The Shepherd of Ashburn Court Pt. 04

"Friends with benefits? I've never thought of myself in those terms before. I've always considered myself the marriage type. Old fashioned," Ben said and looked inwards. He was surprised to discover that he genuinely felt a lot better. He still had trouble accepting the idea that they loved him, but the fear of hurting them by returning the emotions was significantly reduced. It was like a weight had been lifted from his heart.

He looked at Gabriella in wonder. "How could Daniel have been so blind to not see how incredible you are and how damn lucky he was to have you?"

She looked at Ben in surprise and blushed deeply. He reached out and took her hands in his. He brought them up to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. She gasped softly.

"Gabriella, I feel so much better. I can't begin to describe how grateful I am to have you in my life. You..." Ben was at a loss for words as his heart filled with love for the beautiful woman sitting next to him on the couch. A tear rolled down his cheek.

Tears began to well up in her eyes as she saw what she mistook for simple admiration in his. Then his lips were on hers, and she squeaked in surprise. He pulled back slightly, thinking he'd made a mistake, but she immediately pressed forward and kissed him urgently. She slipped her hand behind his head into his hair so she could kiss him deeper, and he gently slid his fingers into her raven locks to return the kiss. He sucked hungrily at her tongue, and she moaned into his mouth.

She loved the feeling of his hands on her. So powerful yet gentle. One of his hands left her hair and traveled down to the small of her back, and he pulled her body closer to his. When her breasts pressed against his broad chest, she whimpered with the delicious sensations going through her body.

Suddenly Ben scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hall to his bedroom. He knee walked across his bed with her in his arms and laid her down gently before him. He leaned down over her and captured her mouth in a slow sensuous kiss, tasting her full lips and gently sucking them between his.

He leaned back and pulled his shirt up and over his head. She gasped when she saw his bare chest, thick with muscles, his hard stomach, and the three scars. She reached out and, for the first time, touched the remnants of his bullet wounds. His eyes flared with passion at her touch on his bare skin, and he lifted her up to her knees on the bed so he could pull her sweater over her head. Soon there was just the thinnest of lace between the heat of his skin and her full breasts. She put her arms around him and pulled their bodies together. She ran her hands up his powerful back as he tilted his head down to kiss her once more. Their tongues explored and caressed each other, and their breathing became heavy with need.

He released the clasp on her bra and slid his hands down her back and under the yoga pants and panties' waistband. Gabriella cried out when his hands gripped the flesh of her ass. He pressed her firmly against the bulge rising in his pants. She gasped and grabbed his ass to pull him tighter against her.

Gabriella moved her hands immediately to the buckle of his belt and undid it when he leaned back. She popped the button on his pants and pulled the zipper down with shaking hands. Ben caught her hands and pulled them gently away. She looked up into his eyes with a worried expression. He just smiled at her and kissed her hands again. He released them and slid down his own pants and pulled them free.

Then he was kneeling on the bed in front of her, completely naked.

Gabriella's breath caught when she finally saw Ben fully erect. She thought it was beautiful!

Ben reached forward and slid her bra straps down her shoulders and followed the dropping fabric with his hands until he had the soft flesh of her breasts resting in his palms. He gently squeezed her hard nipples, and shocks went through her nerves.

Gabriella pushed her yoga pants and panties down and lost her balance while trying to pull them from under her knees on the bed. She fell forward against Ben's chest, and he caught her. She yanked the clinging fabric off while her face remained pressed against his skin. The clean, masculine smell of his skin was making her head spin.

Ben lifted her once more and laid her out against the pillows. He moved his lips to her breasts and kissed and sucked them, alternating between them until she thought she'd go mad. She pressed his head against her breast so he would take more into his mouth, and he did. The sensations were going directly to the heat between her legs.

Ben began to kiss his way down her belly and beyond. She became nervous. Daniel had never kissed her where Ben was headed, and she had no idea what to expect. She found herself holding her breath. As he kissed her inner thighs and slowly made his way closer, she began to gasp. When Ben's hot breath finally blew across her sensitive flesh, she arched up, and his tongue made contact. It was incredible! Her hands immediately went to the back of his head and ran through his hair. Ben's tongue stroked across the outer folds, and she arched again as she gasped. When it reached and circled the hooded flesh of her clit, she cried out her pleasure. He gently sucked the stiffening bud between his lips, and she pulled his head tight against her, writhing as the bliss flowed over her. Her orgasm was quick, intense, and took her completely by surprise. She'd never had such an intense orgasm before.

Ben felt her body cresting through an orgasm, so he moved his kisses up her trembling stomach and brushed his lips across the sensitive skin on the undersides of her breasts. Gabriella's nipples begged to he kissed, so he sucked them into his mouth, and she arched her back once more and cried out in pleasure.

"God! Ben, I need you inside me! Please!" she gasped as he moved further up her body. He kissed her neck and the underside of her chin. Then her lips were on his kissing him deeply, her tongue insistent.

Gabriella sucked in her breath as the hot head of his cock stroked across her wet opening. Ben moved it across her a few more times, slowly pressing forward, lubricating himself with her excitement. Finally, she felt him positioned at her opening. He gradually increased the pressure, and the thick head pushed its way inside. It was so good, but such a tease! Ben slipped back out then slowly pressed inside again. Gabriella was going mad! She wanted all of him, but he was so careful because he caught her wincing as he stretched her wider than she'd ever been. Her body reacted by sending more lubricant to ease his way.

Three more strokes, and Ben pulled out to the tip again. She whined with need, and he slid deep in one stroke. Her legs shot out, and she screamed in surprise. Her eyes were wide, and she was panting as she gazed up at him. He held still to let her get used to the sensation.

"Oh my god, Ben, you're so deep! You're filling me up!" she said, looking up at his face, which was showing his bliss. His expression turned embarrassed, then concerned. "What is it?" she asked.

"I'm only halfway in," he said quietly.

Her body immediately clamped down on him in fear. Half?!? She couldn't imagine more. This was as deep as Daniel ever got, and his cock hadn't been as thick! She'd never felt so complete. It was perfect! How could there be more?

Ben kissed her, and her mind filled with stars. To feel the bliss of his lips on hers and his heat deep between her legs was too much! He began to move, sliding out to the head then back to where he was before. She felt herself relaxing, and he was able to slide just a little deeper. He had to go slow as it was all virgin territory from this point and was definitely not used to the pressure. With the slow strokes, the teasing sensation was back, and her legs curled up around his ass so she could pull in. This seemed to make it easier for him to go deeper. Soon his strokes were long and deep, and Gabriella could feel the rapid build-up of an enormous orgasm. She clutched at him and made little yelping noises as their bodies got closer together. Finally, Ben made one hard thrust as she squeezed him tight with her legs, and he reached the bottom.

She cried out in ecstasy as his pelvis slammed into her overly sensitive clit, and she began to rock through a world-shattering orgasm. Ben could only do five more deep strokes, bumping her up to higher plateaus of heaven before his orgasm exploded through his body, and he gushed into her depths. She had a moment of panic before she recalled that he couldn't make babies. Then the pleasure overtook her, and she just held onto him as tightly as she could as her nerves flashed and tingled over her entire body.

When the explosions died down, she pulled his face to hers for a kiss, and he caressed her lips with his.

"Oh, that was so good!" she smiled up at him when he pulled back. She marveled at how deep he was inside her and the heat coming from his cock. Then she noticed that he wasn't getting soft. If anything, he felt harder. She looked at his face in surprise and saw the hunger in his eyes. He began to thrust into her in long, slow strokes. Her breath caught in her throat as he began to move faster and faster. At the bottom of each stroke, he gently twisted his hips, which gave her the most delicious sensation on her overcharged clit. She was stunned to feel the beginnings of another orgasm building, her third one!

Ben suddenly surprised her by lifting her legs and bracing them around his powerful arms. This raised her ass off the bed and allowed him to thrust harder and deeper. Their bodies slapped together, and it was too much for Gabriella. She could no longer think coherently. All she could do was make whimpering sounds as her body rushed towards another explosion. Ben's orgasm struck first, and he rocked himself against her, jetting one more deep inside. This pushed her over the top. She screamed silently and passed out.

When Gabriella came to, she was lying on Ben's chest, and his cock was slowly slipping from her body. His hands were gently kneading her back muscles, searching out and relaxing any knots he found. She discovered she'd drooled a little on his chest and wiped her face in embarrassment.

"Welcome back," he said with a smile in his voice. She tilted her head to look at him, and he was looking at her fondly. She smiled at him, then stretched languidly across his large body. He grabbed a tissue and wiped up the drool. She blushed again.

"So, is this what you meant by friends with benefits?" he asked carefully.

She looked up into his eyes. She felt her entire body tingling and heard the roar of her blood in her ears. "Maybe just a little more than that," she whispered and pressed her face against his chest in fear of his reaction to what she'd just said.

"I was hoping you felt the same way," he whispered back.

She looked up again and saw the love in his eyes. He pulled her up on his body and kissed her deeply.

Afterward, she rested on him, luxuriating in the feel of his skin on hers. She'd never felt this good before. Of course, she was also aching a little from his enthusiastic treatment of her sensitive parts. But it was a good ache.

Now that she had a rational moment to think about what they'd done, she started to worry. Hannah had quite specifically told them that Ben wasn't ready for a relationship, and there was to be no more unsolicited sexual contact. Well, Ben started it so it couldn't be called unsolicited. Still, she was worried that she might have done him some harm emotionally.

She must have been frowning as she felt his fingers smoothing out the crease between her eyes.

"This is a no frown zone," Ben teased. "Any thoughts that may cause them must be banished."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Sorry."

"Maybe we should get cleaned up," he suggested. "I've been told my shower can fit three."

"Are you suggesting I shower with you?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Not if you feel that would be too intimate," he smiled.

She chuckled and slid off of him. Ben led the way into the bathroom, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his naked body to notice the shower.

"Hello! Amazing bathroom reno here!" Ben scowled playfully at Gabriella while he gestured at the room when he caught her staring. He shook his head and stepped in to get the water going. She followed.

Gabriella gasped in surprise when Ben activated the side jets, and wonderfully hot water shot inwards from all sides.

"You've never been in a shower with surround jets before?" he asked.

"No, it's wonderful! Of course, I've never been in the shower with a man before either," she smiled up at him.

She dipped her head under the stream from the ceiling-mounted rain shower head. Ben ran his fingers through her long black hair, ensuring the water got to every strand. She purred at the feeling of his strong hands in her hair. She stepped back from the downpour, and he tilted her head up as he brought his lips down to hers. A thrill shot through her body as his tongue caressed her bottom lip, and she moaned into his mouth.

He reached out and poured some shampoo into his hands and worked it into her hair. His fingers massaged her scalp as the bubbles spread through her hair. Ben gently worked shampoo all the way to the ends of her hair, and once he was sure he got it all, he pulled her back under the dropping spray. Once more, he massaged her scalp as he thoroughly rinsed her hair. He repeated the process taking a kiss between each stage. Gabriella's nipples were stiff with need, so he bent down and took one into his mouth and ran the tip of his tongue over the sensitive bud. She gasped and pulled his head tighter against her breast. He treated the other nipple to the same, and Gabriella's knees started to tremble.

Ben poured some body wash into his hands and rubbed it over Gabriella's arms, then her back and chest. He was careful not to overstimulate her nipples and worked his way down her body. He gently cleaned between her legs, and she gasped as one, then two fingers stroked inside her. He kept up the internal massage as he kissed his way down her stomach. When his mouth reached her lower lips, she cried out and pulled his head tightly against her as she crested through a gentle yet powerful release. Ben braced her body against his as her muscles shook and trembled. He pulled her under the shower to rinse the suds away, then gently sat her on the bench to recuperate while he quickly washed his hair and body.

He helped her to her feet, and they stepped out to get fluffy towels to dry themselves off. He finished first as she was still languidly coming down from her last orgasm, so he moved to help her. She loved the feel of his strong hands, rubbing her body through the towel. He used the towel to squeeze most of the water from her hair, then sat her on a stool in front of the mirror and pulled out a hairdryer and brush.

"Wendy used to let me dry her hair for her. May I?" Ben asked.

She smiled and nodded. He got to work. She got to admire his naked body in the mirror as he worked. While she had a towel wrapped around herself, Ben was totally unselfconscious about being naked with her as he concentrated on her hair, and she loved it.

He did a passable job at styling her drying hair, and she grinned at his happy smile as he finished up. Not precisely as she would have done it, but she didn't look bad!

When Ben shut off the hairdryer, they heard the doorbell. They looked at each other, but it was Gabriella that wore a guilty look.

Ben saw the look and wondered what it meant. "What's with that look? Did you invite someone over?" he asked.

"No! I don't know who that is," she said, but the look remained. He raised his eyebrow and waited for her to explain.

The doorbell rang again. She jumped up and rushed into the bedroom to pull on her clothes. Ben walked out and pulled on his robe. He left the bedroom to answer the door as Gabriella struggled to get her panties from insider the leg of her yoga pants.

The doorbell rang once more, and Ben opened it to see Catherine looking up at him with a worried expression. He stood back, and she stepped in quickly.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked

"What? Nothing's wrong. You just didn't answer your door for a long time," Cat said quietly, the look still on her face.

"Sorry, I was in the shower," Ben answered as he hung up her coat. "To what do I owe the honor of your midday visit?" He knew she worked downtown, so seeing her at... he looked at the clock. A twelve-thirty PM visit was out of the norm.

"I spoke with Hannah this morning, and she said you were feeling a little blue. I heard Gabriella had come to see you-" she froze as her friend came down the hallway from Ben's room. Cat took in the slight tenderness in her movements, the guilty look, and the new hairstyle. Her mouth dropped open.

Ben looked from Catherine to Gabriella and saw the guilty look was back full force.

"Could someone please tell me what is going on with you two?" he asked.

Cat's eyes began to well up with tears, and she looked back at Ben. He saw her stricken expression, and his heart clenched in his chest. This was what he was afraid of.

"NO!" Gabriella yelled angrily, and the others froze. "Stop right there! NO ONE gets to feel bad until we clear the air!" she said, staring at her friend.

"I think it's pretty clear-" Cat began.

"Then, you'd be wrong!" Gabriella stressed and stepped up and took her friend's arms in hers so she could look directly into her eyes. "Ben knows we love him, both of us and Tina. He still needs to work with his counselor to resolve his issues with accepting that he's worthy of love, but one thing he does not have to worry about is hurting us by our loving him. I don't need to ask Ben for an exclusive relationship. I know his heart is capable of so much love I'm not threatened by his loving another. He cares deeply for Tina, and she needs him so much! I think that's beautiful! I know you love him as much as I do. I would never try to keep you two apart. I love you too much to be that mean!"

Catherine pulled her friend into a hug, and they cried on each other's shoulders. Ben watched them with tears in his own eyes, but the pain he'd felt was gone. This actually felt like medicine for his soul. The words Gabriella had spoken earlier were being demonstrated right before his eyes, and his heart felt lighter for it. She'd surprised and impressed him once more. He was still confused by her guilty look and wanted an answer.

When the two friends got control of themselves, he led them into the living room, and they sat on the couch with Catherine in the middle.

"Why did you look so guilty when Catherine showed up?" Ben asked.

Gabriella smiled at Cat. "Well, I broke the spirit of the agreement we all made last night when the women got together to talk about what we could do to help you. Hannah told us no more unsolicited sexual contact. You kissed me first, so it wasn't unsolicited, but the point was to give you some breathing room, some time to heal emotionally."

"Gabriella, your talk with me this morning was more healing than anything I've ever experienced. What you and Catherine did just now has proven your words. The pressure I've felt on my heart has been lifted. Yes, I'm still anxious about why such beautiful and wonderful women are showing interest in me. I'm worried that love will disappear suddenly like a soap bubble. It's happened so many times in my past. But you've helped me so much, I can't begin to describe it!"

"I wish I'd been here!" Cat said longingly.

Ben turned her face towards him with a finger on her chin and kissed her. She moaned loudly as he sucked her lower lip between his and ran his tongue across the plump flesh before slipping into her mouth. Catherine immediately climbed onto his lap, and Gabriella grinned at the surprised look on Ben's face before it was hidden beneath Cat's white-blond hair as she pushed him back on the couch.