the time and see that I have thirty minutes until work, so I take Danger out to potty and then promise him lots of treats when I get back.

  Work crawls by, and by nine o’clock, I’m running at a sprint to my car. I weave in and out of traffic and narrowly miss running over an old lady walking across the street. I get behind the leaders of the Slow Drivers Committee, and for someone who doesn’t curse, I’m pretty sure I’ve thought every word out there and made up a few of my own by the time I pull into the apartment complex.

  I push open the door, and the aroma of spices hits my nose. I inhale, and it smells delicious. I close the door to find Ben standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot, wearing an apron that says, Kiss the Chef.

  Don’t mind if I do.

  “Hey,” I say softly.

  He waves a wooden spoon in the air and smiles at me. “Hey.”

  We stare at each other for a moment before something pops, and he flinches and looks down at his arm, where hot liquid landed. I move into the apartment and drop my stuff on the table before walking into the kitchen and standing beside him.

  “Everything will be ready in just a moment if you want to have a seat.”

  “Want me to pour drinks?”

  “Nope. I’m serving you tonight,” he says, motioning to where he already has the wineglasses set out and a red wine chilling next to them.

  Taking a deep breath, I decide to be bold and take what I want. I walk up to him, trailing one hand up his chest, and I can see his head turn, eyes watching. I can feel his heart beating underneath his apron and shirt. I lightly touch my fingertips to his collarbone, tracing the outline underneath his skin as I slowly walk behind him. I can see his pulse jumping in his neck, and I ache to press my lips to it.

  I reach up to the base of his neck, untie the apron strings, and let them fall forward, doing the same at his waist. Running both hands under the hem of his shirt, I scrape my nails around his stomach, feeling each dip and valley of his abs as he takes shallow breaths.

  “Pep,” he says, his hands moving down to press mine to his stomach.

  We freeze, my front against his back, our ragged breathing and the bubbling of the pot on the stove the only sounds filling the air. He slowly turns in my arms, and I tilt my neck back, so I can see his face. The tension lining his eyes only spurs me on, and I rise up on my tiptoes to place my hands on his face.

  “I want you, Ben. I need you.” I pull his face until he gives in, and our mouths meet in a fury. A long-awaited storm of searing looks and passing touches. A foreplay that will end tonight. “You deserve this. I deserve this. We deserve this,” I whisper against his mouth.

  He bends down to place his hands on the back of my thighs, lifting me into the air as if I weighed nothing. Compared to him, I am light as a feather. I wrap my legs around him, linking them in the back so he can’t pull us apart. I’m like a spider monkey. Or maybe a baby koala.

  “Are you sure?” He pulls back just enough to ask, but I slam my mouth back on his in answer.

  I feel his hand sneak out and turn the stove off before coming back to settle under my butt.

  “Let’s go to your room,” I murmur against his mouth.

  “What about the food?” he asks, glancing over to where everything is sitting.

  “Let’s eat after. I don’t want to waste another moment.” My nerves are fluttering, and I don’t want to take the time to think. I just want to do.

  Ben doesn’t hesitate to carry me out of the kitchen and down the hallway, kicking his door shut before Danger can weasel his way in. He makes a disgruntled whine outside the door, but we ignore him. Ben bends to gently place me on the bed before hovering over me, his eyes darting to each part of my body before coming to rest on my face to see where I’m intently staring at him.

  He crawls on top of me, fisting his hands in my hair and arching my head back to place a trail of kisses down the column of my throat.

  “Ben,” I say, placing my hands on his wrists, and he stills.

  “Yeah?” His voice comes out gravelly and rough, and I squirm underneath him.

  “I need to tell you something.”

  That’s never the sentence someone wants to hear right before they have sex.

  His eyes shoot to mine, and he pushes up, withdrawing his hand
s from my hair. He moves to the side of me and sinks down into the comforter, elbow supporting him, resting his head on his hand. His free hand pushes the hem of my shirt up, and he draws light circles on my skin, right above the top of my shorts.

  My heart feels like it’s beating a million miles a minute in my chest, and I swallow past the lump in my throat.

  “Um … well … okay, so I’ve never …” I look down, watching the goose bumps bloom from where he’s touching my stomach, and I bring a hand up, placing it over his to stop his movement. I can’t think with his hand on me.

  “You’ve never …” he prompts, looking at me from under those thick eyelashes.

  “I’ve never done this,” I say, sweeping my hand between us.

  His forehead creases before it registers.

  “You’ve never had sex?” He sits up, grabbing my hand.

  “Yes, that’s what I’m trying to tell you.” I place a hand on his arm, and it tenses. Not exactly how I envisioned this going.

  Maybe I should have told him before, like Andi suggested.

  I rise up on my knees and grab the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. He looks over at me, and I can see the lust, the attraction in his eyes.

  “That’s cool. I mean, just tell me if you want me to go slower or stop,” he says, reaching up to run his fingertips across my stomach.

  That’s it? I built all this up in my head for that?

  It takes me a moment to process, but then I grin and move to unbutton my jean shorts. He tracks my movements like I’m water in the Sahara. I’ve never done a striptease before, and I’m not sure this would even qualify, but there’s something so freeing as I push my shorts down and watch Ben’s fingers flex. I scoot over, wrapping my arms around him, a sense of déjà vu from the kitchen to here, but now, I’m wearing a lot less clothes, and he knows a lot more about my lack of sexual experiences.

  22

  Ben

  I close the distance between us. My hands rake her hair back from around her face as I crash my lips to hers.

  I pause to stare at her, the way her cheeks are flushed, her hair in disarray, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.

  “You’re beautiful,” I say, running one finger across her collarbone and watching her skin peak with goose bumps.

  “More of that,” she says, gripping both of my arms and pulling me down so her hands can find the bottom of my shirt and lift. She throws my shirt off the bed and places both her palms on my pecs, running them back and forth against my chest.

  I lower my head, kissing the rounded skin at the top of her breasts before reaching up and pushing both cups down, freeing her nipples that are standing erect, begging me to lick and bite and suck them.

  Don’t mind if I do.

  Her back arches off the bed as soon as my mouth makes contact. Her hands wrap in my hair and hold me to her in a vise grip. One I never want to get out of. If I could stay here forever, breathing in her skin and tasting every inch of her perfect breasts, I would. She presses on the top of my head, urging me to continue my journey south of the border, and I comply, hooking a finger around each side of her panties, pulling them down and then moving her legs apart.

  “Don’t forget to let me know if you need anything different,” I say.

  She nods before I lower my head to her warm, wet center. Pepper decides I’m too slow, and with her hands still in my hair, she pushes my head down and raises her hips to meet me, a satisfied groan erupting from her chest as soon as my tongue makes contact with her clit.

  “I’ve wanted this for a while,” she moans. “I’ve wanted you.”

  As she writhes under me, her grip gets tighter as I work my tongue through her folds. Hearing her say that makes me harder, to know that she’s been feeling what I have. I press my thumb against her clit, rubbing it back and forth in little circles, loving the sounds she’s making. She’s rolling her hips, and I have to work hard to keep my position and pressure going for her.

  “Yes, right there,” she says, urging me on.

  I smile against her wet skin. I slowly insert one finger and marvel at how tight she feels around me. She stills, and I pull my head back.

  “Everything okay?” I ask, looking at her, trying to read her face. Her head is thrown back into the pillow, so I can’t get a good view. “Pepper?”

  “Yes, yes, everything is good. Just keep doing that.” She finally peers up at me, her cheeks pink and a nervous smile on her face.

  I lower back down, my finger still inside her, and I touch my tongue to her clit, smiling when she jerks with a moan.

  “God, come here.” She tugs my hair again, and I rise up.

  When I smash my mouth down against hers, she sticks her tongue out, licking my top lip and then my bottom, tasting herself on me.

  Fuck, that’s hot.

  “Why do you still have your pants on?” she whispers. “Let’s get them off. I don’t want to be the only naked one here.” She reaches for the top of my pants.

  “Does anyone tell you that you talk a lot?” I grin, getting off of her so I can unbutton my jeans, pulling them down along with my briefs.

  “All the time.” She smiles up at me as she rises on her elbows, watching me disrobe with half-lidded eyes. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous.”

  “That’s okay. Like I said, you tell me what you want. We’ll go at your pace.”

  I crawl back on the bed and lie down, hooking an arm around her and rolling her body on top of mine while she laughs.

  “I want to feel every part of you,” I mutter.

  She gasps, blowing air out, and bumps skitter along my skin as she leans down to nip at the base of my neck. She rises and stares at me as I skate my hands over her waist and grip her ass, thrusting it down so she rubs over me, making me hard. She gives a shudder before moving to lay a trail of kisses over one side of my face and continuing along my neck.

  Once she sits back up, I fist her hair and continue to push and pull her ass, so she creates a nice friction on my cock, keeping me hard and throbbing underneath her. She arches, trying to take me inside her, but I resist, turning us again so she’s on her back, panting, as her hands grab at me, touch me, tickle me feverishly.

  “Hold on,” I say as I lean over, opening the bedside table drawer and dragging out a condom.

  “Oh, I want to do it,” she says.

  A shy grin on her lips, she moves off my lap, taking the foil from me and tearing it open. She furrows her brow in concentration, and I want to lean up and kiss the wrinkle between them. She rolls it on, achingly slow, and then her hands linger around the base of my cock. She leans forward and plants a light kiss on the head. Then, she lies down beside me, raising her hands above her head, making her breasts look phenomenal.

  I brace my head in my hand, pushing up on my elbow as I look at her. I reach out, tracing her nipple with my finger. I love how it rises, perky and tight underneath me. She pushes a hand into my hair, pulling as she arches her chest toward me, urging me on. I take her breasts in my palms, squeezing and massaging.

  “I want you in control,” I say, and she looks at me, tilting her head to the side. “I want you to do what feels good.” I grab her hips, pulling her back on top of me. “You set the pace.”

  Her smile warms me, and I grow harder, if that’s even possible.

  “You want me to be the one in control?” she asks, and I grip her skin, relishing in the warmth of it. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  She laughs a little, sitting on top of me. Her tits jiggle with the movement of her laughter, and I have a hard time looking away.

  “Whatever you do will be perfect,” I tell her.

  She gives me a small smile. She moves up, hovering above me, and I hold her hips steady as she reaches between us, centering me at her opening. I’m so fucking hard, and this waiting is torture, but it will be worth it for Pepper to have a good experience.

  She slowly lowers, and it feels like she’s moving only a centimeter a
t a time. I watch her face, first tilted to the side and then scrunched up in concentration, and then her eyes go wide with feeling.

  “You feel …” she whispers.

  I smile. “What?”

  “Weird,” she says with a giggle.

  I teasingly roll my eyes. “What every guy wants to hear when a girl is on top of him,” I say.

  She laughs harder, the feeling moving from her core and to my dick, sending a tingle through my body.

  She continues, a long breath coming from her as she fully seats herself. Her eyes flicker to mine, then away, and then back. “What do I do now?”

  “What do you want to do?” I ask even though I want her to ride me like a bull right this minute.

  Fuck, she feels good.

  She tentatively pushes up then drops down, and I groan.

  “That feels amazing,” I tell her.

  She does it again, faster this time, and I dig into the flesh at her hips, holding on for the ride. Her breathing speeds up, short bursts coming from her in between moans. Going faster, she arches back a little, holding on to my thighs. Her breasts are pushed up, nipples taut, and I want to taste them.

  “Oh,” she says when I swiftly sit up, pausing her movement.

  I take one of her nipples in my mouth, biting softly and then licking.

  “Keep moving,” I tell her, and she swivels her hips underneath where I have her in my mouth.

  “I, uh … this feels…wow,” she says, letting go of my legs and bringing her arms around my neck, holding herself up.

  I let go of her nipple, pushing to meet her lips, and she sets a punishing pace as she lightly bites my bottom lip.

  “Flip me over,” she murmurs against me.

  I don’t wait a second, holding her back to me as I turn, laying her on the sheets. I stare at her. Cheeks flushed, a smile on her face, and her hair lying wild around her head.

  She’s beautiful.

  In a swift push, I’m inside her again, and she tilts her chin up as I lay kisses down her neck.

  “Move, Ben,” she prompts.