Read Online Better with Ben (How to Tame a Heartbreaker Book 3) by Casey McMillin - Free Book Online
Authors: Casey McMillin
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seconds, hold it for four seconds, and breathe out for four seconds. Again. In 1,2,3,4, hold, 1,2,3,4, out, 1,2,3,4. All in my head. All in my head. They're waiting for me out there. Get it together.
She did two more rounds of the breathing exercise, and after a few minutes, the tingling sensation that let her know a pass-out was looming finally subsided. She ran her hands up and down her arms and legs testing to make sure everything was working. Phone. I came to get my phone.
She grabbed her phone and went to join Hannah, Molly and Ben in the living room. She was looking down at it when she opened the door, so she nearly bumped into Ben, who was randomly standing in the middle of the hallway. Taylor was startled and breathed in sharply at the sight of him, putting a hand to her chest.
"Sorry," he said quietly. "They told me the restroom was back here."
The location of the restroom was obvious. There was an open door right next to Ben. The light was on and the vanity could be clearly seen.
"Oh yeah, it's right there," Taylor said. She gave him that same smile—the one that was formulated to make everyone think she was fine. She turned and started toward the living room, but she didn't get very far.
A big hand came around her shoulder turning her around. Before she knew it, she was caught up in his solid arms. For several long seconds, he just held her there. Taylor had been in pretend everything is fine mode, so her first instinct was to end the contact as quickly as she could and point him to the restroom. She started to pull back, but she just couldn't make herself go through with it. Being held by such a big, solid guy felt good to her senses, and she told herself there was no reason to be in such a hurry to end it.
He held her tightly for what must have been at least ten or fifteen seconds before she truly let go and let herself enjoy it. She breathed a contented sigh and relaxed into his arms, wrapping her own arms around his waist. She was silently thanking him for the kindness, and he knew it. He squeezed her. Tears stung her eyes, but she held them back.
They stayed in that hallway for what must have been two full minutes. At one point, she considered breaking the embrace just for the sake of getting back in there to Hannah and Molly, but it felt too good. In that moment, with big, strong Ben wrapped around her, she didn't fear anything—not the murderer, or even her own panic.
The physical pressure of his arms around her inexplicably relieved the emotional tension she was experiencing. Taylor breathed easy in his arms, and she stayed there, enjoying the relief for as long as she thought she could. He held her tightly, never even letting up on the pressure, making it clear that he was willing to hold her as long as she needed to be held. She was thankful for the kind gesture, and would have stayed like that for hours, or even days or weeks, but she knew Hannah and Molly would be concerned about her if she didn't show her face.
She pulled back and looked up to stare into Ben's kind eyes. He stared down at her patiently as if he were willing to stand there and hold her all night if she needed it. He was so handsome that, had she not been such an emotional wreck, she would have been really giddy and probably flirted with him. Instead, she looked up at him with an expression that she hoped conveyed her gratitude.
"Thank you," she said.
He smiled at her, but didn't say anything. He still had his hand on her shoulder, and when Taylor became aware that it's presence was still there, she experienced a pang of longing—one that had her wanting to do more than hug him. The feeling caused her to break the contact. He was offering her a comforting hug and she'd only embarrass herself if she tried to make something out of nothing. Besides, with her current status being of emotionally challenged, she couldn't trust her instincts.
"Thank you," she said again, smiling. She turned around to leave the hallway, and was
She did two more rounds of the breathing exercise, and after a few minutes, the tingling sensation that let her know a pass-out was looming finally subsided. She ran her hands up and down her arms and legs testing to make sure everything was working. Phone. I came to get my phone.
She grabbed her phone and went to join Hannah, Molly and Ben in the living room. She was looking down at it when she opened the door, so she nearly bumped into Ben, who was randomly standing in the middle of the hallway. Taylor was startled and breathed in sharply at the sight of him, putting a hand to her chest.
"Sorry," he said quietly. "They told me the restroom was back here."
The location of the restroom was obvious. There was an open door right next to Ben. The light was on and the vanity could be clearly seen.
"Oh yeah, it's right there," Taylor said. She gave him that same smile—the one that was formulated to make everyone think she was fine. She turned and started toward the living room, but she didn't get very far.
A big hand came around her shoulder turning her around. Before she knew it, she was caught up in his solid arms. For several long seconds, he just held her there. Taylor had been in pretend everything is fine mode, so her first instinct was to end the contact as quickly as she could and point him to the restroom. She started to pull back, but she just couldn't make herself go through with it. Being held by such a big, solid guy felt good to her senses, and she told herself there was no reason to be in such a hurry to end it.
He held her tightly for what must have been at least ten or fifteen seconds before she truly let go and let herself enjoy it. She breathed a contented sigh and relaxed into his arms, wrapping her own arms around his waist. She was silently thanking him for the kindness, and he knew it. He squeezed her. Tears stung her eyes, but she held them back.
They stayed in that hallway for what must have been two full minutes. At one point, she considered breaking the embrace just for the sake of getting back in there to Hannah and Molly, but it felt too good. In that moment, with big, strong Ben wrapped around her, she didn't fear anything—not the murderer, or even her own panic.
The physical pressure of his arms around her inexplicably relieved the emotional tension she was experiencing. Taylor breathed easy in his arms, and she stayed there, enjoying the relief for as long as she thought she could. He held her tightly, never even letting up on the pressure, making it clear that he was willing to hold her as long as she needed to be held. She was thankful for the kind gesture, and would have stayed like that for hours, or even days or weeks, but she knew Hannah and Molly would be concerned about her if she didn't show her face.
She pulled back and looked up to stare into Ben's kind eyes. He stared down at her patiently as if he were willing to stand there and hold her all night if she needed it. He was so handsome that, had she not been such an emotional wreck, she would have been really giddy and probably flirted with him. Instead, she looked up at him with an expression that she hoped conveyed her gratitude.
"Thank you," she said.
He smiled at her, but didn't say anything. He still had his hand on her shoulder, and when Taylor became aware that it's presence was still there, she experienced a pang of longing—one that had her wanting to do more than hug him. The feeling caused her to break the contact. He was offering her a comforting hug and she'd only embarrass herself if she tried to make something out of nothing. Besides, with her current status being of emotionally challenged, she couldn't trust her instincts.
"Thank you," she said again, smiling. She turned around to leave the hallway, and was
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