Otherwise Engaged: A Fake Engagement Romance

Our inhales and exhales mingled in the silence of the hotel room, rushes of air crashing together like waves against a shore.

Electricity buzzed between us as Bennett brushed the tip of his nose against mine, barely grazing the skin. My stomach fluttered with anticipation, and my breath stilled, eyelids drifting shut. He paused for a heartbeat before pulling away again.

Confusion washed over me, and I blinked slowly, bringing him back into focus. His blue-grey eyes swept across my face and tenderness flashed behind them, cutting straight through my emotional armor. It was like being seen for the first time, excruciating and exhilarating all at once, and it took every ounce of strength I had not to turn away.

He cupped my chin, his touch gentle but firm. “Are you okay?”

I swallowed, fighting to regain my self-restraint, but it was a lost cause. With a single look from him, every wall I’d built around myself had collapsed, crumbling to dust.

“I’m fine.” Other than my trembling hands, thundering pulse, and fully exposed heart.

Bennett’s mouth tugged into a knowing smile, like I’d said more than I actually had. “You’re not breathing, Thay.”

He was right—I wasn’t. My lungs sucked in a gulp of air at the reminder and my respiration resumed a steady pattern that was more compatible with sustaining life.

“Yes I am.” Now, at least.

“You’re nervous.” His hand on my back moved in slow, easy circles over the thin fabric of my dress, warming the skin beneath.

Nervous was one way of putting it. Because in addition to the innumerable breaches of the contract between us, I’d broken an even more important rule of my own: I’d let him in. Not just a little bit, either. Fully. He’d bypassed my defenses and gotten right to the core of who I was. To the soft, squishy, sensitive parts; the parts that needed protection most.

Now I was adrift in an inflatable lifeboat, completely at his mercy while I floundered in the middle of the ocean without a way to get back to solid ground. I didn’t know whether he was going to rescue me or drag me under—didn’t know whether he was a ruthless pirate or benevolent captain—but I wanted to find out.

I needed to find out.

When I failed to respond, his dark eyebrows pulled together, questioning. I snagged my bottom lip between my teeth, releasing it and offering the only answer I had.

“Not in a bad way.”

Bennett nodded, a low hum rumbling in his chest. He reached up and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, the effect strangely calming. “It’s just me,” he said. “Us.”

“It’s the good kind of nervous,” I insisted. “The ‘waiting for you to kiss me again’ kind.”

My mouth snapped shut. Part of me wanted to die for saying that; the other part was too busy swooning over the wolffish smile it had awarded me.

His eyes danced. “Done.”

Tipping his head, his lips claimed mine, gently plying them apart and setting off a cascade of fireworks throughout my body. His large hand pressed into the curve of my back, steadying me and leaving me off-balance all at once. I let out a blissful sigh as his tongue swept against mine, tasting the bitterness of beer and sourness of lime. All my doubts faded into the background, instantly forgotten.

Our mouths moved together, slowly savoring; tasting; teasing. Making up for lost time like our lives depended on it. I’d missed kissing him. Why weren’t we doing this all along? Some part of my brain knew the answer to that question, but the rest of me didn’t care. It was heaven and hell combined, a blissful moment I never wanted to end but knew had to stop eventually.

Bennett captured my lower lip between his teeth, gently tugging before letting it go. I seized his bottom lip in return, nipping at it as he let out a low groan. Back and forth, we engaged in a delicious give and take until we finally broke apart, the two of us winded and in desperate need of air. At this point, oxygen deprivation seemed like it was par for the course around him.

“Holy shit.” Bennett leaned his forehead against mine, trying to catch his breath. My hand pressed against his chest and his heart pounded against my palm.

“This definitely violates the agreement,” I murmured.

“Fuck the agreement.” His grip on me tightened and his mouth crashed against mine, knocking all the air out of my lungs again. This kiss was insistent—bossy and demanding. His tongue pushed into my mouth, deepening into a toe-curling kiss that made desire coil within my belly in response.

His strong hands slid down the sides of my torso, digging into my hips and holding me in place. I melted in response to the heat of his body against mine, clutching his bare forearms. Every point of contact between our bodies was charged with magnetism, every touch from him stoking the glimmer of yearning within me until it grew into an inferno.

Liquid heat pooled between my legs, want spiraling into need. It was sensory overload on every level—the taste of his mouth; the firmness of his muscles; his low, masculine sounds; undeniable lust across his face; and the heady, intoxicating alchemy of his cologne.

I drew in a breath as his fingers found the hem of my dress, slowly inching it up until the thin fabric was bunched up around my hips and my upper legs were completely bare. Bennett’s warm palms landed on my thighs, parting them to him. His gaze dropped to the scrap of lace between my legs, which served more as a window dressing than any sort of coverage. I was on full display down below—all of me.

His irises darkened, turning midnight blue, and he uttered a low, feral growl of satisfaction. “Jesus, you’re perfect.”

Grabbing my backside, he yanked my body to the edge of the counter so that I was nearly teetering off, forced to hold onto him for balance. Our mouths came together again, and his hands dug into my flesh, picking me up off the counter and pulling me against his firm body. If there were any lingering questions as to why he’d dragged me back to the hotel room so quickly, the rock-hard erection grinding against me was my answer.

A breathy moan escaped from the back of my throat, reverberating against his lips. He lifted me again, connecting with the perfect spot through my underwear, earning another needy noise from me in response.

“I love when you make noises like that,” he murmured, dragging his lips across my jaw. “Can’t wait to see how loud I can make you.”

A garbled sound of agreement was all I could manage. After a few more teasing thrusts, Bennett placed me back down on the stone surface. His fingers crept up my inner thigh, drawing torturously close to my center. He tugged aside my underwear, and his fingers slid against me, triggering an explosion between my legs.

“Oh.” I sucked in a breath, my fingertips digging into his muscular biceps. I’d always prided myself on having stellar self-control—on having superior self-discipline, the ability to stick to a schedule, and for exercising moderation in all things. But the one thing I couldn’t moderate was Bennett. The more I got, the more I wanted, and right now I wanted all of him.

“That night at your place…” he trailed off, sinking one finger inside me. Another finger followed, gliding through my slick folds and curling to stroke my G-spot. I gasped at the fullness as pleasure shot through my core, my legs jolting in response.

“What about it?”

“Did you touch yourself like this after I left?” Bennett’s teeth sank into my earlobe. “While you were thinking about me?”

His thumb grazed my swollen bundle of nerves, and everything turned hazy, my back arching in response. I whimpered, lost in the sensation and unable to speak. There was no denying I’d entertained fantasies about him. Highly detailed, graphic fantasies just like this. I’d fantasized about him in my bed; I’d fantasized about him in my shower; I’d even fantasized about him on my couch. My fantasies were good—satisfying even, thanks to the assistance of battery-operated technology—but the real thing was better.

That’s what made this so dangerous. Now that I’d crossed that line, it would be impossible to return to the other side. Somehow, I knew this was a one-way trip. I was hooked.

“Did you?” he pressed, circling his thumb against me again.

I let out another involuntary whimper. “Y-Yes.” My cheeks heated at the admission. “Did you?”

Bennett laughed huskily. “Every goddamn day.”

“You fantasize about me?” Of course, I did have some idea—I’d seen the way he looked at me in a bikini. But hearing him say it was like pouring gasoline on a bonfire. There was something incredibly arousing about knowing I was wanted like that.

“All the time.” His fingers stroked me again, and I yelped, an approaching orgasm pressing in on me from all sides. He slowed down, teasing me without giving me release. It was such divine torture that I couldn’t decide if I wanted to kiss him or kill them. “Want to know what I was thinking about earlier?”

I writhed against him greedily. “What?”

“I was thinking about my face between your legs. Followed by my cock.” The words nearly took me over the edge, and I cried out in protest as he withdrew his fingers from me, slipping them into his mouth and sucking my juices off before removing them again. A wicked grin spread across his face. “See? I knew you would taste amazing.”

Frustration of all kinds slammed into me. “You said you wouldn’t have sex with me even if I begged you.”

His grin was both devilish and devastating. “That was a lie, obviously.” He gripped the base of my throat with his free hand, sliding up the side to fist the roots of my hair. Teeth scraped my bare skin at the juncture where my neck and shoulder met, and I groaned, arching my neck to urge him on. “A dirty, filthy lie.”

“I should make you pay for that.”

Bennett chuckled. “I’ll beg right now if you want me to. But I think we can both agree there are better things I could do with my mouth.” He pressed an open-mouthed kiss below my ear, sucking hard; hard enough that I knew he’d leave a mark, but I didn’t mind. “What do you think, Thay? Should I fuck you with my tongue before making you come while I’m inside you?”

I hummed in agreement, sliding my palms down his sculpted shoulders. “Yes to both.”

“First, I need to see you. All of you.” He tugged at the zipper of my dress, splitting it apart and pulling the straps off my shoulders to bare my upper half.

I shimmied out of the loose fabric and kicked it aside, onto the floor. Suddenly, I was left in nothing but very expensive, very skimpy lace. I may have ransacked our store’s new arrivals in preparation for the trip. You know, because wearing nice underwear is important in case of a zip-lining accident.

Fine. Agent Provocateur had one purpose and one purpose only: to be removed by someone like him.

Bennett’s gaze dragged down my body, eyes widening at first and then growing hooded. His fingers traced the lace-trimmed edges of my balconette bra, leaving a trail of goosebumps along my skin.

“You’re a goddamn masterpiece.” His voice was husky, strained with desire.

I began to unbutton his dress shirt, working my way down one button at a time, but he was too focused on me to notice. Letting out a low hum, his palms curved down my ribcage. He drank me in like I was water and he was dying of thirst. With anyone else, I would have felt too exposed—like I was on display. But the expression on his face was best described as awe.

After finishing with his shirt, I unfastened his pants and he shrugged out of both, eyes glued to me the entire time. I seized the opportunity to ogle the smooth stacks of muscle that greeted me, along with pair of black boxer briefs that hugged everything. And I do mean everything.

After another second, Bennett’s eyes lifted to mine. His look of reverence shifted into wicked determination, corner of his mouth lifting. “I’m going to fuck you until you don’t remember your own name.”

Sliding one finger beneath the waistband to my thong, he skimmed my lower stomach beneath the gossamer-thin fabric. My body ached, desperate for him to continue lower and finish what he’d started.

“Should I keep going?” Bennett ducked his head, and his lips grazed the curve of my breast, nimble fingers making quick work of the clasp behind my back. In a flash, my bra disappeared, and he drew one nipple into his mouth, palming my other breast with his hand. He stole a glance up at me, brow cocked. “Or should I stop?”

The thought of stopping was nearly as bad as death. “Don’t stop.”

He tsked. “That wasn’t one of the options.” Moving lower and kneeling before me, he nipped at my hipbone, immediately lathing the spot he’d bitten with soft kisses.

“Keep going,” I said. “Please.”

Bennett smiled against my skin, smoothing his hands down my legs. “That’s my girl.”

And with those words, I was a goner. I had completely and irrevocably given him a piece of my heart.

Reaching up, he hooked his fingers under the delicate straps of my underwear and gently slid them down past my feet, tossing them aside onto the counter. Then he placed my left leg over his shoulder, exposing me to him before planting a trail of soft kisses along my upper legs.

I leaned my head against the cupboards behind me, and my fingers sank into his silky hair, tugging. He licked and sucked the delicate skin of my inner thighs, moving close to where I was desperate for him before retreating again, teasing me over and over.

With every circle he traced, he got a little bit closer without giving me what I wanted; what I needed. His mouth landed on the crease of my inner leg, drawing a whimper of frustration from me. “Bennett.”

Finally, his tongue landed where I was heated and aching, mouth closing around me. Pleasure spiked, nearly causing me to come on the spot. I drew in a sharp breath and jerked against him involuntarily. “Oh God.”

My back arched, my body begging for more as his fingers thrust inside me, working in synchronization with his mouth. With determined sweeps of his tongue and encouraging sounds, he began to devour me.

It was only a matter of seconds before everything grew fuzzy again and tension started to coil within me, pressure building. His tongue flicked against me again and I saw stars.

“There,” I begged, moving my hips.

Bennett let out a low sound of agreement, sucking my clit gently and sliding a third finger inside me, creating a divine sense of fullness. The combination of sensations internally and externally was almost too much for me to handle. Heat flooded my body and a thin sheen formed at my hairline, breath turning into tiny, needy pants.

“I’m—” I broke off, unable to finish my sentence, and my words slurred into an appreciative moan. I trembled beneath him, unraveling bit by bit as I approached the precipice, then suddenly everything exploded in a burst of bright, white light.

More sounds escaped from me as Bennett kept working me mercilessly, wringing every last quiver from my body until I was too sensitive to continue. Just as I was about to push him away, he relented and released me, pulling his fingers out and planting a final open-mouthed kiss between my legs.

He slowly kissed his way back up my body, starting with the tops of my thighs and moving up to my hips. Moving higher, his lips grazed along my stomach, breasts, and neck. By the time he reached my lips, I’d almost caught my breath—but not quite. Full sentences weren’t an option yet.

Bennett’s lips quirked, pulling into a crooked half-grin that said he knew exactly how I was feeling. “How are you doing, beautiful?”

“Can’t talk, still recovering.” I shook my head, leaning my forehead against his broad, bare shoulder. His hands smoothed down my arms, soothing and protective, coming to wrap me in an embrace. My brain gradually started to reboot, though I couldn’t have trusted my legs to hold me upright if my life depended on it.

A few more seconds passed, and my heart rate normalized, breathing slowly started to return to normal. When I lifted my head, he ducked closer and kissed me softly, stroking my hair.

“You sound fucking hot when you’re moaning my name,” he murmured. His rough tone and dirty words contrasted with his gentle touch. “Bet it’s going to sound even better with my cock buried inside your pussy.”

My fatigue of moments ago vanished, replaced with the intense desire for exactly that. All I wanted was to have his skin pressed up against my skin, our bodies joined together.

“Let’s find out.” I wiggled my hips against him, bare entrance rubbing against the bulge in his boxer briefs. Bennett leaned his head back and groaned, thrusting against me.

“Hang on,” he said, voice strained. “I have condoms in my suitcase.”

I glanced over at his luggage in the bedroom area, fifteen feet away, then gave him a helpless look. “Not sure I can walk. You did a number on me.” While parts of me had recovered, that definitely wasn’t on the table yet. Even sitting down, I could tell my legs were jelly.

A look of self-satisfaction crossed his face. “I got you.” His hands slid under my thighs, and he picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. There was a tenderness in the way he handled me that made my heart swell. Mouth claiming mine, he walked me over to the bed and eased me down onto the mattress, caging me beneath his frame.

He reluctantly pulled away, studying me with a sulky frown. “It’s too hard to stop kissing you.” Immediately, he leveled me with another, crushing kiss while his hands explored all over my body. I writhed against him, tugging down his boxer briefs while he helped me pull them all the way down.

“I should…” Bennett’s expression was torn. The two of us fully naked was too much temptation for either of us to handle. He rolled away from me and pushed to stand, fumbling around in his suitcase before emerging with a box.

Miles of smooth, muscular male backside faced me. So firm and inviting that I had the strangest desire to sink my teeth or nails into him, or maybe both.

Suddenly aware of my own exposed state, I pulled the top sheet free and artfully draped it over my body. Then I propped myself up on one elbow, reveling in the view, giving him a wry smile. “An entire box? Aren’t you prepared.”

Bennett tore the cardboard open, shooting me a cocky smile over his shoulder. He grabbed a handful of foil squares and walked over, tossing them on the nightstand. “Oh, I’m a fucking Boy Scout.”