Breaking Benjamin

by Haylee Thorne

  Not wanting her to feel one ounce of remorse over any time we spend together, including this disaster of a date, I slide closer and unbuckle her seat belt. I gather her in my arms and pull her into my lap and up against my chest. “Please, no apologies. I understand you were only trying to brave it out to please me.”

  Her head bobs up and down against my shirt, her soft hair tickling the exposed portion of my chest. And, yes, I inhale again, because even though she was sick only a short time before, she still smells lovely.

  “Will you give me a chance to redeem myself?” I whisper gently against the top of her head.

  She nods again and snuggles her body into mine, resting her head against my shoulder.

  “Dinner tomorrow? At my place? I’ll cook for you, and I promise, I live on solid ground.”

  She nods again but then stops abruptly. “I actually have plans tomorrow night, but I can do the night after if you’re free.”

  “I am now.” I pull her petite frame tighter against me and drop another kiss on top of her head. I hate that she’s feeling so terrible and that it’s my doing. I guess I’ll have to make sure I do a little recon work for our next date—find out what she likes and doesn’t like to eat, and any allergies she may have. I am not going to put her in a position again where she feels like she may disappoint me.

  The car comes to a slow stop as it pulls up outside of her building. The driver jumps quickly out of the car and opens my door for me. Jill moves to get off my lap, but I move my arms under her legs and pull her flush to me. “I’ve got you.”

  I turn and place both feet on the pavement and thank God I’ve strengthened my one good leg so it’s strong enough to rise out of the car with her in my arms. She looks up at me, her eyes soft, her color finally returning to the lovely shade of pink it should, the corners of her perfect lips lifting just slightly. “Thank you for taking care of me, Benjamin.”

  What I really want to do is crush my mouth against hers, but instead, I brush a soft kiss against her forehead and smile. “Nothing gives me greater pleasure.” And I truly mean it when I say it.

  The door to her apartment is open before I even reach it, a look of concern on the doorman’s face. “Is Ms. Baldwin ill? Can I do anything?”

  “She’ll be just fine. Just an upset stomach. Can you get the elevator for us?” I stride in its direction, the doorman scurrying ahead of me to push the call button.

  “Ms. Baldwin, you just ring down if you need anything. James or myself will run out.”

  “You’re so sweet, Henry. Thank you.” She smiles weakly as we pass by and into the elevator that has arrived.

  I nod my head in thanks to Henry, and then look at Jill. “You okay to stand? I’ll put you down if so.”

  She nods her head, so I lower her legs to the floor but keep one arm firmly around her waist to keep her close. “What floor?”

  “Penthouse.”

  My brows rise in surprise as I lean forward and stretch my hand out to push the PH button.

  “It’s not like that. Really. I share it with Mikaela Kingsley,” she says defensively.

  “I didn’t say a thing.” But now it all makes sense. Mikaela is filthy rich, and one of the sweetest women on the planet. I’m happy to know she’s living in good company.

  “I saw the look on your face when I said penthouse,” she retorts sharply.

  Ah, she’s definitely feeling better. Her spark is slowly igniting back to life, and this makes me smile down at her in relief. “That was simply surprise. No judgement.”

  “Well, I hope not. I’ve worked really hard for what I have. Mik has been a godsend and one of my best friends.”

  Unable to help myself, I bend down and peck a kiss on the very tip of her nose. “I agree. Mikaela is one of the very best people I know.”

  This seems to placate her, because she just nods her head tightly and then leans against my shoulder. I seriously wish I could hold her against me all night, but know I need to put her needs first right now. The elevator comes to a stop and we step out into the foyer. There are two penthouse suites on the floor so I turn and look at her. “Which door, Jill?”

  “Oh, sorry, that one.” Her delicate hand snakes out from the blanket, and a finger points to the door on the left. I lead us in that direction and am about to ask her for the key, when the door swings open, Mikaela standing in the entrance.

  “Jill! What happened?” She glances to her friend and then up at me with an accusatory expression on her face. “What did you do to her, Benjamin Sapphire?”

  I’m about to speak my defense, but Jill beats me to it. “He’s been wonderful, Mik. I just got a bit seasick.”

  Mik slaps my arm and then places her hands on her hips. “You took her on a boat? Are you crazy?”

  I let out a sigh an in attempt to not lose my temper. “Can you step aside so we can come in?”

  “Oh!” Her eyes pop wide as she realizes she’s standing in the middle of the doorway and steps aside. “Sorry.”

  I lift one brow and frown as I walk past her, Jill still pressed to my side. “And I had no idea she got seasick. She didn’t tell me until after the boat left the shore and got sick.” I stop and turn my head toward a trailing Mik. “I would never have put her in a position to make her ill if I had known.” I continue further into the apartment.

  I look down at Jill and soften my voice. “Which way to your room love?”

  She tilts her head to one side of the room. “Down that hallway. It’s the second door on the left, but, Ben, I’m okay now. I’m feeling much better.”

  “I’ve got you.” I don’t care how uncomfortable she might feel right now; I’m not letting her go until I know she’s safe in her room. I follow the direction she’s given and guide her into the bedroom. Mik’s still trailing behind me and flicks on the light, then runs around me so she can pull back the covers on the bed. I gently place Jill on the bed and slide my arm out from around her waist.

  She smiles up at me and trails her hand down my arm as it moves away from her, finding my hand and giving it a squeeze. “Thank you, Ben. Even though things didn’t go quite as planned, you’ve been wonderful.”

  I lean forward, wrap my free hand around the back of her head, and pull her forward until my lips press against her forehead in a quick kiss. “I promise, our next date will be one thousand times better.”

  “I can’t wait,” she whispers back.

  We release each other as I rise and turn to find Mik watching us like a hawk. Before she can squawk at me again, I raise my finger to silence her. “Just take care of her.” Then, I stroll past her and out of the apartment.

  “Good date then?” Mikaela asks, amused as she sits on the bed next to me.

  I dramatically bury my head into the pillow and groan loudly, much to her amusement. “Glad that my misery is entertaining to you.”

  Mikaela pats me on the head. “I’m sorry, babe. I promise I’ll try to glee over your misery later when you feel better.”

  “Geez, thanks.”

  I stand and head to the bathroom so I can change and brush my teeth, but both our heads snap to the door, which is thrown open as Raeva bursts in. “What the heck happened?” she demands.

  Rae looks incredible; she and Mika must have been on a date themselves. That man is always thinking of ways to sweep her off her feet.

  “Well?” she urges as she lowers herself on the bed with Mik, watching as I grab pajamas from a drawer and walk into my attached bathroom. I can hear them loud and clear as I change and brush my teeth.

  “He took her on a yacht,” Mikaela explains.

  “Is he crazy?” Raeva belts out.

  “My exact response to him.”

  Mikaela says, laughing, “Girl, when we got back from dinner and James told us that you were carried in the building looking like a ghost, I nearly had a conniption! I left Mika standing in the lobby and ran into the elevator! Ugh, I could kill Ben right now! What the heck was he thinking?”

  “He
didn’t know. It’s not his fault,” I protest as I walk back into the room. “I swear, guys, he was amazing. So sweet. He held my hair and stroked my back and even carried me to the car. Ben really was the perfect gentleman.”

  I look up when there is a lack of response and find my two besties gaping at me.

  “Jillian Baldwin, are you swooning?” Rae teases.

  I roll my eyes.

  “Don’t deny it, you totally are,” Mik chimes in.

  I sigh. What’s the point in denying? My flushed cheeks have already betrayed me. “He asked me out again,” I admit shyly.

  “Tell us everything,” the say in unison. “And don’t you dare leave anything out!”

  I can’t help the smirk that appears on my face when I start to talk about Ben. Up until the point that I started to hug the porcelain throne, it was a great date.

  “Are you just going stare dreamily into space, or are you going to take us out of our misery and fill us in already?” Rae jokes.

  “I mean, we’ve been sitting here all night waiting for you to come home!” Mik practically whines.

  I roll my eyes in an attempt to mask my amusement.

  “Did he kiss you? Or did you get sick before he had the chance?” Mik asks.

  “Oh, he kissed me.” I say with a sigh.

  The two of them squeal like school girls, and honestly, it’s hard to resist the urge to join them. That kiss was amazing, and I’m pretty sure if the waitress on the boat hadn’t interrupted us, I may have begun shedding my clothing right there on the deck; cold weather and seasickness be damned. I share all the details about the kiss with the girls, and they hang on my every word, sighing loudly when I finish. As I recount the entire experience, I swear I can feel my lips tingle.

  “Wow that sounds amazing. So, swoon worthy.” Mikaela says dreamily.

  “Yes, up until you started to expel your stomach’s contents, it sounds like it was the perfect date.” Rae agrees.

  “I know, I know.” I shake my head at my own mistake. “I should have opened my mouth and told him that boats and I don’t mix. But, you guys, I didn’t want to come across as high maintenance! Though, in hind sight, I guess that probably would have been better than having him watch me throw my guts up.” I say mortified at the memory.

  “I actually think it is romantic.” Mik gushes.

  “Come again?”

  “Well, he took care of you Jillybean. He didn’t leave you to your own devices. I’m not even sure if I could have stayed with you to watch you hurl.”

  I already know this, but hearing her say it out loud makes it even more real to me; Benjamin Sapphire is pretty special. And even though I’ve agreed to go on another date with him, I wasn’t completely sure if I could actually go through with it. Between the mortifying evening and my reservations about dating, I was seriously considering he might be better off without me, and just cancel the date. But after what I just shared with the girls, and realizing how great Ben was tonight, I promise myself that I will give our next date a real shot…

  Chapter 6

  I’ve learned, after drilling Mik and Raeva, that Jill loves a good steak, and French fries, and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. So, that’s what I’ve prepped for our dinner tonight. I’ve got the steak marinating, sides prepped, and a bottle of red already open to breathe. She’s supposed to be here at seven, and knowing from our past meetings that she’s always prompt, I expect she’ll be arriving any minute.

  While I don’t live in a penthouse, I do live in a very nice loft that I had renovated after I bought the building for the gym, which is located downstairs. It’s a large, open space that contains a restaurant-worthy industrial kitchen, a living space filled with a couple of couches, a large flat-screen television, and a bedroom in the back corner of the space that I had sectioned off with some retro glass bricking. I’ve got rugs scattered throughout on the hardwood floors, and retractable blinds cover the very large warehouse windows that surround three of the outside walls.

  I lit some candles, actually ran a vacuum over the floors, and made sure my bed had fresh sheets on it. I wasn’t sure what direction our date was going to take, but I certainly hoped that it might end up in the bedroom. I’m dressed comfortably, in a pair of worn jeans and a black t-shirt. Now, all I need is my date. No sooner than that thought crosses through my mind, the bell to the elevator dings.

  The speed of my heart ratchets up a few notches as I make my way over to the call button. I press it and speak. “Come on up.” I press another button that unlocks the elevator down below and hear the large doors clank shut and then some light rattling of the wires as it begins to rise.

  My bare feet pace back and forth a few short steps, and then stop when the doors slide open revealing who I’ve come to believe is the most beautiful woman in the world. She seems to have followed suit with my casual attire, because she’s also wearing a pair of jeans; although, hers are much darker and fit tightly over her long legs. She’s got some kind of light cotton top on that’s sitting off her shoulders, in a pretty teal color, and has a jacket over her arm.

  She holds up a bottle of red wine and beams brightly. “I brought wine!”

  I stroll toward her, take the bottle, and using my free hand, wrap it around her waist. I pull her just close enough to place a soft kiss against her cheek. “All I need is you.”

  She flushes a light pink and lets out a soft sigh as a small smile plays on her lips. “Hi, Ben.”

  “Hi.” I release her and wave my hand over the space in front of us. “Welcome. Not a single wave in sight.”

  She chuckles and runs a hand down her face to hide her embarrassment. “Ugh. Let’s forget about that disaster. Please!”

  “Done.” I take her hand in mine and start toward the kitchen. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

  “I feel like I should take my heels off so we’re on even ground.” She giggles beside me.

  “Angel, we ain’t ever gonna be on even ground. You’re always going to be floating in a space much higher than me.” I turn and slide my gaze down her body. “No matter what you’re wearing.”

  She tucks her chin in as she tries to hide the blush coloring her cheeks. “Ben, you have to stop saying things like that to me.”

  We reach the kitchen, so I place the bottle of wine on the island and turn, yanking her up against me by our joined hands, a small gasp of surprise coming from her as our bodies crash together. I place my hand under her chin and raise it until I’m gazing into her eyes. “I don’t know how other men have treated you, but you deserve to be told every day how goddamn beautiful you are. Every time I see you, you take my breath away. I don’t know how you do it, but each time I see you, your even more gorgeous than the time before.”

  Her lips form a small ‘o’ shape, and her eyes grow wide. “Oh.”

  “So, if you’re going to be with me, get used to hearing it. You’re fucking stunning. Like an angel walking on this earth. I’d almost bet you have wings hidden under that shirt if I didn’t already see your bare back the night of the opening.”

  Her fingers, which were clutched around my biceps a moment ago, have started to trail gently down my arms as something in her gaze shifts. I watch as her tongue darts out and swipes across her lips, leaving them wet and shiny and causing my restraint to finally snap. My hands move up the back of her neck, slide around to grasp her face, and then I crash my lips against hers.

  It’s not the first time I’ve kissed her, but it’s the first time I’ve had sparks light up under my eyelids as the heat of her breath mixes with mine and our mouths fuse together. She groans, and I take advantage, sliding my tongue against hers, deepening our kiss. Her fingernails are digging into my arms where she’s now clutching them again, her body pressing more tightly against mine. I know she’s discovered the growing bulge below my waist when she rubs her core up and down my length, another small moan vibrating against my mouth.

  I move my hands to clutch under her ass and lift, urging her
to wrap her legs around me, and begin walking blindly toward my bedroom. Her hands are gripping my hair as she tries to control the heat of our kiss, her lips breaking away from me as they begin to nip down my neck. My head falls back, a low growl rolling from my mouth as she latches on and sucks hard for just a second before releasing and moving lower.

  My fingers dig into her ass as I yank her tighter against my now fully erect cock, her mouth leaving my neck as her head raises, her gaze locking onto mine, eyes wide in shock. My knees hit the bed at the same time, and I lower her back onto the bed, my body hovering just inches above hers.

  “Are we really doing this?” Her question comes out breathy.

  I can’t believe I’m lying here, on my back, in his bed, and it’s only our second date. And it’s not because I don’t want to be here, I do. So badly. He runs his nose along my neck and across my cheek before he plunges his mouth on mine once more. Our tongues dance furiously with each other, stirring the flame of our desire higher. He pulls back and captures my gaze with his. “Is it too soon?” he pants out in response to my question.

  His genuine concern for me, and the fact that he seems to actually be asking for my permission instead of talking me into something I might not want, makes the decision easy for me. I shake my head. “If it is, I don’t care,” I reply honestly.

  Ben reacts by grinding his enormous length against my core, and I nearly combust on the spot. Our mouths fuse together once more, more frantic than moments ago when I would have sworn we could not feel more heat.

  Both of us are wearing too many clothes right now, so I slide my hands down his back until I find the hem of his shirt, grasp it in my fingers and start pulling it up to take it off. When he realizes, his lips break away from mine long enough to assist me with the process before slamming back home. My nails dig deep into his back as I grind up against him, needing him urgently.