Ciara was finally relaxing into a less restless sleep, when she felt a hand caressing her cheek. Feeling the gentleness she associated with Ben, her eyes opened with a gentle smile. Seeing his face hovering over hers caused her breath to hitch her heart to race, but not for the reasons he probably assumed.
"Sorry," his deep smoky voice rumbled. "You just looked so beautiful peaceful laying there. I wondered if your skin could really be as soft as it looked."
Fighting a blush, Ciara heard herself blurt, "And? Is it?"
"It's softer," he admitted with the husky quality of his voice deepening to a gravelly tone. Ben cleared his throat. "But I'm sorry I woke you."
Unconsciously, Ciara's hand reached out for his as he started to move away. "Thank you," she replied breathily. Now it was her turn to clear her own throat. "A girl never hates a compliment. Especially when she's been through a motorcycle feeling totally grody."
"You could never be anything but beautiful to me," he swore taking her breath away again. There was a tense silence as they stared deeply into each other's eyes.
Suddenly, his gaze dropped a second before he darted forward to drop a whisper of a kiss on her lips. He pulled back so quickly she could barely believe it happened. "Sorry," he whispered fighting to keep his heated, yet shame-filled gaze on hers instead of letting it drop back to her mouth. "I had no right—"
"I'm not," she heard herself admit. "I'm not sorry."
His hand came up to caress her cheek pushing a lock of her hair back as he leaned in until they were breathing the same air. "Are you sure?" Ben practically begged as his eyes met hers.
Ciara nodded. "Yes." Before she could complete her acceptance, his mouth was on hers for a firmer meeting of mouths. Then another. And another. Each kiss felt like a tasting… a lesson in the shape flavor of her mouth, and each kiss was firmer than the last.
His fingers tunneled through her long chocolate locks holding her firmly in place for his assault. As his kisses became more sure certain, her need to feel him grew in concert. She started at his wrists where his hands cupped her head.
Ciara's hands quickly took on a life of their own, working up his powerful arms to clutch his strong shoulders. One hand slid up the back of his neck to clutch the short, but thick hair at the nape of his neck. The other danced down his back to play with the hem of his shirt.
As if reading a thought that hadn't fully coalesced, Ben pulled back and whipped his shirt off. Ciara sat up tried to struggle free of her own shirt. He quickly moved to assist her until she sat in the camisole beneath.
His eyes flared with want as her hands reached out to touch his chest dance across the lines of his abdomen. For a moment, he remained still allowing her to explore his body. But his own needs rose, and soon, he was pulling her into a deep, ravenous kiss.
His hungry mouth finally released hers and began exploring the curve of her jaw. Ciara was lost for the first time in her life in a haze of passion. She never knew a man's touch—his kisses—could feel this good she reveled in the attention as much as the sensations.
Ben's mouth continued its journey south growing wetter with each kiss trailed along her clavicle down towards her cleavage. She cupped his head to her chest feeling her urgency growing.
"More," she pleaded, desperately as he seemed to hesitate to venture below her camisole. His fingers toyed with the hem as his mouth played in her cleavage until finally he dipped down to nip at her nipple through the camisole.
Lost in her craving for Ben, Ciara shifted to wrap left leg around his hip when she felt a quick, sharp pain. "Oh!" she yelped.
Ben pulled back immediately in concern. "Ciara?" The sound of her name, with arousal thick in his voice, slipping from his swollen lips made her shiver.
"No, no, no, I'm fine, I just—" She paused, blushing furiously. "I didn't want to stop, but my leg—we can't… you know."
"I know," Ben responded caringly. "I wasn't going to, Ciara. It was too soon for me anyway, but not for you."
"Wha-AH!" In her distraction, he had unbuttoned her jeans and slipped his hand inside
His mouth returned to hers before she could regain her composure, devouring her. His other hand slipped under her camisole finally to play with her breast. And within seconds, he had her hurtling towards something she'd never believed she'd experience again.
Ciara viciously shut that line of thinking down and let herself focus on the way Ben made her feel. His mouth began traveling down her body again when breathing became necessary. She shrieked when he laved her nipple through her camisole. The air became a symphony of her moans of pleasure and his growls of appreciation.
His fingers played her like a maestro played a masterpiece. He knew just when to apply pressure when to retreat… but he kept sliding down to rim her entrance. The mix of sensations drove her higher until final as she was sure she couldn't take anymore, he sucked her breast in deep, pressed his thumb on her clit, and shoved his middle finger deep inside her.
Ciara jolted upright in bed on a gasp. For a moment, she was confused. 'Where is Ben?' she wondered as she tried to catch her breath. As her mind cleared, she realized it had all been a dream.
Then it hit her. She'd just had her first real sex dream since Chase had assaulted her… and it was about the Necktie Killer! God, she really was damaged goods.
She sighed as she shifted trying to get comfortable. Ciara frowned. 'Ew! Is that really what I smell like?' she thought, resolving to focus on her funk rather than her disturbingly hot fantasy. 'God, I need a shower.'
Ciara settled back down to wait for Ben, determined not to think of her dream or to let it sway her common sense. She would have to be on her guard more than ever. At least until she was sure she could trust him. If she ever could be.