Chapter 8

It had been her plan to stop and eat dinner on their way home, but once Ben started talking in that deep, gruff voice that she loved and started caressing her hand—which he knew got her excited—Darcy couldn’t seem to get them home fast enough.

She knew she parked her SUV in her designated spot on the driveway.

She knew they got out, grabbed Ben’s suitcase, and walked calmly up the stairs to the apartment.

But once they were inside and the door was closed? It was chaos.

Ben dropped the suitcase next to the door and reached for her. Or maybe she reached for him; she couldn’t be sure. And really? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was here with him and his hands were roaming over her body with an urgency that was driving her crazy.

Skin. She wanted his hands on her bare skin, and he wasn’t getting there fast enough. But no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she squirmed and tried to grasp the bottom of her sweater, Ben stopped her. He had even gone so far as to grasp her hands and hold them firmly behind her back.

It was a turn-on.

“I know what you want,” he whispered huskily against her lips. “And I promise we’ll get to that, but for right now, I want to kiss you.”

“Can’t you kiss me in the bedroom?” she asked, gently nipping at his bottom lip.

“Sweetheart, I plan to kiss you everywhere.”

Oh. My.

“And then I’m going to touch you everywhere too,” he went on. “And when I’m done, I’m going to start all over again.”

“Ben,” she sighed.

“What is it, princess? What do you want?”

Oh God. Didn’t he know? Couldn’t he tell? “You,” she said, more than a little frustrated that they were still even talking. “I want you.”

“You have me.”

Leaning in, she kissed him softly, then with a little more urgency. Ben was instantly on board, and when he released her hands, she let them roam up his arms, over his shoulders, and down his broad back. Letting them drift lower, she squeezed his incredible ass and couldn’t help but smile against his lips as he groaned. She swiped her tongue across his bottom lip to soothe where she’d nipped at it, and then reached up and cupped his face before going deeper.

The truth was that she loved kissing Ben. Loved being kissed by him. But it wasn’t enough. Darcy wanted it all. And she wanted it all with him right now.

Then she lifted her head, grabbed his hand, and led him to the bedroom.

He was smart enough not to argue.

* * *

Darcy Shaughnessy was lethal, and she was going to be the death of him.

But what a way to go.

The room was dark, and she was curled up against his side. Ben realized that for the first time in weeks, he felt relaxed and at ease and content.

It only seemed to happen when she was with him.

You’re falling hard and fast, he thought. And it was true. He was. He had. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. What about Darcy called to him so strongly, he couldn’t say. All he knew was that from the moment he laid eyes on her, it was as though everything made sense. She was his.

The real problem was trying to figure out what to do about it.

They were going to have this week together—uninterrupted for the most part—so they could talk about it. Them. Where they saw this relationship going. And if he were honest, Ben would admit he wanted to get that discussion out of the way before he had to meet her family.

Her brothers.

He personally had no idea what it was like to have a sister, but he did know from all the things Darcy had shared with him that her brothers were extremely overprotective of her. So he was fairly certain that unless his intentions were clear, there were going to be a lot of awkward interactions between him and her five brothers at Thanksgiving.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Darcy said softly beside him as she stretched. “You okay?”

Here was his opening. “I was thinking about Thanksgiving.”

She raised her head. “Seriously? I blacked out after that third time, and you have enough brain cells to think about Thanksgiving? Big fan of turkey?”

Laughing softly, Ben pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head. “I wasn’t specifically thinking about it,” he said carefully. “My thoughts just sort of ended up there.”

“And where did they start?” she asked, amusement lacing her voice.

“With you.”

Even in the dark, he knew she was smiling. Darcy shifted beside him, placed a kiss on his chest, and hugged him. “I like the sound of that.”

“I was thinking about how much better I feel when you’re with me,” he began. “And I miss you when we’re not together.”

“I miss you too.” Another kiss.

Maybe he wasn’t too clear. “Darcy, what I mean is, I know we haven’t known each other for long, but you mean a lot to me.”

She stilled beside him.

“This isn’t about sex,” he quickly added. “This is about you. And me. And I see a future for us.”

She snuggled in close, burying her face against his bare chest, and he felt her tremble.

For a moment, he held her, and then he tucked a finger under her chin and tilted her head so he could see her face. “I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

She let out a soft sigh. “I tend to jump into things without thinking. I’ve told you that already.”

Ben nodded.

“Most of the time, it gets me in trouble. Something bad happens, or in the case of relationships, I usually find out I’m the only one seeing a future that isn’t there.” She looked up at him, her dark eyes bright with unshed tears. “You’re the first man to tell me you saw a future with me. Ever.”

Well, damn. That was a kick in the gut to him, mainly because he heard the pain in her voice. What man could not want a future with her? Didn’t they realize how incredible she was? How special?

“That was their mistake,” he said softly. “Their loss is my gain. Because when I look at you, Darcy, from the very first time I looked at you, I knew.”

Her eyes went wide as she looked at him.

“When I’m with you, I feel like a better person. You make me hopeful. Like I don’t have to live my life alone, tucked away in my workshop, cut off from everything and everybody.”

“You shouldn’t be so isolated,” she said softly. “It’s not good for you.”

He shrugged.

“Now I have motivation to find balance. I’m not saying I’ve got it all figured out, but I think maybe together, we can.”

Darcy lifted her head and stared at him. “I don’t want to be the reason you have to turn your life upside down. I wouldn’t be able to handle that.”

Turning toward her, he cupped her face in his hands. “Listen to me. The only person responsible for turning my life upside down is me. I should never have let myself get to this point. You are my motivation, but I’m the reason why I need to change. Not you. Do you understand that?”

She stared at him in disbelief. “But you said you were doing this because of me.”

“You’re the reward for doing it,” he said softly. “And I’m so thankful to you—for you—that it makes me kind of excited to do this. To make the changes.” Leaning in, he kissed her softly on the lips.

Darcy smiled and said, “I’ve been thinking about a future with you, too. But I’m afraid to jump in too soon.”

He shook his head. “I’m here with you because I want to be. I’m thinking about a future with you because I want one. And I want one with you because I love you.”

She gasped, and her eyes were as big as saucers.

With a lopsided grin, he went on. “I’m in love with you, Darcy Shaughnessy. It’s fast and it’s crazy and it’s wonderful and exciting. Just like you.”

She squeezed his hand. “The first time we kissed, I just…knew. And I tried telling myself that I was being impetuous and crazy, but deep down, I knew I wasn’t. I knew this was different.”

His heart began to beat erratically.

With a steadying breath, she smiled at him. “I love you too.”

Pulling her close, he rolled onto his back until Darcy was on top of him, and she rested her forehead against his.

“This is good,” he said softly.

She nodded.

Ben’s hands traveled up her spine and to her nape as he angled his head and kissed her.

Deeply.

Thoroughly.

He poured everything he felt into that kiss, and as she melted against him, he could feel all she felt for him. It was heady and wonderful and so damn good.

* * *

Two days later, Darcy was busy making lunch while Ben was showering when her phone rang. Without looking at the screen to see who it was, she simply answered, “Hello?”

“Would you like to explain to me why I have a band of angry Shaughnessys ready to strangle my husband?”

Oh. Shit.

“Oh…hey, Savannah,” Darcy said casually. “What’s up?”

“What’s up? I don’t think our phone has been quiet for days. Days! It’s like all your brothers—and Bobby Hannigan—have set up a schedule where they take turns calling here to yell at and lecture Riley. And me!” She sighed loudly. “I kept waiting for you to call. The only reason I’m calling you is because I got tired of waiting. Dammit, Darce, why didn’t you tell me what was going on with you and Ben? This all could have been handled a lot better if Riley and I had been prepared. We both felt ambushed, and that’s not cool.”

With her own sigh, Darcy sat at the kitchen table. “At first, I thought we were fooling around and that it was sort of like a naughty weekend kind of thing. But then…”

“Then it was more.”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t get it,” Savannah went on. “How did this happen? Or do I not want to know?”

They were going to have to talk about this eventually. Looking over her shoulder toward the bathroom, Darcy silently prayed Ben was going to take his time in the shower.

“I’ll admit it—I was attracted to him the minute I saw him. That first night, he was nice, and I thought he was incredibly good-looking, and I was enjoying the whole thing. His house was gorgeous, the view was great, and…I don’t know, it was all fun.”

“But…”

“But then he said some things that kind of freaked me out.”

“What did he say?”

“It wasn’t just what he said, but kind of how he was saying it.”

“Which was?”

Ugh. This was beyond awkward. “He was just…he said…it was like…”

“Use your words, Darce,” Savannah prompted.

“He was gushing over you. Like seriously gushing. And not in a respect for your work kind of way, but in an all about you kind of way.”

Silence.

“It annoyed me, and I felt like…I don’t know…like he was into you, and I was—”

“You were what? A friend was saying nice stuff about me, and you were what?”

“Jealous, okay? Looking back, I know that I was jealous.” She sighed loudly. “And I don’t even know why that was my immediate reaction, but there it is. Happy?”

“Seriously?” Savannah cried. “Are you freaking kidding me? You thought Ben had a thing for me? That is insane!”

With a huff, Darcy got up and began to pace. “I know I was wrong. I can see that now. But at the time, it just made me…it made me really not want to like him—not as a person, and certainly not as anything more. If he would be interested in a married woman—”

“Oh God.”

“Look, at the time, I was seriously pissed off,” Darcy admitted. “Then I figured I’d talk to you about it. But there was never the right time, and then the storm moved in, and that became the priority. When Ben showed up at the airport, I was livid. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck with a guy who had a thing for my sister-in-law and who was such an incredible pain in the ass to work with!”

“Darcy, for crying out loud.”

“I didn’t tell him that. At first.”

“You didn’t—”

“Eventually I did. Mainly because he confronted me on my attitude toward him. And the worst of it was, no matter how mad I was and how disgusted I was with him, I was still attracted to him. And that made me feel even worse.”

“You should have called me.”

“Ben said the same thing. But I was too embarrassed.”

“Darcy, there never was nor will there ever be anything romantic between Ben and me. I love your brother. He’s it for me. Ben is someone I interviewed who became a good friend. That’s it.”

“I know that now, but…” She shrugged. “You can’t blame me for feeling insecure. I mean, look at you.”

“Me?” Savannah exclaimed. “What about me?”

“You’re beautiful. And confident and…and what guy wouldn’t want you?”

“The list is endless,” she deadpanned. “But that’s not the point. The point is that Ben is into you. And believe me, I’m going to have some words with him too for not calling and telling me what was going on. Seriously, the two of you ruined my week.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Not good enough,” Savannah replied lightly. “There will be some major babysitting duty in the future for you. Like during-the-terrible-twos-when-Aislynn’s-hopped-up-on-sugar babysitting. And you’re going to have to talk to Riley. He’s pacing behind me right now, waiting his turn.”

“Oh, come on. I said I was sorry!”

“Right. Because that’s enough to make one of your brothers be quiet. You know better than that.”

“Any chance he could wait until tomorrow?”

“Any chance you could sprout some wings and fly to the moon?”

“Point taken,” Darcy said with a sigh. “Fine. Put him on the phone.”

They said their goodbyes, and then she heard Savannah whispering to Riley to behave.

This was not going to go well.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t be on a plane right now to kick Ben’s ass,” Riley said as he got on the phone.

“Because you’re not that guy,” Darcy responded dryly. “Be real. You’re not someone who goes around kicking people’s asses. You wouldn’t risk messing up your face. Or your hands. And you’re not the violent type, so cut that out.”

He let out a low growl of frustration.

“What the hell, Darcy? I’ve got everyone calling me, telling me how irresponsible I am, and for what? Because you went and screwed around with Ben? And really? Ben? Of all the guys in the world, why him?”

“What’s wrong with Ben?”

“He’s a nice enough guy, but he’s a friend. I don’t want to think about you doing, you know, with anyone! I especially don’t want to think about you doing that with someone we know. And now whenever I see Ben, that’s what I’m going to be thinking, and I’m going to want to kick his ass!”

“Yeah, but you’re not going to, so let that go,” she teased. “Look, I’m sorry everyone ganged up on you. I had no idea that was going to happen, and for what it’s worth, I did defend you. But you know how they are. They were looking for someone to blame because they all think I’m a kid.” She paused. “I’m not, you know. I’m an adult. I’m a grown woman. I date and—like it or not—I have sex.”

“Oh God,” he said with a groan. “Just stop.”

“No! This is why we’re in this predicament! None of you want to accept the fact that I’ve grown up. You all scared away the guys I liked while I was in high school, and even some while I was in college. I stopped bringing guys home because of it. Hell, even Owen tried to scare away the guy I was with in Vegas.”

Riley chuckled. “And I’m still sorry I missed that. I would have loved to see Owen standing up to someone like that.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good for him,” Darcy said sarcastically. “But the fact is, there was going to come a time when you were all going to have to stop with the intimidation and the freaking out. Eventually, I was going to fall in love and want to get married. Have kids. You can’t keep me locked away and treat me like I’m a child forever.”

He sighed. “Look, I get that. I even agree with you. And while it freaks me out to think about you and Ben,” he said with a hint of disgust, “what I’m pissed about is how everyone is blaming me for this.”

“Just because you’re open-minded doesn’t mean the rest of them are. It was a ridiculous scene, and believe me, if I could have convinced them to calm down and think like logical people, I would have. If Anna or Zoe or Aubrey had been there, this could have gone in a completely different direction. But all the testosterone in that room didn’t equal any brain cells.”

“So what am I supposed to do?”

“They’re all going to meet Ben tomorrow at Thanksgiving dinner, so until then, stop answering your phone,” she said with a small laugh. “After all this time, what else could they possibly have to say?”

“Sometimes it’s a one-word text,” he said miserably. “And they’re normally pretty crude and colorful.”

“That’s Quinn.”

That made Riley laugh. “Look, are you sure about this? About Ben? Is this…is this serious, or are you two messing around?”

“Messing around? Seriously?”

“You know what I mean,” he said wearily. “Work with me here.”

Darcy looked over her shoulder one more time and noticed that the shower wasn’t running anymore. Any minute, Ben would be walking out. Hopefully in nothing more than a towel.

“Look,” she said, her voice going a bit quieter. “This isn’t just messing around. I’m crazy about him. I’m in love with him, and the feeling is mutual. It’s not easy, because he’s all the way on the other side of the damn country, but this is new to us both. So I don’t have all the answers. All I know is that we’re looking for them.”

Riley sighed. “Wow. I…I don’t even know what to say to that. That was remarkably—”

“Mature? Logical? Not at all like the comments of a child?” she mocked.

“Fine. Point taken.”

“Good. Share that with your brothers when you talk to them.”

“You know, you could talk to them and take the heat off me. I mean, why wait until Thanksgiving?”

“It’s one more day, Riley.”

“Yeah, but you’re staying at Aidan’s. Let him meet Ben and talk to him. Once he gives his seal of approval, the rest of them will back off.”

“Because I’m not ready to share yet. You already know Ben. You should be giving the seal of approval and making them listen.”

“God, you’re such a brat,” he said with a huff.

“Aww, such sweet words. You should put them in a song.”

Laughing, Riley took a minute before saying anything else. “Fine. I’ll keep doing damage control, but tell Ben he better dazzle the hell out of them on Thursday.”

“Don’t worry. He will.”

“Good. Do you want to talk to Savannah again?”

She was about to answer when she heard a sound behind her. Turning, she saw Ben standing in the doorway to the bedroom in nothing but a towel.

Yes.

He grinned at her and crooked a finger to call her to him.

Hell yes.

“Uh, no. That’s okay. We’ll all talk on Thursday. So give Aislynn a kiss for me. Love you! Bye!”

Maybe Riley said goodbye, maybe he didn’t. Either way, Darcy finished the call and turned off the phone as she stood. Slowly, she walked toward Ben.

“Everything all right?” he asked.

She nodded.

“That sounded a little intense.”

“Riley and Savannah found out about us. From my brothers.”

“I guess I should be expecting a call from her, huh?”

“Probably.” By now, they were toe-to-toe. “Hopefully not today.”

Nodding, Ben reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I should probably follow your lead and turn off my phone.”

A slow smile crossed her face. “That’s up to you.” Standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a light kiss on the lips. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but go and put some pants on so we can have lunch. I’m starving.”

Ben threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, thank God! I didn’t want you to think there was something wrong with me for wanting food more than sex right now.”

Laughing, she stepped out of his arms and went toward the kitchen. “They’re both good choices, but yeah. Lunch is the priority right now. I’m making some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and soup, if that’s okay with you.”

“Absolutely. Give me five minutes to get dressed, and I’ll join you.”

Darcy went back to work, and sure enough, five minutes later, Ben was beside her. When they sat to eat, they both sighed in unison at the first bite. That made her smile—how in sync they were with one another.

“I followed your recipe,” she said with a grin. “I haven’t mastered it yet, but I think I’m off to a good start.”

He nodded in agreement. After a few bites, Ben put his sandwich down and wiped his hands before looking at her. “So I was thinking…”

“Uh-oh. You sound serious. Am I going to like this?”

Ben couldn’t help but chuckle. “I hope so, because I really do.”

“You? You really like something?” she teased. “Color me surprised, Mister Grumpy. Okay, lay it on me. Whatcha got?”

“I have an opportunity to go to New York next week to meet with my editor, Laura. She wants to get together and have me meet with a couple of gallery owners and talk about plans for next year when the book comes out.” He shrugged. “I’ll have some dinners to go to and a couple of meetings to go over schedules and whatnot, but I thought you might want to come with me.”

“You’re sure about this? You really want me with you? This is a big thing for you—for your career. I don’t want to be in the way.”

“You know, you throw that phrase around a lot, and I know that I personally keep telling you that you’re never in the way. So let that go,” he chided softly. “I want you there with me, Darcy. I think it might be nice to have a week away together.”

“We’re away now.”

He laughed softly as he shook his head. “Sweetheart, we’re hiding out here in your brother’s apartment until we have to face your family. I’m talking about being away and staying at a five-star hotel, going out to dinner, a Broadway show, sightseeing.” He took one of her hands in his and caressed it. “I’ve yet to take you out on a proper date. I kind of like the idea of taking you out to a nice restaurant, then touring a gallery, and then maybe a carriage ride through Central Park.”

“That does sound good.”

“Plus, I think this could be something that’s interesting to the both of us because of your interest in working in the art world. Maybe you can talk to some people, make connections…”

“In New York? But that would mean…I mean…I guess I could, and…”

New York had always been on her radar as a place to work—it was one of the best places for art galleries and museums. But now that she and Ben were together, did she really want to consider job hunting there? It wouldn’t bring her any closer to him and, if anything, it would put even more demands on her time.

Ben must have sensed the same thing, because he immediately changed the subject. “So are we making anything to bring to your father’s tomorrow? A pie? A side dish?”

“I’m supposed to bake some stuff tonight, but nothing major. Martha wants to do the dinner on her own this year. We’re all a little nervous about it.”

“Really? Why?”

She shrugged. “It’s always been just us. We have our own traditions, and it was weird enough when my brothers started getting married and their wives wanted to contribute to the meal.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The Shaughnessys are big on routines and traditions. When something works, we stick with it. So when someone suggests using fresh cranberries instead of the jellied kind, we freak out a bit.”

“Ah, I get that. There were things my parents always made on Thanksgiving—we had a set menu that we never wavered from. It was all the basics, but since they died, whenever I’ve eaten at someone else’s house on the holiday and the menu is different, it feels weird.”

She laughed. “Then we can be weirded out together, because I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be different for all of us.”

“And we agreed to this why?”

She smiled and reached for her glass of soda. “Because it’s family,” she said simply. “And you’re supposed to be with family during the holidays.” Then she realized what she said. “Sorry. That was wrong for me to say.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re here with my family and not with yours. I’m sure your brothers would have liked to spend the time with you too.”

He shrugged and picked up his sandwich again. “It’s not like that for us. I think they would like it, but I’m okay with the way things are.”

“Ben, you need to make time for your brothers. They’re the only family you have. If we’re going to be up in New York, you should invite them to come and see you. I bet they would love it and get a kick out of some of the events that are being held in your honor.”

He rolled his eyes and took another bite of his lunch. “I doubt it. They don’t get excited over my work, and I don’t get excited over theirs.”

“Well, that’s just sad. We’re always celebrating and supporting each other’s jobs in our family.”

“Can we drop this for now?” he asked.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence, and after they were done eating, Darcy excused herself to go and take a shower. Ben said he’d clean up the kitchen, and she didn’t even bother to argue or offer to help. She needed the time away from him for a few minutes to let everything they had talked about sink in.

The idea of going away with him for a week was exciting, and she loved that it had been his idea. Using the trip to scope out jobs had some potential. After all, she kept talking about being serious about this career choice. How could she pass up the opportunity? His family? That was going to be an issue for sure.

“Too much to think about,” she murmured.

Turning on the shower, Darcy waited for the water to heat up and then stepped under the spray. And for a few minutes, she allowed herself the luxury of not thinking about anything at all.

* * *

He knew she was disappointed in the way their conversation had turned, but he couldn’t help it. There were going to be things that they were going to have to agree to disagree about. And no matter how much he loved her and wanted to make her happy, he didn’t like the idea of being pushed, especially not where his family was concerned. And he certainly didn’t want to argue about it when there were so many other things they could be doing.

A few minutes later, Ben heard the water in the bathroom turn off. He smiled and strode purposefully toward the bathroom.

To Darcy.

She opened the door as he was approaching. Her skin was dewy and rosy from the hot water, she didn’t have on a stitch of makeup, and she was wrapped in a towel that barely covered her.

She was perfection.

Her dark eyes went wide as he reached for her, taking the towel from her body. With a soft gasp, she stood perfectly still as if waiting for what he was going to do next.

Words. Dozens, hundreds of words buzzed in his head that he wanted to say to her, but for the life of him, he couldn’t voice them. Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t seductive. It was a kiss that took and claimed and demanded.

And she instantly wrapped herself around him.

God, he loved that about her.

Without breaking the kiss, Ben picked her up and carried her to the bedroom and thought of nothing else but the woman in his arms and pleasing her until he had nothing left to give.