Author's Notes…

This is about a normal chapter size for me. I would have made it longer, except that it kind of has to stay where it is. Hope everyone enjoys! Little bit NSFW. Use your own judgement! I continue to enjoy the love!

To Carla

Chocolate

Chapter Four

The Prey

"I'll be back," Rey said to Finn.

"No, you won't," he sighed. "I'll be over playing pool with the newlyweds. Hey… Rey?"

She paused, blinking at him in question. "Yeah?"

"…Have fun, okay?" He squeezed her shoulder. "Don't worry about Mr. Obliviousness." He kissed her temple and nodded at Poe and Rebecca, jerking his head in the direction of the pool table he'd secured for the trio. Ben and Rey could join if they wanted, though that was unlikely to happen.

Rey cleared her throat, claiming the stool next to Ben. "Hey, stranger." She hoped he couldn't tell how nervous she was, though that was highly unlikely. He'd seen her humiliating wobble, and she hadn't done much better on the way over here.

"Do you want a martini?" He put his things away in his briefcase. She wondered what it was that he'd spent the day writing. Schoolwork? A job assignment? Did he write on his own time, and if so, what type of writing was it? Journalism, poetry, a novel…? It could be so many things… "What?"

"What?" Rey wrenched herself from her woolgathering.

"I asked if you wanted a martini," Ben repeated politely, which entirely belied that… stupid, stupid smugness that lingered in his dark eyes.

"Yes," she said more breathlessly than she would have liked. Why was it that she could never seem to get air into her lungs around him? "I would, actually. I think I'll do an apple martini this time." She attempted to grab the bartender's attention, only to pause—Ben's fingers had snagged her wrist.

Her entire world flashed to two months ago, and she shivered all over.

"I've got it," he said.

"I don't need you ordering for me," she said.

He chuckled. "Maybe I just wanted to touch you."

Damn it, damn it, damn it. She would not let her heart beat faster because of him. She wouldn't. "That's just a line. You were totally going to order for me."

"Does it matter? Let me do something nice. I want to buy you a drink."

"I… suppose that would be all right…" she hedged.

"You suppose?" His chuckle deepened, which in turn made Rey's blush follow suit. He ordered her drink along with a glass of water. At her confused glance, his joviality faded to one of those softer smiles of his. "I felt it safe to assume you didn't want to get drunk tonight?"

She couldn't fault him for that. "You assumed correctly, then."

Rather than release her hand, he lowered it to the bar, keeping it between them. His thumb stroked over her knuckles. It sent tingles shooting up her arm, whereupon it flooded through the rest of her body. How did he do it? How was his touch so hypnotic?

"I can't help but notice that you haven't given that guy a single glance. I was right, wasn't I? I'm not here to make him jealous. I'm here for you."

"Don't get cocky." Rey thanked the bartender—Richard—for the drink and took a cursory sip. It was to her liking, as usual. Her group frequented this bar often enough for it not to be any other way unless someone new was tending to customers.

Ben's fingers toyed with the ends of her curls. "This is pretty."

"Thanks…" Rey couldn't suppress a smile. She didn't say she'd done it up for him—that went unspoken.

"You look beautiful," he commented.

He'd cleaned up since the park, too. A nice button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of slacks. All black, so they matched in that regard.

He had that glimmer in his eyes…

Like he wanted to kiss her…

"Thanks," she whispered.

Fell in love with a girl, fell in love once and almost completely, she's in love with the world, but sometimes these feelings can be so misleading!

The White Stripes bounding all over Mos Eisley, Rey searched for the source. She found Finn near the jukebox, playing air guitar. It made her want to bang her head off the bar.

What a way to kill the moment!

She turns and says are you all right? I said I must be fine 'cause my heart's still beating! Come and kiss me by the riverside, Bobby says it's fine, he don't consider it cheating!

Rey was giggling. She couldn't make it stop. It was only that Finn was so entertaining to watch. He was jumping around, ridiculous as hell, really going at it with that fake guitar of his. She smothered her laughter against her wrist, squeezing her eyes shut.

"He's completely mental," she gasped.

"You have interesting friends," Ben noted.

"Yeah," Rey snickered. "I really, really do."

"Is it all right that I'd rather sit here with you instead of play pool with your friends?" he asked, studying her intently.

She sobered, considering him for an extended length of time. He didn't cow away from it. If anything, it only made him more determined. He laced their fingers together and regarded her with something that wasn't quite patience. No… No, she wouldn't call him a patient man. He maintained that appearance very well, but there was… a well of emotion there if only she was brave enough to dig deeper.

"It is," was her ultimate conclusion. She reached for the bowl of peanuts with her free hand. "How old are you?"

"Thirty-five. You?"

"Twenty-five… An even ten years. How about that?" He was thirty-five? He didn't really look it… "You have amazing skin. Are you really thirty-five?"

"Want to see my license?"

He had her giggling again. "No, I'll take you at your word." She drank more of her martini, but she really wasn't overly committed to it. Ben was far more fascinating. "What are you drinking?"

"Johnny Walker."

"I heard that's really smooth."

He nudged his glass toward her.

She lifted her eyebrows. "Really?" He nodded. "Well, all right." Down the scotch went. Her eyes watered, and she choked, but she manfully kept it on the subtle side. A smear of lipstick was the sole evidence she'd shared his drink at all. "Mmm. Yes. That's amazing."

Johnny Walker was expensive, so—"amazing" would be a proper term, wouldn't it? Rey didn't know. She drank very girly things. That had been her first foray into the land of scotch. She hadn't liked it and did at the same time. Must have been the burn.

Ben retrieved his drink. "You're a shit liar, did you know that?" Merriment crinkled the corners of his eyes.

"Hey," she said flatly. "What happened to not insulting me?"

Both hands wrapped around the glass of scotch, Ben leaned over, his lips brushing her ear. "The truth hurts."

Oh—

His teeth worked the edge of her earlobe.

Oh…

Rey swallowed, fighting to recall what she'd been about to argue. "There are kinder ways to tell the truth." Was that her, her voice high-pitched, strangled with arousal? And with so little done on his end.

"Maybe I'm just a cruel bastard." He nuzzled the tip of her ear and withdrew.

"No," she whispered, holding his gaze. "I don't think you're cruel at all."

Something hidden flashed behind his eyes as he stroked her jawline. "You're the first to say so. But… you're different."

"What do you mean?" Every rub of that thumb was sending heat to prickle straight to her… no. No! She couldn't be thinking of that right now. No.

The pad of his thumb tugged on her lower lip. "You're different," he repeated. "I have to go. I have a deadline. This was nice."

"Deadline?" Disappointment fell through Rey, and she was entirely unprepared to handle it. She—she hadn't thought they'd part ways so soon.

"Yeah. But don't worry… I won't leave you in a bind." On his feet, Ben slid his fingers into her hair and tilted her head up. Her hand rested over his heart, her eyes closing. She was rewarded with hot lips on hers, and he didn't end it with a simple peck this time. His tongue brushed over hers, and she didn't think she'd ever learn to breathe again.

He made her skin tight all over… made her warm in places…

The urge to take his hand and place it between her thighs was so strong it shook her. She stopped touching him.

"He's looking again. Mission accomplished, hm?" Ben lingered with three more kisses, each longer, deeper than the last, each carrying a hint of tongue. Rey had to fight to keep in her seat, to not lean up and glue herself to his front and do highly inappropriate things for an unwilling audience.

"Who's looking?" Rey asked dazedly. "Oh."

Ben was smugger than ever.

"I thought so," he said. "Text me that you got home safely."

And then he was gone, briefcase in hand.

Rey touched her fingers to her lips and wished fervently that she was alone. She'd be able to do something about her taut nipples and the heat spooled between her thighs.

She found the glass of water Ben had ordered for her and began to chug it down. It was the closest that she could come to a cold shower.