Nonetheless, they were my parents. And if they knew I had been back in town without so much as a visit, they’d be even more livid than they had been when I’d joined the Navy in the first place.
Besides, it felt like an apt penance for getting so shamelessly drunk the night before.
I steeled myself with a glass of V8 juice, trying to get the taste of whiskey out of my mouth, then locked up my condo and drove across town to my parents’ large McMansion. It had been built right before the recession, and my mother had “lovingly” compiled design elements from all around the world to create the perfect architectural nightmare of a house. The pool house looked like a tiny Taj Mahal, the gardens were modeled after Bois de Boulogne, and the interior was straight Venetian marble ‘n’ kitsch. Mother had wanted a Moulin Rouge-inspired windmill for the front lawn, but that was where my father had drawn the line. Even now, years later, it was still a point of contention between the two of them – she brought it up nearly every chance that she got.
I let myself in without knocking.
Hannah, the maid, was dusting small glass sculptures in the dining room when I arrived. As soon as she saw me, she gave me a polite smile.
“It’s so good to see you, Benny,” she said. “Are your parents expecting you?”
I shook my head so quickly that the nausea came rushing back. After taking a deep breath, I cleared my throat.
“No,” I told her. “Are they home?”
She nodded. “They’re out back,” she said, lowering her voice. “Your mother has some new design for an addition and they’re working with an architect now.”
“Good,” I told her.
“They’ll be so happy to see you,” Hannah added, sounding uncertain for the first time since my arrival. “You look so tanned!”
I smiled thinly, then nodded my head at her and left.
In the garden, by a terra cotta fireplace that I didn’t recognize, my parents were sitting at a small table, peering over blueprints. They didn’t look up at the sound of my footsteps and I stood awkwardly by the table for a moment before clearing my throat.
“I’m home,” I said in a raspy voice.
My parents’ heads snapped up and my mother’s face immediately stretched into a tight, artificial smile.
“Benjamin!” She cooed. By the look of her face, she’d had several hundred rounds of Botox done in the last few years. “My boy!”
“Hello, son,” my father said in his austere way. He got up from the table and shook my hand. Then, my mother launched herself at me and gave me an enormous hug. She had to stretch on the tips of her toes to reach me and immediately, her bony shoulder jabbed me in the neck.
I felt nauseous again at the scent of her gardenia perfume, but I forced a smile.
“Good to see you, boy,” my father boomed. “Are you back for good?”
“I ... I don’t know yet,” I said. “I haven’t made a decision.”
“I’ll ring for some drinks,” my mother said.
My stomach did a queasy roll and I shook my head. “I’ll just take a water, thanks,” I said drily.
My father gave me an odd look, then chuckled under his breath. “I thought the Navy was supposed to make a man out of you,” he said. “Not turn my only son into a pussy!”
My mother shot him a dirty look, then gave me a big, wide smile. “Don’t listen to him, dear,” she said. “He’s overjoyed that you’re back. We both are!”
Neither one of them looked even remotely close to overjoyed – if anything, they both looked as if they’d just received a notice for back taxes owed to the IRS in the amount of their entire fortune.
“Just got back yesterday,” I said.
“Come sit, dear,” my mother said. She pushed the blueprints to the side and patted the bench. Already regretting my visit, I walked over and took a seat.
“So,” she continued. “How are you?”
Well, I’ve just spent the last five years defending my goddamned country and killing pirates for nothing, you see, because the love of my life clearly moved on and had a fucking kid in my absence, I thought.
Instead, I cleared my throat. “Fine,” I lied. “And you?”
My mother smiled painfully. “You’ve come home at a wonderful time,” she said. “There’s a Taste of the South ball in a few weeks, and I’d love for you to be there.”
“Maybe,” I said.
“You remember Annette Mercer? She’s grown up just lovely,” my mother drawled on. “Blonde and pretty and she plays a wonderfully beautiful game of tennis.” She eyed me. “And she’s single! Isn’t that wonderful!”
“I haven’t seen Annette since we were kids,” I said. “She probably has her own life.”
“Or maybe, she’s been waiting for this dashing Naval man to come back and make an honest women of her,” my mother warbled on.
“I doubt it,” I told her.
“And then there’s Tricia Woodhouse – she’s just beautiful,” my mother said. “A redhead, don’t you like those? And she’s got nice, wide hips – I bet she’d give you a lot of children!”
“I’m not thinking about marriage right now,” I said shortly. “I just got back – I don’t even know if I’m sticking around here or not.”
My mother looked wounded, as if I’d slapped her across the face.
“Why, Benjamin, how can you say that? You know it’s always been my dream to see you settled down. And it’s about time you give me some grandchildren! You know that sister of yours never will.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m sure Margot is doing just fine,” I said.
“Margot is ... well, Margot is another story,” my mother replied. She waved a hand dismissively in the air. “And that story isn’t for today. Now, tell me – have you seen a prettier girl than Evelyn Hedge?” She pulled out her phone and started scrolling through pictures of skinny, stiff-looking debutantes with giant hair and plastic smiles.
“Mom, I told you,” I said, trying not to let my exasperation show in my voice. “I’m not interested.”
My mother glared at me. “Well, you are just useless,” she said. “You want to go ahead and break my heart? You’re doing it right now,” she declared. “I was the one who stuck up for you to Father when you went and joined the Navy – the nerve of you! You could’ve stayed here, and been perfectly content forever!”
I’d had enough. I knew that if I sat there for much longer, I would lose my mind. I got to my feet, drained my glass of ice water in a single gulp, and then stalked back in the direction of the house. Inside, I was filled with disgust. I had hardly been back in Wilmington for twenty-four hours, and already my mother was acting like the madam of the world’s most Southern brothel. How could I tell her that there was no other woman whom I could ever want?
The only woman I wanted was Jessie – and she was clearly off-limits.
“Benjamin!” My mother shrieked. “You don’t walk away from me like that!” Her voice grew more shrill with each passing second. “Benjamin! Where are you going?!”
It didn’t matter where I was going. In that moment, the only thing I gave a flying fuck about was getting away from my mother.
5
Jessie – Six Years Ago
“You need anything else for the day?” As I asked the question, I crossed my fingers under my desk so that my boss, Wendy, couldn’t see.
Please, please, let me leave on time, I thought as I shifted anxiously in my chair. It’s Friday!
Wendy smiled at me. “You sure seem anxious to get out of here,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Doing anything tonight?”
I grinned. “I actually have a date with my boyfriend,” I said. “He said that he’s going to surprise me, but we’ll probably just end up at Pasta Plus again ... that’s my favorite.”
My boss chuckled and inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Sounds fun, kid,” she said. “You have a good weekend, okay?”
The grin stayed on my face as I shut down
my PC, grabbed my empty lunchbox from the shared fridge in the kitchen, and rushed out of the broadcasting station.
To my surprise, Benjamin was waiting for me in the parking lot. A small smile – the only kind of smile he ever gave – was on his face and he was holding his hands behind his back. As usual, the sight of him gave me instant butterflies. Just looking at his shiny black hair, his sculpted jaw, his broad, muscular shoulders filled me with excitement and arousal. My heart skipped a beat and suddenly, I could feel the way my panties were clinging to the lips of my pussy.
God, he’s so gorgeous, I thought. I can’t believe he’s mine!
I winked at him and slow-walked across the lot, swinging my hips from side to side as I approached him. Throwing my arms around his neck, I gave him a big, dramatic kiss.
“Jess,” Ben groaned. “You’re killing me – we’re in public!”
When I pulled away, I gave him a coy smile. “Well, you didn’t so much mind that the night we met,” I said archly. “In fact, as I recall, you seemed to like it.”
A hint of red appeared on Ben’s cheeks and I smirked.
“These are for you,” he said, brandishing a bouquet of daisies from behind his back. They were so beautiful that I squealed, pulling them into my arms and sniffing them.
“I love them,” I said dramatically. “Is that my surprise?”
Ben shook his head. “Nope,” he said. He gestured to his Land Rover, all sparkling clean and shiny. “Hop in, kid,” he said, giving me another quick peck on the cheek.
I sauntered to the passenger side and climbed inside. Ben drove like he always did – fast, but not like an asshole – and even though I knew we were probably just going to our standby date place, I was excited all the same. It was a warm spring day and with the breeze blowing through my hair, I knew I was the happiest woman in the world. Ben reached for my hand as he drove and laced his fingers with mine, squeezing my hand and holding me tight.
“I love you,” I said dreamily, scooting over in my seat and resting my head on Ben’s shoulder. He nuzzled my hair and planted a kiss on my head at a stop light, then turned his focus back to the wheel.
To my surprise, we drove right past Pasta Plus. Ben turned to me and smirked.
“Now are you surprised?”
“I have to admit that I am,” I teased. “Where are you taking me?”
Ben chuckled – a delicious, low sound that rumbled up from his muscular abs. “If I told you, babe, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” he teased back.
I shifted eagerly on the seat and peered out the window, wondering if each place we passed was going to be our next stop. Ben kept driving until we were past downtown Wilmington. He drove past the turn-off points to all three beaches, past the Cape Fear river, past the outskirts of town. When he turned down a wooded road, I held my breath.
The Land Rover rumbled along as the road turned from paved to dirt and I shrieked and giggled and bounced in the seat as the SUV climbed over the rocky surface. When Ben stopped, I gasped. We were parked in a secluded clearing, surrounded by trees and chirping birds. I could smell pine needles in the air and hear the rushing sounds of the river.
“This is beautiful,” I said softly. “Where are we?”
Ben smirked. “Our own private paradise,” he said. He parked the Land Rover and unbuckled his belt, but didn’t climb out. His smile faded and I frowned.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’ve gotta tell you something, Jess,” Ben said in a husky voice.
“Spill,” I demanded.
When Ben didn’t say anything, I whined impatiently.
“Come on,” I said. “You didn’t bring me out here in the middle of the woods to keep your mouth shut, did you?”
Ben shook his head.
“I joined the Navy today,” he said. After a beat, he added: “I report to basic in a week, then direct ship. I could be going anywhere.”
I blinked at him in surprise. Ever since Ben and I had met almost two years ago, he had talked endlessly about wanting to join the Navy ... and how he couldn’t, from fear of disappointing his parents.
“Baby, that’s wonderful,” I cried as I launched myself towards him and pulled him into a deep hug. His woodsy cologne filled my nostrils and I breathed in deep, holding my boyfriend tight and kissing his neck.
Immediately, I felt Ben’s body relax. The tension faded from his posture and he breathed a sigh of relief into my neck.
When we pulled away, I took his hand in mine and squeezed.
“I’m so happy for you,” I gushed. “And I’m so proud.”
Ben smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that, baby,” he said gruffly. “I was worried you’d be upset.”
“Hell, no,” I told him. “I’m the one who told you that it was a good idea, remember?”
“Yeah, but I’m going to hate being away from you,” Ben replied. “I ... well, I figured that if I didn’t do it now, I never would.”
“I want you to do this,” I said fiercely. “I want you to do everything that you’ve ever wanted to do. I want you to achieve your goals, baby,” I said. “This is just as important to me as it is to you.”
Ben nodded. He swallowed thickly and I felt that delicious blend of feelings start to rise inside of me again – excitement and arousal and the sheer, pure bliss that came from being with my perfect boyfriend.
“I love you,” I told him.
Ben’s blue eyes focused on mine and suddenly, we were the only two people in the world. He reached for me and pulled me close, kissing me passionately as he stroked my hair.
“I love you, Jessie,” Ben said in low voice. “And I always will. You can’t ever forget that, okay?”
I shook my head. “Like that would be possible,” I said.
Any other time, we would have laughed.
Not now.
The air between us had changed and turned serious, intimate. As Ben kissed me again, I moaned softly. His tongue slipped between my lips and tasted me, probed my mouth. I felt myself opening to him, like a flower, and I ran my hands through his soft black hair.
“I need you,” Ben growled into my mouth. He didn’t release his grip on me as he shifted from the driver’s seat to the spacious back of the Land Rover. We tumbled and fell and panted together, with me landing on top of him, straddling him. Ben put his hands on my shoulders and moved them down my body, cupping and squeezing my breasts though my shirt and sending a thrilling ocean wave of pleasure through my entire body.
“I want to be naked with you,” I whispered. Crossing my arms over my chest, I locked eyes with Ben and pulled the hem of my shirt up and over my head. Ben reached behind my back and unclasped my bra, then tugged it away from my bare skin. He craned his neck and took my stiff nipples into his mouth, licking and sucking. I moaned softly and arched my back, guiding Ben’s hands to my breasts. He squeezed them again and a bolt of hot lust went soaring through my body at the sensation. While Ben had always known how to pleasure me, we’d become such experienced lovers that sex with him was like making perfect music every time. I leaned down and kissed him, sucking and gently biting his lower lip until he groaned into my mouth.
“God, Jess,” Ben growled. “You’re so perfect.”
I flushed hotly as I squirmed on top of him, wriggling and fumbling with my skirt. The zipper got stuck and I groaned impatiently. Ben smirked at me and ripped the fabric away from my body. Clad only in panties, I whimpered and gyrated my hips, rolling and undulating on top of him. Through the material of his jeans, I could feel that his cock was hard and the thought of him sliding inside of me filled with excitement. My pussy was soaking wet – the car was filled with the scent of my arousal – and my clit was throbbing, eagerly awaiting the moment that Ben would touch me.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Ben said huskily as he tossed my now-ruined skirt to the side.
“I don’t care,” I breathed. I leaned down and kissed him again, eagerly pressing my lips to his as my fingers fumbled with
the buttons of his shirt. Ben batted my hands away and yanked the material away from his body.
“Someone’s eager,” I teased softly.
Ben silenced me with another scorching hot kiss that made my toes curl. I wriggled backwards and undid his belt and fly, then tugged his jeans down his hips. His magnificently huge cock made a delicious bulge in his boxers, and I gave him a saucy, suggestive look as I rubbed my hand over it. Ben’s eyes rolled back in his head and he groaned with obvious pleasure as I bent down and gently breathed warm air on his cock through the thin material of his underwear.
“Fuck, baby, you’re torturing me,” Ben groaned. He tangled a hand in my hair and I gasped as he tugged gently, just the way I liked.
Still grinning devilishly, I hooked my thumbs in his boxes and yanked them down. His cock sprang free and I stuck my tongue out, flicking it over the head. Ben squirmed. A low moan emerged from the back of his throat as he closed his eyes and surrendered to the sensation. I wrapped my hand around the base of his cock and began to pump my fingers up and down, pleasuring him slowly, before opening my mouth and taking the head of his perfect dick into my mouth.
Ben growled with lust as I flicked my tongue over the underside of his cock. He tasted like sweat and musk and I savored every hint of him, every inch, every nerve of his dick. As I licked and sucked, Ben bucked his hips and grunted with pleasure.
“Baby, ride me,” Ben groaned. “Please, I fucking need you!”
I rose up from his cock, smiling slyly like a cat as I licked my lips. We locked eyes and a jolt of hot lust sizzled through my body as I rolled my hips and cupped my breasts, enjoying the show that I was putting on for my man.
“Fuck, baby, you’re killing me,” Ben uttered in a deep voice.
I couldn’t wait any longer. Pulling the crotch of my panties to the side, I climbed on top of him and rubbed my pussy lips on his cock, moaning as his head rubbed my clit with every thrust. Ben put his hands on my hips and pulled me down, yanked me onto him, impaled me with his delicious manhood. For a moment, I didn’t move. Then, we began rocking back and forth in a slow, sensual rhythm.
Secret Baby: A Second Chance Navy SEAL Romance (Forbidden First Times Book 4) Page 4
