CHAPTER TWO
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This should be an easy transaction. He could have so much for so little, the use of Rey's body for a few measly credits, and he wouldn't have to worry about giving anything more. There was a simplicity to this that appealed to him, knowing he could find pleasure without having to offer any pieces of himself that mattered. Ben needed that, the protection that could come with distance.
But if their arrangement was truly so easy, he wouldn't be shaking like this. His hands trembled, as unsteady as he felt when he stripped out of the rest of his clothes.
This was stupid. Rey was an unregistered, low-class courtesan, as illegal to purchase as anything else on the black market. And he liked her. She was clever, forward, hardheaded—and Force-sensitive. Instead of telling her the truth, like he'd intended, he was lying. Lying, and paying to fuck her.
As soon as she finished undressing, Rey sat on the edge of the bed, and the sight of her naked was enough to distract him from his anxiety. She was perfect, her body crafted in long lines and modest curves. So beautiful, bare just for him.
"Ben?" she said, a question-but-not, asking him to come to bed.
This was stupid, yes, but he was doing it anyway, and he might as well take what he wanted without stumbling through it.
Ben wanted to push her down and kiss her little breasts, so he did. Rey grabbed his hair, moaning as he licked from the underside of her breast to her pink nipple, then sucked. Her cries were too loud to be genuine, but that would change soon. She hadn't been wearing panties, and it was easy enough to reach between her legs, to feel that she wasn't as wet as he wanted her to be. He rubbed her where she most needed attention, quick circles that made her moans quieter but higher. Real. Ben kept at it until she was bucking against his fingers, biting her knuckles, reaching for a pleasure that he dangled just out of reach.
When he pushed two fingers inside her she made the prettiest sound, silk soft, more breath than voice. She was wet now, and so tight, almost like she was new for him when that was far from the truth.
Rey was close, but Ben didn't want that yet. He wasn't ready to make her come, and it pleased some small, mean part of him to work her up without finishing her.
So he stopped, wiped off his slick fingers on her thigh, and said, "Get on your hands and knees."
Rey froze, surprise written around her open mouth. It was gone in an instant, that tender expression replaced by something closed-off, professional but invulnerable. She got into the position he'd ordered, arched her back and spread her legs, presenting herself lewdly for him. This was all he'd paid for, a hot, wet fuck in a rented room. So it seemed that was all she was going to give him.
Ben barely choked back a groan as he brought his cock to Rey's sex. Her body welcomed him with slick heat as he pushed inside, so good that he almost couldn't stand it. He kept his thrusts deep and rough but slow, because he didn't want this to be over too soon. It had been a long time since he'd had a chance to have sex, and he wasn't about to make it quick and easy on Rey. She'd gone back to her falsetto moans, put-on cries that he wasn't going to let her get away with.
He kept her hips steady, not allowing her to rock back against him, just holding her still and open for his use. It took a moment of having her harder for Ben to realize what Rey liked best and how to unravel her. Then she was breathing hard, sobbing soft and damp, so prettily that it pushed him right to the edge, but Ben didn't let himself fall over it. He hadn't felt this in control in longer than he could remember, and he wasn't ready to stop yet.
Rey must hate him for taking her like this, teasing her with a release that he refused to give. It wasn't kind, or necessary, or part of this bargain, but Ben kept at it. He owned this girl at least for the night, and she was his to toy with. It stoked something cold and sharp inside him, a taste of the darkness he missed.
"Are you close?" he asked.
"Yes," Rey gasped. "Please, let me—let me come."
Ben thrust faster making her beg, shake, wail.
Then he slowed again. "No. I don't think I will."
Not yet anyway.
Rey arched, clutching herself around him, and Ben couldn't hold back anymore, not with her body so tight around his cock. He came hard enough that it shook him from head to toe, his whole body on fire, jolts of heat sparking over him as he shouted, pounding into her. Filling her, pressing his spend as far into her body as it could go.
As soon as he came down, Ben pulled out of Rey, pushed her flat to the bed, and flipped her onto her back. He settled over her, then kissed her forehead, her cheek, the tip of her nose. Giving all the gentleness he'd denied her while they were fucking.
"Can I kiss you on the mouth?" he asked, feeling oddly shy all over again.
Rey looked up at him with obvious confusion. "Yes?" she said.
It was odd, kissing a woman he'd already been inside. Ben had never done this out of order before, but Rey was turning everything upside down and driving him to break all kinds of rules.
She opened her mouth to him willingly enough, and he kissed her deeply, tenderly. She was messy, unpracticed, which was sadder than he could name. Rey had undoubtedly had plenty of paying lovers, but it seemed few of them had bothered to kiss her.
Not that he'd treated her well. Far from it, and shame was setting in now that his lust had been seen to. He wanted to kiss Rey all night and have her again, this time for her pleasure more than his, and skip work tomorrow morning. Which was exactly why he shouldn't be doing any of this.
Ben had needed something simple, to keep his feelings in a box while he took what he wanted. But he'd never been any good at that, and using Rey hadn't helped a bit.
He tried to make his kiss into an apology, pouring it into her, sip by sip, as his mouth worked over hers.
I'm no good at this. Selfish. Needed you.
He tried to cup her face, but Rey twisted out from under him, wiping her lips with the back of her hand like she wanted to rid her mouth of his taste.
"Enough kissing."
Ben hadn't expected that, to be told to do anything, but he was glad of it. Relieved to know that Rey wouldn't submit to whatever he tried to give her without regard for her own wants. Although he found it curious that, of everything he'd done to her tonight, kissing had pushed her limits.
He sat back on his knees, sucked on three fingers, and pressed them to her sex, still wet with her need and his come. He could make this up to her, make it so good she'd never want him out of her bed.
"I won't tease you," he said. "I'll take care of you this time, sweetheart. I promise."
"No promises," she said, lying back and posturing for him. "Do it or don't, it all pays the same."
That irritated Ben more than he had any right to, but he pushed it down.
He worked Rey with no patience and little tenderness, thrusting his fingers into her as roughly as he dared.
"You're so pretty," he said, taking her harder, higher. "Prettiest thing I've ever had my hands on."
It was true, and even if Rey didn't believe him she clearly liked hearing it. She was quiet this time, stubbornly holding in her moans, but she couldn't stop her harsh breathing or hide the way she arched into his touch. Taking, wanting, needing everything he gave her.
Ben unraveled her with three fingers and sugared words. That was all he had to do, work her hard and talk her soft, and she lost her grip on her control.
Rey kept quiet when she came. He dragged one climax from her, then another, but she gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. Stubborn, spiteful, beautiful girl.
He could feel a fierce shiver of the Force rumbling through the room, rattling the glass on the bedside table. Ben would hate to see what would happen if Rey learned to reach into the energy around her, or if anger drove her to misuse it. He'd love to see it too.
Ben said her name, praising her and coaxing her by turns, until she settled. He didn't take his fingers from her when she collapsed back against the pillows.
He was breathless and trembling, a wreck just from taking Rey apart. She lay panting on the bed, her sex still pulsing around his fingers, fluttering through the last aftershocks of her orgasm. He curled his fingers one more time, hitting that sensitive spot she loved, making her yelp. Her first unrestrained sound since he'd set about pleasing her.
Ben finally let her go, but he brought his fingers to her mouth and told her to suck them clean. He gave the order gently, but it was an order nonetheless, to make her taste the pleasure he'd just given her. Rey glared at him as she licked up the remains of her wet and his come, but she did it all the same.
Ben rolled onto his back and brought Rey along so that she was sprawled on top of him. She made an undignified noise, and Ben laughed at her, but not with much vigor.
"I'm exhausted," he said. "Let's sleep, yeah?"
"I don't sleep," she said.
He gave her the most unimpressed look he could.
"I don't sleep with clients, I mean. Sleep sleep. I fuck, then I fuck off."
"Well you can't fuck off until morning," Ben reminded her.
Rey sat up, straddling his waist. He could feel the damp between her legs, their mess wetting his stomach.
"You paid to just talk all night," Rey said, rolling her eyes.
Ben swallowed, flushing so hotly that he had to be red from his forehead to his chest.
"I want another five hundred for the sex, and on top of that, to sleep here…" She looked away from him, frowning. No doubt trying to think up a ridiculous sum. "A thousand."
"Twenty-five hundred credits?" Ben asked. "Are you serious?"
Rey shrugged. "You can afford it."
"All right," Ben said. Her price was ridiculous, but he'd pay it if that's what it took to keep her in this bed. "Now get under the covers with me. It's cold."
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Twenty-five hundred credits.
That was over a month of work, all for a really enjoyable lay and a warm, clean bed. Oh! And dinner. He'd also bought her dinner.
Rey almost felt guilty for demanding so much, but he hadn't even tried to haggle with her. Just rolled over and showed her his credit lined belly. She'd been able to tell that Ben Solo was a strange one from the moment she met him, and this was the most potent proof yet. But the bed was soft and the company smelled wonderful, like wealthy, not-quite-clean man. She was well-fed and well-had, something she'd never been able to say about herself before.
So when he pulled her in close, breathing in the scent of her cheap shampoo like it was fresh cut flowers, she didn't stop him. She let him tuck her naked into his wide, warm body, and squeeze the breath out of her with a heavy arm at her middle. She didn't know this man, but she even allowed herself to fall under, figuring it was her due if he murdered her in her sleep.
Rey woke hours later, a tender noise torn from her throat as she felt Ben flicking his thumb across her nipple, drawing it to an attentive peak. Sleep leached from her edges and she wanted him to keep touching her, make her wet and ready again. Put her on her back and fuck her again, get her off with his cock inside her, the way she knew he could.
But even though there were no windows in his underground motel, Rey knew it was getting late, and Ben would need to leave soon. Get up, get out of here. Get back to his life.
Even if he got another quickie from her, this night was over. It was over.
"I want to see you again. Tomorrow night."
Rey stirred, groaning and stretching, feeling heavy and sated. His hands stopped wandering, but he wasn't pulling away from her either.
"Tomorrow night?" she asked, not quite following. She felt slow and stupid, two steps behind him.
"Yes," Ben said. "I'll pay for you to stay here, if you want. Keep the bed warm for me while I'm gone."
That jolted her awake. Rey sat up, looking down at the man sprawled in the bed. Gods he was beautiful first thing in the morning. Fucked out and messy, so warm she could feel him wafting heat from beneath the covers.
"I can't just stay here."
He tugged her back down, holding her close enough to bruise. Fear should be her gut-reaction to this, but it was tender want she felt instead. Rey couldn't remember the last time she'd been held.
"You can if I pay enough."
There was a sharp sting at the corners of her eyes, a dull throb in her chest. Rey pulled away from him. "You can't afford that. I have to work. To eat."
"I know you've been gouging me, sweetheart, but I don't mind." Ben sat up and manhandled her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. "I'll give you another three thousand, cover the room, and pay for your meals if you stay here for me."
Rey tugged at the ends of her hair, looking over his shoulder. Ben Solo was a spoiled brat, trying to buy her, not like a woman whose services could be paid for, but like a thing that could be owned. It hurt, but half the pain was temptation.
Ben grabbed her chin and made her meet his gaze. "And no working while I'm gone. All right?"
Rey grimaced. "I just wait here. For you."
"Yes," he said, his smile growing. "Eat something, watch a trashy drama. Sleep all day. Take a miniature vacation. Just be here tomorrow night and don't sleep with anyone else."
She chewed her cheek. No. She couldn't.
"Thirty-five hundred," Ben said, his eyes watching her so closely she swore she could feel his gaze on her skin.
Six thousand credits. For practically nothing. It was foolish to turn this down, ridiculous to walk away.
"Okay," she said, feeling soft. So she straightened, stopped chewing her cheek and pressed her lips into a hard line. "But I want the money in advance. I don't want you to stick me with a hotel bill I can't afford if you don't come back."
Ben laughed. "I wasn't born yesterday. If I give you all the money now you have no reason to wait here."
Rey scowled and tried to climb off of him, but Ben wrapped his arms around her before she could get away.
"I'm a courtesan, not a thief," she grunted, struggling in his grip.
"And I'm not a cheap bastard who would stand you up," Ben snapped. "I'll give you all but the last thousand. Fair?"
"Fine!" she hissed, and he let her go. It was a long moment before she fully realized what she was agreeing to. Two days and a night of nothing. Of waiting for Ben to come back, and just resting and eating and lounging till then. Like a proper lady of leisure.
He was smiling, though it didn't quite touch his eyes. The grin of a man who had won, not of a man who was pleased.
Rey ducked and kissed him, because she felt like she should. He was the first person to ever give her a day off, and he seemed to like kissing.
Ben groaned into her mouth, a sound first of pleasure, then frustration. He pulled away and said, "I'm late for work already. I need to go."
Rey ran her fingers through his hair, an unwanted softness catching in her throat. She wanted a happy smile. She wanted-
"Then go."
Ben kissed her forehead. "Soon. I want to hold you for another minute."
She tried her best to not look into this. To stay hard and strong through it. But when he tried nothing beyond kissing lazily at her temple, Rey found that this wasn't so simple as it had been before. She let herself be held, be kissed, and when he stood up from the bed, her whine was an honest, pathetic noise.
Rey had told Ben to leave, but in truth, she wanted him to stay.
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