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An impish grin spreads across his face as he slowly slides my sleep shorts off, letting out a low groan when he finds me pantiless once again.

He peppers whisper-soft kisses up and down my slit and I somehow whimper in both satisfaction and frustration.

“I need—” I start but he lifts his head, cutting me off.

“I know exactly what you need, Scarlett. The only question is whether or not you’ve earned it,” he rasps, each syllable vibrating against my clit.

“Not this again,” I groan in frustration.

His hazel eyes lock with mine. “Will you relinquish control to me, baby girl?”

I keen at the sound of the nickname he used for me that night rolling off his tongue. “Yes,” I half-whisper, half-moan when he flattens his tongue and lazily strokes my clit before sliding one finger inside me, and then adding a second shortly after.

“Such a good little wife you’ll be,” he hums to himself as he paves a path of kisses up my stomach, lifting my sleep tank as he goes until he takes one nipple in his mouth, his fingers still working in and out of me at a feverish rate .

In the back of my mind, the feminist in me is screaming fuck the patriarchy , but goddammit, I want to be a good little wife for him, even if only in this capacity.

Squirming with the need for more, I buck my hips in a silent plea for him to grind against me, fuck me, just something more, anything more .

Rather than giving me what I’m seeking, Bennett places a knee on the bed and gestures for me to sit up.

When I comply, he lifts my tank over my head and slides me up the bed until my head rests against the pillows.

Then he stands to his full height and reaches behind his head to slip off his Wolverines Hockey shirt.

“Do you have any toys with you, Red?”

“What?” I question, unsure if I heard him correctly.

“Did you bring any of your toys along?”

“Yes,” I admit, completely unashamed.

“And did you bring any lube for your toys?”

“Yes?” I answer as more of a question, wondering where he’s going with this.

“Tell me where.”

“In the lavender toiletry bag in my suitcase,” I tell him, gesturing to the corner where my suitcase sits open.

Without another word, Bennett stalks over to my suitcase and grabs the small bottle of lube before making his way back to the edge of my bed.

He tosses the bottle onto the bed beside me, and then I watch with rapt attention as he slides his athletic shorts and boxers down his thighs, revealing his throbbing cock that is now even more mouthwatering than it was before.

My eyes widen as I take in the changes. “Is that?”

“Jacob’s ladder piercings? Yeah,” he says with a wicked grin.

“What made you decide to do that?” I question, suddenly overcome with irrational jealousy at the thought of him getting it for another woman.

“If I’m being honest, it was either this or a dick tattoo, and I didn’t really have anything I wanted to permanently etch across my manhood. I figured a piercing was temporary, though I’ve become quite attached to them over the past nine months.”

“What do you mean it was either a pierced dick or a tattooed dick?”

“I was the biggest loser for our fantasy football league again, and that was the winner of the league’s chosen punishment. I probably could’ve gotten out of it, but I was curious to see what it’d be like.”

My brows furrow. “Who was the winner of the league?”

“Griffin, that sadistic bastard,” he answers.

“And has your curiosity been quelled?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I haven’t given them a test drive yet,” he admits to my disbelief, and the shock must be written all over my face.

“You haven’t—”

“Nope.”

“Not even with yourself?”

“Come on, Scar. I can’t even count how many times I’ve fucked my hand over the past two months since you came waltzing back into my life.”

“So I’d be the first?”

“The only,” he clarifies, and fuck if that doesn’t reignite the flame that was burning only minutes ago.

“Is that what the lube is for?” I question as I take in the two barbells on the underside of his cock. My mouth waters at the thought of running my tongue over them.

“No, this is my self-restraint,” he tells me as he holds up the bottle.

“Restraint?” I ask .

“Yes,” he answers as he kneels on the bed and fists his cock in one hand while pouring lube over his length with the other. I watch as he pumps his fist, working the lube up and down his shaft. Once he’s thoroughly lubed, he crawls up the bed until he’s kneeling between my spread thighs.

“Tell me to get lost, Scar.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“Famous last words,” he mutters as he leans down and spits on my pussy.

Holy fucking hell. Why is that one of the hottest things anyone has ever done to me? What is wrong with me?

Bennett braces himself on his elbows, his biceps bracketing my head as he lowers his hips until his cock grazes my clit. When he works his hips forward, his piercings brush against my clit and my hips buck from the stimulation.

As Bennett continues to glide the head of his cock over my entrance, to my clit, and back, over and over again, my moans must get louder, because he silences me with a searing kiss.

When he pulls his lips from mine, he looks down at where our bodies fervently move against each other.

“I need more,” I tell him.

“No,” he growls.

“Fuck me,” I demand but he just shakes his head, unwilling to meet my gaze. “Why?” I ask.

“I haven’t earned it yet,” he answers as if that isn’t the most vague thing I’ve ever heard.

Unable to put much thought into his bizarre answer, I mirror his fixed gaze and marvel at the sight of his cock sliding against my clit repeatedly.

The depravity I feel in this moment from the way this man makes me feel without so much as entering me has my pussy clenching and my clit throbbing, rearing me toward release.

“Oh, fuck. Bennett, please. Please don’t stop,” I beg and I’m far too desperate to think of the consequences of my actions right now.

“Never, not until you get what you need,” he promises through gritted teeth. I throw my head back and turn my face to muffle my moans into the pillow.

His thrusts become frenzied then, his length moving through my soaked slit without abandon until the head of his cock slips inside of me and I can feel the euphoric stretch of my pussy around his piercings.

I. Come. Completely. Undone.

White hot pleasure blazes its way down my spine and explodes in my core with lethal sensation.

Never before. Nothing has ever felt this good. Forget thinking about our previous night together all those years ago, this man has just shamelessly ruined me.

My clit continues to throb as Bennett pulls out and glides his length through my slit once more. He closes his eyes and his muscles quiver as he struggles with his restraint. With his teeth gritted, I watch in fascination as Bennett relinquishes control and comes undone right along with me.

His hot cum coats my stomach, and in an act so obscene I can barely wrap my head around it, he leans his weight against one forearm and uses his other to drag his fingers through his release and trace the word “mine” across my lower abdomen.

“Such debauchery,” I tell him, left otherwise stunned by everything that just happened in the last several minutes.

“It’s the truth. Don’t act like you don’t love it, baby girl,” he says as he hovers above me, lowering his head for a tease of a kiss. “I’ll be right back. ”

As he hops off the bed, I’m left bewildered and boneless from my release. Bennett returns moments later with a wet washcloth and a dry towel to clean me up.

“They say character is what makes a man, but I say it’s the aftercare.”

“I guess I’m not sure what to say to that,” he replies with a chuckle and my eyes widen in horror when I realize I said that aloud.

“Is there any chance you’ll forget I said that?”

“Nope. I’ve got it stored for later reference. What other kinds of aftercare should a man give?” he asks.

“Oh, I wouldn’t know,” I lie, thinking about the dozens of books I’ve read where I swooned over the main characters doing simple acts of service for their partners.

“How about I run you a bath?” I practically purr at his suggestion, earning me a laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He moves to sit up, but I drape my arm over his waist and pull him back toward me.

“Not yet. I’ve got to talk to you about something,” I tell him and my stomach sinks.

Bennett lifts my head before tucking his arm beneath it and pulls me in so my body is draped over his. “What is it?”

“My grandmother may or may not have spilled the beans of our engagement,” I blurt out.

His chest rumbles with laughter. “That’s not a big deal, Little Red. Who did she spill the beans to? Let me guess, a bunch of her girlfriends at brunch this morning?”

“I wish, but not exactly . . . more like the entire Twin Cities and surrounding area,” I confess, afraid to meet his gaze now that I can feel his posture stiffen beneath me.

“Wait, what? How did she manage that?”

“She published an engagement announcement in the Twin Cities Tribune , and now dozens of online publications have picked up on it and the story is running wild. I’m so sorry, Bennett, I know you haven’t had a chance to tell your family yet.”

“Forget about them. Do Gemma and Gunner know?” His question and the concerned look I’m met with when I finally have the nerve to peek up at him leave me awestruck for a moment.

“Gemma found out at school and was actually the one who broke the news to me.”

“Was she upset we didn’t tell her?”

How is he even real? Instead of worrying about the fallout he’ll face, his first questions are surrounding his concern for my siblings?

Clearing my throat, I tell him, “She was at first, but I explained that we had planned to tell them tomorrow when we get back. She promised she’d do her best to make sure Gunner doesn’t find out until I pick them up tonight.”

Tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear, he looks down at me. “We get back really late, I thought you said you weren’t picking them up from your grandparents until the morning for school.”

“I wasn’t going to, but Gemma sounded so hurt that I hadn’t told her, I decided to pick them up tonight so they can sleep in their own beds.”

“Okay, do you want me to drive you over there and bring you guys home?”

A soft chuckle escapes me, and Bennett knits his brows in confusion. “It’s funny, Gemma asked if you’d be with me when I pick them up. She assumed now that we’re engaged, that you’d be moving in with us.”

Bennett doesn’t respond at first, he just uses his free hand to trace mindless patterns along my spine. “Is that what you want? For me to move in with the three of you?”

“We haven’t really discussed living arrangements yet. I don’t even know where you live.” My cheeks heat from my admission .

“I live in a three-bedroom condo in the heart of the city. It’s got shit closet space, and it’s not in Gunner’s school district, so my place isn’t an option.

I know you’re just getting settled into your place, and from what I’ve seen of it, I like the layout and would prefer we don’t uproot the kids in the middle of the school year—”

I don’t let him finish before I crash my lips against his, hoping that through this kiss I can express even a fraction of the gratitude I’m feeling for him in this moment.

Bennett didn’t fight me on it. He didn’t demand we move in with him. He put Gemma and Gunner first. He offered to move into our home so they wouldn’t have to give up the space they’ve only just settled into. Never in my life has a kind gesture been so thoroughly sexy.

Lacing his fingers through my hair, Bennett cups my neck and breaks our kiss.

“So when should I tell the movers to pack up my stuff? Do you want me to wait until my realtor lists my place?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to keep it still? You know, in case you get sick of me and need your own space?”

Bennett lets out a sigh and shakes his head.

“I’m on the road for a better part of the year, Scar.

If we get sick of each other, then we’re doing a shit job of being each other’s best friend.

Not only that, but it doesn’t make sense to keep a separate residence under my name when we’re married.

Someone might look into that and use it against us. ”

“That’s a good point, I didn’t think of that,” I admit. After a moment of hesitation I say, “We should probably address the elephant in the room, too, while we’re at it.”

He quirks a brow. “And what would that be?”

“The fact that we just broke one of the rules I put in place for us yesterday,” I point out .

Rolling me onto my back, he kisses me softly. When he pulls his lips from mine he asks, “Do you wanna know what I think? I think you knew that rule was made to be broken.”

My heart picks up speed again. “Oh yeah?”

He rolls his hips over mine, and I whimper from the contact. “Mhmm. In fact, I think you regretted making it the second I came to pick you up from your room last night.”

That’s the god’s honest truth.

“What if we strike that first rule from the record?” I ask on bated breath.

“That’s fine by me, baby girl.”

I worry my bottom lip between my teeth. “But the other rule still stands. Absolutely no catching feelings—no falling in love.”

Except for with his bejeweled cock, because I’m pretty sure it’s too late for that.

“I’ll play by whatever rules you put in place for us, Scar. You run the show. If you want to keep things between us strictly physical, then I’ll be willing and eager to fulfill your every desire. But if you decide you want more, I’d happily give you everything.”

My heart stutters to a stop as butterflies break free like a riot in my chest.

Before I can try to respond, he changes the subject.

“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to go with you tonight to pick up Gemma and Gunner.

I know it will be late, so maybe I can stay so we can talk to them together in the morning?

If you’re not comfortable taking that step yet, I can go back to my place tonight and bring breakfast in the morning before school. ”

“Is this what it’s going to be like?” I ask, my voice pinched from the emotion clogging it.

“What do you mean? ”

“How it’ll be to have a partner to discuss plans with? To figure out the schedule together and bounce ideas off one another?” Tears swell in my eyes at the thought of having a teammate to lean on, even temporarily, through the chaos that is raising my siblings.

“Of course, we’re a team now, Red. The four of us are all in this together.”

His words flood my chest with warmth, and if I’m not careful, I might actually break my own rule and fall head over heels in love with my future temporary husband.