The Reluctant Cougar (Rise of the Alpha King's Heir)

Eileen - Home

It was so good to be home.

Eileen saw the front door open as she walked around her car to pop the trunk. It made her feel special that Mrs. O'Hara would come outside to welcome her home, almost as if she had been waiting.

Knowing Mrs. O'Hara, though, she probably had been waiting. She'd probably been keeping Benji busy while the two of them waited together.

Eileen found herself smiling at the thought, thinking just how fortunate she was to have two people that cared about her so much. She found herself wondering how her little Benji was doing. He'd just started into puberty when she'd left. As sweet as he was his days were likely filled with letting girls down easily so he wouldn't break their little hearts.

He was such a sweet kid. She couldn't imagine him being any less now that he was older.

She reached in to pull out her big bag, and she found it wouldn't budge.

She wiggled it a bit then pulled again. Nothing.

Eileen blew a frustrated breath out of her mouth. Really?!

She was just getting ready to use her Vampire strength when manly emotions and masculine heat swept over her body.

Lordy, if pheromones could talk, the man would be a stunning orator. His energy alone was sizzling. And he was interested, very interested -- she could tell that by the energy wafting from him.

Well, a little perusal never hurt, especially since his energy indicated he'd had a nice long look at her already.

So she turned to take in the muscular arm that easily hauled the giant bag from the car, leading to a flat stomach, wide shoulders, thick neck, and --

She felt the bottom drop out of her stomach, and she covered her mouth as she blurted, "Benji? Is that really you?"

He smiled, and a dimple that should have been illegal winked at her a second before his left eye did the same. "Call me Ben. Benji's a kid's name, and as you can see, I'm not a little kid anymore, Eileen."

She licked her lips, trying and failing to find words, attempting to figure out what was going on and how the gorgeous mountain of a man in front of her could possibly be the boy that had followed her around for years and years. It just...it didn't seem possible.

And if it was Benji, then the way she had been looking at him was highly inappropriate for many reasons, not the least of which would be his age.

She glanced at him, wondering if he'd noticed, and he grinned.

Eileen couldn't place the look on his face, but the emotion that wafted off of him was a combination of excitement and triumph.

"Uh--I--yeah," she finally managed. "You certainly did grow while I was gone."

He grinned again, reaching into the trunk for more bags.

"Oh, you don't need to do that Benji, I can--"

"Ben," he corrected, "and I know you can, but that doesn't mean you should have to. Let me take care of you, Eileen."

The words were kind, sweet, and everything little Benji would have said to her when they were younger. The tone and his eyes, however, seemed to suggest a dual meaning.

But she had to be imagining that. Benji would never--!

Ah, that's it. He was practicing on her. He was flirting with her to see how a girl would react. Well, either that or she was trying too hard to justify her momentary lusting--which wasn't her fault, since she hadn't known who he was, and those muscles and that build did not scream sixteen.