I watched her biting her bottom lip, her resolve slipping. But she turned for the door, trying to wrestle the chair braced under the handle.
“Chelsea, stop.”
She twirled. “That power you had over me is gone. You don’t have that control now.” Her eyes burned into mine.
“But you do.” I reached for her wrist.
“What?” Her eyes darted back and forth.
“I am only on this damn ferry because I thought it was what you wanted. I don’t want to leave, but I will do anything to make you happy again. If that means leaving or if that means staying.” I tucked her hair behind her ear. “You, are the one in control.” I caressed the side of her throat.
Her eyes closed, and I didn’t know if she was fighting off the feeling or taking it all in. What else could I say? What else could I do to prove that I had fucked up, and if she would let me, I would make it up in every way possible.
“Say something.”
I was about to try to kiss her again, when her long lashes opened. I saw the fire in her blue eyes. The fire that kept me up at night. The one that distracted me when I least expected it.
Her hands reached behind my neck, and she drew me toward her, bringing my mouth on hers. I groaned as her tongue played with mine.
“I missed you.” I held her face between my hands.
“I know.” She fisted her hands in my hair, sighing against my cheek. “Me too.”
I growled, burying my head in her shoulder. I had missed everything about this part of her body—the way it felt on my lips and how her shampoo smelled as I nuzzled into the warmth of her neck. She was like the sun. My own summer surrender.
“Tell me,” she moaned.
“What?” I kissed her ear. I thought I had said everything. The truth was out.
She pressed her palms against my chest and rubbed the rigid muscles.
“You have to tell me.” She grinned wickedly.
I looked at the clock over the door, the closed blinds, and the chair under the door.
I pulled her against me and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Fuck me.”
She ran her fingertips along my stomach. “Right here? Right now?” she teased.
I nodded. My eyes urged her to do what she wanted. I was hers.
She shook her head. “Uh-uh. You have to tell me,” she purred as she dipped her hand below my waistband.
I sucked in sharply. She always had this effect on me—taking me to the edge with the things she could do.
“Chelsea, you can fuck me now. Here. Wherever you want.” I leaned back. “Just take me.” I had never given control up like that. Power and anxiousness coiled together as I realized how freeing it was to ask her for what I wanted.
My body come alive under her command. But I knew there was something else I had to tell her. I had waited until it was too late before, and I wasn’t going to make that mistake a second time. I would never risk losing her again. Maybe she hadn’t completely forgiven me, but this was her way of saying there was still something there—it wasn’t over. I needed to take the next leap. I had to tell her.
“Chelsea?” I tried to focus. The burning in my belly was intense and her hands were all over my cock.
“Mmm-hmm?” She gripped my hands against her hips, shimming her skirt up around her waist. Her shoulders flattened against the wall, and I watched her breasts rise as her breath quickened.
My eyes met hers. I didn’t whisper. I didn’t want to make her guess. This was the fucking moment of truth.
“I am in love with you.”
The light I loved so much, the one I was afraid I had dimmed with my lies, glowed when she smiled.
“Ben,” she whispered.
My mouth descended on hers and everything else faded away.
CHAPTER FOURTY
Chelsea
“And why are we taking a private plane again? I had an airline ticket.” I tried to relax into the leather seat as a flight attendant handed me a glass of champagne. I had missed my scheduled flight.
“Because, I don’t want to put you on a plane alone, and I think you’ll like this much better.” Ben winked as he buckled in across from me.
One thing on a private jet is that there aren’t rows of seats. This one was set up like a living room. He was directly in front of me, where I could keep my eye on his perfect face. I couldn’t argue with him that the plane was beautiful. I’m sure it was a struggle for him to squeeze into regular airline seats. He looked comfortable on his mini-couch.
He raised his glass. “To first trips.”
“To first trips.” I tasted the bubbly. It was cold and smooth. “So, when we land in Austin, what are we going to do?” My meeting with Blue Steel Records was tomorrow afternoon, and except for that one, all of my other plans had gone right out the window the minute I let Ben kiss me again.
“We are driving to the ranch. I want you to see where I live. It’s no island, but I think you’ll like it.” He looked excited.
“Do they serve cowboy steak there?” I teased. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a fire pit. He loved building a fire with the driftwood he collected. I wondered what kind of wood they used on the ranch.
“Lenny will make anything you want.”
“Lenny?”
“Yeah, ranch chef.” He said it like it was well-known fact.
Of course he would have a ranch chef. That’s what famous rich people had, right? I didn’t have any idea how many people worked for Ben or how big his network was. What I had learned about his famous life took place over the week we spent apart. It was my crash course into Hollywood gossip. I searched for articles, pictures, and anything with his name on it. It wasn’t my best decision. I learned more than I wanted to about his bachelor status, and about the girls before me.
Today was a whirlwind. Ben had left his Jeep with one of the ferry attendants, paying him to drive it back to my house. Then he hopped behind the wheel of my car and drove us all the way north on Highway 12. True, there was a bit of a commotion when we emerged from the lounge, but we had to hope it wasn’t enough to make a blip on the social media radar.
None of it made sense, but what makes sense when you realize you’re in love with the one person who keeps you breathing, who simultaneously spins and stops your world. You don’t close the door on that person—not a second time.
“What are you thinking about over there, pretty girl?” He flashed his killer smile. I didn’t want to fall for it the first day I saw it on the docks, but I did—right into the creek.
“I’m thinking about my meeting with Brandon and Quinn tomorrow, and how I’m going to tell my parents I’m on a plane with you right now, and I’m wondering—”
He was out of his seat and his hands planted on either side of my head. “Am I going to have to kiss you all the way to Texas to keep you from worrying?” He brushed his lips against mine.
I couldn’t help but sigh and drink in the kiss that tasted like champagne. Private planes were even better than I thought. “No, but it’s a lot to sort through.” I raised my eyebrow.
He slid back into his seat. “Yes, it is.”
After he had started driving, we started talking. It was as if we were never apart. We fell back into our same dance moves, only this time it felt like they were stronger and sharper. We were going to Austin together. We were going to be together. There wasn’t a label or a promise tagged to the conversation, but our hearts understood.
The captain announced that we were about to take off. I watched as the runway peeled past us and we shot into the air, headed for the Lonestar State. The state responsible for creating Ben Baldwin.
Ben was reading something he had pulled from his bag. I bit on my lower lip. Just watching him made me happy. When he was gone, everything hurt. In only eight hours, all of the ache that had circled and clamped on my heart had removed its talons. It was beating again, wildly and hurriedly for him.
“What are you reading?” I asked, noticing his hands we
re stretched over the title.
He blushed and his fingers moved to the side.
“You’re reading Love & Bondage?” I giggled. It was a chick book. The kind that girls at school couldn’t stop talking about. It was popular, erotic, and hot. I had read it before graduation.
“Should I not read it?” He folded it in his lap.
“Oh no, read it. Definitely read it.” Ben didn’t need pointers, and he certainly didn’t need any creative suggestions in bed, but there was always the chance it might inspire him. My chest tingled with the idea.
The captain announced we were at a safe altitude to move about the cabin. I smiled as the flight attendant appeared to refill my champagne.
I wondered what Ben would be like in Texas. Could he be more cowboy than he already was? He had told me he didn’t want to make any more movies for a while, but he still had responsibilities with a staff, and he had loose ends to tie up with the latest press fiasco.
He had made it abundantly clear that he would do anything and everything I needed for my music. I loved that about him; he was filled with more good than I had ever seen. He helped everyone, and put him or her first—always.
I felt my shoulders relax. That protective nature kept him from telling me the truth. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done if I had known who he was from the beginning. I didn’t care that he was a celebrity, but it might have kept me from giving him a chance. It would have been too intimidating to know I was dating the World’s Sexiest Bachelor. I giggled, realizing I had caught the biggest fish of the summer.
I unbuckled the belt around my waist and moved next to Ben. He reached for a pillow, shoved it at the end of the loveseat, and laid down, giving me the perfect nook to cuddle into.
I nestled on his chest, settling into the rhythm of his breath. He held the book up with one hand. I loved the way he felt under my palms. I loved his cologne. I loved his hand resting on my hip. I loved everything about him.
He might have been cussing about something he read, I wasn’t sure. I closed my eyes and let my body melt into his. Nothing felt better in the world than sleeping next to my very own movie star. And he was mine.
###
Keep Reading to find out what happens next for Ben and Chelsea in a preview of
Bucking Bareback.
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BUCKING BAREBACK
CHAPTER ONE
Ben
The pilot called over the speaker to announce the plane was making its final approach into Austin. I folded my book and tossed it on the floor. Home. It had been four long months since I had been home. I had tried to outrun my life, but failed. I fought. I hid. I resisted. I lied. But now I was back, only this time I wasn’t alone.
Chelsea was tucked and curled against my side—where she fit perfectly. She had fallen asleep soon after takeoff. I studied her face, half-covered with her auburn locks. I envied the sleep she found. There was no way my mind would have done anything but cycle through everything that could go wrong. If I held on a little tighter, pulled her a little closer, maybe there was a way to protect her. I didn’t want to move my hand from her hip or shift to wake her.
There were certain moments that I knew I couldn’t get back. This was one of them. We were still us. Just Ben and Chelsea. The minute the plane landed, it would all change.
They would be waiting. They were always waiting.
The flight attendant hovered nearby and I waved her off. Her name tag said Ally. She was only trying to follow safety procedures for the landing, but we needed more than seat belts for what was ahead of us.
I wrapped my free arm across Chelsea and drew her against my chest as the wheels hit the pavement. If only keeping her safe was always this easy. The impact jostled us both and her eyes fluttered open.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“Hey.” I planted a kiss on her forehead before she stretched into an upright position.
“I slept the entire way?” She looked toward the window. Her nose wrinkled in disappointment.
I straightened my legs. They were cramping up, but it was worth it to let her sleep like that. “Yep. You seemed tired, so I let you nap.” I didn’t want to tell her all the selfish reasons I wanted her pressed against me.
“We’re in Texas?” She leaned closer to me, her eyes darting back and forth like she was trying to read my mood.
“Darlin’, we’re in Texas.” I couldn’t believe we were in my home state together.
Was it really this morning that I said goodbye to everyone at the campground and left Brees Island with a hole in my heart?
I was prepared to live with that heartache. After all, I was responsible for everything that had happened.
The lies.
The deceit.
The paparazzi swarm. It was all my doing. When I thought I had left Chelsea behind, I thought a part of me had stayed behind too. The pain had wrapped my bones and suffocated me. The only thing I knew to do was leave. Give her what she wanted—as much distance and space from me as possible.
It was hard to believe that was over. The hurt and the pain from losing her had evaporated. She was here with me. We were together.
Leaning across the love seat, she brushed her lips against mine, and I instinctively pulled her into my lap. It didn’t take much for her to distract me. I blamed the pretty blue eyes she batted in my direction. It didn’t matter—I would kiss her anytime and anyplace she’d let me.
Everything about her lit me on fire. I growled in her ear, wishing there weren’t a flight attendant and two pilots on board with us.
“I can’t wait to take you home.”
Chelsea pulled back and grinned. Her eyes shot across my shoulder to the window behind me. “Me either, but it looks like we have a welcome wagon.” She pointed.
I knew, flying into Texas, there would be a press group, but I was hoping, for Chelsea’s sake, it would be minimal. I had only gotten her back a few hours ago, and this firestorm could shake the newly formed foundation we had built.
I took her hand in mine and squeezed it a few times as we looked through the windows of the jet. It might be dark, but there was no mistaking the mass of people gathered with cameras.
“You ok with all of this?” I surveyed her face before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Her eyes widened as the jet came to a standstill on the tarmac. The flashes shot through the air like lightning strikes, and the door hadn’t even opened yet.
“I think so.” She whispered the words toward the window, and I worried it was already too much.
“We can wait it out.” I thought about the best exit strategy. “Or, why don’t I go out and talk to them, and then I can have someone from the airport sneak you to the car? That could work.” I was trying to formulate a plan B and C, but she stopped me.
“No.” She turned to face me. “We’re doing this together. This is a part of you, and I need to get used to it. You are Ben Baldwin, right? The World’s Most Sought-After Bachelor,” she teased.
I loved that she was determined to face the reporters, and loved it even more that she was ready to embrace this part of my life, but I felt the familiar pain under my ribs as I inhaled. It was sharper with each breath. This was the last welcome I would have planned for her. There had to be a way to shield her from it.
I wanted to run to the cockpit and tell the pilots to fly straight back to North Carolina, back to where we could disappear on a nameless beach and blend in with the locals. Texas was home, but I felt homesick for the Sand Dollar and everything we had on Brees Island. Life was simple and easy there.
What if she felt the same way? What if she regretted the decision to fly to Austin? She was only supposed to be in town for a few days to meet with Brandon at Blue Steel Records. This could be over before I even got to show her the ranch.
My real life was outside the walls of this plane, and it might be more than either of us could handle.
When I had the chance to get her back, all I could think about was kissing and holding her, laughing and talking with her. Loving her. Now protecting her was part of it too.
Watching the flashes ricochet off the jet, I worried my selfishness to have her back had outweighed my judgment. No one would voluntarily sign up for this.
“You sure? They can be kind of brutal. You don’t have to get used to it tonight. We can ease into it.”
I thought back to how she had been ambushed in the parking lot at her father’s store and followed by a pack of paparazzi. Even her parents wound up as targets.
Chelsea wrapped her hands around my neck and smiled. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure. Besides, I have a feeling there is no easing into life with Ben Baldwin.” She winked and I had to chuckle. That was usually my move.
There was no denying those blue eyes. If she was ready to do this, I was going to make damn sure I controlled as much of the press onslaught as I could.
“Ok, well just stay next to me. I’ll make a statement and then we’re off to the ranch. It will be quick and painless.” I forced a smile, knowing there was nothing painless about facing the assembly on the tarmac. There would be questions, and there would be false accusations. Rebecca would inevitably come up.
“I’ll be fine. Stop worrying.” She reached for her backpack and slipped it over her shoulder. “I’ll let you do all the sweet talking and I'll just watch you in action.” She poked me in the side.
“I’m glad you find the humor in all of this.” I shoved the book into the side pocket, pulled the zipper on my bag, and stood. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You never do.”
She clutched my hand as we waited for the flight attendant to open the door. “I know that. Stop worrying.”
Despite the private jet and the private terminal, the press was still allowed to congregate. I usually flew out at abnormal times, missing the frenzy, but ever since the breakup-reunion story of Rebecca Campbell and Ben Baldwin made headlines last week, the reporters were anxious to catch a glimpse of me, maybe even snag a quote.
Bucking Wild Page 23
