“Oh yeah. For sure.”
I turn away just in time to see Ben sit next to me. My shoulders relax in relief. Not because I couldn’t handle that jerk by myself. Because I could have. And I did.
“Who was that?” Ben asks.
“Absolutely nobody,” I reply just as the hostess comes to tell us our table is ready. It’s tucked in the corner of the dimly lit restaurant. There’s a candle burning on the table for two and it feels intimate and romantic as we sit and look over the menu. The waitress refills our drinks and takes our order and Ben takes my hand, kissing the knuckles.
“You look nice.” I sigh in pleasure and look him up and down. He’s in a black button down with the sleeves rolled, showing off his tattoos, and a pair of black pants that hug his ass in the most delicious way.
“You are stunning,” he replies. “You didn’t disappoint with those shoes.”
“These are some of my favorites,” I agree and stick my foot out from under the table so I can admire them. “It also helps that you’re so tall and I’m so short so I can wear any height of heel that I want.”
“That must be a woman problem.”
“Absolutely.” I nod and sip my drink. “I know that some women don’t care if they’re taller than their guy, but I prefer a tall man. Not that it’s ever been much of an issue for me. All of us Boudreaux girls are petite.”
“Your mama is tiny,” he reminds me and I nod again.
“This is nice.”
“I should take you out more often.”
“I’m not complaining,” I reply. “By the time we’re both out of work at the end of the day, we’re tired. I like just being with you in the evenings.”
“I do too. But some of this is nice now and again as well.”
“I won’t argue,” I say as our food is delivered. “Have you heard from the garage about your car yet?”
“I’m not expecting to hear from them until Monday. I hope you don’t mind if we use your car for the next few days.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
We enjoy our dinner, and each other, chatting while we inhale our meal. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the food arrived.
“Can I interest you in any dessert?” The waitress asks.
“No, thanks.” I shake my head and sip the last of my drink. “I’m stuffed.”
“Just the check, please,” Ben says, smiling at me. “How do you feel?”
“A little buzzed,” I admit. “How many of these did I have?”
“Three.”
“Yep, that’ll do it.” I giggle and then cover my mouth with my napkin. “I promise not to embarrass you with my drunken antics.”
“You’re not drunk, and you would never embarrass me.”
I snort and gather my clutch as we leave the restaurant. Ben’s right, I’m not drunk, but I do feel mighty fuzzy and I can’t say that I don’t like it.
“You’ve seen me drunk more than you should,” I inform him. I have to hold my dress down as we walk to my car so the wind doesn’t whip it up over my head and I give a few people a show. “But I’m not an alcoholic. I promise.”
“You’re fun when you’re buzzed,” he says with a laugh. “And I’ve loved that you would call me when you needed a ride home. Who cares if you drink a little with the girls, or with me, now and again? The important thing is that you’re safe.”
“You say pretty things with that pretty mouth of yours,” I reply as the wind kicks up again, sending my skirt almost up to my waist. “This must be what Marilyn Monroe felt like over that grate.” I hurry into the passenger side of my car and sigh in relief when Ben closes the door and hurries around to the other side. “I didn’t want to show everyone the goods.”
“The goods?” He asks with a raised brow.
“You know, the goods. You’ve been quite intimate with the goods as of late. The parts that only you are supposed to see.”
“Ah, yes, the goods.” He grins and leans over to kiss me. “You make me laugh, Savannah.”
“Ditto.” I kiss his nose. “Are you going to ask me to show other people the goods?”
His eyes narrow for a moment and then he just slowly shakes his head from side to side. “No, ma’am.”
“Good.” I settle back against the seat as he starts the car and pulls away from the curb. “The jackass used to do that.” I cringe. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear that.”
“Actually, I’d like to hear anything you’d like to tell me.”
“Most of it is embarrassing.”
“Let’s get something straight right now, Angel. There is never a reason for you to be embarrassed with me. I love you, heart and soul, and nothing is ever going to change that. I want to know about your past, even if it’s hard to listen to because it helps me understand you better.”
“You’re wonderful,” I whisper. It’s a good thing I had all those drinks. I’d never have the balls to talk about this with him otherwise. Not the way I need to. And not because I think Ben would judge me, or be repulsed by me. No, it’s because even I can’t believe I put up with it for all of that time.
But it’s dark, and the car is quiet, and Ben makes me feel safe.
“He was just mean,” I begin. “I mean, that’s the root of it all. He wasn’t always. Certainly not at first because if that had been the case I never would have stayed with him. Thanks to a lot of counseling, I’ve learned that he just likes to humiliate. He’s good at it. He threatens, but his threats aren’t idle. He will follow through.”
“What kind of threats?” Ben asks softly as he pulls into his driveway. Neither of us makes a move to get out of the car and I’m relieved.
“Oh, you know.” I shrug. “He would say that if I didn’t wear what he told me to he’d find a way to humiliate me in public. Or if I didn’t work harder at making my stomach flat he’d kick my ass.”
“Kick your ass?”
“Oh yeah. Literally. He was careful not to leave bruises where everyone could see them. I guess that’s normal.”
“No,” he says. I can’t see his face in the darkness, but his voice is hard. “It’s not normal at all, baby.”
“For men like that I mean. Kate once told me that her first husband was the same way. But anyway, he was into some things, some fetishes, that I wasn’t into. He would get so mad at me. He didn’t like to be told no.
“At first he’d just act all disappointed, and make me feel about two inches tall. Guilt trip city.” I roll my eyes, no longer upset or afraid of what he did to me, and now just disgusted. “As time passed, he’d just make me do it anyway.”
“Fucking hell,” Ben says. He’s gripping the steering wheel with both hands. If there was light in here, I’d see that his knuckles are white.
“I can stop.”
“No, let’s finish it.”
I nod and swallow hard. The liquor is wearing off.
“One of his favorite things was exhibitionism. I do not like even the idea of strangers, or anyone, watching me have sex or be naked. It doesn’t interest me at all. And I know that some people do like it, and that’s totally fine. But I don’t. I’m not going to give you all of the details because you don’t need it in your head, but let’s just say that I did things I didn’t want to. Mostly because I was avoiding the punishment that came with saying no. But then I got both anyway, so it was all just a shit show.”
“I should have killed him.”
“That’s not the first time you’ve said that.”
I slip out of my seatbelt and climb over the console so I can straddle Ben’s lap and look him in the eyes.
“I’m not telling you this to piss you off or so you want to hurt him again. I’m not. Do you have any idea what the past few weeks have meant to me, Ben? Before we started this, I was unsure of myself and I was afraid that I’d never be able to be intimate with someone ever again. Because to do that, you have to trust and he ruined that part of me.
“Until you. You’ve made me fe
el powerful and beautiful. I know that you respect me and my boundaries, and that you only have me and my best interests in mind. What I had before was dark and evil and wrong. It wasn’t love. It was never love.
“This, right here, is love.” I lean my forehead against his and sigh in happiness as his arms come around my back in a tight hug. “This is love and trust and everything good. What happened before doesn’t matter, Ben. It’s over, and it doesn’t matter because now I have you.”
“We have each other,” he says, still holding me close. “And I’m never going to let anything like that happen to you again. I just have one last question, and then we’re going to leave it all in the past.”
“Anything.”
“Why did you stay, Van? After he showed you who he really was, why did you stay?”
I can feel the tears want to come, but I’ll be damned if I give Lance even one more ounce of control.
“Because he threatened my family.”
“He fucking blackmailed you into marrying him?”
I nod once and then shake my head in horror. “I just love you all so much—”
“Wait. He threatened to hurt me too?”
“All of you.”
Ben takes a long, deep breath and then lets it out slowly. “I don’t want to make love to you tonight.”
I blink rapidly and stare down at Ben in confusion.
“I want to hold you. I want to be with you. And I want to remind you what it feels like to be loved for you. For being the wonderful woman you are, and I want to show you what unconditional means.”
“Oh, Ben.” Now I let the tears come because they’re tears of joy. “You do that every day.”
“Come on.” We untangle ourselves and get out of the car and walk up to the door, but when Ben takes his keys out to unlock the door, we find that it’s already ajar. “I thought you said you locked this behind us when we left.”
“I did,” I reply. “I know I did.”
“Well, it’s unlocked now.” His face is grim as he looks down at me. “I’m going to go in to make sure it’s safe. You stay here.”
“Like hell I’ll stay here.”
“Savannah.”
“Ben.” I narrow my eyes. “I’m not staying out here by myself. That’s how horror movies start, and I will not have it.”
“Right.” He sighs and pulls out his phone. “Eli? Yeah. I need you at my house now.” He listens and then nods. “Thanks.”
“Why did you call Eli and not the cops?”
“Because I don’t know that this is a break in. And if you won’t stay out here by yourself, Eli will wait with you.”
“I can go in. I’m perfectly capable of kicking ass.”
“No.” He backs me up against a pillar on the porch. “You are everything, Van. I’m not taking you anywhere that could be dangerous. Now damn it, you’re going to wait out here with Eli while I figure out what the fuck is going on.”
I can only watch his face, his hair a riot in the wind. “Okay.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For curbing your stubborn side.”
We’re both quiet as we wait, listening for any sound from inside, but everything is still.
“You’re sure you locked the door?”
“I swear—”
Suddenly, there’s an explosion at the side of the house; sparks fly everywhere.
“Mother fucker.”
Chapter Fourteen
~Savannah~
Eli pulls in the driveway just after the explosion that just about gave me a heart attack.
“What in the hell is up with today?” I demand, as Eli comes running up to join us.
“What was that?” Eli asks with a scowl. “Van, go get in my car.”
“Fuck that,” I reply and run after them as they hurry around the side of the house. “I’m not a damsel in distress.”
“Jesus, she’s stubborn,” Eli says. “Looks like the wind blew your transformer.”
“It’s been a shit day,” Ben answers and rubs his hands over his face. “I need to go check out the inside of the house. The door was open when we got back from dinner.”
Eli scowls. “It’s not like you to leave your house unlocked.”
“I pulled the door closed behind us when we left,” I add. “And I know, without a doubt, that I locked it. It’s habit.”
“I’m not saying you didn’t,” Ben replies and kisses my forehead. “Which is why I don’t want you going in there until I’ve had a look first.”
“Good idea,” Eli says.
“Fine,” I reply, resigned. “I’ll stay out here like a weak person who hasn’t been training to kick ass for the past two years.”
“You’re the only person I know who would complain because I’m trying to keep you out of harm’s way.” Ben shoves his fingers through his hair as we walk to the front of the house. “Just give me ten minutes.”
“We’re good,” Eli says with a nod. “And I’ll call 911 if I see or hear anything suspicious.”
Ben nods and goes into the house, turning on the flashlight on his phone, since there’s no power thanks to the transformer blowing out.
“I don’t like being treated like I’m weak,” I mumble to Eli who just busts up laughing.
“Do you think that’s what he’s doing?”
“Well, yeah. I can kick ass too.”
“Of course you can. But he loves you, Van. I wouldn’t let Kate go in there either. Call us old fashioned, but it’s our job to keep our women safe, and by God, that’s what he’s doing.”
“Why do you have to make sense?” I demand, my irritation disappearing.
“Because I’m your big brother. I know everything.”
“Whoa, that escalated quickly,” I reply, making him laugh.
“It’s all clear,” Ben says as he walks outside. “It must have been the wind. I know you locked it and closed it, but maybe it didn’t latch right and the wind blew it open.”
“Could be,” Eli says. “Your porch is deep enough, and there are trees out front, so it’s doubtful that anyone from the street would have seen it. Especially in the dark.”
Ben nods and wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“I guess we’re spending the weekend at my house,” I say with a grin.
“I guess so,” Ben replies. “I’ll run in and grab your bag.”
“Leave it,” I say, waving him off. “I’ll need those things here anyway.”
“Wait. Are you moving in together?” Eli asks.
Ben laughs and I just shrug. “No one said that. But we’re together most nights, Eli.”
“Yeah, okay,” Eli says, not at all impressed. “I’m going home.”
We wave him off and climb into my car.
“I’ll call the electrician and power company in the morning,” Ben says. “It’s been a hell of a day.”
“It has,” I agree and take his hand in mine, linking our fingers. “Let’s just hibernate at my place this weekend. We can order pizza and Chinese and watch movies. Make love. Just chill.”
“Best weekend plans I’ve ever heard.” He kisses my hand. “I think it’s important for you to be naked during most of it.”
“If I have to be naked, so do you.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t expect you to be naked alone. There’s no fun in that.”
***
“Best weekend ever,” I say to Charly. I’m on the phone with her Monday afternoon as I get ready to go to class. “We didn’t even leave my house.”
“I love those weekends,” Charly says. “I’m happy that things are going well.”
“Is it possible that they could be going too well?” I ask, pausing as I reach for my gym clothes. “I mean, it’s happening fast, and he’s wonderful and loving.”
“When you know it’s right, you just know,” she says. “I don’t think time has too much to do with it. You’ve been in love with him half of your life.”
“True. And it’
s Ben. It’s not like I just met him a month ago. I’ve known him forever.”
“Exactly,” she says. “Don’t overthink it. Just enjoy it.”
“Good advice,” I reply and then hold the phone away from my ear as I pull my shirt over my head. “Lena will be here in a few minutes. She’s going with me today.”
“Cool. Have fun.”
“Talk to you later.” I end the call and throw a change of clothes into my gym bag, reach for my shoes and turn to the vanity to grab a hair tie, and then I simply freeze.
“What the fuck?” I take a deep breath and stare at the brand new bottle of Chanel No. 5 sitting on my vanity. I certainly didn’t put it there. In fact, this morning the new bottle I bought of my favorite perfume was sitting in that exact spot. “Oh my God.”
“Van?” Lena calls from downstairs. “I don’t want to startle you! Your door was unlocked so I just came in!”
“In my bedroom!” I call back, my eyes still pinned to the bottle. Lena walks in, looking all cute and sporty in her workout attire.
“What’s up?” she says and then frowns. “Your eyes are glassy and I’m getting a spooked out vibe from you.”
“More than spooked,” I reply, feeling sweat form on my upper lip. “Look.”
She follows my finger to the perfume and frowns. “Okay.”
“I don’t wear that,” I reply. “Ever. Lance made me wear it every fucking day of our marriage and I hate it. I didn’t put it there.”
Lena frowns and then closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “I’m not as strong psychically as Mallory, but I don’t feel an evil or malicious presence here, Van. Maybe your cleaning lady found it and put it there?”
I frown and shake my head. “Well, she was here today, but I threw it all out as I unpacked the boxes after the move. I don’t know where she could have found it.”
“Maybe you missed one?”
I exhale loudly and shrug. “Who knows? I guess it’s possible.” I reach for the bottle and carry it downstairs, throwing it in the garbage. “I’ll ask her when she’s back next week.”
Lena smiles. “Good idea.”
We leave for the gym and I set the perfume out of my mind, not wanting to give it any more attention today. If I let myself, I’ll overthink it and work myself up into a frenzy, convinced that Lance is trying to mess with me from prison, and that just isn’t possible.