Frayed (Connections, #4)(117)

“I love you too.” I relish it when he tells me that because it isn’t often, but I know he means it, so I’m okay with that.

He pulls away. “Dinner can wait.”

I nod my agreement because there’s a different kind of hunger I’m feeling all the way to the depths of my soul.

He extends his hand and leads me up toward our room.

We start to make love and when he slowly slides inside me the only words out of mouth are “I love you.”





CHAPTER 37


Come to Me

Ben

We all want second chances. Perhaps we even all need them. But we don’t all get them. I know I’m one of the lucky ones. Caleb showing up last night proved it to me beyond any doubt. I’m happy with my life—more than happy. I open my eyes before the alarm clock goes off with those thoughts floating around my mind. I lift my head and reach for her, but she’s not lying beside me.

“S’belle,” I yell.

When she doesn’t answer I sit up and that’s when I hear it. The sound of her puking. I pull my boxers on and hurry into the bathroom. She’s wrapped up in her short pink robe kneeling in front of the toilet.

“Are you okay?” I squat beside her and hand her a towel.

She takes the towel and wipes her mouth. “No. I think those vegetables you made me eat gave me food poisoning.”

I try not to laugh. “I don’t think the vegetables would do that to you. Maybe the chicken, though? We did leave it on the counter a little longer than we should have. But I’m fine.”

She looks up at me. “Your stomach is probably used to it.”

This time I have to laugh at the pout on her face. “Come on. I’m putting you back to bed.” I feel her forehead. “You’re not warm, but it could still be the start of a bug. Stay home today.”

“I can’t stay home.”

“Yes, you can. If the boss gives you a free pass, you take it. If you feel better later, come in then.”

Once she falls back to sleep, I shower and take off for work. I call her when I arrive and she sounds really groggy. At noon I shoot her a text.

How are you feeling?

She responds:

Better. I’m going to stay home today, though. I’m trying to figure out something that Misty told me.

Misty?

The fortune-teller.

Oh, right. Explain to me later.

I roll my eyes at her craziness but smirk at the same time. Then I look over at Aerie. It’s her first day back in the office and there is a shit ton to catch up on. Sadly Jagger’s father passed last week. I accompanied S’belle to New York for the funeral. She had never met Jagger’s father and although I hadn’t either, being able to be there to support her cousin made her feel better and me feel a little closer to her family. The funeral did bring back many painful memories of my own mother’s death and so I spent a lot of that trip talking to S’belle about her. I think S’belle got to know the woman who loved me regardless of my flaws a little better. Then again I guess now that I think about it, S’belle has done the same thing.

“Okay, what’s first on your list?” I ask Aerie.

She pulls out an organized stack of folders and I know we’ll be here for a while. Around four in the afternoon she pulls out the March layout. As I stand up and walk around the room to stretch, my phone buzzes. It’s another text from S’belle.

Can you meet me at Pebbles for dinner?

I look up at Aerie. “Can we finish this tomorrow?”

“Sure, I have a ton of other things to do anyway.”

“Thanks.” I quickly look back down to respond.

You have to be joking!

Please.

Not if you’re going to break up with me!

No! I’m not. Why would you think that?

Never mind. You’re not going to tell me the world will end tomorrow, are you?

No! And I think I get what Misty was talking about.

You’re crazy. You know that. Right? See you soon.

If I said my nerves weren’t back in full force, I’d be lying. By now I’ve really begun to hate S’belle’s favorite restaurant. But I make it there by six. She’s already seated at a table by the window with her back to me, and her red hair hangs in curls. The restaurant is by no means busy, so the atmosphere is tranquil and the room is somewhat quiet. Bending down, I swipe her hair to the side and kiss her neck. “Hi, sexy.”

She twists and her lips meet mine. “Hi.”

I take a seat and pull my chair right up to hers. When I glance at the tabletop I see two glasses of sparkling water and a dish of lemons as well as a wrapped package that looks a lot like the one I brought her from Fiction Vixen the last time we were here.

I grab her hands. “Let’s cut to the chase. Please don’t torture me by making me wait until after dinner to tell me why I’m meeting you here.”

Her innocent green eyes shine, although she looks a little peaked and a little scared.

“Are you still sick?” I ask, concerned.

She shakes her head. “I have something to tell you and I’m really nervous.”

“Why, have you been bad?”

“No,” she says quickly, and looks more sickly with each passing second.

“Shit, I thought I was going to have to spank you,” I say, trying to ease her nervousness, but honestly my stomach feels as if it might fall at any second, so I’m not sure I’m doing a great job.