24
Two hours later, I was freshly showered, again, and my ass was planted on the countertop next to the stove in Ben's kitchen. He'd set me up there and given me a glass of water because my stomach started growling so loudly that I couldn't ignore it anymore.
And he made me spaghetti.
Watching him cook something for me just because I wanted it, well, it hit me right in the gut. I'd told him what I wanted and he made it happen.
And he'd been doing that for me since the beginning. I had missed the obvious because I was too scared of my own emotions to evaluate his actions.
His actions expressed his love for me just as effectively as his words.
My heartbeat stuttered in my chest when it hit me that I'd almost run away from this.
This man and his love were worth the risk. He was worth everything inside me.
Ben's voice pulled me out of my deep thoughts when he asked, "So what things are you good at that helped Cam and Brody?"
I blinked at him several times, my exhausted brain taking a moment to catch up with the question. Then, it clicked. "Oh, I'm good at finding information. Especially on the internet."
His hands paused in the process of opening a jar of tomato sauce. "What exactly does that mean?"
I tried to look innocent but knew I failed when he sighed.
"Please just tell me you didn't commit any felonies."
"Um...."
"Never mind. Am I going to have to hide you from the feds?"
I shook my head. No way. I'd covered my tracks well enough. I hadn't stolen anything or messed with her information. I'd just looked at it, printed out things I thought would be helpful, and snuck back out. Though once I saw how much Brody was paying her every month, I was seriously tempted to drain her bank account and donate the proceeds to a shelter or food bank, but I figured she would need the money once Brody was through with her. Even if she didn't deserve it, she was Jacks' mom and I loved that little girl. I didn't want to do anything to make Jacks' life any more difficult than it already was. And considering some of the things I'd found out about her mom...well, she definitely had it rough when she wasn't with her dad.
Ben studied me with narrowed eyes before he finally dumped the sauce in a pan and turned on the burner beneath it. "Let me know if that changes."
I grinned at him, which made him sigh. "You're dying to know what I found out, aren't you?"
Ben shook his head. "I've already talked to Brody. He told me about the case he's building against Monica." He came over to me and put his palms on the counter on either side of my hips, leaning into me. "You helped my brother more than you'll ever know."
My breath trembled when he kissed me, not because it was hot or sexy, but from the underlying tenderness in his lips. He kissed me like he cherished me.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"I did it for Cam. And for Jacks." His hazel eyes warmed, only inches from mine. "Okay, and for you and Brody, too, but don't get a big head about it."
Ben pushed himself upright but he was smiling. "I know."
I waited a beat as he moved back to the stove and added pasta to the boiling water. "I'm sorry I acted like an idiot."
I'd apologized before but we hadn't talked about it again since he'd grabbed me and ravished me. I didn't want any bad feelings to fester. For the first time in my life, I was starting what I hoped would be a permanent relationship. I wanted our foundation to be strong.
Ben glanced at me, but he didn't look angry. Not anymore. "I'm sure we'll both act like idiots at one point or another during our relationship."
Okay, so that wasn't accepting my apology but he talked about our future like it was a given. I took that as a good sign.
Still, I didn't want this hanging over my head. "So we're good? You're not mad at me anymore?"
Ben froze and looked up at me. "I wasn't mad at you, Sierra. I was hurt."
Shit. How could a guy who looked like him also have his emotional shit together too? It was too weird. He could have been a fitness model, but his true strength lay in his heart and mind.
