“This is all my fault. Fuck…I shouldn’t have freaked out over the interview. Had I just let it go, you wouldn’t be stressing over it as much.”
“If you weren’t bothered by it, I’d probably be upset about that, too. It would’ve made me think you missed her or something, although deep inside I know that’s not true.”
“That’s how I felt with the Jason pictures,” he confesses. “You didn’t seem bothered by it.”
I shrug again. I hadn’t even thought of it like that. I was upset over the pictures, because they upset Bentley, but in reality, they meant nothing. Those pictures captured two friends having coffee and an innocent conversation. However, now that he brings it up, I can see his side of it.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize genuinely. “I hadn’t thought of it like that before now. I guess I’m just insecure at times.” I lower my head, ashamed I was feeling this way when he’s given me no reason.
“Don’t be sorry,” he growls, taking me off guard. “I never want you to be sorry for something that we don’t control. The media, tabloids, photographers—all of them are only after one thing. Money. They don’t care how they get it, who they hurt, or what they ruin. But we can’t let them anymore. I don’t want that for us.”
I nod, agreeing with everything he’s saying. And now I know I have to tell him the truth.
“I read her interview,” I say softly, unable to keep eye contact with him. “That’s what triggered the dream, I think. You were gone still and I was beyond curious. Once I started it though, I wish I hadn’t, but I couldn’t stop. It was like some kind of self-torture.” My face is expressionless as I recall the night I read her words about the length of Bentley’s cock.
I see him brush both hands over his face in frustration. I swallow hard, waiting for the outburst he’s about to lay on me.
“I saw Hannah,” he states softly, looking down. “In L.A.,” he clarifies.
“What do you mean? I thought Angie was handling all that.” I turn and look at him.
“She was but it wasn’t good enough. At first, I wanted to find her and chew her ass out. And then once I saw her—”
“What?” I urge him on.
“She’s an addict, Ceci.” He turns and faces me. “She’s skin and bones. Her hair is falling out and she looked like absolute shit. Her apartment—”
“Oh, my god! You went to her apartment?” I know I shouldn’t get off task, but I can’t help feeling uncomfortable with the fact that he was there.
“It was the only way to find her. She has no job to go to. Besides, it was barely an apartment. It was awful.” I hear the pain in his voice and decide I need to stop overreacting. She’s obviously in trouble.
“What did she say?”
He looks down, ashamed. “She blames my mother that her career tanked. Her job was everything to her. Once it was gone, she fell into drugs and just…wilted to nothing.”
“Wow,” I breathe out. “I wouldn’t have expected that from her.”
“Me, either.”
“So what happened?”
“I asked her to retract her interview.”
“Is she?” I ask hopeful.
“She’s too sick to do anything, Ceci.” He looks up at me again. “I put her in a rehab center. She needed help.”
My eyes raise as my shoulders push back in surprise. “You what? You sent her to a rehab clinic?”
“She needed the help,” he says simply. “She would’ve died had I just left her there.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” I remark, my face expressionless as I debate with myself on being upset with him or not.
“I know. I’m sorry. I should’ve, but I just wasn’t sure how much more you could take.”
“So does that mean you’re keeping in contact with her now?”
“Not her directly. I’ve been emailing and speaking to her counselors. Since I checked her in, and am paying to cover her time there, I told them I needed to stay updated.”
“You’re paying for it, too?” I squeal. “Bentley…do you know how messed up that sounds? The woman who’s trying to sabotage your career and ruin our lives is the same woman you’re now trying to save?” I stand up, needing to distance myself. The words come out harsher than I meant for them to, but I was pretty certain I had to still be dreaming.
“Ceci,” he growls, his voice firm and his tone low. “It was the right thing to do.”
I sit back down, needing a moment to think. If I’m upset, then I’m the bitch that wishes Hannah would’ve eventually overdosed, and she would’ve gotten what she deserved. Otherwise, I can be that girl that understands Bentley felt he had a responsibility to uphold. I’m still not sure which way I should feel.
Before I can apologize for the way I acted, I feel the bed shift as Bentley stands up and walks out of our room without a word.
* * *
I end up falling asleep on the bed by myself. I cried myself to sleep, harder than I have in a long time. I kept waiting for Bentley to walk in, but he never did.
I wake up to my panties being pulled down. My eyes blink open, but it’s pitch black and I can’t see a thing. I hear Bentley’s pants as he towers over me.
“What are you—”
“Shh.” He puts his mouth over me, slowly pushing his tongue inside, and massaging it with mine. “I want to make love to you,” he says effortlessly. It’s hard to argue with that, but I can’t get past the fact that he just left me in here.
“No…” I say softly, pressed up against his lips. “You walked out on me,” I pout. “You left me.”
He rubs the pad of his thumb under my eye as a tear sneaks out. “I’d never leave you, Ceci.” His tone is gentle, tender. “I always fear losing you. My lifestyle being too much and one day you deciding you can’t handle it. I lost you once and it scares the shit out of me that I’ll lose you again. So I called Angie and fired her. Then I called my agency and told them I was done and to shove their contracts up their asses. And then I called my travel agency and got us plane tickets to get the fuck out of here. So, no, I didn’t leave you.” I feel him grin against my mouth. “Now, can I make love to my future wife?”
I would’ve gasped and said a crap load of oh my gods had Bentley let me. He covers my mouth again with his, giving me no room to speak or ask questions. He grazes my shirt up, slowly lifting it over my head before dropping it to the floor. I moan in his mouth—giving him my silent apology that he never gives me the chance to say—as my hands claw at his biceps while he enters me slowly.
* * *
“Good morning, sweetheart.” He cups my face and kisses me tenderly on the lips. It’s barely after three in the morning. “Happy birthday.” He smiles down at me as we stand in the bedroom. “It’s going to be a long day. We’ve got to get going soon.”
I smile back. “You mind telling me where we’re going?” I ask giddily, packing my suitcase. “I need to know what to pack,” I whine.
He cocks a smile and shakes his head. “It really doesn’t matter—you won’t be wearing clothes.”
I scowl, pretending to not be impressed with his answer. “You always say that and then I end up wearing the wrong thing,” I pout. “At least give me a hint.”
“Bikini weather,” is all he says, backing out of our room, smirking at me. I pull my lower lip into my teeth, hiding the stupid grin that’s formed on my face. I’m in complete awe that Bentley’s planned something—something that gets us away from all the drama. “Oh…” He pops his head back in, only standing halfway into the doorway. “Pack your passport.”
My jaw drops before I can get a word in. He backs out into the hallway before I can interrogate him. I have no idea what he’s up to, but I know I can’t wait.
Bentley gives me absolutely no hints on our way to the airport. The only thing he’s told me is that we’ll be spending seven days and six nights in ‘paradise.’ I was reluctant at first, because I just started working my new job. However, Bentley told me he spo
ke with my boss this morning and handled it all for me, which meant I could truly enjoy every minute of whatever Bentley was up to.
Chapter Fourteen
Bentley
I LOVE SURPRISING Ceci any chance I can get, but this’ll be the surprise of a lifetime. And I can’t fucking wait, especially since it’s her twenty-fourth birthday.
I’ve worked with my travel agent for years now. So when I decided we both needed out of here, she was the first one I called to make arrangements. She’s always been good at getting last minute flights for me. Everything she has helped me plan is going to be beyond amazing.
The flight has one layover and overall, will take twenty-one hours before we arrive at St. George, Grenada in the Caribbean’s. Although it’s a long and grueling flight, it’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I booked with one of the best resorts that I know will give Ceci everything she deserves.
“I hope I remembered to pack everything,” she says, going through her mental checklist as she always does.
“Sweetheart,” I interrupt her pretending to make checkmarks in the air. “If there’s anything we forgot the staff will be more than accommodating.”
She latches onto my arm, snuggling her body against mine as we sit in first class of the last plane.
“When do I get to know what we’re doing?”
“When we arrive,” I say flatly. She knows we’re headed to the Caribbean now, but she has no idea exactly where or why.
“Just maybe a small hint?” She tilts her head up to look at me with pleading eyes. I let out a soft chuckle at the way she continues to be persistent.
“Okay, fine.” I clear my throat. “We’ll be doing something we’ve never done before.”
“Hmm…” she thinks it over a moment. “Are we swimming with sharks? Please tell me we aren’t. Ooh! Maybe dolphins? I’d love to swim with dolphins once.” I raise my brows at her, trying to keep a straight face. “Am I warm?”
“Not even close.” I laugh.
“You love this, don’t you? You could be kidnapping me for all I know. My family and friends would have no idea where to even start looking for me.” She huffs in a pretend pout. She hates not getting her way, and it’s just too damn funny seeing her get all worked up.
I lean in, bringing my lips directly to her ear and whisper, “I promise you it’s going to be incredible. Just enjoy yourself.” I lightly kiss just below her ear, her body shivers in response.
She grins, looking back up at me. “All right, fine. I trust you.” She leans her head against my shoulder and proceeds to sleep the rest of the way.
* * *
My body is all jacked up as we land and grab a cab to the resort that is only a few miles away. I’m beyond excited to see her reaction as she sees where we’ll be staying the next week.
When I viewed the pictures online, I knew it was just right for her. The ocean is clear blue, the sand is white; the entire view bright and sunny and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Once I saw the photos—that’s when I knew—this was the perfect place to elope.
“Are you ready?” I whisper against her ear, my hands covering her eyes. I made sure she kept them closed as a driver brought us to the resort. Once we arrived, he unloaded our luggage as I helped Ceci out of the cab, her eyes remaining closed.
“Yes, I’m dying!” She giggles. “Please let me look.”
With the time difference, it’s only eleven pm here, making it still her birthday.
I kiss her neck lightly before whispering, “Happy Birthday, sweetheart,” and uncover her eyes. My hands land on her hips as she lets out an audible gasp, her hands covering her mouth as she takes in the full view of where we are.
“Oh, my god! Are you serious? Oh, my god, it’s gorgeous!” She spins around and waits for me to confirm it. “Holy crap,” she shrieks. Her arms lock around my neck, pulling me into her. “It’s stunning.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I-I fucking love it. I can’t believe this is where we’re staying! This is like where A-celebs would stay or something,” she continues rambling.
I narrow my brows at her, hiding the laughter that’s eager to burst out. “Are you saying I’m not A-level type?” I pretend to sound offended, but it’s ruined by the laughter that escapes her throat.
“Of course, you are, babe. Definitely.” She gives a final nod before she can no longer conceal her laughter.
I grab her neck and pull her mouth on mine. I stroke her tongue with mine, filling her in a way that only I can do. She moans in my mouth, her hands flat against my chest as we give the other guests a show.
“I think we need to move this to the room,” I suggest seductively.
“Twenty-one hours hasn’t done anything to kill your drive,” she teases as we lock hands and make our way through the entrance. I hadn’t even noticed our driver had put our luggage on a cart and already hauled it into the hotel lobby.
“Nothing could ever kill it when I’m around you, sweetheart. Get ready.” I smirk in her direction although I’m one-hundred percent serious.
“I can’t wait for you to see the room. Took a lot of convincing to book this room. Apparently, it books months in advance.”
I pull her against my chest before slamming us into a wall. “You always have a way of getting what you want, don’t you?”
I dip my face into the nape of her neck, kissing a trail up to her jawline. “That’s how I got you, isn’t it? A little persuasion and sweet talk.”
She bursts out in laughter, nodding in agreement. “I guess so.”
We finally make it to our suite. I booked the South Seas Grande Butler Suite with a private pool. It allows us our privacy but is close enough to enjoy everything else the resort has to offer. It’s like a beachside house that comes with room service and housekeeping.
“All right, gorgeous. Get ready.” I open the door and guide her into the suite. The entire thing is stunning and even I’m in awe at the replica of the pictures.
“Ohh, my god, Bentley…” She starts spinning around, taking everything in as we walk through the open-floor concept. The bedroom is a part of the living space with TV and bar area and to the left of the bed is a dinette kitchen table. There are windows all around with long drapes to open or cover them.
I watch as she walks around, touching everything and taking it all in. She walks behind the wall that the bed is against and into the bathroom.
“Holy shit!” she shrieks. I follow in after her and notice that this is not a bathroom. No, this is a suite all on its own with a hot tub set in the middle and a huge walk-in shower and a countertop that goes for days. “I’m not sure I’ll be leaving this bathroom.”
I laugh, taking her hand and guiding her to the patio doors that are wide open, the perfect amount of breeze blowing in.
The doors lead right into the pool. There aren’t any stairs or anything. You literally go from the house to the pool. It’s incredible.
“Wow…this... oh, my god, this is perfect.” She wraps her arms around me and secures herself to my chest.
“I wanted it to be perfect for you, sweetheart. The perfect getaway.”
She leans back, wiping back a tear that’s escaped. “It is. I can’t believe you planned this in only a couple hours. You’re insane.” She lets out a half-throaty laugh. “In a good way, of course.” She leans up on her tiptoes and crushes her lips to mine. “Thank you,” she says softly. “Thank you for taking us somewhere safe and new and somewhere we can reconnect without all the added drama. I love you.”
I pull her closer, wrapping my hands under her ass and grasping her thighs so they lock around my hips. Our lips find each other eagerly as we fight the need to have each other, but I’m not fighting. I’m giving into everything we want.
I walk back toward the bed, laying her gently on top. I crawl over her, keeping her mouth on mine as I wrestle with the button on her jeans.
“Did you super glue these or something?” I pout, too eager t
o give a damn. I sit up, straddling a leg on each side of her. I grip each side of the button and pull, popping the button and yanking the zipper down all at the same time. I smirk at her. “That’s better.”
“You could’ve just asked for help,” she says, amused by my eagerness to get them off.
“Well, it’s not like you’ll need them anytime soon.” I crawl off her body, freeing the jeans off her legs.
“Those were my favorite pair,” she says seriously, as I toss them to the floor.
“I’ll buy you ten more.” I kneel in between her legs and spread them wide. “Now, stop talking.” I grin slyly as I push her panties aside and immediately stroke a finger against her slit. I feel how wet she is for me, making my cock instantly aroused. I nuzzle my nose and lips against her pussy, inhaling her perfect scent.
She moans and fists both hands in my hair as I begin licking up her pussy, lapping my tongue in and out of her. Her body arches, tensing every time I drive my tongue in harder. I insert a finger as I suck on her clit, making her body shiver against me.
“Mm…god. Yes…” she pants hard as I continue eating her. Fuck, I can’t control myself as I insert a second finger and begin sucking against her harder and faster. “Oh, shit. My god…” she moans out, her body trembling harder now against me. Her body tenses as she releases against my tongue, her delicious flavor filling my mouth.
“Good girl,” I praise. I lick up her slit once more before pulling my fingers out. I crawl up the bed and lean in to kiss her. She surprises me by grabbing my hand and breaking the kiss.
She brings my hand to her mouth, closes her eyes, and devours my fingers. She wraps her lips around them as she sucks her juices off them.
“Jesus Christ,” I growl. My cock is rock hard, but the sight of what she does about brings me over the edge.
“Mm…” she moans as she thoroughly sucks my fingers. “I can see why you spend so much time down there,” she mocks.
After the Internship: A Novella (The Intern #4) Page 9