Love & Lies

by Jessica Wood

  “I don’t care who hears us. I want you to fuck me right here with all these people just on the other side of that curtain.” Gemma moaned. She’d spent her life trying to be the good girl and perfect daughter her parents expected her to be, but Ben had freed her from those constraints and taught her to live life to the fullest. They were the perfect match and brought out the best in one another.

  Ben extracted his throbbing cock from his slacks and plunged it into Gemma’s quivering and eager cunt with a satisfying moan. She rocked back to meet him, driving him deeper into herself as they thrust together in perfect rhythm to the pulse of the music. Faster and faster, harder and deeper, until they both came together in a glorious crescendo of passion. Gemma bit her palm to muffle her cries of ecstasy as every nerve in her body exploded with pleasure and Ben buried his face in her hair to silence his moans.

  When they had finished, they looked into each other’s eyes and shared a twinkling gaze of mischief over the secret they now shared.

  “How’s my hair?” Gemma asked him with a worried frown as she pinned lopsided bun back into place.

  “Good. Straighten my tie!” Ben said, with the hushed giggles of a school boy. His laughter was contagious and Gemma struggled to keep a straight face as they immerged from behind the curtain hand in hand, trying to look casual.

  “There you are! Where have you two been?” the familiar voice of Lori made them both jump as she came up behind them. “I think we can safely call this party a success. You guys have the ball room for the rest of the night and I’ve already paid the caterer, band, and everyone else. A cleaning crew will take care of everything in the morning, so just enjoy.”

  “You sound like you’re leaving” Gemma said and Lori hugged her best friend tightly.

  “I am. My father just arrived and we’re heading straight to the airport for our trip. Wish me luck!”

  “You don’t need any luck; I already know you’ll have a great time and nobody deserves it more than you and your Dad.” Gemma said, blinking back tears. She knew she was going to miss her terribly, but more than that she was happy for her and the fact that her greatest dream was coming true. Gemma glanced around the ball room and said “Where’s your father; I want to say goodbye to him too.”

  “He didn’t think he should come to the party, being as he’s an ex-partner, it didn’t feel right.”

  “That’s ridiculous! Tell him if he doesn’t come up and hug me goodbye I’m not letting you go. This time, it will be a real kidnapping!” Gemma insisted. Lori laughed at the good-natured joke and called Clint Carpenter on his cell. In less than a minute they saw him stroll through the entrance, looking anxious to leave in travel slacks and a polo shirt. He glanced around the room nervously searching for them, and walked quickly towards them without stopping to say goodbye to anyone else.

  “Come on; we’re going to miss our flight!” Clint said in a hushed tone to his daughter.

  “It’s a private charter Daddy, they can’t leave without us.” Lori frowned.

  “You’re right; I guess I’m just excited.” Clint flushed. He turned to Ben and shook his hand with a hearty and friendly farewell. Then he embraced Gemma like a daughter and said “Tell your father I said goodbye. It’s been a pleasure working with him all these years.”

  “Tell him yourself; I know he’d want to get to see you before you go.” Gemma said. She waved her hand and called over to her parents, who were still sitting with Brooke and Walter Liamworth. “Daddy! Look who’s here!”

  All eyes turned at the sound of her calling voice and Brooke Liamworth stood up from the table looking as white as paste. Clint Carpenter locked eyes with her and they stood frozen in time, staring at each other like they’d each seen a ghost.

  “What’s he doing here?” Brooke gasped. Harry whispered into her ear that Clint was his former partner and she went white as a sheet.

  Clint closed the distance between them and said gently “Brooke, I tried to avoid this. I don’t want to hurt you again. I’m leaving town with my wife and daughter.”

  Just then Lori’s mother came through the entrance, wondering what had been taking Clint so long to fetch their daughter. She caught her husband with Brooke and gasped. “Clint, I thought you said things were over with her seventeen years ago!”

  “They were; they are. There is nothing between us. The time we spent in Mexico was the biggest mistake of my life.”

  Brooke seethed at him with ice in her voice “No, this is the biggest mistake of your life. You thought you could hide from me by giving me your partner’s name and I admit, I’ve been searching for the wrong man all these years; but I found you none the less.”

  A hushed silence went through the crowd as everyone took notice of the scene. Brooke spoke directly to Clint, but her voice resonated loud and clear so that all could hear, “I now own this pitiful little company that you and your partner worked to build for your entire life. Now I’m going to ruin it just like you ruined things between us by choosing a mediocre life with your boring wife over me. I’m going to sell it off piece by piece until there is nothing left. It’s too bad you already sold your investment in it, but I know you put your heart and soul into creating it and trying to make it something great; so I know how much it will hurt you to see it obliterated.”

  “Brooke, you can’t do this!” Clint Carpenter cried out, but he knew he was powerless to stop her. For seventeen years he had managed to hide from her scorn, but when he discovered Ben was her son he had done his best to sell his shares and run away before she found out he was the one who had created the company. He had told himself that if he no longer had a financial investment in the company it would be safe from her wrath, but obviously he was wrong. She still knew him well enough to know that he would always have an emotionally investment in his creation and that would hurt even worse than any financial ruin she caused him.

  Brooke smiled victoriously and held out her hand to her son, inviting him to join her side. For seventeen years she had manipulated and brain washed Ben into being her unwitting accomplice and now vengeance was hers. They had done what she had always set out to do. Only there was one thing she hadn’t planned on. Ben approached her and said “No, Mother. You don’t own a controlling share in Adams Corporation stock; I do. Check the paperwork and you’ll see only the name Ben Liamworth appears there. I have no intention of doing anything to harm this company. In fact, I’m quitting Liamworth International and I’m going to work with Harry to make Adams Corporation the greatest company in the country.”

  “You’re speaking with your dick and not your brain.” Brooke reached out and slapped Ben brutally across the face. As his cheek turned red, she said quietly “How dare you defy me; I am your mother and you’ll do exactly as I’ve instructed or I’ll cut you off financially.”

  “No, I’m speaking with my heart. I always thought we were a loving family and so I vowed to protect it by getting revenge on the man who had nearly torn us apart; but I was living a lie. Meeting Gemma, I learned the true meaning of love, selflessness, kindness, and family. Cut me off financially; I don’t want or need your money. I have everything I need right here.”

  “You are dead to me; I have no son anymore.” Brooke grabbed her husband by the hand and stormed from the room, with a look of pure hatred gleaming in her eyes. A slow murmur spread across the room as everyone tried to process the shocking scene.

  “Are you all right?” Gemma asked Ben, soothing his abused cheek with her delicate hand.

  “I’m terrific.” Ben said, and indeed a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “There’s only one thing that could make this incredible night even better.”

  To Gemma’s amazement, Ben reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small velvet box. He opened it and Gemma gasped at the huge glittering diamond that sparkled like a thousand stars. She had hoped it was for her, but now that she was actually being presented with it, she felt overwhelmed.

  In front of all the guests
at the party, including her parents, Ben got down on one knee, took her hand and said softly “Gemma Adams, will you marry me?”

  Gemma knew that Ben hadn’t always been honest with her and that he had made a lot mistakes; but she also knew he had just given up everything for her; including his wealth, his home, and his family. She couldn’t imagine anyone sacrificing so much and knew without a doubt that she would never find a man who would be as loyal or love as much as he did. With tears of love and joy running down her cheeks, Gemma cried out “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you Ben Liamworth.”

  The crowd applauded and Ben slipped the huge diamond onto her trembling hand. It fit her finger perfectly and he pulled her into his arms and they kissed with all the love they felt for each other in their hearts.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Ben went home with Gemma to her apartment that night, with nothing but the tuxedo on his back. He knew his mother would have already changed the locks on the mansion and instructed security to keep him out. All his clothes and possessions had already been thrown out by the maids or possibly even burned. The Ferrari was in his name, but he’d have to file for a lost title at the DMV, since the paperwork for the vehicle had been kept in his office in the mansion. He had a small trust fund given to him by his grandmother that his mother couldn’t touch, his stock shares in the Adams Corporation, a checking account with a shocking small balance, and that was all.

  “How do you live like this?” Ben asked Gemma with partial teasing and partial sincerity as they sat paying utility bills together a few weeks later.

  “Living on a budget isn’t so bad once you get used to it. A man with your Ivy League education should be able to figure it out.” Gemma teased and bopped him on the tip of his nose with her pencil.

  Ben ended up selling his Ferrari a month later and buying a more sensible car and Gemma taught him how to pump his own gas, buy groceries at the super market, and purchase clothes off the rack instead of getting them tailored. Once a week they went out on a date, but not to the kind of fancy restaurants Ben was used to.

  “And another thing; regular people don’t leave a hundred dollar tip for a twenty dollar meal.” Gemma said with a grin, handing Ben back his cash and setting down the appropriate amount of money in its place.

  “Just when I thought I was getting the hang of things.” Ben smiled with chagrin.

  “Don’t worry, you‘re getting the hang of things just fine. Daddy says the company has never done better and it’s all thanks to you. He wouldn’t want to hurt Clint Carpenter’s feelings, but he says you’re a much better business partner than he ever was.”

  “I was worried no one would want to work with me because of my mother’s bad reputation, but it turns out the opposite happened.” Ben said with obvious relief. “It seems a lot of people respected me for going against her and want to work with the Adams Corporation as a result.”

  “That’s great, but I think a lot of your success has to do with your great business ideas. You’re brilliant and nobody can take credit for that but you.” Gemma beamed and Ben took a long swig from his drink to hide his embarrassment. Gemma stole a fry from his plate and said “I told Lori all about how great you’re doing during our last call. She wasn’t the least bit surprised.”

  “When is she coming back? Hasn’t it been six months?”

  “She and her parents come home on Friday. She’s been working on plans for our wedding this entire time and when she gets here she has a million things she wants to go over with me, including the flowers, the cake, and the venue.”

  Ben picked up on the wistful tone of her voice and held her hand across the table. “What’s wrong? Did you change your mind about wanting Lori to be our wedding planner?”

  “No, it’s not that. It’s just that none her suggestions for the venue seem right. I know it’s silly and impossible, but when you first asked me to marry you, I pictured us having the ceremony at the mansion. It’s so classically beautiful and elegant. I know your grandparents lived there and it has a real sense of history and old fashioned Americana. I don’t know; nothing else seems to live up to that dream. But, I know we can’t have it there so I’m just being a bit of a bridezilla. I’ll shut up now before I drive you away with my brattiness.”

  “You could never drive me away.” Ben lunged at her playfully from across the restaurant table, kissing her passionately.

  “I thought you were going to say I wasn’t being a bridezilla.” Gemma laughed, kissing him back.

  “Oh, no; you’re definitely a bridezilla. I just hope Lori is prepared for it when she comes home.”

  Friday afternoon, Gemma and Ben stood at the airport gate holding a bouquet of balloons and a welcome back sign. The minutes dragged into hours and Gemma became worried and got on the phone.

  “They were detained at the airport in Europe and taken into custody.” Gemma told Ben with worried eyes, when she finally hung up the phone. “They’ve been accused of crimes against one of the diplomat’s there, but the whole thing doesn’t make any sense. They’ve never even heard of Hans Rats…..Razzmut….Ratsmutton.”

  Gemma struggled to pronounce the name, but Ben already knew just who she was talking about. “You mean Hans Rasmussen?”

  “Yes! That’s it! How did you know?”

  “He’s friends with my mother. I should have known that just because I failed at ruining his life for her that she hadn’t given up on it. When she’s done with Clint, there’s no doubt she’ll move on to attacking me, you, and your entire family. None of us will be safe until I find a way to stop her.”

  “She’s your mother; surely she still loves you and wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’ve come to discover that the only person she really loves is herself. I just wish I hadn’t wasted over half my life following her sick plans before I figured that out.”

  “Well, at least you’re free to be who you really are now. Your poor father is still trapped in her clutches, and all our friends at the mansion who have to work for her, like Stephan and Jennifer, must all be miserable. If only we could get something on your mother to use as leverage against her to force her to leave us all in peace.”

  “Oh, there’s plenty of that!” Ben laughed without humor. “Despite her glamorous image, Brooke Liamworth has plenty of skeletons in her closet; or more accurately in her portrait.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That giant portrait of hers that hangs in the grand stairway covers a hidden safe where she keeps all dirty secrets. I used to hide behind the vase at the bottom of the stairs and watch her put things in there that even my father doesn’t know about. I even memorized the combination once, but I never had the guts to open it.”

  “Are you kidding me? Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”

  “She’s my mother. It never occurred to me to break her trust. As much evil as she’s done, I still love her.”

  “I understand.” Gemma said quietly, wishing she could convince Ben to hate her, but knowing that was wrong. Of course he loved his mother and didn’t want to betray her. Gemma said “Why don’t you try and talk to her, get her see reason. If she won’t, then we can consider getting into the safe and taking something, just as a precaution to get her to set the Carpenter’s free and leave us alone.”

  Ben looked more nervous than Gemma had ever seen him as they drove up the long winding road to the Liamworth Mansion. It was even more beautiful than either of them remembered, and Gemma was surprised to feel a catch in her throat at the sight of her former home.

  “I didn’t realize how much I missed this place until now.” Gemma said and she saw from the emotion in Ben’s gray eyes that the feeling was a thousand times worse for him.

  “Stay in the car. I don’t know how my mother will react if she sees you” Ben said. Gemma wanted to be by his side to offer him her support, but she knew that would add to his strain and so she acquiesced. Her heart was pounding as she watched him knock on the front door and enter the house,
but in less than ten minutes he was back outside, striding angrily towards the car.

  “She’s completely unreasonable! She’s become obsessed, not just with hurting Clint, but everyone he’s ever known, including your family.”

  “So what can we do?”

  “So, tonight we break into the house, get inside that painting, and stop her for good.” Ben said resolutely.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  “I don’t think I can do this!” Gemma felt like she was going to be sick.

  “You look perfect. No one will suspect a thing.” Ben assured her. Gemma’s long chestnut hair was hidden beneath a black wig and her ample figure was masked by the wide shape of a chef’s coat. Thick rimmed glasses hid her face and Ben was convinced that his narcissistic mother wouldn’t pay enough attention to the catering staff to notice her in the disguise.

  “I know this was my idea; but I seriously don’t think I can do this.” Gemma insisted. “I’ve never committed a crime like this. Breaking and entering, stealing, it all sounds so overwhelming all of a sudden.”

  Ben took her trembling body into his strong arms and held her close. “The Gemma Adams I know can accomplish anything she puts her mind to. I remember the day I met you in that café and you were so petite, I mistakenly thought you would be weak. You sure as hell proved me wrong. You saved your family’s company, you turned my life around, and now you’re going to do what needs to be done to save the Carpenter’s and your family from my mother. I can’t go in there; she’d spot me at once. If this is going to happen; it has to be you. You’re the only one that knows the interior of the house well enough, but if you’re not comfortable with this, that’s okay. We’ll just have to think of something else.”

  “No, you’re right. I nearly chickened out of going into that mansion the first time you invited me there, and look at all I was able to do. I can do this now; for Lori, for my family, and for us.”