The Playboy's Proposal (Sorensen Family) (13 page)

This was the twenty-first century, for crying out loud. Girls were having sex before they had their driver’s license these days. He didn’t even want to think about the appallingly young age he’d been his first time, but Candy Leland had been sixteen and curious and—

Back on track, Henry.

Benny’s face was a furious red, a depth of red he hadn’t thought possible. “Of course I’ve had sex before.”

He took a breath in again, as he hadn’t been sure if he could handle a discussion about the first time with anyone—least of all Benny Sorensen.

“It’s just that…well. I would never bring this up in a million years, but I’m a little nervous. And here you are, a man with a
lot
of experience when it comes to women and knowing what men prefer.”

Hell, she made him sound like some kind of gigolo or something. “I wouldn’t say a lot of experience. It’s not like my place is a Motel 6 or something.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I just mean that you know a thing or two about women. About…intimacy. And I wonder if someone’s knowledge, or lack of knowledge, has ever been sort of a turnoff.”

“I don’t think I understand, Benny. Because, men? We’re beasts. Sex with any woman is great; sex with a beautiful woman is fantastic. I don’t think we give it much thought beyond that. Where’s this coming from?”

She studied her fingernails now. “Nowhere. Forget I said anything.”

“Not likely. Come on. You can tell me.”

“I don’t know. I think sometimes I waited so long to finally…do it that I might have lost some of the natural excitement that one has for the whole thing. You know? That whole young ineptitude that probably goes unnoticed when you’re sixteen and with an equally horny sixteen-year-old. You learn stuff then. Get better. But I didn’t really date much in high school.”

Now he was beyond curious. “How old were you when you were…deflowered?” he asked in a teasing tone.

“Twenty-two.” She still hadn’t looked up at him, instead reaching over to top off her glass.

He let that sink in for a moment. She’d gone twenty-two years of her life without sex. It seemed…impossible.

“Jake was nice, he was in my organic chemistry class, and we’d been study partners all year.”

“Jake was…nice? Benny, did you even like the guy?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, he was a really good friend. And since I’d been carrying this V card around for so long to the point I felt like I was a freak, I decided it was time to do something about it. Jake was more than happy to relieve me of that.”

“How…romantic. So tell me, how was it?”

She shrugged again. “Painful, awkward. And the whole time I was wondering how long until it was over. We hung out for another month before I called it off.”

“I’m assuming you’ve had sex with other men since then.” He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with her. He tossed back the rest of the wine in his glass and refilled.

“What do you think, that I’m a prude or something? There was Steve and Jake. Then, of course, Chip.”

“Did it get any better?”

“Sure. It’s really…nice.” Only she didn’t sound particularly convincing. What was wrong with these men? Didn’t they know how to properly make love to a woman? Especially a vivacious woman like Benny?

Not that it was his business.

“Okay, so you’ve had ‘nice’ sex with three or four men, so it sounds like you have some idea how things are done. So why are we having this conversation again?”

She tucked her hair behind her ear and lifted her gaze to him again. “I guess because I’m just worried. Worried that a guy like Luke, who’s been with so many gorgeous women, is going to know just by one kiss how absolutely clueless I am to the finer points of seduction…in the bedroom.”

His head was hurting. He had thought imagining Benny just walking out the door with Luke on her arm was going to be strange enough. The fact that she was asking Henry for coaching tips on seducing the guy was a million times worse.

He stared into her eyes, still watching him with embarrassment.

She was afraid Luke wouldn’t find her enough.

Which was absolutely ridiculous. And even if it might be the last thing he wanted to do, she needed to know the truth. “Benny, if and when you take that step with Luke Seeley—and I hope I don’t have to go into why sleeping with him on the first date in the long-term is absolutely the wrong call—”

“No, don’t worry, I don’t intend to do that,” she hurried in.

“If you take that step,” he continued, feeling more relieved by her proclamation than he should, “Luke is going to be absolutely thrilled and excited at the prospect of just touching you, your skin, your lips, the silkiness of your hair—and I imagine the same will hold true for you. So, well, nothing else is going to matter. But if it gets to that point where you’re still struggling to relax and be in that moment, then I think you should be up front with him. Tell him your experience has been limited and you’re nervous. It will make him out of his mind with wanting you even more. Believe me.”

Seriously, believe him. Was that a bead of perspiration on his forehead?

He sucked in some air, deciding that it was way too warm in here, and put his empty wineglass on the coffee table.

Only Benny was chewing her full bottom lip in contemplation.

“I just want everything to be perfect. I want—I
need
—to know that when he kisses me, he’s not going to draw away in horror. That he’ll be enticed to want…more.”

A growing realization was coming over Henry, and he wiped at his forehead. No. It wasn’t possible. She wasn’t about to ask him—

“Would you be willing to, maybe, kiss me? Just for a minute? You’ve been so honest up to now, and I trust that you’ll tell me if kissing me is like kissing a twelve-year-old—”

“I’m afraid I wouldn’t have any recent experience there.”

“You know what I mean. You said you can create the whole package, and what I need from you right now is assurance. Assurance and maybe a few…tips. What I’m doing wrong, what I’m doing right…” She trailed off, her eyes pleading with him.

This was too much.

Benny was actually sitting there, sexy as hell, asking him to kiss her, something he’d been fighting himself from doing since she first sat on this couch. Maybe even before that. She was asking him to feel what those full lips would be like under his and manage to keep his head enough to give her pointers, for God’s sake.

“Benny, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“Oh. Okay, I understand.” A certain glimmer of humor entered her eyes. “You’re afraid that I’ve made you into this guru in the fine art of kissing and lovemaking, that now that you’re on the spot, you won’t be able to hold up your end of it. It’s a performance thing.”

“The hell it is.” He sounded angrier than he’d intended. He tried again, making himself sound levelheaded. “Believe me, I know what I’m doing. That’s not the problem.”

“Prove it.”

The woman was positively deranged.

“Fine. If that’s what you want. But when I tell you what you’re doing wrong, I don’t want you to try and physically maim me.” He couldn’t believe he was going to do this.

Kiss a woman he’d been thinking of more times than he probably should the past week. Kiss a woman whom he’d been wanting to kiss long before then.

He smiled a little wider now. Well, if it was what she wanted…

Chapter Thirteen

Benny couldn’t quite believe that she’d voiced the request, a request she’d been toying with asking for two days. She wanted to knock Luke’s socks off when they finally took that step, and who best to tell her—no,
show
her—than Lothario here? A man who knew women and probably had more than enough practice in this department before he’d even graduated junior high.

This was purely an experiment. A lesson.

But why was it that, now that it was going to happen, her belly was fluttering and swirling and she was having a hard time getting enough air in her lungs?

It was only Henry.

Henry
.

She just wished he’d stop looking at her with that new glint in his eyes. A glint filled with mischief and something else…desire?

No. Definitely far from that.

“First, you’re going to have to get a lot closer to me than that,” he drawled, clearly enjoying this more than he should.

Of course. Why was she still sitting there like a slug?

She slipped her feet from under her and crossed the three feet to the spot where he was sitting. He patted the space next to him and, after drawing in another breath, she sank to the cushion, her shoulder pressed against his arm.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked. “Because you’re acting like you’re about to be sent to the guillotine. You need to relax.”

Sure. She could relax. She threw back the last of the wine and set her glass next to his empty one before making herself more comfortable, with one leg tucked beneath her and the other anchoring her to the floor.

She turned toward him, trying to ignore his subtle masculine scent, and the fact that she was sitting so close to him that she could see the slight stubble that covered his jaw. That his brown eyes were more caramel than almond colored, with flecks of green she hadn’t noticed before.

Everything seemed to have slowed down—or maybe that was the two glasses of wine—as Henry’s hand moved toward her face, brushing off a wisp of hair that had fallen, before his hand cupped it, strong and certain.

And then his lips.

Holy Hannah. They were opening and moving toward her now and he looked so determined—

Call it nervousness or the fact she was about to jump from her skin, but she dropped her head as a nervous laugh burst from her lips, then the laugh shook her belly and she was holding her stomach. “I’m sorry. It just hit me what we were about to do and I couldn’t stop—”

“Get it out of your system. Because nothing cools a guy’s ardor faster than being laughed at.” His voice was monotone and slightly irritated.

She looked at his face. Had she offended him? “No. I’m sorry. I got it all out. Let’s try again.”

“I don’t know. I’m only doing this as a favor, and if you’re going to act like you’re ten then maybe this isn’t a good—”

Once again, she had no freaking idea what was coming over her as the humor of the situation fled and now…now she only wanted to finish what they’d started…

But on her terms.

So before he could finish his sentence, Benny lifted her face and stopped him with her own lips. He froze, and for a moment they were stuck like that, two sets of lips, immobile.

But then the funniest thing happened. She could taste the wine on his mouth, smell the subtle clean scent of his aftershave, and suddenly she realized she wanted…more.

More of him.

At the same moment, his own lips moved and parted hers, his mouth unexpectedly hot and sensual. Her head was swooshing, and the blood was suddenly racing through her as she followed his own movements, her lips somehow finding their own way as she savored the heat and the heavenly feeling of just being kissed.

His hand lifted again to cup her face, and she melted farther into him as her hand reached up to his shoulder and she braced herself against him. He’d moved forward now, and the pressure of the cushions against her back increased. Henry had settled his hips between her legs, the hem of the dress higher, exposing her skin.

Both of his hands slid down her waist and rested on her hips, his fingers digging in but not unpleasantly as he pressed her closer to him. Her legs wrapped around him, holding him to her deliciously.

She didn’t want the moment to ever end.

Wait. Moment?

What on earth was she doing?

The same realization seemed to hit Henry, and he froze. She opened her eyes to stare into his, dark and filled with desire. His hands dropped away as he sat back, and her mouth, once so hot and connected to him, felt cool, almost…lonely. Self-consciously, she covered it with her hand.

What just happened?

Henry came to his feet. “I think that we can safely assume that you know what you’re doing, at least in the kissing department. I don’t think there’s really anything more I can offer you.”

He sounded so…awkward. Uncertain. Not the sure, confident Henry she was used to, and she looked up at him with a slight smile as he nearly stumbled back in his haste to gain more distance. “I almost forgot, I’m meeting someone for drinks in a few minutes, so I should probably be going.”

She came to her feet, uncertain if they’d hold her, but she managed to stay upright and follow him to the door. “I’m sorry, Henry. Did I do something wrong?”

He paused and shook his head, his gaze finally meeting hers again for a minute. “Not at all. You have nothing to worry about. Go out on your date with Luke tomorrow and know that he’s a very lucky guy.”

Then he turned and opened the door and was gone before she could say anything more.

What the heck just happened?

She leaned against the door, bemused and still tingling from the effects of that kiss.

In all her life she had never felt the power of a kiss. She had kissed men before, of course. But nice, pleasant kisses that gradually grew more impassioned until things naturally moved to the next level.

But this kiss. This one had been like a powder keg. The lust and desire that rushed through her so instantaneous it still had her reeling.

From a kiss with
Henry
.

Her fingers touched her lips again. If that was what kissing Henry was like for every woman, no wonder he had such a female following.

Well, he did have a
lot
of experience.

She shook her head. That was it, of course. And now he was off to kiss another woman senseless and probably bring her back to his place for a night of more kissing and pressing their bodies together like—

No. Stop.

She had what she wanted—assurance that kissing her wasn’t the kiss of death. She was more confident now, having seen that Henry, who could barely even stand her before, had clearly enjoyed their kiss as much as she had.

She needed to push thoughts of Henry and his kisses out of her mind once and for all.

Tomorrow night she’d be with Luke. It would be
Luke’s
lips she’d be kissing, his hands that would wrap around her waist.

That was what this was all for. Wasn’t it?

…

It was after nine the next night, and Henry was on his second beer at one of his favorite bars, trying to pay attention to the game that was on. He told himself that he was there for the atmosphere, the sheer entertainment value of watching the occupants vie for the attention of whoever caught their eye. Including him sometimes.

But really it was a distraction, and he knew it.

He was there instead of entertaining the usual small group of clients and coworkers at his place because he didn’t want to be around when Luke Seeley picked up Benny for their big date. Didn’t think he could stand to see her look as enticing as she had last night, only instead of smiling and shining those brilliant eyes at Henry, she’d be flashing them at Luke. Would Luke try to taste those same lips that Henry had claimed just hours before?

The thought made him want to smash his fist into the good doctor’s face.

Lord. Henry ran a hand through his hair as he remembered that kiss. It had taken every ounce of restraint to pull away from those soft lips, leave that welcoming embrace, and get the hell out of there before he did something they’d both regret. Something he was equal parts relieved and frustrated with once the door shut at his own place and he could still taste the remnants of that kiss, smell Benny’s warm vanilla scent, feel the softness of her skin and the smooth silkiness of her dark hair.

He was treading in dangerous waters, he realized, getting so close to the woman. Feeling idiotic things he shouldn’t even be considering with anyone, let alone a woman in love with someone else.

“Henry, you’ve really got to come over and join us.” He glanced to his side, where Valerie was holding her Cosmopolitan in her well-manicured hand and eyeing him with unbridled interest.

Valerie was new to the firm’s research division and had recently worked on the Kettlebaum account with him. She was funny and lovely and definitely interested. The only reason he hadn’t hooked up with her before was because she’d been dating someone. But she had hinted earlier that they’d broken up a couple weeks ago. Meaning she was available and ready to have Henry help heal whatever wounds her bruised heart and ego might be suffering. She was the exact kind of distraction he needed to help push Benny Sorensen out of his mind for at least one night. Only…

Once he had Valerie hanging on to every word he uttered, he’d needed space. Which was why he was up at the bar, drinking. Alone. Something that was doing little to improve his mood.

He turned to look at the woman again. Tall and blond and looking in need of a good solid meal, she watched him eagerly from hooded blue eyes. Blue eyes that weren’t nearly as bright or sharp as another pair that he kept thinking about.

But she was here. And not mooning after some saintly doofus doctor.

Still… “I’ll be along in a minute. Just want to catch the final score,” he said and nodded up to the baseball game.

“Who’s up?” Valerie asked and sidled onto the bar stool next to him.

“You follow baseball?”

“My dad was a huge Dodgers fan, so I know a little bit about it. Who’s your team?”

He smiled wryly. “Giants.”

“Probably best not to have you and my dad in the same room during the playoffs.”

A woman who knew baseball. Normally that might have heightened his interest in the blonde.

She sipped her pink drink and eyed him over the rim. “If you’re not interested in joining everyone, perhaps you’d be interested in watching the rest of the game somewhere more…private? I seem to recall seeing a sixty-inch television at that apartment of yours.”

The invitation was clear, and he had to give her props for her forwardness. This woman obviously knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to just put it out there.

But right now, the prospect of spending another night having meaningless sex with someone he barely knew, let alone knew if he liked, held no appeal.

He remembered what he’d told Benny last night. About men finding sex with any woman great and a beautiful woman fantastic. Words he thought he believed at the time. But now, with the opportunity presenting itself to have what should be fantastic sex with a beautiful woman, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

What sounded infinitely more appealing was making love to a woman who challenged and intrigued him, who made him want to peel away the stuff at the surface and discover what made her tick. What made her smile, laugh, and maybe sigh in breathless pleasure.

Someone like…Benny.

Ludicrous.

What I should do is take Valerie home right now and let her take my mind off everything, especially Benny.

He took another drink of his beer and considered her offer for another moment. But it was no use. He’d only be comparing the two women the entire time. “Sorry, Valerie. Maybe another time.”

She pouted for a minute, her bottom lip out, but when he didn’t follow up, she changed tactics and smiled. “If you change your mind, you know where I’ll be.”

She turned and walked slowly away, moving her hips like she knew he was watching her. Which he was.

What was wrong with him? He’d never passed up sex with a beautiful woman before.

The problem was that maybe Benny had opened the door to the possibility of relationships that had real meaning, with her talk of happily-ever-after and family and all that.

Maybe it wasn’t Benny that he was necessarily drawn to. It was what women like her represented. But the thing was, he’d decided long ago that women like her didn’t really exist. That relationships like she wanted and what he’d seen surrounding him at her family dinner didn’t exist.

So, fine. Whatever. Maybe it did.

For some lucky men. But if he’d learned anything in his life, it was that Henry wasn’t so lucky.

He’d survived his thirty-four years without a broken heart because he hadn’t allowed himself the luxury of investing in a relationship that lasted longer than a baseball season.

It was safer. Easier. Less painful.

He wasn’t necessarily writing off the Valeries of the world. But maybe, for now, he needed a little more time to himself to figure out exactly what he wanted.

And what he was willing to risk.