“I thought that was the plan, don’t you have a plane to catch?”
He gingerly wipes my skin and absently answers, “I don’t catch the plane, the plane waits for me.”
“Gross,” I tease.
He snaps out of his trance and levels a knowing glare at me. “Yes, well at least one part of you disagrees.”
I don’t argue because he’s not wrong.
He’s just not right either. It’s more than one part. I’m not just attracted to him. I have fun with him. I look forward to having him around.
And that…that I can’t have.
I take the washcloth from him and leave the room, trying to leave all the confusing feelings behind me.
28
BEN
“Where to now?” I ask Aiden as we board his company jet. He finally convinced me to look at some properties C.I. might want to acquire, either to add to our real estate portfolio or tear down for the land. Not really my department but he’s been on me about it for years.
“Miami,” he answers behind me.
“Brilliant.”
“Humid.”
We take our seats. I smile, he frowns. It's been our modus operandi in recent years.
“It’s one of the sexiest cities you sad sack, what’s wrong with you?” I study him and he rolls his eyes. Not nearly as cute as when Janelle does it. “You lonely? Maybe you need a wife too, mate.”
“What, so I can avoid her for a week like you’re doing?” I scoff but he glares right through my bullshit. “Must’ve had a hell of a fight for you to stay away fromthatwoman for four days.”
“One, mind your tone. Two, you’ve been after me about these east coast properties for years.”
“Uh huh. Well, whatever is troubling you in paradise, I don’t have any advice.”
“I didn’t ask,” I say, sipping the scotch the flight attendant just left in front of me.
He sips his too, “No, but you’ve got that Ben Wants To Talk About It look.”
“That’s not a look.”
“It is, and I’m happy to listen to you whine but I’m shit at relationships.”
“True.”
“Of course, so were you, until now.” He says with a lift of his right brow. He might be onto us, that there’s something else going on with the marriage, but I’ll never confirm his suspicions. I do trust him, but I don’t want the grumpy lecture.
I shrug, “She’s different. I’m different with her. Hence, I put a ring on it.”
“And then ditched her as soon as you had a disagreement?”
I look away.
Because we didn’t have a row.
We had the best night of my life, then the best following afternoon. Janelle laughed but it was not an exaggeration. After weeks of fantasizing, agonizing, flirting around it. She was…more. Better. So responsive, eager, wanting. All sweet sounds and soft edges. Quite the contrast.
