by Kira Hillins
“Men are staring.”
“No, they’re not.” She raised her glass to get another sip, but he grabbed it from her hands.
“Yes, Zoe, they are.” He set the glass down on the small, rickety wooden table along the wall. “You’re very drunk.”
“And you’re uptight,” she said. “I live in a small town where the only excitement I find is playing a video game alone in my little apartment and watching—hic—tornadoes cross the road. I’ve never even been to a bar before. Heck, I’ve never been drunk.” She hoped her words were making some sort of sense. “Did you know during the town’s New Year’s party, they open bottles of sparkling cider? I’m tired of sparkling cider!”
A half grin broke on his lips. “Is that so bad?”
“I want something new.” She picked up her drink from the table. “I’m having fun right now, here with you and your fabulous roommate. Why don’t you grab a drink and join me?”
“I don’t drink the hard stuff anymore.” He sat on one of the chairs along the wall and gazed up at her. “My brother drank heavily. Decided to wrap himself around a tree with his motorcycle one night.”
“Oh,” she whispered. Her heart dived to the floor. “When?”
“Two years ago.”
She wedged her legs between his and sat on his lap. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.” She leaned her forehead against his cheek. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Never wanted to talk about it.” His hand slid up her back to her nape. “Sheron’s my sister-in-law. When Chase died, she had nowhere to go, so I let her stay in the house.”
“I saw the wedding dress in her closet.” Tears welled in her eyes.
“Oh, man. I didn’t mean to make you cry!” He thumbed the tears from her cheeks. “I’m such a buzzkill.”
She shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Ben.”
He kissed her lips. “Have fun tonight. I promise I’ll take care of you.”
Deciding her head swam enough, and after hearing his story, she set her drink down. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder. Comfortable enough to fall asleep, she sighed. Quite possibly this was what passing out felt like.
“Can I stay here with you…like this?” she whispered, unsure if she even said the words.
“Stay as long as you want.”
“Ben,” a man’s voice called out. “We’re going back on.”
Ben cupped her face with his palm. “One more hour, and we’ll go home.”
She rose from his lap. As he stood, she stumbled. He caught her before she fell to the floor. He pulled her up to him, corner of his lips curved downward. He didn’t like her being drunk. Now she wished she wasn’t.
The alcohol kept hitting her, beating her senses, blurring her vision. Wow, she had no idea she’d feel this way. The world turned like a fast-moving merry-go-round.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, leaning against Ben’s side as he helped her to her chair. She leaned her chin on her fists, elbows on the table, fighting her falling eyelids. The music blared, blending together with loud voices and shouts in the chaotic room, until she heard no sound at all.
BEN WATCHED ZOE’S head smack against the table. Sheron saw it too. She swiped the golden locks from Zoe’s face, then gave a quick thumbs-up, letting him know she was okay.
The final set seemed to take forever to finish. He usually stayed after to drink a beer with Doogen, but wouldn’t tonight for obvious reasons.
After packing his guitar in the backseat of the MINI, he hurried inside the bar to retrieve Zoe. The right side of her face was pressed against the table.
“Zoe,” he said, tapping her cheek.
She grinned but wouldn’t open her eyes. “Baby aliens…are invading the bakery…eating…doughnuts.”
Sheron cackled heartily. As Ben scooped Zoe up in his arms, he glared, finding no humor in this. If anything, Sheron was the reason Zoe was wasted.
“Wow, Ben,” Sheron said, sitting up from the nook of Chug’s large arm. “What was that look for?”
With Zoe’s right side shoved against his chest, her nipple showed. “Put my jacket over her, will you?”
Sheron did what he asked, then held the door open for him. He carried Zoe down the hall with Sheron on his heels.
“Are you blaming me for her inability to handle alcohol?” she asked as he stepped through the kitchen toward the back door.
“I blame you for getting her drunk.”
“I had no idea she’d get plastered on a few drinks.”
Ben shook his head. “I didn’t either.”
Zoe’s eyes fluttered open. “Oh, Bennie baby, my…super guitar hero sandwich.” Her eyes rolled and then closed again. “Let’s go to the lake and…skinny-dip.” She snorted a laugh, then slurred quietly, “You’d look naked holding my goods. I’ll have you…bake a cake when we get home. Coffee…my…peep.”
Sheron tossed her hand to her mouth, but her raspy laugh broke through. Ben tried his best to keep a straight face, but even he couldn’t help cracking a grin.
He carefully placed Zoe in the passenger seat of the car. He pulled the seat belt across her lap and shoulder and then latched it as Sheron hovered behind him.
“For what it’s worth,” Sheron said as he repositioned his jacket over Zoe’s exposed chest, “I really do like her. She’s sweet and fun. A definite keeper.”
Ben shut the door. He looked Zoe over for a moment, thoughts in turmoil, a little scared to believe Sheron was right. This woman had his undivided attention.
“We’ll see,” he said as he rounded the front of the car. “Need a ride home?”
“Taking a cab to Chug’s tonight.”
“Be safe.”
“Always.”
When he drove out on the road, Zoe stirred. She whimpered softly, hopefully not about to be sick in his car. Not that he’d mind, but he’d rather not spend the night cleaning puke off the MINI’s floor.
The jacket fell to her lap. He tried not to look down at her exposed chest, but it was there, nipple showing again. He swallowed hard, returning his attention to the road.
It’d been a year and a half since he’d dived into a bottle. He didn’t want to go back down inside. He didn’t want to end up like Chase. And Zoe, though unknowingly, had tempted him to take a drink.
“Stop…” she cried in a soft breath. Tears fell from the inner corners of her closed eyes. “Nic— Stop…”
Her eyes suddenly opened and then slowly closed. Another whimper escaped her pursed lips as she moved to her side. Hands under her face, she leaned against the door.
Ben sighed. He had nightmares too. Seeing Chase bloodied and broken on the ground kept him up at night. Maybe Zoe had a past haunting her as well. Maybe she was more fragile than he’d thought.
Chapter Twelve
Faint blue light gave Ben’s darkened room a soft glow. The distant sound of water swirling kept the room from silence. The relaxing white noise might have put Zoe back to sleep if she didn’t need to pee.
She patted the space on the other side of the bed. Ben wasn’t there. Not that she expected him to be since they’d never discussed sleeping arrangements.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Head aching, stomach in knots, she rose and shuffled to the bathroom.
So this was the agony of a hangover. Forget the booze. From now on she’d only drink sparkling cider from champagne bottles.
She still wore the same dress. It was wrinkled and revealing more than she wanted. She pulled it over her head and then peeled the tight shorts off her rear end.
After a short sit on the toilet, she grabbed a washcloth and towel off the shelf and hung them inside the shower stall. Zoe stopped and stared at the garden tub. She envisioned herself surrounded with bubbles, bathing the headache away. Positive Ben’s invitation was still valid, she grabbed her linens and stepped up to the tub.
She twisted the hot-and-cold handle until the water ran warm. As the tub filled, she wrapped the towel around her body and th
en went to the bedroom. She stuffed her hand down inside her suitcase and pulled out a pair of socks, a fresh pair of panties, and a bra.
She grabbed her yellow gown and toiletries and then headed for the bathroom. She brushed the awful taste of alcohol from her mouth, tied her hair up with her favorite tie, and then took off her remaining clothes. She poured a small amount of cherry-blossom-scented bodywash beneath the flow of water, and bubbles formed.
When she finally sank down in the warm water, she shivered. Soft suds caressed her skin. Water lapped around her neck. It tickled. Slowly, the ache in her stomach and the throb in her head eased.
She closed her eyes and thought of last night. Poor Ben. He’d worried. She’d made it difficult on him. The last thing she remembered was hugging his torso near the bar. She had no idea how she got back here.
In the year they’d talked, he’d told her many small things about himself, and yet she was still learning about the deeper troubles he dealt with. This was good. It meant he trusted her. After last night, she definitely trusted him. He was a good man.
She opened her eyes and smiled. Maybe this was what love felt like.
Visualizing him next to her in the tub, touching her in all the right places, sent a chill over her skin. If he were here, would she let him in? Could she do it without thinking about her past? Without fearing he’d hurt her like Nicholas had?
She shut her eyes tight. Damn it. No. She hugged her torso. She couldn’t think about Nicholas now. Not here in this heavenly tub. Not in Ben’s house.
She pulled the tie out of her hair and set it on the tiled lip of the tub. With breath held, she ducked down in the water, soaking her head. When she resurfaced, she wiped the sudsy water from her eyes and lathered her hair with shampoo.
She dipped again, this time holding herself underwater for a long while. Her cool face warmed. The soap made her skin tingle. Her thoughts moved to the back of her mind. The muscles in her body eased.
She was about to come up for air when a pair of hands grasped her elbows. Adrenaline shot through her like a bolt of lightning. Every muscle in her body tightened. She screamed, and water rushed into her mouth. She turned her body, feet slipping against the tub as she fought the hands that brought her out of the water to her feet.
“Get off me!” She choked as she blindly waved her arms to break loose from the strong grip.
“Whoa! Zoe! Calm down.”
Zoe stopped fighting. “Ben?”
“Yeah, baby, it’s me.”
Zoe flung her arms around his neck. She held tight, trying to control her labored breath. “Thank God it’s you.”
His hands slid around her waist. “Who else did you think it would be?”
She couldn’t answer that. Not yet. And especially not now that she was wet, naked, and hugging Ben, whose warm chest felt really good against hers. Being here in his arms, although awkward, was comforting. Safe.
“You scared the hell out of me,” she said, opening her stinging eyes.
“I see that.” He tightened his hold on her. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m going to sit back down in the tub now.” She cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind, close your eyes.”
“Okay,” he said. “They’re closed.”
She loosened her hold on his neck. Using his hand as a guide and careful not to slip, she lowered herself into the warm water. When she looked at Ben, she swallowed hard.
He stood before her with his eyes shut, wearing only stretchy boxers—the kind leaving nothing to the imagination. Her face grew hot. She could see how big he was under the tight cloth. Oh God. She shouldn’t be looking. Her gaze went straight back to his closed eyelids.
“I’m in the tub now.”
He looked down at her. “Are you okay?”
“My eyes are stinging,” she said softly.
“I’m sorry. I knocked,” he replied. “When you didn’t answer, I came in and found you underwater.”
“I was just…trying to relax.”
“Underwater?”
Not wanting to explain, she nodded. “You scared me.”
“I could tell.” He gave a short laugh through his nose and then smiled. “I’m sorry I scared you, but I thought you were drowning.”
“Well, I wasn’t.” She ran her palms over the top of the water. “Thanks for saving me, though.”
“You’re welcome. So I was thinking, if you’re up for a short road trip, I’d like to show you my cabin in the mountains.”
She’d seen cabins in magazine articles but had never visited a real one before. Ben was full of surprises. Good ones.
“Sure. I’ll be out as soon as I get ready.”
When he left, she pulled the stopper. As the water gurgled down the drain, she got out and then dried her body with the long towel.
After drying her hair and applying makeup, she shimmied into her snug yellow gown and then followed the sweet scent of blueberries to the kitchen.
Ben stood at a griddle with a spatula in hand. Damn, he looked fine in jeans. His T-shirt hugged his upper body. He dipped the spatula in the pan and flipped over a large pancake with speckles.
“Blueberry pancakes.
“Your favorite.” Half grin. Right brow arched. She could melt like the butter in the frying pan.
She leaned back against the counter. “Thought you didn’t like pancakes.”
He chuckled. “I’m an egg-and-meat kind of guy. But every once in a while I’ll crave something sweet.” He looked her up and down. His other brow arched. “I must say, you look especially beautiful in yellow.”
He kissed her temple and then handed her a plate of steaming pancakes. Her head swam as she sat down in the chair at the end of the table and waited for him to join her. A single red rose, newly blooming and absolutely beautiful, stood in a tall vase at the center of the table.
“I picked it for you this morning,” he said when he sat down. “I hope you’re not allergic.”
Warmth flooded her face. “No, I’m not allergic to flowers.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. He took a bite of his pancakes. “Your face is the same shade as the rose.”
HE WATCHED HER throughout breakfast, memorizing her hair and the color of her eyes. How did he get to be with such a girl? She was stunning, and even more so naked.
It had taken all his willpower not to join her in the tub. He’d been forced to turn away or risk her seeing how aroused he’d been.
When he finished his meal, he shoved his plate to the side. He folded his arms over the table and waited, watching her eat.
“Sheron’s taken with you, Zoe.” He grinned. This was the first time Sheron had ever liked anyone. Maybe Zoe was good for her too. “She usually hates everyone.”
“I’m glad. I mean, I like her too.”
“Doesn’t bother you that she lives here, then?”
“Not at all.”
He tapped his fingers lightly on his forearm. What was this sensation? He’d had girlfriends before. They’d made him feel as though he were trapped in a dark room with no escape. Zoe was real—a light at the end of a tunnel. Though a little troubling that this woman had tipped his world upside down, it felt good having her here.
“Thanks for making pancakes,” she said, gaze on him as she rinsed off her plate.
“Want to see the rose garden in the backyard?”
She flashed a beaming smile. “Yes!”
He led her through the kitchen and into the dining room. He unlatched the lock on the back sliding glass door and then slid it to the side.
Her eyes lit up when she looked beyond the steps to the plush green grass. “Oh wow,” she whispered. “The roses are beautiful!”
“It was my brother’s idea to line heated coils under the dirt along the fence. So, the roses start to bloom in February.” He led her across the wooden deck and then stopped at the top of the stairs. “There’s also a cover that pulls from the fence line and attaches to the ground. For the times it frosts.”
>
“This is Chase’s garden?”
Ben shrugged. “The manly guy had a fascination. Sheron took over the upkeep of the roses when he died.”
She let go of his hand and stepped down. Her bare feet sank into the soft grass. For a moment she stood watching her wiggling toes. She glanced back, catching his gaze, and then giggled as she took off down the path.
Stepping stones led down the side of the yard where the pumpkin roses bloomed. Like a young girl playing in the yard, she followed their zigzag pattern, blonde curls bouncing around her shoulders, until she reached the end near the tall wooden fence.
He had to admit, the flowers were gorgeous. But seeing Zoe happily make her way through his big open yard, as if she hadn’t a care in the world—she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
He stepped in the grass and walked toward her. She knelt and closed her eyes, breathing in the sweet flowery scent he knew all too well.
“Ben.” She rose. Her hands slid over his forearms. “This is amazing.”
“You’re amazing.” He gently kissed her pouty lips. “You look like one of the yellow roses, dancing across the yard. But you taste of blueberries.”
“So do you.”
“You should see the trees around the property in late spring. Their blooms turn pink. Might even start by the end of the month.”
She removed her hands from his arms. Her smile faded. “I’m sure it’s beautiful.”
“Hey.” He palmed her cheek. “What’s wrong?”
She looked past him. When she returned her attention on him, she sighed. “I’d like to be here to see the trees bloom.”
He understood now. They’d never discussed anything more than meeting each other to see how they got along. He definitely wanted more time with her. Now they’d need to find a way to make the five-hundred-mile trip easier. Since she didn’t own a car, it was going to be tough to figure out.
“I’d like that too.” He kissed her lips once and then leaned back.
She looked down her front. “Do you think I should change?”
“Yeah. It’ll be chilly in the mountains.” He motioned with his head for her to follow. “Let’s get ready to go.”