We are not at Ben’s house. We are at Josef’s new house. The one with the amazing gym downstairs. It’s night but the streets are still busy and the lights are everywhere. I step out and pause to squint at my boyfriend.
Ben hoists my bag over his shoulder. After a few words to the driver, the limousine zooms off.
This is suspicious. He offers me a hand.
Placing my hands akimbo, I ask, “Where’s the surprise? And what are we even doing here?”
“It’s in the house,” he explains when I hesitate to take his hand. “This was the best place to keep it. Let’s go up. I’ll show you, I promise.”
That works. I push one foot in front of the other till we are in front of the door. Ben retrieves a bunch of keys from his pocket, he gives me one last look, then opens the door.
A switch goes off and the lights come on. Ben leads me inside. My feet waver. Everything is different. Different in a good way. The living room has been set up, the plastic films on the couches have been removed. There is a coffee table at the centre with a TV remote. Curtains, house stereos, speakers, everything has been set up for them to move in.
Jumping over the couch, Ben plunks into the seat and pats his leg. “Come. Come and sit here.”
I ignore him and sit closer to the armrest. He frowns but says nothing as I relax against the couch. We might have left prom early but I am exhausted. Ben pulls my legs into his lap and takes off my shoes.
A breathy moan slips from my lips as he massages my feet. He chuckles. Sliding my feet off his lap, I crawl towards him and he hoists me on his legs so I can straddle him. I should ask about the surprise but I focus on the top button of his dress shirt and undo it.
His hand works the zip of my gown. I help him to fasten his movement and the zip rolls down. Gentle wind brushes my back. The air-conditioner is on.
“Don’t you want to see the surprise first?” His hand sneaks into my gown and he tugs my sleeves down. I push the gown to my waist, showing off the new black lingerie I bought for this occasion. Ben whistles. His eyes ravage my body and his fingers trace the hem of the lace. “I think it can wait.”
“I think so too,” I breathe out.
Ben peers up at me and we laugh. With my aid, he shrugs off his jacket. His shirt comes off next. I spread my fingers on his chest, mastering his body anew like it’s our first time together. Ben kisses me. He’s so gentle, sucking on my lip delicately.
I kiss him back. Gentler. Softer. Ben fists my hair and I gasp out a moan, giving him the chance to shove his tongue into my mouth.
Our tongues tango, teasing and tasting like two lovers on their first adventure. His bulge presses to my stomach, I move my hips just a little and he grunts. Our chests heave and the silence is broken by our shallow pants.
“I think you should see the surprise first,” Ben says. Slipping his hand into my bra, he rolls a nipple between his thumb and index finger and I whimper. “Then we can get down to business.” Laughing, I tug on his tiny nipple. His cheeks flush. He drags in a breath and I capture his nipple in my mouth. Ben hisses. “You really shouldn’t be doing that right now.”
“Hmm,” I reply and flick my tongue over an erect nipple. Before he grasps my jaw, I tilt my head so we are facing each other. Lust shadows his blue eyes. “Okay. Let’s see it.”
I’m out of his lap in a flash. Ben shakes his head to stop me from adjusting my gown. Slipping his hand into mine, he tugs me to the room I believe should be for his parents.
The door creaks open.
I halt.
The walls. The dresser. The round table by the window with the bouquet I mentioned that day. There’s a portrait on one part of the wall. A sob tears out of my lips and I clap a hand over my mouth.
It can’t... It can’t be. I stagger towards the table, there’s a note on it. Ben’s shadow falls over the table, my knees are too weak to keep me standing so I collapse to the chair.
“Open it.”
Shaky arms reach out for the card. It smells like roses. I open it and there’s a handwritten message.
Tears roll down my cheeks. Ben’s hand slips around my shoulders and I break down. This room is identical to our house in San Francisco. A copy of my room with slight differences. There are pictures of me and Maria glued to the mirror and some of me and Ben taped to the other side of the mirror.
How did he even get them?
Ben steps back when I stand. He rubs the back of his neck, cheeks staining a dull red. “I didn’t know whether to use the same colour from the room here in New York or in San Francisco. But San Francisco won.” My mouth dries up. I am lost for words. My heart has forgotten how to function. I want to kiss him. I want to hug him. I want to touch him. I want to love him right. “Did I do good? Say something.”
“You did good.” Another sob escapes me and I’m speechless again. Ben bridges the gap. I kiss him through my tears, emptying the words in my heart into the kiss. “You did great. You did awesome. Thank you.” I swipe at my cheeks. My gaze sweeps over my new room, noting the little Gracie touches he added to our house. “I need to thank them.”
“Tomorrow.” He kisses me back. “It’s late.”
My tears dot the card and my head bobs. He is right. The card is signed by all three of them. I love his family. I am grinning as I read out the note. “To Benny and Gracie. Graduation gift came a bit early but congratulations on this new chapter of your lives. Cheers. Have fun. With love from Maddie and Josef and Asher.”
Ben is also smiling. He pries the card from me and lifts me off the floor. I hook my legs around his waist with a pout. His eyes sparkle with mischief. I want to indulge him. I want to make him happy today, tomorrow and every other day of our lives.
“I love your surprise,” I say. “I love their gift.”
“I love it too. Two years rent paid in full.” He is moving as he tells me this. Soon, my back hits a soft surface. The mattress. He grins. “You have to water the flowers daily or I’m throwing them out, babe.”
I chuckle. “Sure.” Locking my arms around his neck, I push myself up to brush my lips against his. “This is the best gift ever, babe.”
“Right?” He nibbles on my lip and I moan out his name. “We get to live together. For real, for real.” His hand slips inside my gown. I wiggle till he drags the gown down my waist. “I should have known they were planning something,” he says with a laugh. My fingers are on his belt. He can continue talking while I handle this. I palm his erection. “Gracie.”
Biting my lips, I whisper, “Benny.”
Ben shreds his trouser, leaving him in only his briefs. I hook my fingers behind me to get rid of my bra and he stops me with a glare. “That’s my job.”
“Including cooking for me?”
“Yes.” He’s on the bed, stalking closer to me like a hunter ready to snatch his prey. My back hits the headboard, he drags me down gently so he’s towering over me. “And taking off your bra. And kissing you daily. And making you happy too.”
And he is doing a great job at it. There’s no moment of sadness with him. His fingers skitter over my spine, he palms my back and I shudder. Heat pools between my thighs. I sink my teeth into my lips and the metallic taste of blood fills my senses.
Ben kisses me, sucking on the self-inflicted cut. “Don’t do that again.”
I want to obey everything Ben says but I can only manage a nod. His hands reach behind me to tackle my bra and my breasts bounce out of their confines. My nipples peak. Under his intense eyes, I grow wetter and soak my panties. He tosses the bra to the floor. His eyes meet mine one last time before his mouth fastens onto my nipple. My head falls back to the pillow and a shudder ripples through me.
His teeth prick my nipples as he takes turns between them. My nails graze his back and my lips part to let out wanton moans. I am on fire. His kisses light up my body, my hairs stand on edge. I wiggle and squirm under him, locking my legs to keep his hand that slides between my thighs to bring me more pleasure. His eyes flit to mine, watching my reaction as he pushes me closer to an orgasm with his fingers.
I dig my fingernails into his shoulders when his dick slides into my vagina. We maintain eye contact as his strokes becomes frequent and harder. I arch my back to meet each thrust and my mind blanks.
The start of an orgasm rocks my body. My eyes shut and I welcome this new completeness with him.