He scowled. “And you had to have it put right here? The thought of his hands on you here, so close to - ”
Lauren laughed and tweaked his nose as though he was a pouting child. “Relax, honey. The whole time Franco was working on this his wife was sitting there chatting with me. And if that doesn’t sound like enough of a cockblocker, both of his kids were playing in the room at the same time.”
“I guess,” replied Ben sullenly. “But do I even want to ask what – and where – tattoo number six might be?”
In reply she promptly flopped over onto her stomach and gave a little wiggle of her ass. She knew the second he found the tiny, almost indiscernible mark by his hoot of laughter.
“Lips?” he chuckled. “What’s the reason behind this one?”
She tilted her head up at him inquiringly. “You don’t remember? Well, allow me to refresh your memory. We were in bed, just like this, and I’d had my wicked way with you about four times in a row. You were kissing my back and then my butt, and you said - ”
“That I wish I could leave an imprint of my lips right here because you had such a perfect little ass,” he recalled. And then his mouth covered the exact same spot as the tattoo before traveling a slow path up her spine to the nape of her neck. “And do you remember what happened after that?” he whispered wickedly in her ear.
“Hmm. Let me think,” she said teasingly. “Did we take a nap? Watch the baseball game? Or did we – ow!”
She flinched as he gave her a quick smack on the ass, his voice clearly amused. “No, you little witch. That is not what we did. What happened next was - ”
Lauren gasped as he pulled and pushed her thighs apart, bending her legs out to the side as he slid the full, hard length of his cock inside of her body with one hard thrust.
“Ohh,” she moaned. “Oh, yeah. It – it all comes back to me now.”
***
The sun had set, and they had barely ten minutes before they had to meet the others for dinner. Lauren was calmly digging through her bag for clean clothes, stark naked and completely unselfconscious, while Ben could only stand there and try his best not to drool.
“Okay. Found them. My very last set of clean undies. I have no idea what I’m going to wear home tomorrow,” she fretted.
He stepped in behind her, the fabric of his jeans rough against the bare skin of her thighs. “If you can hustle this cute little butt up, we can make a quick stop at the gift shop in the lobby.”
“Deal.” She pulled on her clothes in record time, ran a brush through her hair, and took him by the hand. “Let’s go.”
Ben shook his head in amazement as they began to walk towards the elevator. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get dressed that quickly. I guess the thought of buying new lingerie is a great motivator.”
Lauren grinned, patting his cheek. “It isn’t that, honey. I’m starving again, so the faster we run our little errand, the faster I can start shoving breadsticks into my mouth. And tequila.”
He slid an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “As long as its not that extra expensive brand you like so much, especially since this meal is going to be on the magazine. And I was actually thinking that champagne might be more appropriate tonight.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “I guess we do have a lot to celebrate, don’t we? Like not dying in a plane crash for one.”
“Well, there is that for sure,” he drawled. “And then, of course, there’s the fact that you and I are back together since you finally agreed to listen to my explanation.”
Lauren gave him a meek smile. “I know I was an obstinate brat to keep refusing you. But I was angry and hurt and you know I’ve got a problem with holding grudges.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Who, you? Never. But you’re forgetting to mention all the other things we have to celebrate.”
She cocked her head at him. “Oh, yeah? Like what?”
“Let’s see.” He began to tick them off on his fingers. “Karl and Tamsyn’s wedding. Her pregnancy. Oh, yeah. My new job. The new apartment we’re going to find together in New York since I’m essentially homeless right now. And there was one more thing. Ah, I remember now. We need to drink a toast to our engagement.”
Lauren blinked rapidly. “Huh? Come again?”
He grinned lasciviously. “Maybe after dinner, sweetheart. You’ve sort of sucked me dry for the time being – literally, after that really incredible BJ. And of course we’re getting engaged. Just like we’re getting married – as soon as possible. Like next month maybe.”
She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide. “Do you really mean it?” she whispered.
Ben slid his arms around her waist and swung her around in a circle several times before setting her on her feet. He cupped her face between his palms and gazed down at her with so much pure love in his eyes that her heart felt like it might burst with joy.
“Yes, I really mean it,” he told her passionately. “Now, listen carefully, sweetheart, and pay attention. I want to marry you on the beach at Big Sur. Nothing elaborate like your sister had, something simple and quick, but just as beautiful. Then I’m going to take you away someplace on a honeymoon where we can lie on a beach or climb a mountain or ride horses, maybe all three. After that I’m going to finish out the last couple of months on my contract before I join your crew as the new travel writer. And then you and I are finally going to see the world together.”
She nodded enthusiastically, tears of happiness glistening on her lashes. “And then?”
He gave her a sweet, soft kiss. “And then we live happily ever after.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Six Weeks Later – Big Sur
Julia stared down at the beach just below the cabin in wonder. “I still don’t know how you managed to pull all of this off in just over six weeks. Nathan and I had six months and it was still barely enough time.”
Lauren snickered. “That’s because your version and mine of the perfect wedding are very different, Jules. And the secret to getting it all done in only six weeks is knowing the right people. More importantly, the right people who happen to owe you favors.”
Julia laughed and slid an arm around her sister’s waist. “Well, it definitely looks like everyone returned their favors big time. It all looks gorgeous, Lauren. Especially you.”
Lauren smiled, turning around in a circle for her twin’s inspection. “You think so? That wasn’t the reaction you had when I first picked this dress out.”
Julia had, in fact, been horrified when Lauren had insisted on buying her wedding gown at a vintage clothing store in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district. And the minute Lauren had spied the tiered white cotton and eyelet dress she had known it was the one.
“But it’s a hippie dress!” Julia had protested. “Why couldn’t you have let Aunt Maddy find you something? It wouldn’t have been custom made like mine was, but it would have been a lot more elegant than this. And it’s – it’s used, Lauren. You have no idea who else has worn this thing.”
Lauren had laughed heartily at the look of disgust on her sister’s face. “You are such a priss,” she’d scolded, pressing a kiss to Julia’s cheek. “Look, I’ll have it dry cleaned first if that makes you feel better. And it’s not a hippie dress. The correct term for this style is boho.”
Julia’s dismay had only deepened when she’d learned the rest of Lauren’s plans – namely, to wear a wreath of flowers in her hair instead of a veil, and that she planned to walk up the aisle in bare feet.
“You, too, baby sister,” she’d announced cheerfully. “In fact, it’s going to be a barefoot wedding, since we’re getting married on the beach. But you can slip into some shoes when we head back up to the cabin for the reception.”
But the one thing Lauren hadn’t been able to talk her stylish sister into had been wearing a vintage dress of her own, unlike Angela, who’d calmly gone along with whatever Lauren suggested. Fortunately, Julia had found a new dress in a style that had satisfied both her and Lauren, though it still bothered Julia that her dress wasn’t even the same color as Angela’s, complaining that bridesmaids should at least try to look the same.