The Bottom Line (19 page)

The financial arrangements were also done. He’d tried to lowball the bills along the way. She’d retaliated by adding more without asking him then refusing to write replacement checks. In typical Mallory style, she’d told him he needed to deposit those checks or he’d get nothing at all. The first time he’d waited two weeks before he’d caved, needing money for the last payment on Amber’s braces. After that, he stopped fighting Mallory, putting anything extra into a savings account for his daughter’s eventual college tuition.

Having given Mallory a solid three minutes of waiting, he headed up the stairs. He rapped on the bedroom door with the back of his knuckles. “Can I come in now?”

“Yes.”

The bedroom was empty, the bathroom door closed. But she’d clearly been busy. Several fat candles rested around the room on the dresser, the nightstands, the bureau. The bed had been turned down, so Ben rapidly shed his clothes, dropping them haphazardly on the floor. He slid between the flannel sheets, shivering at the feel of the cold material against his heated skin. As soon as she joined him, they’d generate more than enough heat to ban the early March chill.

“Mal, baby? I’m ready.”

The bathroom door opened slowly, and she stepped out, silhouetted in the light. Then she flipped the switch, ending the perfect view of her profile through her nightgown.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, they widened. She wasn’t wearing her typical flannel nightgown. “Oh… my… God.”

“You like?”

She was dressed in a pink negligee so sheer he could see her through the iridescent material. Only strategically placed bits of lace kept him from seeing all of her, the tease almost more enticing than if she’d been standing before him naked.

“Yeah, baby,” he drawled. “I like. I like a lot.” He bounded out of the bed, unable to wait a moment longer to touch her.

She held out her palm. “Wait.”

“Wait?” He’d wanted to sweep her into his arms and carry her straight to the bed.

Amazing how much he still wanted her with a passion that sometimes made their lovemaking frantic and hurried. Since she always responded with as much desire and desperation, he didn’t worry that she’d think he was only seeking his own pleasure. There were times they could linger and play, provoking and teasing until he often wondered at how perfectly their libidos matched.

“Yeah, wait.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she dragged the spaghetti straps down her upper arms. The negligee slipped low, but she caught it just before she bared her breasts. “You ready to see?”

“I’m ready if you’re ready for me to see.” He put his hands over hers. “You know I love you. You’re more than a breast to me.”

“I know… I just…” She released a sigh. Then she dropped the negligee and grabbed his hands so tightly her knuckles blanched. The garment slid down her body, not even stopping at the gentle flare of her hips before resting on the floor.

Pulling her hands away, Ben slowly spread her arms. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he waited until she gave him a quick nod before letting himself glance at her new breast.

Had he not known she’d lost the left breast to cancer, he might have had a hard time noticing that the left was too terribly different than the right. The nipple had a slightly dissimilar shape, probably because her right nipple had pulled into a tight pebble while the left hadn’t.

The candlelight dappled her skin, making it glow. Without a word, he dropped her hands, cupped her face, and kissed her. Not a demanding kiss, but one full of all the love her had for her as well as the admiration for the kind of woman she was—strong, courageous. And beautiful.

There would never be another woman who could equal Mallory Hamilton in his eyes.

She pulled back, her gaze searching his. “So?”

“So… what?”

Mallory gave his chest a playful swat.

“I think it’s great, Mal.”

“Really?”

Ben nodded.

“I like it, too.” When she ran her fingers around her new nipple, he groaned. Her smile was brighter than any of the candle flames. “You like that, huh? Me touching myself?”

Like it? It was one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen. He croaked out a “Yeah.”

This time, she licked her finger and swirled it around the right nipple then pinched it.

He’d had enough taunting. Between the way she looked in that sexy negligee to how boldly she stood before him in nothing but her skin, he was sure he was going to explode. With a rumbling growl, he scooped her into his arms and took her to the bed.

Laying her down across the mattress so her legs dangled over the side, he let his gaze rake her body. “God, you’re beautiful.”

When she tried to sit up, he held her shoulders to the mattress. Then without an ounce of warning, he dropped to his knees, spread her thighs, and buried his face against her hot, wet core.

* * *

Mallory gasped, squeezing her thighs together, capturing his head. Ben simply eased them apart again and continued his erotic torture. His tongue stroked between her folds until he found the sensitive bud that made her moan in pleasure. As he slipped a finger deep inside her, she closed her eyes and let the riot of emotions run roughshod over her body.

She’d planned to take charge, to run the show. He’d changed the rules. Sometimes they both loved a lot of foreplay. Not tonight. Tonight, she was so anxious, so tense at hearing his reaction to the results of her surgery she hadn’t even realized just how wound up she’d gotten. He obviously had, and with nothing but the repeated flick of his tongue and the way he touched her, he had her on the verge of climax.

“C’mere,” she said, tugging on his hair. “I want you inside me.”

He ignored her, increasing his attentions until her body was so knotted with need, she thought she’d scream. Drawing up her knees, she braced her heels against the mattress.

“Ben, please.”

One hand on her hip, he stabbed his tongue into her sheath as he swirled his thumb around and around the tight nub of flesh.

She surrendered, letting the bliss fan from her core through her body, washing over her as her body spasmed. Ben refused to let up, wringing every last sensation from her.

Panting for breath, she scooted up on the mattress until she could lie back against the pillows. Ben flopped down at her side, rolling to face her with an arrogant and very masculine smile on his face. “Like that?”

She scoffed at the ridiculous question before figuring he might need to hear some praise. “
Loved
that.”

He tickled his fingers up her ribs until he traced the shape of her new nipple. “Does it hurt?”

“The new boob?” She gave her head a shake.

“I meant the tattoo. Figured it might still be tender.”

“Nah.” When he suddenly jerked his hand away, she frowned. “What’s wrong? Does it feel funny or something?”

“No, but… should I avoid touching it? I mean… what about infections? Never knew someone who had a tattoo before.”

Gently picking up his hand, she settled his palm over her new breast. “You’re fine.” She let a giggle slip out as he squeezed. “How’s it feel?”

“Like a boob.”

“A real one?”

“Yeah, baby. Like a real one.”

Ben rose over her, laying his body against hers as he supported his weight with his elbows. His erection pressed against her center, sending a thrill tripping through her.

“Seems as though you react like it’s a real boob.”

His frown was quizzical. “Huh?”

Raising her hips, she put her palms against his tight buns and pressed against him.

“Oh… you mean
that
.” He kissed once, hard and fast yet full of meaning. “Like I’ve been telling you, Mal, you don’t need two breasts to make me want you. Just looking at you, just thinking about you, makes me hard as a rock.”

Mallory slipped her hand between their bodies and guided his erection to her entrance. “Then show me.”

One thrust had him buried inside her, and she kissed him, encouraging him without words to move, to take her body to that place where she forgot everything. Except him.

The rhythm he set was fast, as though he were starved for the feel of her. His lips settled on hers, his tongue passing her lips to stroke and probe as his cock did the same. Too soon, her body tightened in need. She looped her arms around his neck, kissing him ferociously as she tried to drag him along with her in their race for fulfillment. A growl rumbled in his chest as he sped his thrusts.

Mallory wrapped her legs around his hips as she tangled her fingers through his hair. When her orgasm hit, she tore her mouth away to moan his name. Her release shimmered through her, making her feel more alive than any other experience of her life.

She was a survivor.

Mallory stopped painting and held her breath, although she had no idea why she was so nervous. Everything Ben had fixed worked perfectly. Her house was almost done. This bathroom, the guest bath, was the last item to complete. Surely this toilet wouldn’t be the first fixture to have problems.

No, there was something else that raised her anxiety, something that had been on her mind for weeks. The time had come to gather her courage.

Ben turned the knob, letting water fill the toilet’s tank. “Voilà!”

“Awesome.”

“Want to take the first pee in the new toilet?” he asked with a wink.

“I think I’m past the fun of that. Two times was my limit for excitement at christening a commode.” She set her paintbrush down in the tray and went over to close the lid and sit down, putting her closer to Ben, who knelt on the floor, putting away his tools. “You know, if you move in here, I’d be really pissed if you aren’t considerate about putting the lid down.” She pointed to the toilet paper holder he’d installed on the side of the vanity. “Oh, and the toilet paper rolls over the top, not under. I’m fussy about that, too.”

Ben snorted. “Most women would be grateful if their men remembered to put a new roll on at all.”

Not a word about her offer. Perhaps she needed to make things a little more plain. He was, after all, just a man. Most weren’t very perceptive.

“Not
this
woman.” She tried to convey her sincerity in her expression and decided to be blunt. “Especially when you and Amber move in. I’ll expect you both to pull your weight. Keep the place clean. Do your own laundry. Help unload the dishwasher. Stuff like that.”

He eyed her skeptically. Since she’d never once mentioned the possibility of them sharing her house, his look wasn’t unexpected. She’d hoped he’d pick up sooner on the vibes she’d been tossing him since her breast reconstruction.

“Who says we’re moving in?” he asked.

“Me. At least I hope you will.”

“Mal…” He gave his head a shake. “I couldn’t ask that of you. It would be imposing and—”

She held up her hand. “Wait. Please. Just hear me out. Your lease is up at the end of the month, right?”

“Yeah, but—”

“They’re closing the complex for a massive remodel, right?”

He nodded.

“You want Amber to stay at her school, don’t you?”

He ran his hand over his face, a gesture she’d seen every time he was frustrated. “I can look for a new place.”

She rose, putting her hand on his arm and stroking, hoping to soothe whatever wound she’d inflicted on his masculine ego. “I’m sorry, honey. I just—”

“I’m not a stray dog, Mallory.” His voice held a hard edge. “You don’t have to take me and my pup in off the streets and toss us some scraps.”

“I never said—” She took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You want the truth?”

“That’s our rule.”

“I was using that as an excuse, hoping it would convince you to move in with me.”

“Why? Why do you all of a sudden want Amber and me in your house? Especially now that it’s almost done?”

“Because,” she replied, “I want to share my days with you. All my days. With you and Amber. And my nights. Because I want to spend more time with both of you. Because when you’re not around, this place feels so damned lonely.” She shrugged, fighting the choking feeling of strong emotion. “Right now it’s just a
house
. It’s only a
home
when you’re here.”

Ben gathered her into his arms, holding her close and kissing the top of her head. “I love you, Mal.”

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she squeezed. “I love you, too.”

“You really want us here? You really want me and Amber and all our baggage?”

“You’ve carried mine around; why wouldn’t I want to help with yours?”

“Theresa might show up from time to time.”

“I expected that.”

His sigh made her smile against his chest.

She’d won.

“I need to talk it over with Amber.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * *

“So… what do you think?” Ben watched his daughter, searching for some hint of what she was thinking. As usual, her poker face was firmly in place. “It could work for us, don’t you think?”

“It could.” Amber kept her gaze fixed on what was left of her hamburger and fries.

When the waitress had put the plate in front of her, Amber had eaten as though she’d gone days without food. The moment he’d dropped the bomb about Mallory’s invitation, she’d put down what was left of the sandwich and left it untouched. At least she’d nibbled on her fries, so she wouldn’t go hungry.

“You could stay at Armstrong Middle.”

She shrugged. “Would only be for the rest of the semester. I’ll be heading to high school next year.”

“Wouldn’t you like to go to Mallory’s school next year?”

“I suppose…” Amber snatched up another fry, dipped it in ketchup, and then chewed on it for longer than necessary.

“Look, Amber… I know this is a big change, but it could work for us. Don’t you like Mallory?”

Although she held her mouth in a tight-lipped frown, she nodded.

“Don’t you like her house?” Bribery was a powerful weapon. “You know that blue bedroom? She said you could have it.”

“The one with the skylight and the walk-in closet?”

Now they were getting somewhere. “Yeah. And I can finally afford to buy you a new bedroom set. No more mismatched furniture.”

“A canopy bed?”

The hope in her voice meant the world to him. “Yeah. A canopy.”

“What happens when you two break up?”

Amber was truly his kid. Blunt and grounded deeply in reality.

Having given that question a lot of thought, he gave her the only answer he’d come up with. “What can I say, ladybug? Then I suppose we move.”

A tear leaked from the corner of her eye.

“Oh, Amber… stop. We’re not going to break up. We won’t have to move. Mallory and I love each other.”

“I know that,” she snapped, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.

“I don’t think we’ll
ever
leave each other. In fact, if things work out well, I was thinking about asking her to marry me.”

“Then do that now!” Her vehement response made several people at other tables turn to stare.

“I don’t get it,” Ben said. “You’re worried about what’ll happen if we move in with her, but you want us to just go ahead and get married? Doesn’t make any sense.”

The look she tossed at him was a typical my-parent-is-stupid frown. “People who live together before they get married are more likely to split.”

“And you know that because…?”

“I just do.”

The kid was far too smart for her own good. “What are you so worried about?”

“I don’t wanna go through what happened with Theresa again.”

He snorted.

She narrowed her eyes.

“Mallory is nothing like your mom. Even if we split—”

“But you said you wouldn’t!”

Ben put his hand over hers where it now rested on the table. “You’re worrying too much. Mallory and I are fine. We’re solid. I wouldn’t even consider moving in with her if I didn’t believe that with all my heart. I’d never put you through what happened between your mom and me again. I know how awful it was for you, how awful she was to you. You’re the first thing I think of when I make any choice, especially one like this.”

Amber’s gaze caught his, and her fear was crystal clear. “What if her cancer comes back?”

Another thing he’d spent a lot of time thinking about that he had no good answer for. “I don’t know. I guess we help her through it. What else could we do? She’d need us.”

Even talking about Mallory getting sick again made the meal he’d eaten sit like a lump in his stomach. Could he handle an ordeal like that? Could Amber?

Nursing Mallory through a recurrence of her disease, watching her waste away from chemotherapy or even die, would destroy Amber.

It would destroy him, too.

“She’s fine.” Ben kept repeating those two words in his mind, hoping they’d calm his nerves.

“But what if—”

“She’s
fine
, Amber.” Now he was the one snapping.

His daughter stared at him a long time before she picked up her hamburger and started eating again.

He had his answer, and he couldn’t have been more pleased.