His hand took mine firmly, in a way that seemed almost possessive. “I’m not a bad man. I don’t have blood on my hands. There are questionable parts of me, sure, but I won’t be compared to a sick man that murdered his wife and got away with it because his team of lawyers played by the books to his advantage.”

His eyes darkened as he searched my face. “Don’t think of me like that just because I yield some power in a way I’d rather you be oblivious of. Because that part of me will end. It will be in the past. Especially when I’m feeling the way I do when I’m around you. And I really like being around you. For once, I feel normal. But I could never be with a woman that is frightened of me in any way.”

He then squeezed my hand and said with passionate conviction, “I will never, ever harm you. Or deceive you. Or betray you. For as long as you’re with me – be it a day, a week, or even a year – I will never treat you less than you deserve to be treated. And I’m a man of my word.”

My chest swelled from his words. He melted the ice away just by opening that beautiful mouth. God, he was persuasive. Whatever fear I’d felt before instantly fell away, and I didn’t want to rationalize whether that was crazy of me, or stupid. It just was.

I squeezed his hand back, and the simple gesture eased him.

“No more thinking,” I said to him. “You’re right.”

He lifted it to his mouth and laid a kiss over my knuckles, and I could do nothing but watch in happy silence. My body warmed to him. I felt like a lizard seeking heat from the sun, but in this case it was the want in his eyes when they landed on me.

I bloomed for him.

It was while he gestured for the cheque that I noticed the clouds had finally burst. Rain trickled down the window in dozens of streaks, blending into one another. They reminded me of paths crossing, the way mine crossed his in one moment in time.

“Come home with me,” he then said with anticipation.

I turned to him and my lips curved up. “You think I’d get this dolled up if it didn’t mean getting fucked by the end of the night?”

He stared, amazed by my vulgarity, before he broke out into a laugh. “Oh, beauty, you certainly have loosened up.”

Yeah, because fuck you, shyness. I succumbed to your embrace for far too long, and I was ready to break free.

*****

I squealed as the rain pounded down on me. I leaped back under the restaurant cover and shook my head defiantly at Ben.

“We’re catching a taxi,” he told me.

“Then go get the taxi. I’m not going to get soaked finding one in this weather. You’re going to have to call for one.”

He smiled. “There’ll be one waiting for us down the street. The same one that took you here. I wanted him around, waiting for us.”

“Are you serious? How much did you pay the guy?”

“A very generous amount. So, come on.”

I shook my head again and pouted. “Fuck no. Be a gentleman and get it.”

He stood there, getting soaked by the rain, dazzling me with that amused smile. Fuck, he was gorgeous when he was dressed and wet. But being around an attractive man didn’t mean I was going to jump when he told me to. Getting wet was not on my agenda tonight.

“Alright,” he said after a moment. “At least kiss me goodbye before I go.”

“That can be done.”

He stepped forward and took my face into his hand. He kissed me, wrapping his other arm tightly around my waist.

“Claire,” he then muttered, “since we’re getting to know each other and all, I think it’s due time I tell you I usually get my way.”

“How do you mean?” I asked, rubbing my nose against his.

It took less than a second before he picked me up around the waist and waded into the rain. I screamed and twisted my body around, but he simply laughed in return.

“You’re an asshole,” I cursed. “Do you know how long it took me to straighten my hair? I’m going to look like a caveman after this. I’m so angry.” No, I wasn’t. I was getting drenched in cold rain, but I’d never felt more gleeful in my life.

While everyone around us ran for cover, Ben turned into a dark alleyway and put me down. I felt my back hit the brick wall and his mouth instantly covered mine. His arms wrapped around me, swallowing me whole with his giant frame that shielded most of my body from the rain.

I groaned at the close contact, wrapping my arms around his neck. His mouth worked mine passionately as he gripped my hips with both hands.

“I wanted to see you in the rain,” he panted against me, licking the drops along my jawline. “And taste it on your skin. I want to know what turns you on, and what makes you want to fly off the edge. I want to know your sexual weaknesses so I can open them up and torture you with them.”

Oh, Ben. How could he not know? My sexual weakness was him.

I closed my eyes as his hands began exploring my body. I shivered when he brought his hand beneath my dress and to the sensitive skin between my thighs. The same hand went back down and slowly roamed my upper body.

He pinched my nipple through the fabric of my dress and huskily said, “I want to know what you haven’t done before and give them to you. And make the experience right.”

He licked along my upper lip as he stared into my eyes with that breathless hunger I was quickly disarmed by. Then he took me by the hand and we took off down the sidewalk. Like he said, the taxi was parked at the end of the street, and the driver was cursing people away as they approached for rides.

When he saw us, he unlocked the doors and we slid into the backseat. I ran both hands through my drenched hair and pressed against Ben’s side, seeking warmth. He wrapped his arms around me, bringing me into his lap, and said to the driver, “Home.”

My body was buzzing, my breaths were short and fast, and Ben’s scent intoxicated me. I pressed my face into his neck and couldn’t resist kissing him lightly, uncaring of the driver or my impropriety. He held me tight, but his hand pulled my dress down as though to keep me modest.

I was so aroused by the kiss in the alleyway, I mindlessly licked along his jawline before pressing my lips against his ear.

“In a car,” I whispered to him.

I waited for him to understand what I meant. I moved back to look at him. Slowly realization dawned on his face and his breaths slowed.

“You’ve never done it in a car,” he whispered to me.