by Tess Summers
“Except with her permission, which she made millions of dollars by granting you,” Ben said with a laugh.
“That’s true. I would never have guessed. She’s so down-to-earth. And good god, is she beautiful.”
He kissed her knuckles. “You’re beautiful.”
She knew he didn’t know how else to respond. Poor guy. She hadn’t meant to make him uncomfortable.
“Aw, thanks.”
He glanced sideways at her, then resumed paying attention to the road ahead.
“I’m serious, Scout. You’re fucking hot.”
She’d see how hot he thought she was when he found out she was damaged goods.
Closing her eyes, Harper took a deep breath in. She’d worry about that another time. Right now, all this sexy-as-fuck man needed to know was that she adored him.
“Think I can talk you into another sleepover?”
A sexy smile formed on his lips, and he looked over at her as he slowed to a light.
“It will make taking you out for breakfast in the morning much more convenient.”
She bit her bottom lip suggestively. “What if we sleep through breakfast?”
Ben shook his head. “Have I mentioned how perfect you are?”
“Actually, you did mention that. But, just so you know, I have many flaws.”
“From where I’m sitting, Scout, any so-called flaws only enhance your perfection.”
It was a sweet and charming thing for him to say, and it made her feel sad. She’d need to tell him soon.
“You don’t even know me,” she said with a nervous laugh.
Ben rubbed his bearded chin between the webbing on his thumb and index finger, then pinched his fingers together to stroke his facial hair.
“Well, yes and no. I know you intimately—and have loved every second of that, by the way—but I want to get to know everything else about you. If you’ll let me.”
He looked over at her hopefully. This man was so handsome and powerful-looking, yet so kind and gentle with her. All day, she’d felt safe and comfortable with him. And adored. She’d never had a man make her feel so wanted—and not just sexually, although that definitely was a part of the equation, but genuinely happy to be in her presence.
She didn’t want to let go of that. Harper felt the truth’s reckoning looming, but was doing her best to put it in the back of her mind. Right now, ignorance was bliss.
Maybe she was being pessimistic. Maybe he wouldn’t think it was a big deal. Except experience had taught her, it always was.
****
Ben
“Care if we swing by my house so I can grab some clothes for tomorrow, and my toothbrush?”
“No, I don’t mind. I’d like to see your place,” she said with a polite smile. He could tell she was tired.
“I’ll hurry,” he said as he pulled onto his street and hit his garage door button.
“There’s no rush. I don’t have a curfew.”
“No, but I can tell you’re tired.”
They pulled into the garage next to Eleanor, and he shut the engine off. Harper was out of the truck cab before he even opened his door, Honey still in her arms as she walked slowly around his silver Shelby Mustang.
She turned to look at him, her voice filled with awe. “It’s exactly like the one in the movie.”
He was looking at the car, remembering how much time and effort he’d invested in making her perfect.
“A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this car.”
“You did the work?”
“Mostly, yeah. I mean, I had a lot of help from my guys, but it was all done in-house.”
“Wow,” she said, shaking her head as she walked along the car, admiring it. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“There’s a reason I’m considered the best fucking classic car guy in San Diego County, Scout. Maybe the entire state.”
It’s not arrogant if it’s true, right?
“She’s amazing. Can we take her tonight?”
He knew she’d have him park Eleanor in the third stall of her garage, so he had no problem agreeing, and she bounced on the balls of her feet. “Yay!”
Honey started to wiggle in her arms.
“Let’s take her out back so she can do her business while I grab my stuff.”
They walked inside, and he headed straight to the back door leading to the fenced backyard. The house was still dog-friendly from the days when Luke had lived here with Rex and the foster dogs, and Ben showed Honey how to go through the doggy door.
“She’ll be okay out there alone. It will probably take her a half hour to smell everything.”
Taking Harper’s hand, he headed toward his bedroom to pack.
At least that was the initial intention.
Chapter Fifteen
Ben
“I like your place.” Harper said, looking around at the art on the walls and the furniture when they walked into his bedroom.
“You sound surprised,” he said with a chuckle.
She tsked and acted offended. “No, I don’t.”
The corner of his mouth lifted, along with his eyebrows.
“Okay, maybe a little,” she confessed. “Most bachelors I know have bare walls and black lacquer furniture.”
“And mirrors on the ceiling? Video cameras in the corner?” Ben teased, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close.
“That only happened once.”
He thought she was just teasing him back—but still, that shit wasn’t funny. He was the only one she should be making a video with. He tried to keep his tone light as he replied, “I don’t usually bring the cameras out of the closet until the fifth date.”
“So, next weekend then?”
He liked that idea. Not necessarily the video—although that had its merits—but their fifth date being in six days. That meant she wanted to spend as much time with him as he did her.
“Maybe we should start with you sending nudes and go from there,” he said with a wink.
That made her giggle out loud. He loved the sound of it, and ran his hands up and down her back.
She pressed her body against his. “Maybe I could give you the live version later,” she murmured.
“How about a sneak peek now?” Ben grinned as he made a show of sitting down on the bed and leering at her.
She wrapped her arms around herself while her eyes darted around the room.
“Aren’t you supposed to be packing a bag or something?”
Ben was having too much fun at her uneasiness.
“Yeah, but that won’t take me long. We’ve got time.” He gestured for her to proceed.
Harper smacked his shoulder.
“Ben McCallister, I am not giving you a strip tease. You perv.”
“Why not?” he asked in mock confusion. “I would give you one if you asked.”
She practically bounced onto the bed and put her legs in lotus position as she drew herself up tall.
“I’m asking.”
Well, shit. Nothing like her calling my bluff.
He caressed her cheek with his fingertip.
“But I asked you first, baby girl.”
“How about if we call a truce? Neither of us is getting a show tonight.”
He frowned and let out a dramatic sigh, as if it pained him to agree.
“Fine.”
She stretched out on his bed, crossing her ankles and putting her hands behind her head.
“Your bed is comfy. I’ll rest here while you pack.”
“Careful. That’s a Tempurpedic, you’ll be asleep before you even know what hit you.”
“Mmm, I have one, too.”
She rolled onto her side and placed her hands in prayer pose under her cheek. Her eyes were closed. He’d known she was tired when she didn’t stop yawning on the drive here.
“If you fall asleep, do you just want to stay here tonight?”
“Okay,” she mumbled.
He smiled and went out to find Honey and get
her comfortable. Ben didn’t mind; he liked the idea of sharing his space with her and her dog, and he liked that she was comfortable enough to fall asleep with him.
Double checking that he had coffee and something to make her for breakfast, he pulled one of Rex’s old beds from the garage and made sure Honey had water.
“Goodnight, girl,” he told her, then shut the lights off and headed back to his room. There, he opened his drawers and pulled out a white t-shirt.
“Scout,” he whispered as he sat her up. He pulled the hem of her shirt over her head, then replaced it with his t-shirt, pulling her hair out from the neck. “Let’s put this on you and get you under the covers.”
She put out a hand to stop him, and reached behind her to unclasp her bra, letting the straps fall down past her elbows. She threw it on the floor, and he bit back a groan when her bare tits bounced before him. Instead of fondling them like he wanted, he helped her put one arm in his shirt, then the other. She lay back with a thud when he was finished, and he moved to unbutton her pants.
“I guess this is one way to get a striptease,” he joked as her panties came into view.
She lifted her hips with a whimper. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I get dead tired out of nowhere.”
“No worries, baby girl. I’ll take care of you.”
“Thanks, Benji,” she murmured. “You make me feel safe.”
He liked the sound of that.
****
Harper
There was something to be said for waking up spooning with a strong bear of a man—especially one who treated her so deferentially. She rolled over and nuzzled into his naked, tattooed chest, laying soft kisses along one tattoo that looked brand new. His finger began to lazily trace up and down her spine.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he murmured as he kissed her hair. “What a nice way to start my day.”
“I’m sorry I passed out on you last night. Between the sun, the wine, and not getting much sleep the night before, I was exhausted.”
She wasn’t ready to reveal the real reason she was so tired. Not yet. The selfish part of her wanted to cherish her time with him.
Honey leapt onto the bed and onto the two of them, alternating her kisses between the couple.
“Honey! How did you get in here?”
She felt Ben’s chuckle in his chest, even as her dog tried to wiggle between them.
“She was crying last night, so I brought her in here with us. I figured she was anxious since she didn’t have her crate and wasn’t familiar with my house. I left the bedroom door open, hoping she’d use the doggy door if she needed to go out in the middle of the night. Hopefully that doesn’t bite me in the ass.”
“No, other than her accidental piddling, she’s really good about going outside.”
If Honey had made a mess, though, of course Harper would clean it up. She wouldn’t dream of expecting Ben to.
“I’ll go put her out and double check there aren’t any surprises.”
She moved to get out of bed when he put his hand on her shoulder, pressing her back into the bed.
“I’ve got it,” he said sitting up. “Take your time. Go back to sleep if you want. Shower. Check your social media accounts… whatever your Sunday morning routine is—minus letting Honey out. I’ve even got dogfood from when Rex comes to stay with me.”
Ben dropped a kiss on her forehead before getting out of bed, leaving her with a smile. Being spoiled felt nice. And so foreign. She’d always been the one to spoil Tyler, never the other way around—not even when she first became sick and started experiencing symptoms. Nor when she got her official diagnosis.
She rolled over and burrowed under the covers, inhaling the masculine scent of Ben in his bed. It filled her with joy and made her feel relaxed, until the sadness crept in with the realization that this was going to be short-lived.
Still, she decided, she was going to enjoy Ben McCallister while it lasted.
Chapter Sixteen
Harper
She woke a second time, thirty minutes later, to the smell of bacon and coffee. Who was this guy? He was too good to be true.
Harper padded out to the kitchen wearing his t-shirt, which fell to just below her panties. Standing at the stove, Ben smiled brightly when she walked in.
“Hey Scout. I hope you’re hungry. I know I said I’d take you for breakfast.” He gestured to the stove and said, “But this seemed to fit better with the lazy day in bed I have planned for us.”
She sat down at the island counter and watched him move between the counter and stove with ease.
“I can’t remember the last time I didn’t spend at least part of my Sunday working.”
A lot of her weekends were spent alternating between sleeping and working. Fortunately—or maybe unfortunately—the disease hadn’t affected her outward appearance, so she was still able to hide it from everyone. But it meant she worked at home a lot in order to keep up—which only perpetuated the cycle of exhaustion. Still, she made a lot of money, and that afforded her good help, both at home and at work. Hell, she had still been able to make junior partner without anyone knowing, although Harper knew she couldn’t keep up this pace forever.
Fortunately, she had medication—very expensive medication—that slowed the disease’s progression, and it had been caught early before much damage had occurred, so she was determined to keep up the façade as long as she could. If people at work found out she had MS, there was no way she’d ever make full partner. Her job gave her purpose, but she also had to admit, it was all she had anymore.
“Can you take the day off? I don’t want to keep you from your work.”
What a foreign idea. It sounded wonderful.
“I have a little bit of paperwork I need to take care of, but I can do it later this evening.”
He scooped pancakes and bacon on a plate and handed it to her. The butter and syrup were already out, along with silverware.
“This looks delicious,” she said thoughtfully while placing a napkin in her lap.
He prepared a second plate and sat down next to her.
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure what you liked for breakfast so I winged it. Plus, other than cereal, it’s all I had.”
“I’ll make us lunch,” she offered.
He gave her a wink. “I was thinking delivery, baby girl. You can make me lunch next Saturday.”
She smiled as she took a bite. The idea of seeing him next Saturday, coupled with being in bed with him all day today and needing to order takeout, made her happy. Still… she needed to play a little hard to get, right? Or at least pretend to be.
“Lunch next Saturday? Maybe I have plans.”
He paused mid-bite and put his fork down. “Do you?”
She looked away and wiped her mouth with her napkin, trying to disguise her grin.
“Well, no.”
He took a big bite of pancakes with a satisfied smirk.
“Good. Just clear your weekends. You’re going to be busy from now on. Probably your weeknights too.”
The thought should make her feel smothered, but it didn’t. It made her feel adored. Wanted.
They laughed and joked the rest of breakfast, talking nonstop through the meal and while they cleaned up—even broaching the taboo topics of religion and politics. They were pretty similar in their beliefs, another thing she and Tyler had not had in common.
How on earth had she ended up married to Tyler Radcliffe?
Oh sure, he had been charming and a rising star in the racing circuit, and he’d pulled out all the stops to sweep her off her feet. But he’d only been interested in her because of who her daddy is. Once his career took off, he no longer had a pressing need to be married to Colin Finch’s daughter—a woman who wanted her own career—or, at least, not to be faithful to her. Then came the fateful day in the doctor’s office.
She’d gone in complaining of eye pain, thinking it was eyestrain from working on the computer too much. Instead of leaving with eye drops, as she ha
d expected, she’d walked out with an unofficial but life-changing diagnosis. She remembered sitting in her car, dumbfounded, not believing it was possible.
There had still been the possibility it could be something else. Her general practitioner hadn’t been able to officially label her symptoms as MS. There were neurologist interviews—her parents insisted she meet with doctors who had been recommended to them for being ‘the best’—followed by scores of tests: MRIs, spinal taps, blood work. She remembered sitting in Tyler’s trailer at her daddy’s racetrack when the call from her neuro came making it official. Her husband hadn’t stayed, even as she sat on his couch with tears streaming down her face—he had a race to drive. But he’d offered her a hug and a promise they’d ‘figure it out together.’ Six months later they were divorced.
No regrets—that was her motto. Not even for marrying him in the first place; it was a learning experience that had served a purpose.
Ben put the last plate into the dishwasher and went into his pantry, coming back with a Busy Bone which Honey impolitely snatched from his hand before running to the big bed he’d put back in the kitchen.
“That should keep her busy for at least forty-five minutes,” he said with a wink as he reached for her hand. “Come on.”
She must not have moved fast enough, because he reached down and scooped her up in his arms, groom-style, and walked her to the bedroom.
Harper tried her best not to giggle the entire way, but it was impossible. She was giddy with happiness.
****
Ben
This had definitely been the best weekend of his life so far, hands down—even though his dick should be hurting from how hard it had been since he’d met her Friday night and how much it’d been used. Everything about her drove him crazy—in the best possible way. The sound of her laugh, the way her eyes lit up when something made her happy, her breasts—which he had to consciously resist touching, the way she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear when she was being shy… She was fucking irresistible. And smart as a goddamn whip.
The way she moaned his name as he stripped her naked made his cock leak. Ben leaned down to suckle on her pink nipple, and she responsively arched her back, her fingers in his hair holding him close to her chest.