Chapter Fifteen
Sam grunted as he felt someone shaking him, and opened his eyes sleepily to see that it was Ben. Despite being disturbed from his nap, he smiled. There were times when he would have given anything to have Ben wake him up like this, so he wasn’t about to get mad over it.
“Ready to go another round?” he asked, smirking. Sex with Ben had been everything he’d hoped for and more, and he was eager to do it again if that was what Ben wanted.
He was a little sore, as he’d expected, but he could live with it for the promise of another great orgasm. There’d be time to recover later.
“Later,” Ben said softly. “Right now, I need you to be awake so I can fill you in on what just happened.”
Sam took a moment to process the serious tone of Ben’s voice, as well as the expression on his face, and forced himself to wake up a little more. He sat up, not worried this time when the bedclothes fell away from him.
Whatever anyone else might have thought, Ben still wanted him. That was all he really cared about.
It’d still be a while before he was comfortable in short sleeves in public, but it was a start. Ben wouldn’t push him, anyway.
That was one of the perks of being in love with your best friend. Even if you hadn’t seen him for a while.
“What’s up?” Sam asked once he felt his brain had started up enough for him to engage in a serious conversation.
“I’m being blackmailed,” Ben said, his face perfectly straight.
Sam laughed. It wasn’t funny, not really, but Ben wasn’t a rich man. Not by any means. Anyone who was blackmailing him was an idiot.
“What did you do?”
Ben cleared his throat, glancing down. “Annie kissed me,” he said.
Sam’s stomach flipped over at the instant mental image of Ben with someone else.
His throat closed up, his chest felt tight. He’d been so close to getting to have Ben. So close to the happy ending he’d always pined after.
Of course Ben was tempted. Given the choice between a broken, scarred man who’d already betrayed him and literally anyone else, of course he wouldn’t choose Sam.
“I…” Sam swallowed, unable to get any of the words he wanted to say out. Tears stung at his eyes, and he wanted to wipe them away, but he couldn’t make himself move to do it. “I understand,” he choked out, not wanting Ben to feel guilty over it. It was okay.
If he wanted forgiveness, he had it. Sam couldn’t be angry with him over something like this. He valued Ben’s friendship, his company, too much. Too much to throw it away over a mistake.
“Sam,” Ben said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. His fingers brushed against the scars there, making Sam’s heart race. This was too much. He loved Ben, loved him with every atom of his being, but it was too much.
“Sam, I’m so sorry,” he continued, his eyes soft. “She took me by surprise. I didn’t want it. I’d never hurt you like that.”
As the rush of blood in Sam’s ears slowed, he realised what Ben had actually said.
Not that he kissed Annie. That Annie had kissed him.
It wasn’t enough to completely chase away the sinking feeling, but it did help.
Ben wasn’t the kind of man who was unfaithful. Not ever.
Ben had proved his loyalty a thousand times over in a thousand different ways. He didn’t cheat. It just wasn’t in his makeup.
Right down to his core, Ben was fundamentally honest. Not in the sense that he’d never once told a harmless lie, but in the sense that he wouldn’t lie about anything important. Definitely not anything that would hurt someone he cared about.
Sam believed that Ben cared about him.
“Obviously, this wasn’t something I encouraged,” Ben said, though Sam had already well and truly come to that conclusion.
“I figured,” Sam responded, since Ben still looked nervous.
