Fated Bliss (Bliss #2) (21 page)

I touched my face, hating that he was seeing me like this. Though the swelling was better, the bruising on my face was nasty. I covered it with enough makeup that it didn’t stand out quite so badly. Nevertheless, I was a hot mess.

“Yeah, I guess.” Needing a buffer, I looked behind him and located Linc. “Hey, klutz. Did you bring your appetite?”

Linc blushed to his ears. “Yeah…yeah,” he stammered, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

“I’m just messin’ with you. Come on in.” I stepped back and motioned them inside.

Ben laughed, tugging Linc into the house. “You’ll get used to her, Linc. From what I can tell, she likes to bust everyone’s chops.”

My gaze jerked to him as I closed the door.
Get used to me?
Why on earth would he need to do that?

Seeing my confusion, Ben stated, “He’s going to be working on the yard. The sod arrives in the morning.”

Oh.

“Right.” I cleared my voice. “Right. I’m stayin’ with Mom and Dad ’til my arm’s better.” I peered up at Linc again.
Damn, he’s tall
. “Just take it easy with the gardenin’ tools this time, will you?”

It was Linc’s turn to grimace. “I’m never gonna live that down, am I?”

“Hey,” I teased, grinning, “you got to see me make a fool out of myself. Everyone’s been givin’ me a hard time, too. It’s only fair.”

Finally, he cracked a smile and winked. “You were pretty hilarious. I liked the part where you slapped Dad. I told Pops all about it.”

Yep, the girls in Bliss are in so much trouble.

“You told Dr. Melbourne?!” I whined in mock horror. “Say it isn’t so, Linc!”

Linc laughed and glanced at his dad. “You were right – she’s funny.”

“You two have been gossipin’ about me?” I asked, clutching my chest. “I’m hurt.”

“Maybe a little,” Ben admitted, giving his son a conspiratorial look.

I was going to pretend I didn’t see that and forget it ever happened. I did not want to know what it meant.

Nope…not at all.

“Mom has everythin’ ready,” I told them, gesturing towards the living room. “But everyone else is in there. Y’all can say a quick hello before we head into the dinin’ room.”

“Sounds great,” Ben murmured, not able to take his eyes off me. “Linc, you go ahead. I need a word with Samantha.”

Oh, no.

“Sure thing, Dad,” Linc agreed easily and ambled away.

I gulped, losing my composure. It would be a lot more difficult acting nonchalant when we were alone. All the man had to do was touch me and rationality went out the window.

Speaking of window…

I turned and stared out the one in the foyer, hoping I didn’t have to look at him. That would make things a whole lot easier.

Keep telling yourself that.

Ben’s footsteps sounded behind me and grew nearer until I felt his presence against my back. “Come on, Samantha. Are you gonna ignore me all night?”

“If I can,” I muttered truthfully. “I’m still pissed at you.”

“Thanks for not showing it in front of my son…again,” he teased, sparking my temper.

I spun around, poking a finger into his hard chest, my eyes shooting fire. “I’m willin’ to get through this dinner cordially, Ben, but don’t take that-”

“Shut up,” Ben interjected, his voice a mere whisper. He curled an arm around my waist and, though he was careful of my injuries, jerked me towards him. The next thing I knew, I was pressed against his body and his lips were ghosting over mine, barely touching. “I’ve been wanting to do this since I realized it was you lying on my gurney.” His mouth traveled to my cheek and nose, then up to my forehead, peppering soft, delicate kisses everywhere. “It killed me to see you like that.” He left a final kiss on my lips, this one light and just as gentle, barely applying pressure.

A big pile of goo – that’s what he turned me into.

How am I supposed to be mad when he was so tender and so damn sweet?!

I pushed against his chest halfheartedly. “Ben, I don’t think-”

“I need to say this before we walk in there with everyone else,” he interjected again, peering down at me with soulful eyes. I stilled, ensnared by him. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I am so damn sorry I left you in London like that. I’ll give you the full story later, but I’ll leave you with the cliffnotes for now.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted the cliffnotes…or anything.

Liar
.

“Ben-”

“Linc disappeared.”

That shut me up.

“I didn’t show that night because we still couldn’t find him. It wasn’t until the early morning that I heard he was already on a flight back to Portland,” he explained further, shocking the hell out of me. I would’ve kicked my kid’s ass if that were me. “I jumped on the first flight to get him back. Again, I’m sorry – I didn’t think to call you until I was already in the air. I believed I had more time to give you an explanation, but you had already checked out of your room when I landed.”

Thoughts scattered, I placed my hands on his chest and melted into him. “God, Ben,” I breathed, my heart clenching painfully. “You must’ve been out of your mind. I can’t imagine…”

Ben exhaled in relief and rested his temple against mine. “I was terrified.” His thumb dipped under my shirt, seeking skin, and stroked my lower back. Goosebumps pebbled my skin. “At first, I thought it was a rebellious thing. He’s been doing that a lot lately.”

“No kiddin’,” I joked, tilting my head towards my parents’ yard.

“Yeah… As you can see, it’s been challenging. We had a talk, though – no more joyrides and no more flights out of the country.”

A grin fought its way free, but I stared at his chest and played with the buttons of his shirt to keep him from seeing it. “Well, that’s somethin’…”

His voice lowered to a more intimate level. “Am I forgiven?”

I sighed deeply. “I want to-”

The front door opened and a voice asked, “Well, well, well…don’t you two look cozy?”

I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on Ben’s shoulder, cursing my horrible luck. “One word and I’ll kill you,” I gritted out, unable to face him.

“I think it’s adorable,” Adam stated, but it was too innocent.

As he stepped past us, I thought my luck was starting to turn and he was going to let us off easy.

I was wrong.

At the last moment, Adam slapped Ben on the back and chuckled. “Dude, you’re a miracle worker. I figured it would take a month for her to forgive you. You’ve been here, what, five whole minutes? That’s gotta be a record.”

“Adam,” I growled, not impressed, and whirled around in Ben’s embrace. “Butt out.”

“You’ve become a big ol’ softy, sweet cheeks,” he taunted me.

I took a step forward, saying, “I’ll show you softy.”

“Easy there, tiger.” Ben laughed, tugging me backwards.

Adam disappeared into the living room, his boisterous laugh following him.

“We better join them. We don’t want anyone to come looking for us,” Ben whispered in my ear, then placed a kiss on my neck. “You and I will talk later.”

Ignoring my body’s response, I blew out a breath and shrugged out of his arms. “That’s probably wise.” I narrowed my eyes at him, letting him know I meant business. “But don’t think you’re forgiven that easily. You still have a lot of questions to answer.”

“I figured that…and I’ll answer every one of them.” There was only the utmost sincerity in his demeanor.

I tilted my head towards the living room. “You sure you’re ready for this? They’re gonna drill you relentlessly. Rumors about us are already goin’ around town.”

“I know…and I’m sure,” he promised and gave me a quick peck. “I’ll head in first.”

Once he was gone, I took a moment to gather myself. I felt all flustered and off balance again, but this time for a whole other reason.

Good job on holdin’ out, Sam. He got you under his thumb within moments of walkin’ through the door.

I told myself to shut up.

Ben had an excellent reason for not showing up. In my eyes, it proved his integrity. If it came down to him or my kid, I’d pick my kid, hands down. I might not be a mother yet, but that type of instinct was already ingrained in me.

There were parents out there that didn’t understand this concept. I felt sorry for them because they would never experience the gift of having a good, real and joyous relationship with their children, the kind I had with my parents. However, it was the children my heart broke for because they wouldn’t know what unconditional love felt like or what it meant to have a parent’s unwavering support.

I was happy to learn that Ben was one of the good ones.

∞

“This is delicious, Mrs. Raiden,” Linc stated, stuffing his face with another huge bite of Mom’s roast. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the kid hadn’t eaten in weeks.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Linc? It’s Emma,” Mom scolded him, giving him a warm smile.

“Emma…sorry,” Linc corrected himself, mumbling around another bite. “This is
so
good.”

“He’s right,” Ben added, having made a few of his own sounds of appreciation. “I haven’t had home cooking like this in…” Ben stared at the wall for a moment, contemplating, and then shook his head, addressing Mom again. “I honestly can’t remember.”

“Your mother wasn’t much of a cook,” Mom commented, chuckling softly. “I worked with her many times, but it wasn’t her cup of tea.”

“Sam’s not the best cook, either,” Adam added, smirking at me.

I scowled, but Ben saved me. He glanced at me and gripped my thigh under the table. “I wasn’t either until I had to be.”

“Dad can grill a mean steak,” Linc offered, flashing me a smile.

Was he trying to save me, too?

What on earth has Ben told his son about me?

“Victoria could burn water and toast without battin’ an eyelash,” Mom continued, unaware of the undertones in the conversation. “It was the craziest thing I’d ever seen.”

It still boggled my mind that Ben’s mother had been friends with Mom. Mom even told me she had pictures of all three of us together somewhere. Talk about a small world.

“Grandma and Grandpa have a chef and a few maids that take care of that stuff,” Linc informed us, his mouth full again.

“Linc, manners.” Ben shook his head, smiling dotingly at his son.

“Sorry,” Linc muttered, guzzling down his iced tea. “I’m surprised Grandma’s ever stepped foot in a kitchen.”

Mom’s brows furrowed. “You’re describin’ somebody totally different from the Victoria I knew.”

“Grandma is all prim and proper. It’s annoying,” Linc continued and rolled his eyes at me. “When Dad told me she was from North Carolina, I called bull-“

“Linc,” Ben warned him.

Linc bit his lip. “Yikes. Sorry, Dad. Anyways… I totally didn’t believe him. She doesn’t have an accent like Pop’s…or even you guys. It’s kind a’ creepy, if you ask me.”

“People change,” Dad stated, shrugging, and then went back to his food.

“Not like that,” Linc muttered, bugging his eyes out in exaggeration.

“What is Victoria doin’ these days?” Mom asked, brightening. Whatever happened between Mom and Victoria, you could tell she missed her and was eager for information. “It’s been, I don’t know, over twenty-five years since I’ve seen or heard from her. I’m curious.”

Yep, I was right.

Ben’s mouth soured, but he covered it up quickly (I was the only one that caught it). “She is highly involved in the country club and does a lot of charity work.”

“If charity work means spending thousands of dollars at the local Neiman Marcus, then you’re spot on, Dad,” Linc exposed, snorting loudly. “And the most she does at the country club is down martinis all day with her snobby friends.”

Ben’s face pinched and something painful flashed in his eyes. “Linc…” It abated suddenly, but this wasn’t him blanking his face. This was different, like a revelation. “Linc’s right. The way Pops describes my mother isn’t the woman she is today. It’s like night and day. Mom enjoys her socialite status.”

Mom’s mouth gaped like a fish, unsure how to respond. “That’s…that’s…”

“Crazy, if what Pops said is true,” Ben finished.

“Well…yeah,” Mom agreed, still stunned. “She was the kindest person I’d ever met, so sweet natured and lovin’.”

Ben and Linc suppressed a laugh in the same manner, making them appear even more alike.

Ben cleared his voice, hiding his humor, saying, “That’s…that’s not my mother. She’s grey and one dimensional.”

Since I was sitting across from Grey, I noticed a sneaky gleam in his eyes right before he questioned, “Was your ex-wife like that, too?”

My fork paused halfway to my mouth.

Ex-wife?

I remembered then – Mom said something about Linc acting out because of his parent’s divorce.

Who was Ben’s ex?

Who broke whose heart?

Was the split mutual?