by Lexy Timms
He laughed. “I think they’ll have a clue as to what happened. They’ll be discreet.”
She smiled and reached out to stroke his face. “I hope they weren’t looking in the windows.”
“They would never.”
“Good.”
“I missed you,” she whispered.
He smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. It would be really awkward if I was the only one doing the missing. I was a little lost without you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You said that.”
She grinned. “I did, but I feel like I need to say it a lot. You’re such a good man and you didn’t deserve to be treated like that. I hope you can forgive me.”
“I forgave you the moment I saw you,” he confessed.
“I debated how to tell you I was home. I thought about calling, but that felt cold. I was going to text you but thought that would really be uncool. I wanted to see you, so I took a chance and showed up.”
He kissed her. “I’m glad you did. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
She took a deep breath. She owed him an explanation. They’d just had mind-blowing sex and it seemed like a good time to get everything off her chest. Ben was the man for her, but she wasn’t quite sure how to tell him. Before she could move forward with him, she had to take care of her business with Tim.
“I have to admit the reunion went much better than I could have hoped,” she said with a giggle.
He laughed. “I guess I was a little exuberant.”
“In the foyer, Ben. I think that goes beyond exuberant.”
His eyes were dancing. “Excited. Thrilled. Overjoyed. There aren’t enough words to describe how happy I was to see you.”
“You don’t need words with that mouth of yours,” she said, her eyes dropping to his lips.
He grinned. “I aim to please.”
“Beyond pleased.”
“Good, because that was just to take the edge off.”
Her eyes widened. “I like the sound of that.”
He kissed her, his tongue leisurely moving in and out of her mouth before he rested his head on the pillow again and stared into her eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Ben, there’s something I need to tell you,” she said, feeling that familiar knot in her stomach again.
His eyes softened as he looked at her. “You can tell me anything, sweetheart. What is it? What’s on your mind?”
She looked at him, staring into those green eyes that always looked at her with such adoration. She hoped he could see how much she adored him as well. They had a lot to figure out and the first step was the truth.
“You’re on my mind,” she told him.
He was always on her mind.
Chapter Twenty
Ben
SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE, he was holding his breath. It wasn’t a literal holding of his breath, but more of his brain waiting to hear what she had to say. He knew what he wanted her to say and was sure after their warm welcome it was the most obvious thing to say, but he didn’t know for sure.
She was looking at him, but not talking.
“What is it sweetheart?” he asked, gently swiping her mussed hair from her face.
She looked hot and sexy and better than any magazine centerfold he had ever seen. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips red and swollen from the intense kissing and her hair looked as if she had been standing inside a tornado. She took sexy seductress to an entirely new level.
“I’m sorry I left without saying a word. I should have told you,” she started, and he felt his heart sink.
It wasn’t what he thought it would be and definitely not what he wanted to hear.
“It’s okay, I understand you were doing what you thought you had to. I need you to know I am here for you. Please don’t run again. I will keep you safe,” he vowed. “I promise.”
She smiled. “I have no intention of ever running again. But I don’t want to need protection. I have a plan to never need protection from Tim again.”
“Really?” his brows shot up.
“Really,” she said the word in a way that made it sound as if it was already done. She was that confident, something that surprised him a little.
“Why? What changed? Did you talk to Tim?” he asked, hoping she hadn’t fallen for another one of the man’s lines. That’s what abusers did. Even he knew that, and he had no real experience in the matter.
Her hand reached out and caressed his bare shoulder. “I did a little soul searching and then I did a lot of social media searching,” she said with a sly grin.
He shook his head, completely confused about what she was saying. “Okay. I didn’t realize social media held all the answers.”
“I found out that Tim has a girlfriend. They’ve been together for a little over six months,” she said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
Ben inhaled a breath, debating how he should tell her that a girlfriend did not mean Tim would leave her alone. He had to tread lightly. Patting her on the head was not the way to win her back into his life to stay for good.
He cleared his throat. “Katherine, that means he’s been after you the whole time he’s been with the woman. Why would he stop now? Him having a girlfriend doesn’t really change anything.”
She giggled and playfully pushed his shoulder. “I know that. I’m not that naïve.”
He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Thank god, I thought I was going to have to explain it all to you. Just kidding, of course. But really, what does the girlfriend have to do with anything? How does that help you?”
“Because now I’ve got dirt on him. Dirt that could ruin him. I can shred that perfect little image he’s created. The same one that had everyone believing him over me when I tried to get away the first couple times. Tim is a master at charming people and he uses his good looks to persuade people he’s a good guy. He’s nothing but a damn snake charmer.”
Ben nodded his head. “I agree with you there. But what kind of dirt, if you don’t mind me asking. Do you have proof of the abuse?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I did but it’s probably gone. It never seemed to do any good. The girlfriend lives with him though,” she said, her devilish grin back in place.
That led him back to his original conclusion. A live-in girlfriend didn’t necessarily make him a horrible human. “I know the fact he has a girlfriend works in your favor, but you’ve got me.”
She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. “And I am so grateful for that. The girlfriend, Alex, she and I had a long talk. Tim is abusing her as well. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders and has a strong support system.”
“You talked to her?” he asked with surprise.
“I did, twice actually. She’s nice and I’m really glad I reached out. My goal was and is to prevent another woman from going through what I did. I think Alex already had a good grasp on where things were headed though. Unlike me, she was already planning an escape. All I had to do was give her the last little nudge she needed.”
Ben shook his head, feeling like he’d missed something big. “Start at the beginning and fill me in.”
“Gladly.”
She quickly filled him on her journey to Oregon, finding out about the lawsuit and then finding Alexandra. He was impressed with her sleuthing and even more impressed with her ability to get Alex to give up the papers that would surely put Tim away for a while if they were released.
“I’m going to make him drop his suit against you and he will sign those divorce papers. I’m also going to demand he give me some kind of settlement. He’ll negotiate, and I’ll drop my initial figure, but I am going to make him hurt where it counts the most—his wallet. I did not put up with that man and give up my entire life to come away with nothing. I lost too much time. I want him to pay,” she said vehemently.
“Katherine, it’s a dangerous move. You’re putting yourself in the line of fire. Tim is not a stable man. He might truly hurt you or hire someone t
o do it for him. I can’t let you do that for me,” he insisted.
“It isn’t just about the lawsuit against you. It’s him making you pay for being with me. That ends now,” she said, her eyes fiery with anger.
“He’ll sign the divorce papers one way or another. I’m not worried about the lawsuit. After our last meeting, I have no doubt Meredith will get him to back off. I’ll have to pay his medical bills, but that’s probably it. I would rather pay him to go away and leave you alone for good,” he assured her.
“No way. Tim is going to keep bullying people unless he is stopped. I’m not going to let him keep doing this. He’s going to keep coming back. That’s what bullies do. You give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. When Alex leaves Tim, that is going to piss him off and he is going to lash out. I don’t want her to suffer like I have, and I certainly don’t want him turning that anger back on me,” she said, her voice shaky with a combination of anger and fear.
It was his turn to kiss her. He loved how feisty she was. The newfound confidence she had was almost worth the ten days he’d been worried sick about her—almost. “I’m proud that you want to fight back, but I think you have to be careful.”
“No. I’m tired of being careful. I’m not going to live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.”
“Katherine, sweetheart, I understand, I do. But please, let me help you. Let me help you take this guy down.”
She reached up, cupped his cheek and looked him directly in the eyes. “This is my battle to fight. I need to be the one to put an end to this. I know you want to help me, but please, let me do this. I need to do this,” she pleaded.
Ben still didn’t like the idea, but he understood her reasoning. This was Katherine taking back the control. It had been a long time coming and he was glad she was ready to push back and push back hard. This was her standing up to her abuser and letting him know she wasn’t going to take his shit anymore. He hoped it would give her closure and allow her to move on with her life and unpack that last suitcase. He didn’t want to worry about her running anymore. He wanted her, and this was the first step in having her truly be his.
“Okay.”
She grinned. “Okay?”
He nodded. “But, you have to let me be near. I don’t want you meeting with him alone.”
“I don’t know how I could get him to agree to that.”
“He is supposed to be meeting with me and Meredith on Wednesday to try and work on the settlement. The last meeting did not go well. I’ll talk with Meredith and see if she can arrange some time alone for the two of you. It’s a glass wall, so I’ll be able to keep an eye on him, but you two will have your privacy,” he explained.
She thought about it for a minute. “Do you think that would work?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I have full confidence in Meredith to make just about anything happen. Tim will be in the conference room with his lawyers. She can make up some excuse to pull them out of there. You’ll sneak in while they’re away and drop your bombshell,” he said, smiling as the plan took hold.
“Exactly. I’ll get him to agree to drop the suit before the settlement meeting. Meredith won’t need to waste her time and maybe, I can get him to sign the divorce papers while he’s there,” she said. Excitement shining from her eyes.
“That would be nice. I would love to have that man out of your life for good.”
“Me too,” she muttered.
They laid together a while longer, chatting about his work and how the relationship between Rachel and Will was progressing. They didn’t bother getting dressed. Ben had not had his fill of her yet. He was going to take advantage of every minute he had with her. After losing her for a week, he had made himself a promise that he would never let a single minute pass without appreciating her in his life if she was to return. She had returned, and he planned on making good on the promise he had made with the universe. He wouldn’t risk upsetting the cosmos and having her ripped out of his life again.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, rubbing his fingertips up and down her arm.
She smiled. “Lots of things, but mostly, how we’re both naked and in bed.”
He chuckled low in his throat. “We are that.”
Her hand reached out to touch his chest. “Don’t you think we should do something about that? I mean, I’m naked, in your bed, completely at your mercy,” she said in a soft voice, her fingertip trailing a circle around his nipple.
“At my mercy, huh?”
She nodded her head, her eyes looking into his. “Completely and totally, and very willingly.”
“How did I ever get so lucky to have you in my life?” he said, leaning forward and kissing her gently.
When he pulled back, she smiled. “I think it’s the other way around. You’re kind, patient and really good in bed.”
He laughed. “I think I better remind you of that last bit.”
“Me too. I’d hate to forget an important detail like that.”
He slowly pushed the blanket down her body, scooting closer and pulling her into his arms. The skin-to-skin contact was hot and fiery, each of them already primed and ready for another round of lovemaking, even after they had worked very hard to slake their lust a short hour ago.
She was exactly where she belonged, he decided. She was supposed to be in his arms, under his protection. He was the man for her. Now all he had to do was convince her of that.
Chapter Twenty-One
Katherine
IT FELT GOOD TO WAKE up in her own bed, in her own place. Although it was nice to wake up with Ben, she had been longing for her bedroom and all the little things she had left behind. When she had been on the run, she had nothing special with her. She had picked up nothing and taken nothing. That had all changed in San Francisco. She had enjoyed little shopping sprees at the secondhand stores picking up cool little things that helped her personalize her home. When she’d left, everything had stayed behind.
She opened her eyes and rolled to her side, grabbing her phone off her bedside table and finding a text from Ben. He was always so thoughtful, wishing her a good morning and a good night every day when they weren’t together. She had missed him when she was gone; far more than she had even thought she would.
Her next order of business was to grovel at Talia’s feet and beg for forgiveness. She’d been completely horrible as a friend and she wanted to make it up to one of the only friends she had in the world. Talia was such a kind, generous person, someone Katherine wanted in her life for a good long while.
“Hi,” she said, when Talia answered the phone.
“Oh my gosh. Are you okay? Where are you? Did you call Ben?” Talia asked the questions so fast Katherine didn’t have a chance to actually respond.
She took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m back in town. I went to Ben’s house first so he knows I’m okay.”
“Oh, thank god. You bitch!” she shouted.
Katherine burst into laughter. “I’m so sorry. I’m a horrible friend. A horrible person. Please forgive me?”
“I don’t know. I was worried sick, plus your boyfriend was calling me day and night asking if you had checked in. That kind of torture is difficult to take,” she quipped, and Katherine knew she was being very understanding.
“I’m sorry. I should have called you or left a note. There is no excuse for what I did.”
Talia sighed. “Yes, there is, and I might be able to forgive you if you can hang out one of these days.”
“I’m free today. What are you doing?”
“Absolutely nothing. I’m off today,” she said.
“Good. Want to come over? We can drink six bottles of wine, eat to the point you can’t fit out the door and gossip until our jaws hurt and our tongues are ready to fall out of our faces!”
“Oh, now that sounds like a good time if I’ve ever heard it,” she said with a laugh.
“Good. Come over. We can go to the market and pick up stuff to cook. Something ho
rribly unhealthy and fattening. Oh, and grab a few bottles of wine. If you want, we can do our hair and paint our nails and all the other stuff women do,” Katherine teased.
“We’re women—not teenage girls. Women drink, talk about sex and watch movies that make them cry,” she lectured.
“Fine, teach me the ways of the woman, oh wise one,” Katherine said in her best man voice.
“I’ll be there in an hour and you better be ready to tell me everything. I want all the juicy details of where you’ve been and why you fled like a thief in the night,” she said in a firm voice.
“I will. Hurry up. I’m going to jump in the shower,” she said, before hanging up.
She was excited. She couldn’t remember the last time she had ever gotten so excited over the idea of hanging out with a girlfriend. It had been so long, she wasn’t sure if she remembered how to do it. She thought back to the first time Talia had come over and how nervous and apprehensive she had been. She didn’t have to be like that anymore. She could be honest and tell the truth about who she was and where’d she been and why she had almost nothing in her apartment. It was freeing and liberating. Life was definitely on an upswing, she thought as she made her way into the bathroom to shower and get ready for her day with Talia.
Talia showed up at her place an hour later. The moment she opened the door, Talia threw herself at her. Their friendly embrace was an emotional one. By the time they pulled apart, they both had tears in their eyes.
“I was terrified that he’d gotten you,” Talia whispered.
“I’m sorry to have made you worry,” Katherine said, closing the door and locking it.
The threat wasn’t over yet. She needed to watch her back until Tim had gotten the details of what she had on him.
Talia took a seat on the loveseat while Katherine carried in two cups of coffee.
“You promised me wine,” Talia joked.
“Coffee first, then wine.”
Talia sipped the coffee and looked around the living room. “It looks the same.”