Sami

“Ben.”  His name was barely a breath of sound falling from her lips, but she knew he’d heard her by the half smile on his face.  He’d always had the ears of a bat and a knack for hearing all kinds of things she wished he hadn’t. 

“Long time, no see, Vixen,” she heard Benjamin Atkins greet her way too easily after three long years of radio silence, the use of his old nickname for her painfully piercing what was left of her shredded heart. 

God, this had to be some kind of dream.  She was going to wake up any minute and find herself alone in her bed.  

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Sami.  I assure you, no matter how many times you blink, I’m not going to disappear, Sami,” Ben teased with an amused grin. 

Crap!  This wasn’t a dream.  It was a nightmare!  Her own personal waking nightmare!  “I… I just can’t believe you’re here,” she whispered as she tried to control the tremor in her voice.  Self-consciously, Samantha silently cursed and lifted a hand to smooth over her hair as a breeze blew the silky locks into her face.  From the flash of pity she saw in Viv’s gaze, she knew she had to look a mess.  Still shaken to see her ex-fiancé, she could feel the color draining from her face and knew she must look white as a sheet.  Of course, her appearance should be the least of her concerns, but what could she say?  She’d always wanted to look her best in front of Ben.  Even now.  Hell, especially now.   “Of all the small towns in all the world…” she chattered mindlessly as she released a nervous laugh.

“You had to come walkin’ into mine,” she heard him conclude smoothly, his captivating blue-gray eyes never leaving hers.  God, you would think after everything they’d been through, those eyes would no longer have any effect on her.  But no such luck.  She still felt like she could happily drown in those pools of blue. 

Clearing her throat, Vivian rose from the bench to stand between them, looking cautiously between the two.  “Sami, I know this is quite a surprise, but Ben’s been here for the last couple of years.  Isn’t that right, Ben?”

Nodding, Ben’s eyes never moved from Samantha’s face.  “Sounds about right,” he agreed softly.  . 

“But, why?” Sami blurted before she could stop herself.  “I mean, it’s a pretty town, but there’s nothing here,” she said, gesturing weakly around her.  “I mean, there’s no publishing houses or fashion houses or…”

“I decided I wanted to take photographs of something other than a bunch of pretty bodies standing around in expensive dresses, Samantha.  I made a good living doing it for a lot of years, but doing that then allowed me to do what I really love now.  After I left Atlanta, I did some traveling.  Found this place.  You’re standing in the midst of some of the most beautiful land God ever created in a town that has some of the kindest people I’ve ever met.  Setting up shop here wasn’t a hard decision.”

“Ben’s being very humble, Sami.  He’s actually won several awards for photographs he’s taken of Appalachia in the last couple of years, but then, you’ve always known how talented he was” Vivian interjected, her eyes kind as they met Sami’s. 

“Absolutely,” Sami agreed quickly.  “Ben’s always been a genius behind the camera’s lens,” Sami admitted, feeling strangely proud of all he’d accomplished.  She liked to think she’d had a small hand in his accomplishments, and because of that, his successes still felt a bit like her own.  “I just can’t believe you left the fashion industry behind.  You were at the top of your game… to walk away at the height of your career seems like it would have been a risky move.”

“Yeah, but it was time to do something different.  You always knew that I didn’t wanna snap pictures of party dresses and swimsuits forever.  That kind of thing paid the bills and gave me a nice nest egg to live on while I established myself here, but it wasn’t my passion.”

Oh, how she remembered that, Sami thought, the memories bittersweet.  Ben had always said he had two great passions.  Her and nature photography.   She was thrilled that one of those had worked out for him.

“Besides, when I do have a hankerin’ to take pictures of a pretty face, I have my studio work,” he continued with a nod toward his shop across the street.   “Lucky for me, this town has no shortage of beautiful women and adorable babies to snap pictures of.”

Okay, message received, Sami thought bitterly.  Ben wasn’t exactly pining away for her up her in the mountains.  Knowing that hurt a lot more than she expected.  But, she’d be damned if she let him know he’d landed an emotional hit.   Pasting on a bright smile, she forced herself to look up into his still brutally handsome face.  “I…I’ve gotta admit, Ben, I’m surprised to find you up here, but I’m genuinely happy for you.  It sounds like you finally got the career you wanted,” Sami offered softly, each word sticking painfully in her throat.  “I mean, the country life isn’t for me, but I’m glad you found what you wanted here.”

“Haven’t found all of it.  At least, not yet,” Ben admitted, dropping his hands into the pockets of his well-worn jeans.

“I think you and Ben need to get reacquainted and I’ve got some work that I need to get done back at Abel’s office.  Sami, we can meet up for lunch tomorrow at the café and talk about things, okay?” Vivian declared with a smile.

Eyes widening on her traitorous friend, Sami shook her head.  “Viv, no!  You can’t leave.   We’ve got to talk about things.  You can’t just decide that you’re going to pull up stakes and move here!  It’s just not done!”

“Actually, it is done, Sami.  I’m doing it.  If you ask me, you should think about doing it, too,” she returned evenly, giving Sami a pointed look as she jerked her head toward Ben.  “Look how well it turned out for Ben.   You never know… it could all work out for you, too.  If you were willing to take a chance,” she said before turning toward a dark sedan parked on the side of the street.

“Viv!  Don’t you dare get behind that wheel,” Sami threatened as Viv reached for the car door.  “I mean it!  I don’t even know anything about this town!  You can’t just strand me here,” she shouted as Vivian laughed.

“I’m not.  I’m leaving you with an old friend,” she said with a smile toward Ben.  “One that I’m confident can still take care of all your needs.”

“An old friend,” Sami echoed incredulously, unable to believe the words coming out of Vivian’s mouth.  The other woman knew everything about her past relationship with Ben.  The good.  The bad.  And the very, very ugly.  And Vivian knew damn good and well how much seeing the only man she’d ever loved would rock her.  How could she abandon Sami now?  “Viv, have you suffered some kind of brain injury?” she asked through clenched teeth as her anxiety level took another spike.

“What?” Viv returned innocently with a shrug.  “I believe Ben is more than capable of looking after you,” she claimed breezily.

“And I believe that you’re a suffering from Stockholm Syndrome,” Sami returned sharply while her heart pounded in her chest as she watched Vivian and Ben have some kind of silent conversation with only their eyes.  Christ, this was insane and she couldn’t believe Vivian would set her up this way.  She just wanted to escape… to run away as far and as fast as she could go. 

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be in the cards for her.  It shouldn’t have surprised her.  Lately, fate seemed to love fucking with her.  Furious, Sami could only stand and watch as one of her oldest and dearest friends abandoned her.  “Are you freaking kidding me?” she yelled as Vivian pulled away from the curb.  “You are sooooo off my Christmas list, you traitor!” she screamed at the departing car.  Breathing hard as she whirled to find her old lover staring at her with an odd blend of humor and compassion shining in his eyes, Sami fought the urge to stomp her feet and cry.  Ben was the last man she wanted to watch her fall apart, but there wasn’t any doubt that she was on the verge of emotionally imploding.  “Don’t you have a wife and kids to hurry home to?” she asked waspishly as she scanned the street for a way out of her current situation.  She needed a taxi.  Or a bus.  Hell, she’d settle for a bicycle at this point.  Peddling her way out of Paradise sounded a hell of a lot better than standing here calmly conversing with the man who’d broken her heart.  “Please don’t let me hold you up, Ben,” she snapped.

Ignoring her rudeness, Ben ambled toward her as he shook his head.  “You’re not keeping me from anything, Vixen.   There’s no wife.  No kids.  No girlfriend,” he clarified evenly.

Shocked, Sami stilled.  “What?”

“You heard me.  Nobody’s waiting on me, Samantha.  I’m still very single,” he informed her with a crooked smile.

“But you always said you wanted to settle down and have a family.  I just assumed that you’d be involved with someone,” she returned before she could stop herself.  She wasn’t sure what possessed her to say that.  It wasn’t like she wanted him to tell her about all the women that had surely come after her.  But hearing that he wasn’t involved with anyone had astonished her.  Ben had always been a catch, both then and now.  She couldn’t imagined why a woman hadn’t snatched him up and put a ring on him. 

“I did want all those things.  Still do.  Very much so,” he informed her simply.  “I just haven’t found the right woman to share my life with yet, but I’m looking for her every single day.”

She wasn’t sure why that hurt so much to hear, but it did.  And because it did, she struck out.  “Well, don’t let me keep you from continuing the search.  Have a nice life, Ben,” she retorted, turning on her sky high heels and randomly choosing a direction to walk.  It only took a moment to realize he was following her.  Turning her head to find his eyes firmly glued to her ass, she couldn’t help the small thrill it gave her.  Ben had always been enamored by a woman’s ass, particularly hers.  Waiting until he lifted his glittering gaze to meet hers, she frowned.  “Why are you following me?” she bit out, glaring at him.  “And why the hell are you staring at my ass?”

Ben shrugged negligently.  “Can’t help it.  It’s a really great ass.  Always has been,” he complimented her easily as he eyed her body appreciatively. 

It ought to be, Sami thought wryly as her body heated under the weight of his stare.  She’d certainly worked hard enough to maintain it over the years.  For all the good it had done her, she thought bitterly.  Even after all the dieting and exercising, she’d still lost her modeling contract to a younger, shinier version of herself.  Of course, that wasn’t Ben’s fault and being a bitch to him now wouldn’t get her job back.  “Thanks,” she muttered, “It’s not quite as perky as it once was, but I try to keep it in shape.

“Trust me, babe, your ass is as gorgeous as it ever was,” Ben assured her with a playful wink. 

God, was she imagining things or was he actually flirting with her?   Mentally giving herself a sound slap on the back of her head, Sami knew she couldn’t let her thoughts wander in that direction.  She needed to cut this painfully familiar banter off now.    “That doesn’t answer my other question, Ben . Why are you following me?” she questioned impatiently as she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to face him.

“I’m following you because I think you and I have some things to discuss,” he answered evenly.  “In fact, we’re long overdue on having a chat, don’t you?  It’s time we hash some things out between us.”

Automatically shaking her head, Sami backed up a step, wholly unprepared to go down that road with Ben.  “Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ben.  I think we said everything we had to say to each other three years ago, didn’t we?” she asked before turning and resuming her walk down the street.

Choosing to ignore her snide comment, Ben merely grinned and continued to trail after her.  “You know,” he remarked after a few minutes of silent walking, “If we keep heading in this direction, eventually you’re gonna find yourself in the town graveyard.”

Snorting, Sami smirked.  “Fitting, I guess, since that’s where my career is headed.  But, I guess you already knew that, huh?”  She was willing to bet the entirety of her bank account that Vivian had blabbed all the juicy little tidbits of her life to this man. 

“Vivian mentioned that your agency was letting you go,” Ben commented blandly, easily keeping pace with her.  “I told you years ago that you were too good for the Cordova Agency.  They’re a bunch of crooks, Samantha.  Always have been.”

Shoulders sagging at the brutal truth of his words, Sami swallowed painfully.  “I guess you must think I’m getting what I deserve.  Too old to work anymore and out on my ass.   They treated me just the way you predicted they would.  Does it feel good to know you were right?” She asked softly, turning down a side street that she hoped would take her back toward the café.  She nearly groaned when she realized that she didn’t even have her cell phone with her.  She’d left that in the Land Rover, too.  And since Mannie had already driven their repaired ride over to the hunting lodge to claim their rooms for the night, she had to pray some kind soul would give her a ride.  Either that or beg a favor from Ben… and there was no way her already savaged pride could handle that.

“Vixen, you don’t have the first damn idea about what I think of the situation you’re in or how I feel about what happened, but I will say this.  Even when I thought I hated you… when I fought to convince myself that I loathed everything about you, I would never have taken delight in your pain.  That hasn’t changed.”

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Sami turned sharply to face the man she’d once loved with every fiber of her being.  The man she still loved if she was honest with herself.  “Why are you being so freaking nice to me?  We both know that I don’t deserve your kindness.  So what’s your deal?” she questioned sharply.

Ben’s eyes softened as they took in her confused face.  “Babe, it’s been a long time.  We both made some mistakes when we went our separate ways…”

“You say that like it was an amiable breakup, and we both know it was anything but friendly¸” Sami laughed hollowly.  “It was awful.  No, strike that.   I was awful.”

“Neither one of us was at our best that day,” Ben pointed out gently. 

“Oh, please. Let’s not sugarcoat the past.  It was nasty.  Remember?  Things were said.  Ugly things.  Vile things.  You called me names that still make me cringe when I remember them,” she recalled grimly, the hurt still as fresh now as it had been then.

“Yeah, I did,” Ben agreed softly.  “I can’t deny it.  I’m ashamed of some of the stuff that came out of my mouth that night.  I’ve thought about it a lot over the years, and there’s no excuse for some of what I said, babe.  I wanted to hurt you as badly as you were hurting me and I struck out.  In fairness, though, you said your fair share of hurtful shit, too.”

“I did.  I own that!” Sami proclaimed readily with a jerky nod.  “But I’m not the one standing here trying to act like I’m fine with you!  I’m not acting like I’ve just seen a long lost old friend.  My God, Ben, you’re acting like we parted on good terms when we just didn’t!”

“I know, Samantha.  Believe me, I know.  But what happened was a long time ago.  I’ve let it go,” he explained gently.

Sami scoffed.  “You’ve let it go,” she echoed disbelievingly.  “Are you seriously expecting me to believe that you’ve turned into some kind of mellow, forgiving pod person?”

“Not all of us enjoy holding grudges while going ninety to nothin’ down the highway of life.  Life’s too short for that kind of bullshit.”

“What does that even mean?” Sami groaned, throwing her hands up in the air.  “Honest to God, is this entire town stoned?  How the hell can everybody be so frickin’ nice all the time?”  Staring at him, Sami wasn’t sure what she expected from Ben, but it certainly wasn’t forgiveness.

“Everybody isn’t nice all the time, Sami.  Bad things happen here, too, but the good outweighs the bad by a lot.  The thing is that you’ve gotten so used to the ugly in life that you think that’s what’s normal.  And, baby, that doesn’t make me wanna get angry with you.  It just makes me sad for you.”

“Don’t you dare pity me,” Sami hissed, her eyes narrowing to slits as she glared at the man facing her.  “I might be having a hard time right now, but I am not out of the game yet.  I’m smart.  I’m rich!  I have skills,” she spat, uncertain if she was trying to convince Ben or herself. 

“I know,” Ben replied simply.  “You were always talented in more ways than even you realized.  I knew that then and I know it now!”

“Gah!” Sami sputtered angrily.  “There you go again!”

“What?” Ben asked curiously, cocking his head as he watched her rage.

“You’re being nice!  Can’t you be normal?  Call me a bitch or a whore or God… I don’t know!  I was horrible when I broke up with you.  You can’t just forgive that,” she argued.

“I think it’s up to me what I can and can’t forgive, Sami, and I’ve made my decision,” he declared stubbornly. 

“Just stop being so blasted nice to me,” she growled as she stomped toward him, thumping his chest with both her hands, hating herself for the tears that burned her eyes.  She would NOT cry here, dammit!  Not now.  Not in front of him of all people.  “Just stop it!  Because this mind game you’re playing with me right now…. It’s beyond cruel and I can’t take it right now. So stop it,” she begged, smacking his chest again.  “Please,” she begged, her voice breaking as the first tear escaped the corner of her eye.

Catching her wrists when she would have slammed her fists against his sternum again, Sami’s breath caught when he jerked her to him, pulling her even further off balance.  Stumbling into him, she tilted her head back to stare up into his blue-gray eyes.  Seeing her own torment reflected back at her, Sami choked back a sob.

“Samantha, stop,” Ben ordered, his deep voice stern as he wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the way she tried to buck out of his arms.  “Settle, Vixen.”

“Fuck you,” Sami cursed viciously.  She was mad at him for the way he could rigidly control his emotions, giving away nothing more than he wanted to share.  She was angry at herself for being unable to hold her uncaring mask in place.  She was furious at her friends for putting her in this position with this man.  She was angry at the universe for denying her the ability to have Ben’s children.  And most of all, she was pissed at the unfairness of it all.  She’d wanted everything Ben had wanted.  Marriage.  Babies.  A life together.  But knowing she’d only ever be able to give him pieces of his dream hadn’t been good enough for her.  She’d wanted him to have it all, dammit.  But had he found it all?  Had he moved on from her and found a woman to give him the perfect life he craved?  No.  No, the idiot was still alone. 

And so was she.

How was that for fair?

And the more she thought about it, the more irate she grew.

“Let me go!” she shouted, uncaring who heard her as she looked around for help.  Realizing too late that she’d turned down an alleyway instead of a street, she found the area deserted.  Which meant no one was coming to intervene on her behalf.  It was just her and him and the violent emotion coursing through her.  “I mean it, Ben.  Let me go!” she bit out, trying to wrestle her way out of his grip before deciding if she couldn’t break his hold on her, she’d make him want to let her go.  Clamping her teeth down on his right pectoral muscle, she heard him hiss in an audible breath at her attack.

“Like hell I will!  Damn it, Vixen, I said to settle down,” he growled a split second before the brick wall of one of the buildings met her back and his mouth covered hers.

Moaning as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, Samantha wanted to cry at the beauty of the moment.  His tongue slid between her parted lips to twine around hers, the familiar flavor of his kiss flooding her taste buds.  A sinful combination of melted caramel and coffee, his unique flavor was both heady and addictive and she felt her pulse quicken as his hands dove into her hair, tilting her head so that he could kiss her deeper.  Sucking at his lower lip, a primitive need built inside her as she pressed her body closer to his.  It didn’t matter that they were on a public street.  It didn’t matter that it had been years since they’d last seen each other.  It didn’t matter that they’d broken each other’s hearts and were no longer together.

She wanted him.

Desperately.

 Utterly.

 Completely.     

Feeling his body press hers against the unforgiving wall behind her, the uneven bricks digging roughly into her back, Sami gasped as she felt the hard ridge of Ben’s cock grinding against her belly.   Catching her breath as Ben finally released her mouth to rest his warm lips against hers, she wondered what the hell had just happened.

“Fuck, I needed that,” Ben rumbled, his humid breath warm against her skin.

Eyes wide as they met his, Sami didn’t know what to say.  Her body hummed with a violent kind of need as he leaned against her, but her mind was a mess.  “Ben…”

“Shhhh…” he whispered, nipping at her full lower lip.  “Just be in this moment with me.  Just let us have this time for us,” he urged deeply before claiming her mouth again.

Eagerly meeting his lips, Sami clutched at Ben’s broad shoulders, arching her back and rubbing her hardened nipples against his chest.  She moaned as Ben palmed one swollen breast in his hand, rubbing her pebbled nipple through the silk of her blouse.  “Mmmm,” she moaned against his mouth as he quickly unfastened the first few buttons on her shirt and flipped open the front clasp of her bra.  “Oh, God,” she whimpered when his warm hand found the bare flesh of her breast, squeezing the firm globe with one hand. 

“God, I’ve missed touching you,” he growled between deep, probing kisses.  “I’ve been dreaming of these breasts for the past three years.”  Lowering his head to lick one dusky peak, he slowly pulled the tip between his lips, biting gently.  “

“Yes!” she gasped as his tongue circled her nipple, drawing out the sensations as he wrapped his hand around her other breast.  “Don’t stop, Ben,” she begged when he lifted his head to stare into her aroused eyes.

“Tell me you’ve missed me,” he urged, plucking at her swollen nipple.  “Tell me, vixen,” he demanded, bending his head to suck gently at the throbbing pulse in her neck. 

“I’ve missed you,” she confessed readily as her body ached for fulfillment.  “I’ve missed you so much, Ben.”

“Are you still mine, Samantha?” he rasped against her cheek.  “Do these sweet lips still belong to me?” he asked roughly, lifting a hand to run the pad of his thumb along the seam of her lips before dropping a lingering kiss against her mouth.

Nodding urgently, Sami clutched at Ben’s waist.  “Yes,” she whispered, her body trembling with excitement.

“What about these gorgeous tits?” he asked, curling one hand possessively around a heavy globe.  “Are those still mine, too?”

“Always,” Sami confided huskily, shuddering slightly as his hands stroked the sensitized flesh before dropping to palm her between her legs through her lightweight trousers, the heat of his palm nearly searing her.

“What about here?” he questioned against her lips as his hand contracted.  “Is this tight pussy still mine, Samantha?”

“Oh, god, Ben!” Sami cried softly as the heel of his hand rubbed against her throbbing core. 

“Answer me, dammit,” he bit out, nipping her earlobe in warning.  “Do I still own this pussy?” he asked, steadily applying pressure to where she needed it most.

“Yes!  It’s yours, damn you!  It’s always been yours,” she sobbed out as her hips bucked against his hand, her body searching for the release it so desperately craved.

“That’s my girl,” Ben praised as someone cleared a throat loudly behind them.

“Pleased as I am to see that you’ve convinced Miss Dixon that our town is a friendly place, Ben, I’m going to have to ask you and the lovely lady to take your date behind closed doors,” Sheriff Zeke Monroe requested dryly as he peered over Ben’s shoulder at a disheveled Sami.

“Oh, God,” Sami groaned, quickly buttoning up her gaping blouse.  “Sheriff, this isn’t what it looks like,” she said quickly.

“Like hell it’s not,” Ben retorted with a sly grin.

“Not my business,” Zeke returned with a chuckle.  “Just know that we try to keep things PG rated here in the streets of Paradise, and it looked like you and Ben skipped over PG, ran straight through rated R and were rapidly heading toward triple X when I arrived.  I’d hate to have to lock you two kids up for public indecency but if Old Widow Winslow catches you in the act, I won’t have any choice.”

“That won’t be a problem, Sheriff.  This was a mistake that won’t be repeated,” Sami vowed as she stepped around Ben to face Zeke.  “In fact, if you could just give me a ride….”

“You’re not going anywhere but my bed.  You and I still have unfinished business,” Ben interrupted her with a hard look.

Smiling uncomfortably at Zeke, Sami shook her head.  “Ignore him,” she directed Zeke sweetly with a dismissive wave in Ben’s direction.  “Like I said…”

“Ignore me?” Ben echoed, his jaw clenching as he looked toward the heavens.  “Ignore her,” he ordered Zeke firmly as Sami watched him exchange a look of understanding with the older man.  “You got  handcuffs with you, man?”

“Depends,” Zeke responded with a grin.  “Is this spitfire the one you were telling me about?”

“Yep.  She’s the one that got away,” Sami heard Ben answer as he shot her an openly affectionate look.

Confused, Sami looked back and forth between the two men.  Ben had openly discussed her with the
sheriff?  Feeling her stomach plummet towards her toes, she could only imagine what nastiness he’d filled the lawman’s ears with.  God knows, he had enough ammunition against her.

 “Then I’d say you might need these more than I do,” Zeke replied, pulling his cuffs from his pocket and passing them over to the other man.   “Although from the look in her eyes, you might wanna borrow my gun more,” he warned as Sami’s gaze narrowed dangerously.

“Don’t worry.  Her bark is worse than her bite,” Ben shared with a chuckle.

“I’ll make sure to remind you of that when she rips your arm off to beat you with it,” Zeke laughed as he passed the keys to his handcuffs over, too. 

Sami balked as she listened to the two men converse.  Surely Ben wouldn’t actually handcuff her.  He wasn’t that crazy, was he?  “Wait a second!  You’re not actually giving your handcuffs to him, are you?” she asked the sheriff worriedly.

“Sure am,” Zeke confirmed as Ben smoothly stepped in front of Sami and gripped one of her arms with a gentle hand, swiftly latching the metal circle around her wrist before she realized what was happening.

Jaw dropping, Sami stared into Ben’s twinkling eyes.  “You can’t be serious!  Why are you doing this?” she asked tightly, trying to jerk from Ben’s hold on her.

“Because, beautiful, I made a grave mistake and let you get away from me once before,” Ben admitted calmly.  “This time, I’m gonna do everything in my power to keep from repeating history,” he explained as he quickly drew Sami’s other hand into his and smoothly shackled the other wrist, the snap of the metal echoing down the alleyway.

“Oh, my God!” Sami shrieked as she realized that Ben really had locked the handcuffs around her wrists.  “You can’t do this!”

“I can and I have,” Ben smirked.  “Get used to it, vixen.”

“I mean it!  Get these things off me this instant, Benjamin!” she demanded irately as she tried to pull against the metallic restraints.  “I demand you get these things off me!” she ordered shrilly as she shook her bound wrists in front of Ben’s nose. 

“All in good time,” Ben assured her with a look of smug satisfaction.  “Zeke, I owe you one, my friend.  Thanks,” he stated gratefully before bending at the waist and putting a still sputtering Sami over his shoulder.

“Put me down!” Sami raged, bucking against Ben’s shoulder as his hand connected sharply with her ass.  “Don’t you spank me, you asshat! Are you just going to let him get away with this?” she barked at the amused Sheriff as he stood watching the show.  “This is kidnapping!” she yelled.

“Then you should probably call a cop,” Zeke advised easily.  “Unfortunately for you,” he continued, making a production of looking down at the watch on his wrist.  “I’m off-duty and have plans with my gorgeous wife.    Ben, good luck, man,” he said, clapping the other man on the back.  “I’ll check in with you soon,” he added with a meaningful look at a still struggling Sami.  “Miss Dixon, enjoy your stay in Paradise.”

Watching with amazed fury as the sheriff strolled away, disappearing down the street without so much as a look back at her, Sami struck her fist against Ben’s back.  “Put me down,” she ordered harshly as he began to carry her back down the street.  “Seriously, Ben.  People are staring,” she groaned as another couple across the street pointed in their direction, their giggles audible even from her position over his shoulder. 

“Let ‘em look,” Ben declared easily as his steps quickened.  “Trust me, it won’t be the first time folks have watched a man carry his woman home in this town.  It’s actually more common than you might imagine.”

Huffing out an irritated breath, Sami ground her teeth together.  “It’s embarrassing,” she hissed.

Ben chuckled.  “You can just add it to the long list of sins I’ve committed against you, babe, but I’m still not putting you down until I’m standing between you and the locked door of my apartment.  I’m not risking you getting away from me again.  So, do us both a favor and just pipe down.  I’ll have us back to my place in under five minutes if you behave,” he informed her as he patted her ass again.

“Get your hand off my butt and quit feeling me up, you pervert!” she commanded imperiously, wriggling against his shoulder as they continued to draw stares from people on the street.

“You didn’t seem to mind where my hands went ten minutes ago so I’m sure you’ll get used to it now, Vixen,” Ben chuckled, smacking her ass again for good measure. 

“I hope you’re on friendly terms with your neighbors, Ben,” Sami noted ominously.

“I know I may regret asking you this, but why is that?” he inquired as they finally reached his studio and he shifted Sami on his shoulder to reach into his pocket and grab his keys. 

“You’ll want somebody to intercede when they hear your cries for help.  Because make no mistake about it, Ben.  I fully intend to try and murder you with my bare hands when I get out of these cuffs.  That’s a promise from me to you, He-man,” she assured him as he came to a halt outside his studio and  pulled his keys out of his pocket.

“Then I guess I need to make sure that you and I have a lot of privacy for what I have in mind,” he returned thoughtfully as he turned on his heel and began walking in the opposite direction.

Lifting her head as Sami heard the almost pensive chord in Ben’s voice, she resumed squirming against his shoulder in earnest.  She could tell he had something up his sleeve… an unspoken plan that could only lead her down a road she had no business wandering down.  “C’mon, Ben,” she began.  “Put me down.  Please? Riding over your shoulder isn’t exactly comfortable, you know?  This bony shoulder is killing my belly,” she lied with a feigned sniffle, hoping her complaint would appeal to his sense of decency.

“Sweetheart, the only part of your delectable self that I might be injuring right now is your pride,” he chuckled, lightly slapping the curve of her ass again.   “That flat little belly of yours is just fine.  Kinda like this lush ass here,” he added, stroking his palm over the firm swell of her butt again before playfully pinching her. 

Pressing her lips together as she growled low in her throat, Sami inwardly chided herself for wasting time on any foolish hope that her mild discomfort would sway Ben’s plans in any way.  She should have known he wouldn’t fall for any of her convoluted aches or pains.  She was a tough cookie and he knew her far too damn well.   Plus, her ex was a stubborn asshat when he made up his mind about something, and it was clear he’d decided that he wasn’t ready to let her go. “When I get out of these cuffs, I swear to God that I’m gonna rip off your arm and beat you to death with it for gropin’ me.”

“Tough talk for a woman that was nearly beggin’ me to mount her in broad daylight in the middle of town just a few minutes ago.   You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t buy into your feminine outrage at havin’ your man spank your sassy ass.  Just simmer down and enjoy the ride,” he advised as his steps came to a halt beside a huge red truck.  Hearing a high-pitched beep followed by the sound of locks disengaging, Sami grunted as Ben yanked open the door and unceremoniously dumped her into the passenger seat before quickly slamming the door closed again and reengaging the locks.    

Staring at him with a kind of horrified fascination as the infuriating man swiftly circled the truck to the driver’s side, she watched as he pulled his phone from his pocket and proceeded to make a phone call.  “Are you kidding me with this shit, Ben?  You wanna make phone calls now?” she screeched through the glass window at the man determined to drive her crazy.  “Let me out of here, you asshole!” she demanded irately, lifting her manacled hands to knock the metal cuffs against the window.  “I mean it, Benjamin!  Let me out!” 

Ben, however, simply turned his back on her and took a few steps away from the truck.  “You son of a bitch,” she cursed him under her breath as she leaned forward, pressing her ear to the window.  Straining to hear, Sami huffed in frustration when she realized she could only make out the odd word or two of what he was saying.  In the scheme of things, she knew it didn’t matter who he was talking to.  It was unlikely whoever it was would be any help to her.  Nope.  She was on her own here.  She couldn’t even count on her closest friends any longer since they’d suddenly decided to collude with the enemy. 

Christ, she had to get the hell out of this freaking town and as far away from Ben as humanly possible before she lost what was left of her mind and heart!  Looking frantically around at the truck’s mostly bare interior for anything that might help her escape, it became clearer and clearer that she was truly trapped.  There wasn’t a single item in the cab of the truck that would help her in a bid to escape.

And thanks to the handcuffs locked around her wrists, there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about any of her situation.

But Sami wasn’t a quitter and she’d never been a woman to give up because things got hard.  Not even when she’d lost Ben had she given up.  She’d simply changed her goals in life.   

Which was exactly what she’d do now, Samantha thought to herself as she stared out the window at the sexy-as-sin body snatcher who’d waylaid her as she slowly began to formulate a strategy for dealing with the mouthwateringly delicious man that seemed to be determined to rekindle the spark of a relationship that had already gone down in flames.  And since she’d already been nearly burned alive once when their world exploded three years ago, she had to find a way to put out the fire that still appeared to be burning between them.

Which was why if Ben thought for one single second that she would be his compliant little hostage, he was in for a very rude awakening!  Samantha Dixon was one abductee who was determined to make her kidnapper’s life into a living hell – all for his own damned good!  Because nothing had changed.  No matter how much she wanted things to be different, she still couldn’t give him the family she knew he wanted.  No matter how quickly her body still ignited for his or how bright the two of them burned for each other, their love was still doomed to go down in a blaze of horrific glory.  It always would be.

And nothing either of them did would ever change that fact.