“I just didn’t know London, um, bought my clothes,” I murmured.
“No, baby. I bought them. She picked them out.”
I nodded. I knew that.
“Now tell me what this is really about.” His tone was sure and steady.
“This world is all new to me still. When I saw your hands all over her, the way you two looked together . . . I just started ticking off all the ways I don’t measure up.”
An angry wave of tension rolled off him and his hands curled around my elbows, locking me in place and pinning me with his eyes. “I’m thankful as shit you don’t fit into this world. You remind me that there’s so much more to life. You’re my something real to grasp on to at the end of the day. You ground me. I love you and that’s not going to change just because I spent the day rolling around in the sand with London for my job.”
My gaze drifted downward.
“Baby.” He lifted my chin again. “It might look glamorous, but my sand chafed balls would disagree.”
I chuckled lightly. “I think I’m ready to go back to the room.”
He nodded. “Then let’s go. I need to wash all this damn bronzer off my skin, too.”
We’d just started back for the hotel when Fiona stepped in our path, her happy little smile pinning Ben. “I wanted to say thank-you,” she purred.
“Uh . . . okay,” Ben said, eyeing her curiously.
“For the baby shower gift. That was very sweet of you, love,” Fiona said, addressing Ben.
He’d gotten her a baby gift?
My body went rigid and I felt Ben’s hand tighten around mine. So much for the promise I’d just made not to run. I felt like fleeing for the moon right about now. Forget that, the moon wasn’t far enough.
“You’re welcome,” he retuned, his tone short but polite.
Fiona sauntered away, her hand resting against her ever-growing belly.
Ben gripped my shoulders, turning me to face him, his face stricken with panic. “I want you to know, I didn’t get her something for her baby. I just chipped in ten bucks toward the office gift. It was a stroller from everyone at Status; it wasn’t just from me.”
“Oh.” I shouldn’t care, should I? She was still his agent. He worked with Status. That meant he was practically required to chip in on the boss’s gift. He was looking at me with the most worried stare. I took a deep breath and released it slowly. I placed my palm on his cheek. “It’s okay. I’m not mad. She tried to make it sound worse than it was—but that’s to be expected. She’s a bitch.”
A crooked smile overtook his mouth. “So you’re not mad?”
“I would have preferred if you didn’t chip in at all so she wouldn’t have anything to grasp on to, but it’s fine.”
He kissed my lips. “You’re the best. I don’t deserve you and I know that. I handed Gunnar the ten dollars without even thinking. I’ll try to be more aware of this type of thing.”
I hoped his love would be enough to outweigh all the baggage threatening to overwhelm me at every turn.
Ben
The cool blast of air-conditioning inside our room felt terrific. Emmy kicked off her sandals at the door and sunk to the couch. I leaned over the back of the sofa and kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to shower.” I wasn’t kidding about having sand in some pretty undesirable locations.
“Okay.” Her tone was despondent. But reading her subtle signals, and desire to be alone right now, I left her and closed the bathroom door behind me.
Stepping under the spray of hot water, I stood there uselessly, letting it beat down against my back, easing out the tension in my shoulders. I wish I could make Emmy see what she meant to me, help her understand that I wasn’t this way with other women. Ever. She was special, everything I’d ever wanted.
I didn’t hear the bathroom door open, but sensing I was no longer alone I opened my eyes and found Emmy’s big, grayish-blue gaze watching me.
“You need a hand?” Her gaze slid down my naked chest and abs, darting back up just as quickly. Her breath shuddered in a soft inhale.
“If you think you can handle the job.” My voice dropped low and my face stayed impassive.
Emmy’s tongue wet her bottom lip and her ni**les pressed against the little cotton camisole she wore. As if taking a moment to think it over, she paused at the threshold to the marble-and-glass–enclosed shower. I remained still, standing in the spray of warm water. All except for my cock, which started to slowly rise in his own salute.
Apparently done thinking, Emmy pulled her shirt over her head and stepped out of her shorts. It took her just a moment to unsnap her bra and kick off her panties and then she was stepping forward, reaching for my outstretched hand.
Knowing the tumultuous start to our trip, I wasn’t about to push her for more right now. But I’d also never deny an opportunity to be close to her, skin to skin. I pulled her to my chest and held her, letting the water soothe us both.
“Did you wash the sand off?” she whispered, standing before me.
“Not yet. I was just enjoying the water.” It took every ounce of control I possessed not to bring my hands up and cup her br**sts, rake my thumbs across her perky ni**les. I loved the seductive look in her eyes when I took over. But I needed to be in control right now. Everything but my c**k had gotten that memo. He was still steadily raising and was brushing past Emmy’s thigh.
She swallowed heavily. “Let me wash you.”
I nodded.
Emmy grabbed a thick washcloth from the shelf mounted to the wall just outside the shower. She wetted it and squirted a generous amount of body wash before lathering the suds. “Turn around,” she commanded, looking determined.
“Yes ma’am.” I turned away and she began scrubbing my back with a firm pressure. I let my head drop forward. Fuck, that felt good.
She continued soaping me up, not missing a square inch as she ordered me to turn and face her then raise my arms. I chuckled as she scrubbed my underarms then dropped them to my sides while she focused on soaping up my chest.
Her touch was so careful, so loving, it stole my breath and left me flooded with emotions I’d never had and couldn’t name. I’d never felt so thoroughly loved and cherished like I did with her. She was the most selfless, sweetest person I knew. Real and true to her core. She wasn’t the type of girl you dated and messed around with for fun. She was a forever type of girl. And the problem was, I wasn’t a forever type of guy. I didn’t know if I was even capable of that level of commitment. She deserved more. And the thought of hurting this beautiful girl and wounding her spirit wasn’t something I ever wanted to do.