A Mess of a Man (Cruel & Beautiful #2)(41)

“Mmm.” I can’t keep my eyes open. I feel him slide out, but I drop off.

I wake up later, after eleven, and the bed is empty next to me. I get up to pee and when I’m done, I walk downstairs with a beautiful ache between my legs, and go hunt for Ben. The kitchen is empty, but I find him outside on the deck, looking over the marsh.

“Hey,” I say.

“Did I wake you?”

“No. I had to use the bathroom. I think I’d better get going, though,” I murmur.

“No, you don’t. You’re not going anywhere. Didn’t you know?”

“Know what?” Now I’m curious.

“Fuck buddy rules? You have to spend the night.”





How had I let those words leave my mouth? Spend the night? When had I ever asked a woman to spend the night? It isn’t like I hadn’t spent the night with a woman before. Karen stayed over plenty of nights as well as a few others. But it hadn’t been planned. It had been because the night ran late and fatigue won out.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she says.

I blink, feeling my jaw slacken as I grope for words to dissuade her.

She purses her lips. “I can see you really didn’t plan on asking me to stay?”

Honesty wins out over reason as I nod.

“Oh,” she says.

I watch as she obviously expects me to give her another answer. She walks back in the house and her curves wake my cock.

Watching her leave catapults me out of my stupor. I leave the deck and catch up with her in the kitchen.

“Sam, I didn’t mean that. Come, let’s get back in bed. I want you to stay.”

When she faces me as she yanks her clothes from the floor, I can see I’ve pissed her off.

“Ben, this is never going to work unless we are honest with each other. Besides, I have to go to work in the morning, as do you. I’m more than okay with going home tonight.”

I reach out and pull her to me. “Stay.”

Not giving her a chance to respond, I take her mouth as I weave my fingers in her hair.

“Stay,” I say again, walking her back to my bedroom.

She eventually relents and lets me lose my mind inside her again. I rush through clean up, afraid she’ll bolt, and find myself pulling her close. Her bottom fits against me as I wrap a possessive arm around her.

The next day I wake up from one of the most peaceful night’s sleep that I’ve had in a long time. Most nights some version of Drew in his final days haunts me. I reach out and find air and the spot next to me is cold. After a quick investigation, Sam must’ve left sometime during the night as dawn has yet to arrive. I’m annoyed that I’m annoyed she’s gone.

I go through the motions and end up at work before the sky shifts to blue from its inky blackness. My desk phone begins to light up as I read the headline story of a fake hedge fund manager who siphoned money from his investors for personal use. It’s going to be a long day as I put my headphones on to start taking calls from worried clients. Luckily, my father has seen the story and has already determined that we haven’t invested any of our clients’ money in that hedge fund.

I’m dragged into an impromptu meeting to determine how we will communicate with our clients. We’ve already had several companywide that wanted to pull their money out of fear. Luckily, my portfolio of investors has been placated so far.

When my dad pokes his head in the door, I almost growl until I realize it’s him.

“Benjamin, I’m busy with the fallout from this scandal. I need you to see to a client of mine at two o’clock. Actually, my client passed away and the trust has been reverted to her grandchild. We need to secure this account. So do whatever you have to do to ensure they don’t move to another firm.”

Before I can ask any further questions he’s gone. I check the time and it’s half after one. I have no idea how we currently have this client’s trust invested. I sit at my desk and send an e-mail to Dad and his assistant requesting the information.

Not too long after, my computer signals an incoming email. And thanks to Trudy, Dad’s trusty assistant, I won’t be flying blind. Luckily, after reviewing, I find the portfolio mix is similar to another client of mine. I can play off that until I find out more.

I sit back in my chair and absently pick up my phone. Somehow I find myself thumbing through my pictures. When a snapshot of Samantha comes up, my thumb hovers. She’s stunning in her bikini top. She didn’t know I took the picture on the boat and I’d forgotten about it after the way the date ended.

Her breasts are heaven sent and my dick leaps to life. My eyes close and I remember what she felt like when I was inside her. A knock at my door comes and I see Lisa standing in the doorway.

I sit up and scoot to the desk to hide my bulging erection.

“Your two o’clock is here.”

She steps aside and a man walks in. I have no choice but to stand. I lean over the desk to shake his hand.

“Ben Rhoades.”

The guy’s eyes trail down and I know he’s checking me out.

“Well, Ben, it seems you’re happy to see me.”

“Um,” I stammer, not sure what to say.

It isn’t often I get hit on by a man. And this time it’s a client I need to secure.

“Tongue tied?” He winks. “I get that a lot. I’m Horace. Horace Winston.”