by Ann Lister
Another roar erupted from the audience. Hearing Ben's words, Sydney began to creep into the darkened area behind the stage curtains.
“Okay. So, I see a few of you heard my interview,” Ben laughed. “Well, I don't feel I need to apologize for a damn thing,” he said. “In my opinion, my behavior was normal for a guy on vacation! I can't think of too many men that wouldn't welcome a distraction like that - while on vacation or any other time of the fucking day! And, if I offended anyone - too fucking bad!”
A huge cheer rose from the crowd.
“Yeah!” Ben shouted. “I knew you guys would understand.”
He repositioning the stool beneath his butt. “Having said that, I wrote this next song a long time ago, but it holds a lot more meaning to me now. I'm going to dedicate it to the woman that kept me so distracted last week. It's called, Finger on the Pulse.”
The first Boston show went off without a hitch, but Sydney couldn't have been happier to get back to the Four Seasons hotel. Once inside her room, the delicate scent of flowers hit her. She switched on the lights to illuminate the bedroom and noticed three dozen long-stemmed red roses in two separate vases on each side of her king-sized bed. Another single rose was set on a bed pillow with a note card that said simply: I love you. B. Sydney dialed the number to Ben's cell phone and smiled when she heard his voice.
“Thank you for the roses,” she said. “They're beautiful.”
“I figured flowers might put a smile on your face,” he said.
“You put a smile on my face.”
“That's good to know,” he said.
“Always,” she said quietly. “That was quite an apology you gave at the show.”
“I'm sensing you didn't approve.”
“It was embarrassing.”
“No one knew I was talking about you.”
“The song you dedicated was a nice touch,” she said.
“I thought you'd enjoy the meaning behind that,” he said. “Are we still on for brunch?”
“I'm looking forward to it.”
“Get some sleep,” he said. “I'll want you well rested.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ben arrived at Sydney's hotel room two hours early and knocked. She answered the door wearing nothing more than one of Ben's t-shirts and her hair tussled from the bed.
“You're early,” she said, and pushed the hair from her eyes.
“And you're wearing my shirt,” he said. His eyes surveyed her body.
“I must have packed it in my suitcase by accident. Do you want it back?” she asked, and pulled it over her head, revealing her nakedness.
“Whoa! I was going to say the shirt looks better on you, but I was wrong. The shirt looks much better on the floor.”
Sydney pressed herself against him. Her fingers began undoing his pants. Seconds later, she had him naked and spread across the sheets of her bed.
“I missed you so much, Sydney,” he sighed. He covered her mouth with his, then began a slow progressive journey down the length of her body. He savored every spot he tasted and enjoyed her reactions from each of his manipulations.
An hour later, they were submerged in the bathtub, her upper back pressed to his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. One of his hands worked between her thighs, while the other continued to tease her soapy breasts. He felt her shiver through another orgasm and smiled.
“If you stayed in my room, we'd be able to do this all the time,” he said below her ear.
Sydney spun around and straddled his lap. “If I stayed in your room, I'd get no sleep at all.”
Her hand slipped between them and squeezed his hardness, then eased him inside.
Ben arched against the tub and moaned.
“Sleep is good, but I'd much rather be awake with you,” he said.
He began to move beneath her, sending tiny waves of water crashing over the edge of the tub and onto the floor. Neither of them noticed or cared. A heartbeat later, he climaxed.
Room service delivered a tray of fresh fruit, muffins and bagels and a pot of hot coffee for breakfast. They ate it in bed, then fell asleep curled around each other. It was the ring of Ben's cell phone that woke them. He grumbled and rolled to the side of the bed, searched the floor for his pants, and pulled the phone from the pocket.
“Yes, Laura. What can I do for you?” Ben asked.
“You are aware we have a meeting downtown in an hour, right?” Laura asked.
“Of course.”
“You had me nervous, Ben. I was at your room and you didn't answer the door.”
“That's because I'm not there.”
“Then, where are you?” Laura asked.
Ben laughed and glanced at Sydney still laying in bed, her legs twisted in the sheets.
“That's privileged information,” he said. “I'll meet you in the lobby,” he said, and ended the call.
“What does Laura want with you?” Sydney asked. She turned on her side and let the sheet fell, exposing her breasts to him. He slid back in bed beside her and covered her breasts with his hands.
“I have to leave soon for a meeting,” he said.
“Meeting?” Sydney asked, her fingers toying with his expanding organ.
“I'm meeting with a couple of guys from our management team, but you're making it difficult for me to want to leave.”
“Then don't,” she said, setting her leg on top of his hip.
“I have to go,” he said. He pulled away reluctantly and stood up beside the bed. “I'm gonna take a quick shower.”
Sydney watched his naked form move around the bathroom. He turned on the water and grabbed a towel from the rack beside the tub and hung it on a wall hook.
“You can come to the meeting with me, if you want,” he called to her from inside the shower.
Sydney walked into the bathroom and opened the curtain a crack and watched him with great interest. He ran the bar of soap over himself; the lather cascading over his muscled chest and down his legs. Every part of his body excited her.
“Who will be at this meeting?” she asked.
“Mike is driving and, as always, Laura. As far as I know, that's it,” he said. He scrubbed shampoo in his hair and rinsed.
Sydney stepped into the shower behind him. She slid her hands around his waist and onto his stomach, then pressed her face to his wet back and kissed the skin.
“What about Simon?” she asked. “Will he be there?”
“Simon wasn't invited.”
Sydney moved around to his front and rubbed herself against him, her fingers began to work his sex. He responded quickly, pressed her to the tiled shower wall, and lifted one of her legs around his hip.
“Do you want me in the shower, baby?” he asked in a throaty tone.
“What do you think?”
“I think we're going to be very late,” he said, and slowly began to penetrate her.
They were dressing when Ben's phone rang again.
“Where the hell are you?” Laura asked.
“I'm running late,” Ben said.
“No shit! And, you better have a good excuse, Ben!”
“I promise, it couldn't be avoided,” he said, doing his best not to laugh.
“If I find out I've been waiting while you've been having sex, I'm really going to be mad.”
“I'll be downstairs in a couple of minutes.”
“You better run!”
Ben and Sydney finished getting ready and walked to the elevator. He held her hand the entire way, but she removed hers just before they entered the lobby. Laura quickly approached them and she did not look amused.
“It's about damn time, Ben,” Laura said, then her eyes shifted to Sydney. “Are you taking pictures at this meeting?”
Sydney glanced toward Ben, a look of panic crossed her eyes. “Ben called and asked if I wouldn't mind joining you.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Fine. Let's get going. I've already pushed back this meeting twice,” she said, and headed toward the front do
or.
Mike drove them to the Prudential Center in downtown Boston and waited in the limousine while Ben went upstairs with Sydney and Laura. The meeting was brief, lasting less than an hour. Sydney posed Ben for a couple of photographs with the two executives and then they left the office.
Laura watched the interaction between Ben and Sydney as they traveled in and out of the Prudential Building. As angry as she was at Ben for making them late to the meeting, it was hard not to smile at the obvious glow Sydney and Ben now had for each other. Out of the corner of her eye, Laura saw Ben inch his fingers up Sydney's back, then tug on her long hair. The intimate glances bouncing back and forth between Ben and Sydney was hard to miss.
After the meeting, Mike brought them to the Oyster House restaurant nearby to Faneuil Hall marketplace. All four of them went inside and got a table for dinner. As soon as they were seated, Sydney bent across the table to Laura and excused herself to the ladies room. Ben watched Sydney shift through the crowded restaurant, his eyes never leaving her.
“Congratulations,” Laura said to Ben.
“For what?” he asked, and reached for his water glass.
“You're in love with Sydney,” Laura smiled brightly.
Ben took a sip of water and tried to hide the smile on his face. “What makes you say that?”
“It's obvious how you feel every time you look at her.”
Ben chomped on a piece of ice from his water glass. “Am I really that transparent?”
“Absolutely,” Laura replied. “Mike and I are guessing you two have been together since Los Angeles - at least that's when the yelling seemed to stop. It can only be assumed, when the fighting stopped, other things started.”
“I can pin-point it even better than that,” Mike said. “I'm guessing it was the night after you kicked the shit out of Billy Iris. I brought Syd's camera equipment to her room and you answered the door…half-dressed, I might add.”
Ben smiled broadly. “I remember that night,” he said. “I was in a lot of pain.”
Mike raised one eyebrow. “You didn't look like you were feeling any pain, my friend.”
“Okay, so we've established I'm not very sneaky. What do you want from me?”
Laura leaned across the table toward Ben. “Syd was with you last week in Maryland, too, wasn't she?”
“Jesus! What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?” Ben asked.
“You don't have to answer that, Ben. We already know the answer,” Laura said.
Ben shook his head and ran his hand over the facial hair on his chin.
“Yeah, she was with me in Maryland, but she'll freak if she finds out you guys know, so don't say anything.”
Laura patted the top of Ben's hand. “If anyone knows how to be discreet, it's us. We won't say a word.”
“That's right! You two have been sneaking around and I haven't said anything,” Ben said.
“We're thrilled to see you so happy, Ben, that's all,” Laura said.
“I've never felt like this,” Ben said. “She's very special.”
“All we ask is that you invite us to the wedding,” Laura said.
Ben's face turned serious.
“Oh, my God! You've already asked her?” Laura asked.
Ben leaned forward in his seat. “I haven't asked her…yet,” he said in a hushed tone. “But I came damn close last week.”
“What stopped you?”
“You don't know Sydney,” Ben said. “She's very…guarded and nervous about what all this means. I was afraid if I asked, she'd think it was too soon, and bolt for the door thinking I was out of my mind.”
Mike and Laura laughed.
“Do you think it's too soon?” Ben asked Laura.
Laura moved closer to the table. “I think if it's a perfect fit, it's obvious from the start,” Laura smiled. “How does it feel to you?”
Ben tipped the salt shaker onto the table and began spinning it around on the wood like a top.
“It feels like a perfect fit to me,” he said quietly, then his attention became distracted with Sydney moving back toward their table. Every man in the crowd turned their heads to take notice. A smile eased across Ben's face at the sight of her.
“I think you just answered your own question, Ben.”
Sydney sat beside Ben at the table. “I'm sorry it took so long but, as usual, there was a line.” Sydney glanced around the table at their faces and immediately knew she had walked in on something.
“What's going on?” she asked, looking at Ben.
Ben slipped his arm around her shoulders and leaned in toward her neck. “They know, Sydney.”
She tipped her head at Ben. “What do they know?”
Ben nuzzled his nose to her ear. “They know we're together,” he said, and smiled against her skin.
Sydney pulled away sharply, her gaze dropped to her lap.
“Syd, it's okay,” Laura said, and reached for Sydney's hand on the table. “Mike and I couldn't be happier and we're not going to tell anyone. Can't say I'm surprised though. We saw the sparks flying long before you did.”
Sydney drank from her water glass and fought to keep her emotions under control. Ben reached beneath the table and squeezed her thigh. “Are you okay?”
Sydney nodded.
“Then let's order some food,” Ben said, and motioned to a waitress.
Sydney slowly began to relax and feel comfortable with Ben's public displays of affection - even offering a few to him, which he happily accepted. She laughed at their stories from the road and shared some of her own. When they left the restaurant, Ben held her hand all the way to the car and helped her into the backseat.
“Did you enjoy yourself in there?” Ben asked her.
“Very much.”
“I'm glad,” he said, and slipped his hand around the back of her neck. He pulled her to him, his mouth opened against hers. “Hmmm, Sydney, you taste so good,” he sighed. “I'd love to lay you down on this leather seat and…”
“Ben!” Laura called from the front seat over the intercom.
Ben quickly sat upright.
“As thrilled as Mike and I are for you, we really don't need to hear what you want to do to Sydney on that seat. So, either zip up your pants or shut off the intercom!”
Ben's hand immediately went to the intercom button. “Sorry about that,” he said to Sydney. “I forgot to check the button when we got inside the car.”
“That's embarrassing,” Sydney said softly.
Ben's arm went around her shoulders again. “It's not a big deal, Syd. They already know we're together.”
Ben looked at her face and saw the emotion filling her eyes.
“What's wrong?” he asked. He rubbed her cheek with his fingers.
“I preferred it when no one knew about us. It felt safer to me.”
“I'm not following, Syd.”
She glanced out the window at the passing traffic. “I loved having this secret with you. It's very precious and private to me. Going public somehow seems to take some of the intimacy away from it.”
“I disagree,” he said, and took her hand in his. “What we have is still very private and Lord knows it's about as intimate as it can get. No one will ever invade that part of our relationship. I won't let that happen.”
He turned her toward him. “I've never been this happy and I want everyone to know you are the source of my happiness. Can you blame me for that?” he asked.
Sydney lightly kissed his lips. “I understand how you feel, Ben, but could we wait until the tour is over before we tell anyone else?”
Ben opened his mouth wider and kissed her deeply. “Fine. I'll wait, but as soon as the tour is done, I'm going to shout it from the roof tops. There won't be a person left on this planet that won't know we're a couple.”
Sydney laughed and squeezed his thigh.
“A little higher, baby,” he said, tipping his head against the seat and dragging her hand up the inside of his leg to rest on his groin.
&
nbsp; “You never quit, do you?” she said against his open mouth.
“I'll quit when I'm dead.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The tour left Boston and stopped for one show in New York City before heading to Atlantic City. By the time they got to Pennsylvania, Sydney was starting to feel the stress and fatigue of living on the road again. The after-glow left from her vacation with Ben was long gone. Now, it was a struggle for her to find the energy to make it through the day.
Simon had been giving her the cold-shoulder since the first show in Boston and Sydney was enjoying his absence, but silence from Simon wasn't necessarily a good thing. His newest interest was trying to occupy as much of Ben's free time as possible and doing whatever he could to keep Sydney away from his brother.
The first Pennsylvania show was at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. A huge crowd had gathered in the press room for a meet ‘n’ greet before the concert with Ben and his band. As the room was filling to capacity, Sydney was forced to run to the bathroom. A sudden wave of nausea had twisted in her stomach to the point where she felt the urge to vomit. Sydney was at a sink cleaning up when a woman began washing her hands in the next sink.
“Are you here to meet the band?” an attractive brunette asked Sydney.
Sydney lifted her head from the sink and studied the woman with suspicion. “I guess you could say that,” Sydney said.
“Don't be nervous,” the woman said, then went about reapplying her make-up in the mirror above the sink. “All the guys in the band are very friendly. I'm here to see Ben. He's the lead singer for the band.”
“I'm familiar with him,” Sydney said.
The brunette pulled at the bottom of her tight shirt, exposing more of her deep cleavage. “Ben and I hook-up whenever his tour comes through town. I haven't seen him in two years, but he's worth the wait every time - if you know what I mean.” The girl winked at Sydney.
“So, I've heard,” Sydney said. Anger began to rise inside her.