six years.
I sat ruminating on all of this as we drove back to the pool house. Soon enough we parked and I waited for Ben to come around to my side before I even attempted to emerge from the vehicle.
“Look who’s learning,” Ben teased.
“Who?” Ollie glanced back and forth between us.
“He means me, silly pants.” I grunted slightly as I stepped out and placed weight on the boot while Ben wrapped an arm around my waist.
“Ben calls me Squirt. I like that better.” Ollie turned and walked to the front door.
“Thanks.” I sighed. One day and he’d already won her over. Aw hell. One day and I’d already slept with him. I shook my head at the memory.
“So about tonight,” Ben began.
“Don’t worry. I’m feeling up to it. You promised me a gold medal performance.” I giggled. “No pressure.”
He licked his lips. “Actually, I meant about meeting my friends at the restaurant.” Ben grinned. “And now I really feel pressured.”
My legs threatened to give out. I swayed, unable to move as quickly as normal to cover my embarrassment. How had I suddenly turned into some nympho with him? Oh, it could have a little something to do with my six-year drought.
“Whoa. I’ve got you.” Ben scooped me up into his arms and kissed my warm pink cheek. “There’s nothing to be shy about. I’ve been thinking about being with you again too. I was just wondering if there was anything I could do to make tonight more comfortable for you.” He pressed the side of his face against mine and nuzzled my neck.
Immediately, I was jelly in his arms. “That helps,” I murmured breathlessly. Gawd, it was shameful the way I let this man affect me.
Ben laughed. “Good. I plan to do that a lot. Anything else?”
I thought for a moment. “Well, I’d love a shower before we go, since I didn’t get one this morning. And I need to get some work done.” Then I shook my head. “Although I’m not sure how I’m going to accomplish any of it.”
His lips pressed against my temple. “Hush. You have me now. We’ve got this.”
Suddenly Ollie reappeared. “Cookies! Come on!”
“We’re coming. Be patient. Your mama can’t move as quickly as she usually does.” Ben followed after her and opened the door. “Stay here.” He set me on the couch. Then he dropped the groceries on the island and disappeared down the hall. When he reappeared, he passed me my laptop. “We’ll bake cookies while you work. Then we’ll get you bathed while she naps. Simple.”
I smiled. Ben made everything seem simple. Maybe it was with help. Maybe life didn’t have to be one challenge after another. Maybe it could be something better, something more. He had changed everything almost without trying. Though I opened the laptop and hooked up to the Internet to check my emails, I struggled to concentrate. In the kitchen, Ollie giggled and bounced around, filled with excitement. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this happy. Me, I felt like it was safe to breathe, to exhale, and to relax.
Apparently, I relaxed a little too well. Some time I later, I woke up in Ben’s lap. The pool house was quiet and I started to sit up and glance around, but he stopped me.
“It’s okay. Ollie just went to sleep. When you’re ready, we’ll get you bathed.” He pulled me closer against him.
There’s that ‘we’ word again. “I shower alone. Naked.” I folded my arms across my chest as he threw his head back and laughed. “What?”
“You do realize I saw you every bit of you naked…last night, right?” The corners of his lips twitched as if he were trying to hide a smile.
I bit my cheek. “It was dark. That was…different.”
“Yes, it was, but in some ways, it’s also the same. For example, we did that together. You want to get clean? We’ll be doing it together.” Ben looked to the ceiling and sighed. “Come on. Trust me.”
Part of me really wanted to protest, but the rest of me wanted to be clean and longed
I sat ruminating on all of this as we drove back to the pool house. Soon enough we parked and I waited for Ben to come around to my side before I even attempted to emerge from the vehicle.
“Look who’s learning,” Ben teased.
“Who?” Ollie glanced back and forth between us.
“He means me, silly pants.” I grunted slightly as I stepped out and placed weight on the boot while Ben wrapped an arm around my waist.
“Ben calls me Squirt. I like that better.” Ollie turned and walked to the front door.
“Thanks.” I sighed. One day and he’d already won her over. Aw hell. One day and I’d already slept with him. I shook my head at the memory.
“So about tonight,” Ben began.
“Don’t worry. I’m feeling up to it. You promised me a gold medal performance.” I giggled. “No pressure.”
He licked his lips. “Actually, I meant about meeting my friends at the restaurant.” Ben grinned. “And now I really feel pressured.”
My legs threatened to give out. I swayed, unable to move as quickly as normal to cover my embarrassment. How had I suddenly turned into some nympho with him? Oh, it could have a little something to do with my six-year drought.
“Whoa. I’ve got you.” Ben scooped me up into his arms and kissed my warm pink cheek. “There’s nothing to be shy about. I’ve been thinking about being with you again too. I was just wondering if there was anything I could do to make tonight more comfortable for you.” He pressed the side of his face against mine and nuzzled my neck.
Immediately, I was jelly in his arms. “That helps,” I murmured breathlessly. Gawd, it was shameful the way I let this man affect me.
Ben laughed. “Good. I plan to do that a lot. Anything else?”
I thought for a moment. “Well, I’d love a shower before we go, since I didn’t get one this morning. And I need to get some work done.” Then I shook my head. “Although I’m not sure how I’m going to accomplish any of it.”
His lips pressed against my temple. “Hush. You have me now. We’ve got this.”
Suddenly Ollie reappeared. “Cookies! Come on!”
“We’re coming. Be patient. Your mama can’t move as quickly as she usually does.” Ben followed after her and opened the door. “Stay here.” He set me on the couch. Then he dropped the groceries on the island and disappeared down the hall. When he reappeared, he passed me my laptop. “We’ll bake cookies while you work. Then we’ll get you bathed while she naps. Simple.”
I smiled. Ben made everything seem simple. Maybe it was with help. Maybe life didn’t have to be one challenge after another. Maybe it could be something better, something more. He had changed everything almost without trying. Though I opened the laptop and hooked up to the Internet to check my emails, I struggled to concentrate. In the kitchen, Ollie giggled and bounced around, filled with excitement. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this happy. Me, I felt like it was safe to breathe, to exhale, and to relax.
Apparently, I relaxed a little too well. Some time I later, I woke up in Ben’s lap. The pool house was quiet and I started to sit up and glance around, but he stopped me.
“It’s okay. Ollie just went to sleep. When you’re ready, we’ll get you bathed.” He pulled me closer against him.
There’s that ‘we’ word again. “I shower alone. Naked.” I folded my arms across my chest as he threw his head back and laughed. “What?”
“You do realize I saw you every bit of you naked…last night, right?” The corners of his lips twitched as if he were trying to hide a smile.
I bit my cheek. “It was dark. That was…different.”
“Yes, it was, but in some ways, it’s also the same. For example, we did that together. You want to get clean? We’ll be doing it together.” Ben looked to the ceiling and sighed. “Come on. Trust me.”
Part of me really wanted to protest, but the rest of me wanted to be clean and longed
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