“I told you I was fine.” I open the door, not bothering to mask my annoyance at her presence.
“And you promised me the juicy details in exchange for privacy Friday night.” She pushes past me and heads into the kitchen. “It’s Sunday, and I have no juicy details. What gives?”
I watch as she reaches into my refrigerator and cracks open a bottle of water. She chugs it, and I realize she’s decked out in her running gear and looks like she just ran a marathon.
“Did you run here?”
“Yup,” she gasps, using the back of her arm to wipe the sweat off her upper lip. “Spill.”
I glance down the hall, hoping she doesn’t see me do it, before answering. “Rachelle, it’s really not a good time for this.”
“Why not? I thought you said you were okay?” She looks me up and down, her eyes searching for something to be wrong with me.
“I am, but I was about to jump in the shower.” I tighten my robe around me and flick my head to the back bedroom, hoping she’ll get the hint and go.
She looks at me, her brow puckering in confusion. “You’re kicking me out because you were getting ready to take a shower?”
“I’m not kicking you out,” I argue, lowering my voice a little. The last thing I need is for her to wake Ben. I’m not ready to tell my sister anything about him, but she catches on to the level of my voice, my appearance, and my cagey behavior.
“Oh, my God, he’s here, isn’t he?” she asks, her eyes wide with shock and awe. “You dirty little slut… Wait, is it the same guy? The one from Friday night?”
“Wow, who do you think I am? Yes, it’s the same guy.” I scowl, crossing my arms.
“I think you’re a grown-ass woman who has every right to explore life as she pleases.” Rachelle cocks an eyebrow and smirks. “And if he’s who you’re exploring life with, well, then I’m one jealous bitch.”
I feel an arm slip around my waist as Ben steps up behind me. “Everything all right in here?” he asks. His deep voice fills the air, sending a shiver through my body. I look up at him, in awe of the way he’s looking at my sister without a sliver of the annoyance I feel toward her. He’s poised to protect but without being an ass about it.
Will I ever get enough of this man? I wonder to myself.
“You must be Cami’s sister.”
“Yes, I’m Rachelle,” she flounders, reaching out a hand to him. He takes her hand without letting his hold on me go.
“Nice to meet you, Rachelle. I’m Ben,” he replies nonchalantly, giving her a devilish grin. Rachelle looks the Adonis behind me up and down before stopping on me. She’s dumbstruck and absolutely speechless. Her jaw flaps as she struggles to form words, but nothing comes.
She looks to me, but I’m enjoying seeing her struck like this. It reminds me of the first day I laid eyes on him and how he made me feel.
Ben has that kind of effect on women, and he has no idea of it. He’s always too busy to notice the way women turn to look at him as he walks by. The way they stare and murmur behind his back.
“Can I have my hand back?” Ben asks, interrupting my thoughts, and I see Rachelle snatch her hand back, shocked at the indecent time she spent holding his.
“Ben, do you think you can give me a moment with Rachelle?” I ask, turning in his arms and reaching up to kiss him lightly on the lips.
“Sure,” he murmurs before stepping back and nodding to my sister. “It was nice meeting you, Rachelle. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again.”
She nods dumbly, but the moment he’s out of sight, she’s on me.
“Holy fucking shit,” she swears in a harsh whisper. “Do you know who he is?”
Shit.
All my blood freezes in my veins, and for the first time since walking into The Meat Market, I realize my sister might know all about the place and the men who are a part of it. She does own one of the hottest restaurants in the city.
“Yes, he’s the architect who did the renovations on the library I was telling you about,” I answer, hoping it’s enough to sway her away from his other job.
“You’re kidding me. That’s the Adonis?”
“Yes, why?”
“So, he doesn’t work for Jason Somers at that butcher shop?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Rachelle,” I say, but her eyes light up a second later.
“I thought you said he was a blind date—”
“Rach—”
“Oh, my God, you went down there and booked a date with them, didn’t you?” Instead of being shocked at my behavior, Rachelle has the biggest smile plastered across her face.
“It isn’t like that with him—”
“I bet they all say that—”
“No, it isn’t.” Ben’s voice rounds the corner, and he pins my sister in place with a cold stare. “Yes, I used to offer services at Jason’s shop, but I haven’t taken on a new client in a long time. Until Cami.”
“Until Cami?” she asks.
“Jason is one of my best friends, has been since college. He knew about Cami the first day I met her, and he called me the second she walked out of his shop.” He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me hard against him. I feel the tension in his body. “I was going to ask Cami out the next time I saw her, already had it planned, but fate had another plan for us. Guess I wasn’t moving fast enough for it.”
“I didn’t mean to insinuate—”
“I’m guessing you didn’t, but I’ve been to your restaurant a time or two with a client, and I thought it best this came from me and not Cami. I have a past, one I’m not exactly proud of, but I did what I had to do to survive,” he continues, but he’s made his point, and Rachelle knows she crossed a line.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice is soft, and her eyes dart between the two of us. She swallows hard before speaking. “Um, Cami, I think I should get going.”
“Do you want me to give you a ride? It’s really late.” I don’t want her running the three miles back to her house this time of night. She shouldn’t have been out running this late to begin with, but then again, she probably wouldn’t have done it in the first place if I had called her. My sister runs when she’s worried or stressed out over something.
“No, I can text Jeremy.”
“Text him and stay until he gets here,” Ben tells her, but it’s more like a command. I wait for Rachelle to fire back, but she doesn’t. “I’m going to go back to bed. I’ve got to leave earlier than I expected. Kins texted. Girls need me to pick them up in the morning and drop them off at the library.”
I nod, noting the way he kisses my head softly this time and breathes in my scent. He lets go and turns to leave the room again, but Rachelle’s voice stops him.
“Please don’t hurt her,” she tells him, crossing the room to stand in front of him. I can feel the seriousness pouring off my sister. “I can see you care about her, but I know my sister. She’s already decided you’re the one.”
“If I had my way, I’d marry her tomorrow.” My heart flutters hard in my chest. The confession rocks me hard. I watch as he gives my sister a nod and leaves us hens to it.
“Holy shit, did he just say he wanted to marry me?” I ask out loud to no one in particular.
“I better be your fucking MOH.” Rachelle chuckles and throws an arm around my shoulder. “Word of sisterly advice… Watch your teeth.”
9
Cami
When Ben walks into the library with his girls, my heart leaps into my chest. His all-male presence sends tingles throughout my body as the memories of our weekend together surface fresh in my mind. He finds me immediately, and the moment our eyes meet, I feel the earth shift under my feet.
It’s magic.
My hands itch to touch him.
My lips yearn for his taste.
It takes everything in me to stay put and not approach them. His girls are with him, and we never officially put a label on what we are, so I wait for him to decide what happens. It’s possible tha
t he hasn’t told them about us yet, which I can understand.
But then he moves in my direction.
His dark brown eyes pin me in place, telling me to stay put, and I do. I couldn’t move even if my life depended on it. He tells me with his eyes what I need to prepare for.
The girls know.
My heart swells, because without words he’s told me what I am to him. But if I’m honest with myself, I already knew. Ben isn’t the kind of man who would speak about marriage unless he was serious, and after what he told my sister last night, he’s made his intention pretty clear.
The three of them stop in front of me. Ben leans down to press a sweet kiss on my mouth, and the girls coo. They literally fucking coo at us.
“Oh, my gosh, you guys are so cute,” Kinsley giggles.
“I told you it was only a matter of time.” Katie bounces on the balls of her feet. They watch as Ben places an arm around me and pulls me in close to him. “You know what, you should come with us this weekend. Dad’s taking us to the fair.”
Ben looks down at me expectantly, waiting for my response to his daughter’s legit invitation.
“Um, yes, I’d like that very much,” I tell her, feeling instant acceptance into their and their father’s life. I wasn’t sure how’d they take the news about us, but this is more than I expected.
“Mom is going to freak out.” Kinsley giggles again before sneaking a photo of Ben and me with her phone and typing furiously onto it.
Wait, what?
I look up at Ben, feeling a surge of unease, but he’s quick to dash it away.
“Relax,” he whispers only for my ears. “Veronica and Bill have been happily married for almost two years, and as good parents, we’re a team.”
I nod, understanding immediately. He’s a good man and a good father, and regardless of the reasons his marriage ended, he would stay neutral for the girls.
“Cami, can I work with you today?” Katie asks, and I nod. Even though the girls don’t report to me for their internship, if I ask, they can be assigned to me at any time.
“I’ll be in the stacks today, so it’ll be a bit boring,” I warn, but I have a feeling I could be scrubbing toilets and she’d still want to be with me.
“Kins, Katie, you girls need to go check in before you’re late,” Ben tells them, and they both step forward to hug him goodbye, then dart off to make their check-in time. The library internship is an easy job, but they’re strict about being on time, and it could cost them their spot. Ben tightens his hold at my waist. “Alone at last.”
“I didn’t expect that,” I say, turning to face him. My shift doesn’t officially start for another fifteen minutes, but I came early hoping to see him.
“Girls needed to know, especially with you moving in as soon as I can convince you of it.” He smiles.
“Ben—” I start, but he stops me.
“It isn’t too soon. This should have happened months ago when I first saw you, but I fucked up. The way I see it, you’re mine, and I’m yours. Nothing and no one is going to change that.” The seriousness of his words and the fact he’s obviously given this some thought make me consider how real this has become for both of us. “You know how I feel, Cami, and since you didn’t run for the hills after I told your sister I’m going to marry you the moment you let me, you feel the same. So why wait?”
I drag in a breath, mulling over his words.
What was supposed to be a night of hot sex and good company has transformed into a future filled with possibility with a man I’ve been in love with since the moment I saw him.
I’ve spent my entire life waiting for fate to give me the happily-ever-after I’ve only read in a book, and I’m not about to let it go.
“Yes,” I laugh, lifting up onto my toes to press my lips against his, using the one line I’ve spent my life waiting to use. “A thousand times, yes.”
Epilogue
Cami
Katie beams down at us as she prepares to walk across the stage to accept her high school diploma. Her excitement is evident as she bounces on the balls of her feet, all but dancing.
Ben chuckles at the sight while holding on to our second son, Dylan. His toddler arms flail, nearly missing Ben’s face. He’s excited to see his big sister after watching the crowds of people surrounding us.
Ryan, our oldest son, sits quietly beside me, waiting for his sister to walk across the stage. Despite his calm and quiet demeanor, he’ll be the one to cheer the loudest.
Kinsley stands beside her father. Now in her second year at the University of Berkley, she flew home for the week to be here for her sister and the birth of our third son, Tyler, who was due three days ago but is being stingy.
“Katie Grace Thompson,” the principal’s loud, booming voice announces her name finally. I stand, shouting with joy, when I feel a splash of warm liquid hit my feet.
Shit.
I look down in shock and feel Ben’s gaze on me, my sudden silence alerting him.
Shit.
My water just broke.
Shit.
Looking up at him, I take a calming breath, ignoring the pain of my first official contraction.
“It’s time,” I say softly, gathering everyone’s attention at once. A beat later, Ben passes Dylan to Kinsley and looks over his shoulder to where Katie is now standing bright eyed at the short metal gate separating the graduates from the crowd.
“I knew he was going to be born today!” she shouts, hopping over the barrier with her diploma in hand, waving off one of the teachers trying to stop her. “My baby brother’s coming.”
My heart nearly explodes from my chest when I realize she’s made her way to my side and is holding Ryan’s hand.
I feel a sudden surge of strength as my boys, my girls, and the most perfect man in the world push through the crowd, ready to welcome one more into our amazing family.
And it all started with the sweetest slow burn one night in Chicago.
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to my family and friends for all their love and support.
To the Meat Market girls, thank you for taking a chance on a small-time author and letting me put my name next to yours! #yourfangirlforever
To you, the reader, for kicking ass and reading my words.
I hope you enjoyed Ben and Cami.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Surviving on caffeine most days, Tracie Douglas lives in the mountains of Southern California with her husband, two children, and one dog. She spends her days chasing children and the fur baby, all while maintaining the illusion of sanity.
Her nights are spent toiling away at the keyboard, creating a world filled with hot men and strong women. She loves to read and write all types of books but tends to lean on the darker side of the spectrum. She’s pretty handy with a crochet hook, too.
Tracie loves to hear from her readers!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authortraciedouglas
Reader’s Group: http://bit.ly/2t7iPIr
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2t7wGyl
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1RuenWm
Email: [email protected]
OTHER BOOKS BY TRACIE
The Lost Series
Lost in Silence
Lost Without You
Lost in the Shadows
STANDALONES
Travis: A Scrooged Christmas
Donut Swipe RightSlow Burn
HEARTfire – August 2018
ANTHOLOGIES
The Meat Market (No Longer Available)
Burn Me Anthology (No Longer Available)
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Slow Burn (All Heart Series) Page 5
