Read Online Stony Creek Hero [Stony Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Taylor Berke - Free Book Online Page A

establishment. She is the only one who will satisfy my hunger at the moment I am afraid, no matter how tempting the more mature matrons of our town are. Hello, ladies!” he called out.
    A chorus of feminine laughter was heard throughout the restaurant. Now it was Ben’s turn to blush as he usually was a bit more reserved and quieter than most, unaccustomed to being the center of attention. Lizzie smiled at his embarrassment and led him to his table. When she went to walk away, he gently grabbed her hand, pulling her to sit across from him while he placed his order with a very interested Mimi.
    Lizzie felt electric sizzles run up her arm as Ben’s thumb swiped the sensitive flesh on the inside of her wrist before letting go. She looked up only to notice the unwavering attention of all the ladies at the nearby tables being centered directly on them.
    With a firm flick of her hands, she made a waving motion. “Shoo shoo, go back to gossiping, you yentas!”
    “Yentas? Isn’t there something about a pot and being black?” Ben said with a teasing glint in his eyes. He couldn’t stop eating her up with his gaze. There was something about her, a change. It was as though she had come to some sort of decision about him.
    “Well, I wanted privacy to talk to you about some things and it doesn’t require the staff of the Stony Creek Gazette.”
    “We don’t have a newspaper.” Ben smiled.
    “We will if they find that they have enough to gossip about, trust me on this one, Ben.”
    Leaning back in his chair, he leveled a confident glance at Lizzie. “So what did you want to talk about then, sweetheart? Could it be about my offer? I am very interested in your opinion on that but I much prefer to discuss how much I like it when your red silk robe isn’t quite closed properly. I would rather discuss that if I am being given a choice,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
    “Ben! Stop bringing that up! You are embarrassing me.”
    Having the decency to look at least slightly chagrined, he smiled gently at her. “Sorry, I just can’t seem to get my new business partner off of my mind. If I was ever asked to design something that I could have invested in, had I the talent, I would have drawn you. You are a priceless work of art and I have a hard time not appreciating something so fine.”
    Choosing to ignore the later comment, Lizzie’s eyes took on a shocked look. “What makes you think that I am accepting your offer, you arrogant brute?”
    “Well, you are a very smart woman and know a decent option when you see it. Am I wrong?”
    Tears pooled in Lizzie’s eyes. “No, Ben, it’s just that I feel afraid. No one has ever helped me before, offered me safety before. Why are you doing it? What are your motives? It makes me unsure.”
    Without warning, Ben stood and pulled Lizzie down the hallway behind him at a very swift pace. Spying her small office door, he pulled her in and quickly shut the door.
    “What are you doing, Ben?” Lizzie asked in alarm.
    With his six-foot-five-inch frame towering over her petite five-foot-four-inch one, he wrapped one arm tightly around her waist and hoisted her up to meet his intense gaze.
    “I’m protecting my investment.”
    With no other comment he swooped in and allowed his lips to envelop hers in a heated kiss. His sculpted arms held her mashed up against the hardness of his chest while his tongue found its way into her mouth, ravenously stroking against hers. This was no gentle assurance. This was hunger. Now that he had her agreement, he just couldn’t hold back anymore. He slashed his lips over hers while trying to taste her very essence. Mine. She finally is all mine, he thought to himself . He felt like he couldn’t get close enough to her as he used his other hand to clasp the globe of her ass to force her liquid warmth in direct contact to his body. Lizzie wrapped her legs tightly around Ben’s waist, caught up in his sudden arousing ambush. She ground her hips against