Love Entwined (17 page)

“She admitted that she thought she could make our marriage work. She would give it her best in order to eat at all the fancy restaurants, ride in limousines, and be showered with expensive diamonds. But then once she had Tanner, she got bored being at home alone with him all the time while I was working to build the new firm. It’s sad, but my son and I weren’t enough for her. She wanted to go out and play so that’s what she did.”

I didn’t even know what to say, so I just let Bentley continue talking.

“She acted the role of the doting wife to perfection. She liked to attend the fancy parties and rub elbows with the other wives. I always thought she was bored by them, but as it turned out, she was meeting other area businessmen at these functions and fucking them on the side.

“That’s where I caught her—in the act—at my last corporate function. I’d been looking all over for her when I finally decided to check and see if she’d gotten sick in an upstairs bathroom. I was shocked when I opened the door to find my wife with her skirt pulled up to her waist and one of my colleagues ramming his dick into her. It’s an image that will forever be engrained in my mind.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine the pain that must have caused. She didn’t deserve you, Bentley.”

“I was pretty bitter for a while, but soon realized more than anything that Tanner needed me. He was the one hurt the most by the divorce.

“I think we’re finally in a decent place now, though” Bentley continued, sighing. “He took it really hard when I left. He blamed me for the longest time—I don’t know, maybe he still does to some extent.”

“Did you tell him? Maybe if you tried explaining the situation to him—maybe he’d see that it wasn’t your fault,” I suggested. “After all, he’s not a child and now old enough to handle the truth.”

“No.”

“Why?” I questioned. “I don’t understand why you would take the blame for her.”

“I’m not taking the blame for her. He just worships his mother. She can do no wrong in his eyes. Honestly, I don’t want to ruin that for him. And, you’re wrong about one thing—you’re never old enough to handle that kind of truth. It would absolutely crush him. Hell, it absolutely crushed me. Besides, she may have gotten pregnant for all the wrong reasons, but she definitely loves that boy—we both do. And, we want nothing but the best for him.”

“But what about the way he looks at you, Bentley? I still don’t understand why you insist on protecting her.”

“Just drop it, Ireland. Things are fine between Tanner and me now. Time will make it even better.”

“Trust me, Bentley. I know better than anyone that sometimes time isn’t on our side.” I instinctively reached out and grabbed his hand. Partially to comfort him and partially to remind myself that he was still there.

“Please, Ireland, let me do this my way. You don’t have children. You can’t really understand.”

Bentley’s words brought tears to my eyes. He’d never been so abrupt with me before.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. You’ll be a great mother someday, Shamrock. I just meant that I know my son and what he needs—just like one day you’ll know exactly what our children will need.”

“Our children?” I said hesitantly, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“Yes,” he said. “I hope that’s not too presumptuous. I know we’ve only been back together a short time, but I know I want nothing more than a future with you, Ireland.”

“I’d like that too,” I said, resting my head on his chest. And, it was true—I was really starting to like the idea of a future with Bentley.

After retreating upstairs, Bentley went back outside to start the bonfire as I began rounding up ingredients for S’mores. We’d left his parents’ place before dessert, and after the go-round with Bentley in the basement, I was actually getting quite hungry. As I was rummaging around the kitchen for the skewers, Bentley came back in the cabin soaking wet.

“Don’t tell me it’s raining,” I pouted.

“Not raining. I just decided to jump into the river with my clothes on,” he said, as thunder clapped in the distance.

“You’re a jackass,” I laughed. “How do you explain the thunder then?”

“Such harsh words! I just said what you told me to say! I can’t be blamed for following your instructions,” he said, pulling me into his body.

“Stop! You’re getting me wet,” I squirmed.

“That’s what she said,” he smirked, placing a kiss on my forehead.

“You didn’t just say that . . . Are we eighteen now?”

“We can be. Are we role-playing now? Is that your fantasy?” he whispered into my ear. Just then the lights flickered before everything in the cabin went completely dark. “Crap! Maybe you should hold that thought while I start a fire in the fireplace. And, maybe we should skip the S’mores tonight.”

“Actually I saw this recipe on Pinterest for a S’mores dip, using a cast iron skillet, and I think if we’re careful then we can pull it off,” I suggested.

“Pinterest? Is that the chick-website with all the recipes and decorating shit?” he asked.

“It’s a little more than that, but yes. Actually for a man, I should probably be impressed that you knew that much.”

“What can I say? I’m a pretty impressive man, Shamrock.”

“Oh my god. You’re ridiculous. Now would you go get the logs before we freeze to death in here,” I asked, massaging down my arms trying to warm myself.

“Would you rather I keep you warm?” Bentley suggested.

“Well, yes, I always want you to keep me warm, but I also want chocolate so can you please go get the logs.”

In a matter of minutes, Bentley had retrieved the logs and had started a roaring fire in the fireplace. I opened the bag of chocolate chips and dumped them in the skillet before topping it with the large, fluffy marshmallows. Bentley stole one from the bag and stuffed it in his mouth.

“Mmmmm, I’d forgotten how great these things taste,” he said, stuffing his mouth with another marshmallow.

“If you eat them all then we won’t have any left for more dip,” I said, pulling the skillet out of the flames.

“We don’t need any marshmallows. I can just drizzle the plain chocolate all over your body,” he said, placing his finger in the melted concoction.

“Wh—What are you going to do with that,” I asked, my pulse beginning to quicken.

“I’m going to dab a little here,” he said, smearing chocolate on the corner of my mouth.

“Mmmmm,” I groaned. “And, then what are you going to do?”

“And, then I’m going to lick it off before smearing a little down here,” he said, his voice thickening, as he licked the edge of my mouth before dabbing chocolate at the base of my neck.

Before I knew it, Bentley had me stripped naked, as he drizzled and licked a trail of warm, melted chocolate from my clavicle down to my navel.

He stopped to pay extra attention to each of my nipples. Nipping and sucking, before working his way down the length of my torso. He dipped his fingers back in the chocolate and drew another path down to the inside of my thighs before smearing the rest of the chocolate on my bare pussy.

Bentley had turned me into his very own candy-dessert bar and I was enjoying every last minute of it.

A
fter Bentley and I returned back to Michigan following our long weekend, he immediately caught a flight back to Tennessee in order to stay with his parents for a bit longer after his mom’s surgery. I wanted to stay with him, but I had responsibilities at work. Luckily, Greg was able to cover for Bentley, and anything that he couldn’t handle, Bentley could do remotely.

It’d been almost two weeks since I’d seen him, and although we’d talked on the phone every night, I was missing him like crazy. Bentley’s flight was scheduled to arrive at four in the afternoon and I’d made arrangements to leave work early in order to pick him up at Metro airport. As I was glancing at the files on my desk in order to handle my last case of the day, Susan appeared in the doorway.

“Hey Susan, is there something I can help you with?” I asked, glancing up from the paperwork of a young boy whose mother had just died of an apparent heart attack.

“Hi, Ireland,” she greeted. “I hate to do this to you on such short notice, but as you know we have the outing scheduled tonight at the family fun center for all the children and foster families in our system and two of your co-workers have gone home with food poisoning. They were both scheduled to work the event tonight, but I doubt they’ll be available after all. Is there any way you could come help for just a few hours?”

Glancing down at the clock on my desk, I responded, “Susan, I’ve already been approved to leave early and take this evening off. I’m supposed to pick up my boyfriend at the airport in two hours and was going to meet with this last case and head out of here. Isn’t there anyone else who can take the shift?”

“I’ve tried everyone else, Ireland. I really am asking you as my last hope,” she sighed. “I’m afraid if you can’t work then I’ll have to cancel the entire event.”

“You don’t need to cancel the event. I’ll be there. I’ll let Bentley know that there’s been a change of plans.”

“Thank you, Ireland. You really are a lifesaver. I owe you one,” she said, retreating from my office.

I’d grabbed my cell from my purse and had begun typing a message out to Bentley when Susan came back into my office.

“Sorry to bother you again, but I just had a thought,” she said. “Why don’t you bring your boyfriend to the event with you?”

“That’s sweet of you to invite him, but we were planning on spending the evening at home with his son. I’m sure Bentley wouldn’t want to leave Tanner at home alone since he’s been gone for the last two weeks.”

“Bring them both,” she said. “We have the entire place reserved. I’m sure his son will love it there. My kids are probably about his age and they think it’s better than Disney World—although they’ve never actually been to the real Disney World.”

“OK, I’ll see what he thinks. Thanks for the invite,” I said with a smile.

Instead of me picking Bentley up at the airport, he decided to take a cab home to pick up Tanner and then meet me at the family fun center for an evening of batting cages, bumper boats and go-karts. It wasn’t the relaxing night at home that I’d planned on, but at least I would be spending time with Bentley. I hadn’t seen Tanner since the night at my place either, so I was happy to be able to spend more time getting to know him.