Tori needed him. But so did Jamie. He only had a minute to choose, and either decision could change his life.
Chapter 3
On Monday morning, Ben, dressed in his best black suit, waited outside Jamie’s dressing room ten minutes early, to let Jamie know of the new flight plans. Tori needed Ben, whether Jamie liked it or not. Ben had found the first flight out of Miami, one that landed in Denver late afternoon, which meant he had to leave in the middle of filming and hope he didn’t miss the flight. Now Jamie had a choice. He could do the charity event on his own tomorrow, or fly Margaret out for a day.
He tapped lightly on the door but didn’t receive a reply. “Please don’t let this be like the first night in Miami.” Without waiting another minute for Jamie to answer, Ben twisted the knob and pushed the unlocked door open.
Jamie jumped to his feet, his eyes wide and his mouth puckered into a perfect O shape. A mirror clattered to the rug, sending a cloud of white powder into the air around Jamie’s feet. “What the fuck are you doing here?” His dagger glare shot from Ben to the white powder particles clinging to his gray Thom Browne trousers.
“Really, Jamie?” Ben stared down at the mess. “This all comes down to you using drugs?”
“Haven’t you heard?” He hastily patted the debris from his pants, to no avail. “Drugs are the trend for celebrities. Everyone does them.”
Ben shook his head in disgust. “Not everyone.”
Jamie chuckled. “It’s only coke to get me through these big trips. I’m not doing anything serious.” He slid his pants down over his hips and let them fall in a pile around his feet. Stepping out of them, he kicked the pants to the side and grabbed a fresh pair from a hanger. “Clean this up before someone comes in here.”
“I will not touch that stuff. It’s time you learn to clean up your own mess.” Ben turned toward the door.
“Wait a minute.” Jamie put his hand on Ben’s shoulder and squeezed, making every muscle in Ben’s body tense. “You’re not leaving me here to deal with everything—”
Ben gritted his teeth. Damn, he’d had enough of Jamie’s bullshit and his boss had gone over the top today. But his drug use explained so much. The mood swings. His inability to run his own life. Not to mention the obvious: Jamie rarely slept or ate. Now that he thought about the situation, Ben couldn’t remember a single meal with Jamie where he didn’t pick at his food.
“Take your hand off me right now,” Ben said.
“No. You’re not allowed to leave.” Jamie’s grip tightened.
Ben whirled out of Jamie’s grasp and faced him, staring at him eye to eye. “How long have you been on this shit?”
Jamie looked away. “Since Becca left me. C-dust got me through the hard shit of divorce.”
“And it also ruined your career. Not to mention the fact that you’ve screwed up every relationship afterward, including our working relationship. All because of your…” Ben paused to find the right word, and with disgust dripping off each letter, he said, “c-dust. Expect my resignation letter as soon as we’re done today.”
Jamie’s finely chiseled face turned a flaming red as his eyes widened. He clenched his fist at his sides and leaned forward, only inches from being nose to nose with Ben. “Fuck you, Benji. You’re my employee. You’ll go when I say you will or I’ll ruin you.”
Ben chuckled. He didn’t need this shit at all. Why had he even stayed this long? “Good luck on your show today. Maybe you can score some more coke before you go on.”
Just as Ben turned, bam! Jamie’s tight fist landed with a crack against his cheekbone. Pain ripped through his face as tears welled in his eyes. He took a step back and contemplated smashing Jamie’s face. No. Hitting Jamie would feel great at first, but Ben didn’t want to make the situation worse with the possibility of assault charges or bad press now that he was out of a job.
With one hand covering his throbbing cheek, he pointed at Jamie with the other. “I could break your puny ass, but you’re not worth it. Be grateful that I’m just walking away after you punched me.”
A screech sounded behind him. “Ohmygod! What happened?” A woman with a clipboard, probably the station manager, looked from Jamie to Ben’s cheek. “Are you okay?” she asked, and without waiting for an answer, she turned her attention back to Jamie. “You punched him?”
“Well—”
“Don’t worry about it. Just call me a cab,” Ben said, cutting Jamie off. “I’ll be waiting out front.”
The woman let out a loud sigh. “I’m so sorry. I’m calling them right now. Do you want an ice pack while you wait?”
“I’ll be fine. Just get the cab.” He stalked out of the room, down the hallway, and rushed through the door, letting the warm sun blaze down on him. Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, he leaned against the building. After a quick stop at his hotel, he’d be on the first plane home. To Tori. The circle of his life always seemed to land there. He let his eyes drift shut for a minute to picture her face. Tori.
* * * *
Tori had spent the weekend’s daytime hours at her shop to keep her mind busy and her fingers from doing their own research on her symptoms. Time passed quickly while she cared for the pets, stocked the boutique side of the store and scheduled interviews for an extra employee just in case she needed to take extra time away from the store. She’d been able to afford to have another person besides Mary for a while now, but hadn’t hired anyone. Tori loved Wags and Kisses Pet Shop and Boutique even though it had been overwhelming to step into the shoes of sole proprietor when her sister had walked out on the business they’d built together. It had only taken her a few months to settle in to a routine, hire Mary in Darcy’s place, and decide to keep the pet boutique side of Wags and Kisses open. Now running the business came second nature to her. She tapped the pen’s cap against the application of her future employee and picked up the phone, amazed at the way life threw its curveballs.
The first thing Tori did on Monday morning when she got to work was call the number listed on the application. When nobody answered, she left a voicemail for the eighteen-year-old named Whitney, and just as she was placing the shop phone on its base, her cell vibrated on the counter. Ben? Her heart raced with anticipation that quickly died when unavailable caller flashed on the display screen.
Connecting the call, she said, “Hello?”
“Can I speak to Ms. Welsh, please?”
Tori’s heart hammered in her chest when the identity of the caller dawned on her. Nurse Kerry from Doc’s office. She tightened her grip on the phone. “This is Tori.”
“Your test results are in. Doctor Wise has an opening at four. Are you available?”
Her hand trembled. This was it. Time to find out what was wrong with her. “I…” The rest of the words got caught in her throat.
“Tori?” asked the nurse in a soothing voice.
Tears welled in her eyes. “I can’t make it today. Can we schedule my appointment for late tomorrow or Wednesday?”
“Doctor Wise requested an appointment today. Can I please put you on hold so I can check his schedule?”
Tori muttered her permission. She really didn’t want to wait, but Ben had to stay in Miami for two more appearances. He’d apologized profusely over the phone and promised to be back Tuesday afternoon. And she had promised to wait until he got back to get the results, even though not knowing was slowly driving her crazy. But finding out what was wrong terrified her.
“Tori?” the nurse said. “Doctor Wise can’t wait to meet with you. He’ll be leaving for a conference tomorrow morning. You need to come in today. I can mark you down for four o’clock. That is the latest I can go.”
Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. She snatched a tissue from the box on the counter to dab at the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’ll be there.”
While checking the clock every ten minutes, she made it to three thirty and decided to close up early. After flipping the store sign to Closed and slipping on her coat,
she stepped out into the frigid air. Chills ran through her as she found the shop’s key and slid it in the lock.
“Where are those adorable earmuffs? You must be freezing,” Ben said, his warmth laced every word.
She smiled as she turned the key. What was he doing here? Just that morning he had told her about two more engagements in Florida. “You’re back early.” She whirled around and noticed a purple and yellow gash on his cheek. “What happened to you?” Moving forward, she let her fingertips rest gently against his tarnished skin.
“Jamie.” He flinched at her touch, making her draw her hand away.
“Are you serious? Let me guess, you beat the crap out of him afterward?”
Ben shook his head. “I quit my job and came home to you. I figured you’d go to the doctor without me. I couldn’t have that happen. Now come here and give me a hug.”
She rushed into his outstretched arms, letting her body relax against his and absorb some of his warmth. Tori breathed in deep, taking in the scent she’d missed over the weekend. His natural male smell plus a dab of his Nautica cologne made her weak in the knees. “I tried putting the appointment off, but Dr. Wise wants to see me now.”
“Then let’s go.”
Minutes later she found herself sitting in a chair across the wooden desk from Dr. Wise. Ben sat in a chair to her right, resting his hand on her leg.
“I’m glad you made it in, Tori.” Dr. Wise pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat as he opened her file. “The nurse could’ve told you the results over the phone, but I’m sure you’ve been stressing over this all weekend.”
She nodded. Even with a smile on Doc’s face and the comfort of Ben’s presence, fear continued to prick her. “You’re right. I did my best to keep busy, but—”
He shook his bald head. “And you didn’t have anything to worry about. Your test showed a UTI but since you’ve been taking the antibiotic, you’re probably pretty close to being cleared of the infection.”
Relief washed over her, forcing the tears that had been held inside to well in her eyes before spilling onto her cheeks. Ben pulled her closer, leaning her head against his thick shoulder.
“That’s great news.” She pulled out a wadded up tissue from her coat pocket and wiped her nose as she watched Doc staple two sheets of paper together and put them in an envelope. “This is so embarrassing, though.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. Abnormal tests are something to be concerned about. We’re just lucky that this ended with outstanding news.” Handing the envelope over to her, he said, “Here is some information on UTIs and I will need to see you again in ten days just to make sure the UTI is totally gone. If you have questions, call the office.”
Tori stood and turned toward the door with Ben following.
“Oh, Tori, there is one more thing.”
She paused. “Yes?”
His smile turned into a grin. “Did you get the new shipment of those sweet potato doggie snacks? Kiki sure loves those.”
She nodded eagerly. “Yes. And we stocked a new flavor. Peanut butter chip. Can you imagine?” His little Shih Tzu would love them.
“I’ll bring Kiki in for some tomorrow.”
Tori left the office with a lighter heart.
Chapter 4
The moment Tori turned off the engine, Ben hurried out of the passenger side and rounded the front of the car to open her door for her. She offered a smile as the cold evening air enveloped them. The sun had disappeared behind dark gray clouds, leaving the evening even darker than normal.
With Ben’s hand on the small of her back, he guided her up the sidewalk to her front door. “I’ve had such a long day.”
“I bet. Are you hungry?”
“Starving. I’ll build the fire and you get us some grub.” His gaze settled on her work jeans.”
She giggled. “I’ve been at the shop all day. Let me slip into some clean clothes before heading into the kitchen.”
“Sounds good to me. We still have something else to discuss.” He offered a sly grin the moment his stomach rumbled. “But we have to eat first.”
“Of course,” she said, hurrying into the bedroom. With the door shut firmly behind her, she turned her attention to the wardrobe. She scanned the contents of her pj drawer. What to wear, what to wear? Nothing seemed attractive without being too assuming and obvious. She yanked a tank top from another drawer and took her baggy flannel shirt off. The form-fitting tank would at least show her curves, and with a fire going, she’d stay warm enough. After running a brush through her hair, she retreated to the kitchen.
Listening to him putter around in the living room, she opened the fridge and pulled out ingredients. Minutes later she had two large deli-style roast beef sandwiches, an ice-cold beer for each of them, and a pile of chips placed on each plate. Tucking the beers under one arm, she carried the plates into the living room. The idea of him with her tonight thrilled her.
Their gazes connected. “You are a lovely sight.” He patted the floor beside him where he’d arranged the couch’s throw pillows on the floor directly in front of the fireplace. A blanket covered his lap. He’d stripped off his wet shirt and sat bare-chested with tiny, light brown hair curled against his skin.
She bit back a groan of desire as she handed him one of the plates and took her spot next to him. What did he have on under that blanket?
After he devoured his food, he took a long pull on his beer, wiped his mouth on a napkin and said, “Damn that was good.” He leaned back against the pillows and let his fingers trail over her bare shoulder, stopping occasionally to play with the thin strap of her tank.
Heat rushed to her cheeks and her nipples puckered against the think fabric of her top. Should she try to hide her arousal? Hell, she didn’t know what to do, but she didn’t want him to stop. She swallowed her last bite of sandwich and set her plate to the side.
Turning to him, she asked, “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Remember when Linda and Alex dated?”
She nodded. “How could I ever forget that train wreck of a relationship? We had just become friends. What were we, college sophomores?”
“Sure were. I remember the night they broke up like it happened yesterday.”
So did Tori. They’d all been at a local pub that catered to the college crowd. Alex and Linda had been fighting all day, which wasn’t unusual even though they’d been friends since junior high school. On that night, though, things were different. Linda wore a very revealing dress that didn’t fit her personality at all. After Alex had made a snide remark regarding her cleavage, Linda went over to where the band played, grabbed the first guy she encountered, and planted her lips firmly on his. That resulted in a quick make out session between Linda and a stranger, and then Alex smashing the guy’s nose with his arrest following soon after. That moment had changed everything.
Ben had looked at Tori with total seriousness written across his face. “I’ll never date one of my friends. Ever,” he had said.
“I won’t either.”
And they both had meant it at the time, but she wished she could change that vow.
“Anyway,” he said, slipping his finger under her tank strap again. “I’ve been thinking about that night a lot lately and exceptions could be made to certain things we agreed to.”
What? Was he thinking along the same lines as her? He’d been her best friend for so long. She placed her hand over his and gently squeezed. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I want you. Tonight, tomorrow, for as long as you’ll have me. We’re not Alex and Linda. What we have is ten times stronger.”
Their lips parted, letting her taste him as his tongue met hers, pulling her deeper into their shared desire. She lowered her hand on his hip and stopped at the waistband of his sweats. A moan rumbled through her chest.
Pulling away, she whispered, “That was some kind of kiss.”
Ben’s cocky grin appeared. “A good kin
d of kiss?” He leaned back against the pillows but kept his hand on her back, twirling a strand of her hair around his index finger.
“Definitely.”
Nestling against his chest as he held her tighter, she decided she loved this special little place. The very place that seemed to be made just for her…right there in his embrace.
About Wendy Ely
Wendy Ely is an award-winning, best selling author who writes some romantic suspense, really hot stories, and the wonderful happily-ever-after. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her own real-life hero, three teenagers, and two crazy cats. When she isn't busy writing new stories, she enjoys time outdoors by taking trips to the hot desert or swimming at the lake.
Wendy loves to hear from readers: [email protected]
Other Lyrical Press books by Wendy:
Midnight Secrets: http://lyricalpress.com/midnight-secrets/
Dreaming of Him: http://lyricalpress.com/dreaming-of-him/
Cross the Line: http://lyricalpress.com/cross-the-line/
Keep the Fire Burning
Fantasy romance by Daisy Banks
A flame of passion turns into an ever-burning fire of love.
Devastation unites a Prince and a village maiden and together they discover the sweet fire of the flame of love.
Chapter 1
Not a mushroom in sight!
Cora tutted at the lack of fungi and continued her search. She couldn’t return to her aunt’s cottage with nothing but a few herbs. This autumn season seemed all wrong, too dry for mushrooms even here in the usually damp forest. Some of the leaves clinging to the boughs had already turned to shades of gold and bronze and rattled crisply. All of it seemed too soon.
First Frost Page 12