Laid Bare - Lauren Dane [105]
She looked sad, but she nodded and went into the hallway. “I am sorry. I really didn’t mean to cause all this upset. I just wanted to check her out, see if I had any competition should I want you back. Stupid, I know. But I’m sorry.” She raised a hand and walked away.
He shut the door, not watching her a moment more. Only seeing the lines around Erin’s eyes.
He knew about the fight. Todd had shown up, really pissed off, and they’d talked it over. Ben had left work in his hands and decided to come home a little early. The workmen would be packing up next door in a few minutes, but they’d leave through there anyway. He and Erin were alone, and that’s what counted.
He grabbed a bottle of tequila, a big bottle of water and a shot glass, and headed toward their bathroom.
Her eyes were red-rimmed and his heart broke. He took his clothes off, settled in behind her in the tub and poured her a shot.
He took one himself and put his arms around her. He didn’t say anything for some minutes. She needed the silence, he knew.
Instead he massaged her shoulders and scrubbed her back. He rinsed her and she turned, on her knees.
“Baby, I hate to see you so sad,” he said before she brushed her lips across his.
“I’m all right. I just needed the silence for a while. I just needed to not be responsible for anyone’s anything. Thank you.”
He stood, helping her out and then drying her off. She patiently let him take care of her before taking his hand and following him into their bedroom.
“How about a fire?”
She nodded as she got into bed and he hit the switch. Instantly, the room lit with a golden glow.
“Takeout?” He looked at the clock. “Todd will be leaving in a few minutes. I can have him stop on his way home.”
She nodded again and he went to the phone. Todd heard the request, asked if she was all right and sounded relieved when Ben said yes. He said he was leaving then and would be home as soon as possible.
Ben turned back to her and slid into bed, holding her.
Finally, he spoke. “I’m sorry you had a shitty day. I’m sorry about the fight with Todd and I’m sorry about Caroline.”
“It was a stupid fight with Todd. He wanted me safe and got all macho. I needed to be alone and pushed him away. He got snitty, I got bitchy. It’s fine, I’m sure. You all wouldn’t stay around if you couldn’t handle bitchy.”
He smiled. “Plucky. Sassy. Independent. Not bitchy. Not most of the time. Although you hog the chocolate gelato when you’re PMSing.”
“As for Caroline, I don’t have a problem with you having dinner with her or whatever. I don’t like this let’s talk without Ben around business. She barged into my life at precisely the wrong time and she wouldn’t just spit out why she was here, although I have a good idea.”
He kissed her forehead and adjusted his body to look into her face. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
“Ben, Ben, Ben. So very pretty but not very sharp sometimes. Your little Caroline wanted to see me so she could gauge how easy it would be to maneuver back into your life. Now, she may not really want you back. She left you easily enough before. I’m sorry, but it’s true. Stupid cow. But she’s one of those girls who may not really want that piece of cake but they don’t want anyone else to have it either. For all her talk about being poly and oh so progressive and free, she’s full of shit. And I’m in the music industry, I can spot someone who’s full of shit a mile away. She wanted to talk to me to propose a little foursome action. Oh, she’d invite us to a club like the Spot or something, a way to get us all into position, and she’d make her play. Only, the thing she misses is that it takes more than big tits to be yours. If that was the case, you’d be hers.”
She slid a hand