Chapter 4

FOUR

Ben

The night is young,and so is she, Kate Woodbridge, with those honey-colored locks that seem to catch each glimmer of light in the dimly lit bar. For weeks now we've talked every chance we get after her film shoots, after flights. Any chance we get.

Tonight, we"ve been talking for hours, but time seems to bend around her—slipping, sliding, a playful thing that doesn"t want to be caught.

"Ben," she says, her voice a melody that dances over my skin, "I don"t want this night to end. Come back to my hotel room with me?"

Does she even have to ask? I"m already nodding, already picturing being alone with her. My heart beats a frantic rhythm, like it knows what"s coming, what"s inevitable between us.

We make our way through the lobby, two people drawn together by an invisible thread. The elevator ride up is charged, thick with unspoken promises. Her room is on the thirty-second floor, high above the world, a nest made just for us.

She opens the door, and we step into her sanctuary. It"s fancy, alright, all plush furnishings and subtle elegance. But none of that compares to the electric thrill that zaps through me when she locks the door with a soft click and turns to look at me. Her eyes are oceans of green, deep and inviting. I"m ready to dive in.

"Wow," I manage to say, taking in the grandeur of the place and the woman who stands in the middle of it.

"Like it?" Kate asks, a playful tilt to her lips.

"Love it. But I prefer the view right here." I gesture toward her, because really, what can beat the sight of Kate Woodbridge looking at you like you"re the only man in the world?

I take a step closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body. My hand lifts almost of its own accord, fingers brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The move is simple, but her reaction is anything but—a shudder that rolls down her spine, visible even in the low lighting.

The silence between us crackles with electricity, every breath she takes seems to pull me closer. My fingers trail down her cheek, the skin there softer than any silk I"ve ever touched. She leans into my hand like a flower reaching for the sun, and it"s all the permission I need.

"Kate," I whisper, my voice barely above a growl. It"s filled with every ounce of longing that"s been building inside of me since the moment I saw her.

Her eyes flicker with heat, her lips parting slightly as if ready to devour whatever comes next. I cup her face with both hands, feeling the gentle curve of her cheeks beneath my thumbs. The world outside this room, outside this moment, fades away until there"s nothing but Kate—her scent, her warmth, her presence consuming all my senses.

I lean in, and damn, I want to savor this. Her breath comes out in a rush against my mouth, a silent plea. Her vulnerability is a beacon, drawing me into the depths of her green eyes. There"s no turning back now—not that I"d want to.

"Ben, please," she murmurs, her voice a mix of innocence and invitation that hits me right in the gut.

"Fuck, Kate," I groan, and then I can't stop my lips from seeking out hers.

Those beautiful fucking lips of hers that tortured me in my dreams, on that motherfucking TV.

Those leaps that I've dreamed about forever.

The moment our lips touch, it"s like striking a match against dry kindling—the blaze is immediate, ravenous. There"s no tentative exploration, no shy peck. This is raw desire, weeks of longing compressed into the urgent press of mouths and the tangle of tongues. Kate tastes like the sweetest sin, a decadent cocktail of innocence and Hollywood that I can"t get enough of.

"Kate," I groan against her lips, the sound more animal than my usual pilot"s calm. Our kiss deepens, fueled by a hunger that"s been simmering since the moment I laid eyes on her. My hands, oh God, my hands start their own journey over the curves I"ve been dying to explore. Skimming down her sides, I feel the electric jolt of her shiver, and it"s better than any high-altitude thrill I"ve ever had.

"Ben..." She gasps my name, and it"s all the encouragement I need. My fingers trace the outline of her hips, branding her through the fabric of her dress with a heat that promises so much more. Every nerve ending in my body screams for closer contact as I pull her flush against me, feeling her softness pressed tight to every hard line of my frame.

"More," she whispers, a plea that reverberates through my entire being.

"God, yes. More," I echo back, because this is it—this is what freefall feels like without ever leaving the ground.

Kate"s hands are wildfire, spreading across my chest with a fervor that could burn through the cotton of my shirt. Her fingers, delicate but demanding, tug at the collar as if to say, "This"—her touch is insistent—"I need this gone."

"Whatever you want," I chuckle, though the sound comes out ragged. It"s a wonder, really, how she can make me laugh and moan all at once. Her nails graze my skin just beneath the fabric, sending a jolt straight to my core. "You"ll have your way. Anything you want, baby," I promise, the words a low hum between us.

And then, because the taste of her lips is an addiction I"ve already surrendered to, I lean back in, our mouths colliding in a kiss that"s all teeth and craving. But there"s more of her I need to explore, to worship. So, I trail off, my lips embarking on a new journey down the tender expanse of her neck.

"Ben..." The way she says my name—it"s sin wrapped in silk. My mouth finds the pulse point beneath her jaw, and I press a kiss there, hard enough to brand her.

Another.

And another.

Until the soft, needy gasps spilling from her lips become my favorite melody.

"Does that feel good?" I murmur against her skin, grazing my teeth along her throat, biting down gently. The gasp that follows, sharp and laced with pleasure, is the only answer I need.

My fingers pause at the hem of her dress, a tantalizing barrier of fabric that"s done its duty for the evening. "You"re killing me, Kate," I say, my voice heavy with desire.

"Then do something about it." Her voice is a playful dare, and I can"t help but rise to the challenge.

I slip my hands beneath the material, gliding up the smooth expanse of her thighs. She shivers under my touch, a quiver that runs through her body and lands straight in my gut. The heat of her skin burns through the thin fabric, branding me, urging me on.

"God, you feel amazing," I rasp out as my fingers trace the curves of her hips, mapping her body like a territory I"m claiming for my own. My thumbs hook into the sides of her dress, pulling her closer until there"s no space left between us.

"More," she breathes out, and I"m happy to comply.

With a growl, I lift her by the waist, and she wraps her legs around me instinctively. Her dress rides higher, a whispered promise of what"s to come. I carry her toward the bed, every step charged with the electric current zapping between our bodies.

I drop her onto the soft mattress, following her down, my weight supported on my elbows as I hover over her. Her hair fans out, a honeyed halo against the white sheets, and those green eyes spark with a fire that tells me she"s just as far gone as I am.

The air crackles with the kind of tension that tells you something big"s about to happen. Clothes become a memory, scattered across the room like confetti after the party"s reached its peak. I take in the sight of Kate, her body a masterpiece of curves and soft skin that beg for my touch. She stands before me, vulnerability etched into her every pore, yet she holds my gaze with a fierce intensity that says she"s all in.

"Ben," she whispers, and there"s a tremble in her voice that matches the one in my hands. God, she"s beautiful—more than I could have ever imagined.

"Kate," I manage back, throat tight, words thick with the weight of this moment.

As if drawn together by a force much greater than us, we come together in a tangle of limbs and urgent need. Our naked bodies collide on the bed, heat emanating from our skin as we find new ways to fit together. My hands roam over her, mapping out the terrain of her flesh, memorizing each rise, each dip, like I"m charting undiscovered territory. And in a way, I am.

"Tell me what you want," I murmur against her ear, my lips grazing the delicate lobe.

"Everything," she breathes, "I want everything."

And I intend to give it to her. Our movements are frenzied, fueled by a passion that"s been simmering since the moment our eyes locked. This isn"t just physical. It"s a meeting of souls, a dance as old as time itself. The world outside this room, this bed, fades away until there"s only us, only this.

"But," she bites her lip, and my heart plummets at that word.

"But what, beautiful?" It'll kill me if she wants me to stop, but I'll do it. By god, I'll somehow do it. For her. Anything she wants.

"I'm," she looks down, her cheeks turning pink, "I'm a virgin."

I go completely still. A virgin? Holy fuck, I had never dared to imagine. Of course, I could never stand the thought of her with another man so I never even let myself think about it.

But holy fuck.

Mine. All mine.

"Kate, I—" The words are swallowed by a surge of emotion when she wraps her legs around me, pulling me closer, deeper. A rush unlike anything I"ve felt before courses through me when I realize the trust she"s placed in me, the gift she"s offering.

"Only you, Ben," she confirms, her green eyes clear and shining up at me. "I'm all yours."

"Promise?" I ask her, suddenly vulnerable.

"Promise," she nods.

I push into her slowly as I kiss her, sealing the vow with a kiss that"s more than just lips and tongue—it"s a promise, an unspoken commitment that we"re crossing a threshold together.

We move together, a rhythm born of instinct and desire, pushing each other higher, chasing a climax that promises to shatter us both. And when her fingers clutch at my shoulders, nails digging in just enough to anchor her to reality, I know we"re close.

"Kate," I say, my voice a ragged whisper filled with reverence and awe. "You"re incredible."

She responds not with words, but with a look of pure abandon, letting go and trusting me to catch her. And I do—I catch her, support her, lift her as we spiral into that place where ecstasy blurs the lines between two people and for a moment, just a moment, we"re one.

The intensity of the moment is almost too much to bear, but I wouldn"t trade it for the world. This is what it means to be alive—to feel so much for another person that you forget yourself, lose yourself, find yourself all at once.

The world narrows to just the two of us, every sensation magnified a thousandfold. Kate"s breathless moans crescendo as we chase that peak together, her body gripping me with an urgency that drives me wild.

"Fuck, Kate," I gasp, feeling the pressure build at the base of my spine, that sweet, torturous tension that begs for release.

"Ben...oh God, Ben!" Her voice breaks on my name, her nails scoring my back in a way that sends a jolt straight to my core. I"m so damn close, teetering on the edge of something monumental, and when she tightens around me, that"s all it takes.

"Kate!" The word is a guttural groan torn from deep within me as pleasure rips through my body in a blinding flash, white-hot and all-consuming. I feel her shudder beneath me, her own climax washing over her in a tidal wave that pulls a raw scream from her throat.

Our bodies shake, quivering together in violent spasms of ecstasy, each pulse and throb drawing out the intense, staggering sensations until we"re both drained, spent, and completely fucking undone.

We collapse onto the bed, a tangle of limbs and slick skin still joined where it matters most. My heart thunders against my ribs, trying to escape my chest, while Kate"s breathing is jagged, matching mine beat for erratic beat. We lie there, slick with sweat, her chest heaving against mine.

Slowly, as our panting subsides into quieter breaths, I roll to the side, careful not to crush her. Our eyes meet, hers still shimmering with that post-orgasmic haze that makes them look greener than ever. There"s a softness there, a vulnerability that she doesn"t show the world—the real Kate that I"ve come to crave more than my next breath.

"Wow," she whispers, her lips curving into a dazed smile, and I can"t help but echo it with one of my own.

"Understatement of the century," I reply, brushing a damp lock of hair from her forehead. The air between us is thick with more than just desire now. It"s laced with something deeper, a connection that can"t be faked or forced.

"Ben," she says, her voice barely above a whisper, yet it feels like she"s shouting. Because in that single syllable, there"s love, there"s contentment, there"s a promise of more—more laughs, more whispered secrets, more tangled sheets.

"Kate," I say back, matching her tone, letting her name linger on my tongue like a fine wine. And in that moment, it"s clear. This isn"t just a fling.

It"s the beginning of everything.