“It was a message from my friend Jake.”
“The one in London?”
He nodded, but something seemed off now.
“Is he okay?”
“Ugh, yeah. Just checking in.”
She lifted her chin to look at him, noticing the lie that colored his irises a darker shade now. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing. But, we should get out of this room at some point.”
Deflection. Her hand swept to the wounds on his hip bone and her stomach squeezed.
Ben had opened up to her yesterday about some of his time overseas, as well as his injuries. Of course, she’d prodded, but she was pretty sure it had been almost cathartic for him to get the memories off his chest.
He pulled her on top of him a moment later. Affection glowed in his eyes, and it pulled at the strings of her heart.
“I’ve enjoyed distracting you with my hot body and all, but you probably need to breathe in some fresh air.” He pressed a tender kiss to her mouth.
She chuckled and pushed off his chest to better assess him. His cerulean blues were still marked with worry, even if he was trying to hide it with a joke.
“I will if you tell me what Jake really said.”
He heaved out a sigh and closed his eyes.
She shifted to try and grab his phone, but he beat her to it, swiping it off the nightstand.
“Come on. Your eyes were shut.” She rolled off of him and stood.
“Great reflexes. What can I say?” He sat up.
She grabbed her bra off the floor and fumbled with the clasp as she tried to put it back on. “Damn it. You asked Jake for help, didn’t you?”
The sheet was casually draped over Ben’s lap, but the hard edges of his Vegas-bronzed muscles remained on display as he watched her. “Ri . . .”
She gave up on her bra and tossed it. “Don’t ‘Ri’ me. You haven’t given up, have you?”
“Do you blame me? How can I, when lives are on the line?”
She opened her arms wide. “It’s over. If you’re looking for an excuse to stick around because being with me is not enough—”
He rushed to his feet and braced her elbows, the sheet falling to the ground. “I’d give anything to be here only for you.”
“Then be here for me. Please.” Emotion thickened in her throat, and she swallowed, trying to dampen her dry mouth.
Hesitation passed over his face before his gaze dropped to her naked body.
“Be here for me,” she said again, her words whispering across his closed mouth.
She needed him to take away the pain.
To crush it.
To bludgeon it until there was nothing but peace left inside of her.
Ben kept hold of her eyes as he shifted his hands beneath her bottom and guided her up and into his arms.
She wrapped her legs around his hip bones, and she peppered him with quick kisses until she gave him all the control, hoping he’d somehow manage to heal the heart he’d once broken.
* * *
“Thanks for letting me invite Mandy,” she whispered into Ben’s ear at the table.
After their semi-argument that morning, he’d suggested they head to his moms for dinner that night to have a break from the small hotel room.
He reached under the tablecloth and squeezed her hand. “Of course.”
“Your accent is swoon-worthy.” Mandy focused her attention on Aiden. “How do you get anything done with him around?” she asked Ava.
“Mandy . . .” Riley laughed, knowing she was referring to Aiden and Ava’s sex life; with Ben’s parents at the table, Riley’s face warmed with embarrassment.
“His accent did win me over.” A shy smile met Ava’s lips.
“Yeah, right.” Aiden nudged her in the side.
“Did you know Ben once imitated an Irish accent in high school?” Riley took a bite of the lasagna and peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, expecting to see a touch of red crawl up his neck, too.
“Now that’s something I’d like to hear.” Aiden leaned back in his chair and eyed Ben, a mischievous smile on his face.
“Not on your life, man,” Ben said.
“Oh, come on.” Riley took a quick gulp of her wine. “He was attempting a Scottish accent when we were reading Macbeth in tenth grade, but it always came out like a mix of Irish and Australian.”
He pinched her thigh beneath the table, and she stifled a gasp with her hand.
“Ohhh, please let us hear it,” Mandy insisted. She was sitting on the other side of Riley, so she had to crane her neck around her to try and get a look at Ben.
“Anyone need a refill?” Riley hopped up from the table, knowing Ben was going to shoot daggers her way in a minute. He hated acting, and he hated being put on the spot. He was an adventurous guy, but the man had stage fright, and it had always amused her.
She left the dining room and went into the kitchen, hoping he’d follow her and pin her to the counter. The idea of someone catching them making out turned her on; it made her feel like a teenager again. She’d missed the chance at stolen kisses with him in their youth.
Ben had slept next to her every night since Bobby had been locked up, and they’d made love every night, too . . . but he’d been a little distant, and she was worried it was because he was, in fact, going to leave town when this was all over.
But she truly believed it was over. The only reason she wasn’t going to argue about it was because she wasn’t ready for him to go.
So, if he wanted to stick around and chase false leads, she’d let him. She wasn’t prepared to have whatever conversation would come before he left.
This wasn’t a fling.
This wasn’t some one-time, week-long love affair.
But what the hell was it?
Mandy came into the kitchen. “You slept with him. How could you not tell me?” She sat up on the kitchen island and glared at her.
“I, uh.” Riley bit her lip and peered at the closed door leading to the dining room. “It just happened.”
“You hate him.” Mandy angled her head, her eyes thinning as if worried.
“It’s complicated. I think we’d need another bottle of wine, and for it to be only us when I explain it.” She snatched the already open Merlot.
“And I need to hear it. What about tomorrow? Can you spare an hour of your time for me?”
“I’m not sure if Ben will let me out of his sight, and I can’t tell you with him around.” She considered the options, but she knew Ben was hell-bent on keeping her safe.
“The killer’s in jail. It’s over, sweetie.”
“Ben’s not so sure.” She couldn’t believe she was saying the words out loud.
“That’s crazy. He just wants an excuse to stick around and steal my best friend from me.” She puckered her lips, making a sour face. “I miss you. You always made time for me when you were with Daniel, but Ben’s back for a week, and it’s like the world has disappeared.”
Riley lowered the bottle back to the counter. “Shit, I’m sorry. It’s not all my doing, though. I told you he’s worried about me.”
“And maybe he’s screwing with your head.” She squeezed her forearm.
“I’ve waited for what feels like an eternity to have my best friend back, and I’m not ready to let him go again.” The truth was a hard pill for her to swallow. “What if he doesn’t stay?”
“I’m your best friend now. You don’t need one that hot, anyway. Clearly, it didn’t work out for you the first time.” She smiled. “Sexy guys and gorgeous women cannot be friends. It’s against nature or something.”
Riley chuckled, and her friend managed to shift her mood quickly, as always. She had missed spending time with her. Maybe she could manage an hour tomorrow, but she’d have to think of a way to convince Ben.
“Are you back at your place now that Bobby’s in jail?” Riley deflected.
“Mm-hm.”
“And was this guy you were bunking with o
f the so-called hot variety?” Riley smiled.
Mandy swiped a hand through the air. “Not my type.”
She lifted the wine again. “Well, maybe we can meet tomorrow. You still have a key to my place, right?” Speaking of which, she needed to get her key back from Daniel. Of course, she was sure Ben still had every intention of changing her locks, anyway. He’d already phoned ten different security companies, but he’d found each of their safety protocols inadequate.
“I do.” She smiled, and they headed back into the dining room to rejoin the group.
A few minutes later, and with a somber look, Ben’s mom lifted her wine glass. “Let us remember those who lost their lives, and promise we’ll always keep them in our hearts.”
Tremors shot down Riley’s arm as she tried to hold her wine steady in the air.
Ben reached for her hand, offering her the strength she needed to remain at the table without sobbing.
She raised her glass even higher and squeezed her eyes tight, praying for it to be over. And at the very least, she prayed that Ralph was at peace, and with his wife and son.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Are you out of your mind?” Ben folded his arms over his naked chest, standing before her wearing only his dog tags and a towel. It was wrapped loosely below his sexy V, and she couldn’t help but stare at the little trail of hair beneath his belly button.
“If you’re going to yell at me, could you at least put some clothes on first? It’s distracting.”
She turned away, grabbed her silk scarf off the bed, and draped it loosely around her neck. “Where are my keys?” She scanned the room.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“It’s daylight. And Bobby’s in prison. No one is going to come after me.”
“You’re a doctor. You graduated top of your class with a four point oh, and dozens of hospitals begged you to work with them. How can you be this naïve?”
“Did you look into me?” She closed the gap between them and poked at his still-wet chest.
“You were a suspect, so Ava checked you out. Can’t be too careful.”
She blew out a flustered breath. “You’d better be joking.”
“Mm. I wouldn’t joke about a murder investigation,” he said in a low voice, and she wasn’t sure if he was serious or not.
He flattened her palm against his chest and covered her hand with his, stepping in even closer. A quiver of excitement blew down her spine. She always got excited when they were this close because she knew what it meant: he’d make love to her.
She screwed her eyes tight and tried to maintain control of her body. He was going to try and use sex to stop her from doing what she wanted, and maybe she did need to remind herself that she was a brilliant doctor. She’d become a lust-filled teen, losing all rational thought, ever since the man had stormed back into her life. And she had a half a dozen hickeys on her neck to prove it, among other places. The man had a weakness for her inner thighs, and she couldn’t exactly complain.
He closed a hand around her hip, tugging her so close that she could feel his hard-on beneath the towel.
“It won’t work. Not this time. You can’t distract me with sex.”
“Oh, I can’t?” He lifted a brow and squeezed her ass as if the denim wasn’t separating his palm from her skin. “I thought that’s what you wanted. You asked me to distract you from this hellish world and make you forget everything.”
Okay, so she’d said that multiple times in one variation or another over the last few days, but . . .
“I miss my friend. I need a little girl time. Plus, I’d like to catch her up on what’s been going on in my life.”
“Like me?” He squeezed again, harder this time, and she bit her lip at the promise of what his touch could bring—what he could give her. The man was a mountain in his own right, and she could climb him forever.
“Maybe.” She purred the word and slipped her hand between them and beneath the towel. She could play dirty, too. She held on to him tight, applying the amount of pressure he liked.
The towel fell at their feet, and he inhaled a sharp breath but didn’t lose sight of her eyes. “You could talk to Ava. You’ve become close over the last few days.”
“I need out of this place. I need some fresh air.” She pumped him harder and peeked around him to glance at his reflection. He was standing before the mirror, and his hard ass cheeks flexed tight—the man had a body like no other.
“There’s only one way you’re going.” He removed her hand from his length. “And that’s with me.”
“I can’t gossip when you’re around.”
He shrugged and grabbed his towel. “Then wait until it’s safe.”
She balled her hands at her sides. “It is safe. You’ve been keeping quiet about whatever you and Aiden have been doing on that computer of Ava’s . . . but I’m betting you’re coming up empty.”
He casually wrapped his towel around his hips again and looked at her with heavy-lidded eyes. “I’m not talking about this with you right now. You’ve made up your mind, and so have I. We’re at a crossroads.”
“No.” She swiveled around, her hair whipping against his body in the process. “You’re a stubborn ass, but I’m an independent woman who can make her own choices. And I’m going to meet my best friend.”
“Riley.”
How could he make his voice so damn commanding with only one word?
“Listen, I went through people like a serial online dater after you left.” Her shoulders collapsed with the weight of her words. “I could never find another you. Another Nate.” She slowly turned to face him, and he sank down on the bed. “But Mandy moved here this year, and we instantly clicked. We have everything in common. Do you know how rare that is?”
“I’m sorry, I—”
She silenced him with her hand in the air. “I don’t know what’s going to happen when you’re gone, but she’s the only friend I have right now, and so if you leave me . . . I’m gonna need a shoulder to cry on, and I’ll need her.”
He clasped his hands in his lap and stared down at the floor. “I think it’s pretty damn clear what I want.”
“Not to me.” She shook her head lightly. “But I don’t want to talk about it right now, anyway. I’m meeting up with Mandy, and you can drive me if that’d make you feel better, but it’s my decision, and you’re not invited inside.”
He scratched at his jaw. “A public place. Lots of people around. I’ll be in the parking lot in the car.”
She knew she wasn’t going to win, but she hated giving in. But on the off chance that Ben was right, and that Bobby wasn’t the killer—she’d let him keep her safe. Because she did have a brain.
“Let me shave and get dressed, and we can go.”
She fought the smile that tugged at her lips. “I’ve kind of grown attached to the stubble. I wouldn’t mind it tickling the inside of my thighs again later.”
His gaze fell to her denim-clad legs. “You’ve got enough markings there from my love bites. I don’t want to scratch you up with this scruff.” He rubbed his jaw.
“‘Love bites’?” She chuckled. “I think you just knocked your manhood down a peg. I was wrong before when I said it wasn’t possible.”
He smiled and was on his feet so fast she barely had a chance to realize what he was doing.
He roped his hands around her waist, lifted her like she was a feather, and tossed her on the bed.
She took a deep breath and stared at him.
“You’re going to be late.” He dropped the towel.
* * *
“Harder.” Ben’s throaty voice shot through her as she shifted up and down on top of him, riding him. “Give me everything you have.”
Her nipples pebbled, and her stomach tightened as her pelvic bone met his with each movement. She grabbed hold of his wrists and forced his hands to her breasts, begging for his touch as she took all of him. She wanted their bodies as close as humanly possible.
He shifted her hair off to the side and smoothed a hand down her back. “You’re going to want to grab on to something,” he said gruffly.
She was on all fours, and he thrust inside of her. Her spine curved back, and she cried out, loud enough for the neighboring guests to hear.
He held on to her hips, and her breasts bounced as he continued to hit her already sensitive spot. And when he came, he bent forward and kissed her shoulder blade.
“Mm.” She collapsed onto the bed and dug her fingers into the rumpled comforter.
He trailed kisses down to the small of her back and grabbed her butt. “This ass. It really is—”
“The sexiest thing about me. I remember.” She chuckled and rolled to her side to look at him.
“Honestly, it’s your smile,” he said a moment later, staring at her mouth.
“That would’ve been my answer about you.” She sighed. “You’re such a heartthrob. You know that, right? All the girls were head over heels for you back in school.”
“Yeah, well,” he said while facing her on his side now, lacing their fingers together, “unfortunately for them, they could never measure up to the one person I truly wanted.”
She drummed her fingertips on his chest with her free hand. “Well, you have me. So, what are you going to do with me?”
He pressed a firm kiss to her mouth and pulled back only enough to growl, “Make you a hell of a lot later than you already are.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“You don’t have anywhere else they can sit?” Ben scanned the crowded restaurant, counting over thirty people.
The hostess held up her palms. “Do you see any empty tables?”
“The booth is perfect,” Riley said.
“It’s fine, Ben.” Mandy stepped around him to follow the hostess.
“Wait.” He captured Riley’s arm before she could leave him.
“It’s safe in here.” Her eyes dropped down to his hand. “Plenty of people.”
The Final Goodbye Page 18