Why She Spreads

 

For a moment, nobody moved. Kelly held her breath, waiting to see what Clayton and Benjamin would do. If Clayton claimed her as his woman in front of the C.E.O. she would die.

Just drop to the floor and foam at the mouth.

To her surprise, instead of beating his chest and acting territorial, Clayton smiled wide and welcomed Benjamin into the house with a laugh and a back slap.

“Ben, it’s great to meet you again, man. This guy right here is a real soldier. I knew it from the moment we met. Did you decide on the apartment?”

“I did,” Benjamin said stiffly, his eyes darting to Kelly. “I see I’m interrupting.”

“We’re just working through some issues,” Clayton said. “Remember the girl I told you about? This is her.”

“You’ve met?” Kelly screeched.

“I stopped by your place when Ben was checking out the suite upstairs. My cousin introduced us and I helped to convince him of the apartment’s value. Now that I know you signed the lease, I have to get my commission from Kerry.”

“I guess so.”

Awkward silence pulsed in the room, sucking out all the air and stringing the atmosphere tight. Kelly and Benjamin refused to meet each other’s eyes, while Clayton seemed confused. His eyebrows turned downward and he looked between the cowering pair.

“Have you two met?”

“He’s my boss,” Kelly admitted.

“Wow. What a small world. So you knew about me and Kel…”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Benjamin said to her, ignoring Clayton’s dangling inquiry. “I heard what happened at the office, but it looks like everything’s in order. I’m sorry to disturb you.” He walked backward and blindly reached for the door.

“Wait.” Kelly bounded forward and grabbed Benjamin’s hand. He flinched at the touch, but she held firm, refusing to release him. He was her tether to sanity, to self-control. If he walked out like that, she would lose her anchor. “Don’t go.”

“What’s… going on here?” Clayton glared at the fingers snagged around Benjamin’s wrist. His forehead grew three distinct wrinkles and he rubbed his closely shaved chin. “Kelly, is there something you need to say to me?”

With her hand still on Benjamin’s, she pleaded with him. The cold expression he wore frightened her, but she fought through the uncertainty and insisted. “I can explain, Benjamin. Please don’t leave.”

His face was turned away from hers, but he nodded. Only then did she let his hand go. It thumped against his leg and curled into a fist.

Taking a deep breath, Kelly faced her ex. “Clayton, I meant what I said the last time. We’re over. I can’t do this anymore.”

“But… I brought the divorce papers.” He shuffled the sheet in her face. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”

Kelly licked her lips. “Maybe it was, but things have changed now.”

“What do you mean things have changed?” he bellowed. “For four years, you’ve been nagging and nagging me about proving that I love you. I finally did that and for what? You have something else to complain about?”

 Guilt seared her heart. It was true. She had bothered him to reveal his love. Why was she pushing him away when he had finally decided to pursue her fully? Why was she rejecting him when all the dreams she’d harbored over the course of their relationship were about to come true?

She felt torn inside, battling the feelings that—for all her talk and bluster—still remained for a now-nearly-divorced man. Four years was a heck of a long time to throw away.

Her gaze fluttered to Benjamin. He stood still, slightly turned toward the door. Only the profile of his handsome face was revealed to her in the shadows left by the lone, flickering candle.

He had shown her a whole new world and now that she’d gotten a taste of it, she didn’t want to let it go. Not even for the memories she had with Clayton. A war raged in her soul, but instead of falling into old habits, Kelly wanted to strive for more.

“Don’t call me again. Don’t show up at my office. I mean it, Clayton. We’re through.”

He choked, his eyes bugging out of his face. She was sure that her resolve was the last thing he’d expected after going all out with the divorce papers and the candlelit dinner.

“You don’t mean that.”

She trained her gaze on the floor. “Please leave.”

Instead, Clayton strode toward her and grabbed her shoulders, slightly shaking. “Come back to your senses, Kel. Do you think this guy wants you? Do you think he’s interested in anything but sex? At least I was honest with you. At least I was upfront about it.”

“I think she’s made herself clear.” Benjamin stepped in. “You need to go.”

“No, you shut up!” Clayton yelled so that spittle flew from his mouth. “You come in and steal another man’s girl? Right from under his nose? I thought you were down, man! I trusted you.”

  “This has nothing to do with him,” Kelly said.

“Yeah? So why is he standing here looking at me like he wants to snap my neck? What? Did you give him a little brown sugar too? Did you call his name the way you called mine when I—”

Benjamin’s hand moved, quick as lightning. He slammed Clayton with his fist. The other man went flying, his arms flailing out at his sides as he tried to keep himself from tumbling to the floor.

“I’m starting to lose my temper,” Benjamin warned, his blue eyes flashing fire. “The lady’s made herself clear. What more do you want.”

“Lady?” Clayton regained his balance and wiped the bit of blood dribbling from his lip. He sneered, his dark eyes moving from the stain on his fingers and falling on Kelly. “She’s damaged goods, bro. There’s nothing she won’t do and nobody she wouldn’t do it for—all they have to give her is a little attention and she spreads her legs like that.” He snapped his fingers.

Benjamin growled and stomped toward the jerk, but Kelly slid in front of him and delivered a stinging slap to Clayton’s cheek. The sound reverberated against the wall and the force stung her hand, but she barely registered the pain.

“You just confirmed that I’m making the right decision. Thank you.” She pointed to the door. “Now get out. Whatever you do with your wife and your family is no longer my concern. Goodbye, Clayton.”

He passed her by, calling her a foul word as he went. Benjamin started forward, but she held out a hand to keep him back. Clayton’s pride had been dealt a severe blow. She would let him have the last word if it meant she never had to see him again.

When the door slammed shut behind him, she swiveled and faced her boss. Shame bore down on her. Though Clayton’s analysis of her character had been exaggerated, there were grains of truth behind his statements.

Her capacity to find and sleep with jerks was legendary. No matter what she tried, Kelly always seemed to land in the bed of a man who only wanted to use her for a good time and abandon her when the fun was over.

Benjamin was the first man who had seen past her body to the woman within. She hated to see the disappointment in his eyes, hated to think that his impression of her had changed.

“It didn’t start out like this,” she said quietly, her gaze low. “We met at a New Year’s Eve party. I didn’t know he was married until months later. By then, I thought I was in love.”

“You don’t have to explain to me,” he said, but something in his voice convinced her that he wasn’t being altogether truthful.

She glanced up, noting the way his jaw flexed and his arms clenched at his sides. “I broke up with him a hundred times, but I always took him back. This time was different. Really.”

 “It doesn’t matter.”

“Then why won’t you look at me?” she demanded.

He turned his head, blue eyes flashing in the darkness. Shadows played over the chiseled contours of his jaw and cheeks. “You deserve so much more than that, Kelly. You deserve to be treated like a queen. You deserve to have a man who wants to claim you, who wants the world to know that you’re off-limits. And you can’t see it.”

Tears rushed to her eyes. “What do you want me to say?”

“I guess there’s nothing you can say.” He dipped his chin and swallowed. “Good night.”

“Benjamin, don’t leave like this. Benjamin!”

He ignored her pleas and walked out, his footsteps fading into silence. The closing door created a gust of wind that curled into the air and slashed the last candle standing. The room fell into complete darkness and Kelly Banner fell to the floor.