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Authors: Lynn Crandall
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teased, his eyes glinting. “You still know the way. Maybe someday you’ll be back — to stay.”
He climbed out of the car, and Sterling charged after him. She knew she shouldn’t let him get to her, but this persistence had to stop.
Marching behind Ben up the stairs, Sterling fumed. “Why are you doing this, Ben Kirby?”
He said nothing.
“Don’t ignore me.” He unlocked the door and she stormed inside right behind him.
“Gee, come on in.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice. “But watch out for the dog.”
“Dog?” Sterling started, just as the streak of black and brown fur rambunctiously rounded the corner. “Mr. Teeth! What is he doing here? He’s still limping?”
Ben crouched to corral the dog, and began scratching him affectionately under the chin. “The neighbors at the condo said his name is Joe, not Mr. Teeth. Somebody had to take him in. The animal control guys wanted to keep him, but he’s our only witness to the Witt murder.”
“Excuse me, did you say witness?”
“Yes, witness. And yes he’s limping. The vet said he has a bruised muscle. Probably got kicked.”
Sterling watched uneasily, thinking of stepping out through the still open front door. “Well, that might explain why Lacey and I could get away from him at the condo. You two seem to have hit it off.”
“He’s not so ferocious once you get to know him. He’s all bark. Besides, we have a lot in common. We’re both trying to get over broken hearts.”
Sterling’s temper instantly flared. “It won’t work, you know. Your little comments won’t change anything. You’re only driving me crazy!”
“I’m driving you crazy? I’m driving
you
crazy?” Ben stood to face her as Joe ambled away into the living room.
“Yes.” Slamming her hands on her hips, Sterling stared Ben down. “Your comments keep bringing up old stuff. Stuff we settled two years ago.”
In one second, he slammed the door shut and strode close to her. Standing inches from Sterling’s face, Ben peered down at her. “We never settled anything. You may have, I don’t know, but
we
never settled anything.”
Ben’s eyes locked hers and suddenly Sterling felt her walls tumble. The pain filling his face gripped her heart. She knew she caused it. She had never meant to hurt him so terribly.
Doing the right thing shouldn’t be so painful.
Caught between the fear of what could happen and the agony of the moment, Sterling closed her eyes and collapsed against his chest. “I’m so sorry, Ben.”
Ben’s body, rigid and hard, instantly drew up the buried cravings for his touch from deep and low inside her. As she let her mind relax, she felt a matching response, the taut muscles of his chest molding to her body.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he breathed. Gently, reverently, he stroked her cheek, sending chills spiraling down her body.
“This can’t be happening,” she murmured, her eyes still closed. The intimate brush of his breath on her face sent reason swirling up in smoke.
“I love you, Sterling.” His voice sounded raspy in her ear, emotion tumbling out. “I’ve never stopped.”
With every kiss Ben pressed to her hair, Sterling’s heart rose higher in her throat. His lips softly, hesitantly, touched hers. They felt warm and so invitingly tender. Weakly, she pressed her face into the hollow of his neck as he nuzzled her hair. She breathed in the warm, earthy scent of Ben — the only man who had ever gotten to her like this.
His touch opened a door she’d closed and fiercely guarded since the day she told him goodbye. All the emotions she’d let dam up poured out in a torrent that swept her along at a ferocious velocity. Her breath labored. She had to slow things down, think. Instead, she reached up to hold Ben’s face between her hands, and found herself captured by the intense longing in his eyes.
Gripping her tightly, Ben seared her lips with a hard, hungry kiss. “There’s been no one else, you know,” he said, his
He climbed out of the car, and Sterling charged after him. She knew she shouldn’t let him get to her, but this persistence had to stop.
Marching behind Ben up the stairs, Sterling fumed. “Why are you doing this, Ben Kirby?”
He said nothing.
“Don’t ignore me.” He unlocked the door and she stormed inside right behind him.
“Gee, come on in.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice. “But watch out for the dog.”
“Dog?” Sterling started, just as the streak of black and brown fur rambunctiously rounded the corner. “Mr. Teeth! What is he doing here? He’s still limping?”
Ben crouched to corral the dog, and began scratching him affectionately under the chin. “The neighbors at the condo said his name is Joe, not Mr. Teeth. Somebody had to take him in. The animal control guys wanted to keep him, but he’s our only witness to the Witt murder.”
“Excuse me, did you say witness?”
“Yes, witness. And yes he’s limping. The vet said he has a bruised muscle. Probably got kicked.”
Sterling watched uneasily, thinking of stepping out through the still open front door. “Well, that might explain why Lacey and I could get away from him at the condo. You two seem to have hit it off.”
“He’s not so ferocious once you get to know him. He’s all bark. Besides, we have a lot in common. We’re both trying to get over broken hearts.”
Sterling’s temper instantly flared. “It won’t work, you know. Your little comments won’t change anything. You’re only driving me crazy!”
“I’m driving you crazy? I’m driving
you
crazy?” Ben stood to face her as Joe ambled away into the living room.
“Yes.” Slamming her hands on her hips, Sterling stared Ben down. “Your comments keep bringing up old stuff. Stuff we settled two years ago.”
In one second, he slammed the door shut and strode close to her. Standing inches from Sterling’s face, Ben peered down at her. “We never settled anything. You may have, I don’t know, but
we
never settled anything.”
Ben’s eyes locked hers and suddenly Sterling felt her walls tumble. The pain filling his face gripped her heart. She knew she caused it. She had never meant to hurt him so terribly.
Doing the right thing shouldn’t be so painful.
Caught between the fear of what could happen and the agony of the moment, Sterling closed her eyes and collapsed against his chest. “I’m so sorry, Ben.”
Ben’s body, rigid and hard, instantly drew up the buried cravings for his touch from deep and low inside her. As she let her mind relax, she felt a matching response, the taut muscles of his chest molding to her body.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he breathed. Gently, reverently, he stroked her cheek, sending chills spiraling down her body.
“This can’t be happening,” she murmured, her eyes still closed. The intimate brush of his breath on her face sent reason swirling up in smoke.
“I love you, Sterling.” His voice sounded raspy in her ear, emotion tumbling out. “I’ve never stopped.”
With every kiss Ben pressed to her hair, Sterling’s heart rose higher in her throat. His lips softly, hesitantly, touched hers. They felt warm and so invitingly tender. Weakly, she pressed her face into the hollow of his neck as he nuzzled her hair. She breathed in the warm, earthy scent of Ben — the only man who had ever gotten to her like this.
His touch opened a door she’d closed and fiercely guarded since the day she told him goodbye. All the emotions she’d let dam up poured out in a torrent that swept her along at a ferocious velocity. Her breath labored. She had to slow things down, think. Instead, she reached up to hold Ben’s face between her hands, and found herself captured by the intense longing in his eyes.
Gripping her tightly, Ben seared her lips with a hard, hungry kiss. “There’s been no one else, you know,” he said, his
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