Tainted Love (Book 1) (29 page)

“I should go,” Brandon says, straightening away from me.

“What? Why?”

“Well, for one, Ben is glaring at us,” he indicates. I don’t turn around, but my heart leaps knowing that all my insecurities were unwarranted. He
does
notice and it affects him.

“And, secondly,” he continues, “I need to stay away from you. You’re irresistible, Delilah. I’ve done a great job these past few days in staying away. If I don’t leave now, I won’t let you go. And if that happens, I think Ben’s going to charge over here and attempt to kick my ass.”

He says
attempt
and I fight the urge to laugh. I know Ben’s capabilities. He would beat the ever-loving shit out of Brandon and not give a rat’s ass.

Brandon takes my hand and kisses my knuckles gently. After running a long finger down my cheek and flashing
me an adoring smile, he leaves.

Taking a steadying breath – because I swear to God I just came – I turn to try and find Ben, but Matt steps in, encircling my waist.

“Does Brandon Mayhew know you’re taken?” he asks with a playful smile.

“Yes, he does.” I’m a little irritated now.

“And he kissed you?” He starts swaying me. I really don’t want to dance anymore. I just want to find Ben.

“It was a get-it-out-of-your-system kiss,” I answer, agitated.

“I find it hard to believe that any man can get you out of their system.” He leans closer to me, causing me to shiver in…disgust? Desire? I don’t know. I just hope he doesn’t do something to make me knee him in the balls…or fall all over him.

His voice is a low rumble, filled with desire when he says, “I can hardly get that look on your face out of my head. Seeing you so raw and exposed turned me on tremendously, Sullivan.”

Oh dear God! This guy
does
know that I’m here with his brother, right? How inappropriate!

“I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” I say, trying to get out of his hold. I really don’t want to dance with him. It all feels too awkward, creepy even.

“Are you running from me, Sullivan?” Matt asks slyly.
Yes.

His every word slithers through my senses and creeps me out so much that I shiver revoltingly.

“I really have to pee, Matt,” I lie. Where the hell is Ben? He’s left me unattended for so long, even after seeing me with Brandon and his brother whom he’s admitted wants to fuck me. His actions make me feel much more like an escort now, rather than his date. Yes. That’s what the hell I am – his escort, no one of much significance.

Matt lets me go unwillingly and I smile at him thankfully. I cross the grand dance floor with hurried steps and just before turning toward the hallway where I would find the bathroom, my steps falter.

In a dimly lit corner are Ben and Blondie. Was she here all along?

His hand rests on the wall and he is towered over her, caging her in. She is smiling and caressing his lapels. Blondie lifts her hand and brushes loose tendrils of hair off his face, but Ben jerks away from her. I dash to the bathroom area as he turns to look in my direction
. Thankfully he doesn’t see me.

What the fuck? I am so sick with rage
that my blood is boiling. He left me to be with
her
?

In a temper, I trample my way to the luxury bathrooms. I pound the counter, an angry flush
spreading across my face. I want to drag Blondie by her bottle blonde hair away from him and beat her ditzy, man-stealing ass! And I want to kick Ben’s ass because he brought me here only to spend most of the fucking evening with her! And I want to kick my own ass for being so jealous!
Argh
!

I storm out of the bathroom, determined to leave. I peruse the ballroom for Ben’s mother so I can say goodbye to her
and see her to the far right of the ballroom, nearest the balcony. Diana looks distant, twirling the stem of her champagne glass. Roman is nowhere around and it makes me feel sorry for her. I know just how she feels.

I wander over to her and, on seeing me, her face lights up into a smile.

“Sullivan, darling,” she says, resting her hand on mine. “Are you having fun?”

“Not really,” I reply honestly.

She sighs, “Neither am I.”

An idea hits me. “Would you like to dance, Diana?”

Her eyes widen with wonder and her mouth curves into a bright smile.

“I would love to, darling,” she accepts, resting her champagne glass on a nearby table and taking my hand.

As we grace the dance floor, the band strikes up, surreptitiously I think,
Luck Be a Lady.
We giggle at the choice of song like two high school girls. I take the lead, naturally, and we glide across the room. We make a great team, if you ask me.

All eyes are on us as we put on a show, kicking our legs out and clapping and bumping hips. Diana laughs throatily and I can’t help but do the same. A crowd encircles us, but we are lost having a great time with each other, not paying attention to anyone around us. I’m sure they’ve never seen this before: two women dancing with each other at a high society event
, but I’m not a by-the-books kinda gal. The idea is novel and a sure attention grabber.

We sashay into a foxtrot as the song nears its end and then end the dance with a flourish as I spin her into me and she kisses my cheek. The entire room erupts in applause, whistles and excited shouts. We turn and bow for the appreciative audience and when I rise, I see Ben eyeing me with the widest smile. He gives me a gracious nod and I scowl at him, turning away.

Diana and I take a seat while everyone else floods the dance floor.

“That was great, Sullivan!” Diana exclaims, her eyes bright and sparkling. “You’re a lovely dancer.”

“I had a great partner,” I comment.

My eyes screen the room and I find Ben arm in arm with Blondie. Is he serious?

Anger rises inside me like bile and I am seething. I can’t stand to see him with this woman. I don’t think I could stand seeing him with any woman. I fidget in my seat as Diana chatters, but I can’t make out what she says. I am too focused on Ben.

“Go get him, darling,” she urges softly and then, I find myself rising.

“I’ll be right back, Diana,” I say, walking determinedly toward Ben.

The band is playing
Dream a Little Dream of Me
. The singer sings, “
While I’m alone and blue as can be”
and I realize how much I want to be with Ben. Seeing him in Blondie’s arms makes me crazy. I can’t stand aside and watch him spend the entire night with her.

“May I cut in?” I tap his shoulder, forcing the two apart.

“No, you may not,” Blondie interjects, frowning at me.
Like I asked this bitch a question
.

I roll my eyes at her and step between them, taking Ben’s hand to start dancing.

“Ex
cuse
me?” she snarls and glares at me.

“Back up, bitch,” I shoot back at her, bunching my fists.

Ben tightens his grip on my waist to reign in my temper. Glowering at Blondie, he waves her off. Blondie quails. Upset and embarrassed, she huffs and stomps away.

I turn to him and we start swaying, but I am still so mad at him.

“We need to talk.” I grip his hand and drag him through the crowd of people with the aim of finding a private location. Trying the first door, it opens to a billiards room that I close behind us.

Before Ben can say a word, I am on him, kissing him desperately. He groans in my mouth, cupping my backside and leaning me onto the billiard table. I hike my dress up, revealing the garter attached to the thigh high stockings I
’d worn. Ben curses under his breath and hoists me onto the table.

Eagerly, he strips off his jacket and pulls me closer to him. With hurried fingers, I unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants, tugging them down his legs. I shift my thong aside and spit on my fingers, rubbing the moisture into my cleft.

“Fuck, that’s sexy,” Ben growls, freeing his steely erection and shoving it into me.

“Ah!” I scream out, grabbing his tight ass and urging him deeper. “Fucking make it quick,” I order through gritted teeth.

“Shit, Sullivan. I’m breaking every rule with you.” He batters into me inexorably. “Jesus,” he hisses.

“Oh. My!” I cry, enjoying the lewdness of our actions, and even more aroused knowing that at any moment we could get caught. The thought gives me a rush and I clench him, causing him to whimper and press his forehead hard against mine.

“Fuck, baby. Do that again,” he says, his voice a hoarse plea. I oblige him and he shudders with a groan.

“I want to be with you.” The words leave my lips before I can stop them.

“What?” Ben stills and looks up at me.

I grind against him, trying hard for friction, but he steadies me with firm hands, riveting me with that intense gaze of his.

“Tell me what you just said, Sullivan. I need to hear it again.” His features are soft, but the demand in his voice is evident. It is obvious that there is still a wall of doubt preventing him from believing what I’d said.

I caress his face and I can’t help when my eyes water. “I
want
to be with you. More than anything I can dream of,” I confess, tears burning my eyes.

I can’t resist him anymore. No more running. I want to feel
again. I want to know that I am more than just a convenient piece of ass to him; that I am the number one woman in his life, aside from his mother; to make sure Blondie never has a chance with him again.

Ben exhales in a rush and kisses me swi
ftly, a broad grin coloring his face. Instantly, he starts slamming into me again. He hikes one of my legs up, hitching it on the billiards table as he pounds deeper into me, hitting my sweet spot in earnest. Over and over he grinds against it and I am over the moon. The trickle of tears that welled up in my eyes burst and flow down my face. I come tearfully, grabbing onto my lover to hold on to the moment. He follows, thrusting deep and hard into me then vibrating, spurting every ounce of his release into me.

“You…” He is breathless, heaving as he rests his sweat-damped forehead on mine. “You’ve made me so happy, Sullivan.” He kisses my cheek, licking away every tear that falls down my face.

“So have you, Ben.” And he truly has.

We say goodbye to his family, after restoring our appearances.
We had silly smiles plastered to our faces the whole time, touching and kissing each other because we couldn’t help ourselves. Already things felt normal between us, like I had nothing to fear.

And I don’t.

“You must come to dinner at our house one Sunday,” Diana insists as we hug our goodbyes.

“Well, that’s up to Ben,” I say politely.

Ben draws me to his side and kisses my temple, taking his family by surprise.

“Oh, lovely!” Diana clasps her hands together then places them on mine. “You must bring her by, son.”

“Yes, Benjamin, do bring her by,” his father speaks in an authoritative tone, which makes Ben frown a little.

I lean into him and kiss his cheek, which does the trick at softening his expression.

“I’ll bring her by,” he resigns, kissing my temple once more.

“Benji, you’ve got a winner on your arm,” Matt says, shaking his brother’s hand.

“Don’t call your brother that,” Diana chides Matt, who shrugs his shoulders in mock submission.

“Sullivan.” Matt takes my hand and kisses it gently
, tingles rippling through me. He still creeps me out. I need to tell Ben what his brother saw that day.

“Hey, back off,” Ben growls. Matt releases my hand then holds his up in defeat.

Diana leans her cheek toward Ben and he kisses her, then, shakes his father’s hand firmly. Matt and Ben playfully shove each other around before shaking hands and then we’re off.

Blondie is nowhere to be seen and I’m glad she took a hint. We slither away from the photographers, still lurking outside, undetected, and duck into the limo. As soon as we’re comfortably seated, Simon sets off to the Schuylkill Expressway.