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“How…romantic. So tell me, how was it?”

She shrugged again. “Painful, awkward. And the whole time I was wondering how long until it was over. We hung out for another month before I called it off.”

“I’m assuming you’ve had sex with other men since then.” He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with her. He tossed back the rest of the wine in his glass and refilled.

“What do you think, that I’m a prude or something? There was Steve and Jake. Then, of course, Chip.”

“Did it get any better?”

“Sure. It’s really…nice.” Only she didn’t sound particularly convincing. What was wrong with these men? Didn’t they know how to properly make love to a woman? Especially a vivacious woman like Benny?

Not that it was his business.

“Okay, so you’ve had ‘nice’ sex with three or four men, so it sounds like you have some idea how things are done. So why are we having this conversation again?”

She tucked her hair behind her ear and lifted her gaze to him again. “I guess because I’m just worried. Worried that a guy like Luke, who’s been with so many gorgeous women, is going to know just by one kiss how absolutely clueless I am to the finer points of seduction…in the bedroom.”

His head was hurting. He had thought imagining Benny just walking out the door with Luke on her arm was going to be strange enough. The fact that she was asking Henry for coaching tips on seducing the guy was a million times worse.

He stared into her eyes, still watching him with embarrassment.

She was afraid Luke wouldn’t find her enough.

Which was absolutely ridiculous. And even if it might be the last thing he wanted to do, she needed to know the truth. “Benny, if and when you take that step with Luke Seeley—and I hope I don’t have to go into why sleeping with him on the first date in the long-term is absolutely the wrong call—”

“No, don’t worry, I don’t intend to do that,” she hurried in.

“If you take that step,” he continued, feeling more relieved by her proclamation than he should, “Luke is going to be absolutely thrilled and excited at the prospect of just touching you, your skin, your lips, the silkiness of your hair—and I imagine the same will hold true for you. So, well, nothing else is going to matter. But if it gets to that point where you’re still struggling to relax and be in that moment, then I think you should be up front with him. Tell him your experience has been limited and you’re nervous. It will make him out of his mind with wanting you even more. Believe me.”

Seriously, believe him. Was that a bead of perspiration on his forehead?

He sucked in some air, deciding that it was wa

y too warm in here, and put his empty wineglass on the coffee table.

Only Benny was chewing her full bottom lip in contemplation.

“I just want everything to be perfect. I want—I need—to know that when he kisses me, he’s not going to draw away in horror. That he’ll be enticed to want…more.”

A growing realization was coming over Henry, and he wiped at his forehead. No. It wasn’t possible. She wasn’t about to ask him—

“Would you be willing to, maybe, kiss me? Just for a minute? You’ve been so honest up to now, and I trust that you’ll tell me if kissing me is like kissing a twelve-year-old—”

“I’m afraid I wouldn’t have any recent experience there.”

“You know what I mean. You said you can create the whole package, and what I need from you right now is assurance. Assurance and maybe a few…tips. What I’m doing wrong, what I’m doing right…” She trailed off, her eyes pleading with him.

This was too much.

Benny was actually sitting there, sexy as hell, asking him to kiss her, something he’d been fighting himself from doing since she first sat on this couch. Maybe even before that. She was asking him to feel what those full lips would be like under his and manage to keep his head enough to give her pointers, for God’s sake.

“Benny, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“Oh. Okay, I understand.” A certain glimmer of humor entered her eyes. “You’re afraid that I’ve made you into this guru in the fine art of kissing and lovemaking, that now that you’re on the spot, you won’t be able to hold up your end of it. It’s a performance thing.”

“The hell it is.” He sounded angrier than he’d intended. He tried again, making himself sound levelheaded. “Believe me, I know what I’m doing. That’s not the problem.”

“Prove it.”


Tags: Ashlee Mallory The Sorensen Family Romance