Too Close

Ben kept his promise and he called Miranda almost every day. Their phone conversations were almost as good as their in-person ones. Their connection was so easy. They were quickly becoming best friends. He returned to school and when he walked into Webber's class, she almost jumped up and hugged him. He walked by her desk, tapping it twice before going to his regular seat.

The weeks flew by and one weekend, Miranda and Ben were talking on the phone while he visited his grandmother. They were both watching the same TV show and giving running commentary. "Can you hold on one second?" he said.

"Okay."

Miranda could hear someone else talking on his end. "Is that your girlfriend?" They asked, shocking her. She listened for Ben's response. Were they together?

"Dad!" Ben said. "She's—" Noise on Ben's end cut off the end of his sentence. A minute later he was back: "Hey, you're still there?"

She laughed. "Yep."

"One more second."

"So, when do I get to meet her?" His father said. Damn it! She really wanted to know what he'd said to his dad.

Ben grumbled something as he got back on the phone. "Hey, um, so, I'm about to come to campus and sleep for a few hours, can I see you? I know it's late so if—"

"Sure." Miranda agreed to meet him in front of his building. She was only waiting for two minutes before he tapped her shoulder, scaring her out of her skin. "Don't do that!" She yelped hitting his chest. Ben cracked up and pulled her in for a long hug.

They walked up to his dorm room. "Okay, before we go in, my roommate isn't here this weekend, but he's kind of messy." They walked into the room and the manliest smell hit her. It wasn't unpleasant, just completely different. It only took a few moments to get used to it. The room was definitely the male version of her and Terri's room. They sat on Ben's kempt bed. "If this is too much, we can move to a lounge."

So happy that she was seeing him face to face and not just talking to him on the phone like she'd been doing the last few days, Miranda said: "This is fine. Really."

"Good."

He moved in for a kiss and Miranda's body couldn't wait to accept it. She ran her tongue along his lips, planting a sensual kiss on him. Somehow, she suppressed a moan that would signal how badly she wanted him; but it was still so soon. She pulled away, breathing heavily. "Um, we should… uh…" The words wouldn't come to her.

Ben eyed her, full of lust. He probably wanted her just as much. "We should," he echoed. The two of them laughed. Ben stood up and grabbed a soda, handing it to her. "Do you mind if I have a beer?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Just wanting to know if you're fine with it."

"That's considerate." He wiggled the can. "I'm okay with it. Even though you didn't offer me one." He opened one and handed it to her. "Thank you."

Ben picked up his desk chair and sat it in front of her. They leaned in for a kiss. "How's your grandmother, babe?"

"Um," he sighed, "it's… I don't know. I suppose she's doing alright, but she's not really that responsive."

"Oh, Ben."

"Yeah, but we're hopeful," he said drinking some of his beer. "I gotta be hopeful or I'm going to go crazy." Hearing the usually laidback Benjamin Warren on edge was strange to her. She put the beer to her mouth, sipping it through the silence. "Thank you for listening to me vent."

"Anytime. We're friends."

He put his can on the floor, took hers and did the same. Ben pulled her into his lap. Miranda could feel his body react and hers was pulsating. "I have enough friends," he told her in a low voice before kissing her with so much fervor that the pulsing feel turned into a hard drumming up and down her body. His hand was on her thigh, gripping it. And she was two minutes from letting his hand wander. Two minutes from kissing down his body. Two minutes from allowing her carnal instincts to take over.

Her watch made a noise and she stood up, dizzy. "I'm gonna leave."

"You're sure?"

"Yep. Unh-huh." Her eyes landed on his and then traveled to his lips. "Because if I don't… whew!"

He grinned. "I see."

They held hands as he dropped her off. "Thank you." He hugged her. "Get some rest."

"Yes, ma'am."

In her room, Miranda found a note on her bed that said that Terri would be "gone" for the weekend. She knew that gone was code for sorority stuff and not Brandon-related stuff. Thankful to be alone, she sank beneath her comforters, opening her legs, allowing her hand to roam freely. She pushed up her shirt, touching her nipples, kneading them slowly. Being with Ben tonight had definitely revved her up; she was so wet. Miranda rubbed between her legs slowly. Her other hand joined in, sliding into her body. She remembered the last kiss that they'd shared and began grinding her hips against her hands. Soft moans left her mouth and because she had no more hands to quiet herself, they became louder. "Yesss," she purred, her breaths rapid. Thinking about the moment when she'd felt Ben beneath her sent her racing toward the finish line. "Jesus! Oh my God!" She licked her dry lips. "Shit."