by Sable Hunter
“Okay, but there’s one thing I need to do first.”
“All right…” he agreed, uncertainty as to what she meant sounding clear in his voice.
As soon as they were out the door, Apple tugged him away from the windows of the shop and backed the big man up against the wall.
“I don’t know what’s happening, but I like it,” Benjen muttered as he moved at her will.
Apple didn’t speak, she didn’t think about it, she just acted. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed up against him, and layered her mouth over his.
She was voracious in her demand. Hungry. Apple nipped sweetly at his lips, then soothed the place with the tip of her pink tongue. Benjen was so stunned, he was momentarily unable to react. All he could do was feel – and God, the feeling was great. When she pushed past his lips, his restraint was swept away by the sexy purr coming from her throat. He groaned at the heat she generated and took over the kiss with demanding possession, his palms coming up to frame her face, insuring she didn’t go anywhere as his mouth slanted over hers to deepen the kiss.
Long moments passed as they took pleasure in one another. Finally, when he jerked back to breathe, he gasped, “Damn, what you do to me, baby.”
The husky sound of his voice sent a rush of heat straight between her legs.
“What do I do?”
“You make me forget I need to breathe.” He kissed her again, their lips clinging to one another.
A snicker from behind her brought Apple back to reality. “I guess we’d better move on.”
“As long as I get to spend a little more time with you, that’s fine.” He walked her to her car. “Follow me, beautiful.”
Benjen gave her a kiss just before he shut the door.
“Oh, my God! I can’t believe I did that!” Apple exclaimed as she started her car, watching the man she’d just ravished in public as he pulled out and eased along the right-of-way, waiting for her to fall in behind him. When she was in place, he eased out into the highway and she followed him as they headed north. She thought they might go all the way back to Kingsland, but he put on his blinker in Marble Falls and turned into a restaurant called the Bluebonnet Café.
Once he parked, he climbed out of his truck and waited until she found a place, coming to hold her door and offering a hand to help her stand. “You look so pretty today.” The surprise on her face at his compliment did something to him. “I’m so glad we ran into each other.”
“I am too. I just can’t believe it was at a yarn shop.”
“Seems we have more in common than just our love for animals.” He led her to the entrance of the restaurant and held the door for her to enter ahead of him. “This place is known for their pies. They aren’t as good as my sister-in-law’s, but they’ll hit the spot with a hot cup of coffee.”
“Sounds great.” Apple glanced around the crowded diner.
“Booth or table?” a waitress asked, holding two menus in her hand.
Benjen looked at her as he answered. “Booth.”
Apple nodded and moved ahead of Benjen as they were directed to an area next to the windows overlooking the main street that led to the river.
“Coffee?”
“Yes, please,” Benjen answered for them, taking a seat across from her.
“I’ll give you a few minutes,” the waitress told them, then moved off to fill another customer’s water glass.
“First things first.” He handed his phone to her, open to the contacts page. “Put your number in. I don’t want anything like this to happen again.”
“Okay.” She did as he asked and Benjen immediately called her. “Now, you have mine.” After a few moments of perusing the menu, he asked, “What’s your pleasure, love?” To his delight, she blushed. “What are you thinking about?”
His question just made it worse. She’d been so preoccupied remembering the kiss they’d just shared; her eyes weren’t even seeing the words on the menu. “Pie,” she lied. “I think I’ll take…coconut custard.”
“Excellent choice. I think I’ll follow suit.” He motioned over the waitress and placed their order. “Now, why does the thought of pie make you blush?”
“Stop.” She smiled. “Don’t tease me. I’m not used to things like this.”
“Not used to what? Having coffee with a friend?”
Apple glanced around and saw more than a few women watching them, especially the bigger than life hunk who looked so confident in his own skin. “With a man. And flirting, I’m not used to that.”
Benjen narrowed his eyes at her. “You were married,” he said, as if that explained everything.
“Yes.” She nodded, her eyes on the surface of the table. “Technically, for six years. He was gone for most of the time.”
“That’s rough, but the idea that you aren’t used to men flirting with you is tragic.” Benjen reached over and covered her hand. “I’ll make it my mission in life to change that.”
Apple opened her mouth to comment, but their pie arrived and gave her a few moments reprieve. “This looks good.”
Benjen took a bite. “Tastes even better.” He winked at her. “Almost as sweet as your lips.”
Apple blushed anew. “You’re so bad.”
“Just give me a chance, sweetheart. I’ll show you how bad I can be.”
“I have no doubt you’d be intense.” The words slipped out before she weighed them. Her eyes darted to his face and she was surprised to see a flush on his cheeks. She took a bite, then cleared her throat, not knowing if he was embarrassed or just turned on. Like her. “So, about the phone call…”
“Yea, I intended to surprise you by just showing up to fix your roof. My plans were blown to bits when we discovered a good quarter mile of fence down and our cattle out of their pasture. Stuff like that happens on a ranch, but the timing stunk. Basically, I was just calling to tell you I hadn’t changed my mind about the roof…or you.”
“I did wonder.” She licked her lips. “The day you called I was with a patient, a hamster.” Apple couldn’t help but giggle. She pooched her jaw out with air and giggled again. “He had a refrigerator magnet stuffed in his jaw and he was stuck to the side of his cage.”
“You’re kidding.” Benjen laughed with her. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“I did a little research later. I found two other accounts of it happening. I guess their habit of putting everything in their mouth backfires at times.” She took another bite of pie before continuing. “Anyway, that day I received more than one message and through a series of events including a stiff breeze, your message fell on the floor and wasn’t found until the next day. When I called in sick, Dr. Cleveland told me about it.”
“You were sick?” His demeanor instantly sobered. “What was wrong?”
She bowed her head, needing to tell somebody. “They found my husband.”
“What?” His heart sank down into his stomach.
Apple shook her head. “He’s not coming home. He was killed a few weeks ago. He’d deserted. All this time when I thought he was MIA, he was living it up in some…cantina or something.”
To say Benjen was floored was an understatement. “Deserted? I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”
“Yea, me too. Sorry he’s dead. Sorry he deserted his country. And me.”
“Wow.” This put an entirely different spin on things as far as Benjen was concerned. “I hate to speak ill of the dead, but…rat bastard.”
For some reason this struck Apple as funny and she laughed, but her laughter faded into tears. She wiped her eyes, then grew embarrassed. “I’m sorry. This has been a nightmare.”
Benjen couldn’t stand to see her hurt. “Scoot over.” He stood and slid in next to her, taking Apple into his arms. “Not one more tear for him.” He kissed the moisture from her cheeks. “Not one more tear.”
“Okay. I shouldn’t cry. He doesn’t deserve it.” She laid her head on his chest, turning her face so several curious patrons cou
ldn’t see her tear-stained cheeks. “Thank you.”
“No problem, that’s what these shoulders are for.” He kissed her on the cheek. “You’ve got a new life now. Just put the past out of your pretty head.”
They sat and talked for another hour. Not about anything important. Benjen did his best to get her mind on something else. “Yea, I’ve seen some strange things, but I think that fireball takes the cake.”
She still sat close to him, his big body making her feel shielded from the world. “I don’t know what I would’ve done. It sounds incredible. What other strange things have you seen?”
“Well, I’ve never told anyone else this but I’ll tell you.”
His mysterious tone made her look up into his face. “Yes, tell me.” She found herself studying his mouth – so strong, yet so kissable. “I want to know.” Yes, she wanted to know what it would be like to be with him. She crossed her arms over her breasts when the thought made her nipples peak.
His gaze followed her movements and he almost forgot what he was going to say when his eyes fell on the generous swell of her breasts. As he gathered his wits, he chewed on his lower lip and tried to stifle a grin, shifting in his seat to give his cock a little room to grown. “Twice, at dusk, I’ve seen a herd of snow white deer. A large white buck and seven bone-white does. I was in awe. Frozen.”
“What did you do?” she breathed her question softly, totally entranced with him and his tale.
“I stood there and this cold breeze ran through me. I blinked – and they were gone. Vanished.”
“Has anyone else seen them?”
“Not that I know of. I didn’t tell anyone. My brothers don’t hunt, out of courtesy to my strong feelings about the subject – but I kept it to myself. It was special.”
“And yet you told me.”
Her eyes shone with happiness and he felt his chest swell with joy. “Yea, cause you’re special to me, baby.”
Apple’s pulse went crazy. She sought something to say before she grabbed him and stole another kiss. “I understand how you feel about hunting. Do you find your heritage makes you feel torn?”
Benjen chuckled. “Because I’m Apache?”
“Well, yes.” She absentmindedly stroked his arm, tracing a prominent sexy vein. “I have these images of noble warriors shooting a bow and arrow from horseback.”
“Actually, I’m pretty good with a bow. Instead of shooting skeet with a rifle, I do with it with arrows.”
“Wow, I bet that’s hard.”
Hard. God, he was hard. “It’s not the easiest thing in the world.”
“Can I get you two lovebirds some more pie?”
Apple pulled away from Benjen and sat up straight. “I’m good.”
Benjen smiled. “We’re fine. Thanks. I guess we’ll take the check.” He glanced at his phone. “I probably should get home. It’s my turn to feed the stock tonight.”
“Oh, okay. Yea, I need to get home and take Rose for a walk.”
Once he paid the bill, Benjen walked Apple to her car.
“Thanks for the pie.”
“Thanks for the company, beautiful.” He took both her hands in his. “And the kiss. Can I have another?”
Wise. Unwise. Wise. “Yes.” She lifted her face to his and sighed when he claimed her mouth and gave her the softest, sweetest kiss she could imagine.
Even after he’d lifted his face, Apple stood there with her eyes closed, unwilling for the moment to end. “You’ve given me the most romantic moments of my life.”
Benjen felt his heart clutch at her admission. “And to think…I’m just getting started.” He hugged her tight. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Guarantee.”
Once she was in the car, he fastened her seat belt and kissed her once more on the cheek. “Drive safe. I’ll follow you home.”
All the way from Marble Falls to her driveway, Apple felt cocooned in his watchful care. “Are you real Benjen Blackhawk?” she whispered as his truck idled in front of her house until she was safely indoors. “I hope so. I hope so.”
* * *
Bang! Bang!
Woof! Woof!
“What’s wrong, Rose?” Apple asked groggily. Again, she heard the hammering noise and the dog’s excited response. “What’s going on?” She rose from the bed and grabbed her robe, moving from the bedroom into the living area. From here, the noise was even louder. As she rubbed her eyes, a dawning realization made her feet move fast to the front door.
Sure enough, once she was in her yard and looking up – there he was.
“There is a God,” she whispered as her eyes focused on a shirtless Benjen Blackhawk walking handily across her roof carrying a bundle of shingles. She stared as his bronze muscles rippled and glistened in the bright rays of the morning sun. “Good morning, handsome.”
He stopped and turned, giving her a smile that poured pleasure over Apple like warm maple syrup on a hot biscuit. “Morning, gorgeous. I told you that you’d see me today.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this for me. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He held her gaze for a long moment. “That gown you’re wearing makes you look like a princess.”
Apple blushed prettily. “I’m going in and make you some lunch. I’ll also have you something cold to drink ready.”
“Perfect.” He winked at her, then returned to work.
With a big smile, she called Rose and dashed back in the house to rush to the bathroom. Once she shut the door, she leaned against it and squealed. She hadn’t felt a thrill like this in – forever. Going to the sink, she splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth. “He liked your gown.” The simple compliment made her so happy. She didn’t own but a couple of pieces of lingerie that could be considered sexy – as in see through or barely there. What she did own was a collection of vintage, romantic nightgowns with lace, bows, pin-tucks, and cutouts. They might not be in vogue, but they made her feel feminine and pretty.
Once she’d changed her clothes, Apple hurried to the kitchen, fed her dog, then set out to concoct something filling and tasty for lunch. After examining her ready ingredients, she settled on a big pot of chicken and dumplings. Once she had the chicken on to boil in a combo of broth and water, she added diced celery and carrots. While the comforting noise of Benjen’s hammer echoed from above, she made up a drop dough for the dumplings, wrapped them in plastic wrap, then put them in the fridge to cool. After the chicken was done, she deboned it, then remembered a cooking tip she’d garnered from her mother and added a couple of cans of cream of chicken soup as well as a cup of cream to the broth mix.
“Hey, cutie. Are you still offering a hot man a cool drink?”
After jumping a bit at his voice, she giggled at his question. “Of course. And you are definitely hot – in more ways than one.”
Benjen grinned, happy that she would play with him. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
She was beginning to hope he was right. “Please sit down and rest.” She turned on an oscillating fan and angled it to blow on him. “I’ll pour us something. Is sweet tea okay?”
“Just what I was wanting.” He made himself comfortable, relaxing in front of the cool breeze. “Something smells good.”
“Chicken and dumplings.”
His eyes sprung open. “Don’t tease me. That’s my favorite.”
This knowledge pleased her. “Great. I hope they’re good.”
“If they taste anything like they smell, they’ll be amazing.” He accepted the glass of tea and drank deeply. She stood next to him and refilled it once the glass was empty. “Thanks, sweetheart.”
“I’ll pay you for the work you’re doing and the supplies,” she assured him, taking a moment to stir the fragrant concoction on the stove. “I might have to make two payments, but I’ll do it.”
He frowned at her. “No, you’re not. I offered to do this and I don’t want you to pay for anything. We had some shingles left over, I didn’t have to buy but a few bundles. This isn�
��t a big house. Not to mention…” Benjen caught her hand and pulled her into his lap. “This is the kind of things we do for one another.”
“Friends? Neighbors?”
“Yes, but not exactly what I had in mind.” He leaned close and kissed her mouth, taking her lower lip between his teeth to nibble on it. “This is the type of thing a man does for a woman he’s crazy about.”
“Oh.”
“Yea, oh.” He feathered kisses from her mouth to just above her cleavage. “Christ, baby. I’ve got to get back to work while I still can.”
After easing her off his lap, he kissed Apple on the end of the nose and left her in a dazed state of happiness.
…Noon came and Benjen didn’t come down from the roof. She’d washed a load of laundry, lunch was ready, but her guest was still working hard. After covering the chicken and dumplings to keep them warm, she went outside to check on things. Stepping out into the yard, Apple shaded her eyes to look up on the roof. Once again, she was treated with the sight of a muscular man sexy enough to be a cover model. A soft groan slipped from her lips before she was able to ask, “Aren’t you hungry? Lunch is ready?”
He stopped and pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket to wipe his brow, then moved it down his chest. Apple would’ve willingly volunteered to help him at this point.
“I’m almost through, love. Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be down. Can you keep the food warm?”
“Sure, I’ll put it in the oven at a low temp. I just didn’t want you to get weak.”
“I’m good. I just want to finish this while I’m at it.”
He returned to his task and she stared at him a few moments more, taking advantage of the rare opportunity. “Okay. I’ll be waiting.”
“I’m counting on it.”
To make the time pass, she took Rose for a walk. “This is wild, girl. I know I’m probably acting like a teenager on her first date, but I can’t seem to stop smiling. He’s so nice. Don’t you think so?”
She didn’t receive an answer, but Apple didn’t really need one. Her heart was convinced of the man’s genuineness and sincerity.
