He could breath.
Swiping his keys of the rack, Ben said a silent pray he wasn’t too late and rushed out the door.
This time, he was going to be there for her.
Chapter Sixteen
Friday of Lea’s second week of work was coming to a close. She usually walked through the lobby of the museum with a light step, but something was dragging her today. She couldn’t place it. Had she forgotten to do something? Her mind raced through her to-do list, appointments, research notes, visit to the archives. Nope. All done.
So what was eating at her gut?
Ben?
Ben was always eating at her gut. She missed him. Ached for him. Needed him. Picked up her phone every day to call him, and always put it back down. Nothing worse than a pest. Besides, he needed to call her. Not just for her sake, but his. He had to take that step.
As she left the museum, she had the overwhelming urge to call him, but she’d rushed out of the penthouse without her cell phone this morning. It was probably dead by now, too, since she’d also forgotten to charge it last night. Idiot.
The mid November air was chilly but not cold, and she lifted her face to the sky and let the breeze refresh her. She already felt better. Smiling, she skipped down the cement steps in the pair of Gwen’s black, knee-high leather boots she wore with a navy sweater dress, topped with a black wool overcoat and followed the daily path she took to the subway two blocks away.
She loved her job. It was everything she’d always hoped it would be and more. She couldn’t imagine her life without it.
She also loved Ben. Why couldn’t she have him, too? Dammit. She was trying to give him space, to not go to the Poconos until Thanksgiving next weekend, but God, she missed him. And she just couldn’t wait anymore. She was going to get on a bus and go to the Poconos tonight.
With her mind made up, she upped her pace, excitement rushing through her veins. And then a thought occurred. What if this was drill weekend? Not being at Gabe’s, she wasn’t privy to the scuttlebutt of drill dates, so she had no idea if this was drill weekend or not.
She’d call Ryder when she got back to the penthouse.
As Lea crossed to the second block, her gaze was drawn to a crowd and commotion on the street. An accident. She hadn’t seen or heard it. Must’ve happened while she was still at work. There were ambulances, and police cars, and she sent up a silent prayer that whoever was involved would be okay. Her gut tightened. No one needed to go through what her family had years ago.
Slowing her steps as she neared to accommodate the crowd, she tried not to look at the street. She didn’t want to see, but a movement caught her eye. A familiar stride and set of shoulders. Her heart rocked hard in her chest.
“Ben?”
He twisted around from where he stood talking to a policeman and paramedic. Her gaze ran down him then back up, reassuring herself he was real. Reassuring herself he was unharmed.
“Lea.”
A smile spread across his face and lit his eyes, and she suddenly felt warm. Blessedly warm.
“Give me a minute, okay?” he asked, and when she nodded he turned back around to talk to the men.
What was he doing here? He hated the city. Couldn’t step foot in it. She remembered how he’d tried to get on a bus one year, to see Brandi play at Carnegie hall, but he’d turned ashen and shook so bad, he couldn’t step on the platform.
She studied him now, looking for signs of distress. His stance was sure, authoritative. His color was good. She could still see a line of tension in his shoulders and jaw, but no panic. The anxiety that usually overwhelmed him seemed to have taken a back seat at the moment.
Her heart leapt. He did it. He overcame his debilitating fear. She was so damn proud of him she wanted to barrel into his chest and hold on tight, forever.
Instead, she watched as he signed something, shook a few hands, then twisted around and headed straight for her. His emerald gaze glinted with a determination that hiccupped her pulse.
She couldn’t believe he was here. Again, she wanted to go to him, but her legs were shaking too much. And as she listened to the murmurs of the crowd, she’d pieced together a little of what had happened.
Ten minutes ago, as she was inexplicably dragging her feet, a car had swerved to miss a bus and jumped the curb, hitting two pedestrians. Where she normally walked. A chill raced down her spine. If she hadn’t been dragging her feet…
And if Ben hadn’t been there, walking down the block, he wouldn’t have been able to grab the two little boys and pull them out of harm’s way.
Ben saved them.
Without a word, he pulled her close and held her tight. God, she missed this. He felt so damn good. His warmth and strength surrounded her, and she soaked him all in and eventually stopped shaking. When she finally drew back to ask if he was okay, and why he was here, he placed a finger on her mouth and graced her with a smile, as a grin tilted his lips.
“Wait. Not here,” he said, then took her hand and led her back down the street to the museum, and she wondered briefly how he knew where it was. She’d never told him. He’d never asked.
By the time they went inside, her pulse was pounding, palms sweating, and she had to keep talking her knees out of buckling, again.
He led them to a quiet corner, then turned to face her. She opened her mouth, but his finger returned to her lips, and he looked down at her with so much emotion in his eyes, her heart rocked hard in her chest. Then it was pounding so loud she was surprised he didn’t hear it.
“I have a few things I’d like to say first, if you don’t mind.” When she nodded, he grabbed both of her hands and stared at their fingers for a few seconds. “I’m sorry, Lea. Sorry that I let you go. I should never, ever have done that. It’s not a mistake I’ll ever make again.”
She squeezed his hands to convey she heard him. She always heard him. And she didn’t need his words now. Just him. But she knew he needed to get this out.
He squeezed back. “I’ve been a fool. Didn’t recognize the signs because I’d cut myself off from emotions so long ago. Off from everyone but you. I don’t need anyone but you, Lea. You’ve always been there for me. Letting me teach you how to swing a bat. Having my back when Gwen left. The towers fell. With Mrs. Dankirk. You always helped without question. You have always been there for me. You’re my history, Lea.” He smiled at her. The perfect smile. The one with his whole heart in his gaze, reaching, connecting with hers, warming her from the inside out. “And I love you.”
Overwhelmed with happiness, she finally barreled into the man and held him tight. “I love you too, Ben. I’ve always loved you.”
He hugged her hard and just stood there holding her for a few minutes. His heat and acceptance and love all seeped into her and made her whole.
When he drew back enough to stare down into her eyes, his gaze held nothing back, so full of emotions her breath caught again.
“Right here and now, in this museum, Lea, I want you to know you’ve got your job and me. I’ll do whatever you want, commute to the Poconos, I don’t care as long as you let me in your life.”
Tears fell down her face as she nodded. “Thank you. Because I want both, Ben. Very much. And you don’t need to commute. I will.” Her sister had a killer penthouse, but the thought of staying with Ben in his cabin sent a thrill through her. “I love your cabin. Especially that swing…”
He growled as he brushed the tears from her face. “Me, too.”
“I was trying to wait until Thanksgiving to see you, but I couldn’t do it. I had to see you and was coming home tonight.” She drew in a breath then released it. “About what happened out there…I normally only work until four, Ben. But today, I’d stayed behind. I was dragging my feet for some reason. If I hadn’t, that car…”
He pulled her in tight, buried his face in her neck where he breathed in deep. “All the way here I was willing you to be safe, Lea. I tried your phone, but it went to voicemail.” His whole body shook.
“I’m just glad you listened to your intuition. So damn glad.”
“And I’m glad you were okay, and so proud of you.” She drew back to cup his face. “God, Ben, they said you’d saved those little boys.”
He nodded, but surprised her when he didn’t use the incident to complain about the dangers of the city. This was great progress.
She smiled. “I still can’t believe you’re here. You came to see me. How did you know where I worked? I don’t think I’d ever mentioned the name.”
“Gwen. I stopped by Gabe’s on the way out of town, and she gave me her address and this one,” he said, running his finger down her cheek as he held her gaze. “I had this feeling about you and a bus and kids and the museum.” He shuddered. “I had to come. Nothing was going to stop me. Not even my phobia. For once, I listened to my gut where you were concerned. I didn’t ignore my feelings. They were full of you, Lea. Full of you.”
Then he was kissing her, so slow and tender Lea had never felt more cherished in her life. Ben was real. This was real. Everything was right. And perfect. And she was so happy she thought she might burst.
Never in all of history could that eleven year old girl have imagined, all those years ago, she would actually have her dream job and her dream man.
**♥*
*
Jill is a chocoholic with a big heart, a flair for baking and confection, and a knack for getting into predicaments, including the one where she was almost financially ruined by her ex. Now she’s in a new town with a new business and is determined to stay away from trouble. Especially, the gorgeous guardsman with the haunted gaze, brooding expression and miserable attitude. Her days of helping people were over.
Too bad her new business venture puts her in daily contact with the man who melts her heart.
♥
Please turn the page for a sneak peek at:
Wyne and Chocolate
Citizen Soldier Series: Book Two/Mason
Available February 2015
**♥**
Chapter One - Wyne and Chocolate
If the road to riches was paved with potholes, then judging by the size of the one that just sent Jill Bailey into a ditch, she was going to be a freakin’ billionaire.
If she didn’t freeze to death first.
Camouflaged under nine inches of still-falling snow, the crater big enough to swallow a man whole hadn’t been visible until she was upon it. Even though the rapidly falling white stuff filled the hole, and she’d deployed her quick-swerve maneuver, neither had saved her from wrecking her car against a tree.
Idjit.
Only a moron would ignore warnings and travel on a closed interstate during a blizzard. Especially if that moron was desperate. She was both. A moron and desperate. Which made her dangerous. Yeah, to herself.
“Ouch,” she muttered into the silent car as she pushed at the deployed airbag to tentatively touch her throbbing nose, then pulled her hand away to stare at her wet fingers. “Oh, goodie. Blood.”
Her stomach churned. Nope. She was not going to be sick. If there was one thing Jill hated more than the sight of blood, it was being physically sick.
And spiders. She really, really hated spiders.
Ignoring the pain throbbing her face, she tried starting the stalled car, but it was no use. Nothing happened. She was stuck. Turning off the ignition, she kept the lights on in hopes someone would happen by and see her in the ditch. Maybe if she tapped the brakes once in awhile too, it could catch attention. Jill glanced to her left, trying to eye the dark, deserted interstate up the small hill. Maybe she could flag someone down for help. Yeah, not going to happen. She was the only one foolish enough to venture out on a night like tonight, completely blowing the New Year’s resolutions she’d made last week vowing to be smart and fierce in business and not to let her heart rule her head.
Yeah, blew that one eight days in.
She hissed out a sigh, the rapidly cooling temperature lending visibility to her disgusted breath. Shivering, she turned the key and pushed the button to roll up the window. No sense in filling the car with snow, and cold air. Judging by the smoke emanating from the hood of her car, the radiator was now shot. Or was that just snow? She flicked on the heater. Nothing. Great. It could be a long night. She fished out her phone, but wasn’t surprised to see there weren’t enough bars to make a call. Not in the boonies.
Running her gaze ran down the dress coat covering her wrap-around-dress and the high heeled boots she’d worn to pitch a new candy line to a major New York confection conglomerate, she sighed again. Perfect for the meeting. Horrible for being stranded in her car. In the middle of a blizzard. Apparently, not only was she going to have to wait for an answer about the candy, she was going to have to wait for help, too. Even though the last sign she’d passed said she was only five miles from her exit, there was no way she could walk safely in her outfit.
Fudge.
Okay, her mind reasoned, if she remained calm, and kept those New Year’s resolutions, she would survive this mess and live to pay her uncle back. Keeping those resolutions were key. She couldn’t afford to blow even one if she was to get her life back in order. Especially that last one. Don’t let her heart rule her head. That’s what had sent her into the downhill spiral that was her life over the past three years.
But things were finally looking up. Desperate for finances, she’d added chocolate shaped penises to the lollipop menu of Confection Connection, her bakery/candy shop, when her friend Lea Gablonski had asked if she’d create penis pops for a bachelorette party last September. The lollipops had been so successful, Jill hadn’t been able to keep up with the demand.
Finally, after accepting a large order last week, she’d commissioned a new mold from a company in NYC, with more penises per mold. It had been ready today. With the costumer scheduled to pick up the pops in two days, Jill had no time to wait for the mold to arrive in the mail. She needed it today, so she could start creating tonight. The new pattern would shave a ton of time off her schedule. She was very pleased with them and the fact she’d had the company increase the size of the pop because…well, size did matter.
Her bark of laughter quickly turned into a wince as pain radiated to her temple. Yeah, even the silent winter night didn’t appreciate her ill humor.
But, if she didn’t laugh, she’d surely cry. Thanks to her dratsab ex-husband. Okay, he was a bastard, but she hated the word and preferred to say it backward. He was a jerk and a gambler who mooched off her until he got her fired from the major New York bakery she loved when he waltzed into her boss’s office and demanded they give her a raise.
Even now, color flooded her cheeks at the memory. She welcomed the warmth, but not the accompanying embarrassment from that mortifying day. That had been her last straw. Jill had packed up what little she had left, which wasn’t much because most of her things had been sold so she could eat, pay rent, pay his never-ending gambling debts.
She straightened in her seat. That was in the past. She was moving forward. Rebuilding her reputation and her life. She left her old one behind to start anew where she’d been the happiest. In the Poconos. She had many wonderful childhood memories of visiting her cousins Evie and Nico Martelli, and helping her uncle out over the summers at his pizza shop in Pennsylvania.
God bless her uncle. He’d loaned her the money to hire a good lawyer and get a divorce. Thanks to her ex running their joint credit cards to the hilt and not paying them, her credit had tanked. Again, her uncle stepped in and loaned her the money to open Confection Connection. He said he believed in her and was happy to invest in her future.
Tears blurred her vision, but she blinked them away. She had vowed to pay her uncle back, and was finally in a position to start making payments to him. Well, she would be once she fulfilled this latest order.
Who would’ve guessed chocolate penises would lead her on a path to financial fre
edom?
A loud knock reverberated through the silent car and sent Jill straight up until her head hit the roof.
Pain radiated across her face, again. “Ouch.”
Unable to make out more than shadows, she twisted the key and rolled down her window, her heart hammering in her throat, praying an axe murderer wasn’t on the other side.
“Are you okay?” a familiar voice asked, and it took her a second to focus on the handsome man in fatigues.
Her mind registered the National Guard uniform with the name WYNE on his chest, while her body registered just which of the four gorgeous Wyne brother was outside her door.
Mason. The grumpy one. Serious one. The one whose mere presence always interrupted her pulse and sent a tingle to all her neglected good part.
But he was a man, and she was off men for a bit. For over a year-and-a-half now. So, her body was just going to have to starve because she was still fasting.
“Jill?” Another face appeared. Another Wyne brother. The youngest. Keiffer. “Is that you? Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she finally answered, and pushed at the air bag. “I got in a fight with this and lost.”
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Mr. Grumpypuss asked, withdrawing a huge knife from his ACUs-Army Camouflage Uniform. “Turn your head and close your eyes,” he ordered before she even had a chance to answer his question.
A second later she heard a huge pop, and felt a burst of air. When she opened her eyes and turned back around, the airbag was deflated and she could breathe a little easier.
“Well?” Gaze dark and narrowed, Mason stared down at her in a handsome face creased with aggravation as snow blew all around him.
“Thank you,” she replied.
Muttering under his breath, he shoved the knife back into his pocket. “No, I mean why the hell are you out here? The interstates are closed.”
Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series Book 1) Page 22
