“Explains why they are who they are in business. Not people you want to cross.”
“There’s no mention of physical abuse, but I would bet any failure or pushback from them ended with severe punishment.”
“You know this how?”
“Unfortunately, I’ve seen enough cases like this. These men put up a defensive, protective armor around themselves. Since their father died two years ago, they’ve begun to slowly let down their guard.”
“So you’re saying time heals all wounds?”
“No. You just adjust and find a way to cope.”
I can relate to that. Mine sometimes seem as fresh as the day they happened. I deal by not thinking about it. He wasn’t going to remind Doug about that, because he needed the focus to stay on Zoey and her family.
“What about Zoey? She’s so different from her brothers. She grew up in the same house. When I asked her, she said her father never hurt her physically. I pushed the subject, but she clammed up and sent me packing.”
“Of course she did. You’re asking someone, who probably has never spoken about her experiences before, to tell you what she isn’t ready to face herself. The fact that she told you anything speaks volumes about how she feels about you. It’s crucial that you don’t overstep your boundaries. I understand you’re pretending to be lovers. But that’s a very dangerous game to play with a woman like her. From what I see, there was no love in that house. All the Hendersons yearn for it, but none of them feel worthy of it. Being a woman, that must’ve been more difficult for her. Remember she had no female to confide in.”
“Fuck. What am I supposed to do to help her?” Bennett stopped caring about finding her mother. Right now he just wanted to ease her pain in any way he could.
“She’s vulnerable. If you cross the line and—”
“I did.”
“Did what?”
“Cross the line. I kissed her.”
Doug ran his hands through his hair. “You’ve just made this more difficult on both of you. She’s built a certain level of trust for you, but if she finds out you’re hiding things from her, you’ll never get it back.”
“So I tell her what I found so far?”
“No. You’re in a tough spot, my friend. Until you have all the facts, you can’t say a word. And once you do, you best think long and hard before revealing the information.”
“In the meantime, what do I do?” Sitting and waiting is not something I do well.
“She has no clue what is coming her way. Now you need to carry the burden of whatever Jon tells you. It’ll be a start, but I agree with you on one major factor. The answer lies with the deceased father.”
Dead men don’t tell lies. Right now that truth scares the shit out of me. I’m not sure I want to know how fucked up this family truly is. “He was one evil bastard.”
“So you have to find out what made him that way. Go back to his childhood. Remember, we’re a product of our environment. Dig deep into his life, and you’ll be able to understand Zoey’s. But I wouldn’t share your findings with anyone except me. If I’m correct, it’s not going to be pretty. There’s no reason for a family to learn about something they can’t change. It’s in the past, and let’s leave it there for them.”
Bennett nodded. He wasn’t sure where to get more information. According to what he had found out, Henderson was an only child and raised by only his mother. There was no mention of any other family. And from what he’d seen, the children never went to visit her. Was sweet old Grammy not so sweet? Was she the reason Henderson was who he was? If so, who’d have that information? “It seems everyone I need to speak to is dead.”
“It says that the oldest son, Brice, was with the father when he died. Many people use their last breath to share things they’ve hidden for a lifetime. Why don’t you pay him a visit? See if you can get a read on him.”
“He’s not the type to talk to strangers. Trust me. I won’t get anywhere with him. I’d have more luck with his wife, Lena.”
“He wouldn’t have shared what you need to know with his wife. If it’s as atrocious as we suspect, he’d do anything to protect the ones he loves from learning about it.”
“I’ll call him tomorrow.”
“Good. Remember, it’s not what a person says, Bennett, and you know that. It’s what they don’t tell you. All you need to know is if he’s carrying the family secrets or not. You don’t need to know what they are right now.”
Having Doug working with him was extremely helpful. Also, scary as hell, knowing it wasn’t just the Hendersons Doug would be watching. He’d have to watch everything he said and did a lot more closely. I’ve got my own set of secrets, and I’d prefer to keep them that way.
“I have to collect the second set of DNA samples for Jon. I’ll gather one from Brice while we’re chatting.”
Doug shook his head. “I only help military families. How did I get myself into this?”
“I believe you volunteered,” Bennett said as he tossed a pillow and blankets on the couch for Doug. “You can sleep here tonight. In the morning we’ll find you your own room.”
“Tonight I study.”
They were both good at their jobs, but getting into a person’s psyche never appealed to him. Usually because they remind me how fucked up I am. That is something I’m still working on forgetting.
Chapter Eight
Zoey checked the clock for what seemed like the millionth time. There was no way she was getting any sleep. What was he thinking? You can’t kiss me like that and then just walk out.
She wanted to talk to him about it. Calling him at four a.m. wasn’t acceptable. She’d just have to wait a few more hours. Of course, he doesn’t seem bothered by etiquette. He shows up at my house uninvited bright and early.
Picking up her cell phone from her nightstand, she thought about calling him. The only problem was she didn’t have a clue what she’d say. Hi. Can’t stop thinking about that kiss. Want to come over and finish where we left off?
That’d be the truth, but way too forward. Besides, the look on his face said it all. He wasn’t enjoying what she was doing. Heck, she was almost thirty-four years old, and the only real pleasure she’d ever known involved batteries. Teenagers seemed to have more experience than she did. Some things I can’t practice all by myself.
Zoey laughed because she remembered as a young girl kissing her own hand so she wouldn’t be so nervous when a boy eventually kissed her. Her battery-operated helpers and kissing her hand were also things she wouldn’t admit to anyone. There seemed to be an endless list. That left little to speak about on a date. Thankfully, she and Bennett had been so busy laughing at her lack of skill with a bowling ball there wasn’t any need for small talk.
That didn’t mean she didn’t want to talk to him. Actually, she wanted to get to know him much better. She knew what he did to earn a living and that he was darn good at it. But employment history wasn’t where her thoughts were right now. She wanted to know about his personal life. Had he ever been in love? Married? Heck, I don’t know if he has any children. What do I really know about him? Nothing except my heart races when he’s near. And when he kisses me, my temperature shoots through the roof.
Zoey couldn’t stand it any longer. She wanted to see him. It was that simple. “Women do call men. So why am I hesitant? All I have to do is call and tell him.”
Her finger hovered over the call button, but she couldn’t bring herself to press it. I don’t want to wake him. I can wait. Nothing’s wrong.
She removed her blankets and got out of the bed, leaving the phone on her pillow. Zoey knew exactly what her problem was. She was sexually frustrated. The spark that was there when he was close ignited into a raging fire when his tongue entered her mouth. If the ache between her legs wasn’t an emergency, she didn’t know what was. Zoey looked at her nightstand. She had a few adult toys that would do the trick, but she wanted more. She wanted him. Yeah, the little vibrator shaped like a cupcake just isn’t g
oing to cut it.
Zoey picked up her phone again. She might not have the guts to call him, but there was nothing wrong with sending a text asking to see him tomorrow.
Bennett. I want to know if you’d like to come over and make sweet love to me till I can’t remember my name.
She read the text and blushed. Too blunt, but very true. She deleted the message and tried again.
Hi. Would love to have you for breakfast. Oh yeah, because I bet he’s yummy. Second message deleted. They say third times the charm.
Hi.
She hadn’t meant to hit send. Just one word. There was no explanation as to why she was texting him at that ungodly hour.
Hi. What are you doing up?
He’s awake? That didn’t take him long to respond. She wanted to tell him she was thinking of him. However, no one could ever accuse her of being bold and forward.
Can’t sleep. Really? Absolutely no imagination.
Me either. Want to go out and grab an early breakfast?
Who eats at this time of morning? Oh yeah, someone who spent half their life in the military. Zoey normally didn’t eat breakfast, but if it meant seeing him, then she’d start.
Sounds good. Where do you want to meet?
I’ll come get you in thirty minutes.
Okay.
She was beside herself. Bennett was coming to pick her up. Oh, shoot! I still have to shower and get dressed.
Normally she’d stay in the shower forever. But like yesterday, she didn’t want to keep Bennett waiting. She quickly showered and dressed in a pair of casual slacks and a pink blouse. She was overdressed, but her wardrobe lacked the proper attire for a pre-dawn rendezvous. I think I need to rectify that. Wonder if Lena would go on a girls’ only shopping spree with me? I can ask her about Bennett at the same time.
Zoey heard the doorbell and hurried down to meet him. She needed to remind herself that this was only breakfast. He was being kind because she couldn’t sleep, and they both needed to eat. When she opened the door, Bennett bent and kissed her cheek.
“Morning, sweetheart. You better grab your coat because I’m starving.”
Sweetheart. I could hear that every day of my life and never get tired of it. Grabbing her coat, she locked up and walked to his vehicle. Zoey asked, “Where are we going?”
He opened the passenger door and said, “I know this truck stop that has the best breakfast around.”
She shot him a look. “Really? A truck stop?”
“Do you want fancy or good food?” Bennett asked before closing the door.
Zoey shook her head. Somehow she’d been under the impression it was possible to have both. But she didn’t care where he took her, as long as she was with him, which surprised her as she’d never desired a man like she desired Bennett. Coffee is coffee no matter where you go.
Unlike yesterday when they didn’t speak, Bennett seemed to want to chat the entire time. She only wished the topic was different. He continued to talk about her father and extended family.
“I only know of a grandmother. My father never mentioned anyone else. If there was any, I’m sure they would’ve crawled out of the woodwork when he died. You know, to claim some inheritance or something.”
“I can’t picture how holidays were without family.”
We didn’t celebrate, so it didn’t matter. “What was it like for you? Tell me about your family.”
“I have three younger brothers. Actually, much younger. I was twelve when my parents decided to add to the family again.”
“That is a big age difference.”
“We’re close because we’re family, but growing up I was more like an only child. Until the little brats came along and stole the attention.” Bennett laughed.
“Oh, I can’t see that ever happening to you.”
“And why is that?”
“Because you have my full attention.” Once the words left her lips, she blushed at her honesty.
Bennett reached over, took her hand in his, brought it to his mouth, and placed a kiss on her fingers. “I’m glad you texted me this morning. I was awake, thinking of you.”
“I thought you . . . when you left I thought you were upset with me.”
He shot her a quick look before turning his eyes back on the highway. “I wasn’t angry with you. I was angry with myself.”
“Why?”
“Because you hired me to do a job, not to make a move on you like I did.”
“I could fire you if that would help.” She forced a laugh, so it appeared to be a joke, but it didn’t sound real at all.
“That might be a bit drastic. We’re adults. I don’t see why we can’t enjoy each other’s company and still maintain a business relationship.”
Enjoy each other. Can he be any more vague? “Look at us, on our way to enjoy breakfast.” At a truck stop.
“Exactly. No harm done.”
This wasn’t how she envisioned their morning, but she was enjoying herself. Maybe it was better that they weren’t intimate. It’d only make her miss him more when he left. And if there was one thing she knew, he’d leave. I won’t miss what I never know. So it’s better this way.
Bennett didn’t let go of her hand, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his fingers entwined with hers. It was such a simple gesture. However, it pulled at her heartstrings. For now, she’d be happy with the small things. Maybe once he found her mother things could be different. Or maybe this is all there will ever be for me.
Resisting her was becoming challenging. When Zoey had sent him the text, he hadn’t lied. He’d been wide awake thinking of her. Bennett wasn’t thinking of a friendly breakfast either. He wanted her, and his body wasn’t about to let him forget that. If he had entered her house when he arrived, he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from pulling her into his arms and continuing where they’d left off.
Bennett knew he needed to keep a professional distance, but that was going to be impossible. Doug’s warning about hurting her was the only thing stopping him. So he’d do what he could. Spend time with her. Get to know her. When the search for her mother was over, maybe they could enjoy each other more intimately.
Who the hell am I kidding? I’m never going to be able to hold back. If she keeps looking at me with those sweet doe-eyes of hers, I won’t make it through breakfast.
He pulled off the highway at the truck stop. It was open twenty-four hours a day, but the crowd inside was a bit rough. If it weren’t winter, it would be filled with bikers as well as truckers. “This is it.”
He watched her expression closely. There was no doubt she was concerned about going inside. If she’d been alone, he’d highly advise against it, but no one would hurt her as long as he was around. Besides, he knew the guys who ran the diner. They’d served in the Marines together. They were hard asses but good people. If anyone got out of hand, they handled it.
“I need coffee so let’s get inside,” Zoey said, but she never let go of his hand.
“Have you ever had a chili omelet?”
She shook her head. “I’m more of a fruit person in the morning.”
“It’s about time you try something new. Come on. I’ll order, and you eat.”
“Just how much do you think I trust you?”
Bennett turned and looked her straight in the eye. “More than you’ve ever trusted another person.” He hadn’t meant to be so serious. This was supposed to be a fun carefree excursion, but it was true. They both knew it.
She opened her mouth as though she was about to disagree with him. Then he felt her hand relax in his as she spoke. “You’re right, Bennett. I don’t know why, but you’re right.”
“Good. Then I have a few things for you to try from that menu.” Bennett wanted to see her smile again, and it worked. It was something he’d never grow tired of seeing. When she didn’t force it, and it came naturally, her smile lit up her eyes. She was stunning, but for now, he’d have to refrain from telling her so.
When
they entered the diner, a familiar voice called from across the room. “Stone, what brings your ass to the East Coast again?” Before Bennett answered, Clint continued, “Never mind. I can see for myself.” Clint walked right over to Zoey.
I hope bringing her here isn’t something I’m going to regret. “Clint. She’s a lady,” Bennett warned, because he knew it wouldn’t take much for Clint to start swearing like the truckers who frequented the diner.
“Stone, just because I don’t have a woman doesn’t mean I don’t know how to treat one.” Clint gave Bennett a slap on the arm.
Bennett respected Clint, who was about ten years his senior, but one hell of a Marine. Unlike Bennett, he did his twenty years and retired. They stayed in contact, mostly for business. Over the last few years, Bennett utilized Clint’s skills. Thankfully I won’t need him on this one. At least, not with Doug around.
“Sorry, miss, Stone seems to have forgotten his manners. I’m Clint.”
Clint reached out to shake Zoey’s hand. Bennett watched, thinking Zoey might be a bit nervous about all the male testosterone in the room. Once again, he’d underestimated her. Zoey was giving Clint a smile that could melt a heart, and he couldn’t believe how his buddy was eating it up. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Zoey responded in her sweetest voice.
Bennett saw the look in Clint’s eye and shot him a warning look. The guys weren’t used to having someone like Zoey in the room, and he wanted to make sure they kept themselves in line.
If Bennett thought Clint was going to check himself, he was way off. “What are you doing with this guy? I could tell you stories that would—”
“She’s not here to listen to you run your mouth.”
“I wouldn’t mind hearing about Bennett.” Zoey gave Clint a wink.
He didn’t want the fancy hoopla. All he wanted was time with Zoey and some damn good food. “I think we’ll take our food to go.”
Clint raised his hands surrendering. “Okay. I get it. You don’t want me to cramp your style on your date.” He pointed to a booth in the corner. “You two grab a seat, and I’ll send the waitress. Oh, don’t worry Bennett, I’ll tell her not to talk either.” Clint walked away, laughing and shaking his head.
Virgin For The Fourth Time: Barrington Billionaire's Series: Book Four Page 9
