“I like it,” she admitted shyly. “Too much? Too soon?”
“Not enough. It’s about damn time,” he answered, making her laugh.
“You’ve been really sweet these last few days. Well, since the night my sister died, really. You have the patience of a saint. For Alex. And me. You’ve gone out of your way to take care of me and Alex. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. How much it means to me that I can count on you.”
She trusted him now without hesitation, or a second thought. Finally. Hallelujah. “I want to take care of you,” he assured her, because though she’d said the words, she still needed the reassurance.
“I know. I see that. I’ve been kind of muddling my way through, trying to figure things out. I still don’t know what to do with everything that’s happened. The one thing that is clear, the thing I see clearly, is you.”
Ben didn’t know what to say.
“I need to start making decisions. I’m starting with you, because although I could get through this on my own, I don’t want to. I’m always the tough girl. The one who has to do everything on her own. When I was lying in that hospital bed with Alex while they stitched me up, all I could think about was you. I wanted you there with me. I needed you with me.”
“You scared me half to death. It’s bad enough that guy hurt you, but if something happened to you . . .” He hung his head and shook it back and forth. “Kate . . .”
“I know. I see it, Ben. I feel it between us. So instead of doing what I normally do, what I’ve been doing with you all this time, holding back, I’m doing what my sister wanted, what she was brave enough to do, and so am I. I’m taking that leap of faith because I believe that what we have is something special. It’s not my grief pushing me toward you and the comfort you give to me. It’s so much more and it’s rooted in my heart. It grows every time I see you with my son. Every time you kiss me. Every time you look at me and I see what I saw when Donald looked at my sister.”
He pushed away from the counter, turned off the stove, and pulled the hash browns from the oven before they burned to a crisp. “I wanted to take this weekend to talk to you about what comes next. Your sister’s house. Donald’s company. Everything.”
Kate rounded the counter and joined him in the kitchen, stopping a mere six inches away from him. “Yes, we’ve let that all simmer on the back burner. If we don’t take care of it soon, it’ll boil over.”
“You said we need to take care of it.”
“You and me. That’s how it works, right?”
Kate rose up to her toes, pressed her body down the length of his, wrapped both her hands around the back of his neck, and pressed her forehead to his. She stared into his eyes, hers filled with intent and regret all at the same time.
“Every breath I take, every beat of my heart, is for you and Alex. I don’t have one foot out the door. I’m not looking for a way out. I was scared of what I felt for you, but I’m not holding anything back anymore. I want to be with you. I want to make a life with you. I never want to spend a single day without you.”
Overwhelmed by the depth of her words and the emotion she put into them, he crushed his mouth to hers, sliding his tongue deep, taking possession of her mouth. He held her tight to his chest and lifted her right off her feet.
Ben had the woman he loved in his arms. All he wanted to do was take her down the hall to his bed, but if Alex saw her, he’d want her. Ben needed her more right now. He needed to see her, touch her, worship every square inch of her.
He backed her toward the table. The backs of her legs hit, and he leaned down and laid her out on the solid wood. His lips left hers, but only so he could trail kisses down her neck. He inhaled her sweet floral scent and went dizzy with a lust that nearly sent him to his knees.
Not a bad idea.
He worked his hands under the T-shirt she liked to sleep in. His shirt. He slid his hands up her sides, grabbed hold of the shirt, and tore it off over her head.
“Ben.”
His name on her lips came out as a demand he had every intention of answering. Right now. He stared down at her creamy skin, dark hair spread across the table and spilling over, soft pink nipples that hardened beneath his gaze, and down her smooth stomach to her waist and strong legs that wrapped around him, holding him close.
“God, but you are so damn beautiful.”
She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him down to her. The kiss rocked him and drove him on to show her how much he wanted her. Desperately.
He kissed a path down her neck, over one plump breast, to her hard nipple. He took it into his mouth, sucked hard, then licked the tip with his tongue. Her sweet honey taste quickly became his addiction. She arched her back and moaned for more. Her fingers dug through his hair and pulled him back down. He took her other nipple into his mouth, circling his tongue. He took her other breast into his palm, squeezed, and brushed his thumb over the wet nipple.
“Oh, God, Ben.”
Yeah, he thanked God for bringing her to him.
Her arched back fell to the table and she sighed out her pleasure. God, how he loved those sweet sounds she made.
He kissed his way down her belly. She tensed and giggled when he licked her skin from her belly button down to the waistband of her black leggings.
“Ticklish?”
“Only when you do that.”
“Oh, I’m going to do a hell of a lot more of that.”
He hooked his fingers in her pants and panties and dragged both barriers down her legs and out of his way.
“Ben? We’re in the kitchen.”
“Yes, I know. You’re breakfast.”
To prove it, he leaned down and kissed her belly again, his hands sliding up the outside of her thighs to relax her again. Her fingers combed through his hair, over his head, down his neck, and over his back. Her fingers dug into his muscles, rubbing and massaging, holding him to her. He licked his way from her belly button down to heaven. He took her in his mouth, sank his tongue deep into her wet core, then he sucked hard. She nearly came apart beneath him, but he wanted to take his time. Love her right.
He sank to his knees, slipped his arms beneath her legs, and drew them up and over his shoulders. He buried his face between her thighs and licked and laved at her sweet center. Her taste on his tongue, the musky smell of her, went to his head. He sank his tongue deep again, loving her with his mouth. He swiped his thumb over her slick clit and rubbed soft circles that made her rock her hips and moan.
Her nails bit into his shoulders, and she came apart beneath him. He rode out her orgasm, then laid his tongue flat against her and licked his way up to her belly, setting off another round of aftershocks through her system. Her legs fell off his shoulders and wrapped back around his waist as he kissed his way up her ribs, over her breast, up her neck, and to her sweet mouth.
Her arms wrapped around him, hands sliding down his back. She dragged his shirt up and over his head. He stared down into her bright, dancing eyes.
“My turn.”
She might just be the death of him. Loving her had nearly sent him over the edge more than once. He hoped he could pull it together and hold back the orgasm riding him hard, begging him to sink his dick deep inside of her and let go.
“Come here, I need to feel you against me,” she begged.
He didn’t want to be anywhere else. He leaned over her, pressed his chest to her hard-tipped breasts, and kissed her again, rubbing his body over hers. She made one of those sweet moans again, so he pushed down hard over her, smashing her breasts against his chest. Her softness against his hardness did something to him. Her, this close, only made him want to be closer.
Her hands never stopped roaming over his skin. Her fingers dug into muscles, massaged over his shoulders, and raked down his spine to his hips. She slipped her hands around his sides and between them, though he hat
ed to put any space between them. She worked the button and zipper free on his jeans, slid one hand down the length of his hard shaft over his boxer briefs and back up. He nearly disgraced himself when she wrapped her fingers around him and rubbed back down and cupped his balls.
Unable to stand the sweet torture, he stood in front of her, intending to pick her up and take her to bed. She had other ideas. She sat in front of him, dragged his jeans and boxers down low enough to free his swollen flesh. Her small hand wrapped around him, and she worked her hand up and down. She kissed his chest, then sank her teeth into his pec. Her tongue smoothed over the small hurt, and his dick jumped in her hands. He stared down at the top of her head, her mouth moving over him, her hand wrapped around his hard cock. Damn, but he’d never seen anything sexier.
The doorbell rang. Alex cried out in the other room at the startling sound. Kate’s head fell back and she stared up at him, her mouth parted, lips swollen, and begging for a kiss.
A fist pounded on the door. “Ben, FBI, open up.”
“Fuck.”
Kate’s eyes went wide.
Ben turned and yelled at the door. “Be right there.” He cupped Kate’s face in his hands. “I’ll explain in a second. Go get dressed.”
Kate released him. He missed her warmth, regretted the interruption, and anticipated being alone with her all at the same time. She jumped off the table. Before she shot past him, he grabbed her shoulders and stopped her. He stared down at her, dragged his gaze up all those naked curves, and met her gaze. “We are not done.”
She smiled, but ducked her head, grabbed her clothes from the slate floor, and ran down the hall. Ben pulled his pants and boxers back up, sucked in his gut to get the zipper up over his hard length, and dragged his T-shirt over his head and pulled it low over his jeans. He walked toward the front door, stopping to pick up Alex from his play mat. The little guy stared at him wide-eyed and worried after his mother ran past him. He didn’t seem to like the doorbell.
Ben opened the door and let it swing wide. “You’re early.”
Sam stepped in with Tyler right on his heels. “We’re right on time.”
Ben glanced at the clock. He got so caught up in his conversation with Kate and making love to her, he’d lost all track of time.
“Sorry. My fault. Thanks for coming. I really appreciate you guys doing this for me.”
“You sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Tyler asked.
“I’ll take care of her. You two take care of this one.”
Sam held out his hands. Alex leaned over to go to him, so Ben handed the baby over.
“Come here, little man. You want to come to my place for a playdate? I can’t guarantee Gracie won’t dress you up and paint your nails, but you’ll have fun with J.T. He’s more your speed probably.”
“You sure Elizabeth is up for keeping him overnight? He gets up around three or four for a bottle.”
“We’re all good, man. No problem.”
Kate walked into the room. Ben closed the front door and walked to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. “This is my girlfriend, Kate.”
Her head went back and she stared up at him. He looked her straight in the eye. “I don’t need to try it on. It fits for now.” He hoped she understood that soon they’d outgrow the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing. He wanted her to be his wife, now, but he’d give her time to settle into it. One step at a time.
“So, Morgan was right,” Tyler said, smiling like a lunatic.
“Is Morgan ever wrong?” Ben shot back.
“No. I’m happy for you.”
“Uh, you still haven’t told me what this Morgan said to you. And who are they, and why does he have Alex?”
Kate stared at the two men, both armed with guns on their hips and badges on their belts. Unsure what was going on, she pulled free of Ben’s embrace and took Alex from the handsome blond man.
“Kate, these are my friends Sam and Tyler. They work for the FBI. You met Sam’s wife, Elizabeth, at my office and Decadence. Tyler’s wife, Morgan, is pregnant and about to burst, so she’s at home.”
“She doesn’t like to come to the city,” Tyler explained. “Too many people and bad vibes.”
Kate eyed Tyler, then Ben.
“You’ll understand when you meet her,” Ben explained, without telling her a damn thing about the mysterious Morgan, who made a prediction about them.
“What are they doing here? Did something happen on the case? Are you going to arrest the Faradays for my sister’s and Donald’s murders?”
Sam shook his head. “We’ve been monitoring the case for Ben, but there’s no new information. The blood results aren’t back from the lab. The gun used belongs to Donald and only your sister’s prints are on it.”
“My sister did not kill the man she loved.”
Tyler touched her shoulder. “We never said she did. The evidence is what it is, but doesn’t tell the whole story. We know Evan killed them. The police will prove it.”
“You sound so sure.”
“Well, Morgan won’t give me any of the specifics, but she would warn us if the outcome isn’t what we expect.”
“She will?”
Tyler shook his head and frowned. “Maybe. She believes things happen for a reason. Trying to change an event doesn’t guarantee you change the ultimate outcome. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“I really don’t understand anything about your Morgan.”
“You’ll like her. She can’t wait to meet you. You’ll come with Ben to the next family dinner,” Tyler said.
“Like the one Ben attended the night my sister died.”
“We’re Ben’s family,” Sam said. “We’re here to help.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We’re taking Alex for the weekend. He’ll be safe with us.”
Kate held Alex tighter and turned him away from the men. “No. You can’t just take him.”
Ben took Kate’s hand, but addressed the guys. “Give us a minute.”
“Take your time,” Sam said, sitting on the sofa in the living room. Tyler did the same.
Ben plucked Alex from her arms and handed him off to Tyler. “Here, practice for when Noah decides to join us.”
Tyler scooped Alex up under the arms and raised him up, flying him high. “Hey, buddy, want to have a sleepover at Uncle Sam’s place? He’s got all kinds of things for you to play with and drool all over.”
Alex cooed and smiled.
“Alex is fine. Come with me.” Ben dragged her into the kitchen behind him. Not much privacy. “Hear me out before you say no. I meant to tell you about this earlier, but I . . . we got distracted.” He gave her a smoldering look and she got his meaning. She tamped down on her roiling emotions, the need to keep Alex close and safe, and listened to Ben.
“Why are they taking Alex for the weekend?”
“Sam and Elizabeth have two kids. Grace and J.T. They know how to take care of a baby. Sam is FBI. Anyone tries to hurt Alex, he’ll shoot them dead.”
“That still doesn’t explain why he’s taking Alex.”
Ben raked his hand over his already disheveled head. She’d never seen him nervous like this. “I like having Alex here with us.”
“But?” Her heart sank. Alex made things difficult. Maybe Ben wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility of having a child. A child that didn’t belong to him.
“Wipe that hurt look off your face. I’m not sending Alex away because he’s in my way, or it’s too hard to take care of him and try to get closer to you. Damn it, Kate, haven’t I proven to you that I think of that kid as mine? I would do anything for him.”
Kate’s heart grew heavy in her chest.
“I asked Sam to take him, yes, because I want to be alone with you, but also because it’s time for you to make some decisions
. We need to make plans. We need to go to your sister’s house and either get more of Alex’s things, or move you both in there permanently.”
“Would you rather we not stay here with you?”
Ben swore again. “I want you with me always. We need to decide what we are going to do next. I didn’t want to risk taking Alex with us to your sister’s place. Now we know he’ll be in safe hands, and we can do what we’ve put off.”
Kate stared at Alex lying on the sofa beside Sam. His hands and feet up in the air as Sam held his favorite stuffed puppy over him. Alex gurgled and laughed when Sam brought the puppy down to tickle his belly. He’d be okay with the FBI agent. He’d be okay without her for a couple of days.
Ben’s hands landed on her shoulders and squeezed. “I know you’re scared to let him out of your sight. We can’t hide here, hoping this blows over, or Evan does something stupid enough to land him behind bars. We need to settle matters with the estate, where you’re going to live, and getting Alex back on a schedule. Soon, you’ll need to take your sister’s ashes and say goodbye.”
Kate’s gaze shot to the metal urn on the sideboard in the dining room. Ben picked it up for her from the mortuary, but she couldn’t decide what to do with it, or where to scatter Margo’s ashes. She didn’t know what to do about the house, the money she now had, the business, anything. Ben was right. She’d been hiding. She’d sunk her head in the sand and waited for all the bad to go away, so she could live her life free of this fear that she’d lose Alex and Evan would eventually get what he wanted and kill them both. Nothing had changed since her sister’s death, except now she had two more reasons to put Evan in a cage or in the ground.
She wanted to build a life with Ben and Alex. She wanted to have everything her sister lost and so much more.
Kate walked out of Ben’s grasp to dig through her purse on the counter. She found her cell phone and walked over to Sam. “Mind putting your number and address in there for me, so I know where he is and I can call him later to say good night.”
“Sure thing.” Sam took the phone and started tapping in the information. “I’m putting Elizabeth’s numbers in here too.” Once he finished, Sam tossed the phone to Tyler. “Put yours and Morgan’s. Ben can add the rest of the family later.”
Everything She Wanted Page 20