Finding Forever (Smoky Mountain Lawmen Book 1) (14 page)

She
doubted she would have to resort to sneaking out though.  There was no way Ben
was going to let her leave without him.  No matter how he felt about her or how
much he denied there was anything substantial between them he wouldn’t let her
be alone with a crazed killer stalking her.  He cared that much, she knew.

Gemma
grabbed a handful of underwear from her drawer and turned to toss it on top of
the other clothes she had haphazardly thrown into the suitcase.  The door flew
open and Ben loomed in the doorway, larger than life.

Her
breath caught at the expression on his face.  It was wary, but not angry like
it had been when she had stormed out of the foyer. Uncertainty shone in his
eyes along with something more intense. 

He
stepped inside and quietly closed the door.  Gemma worked the lingerie in her
hands until she realized what she was doing.  She dumped it all on the bed and
clasped her hands together to keep them still.  He stopped in front of her and
stared at her again, much like he had that day at the arena.

He
reached out and hesitantly wrapped his hand around hers.  “I’ll go with you,”
he said quietly.

Gemma’s
eyes went wide at what he didn’t say.  She could see it written on his face. 
He meant more than just taking a trip with her.  He was agreeing to stop fighting
his feelings and to give them a chance.

A
brilliant smile lit her face and she hugged him hard.  When she pulled back a
great deal of the tension had left his face.  “Go pack,” she told him.  “Our
reservation starts today.”

He
laughed.  “You certainly were sure of yourself, weren’t you?”

Gemma
nodded, grinning.  “I had to do something to make you stop avoiding me.”

He
weaved his fingers into her hair and cupped the side of her head.  His eyes
bore into hers and Gemma felt herself sinking deep.  “I don’t want to hurt you,
Gemma,” he said softly.

She
touched his face.  “Then don’t,” she said and kissed him gently.

Gemma
leaned against the railing of the balcony of the small condo she had rented on
Seabrook Island and stared out at the expanse of water in front of her.  The
sound of waves crashing and seagulls crying reached her ears.  It was shortly
after eight o’clock and a warm evening breeze blew across the dunes.  She had
made a beeline for the balcony after quickly changing clothes before they headed
some place for dinner.  Peace washed over her for the first time in two weeks. 
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Strong
arms circled her waist and Gemma leaned into Ben’s warmth.  He pressed a kiss
to her neck.  “I know it’s all temporary and that the world will come crashing
back around our ears the minute we drive back into Marshall, but right here,
right now, I’m very glad you hoodwinked me.”

She
spun around and looped her arms around his neck.  “Mm.  Me too,” Gemma murmured
against his mouth as he settled a soft kiss on her lips.

All
too soon for her liking, he broke the feather-light touch.  “You ready to go
grab some food?”

Gemma
stepped away, suddenly eager start their weekend of relaxation.  South
Carolina’s coastal region was one of her absolute favorite places.  It had some
great places to explore and some of the best restaurants a person could find
anywhere.  “Yes!”  She grabbed his hand and led him back into the condo.

Ben
found himself grinning at Gemma’s enthusiasm for this little weekend trip.  It
was definitely catching and he felt a lot of the tension that had been his
constant companion for the last two weeks start to melt away as he let her lead
him from the condo.  He helped her into the SUV and quickly rounded the front
of the vehicle to climb in beside her.

“Where
to?” he asked, starting the engine.

Gemma
named a popular seafood eatery not far up the road.  Ben followed her
directions and they were pulling into the parking lot in minutes.  He held the
door to the restaurant open and followed Gemma inside.  Loud music greeted them
from the live band playing on the stage in the far corner.  He scanned the room
and noted that the dance floor was full as were many of the tables.

“Relax,
would you?” Gemma said, threading an arm through his.  “You made sure no one
followed us here.  We’re safe. 
I’m
safe.”

Ben
forced the tension from his shoulders that he didn’t realize he had been
feeling.  Instinct had put him on alert the moment they had walked inside.  But
she was right.  He had doubled checked the car for tracking devices and taken
multiple nonsensical turns on their way out of town before he was certain they
weren’t being followed.  Any threats they faced inside this restaurant wouldn’t
come from the psycho threatening them.

Ben
gave his name to the hostess then led Gemma to the bar while they waited on a
table.  Determined to relax and make the most of the weekend, he ordered a
beer.  Gemma asked for a strawberry margarita. 

“I
haven’t been here in years.  And it didn’t look like this then,” she commented,
settling next to him at the bar.

He
bent close so he could hear her over the music and crowd noise.  “You’ve been
here before?”

She
nodded.  “I was a teenager.  A
young
teenager.  My family came here for
vacation the summer before Tristan left for college and we ate here several
times.  We never came in after the normal dinner hour though.  I guess now I
know why.  I’ve been back to Charleston several times, but I haven’t been back
out here since then.”

The
bartender handed them their drinks and Ben watched Gemma take a long pull on
hers.  “You planning on getting drunk on me, Mabley?”

She
grinned wickedly and took another drink.  “Maybe.  You want me to?”

Ben’s
blood heated at the look in her eyes.  It promised to set him on fire later,
alcohol or not.

“I
think you’re dangerous whether you’ve been drinking or not.”  He leaned closer,
his voice dropping.  “But I’d prefer you remember tonight in total clarity.” 
Her eyes turned to midnight at his words and she sucked her bottom lip in
between her teeth. 

His
groin swelled behind his fly and he suddenly wasn’t very hungry anymore.  He’d
been fighting his reaction to her since he stepped onto the balcony to find her
dressed in a low-cut, flowy top and a pair of Bermuda shorts.  The heeled
sandals she’d donned made her legs look a mile long.  He couldn’t help but
imagine them wrapped around him.  Her naked flesh pressed to his.

Seriously
debating whether or not to just grab her and head back to the condo, Ben snapped
out of the trance Gemma had put him in when someone jostled him from behind. 
He looked away and took a long pull on his beer trying to cool his overheated
body. 

Damn,
she was potent.

Study
the people, Davidson.  Get your mind off what you want to do to her.  What you
want her to do to you.

Ben
stifled a groan at the images running rampant through his brain.  He took
another swig of his beer and tried to tune into the band.  Regardless of what
his body wanted with Gemma, they needed to clear the air between them and have
a serious conversation about where this all was going before they passed the
point of no return.

By
some unspoken agreement, they had avoided the topic on the five hour drive down
here.  Instead, Ben had asked her about some of the crazier stories Tristan had
told him about her. 

He
smiled at the memory.  As much trouble as she was now, he was glad he wasn’t
dealing with the teenage Gemma.  She had been a wildcat.  And accident prone.

The
sound of his name being called over the speakers announcing their table was
ready shook him from his reverie. 

Gemma
covertly swiped her damp palms on her shorts as Ben parked the car in front of
their condo.  Dinner had been delicious, but she barely remembered what she’d
eaten.  His words earlier about wanting her to remember tonight had sent her
mind down a sensual path—one that she was having trouble meandering from. 
She’d spent the entire time they had been eating trying not to think about
where they were going to end up later just so she could focus on their
conversation and not sound like a blubbering idiot. 

Her
door opened and she took Ben’s proffered hand as she slid out of her seat. 
Nerves rattled her as she waited for him to close the door and lock the car. 
She stared at the building, trying to draw on the peace of the island night. 
Her heart thudded in her ears as he tugged her hand to lead her inside.

Rather
than stopping once through the door, Gemma was surprised when he pulled her
through the living room and outside.  He led her down the steps to the
boardwalk.  They walked until the light from the buildings faded to nearly
nothing. 

Ben
sat on the edge of the walk, legs dangling, and pulled her down beside him.  He
wrapped an arm around her and Gemma cuddled into his side.  The moon cast a
silvery glow over everything and shimmered off the water.  As her eyes adjusted
to the low light stars stood out against the black velvet of the night sky.

“I
haven’t seen a sky like this since Afghanistan,” Ben said quietly.

Gemma
frowned.  “Does it bother you?  Do you want to go in?”

In
the dim light she just made out the nearly imperceptible shake of his head. 
“No.  It brought me a sense of peace then, just like it is now.”

He
turned his head to look at her.  Moonlight glittered off his eyes.  “It
reminded me I’m but a speck in the universe and that God has a plan for me. 
That I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, no matter the outcome.”

Gemma
swallowed around the lump in her throat.  “Ben—”

He
pressed a finger to her lips.  “Let me finish or I’ll never get it all out.”

She
nodded.

His
hand drifted to rest on her shoulder, his thumb caressing her cheek.  “You
terrify me.  I’ve spent my life protecting others.  Doing the right thing to
keep others from getting hurt.  For the first time, I don’t know how to do
that.  I don’t want to hurt you, but I don’t know how to love you the way you
should be loved.  I never had the example you had in your parents.  I’ve had
three stepmothers and two stepfathers.  Both of my siblings have been married
and divorced.  My brother’s on his second marriage and it’s on rocky footing. 
I don’t want to start something with you and hurt you in the end.  I don’t know
if I can do forever and that’s the kind of woman you are.”

Gemma’s
heart swelled and tears threatened.  She reached out to hold his face in her
hands.  “Ben, the fact that you’re worried about it tells me you never will
hurt me.  Your very nature won’t let you.  I haven’t known you long, but I know
that you don’t do
anything
half-assed.  Why would you go into a
relationship with a different attitude?  You wouldn’t.  Relationships aren’t
easy.  You have to give them everything you have every single day.  I’ve
watched my parents struggle with that at times, but they always remember what’s
necessary and persevere.  It’s when you don’t give all of yourself that they
end.  And if you do give all of yourself and it still doesn’t work then it
wasn’t meant to be.  As long as you give me everything and I give you the same,
how could I be hurt if it ends?”

His
hand slid into her hair, his fingers massaging her scalp.  “I’ve never been
tempted to try for more than just a casual relationship with a woman before. 
Not until you.  I’m still terrified I’ll fail, but you’re right—it’s not in my nature
to quit.”

She
smiled up at him.  “I promise not to let you quit.  We both know how persistent
I can be.”

Ben
threw back his head and laughed.  “Very true.” 

He
stood and helped her to her feet.  “Come on.  Let’s go inside.”

Gemma
followed, anticipation coursing through her veins, making her senses hum.  Now
that she knew where they stood she hoped that he had the same intentions of
moving their relationship forward that she did.  The sexual tension was killing
her and she wasn’t sure she’d survive the night in the tiny condo knowing he
was close, but not being able to touch him.

Her
worry proved needless, however, when he drew her body against his as soon as
she closed the balcony door behind them.  Shadows darkened the planes of his
face as he stared down at her in the soft glow from the small light above the
kitchen sink.

She
held his gaze, letting him know she wanted this as much as he did. 

Twining
her fingers in his short hair, she leaned into him.  His hands dropped to cup
her bottom.  He pulled her up against him, his hardness pressing into her
belly.  Lips hovering millimeters from hers, his warm breath fanned over her
face.  Gemma nearly growled in frustration until he finally closed the distance
and slanted his mouth over hers.

Sensations
immediately bombarded her.  So many places where Ben’s big body touched hers
demanded her attention that she felt like one giant tingle.  His hands ghosted
down the backs of her thighs to grasp her legs and lift her.  She wrapped her
legs around his waist, his hands firm underneath her.  She gasped at the
intimate contact.  Gemma rocked against him, eliciting a deep-throated growl. 
She was in heaven and it was a fiery, delicious place.

He
started toward the bedroom, Gemma still wrapped around him.  She started on the
buttons of his shirt, not breaking their kiss, and got it open as far as her
body would allow.  Her fingers fluttered over the hard muscles as she spread
the material.  Ben groaned and pushed her up against the wall in the hallway. 

Cool
air whispered over the skin of her belly as he raised her shirt.  Her breath
left her as his hands chased away the chill, blazing a trail of fire to slide
beneath the bottom edge of her bra.  She whimpered a moan when his fingers
closed around the heavy globes.  None of the other times he had touched her
like this felt like it did now.  Now she knew there was no going back. No
stopping.  Every stroke of his fingers promised the end would be spectacular,
as would the journey to get there. 

His
mouth left hers to trail hot kisses down her neck, nipping then smoothing the
sting with his tongue.  Gemma let her head fall back as sensation rippled
through her.  She sucked in ragged breaths as he toyed with the sensitive tips
of her breasts, each touch spiraling need straight to her core.  When he rocked
his pelvis against her she gasped.  “Bedroom,” she managed to breathe out,
white hot shards of need shooting through her body. 

Ben
spun her around and managed a couple steps before they landed against the wall
next to the bedroom door.  His mouth caught hers again.  One big hand spanned
her bare back, the other pushed past the waistband of her shorts.  Gemma drew
herself up to put some slack in her shorts.  His hand pushed deeper until his
fingers slid over the curve of her hips.  She ached for him to take his touch
just a little lower, but her clothing was too restrictive and she growled in
frustration.

She
kissed him for all she was worth, tongue gliding over his as she explored his
mouth.  Her fingers tugged at the spiky strands of his hair, urging him on.  He
didn’t disappoint. 

Ben
pulled away from the wall and stumble-walked them to the king-size bed.  They
toppled onto the plush mattress.  Gemma tugged at the hem of his shirt, freeing
it from his pants.  She made quick work of the remaining buttons and pushed the
shirt free of his wide shoulders.  He quickly shrugged it off his arms,
flinging it to the floor.  He pulled her shirt up over her head.  Gemma undid
the clasp on her bra and tossed it in the same general direction of their
shirts, eager to be free of any and all barriers between them.

He
ripped a moan from her throat as his big hands kneaded her breasts.  Vaguely,
she took note of the ink spiraling around his biceps and up and over his shoulders. 
More art covered parts of his chest.  She wanted to explore the intricacies,
but he short-circuited her brain by moving over top of her, pressing her into
the bed.  Her hips rose of their own volition.  Heat raced through her veins to
burn hot where she needed him most.

“God,
you’re killing me,” he ground out as she raked her nails over his back, echoing
her thoughts.

She
thought she’d rocket off the bed when his mouth closed over her left nipple. 
As it was, her cry of surprise and ecstasy was enough to alert the neighbors to
their activities.  She didn’t really give a flying fig though as it sent his
hands moving south to unfasten her shorts and push them and her panties down
her legs.

She
kicked trying to free them, but they tangled around her sandals.  “Ben, I’m
stuck,” she managed to gasp.

He
sat back on his haunches, letting his hands trail over her torso as he did so. 
“So beautiful,” he whispered. 

Gemma
felt like he had attached magnets to his fingers.  Her body followed his
retreating fingers like a magnet trying to hold its grasp, lifting then falling
back to the mattress as his hands moved down her body.  Rather than free her
feet, he ran his fingers over the ridges of her hip bones and down the tops of
her thighs.  She squirmed, willing his hands to move inward and touch her.  She
really
needed him to touch her.

With
a barely perceptible touch he trailed his fingers along the insides of her
thighs and across the top of her mound, never quite touching the one spot that
literally wept for it.  He ran the back of one knuckle lightly over the soft
curls concealing her before he finally dipped his finger lower to where she
needed him most.

Her
breath rushed out on a hoarse cry and her hips rose to meet his hand.  His
finger ran through the wetness coating her and swirled around the sensitive
bundle of nerves at her center.  Gemma could swear she saw sparks.

“You’re
so wet already.  Weeping for me.”  Ben slid his finger back down and thrust it
inside her.  Gemma bucked and he added another finger and repeated the process. 
He stroked her inner walls then repeated the slow tease.  He flicked that sweet
bud with his thumb and Gemma’s world shattered in a flash of blinding light. 
Waves of pleasure rolled through her as she cried his name.

As
she floated back to earth, completely and utterly boneless, Ben freed her feet
and pulled off her sandals.  His pants and boxers met the same fate as their
other clothing.

He
moved between her legs, the tip of him teasing her entrance.  “Please tell me
you’re protected,” he rasped.

She
barely got a nod out before he thrust into her.  His mouth crashed onto hers
and he pushed his tongue past her lips, thrusting in time with his hips.

Gemma
wrapped her legs around his waist and locked her ankles, meeting him thrust for
thrust.  Sensation spiraled higher and higher until she was at the peak again. 
This time though she was going to take him with her.  She kissed him back for
all she was worth, while she arched into him and raked her nails up his back. 
Her body tightened as he moved.  She was so close again.  He felt amazing.

She
arched further into him and tightened her inner muscles.  With a harsh groan
and one final hard thrust his climax ripped through him and Gemma let go of her
own.  White hot fire spread through her.  She rode the ball of fire as far as
it would carry her.  She let it burn through every last cell of her body until
she was fully engulfed.  It melted her bones and left her limp in Ben’s arms.

Completely
spent, Gemma let her limbs fall back to the mattress.  She struggled to slow
her breathing.  Ben’s heavy weight covered her like a blanket his breathing as
erratic as her own.  He rolled to his back, bringing her with him.  She
sprawled across his strong frame, her head pillowed on his shoulder.

“Holy
crap,” she managed finally, fatigue settling into her limbs.  Sated and feeling
completely safe for the first time in two weeks, Gemma felt sleep taking over.

A
deep chuckle rumbled under her ear.  Ben’s soft, “no kidding,” was the last thing
she heard before blackness enveloped her.

Ben
awoke to the feel of fingers softly tracing patterns on his chest.  He opened
his eyes to see moonlight streaming through the window.  Gemma’s skin glowed in
the silvery light.  She had her head propped on one hand while the other traced
the tattoos on his chest.  “These are fascinating,” she said quietly.  She
looked up at him, eyes black in the low light.  “I’ve always been attracted to
preppy types.  Buttoned up, straight-laced.”  She frowned slightly.  “I don’t
know why I never went for a man with tattoos before you.”

He
grinned.  “Well, to be fair, you didn’t know I had them until tonight.”

She
giggled.  Her touch strayed to his arm.  “True.  But you’re still so different
from all the others.”

He
popped up on his elbows.  “Just how many others have there been?”