it's for nothing serious."
A tear rolled down her cheek .
"Bea, that man is as strong as an ox. It'll take more than a little illness to kill him off ," he said. They'd often joked that the old man would outlive them.
She smiled weakly.
"What if it's something more serious? Promise me, Ben." She stared at him with doe eyes."Promise me you'll go and see him and resolve this thing between both of you."
He waited the pulse of several heartbeats before responding. This obviously meant a lot to his sister. Although he didn’t think the old man was any closer to the grave than the rest of the m, finally burying the hatchet between the two of them was a good enough motive to visit his old home. For the sake of his sister and his new wife.
"I promise. I'll go and see him."
"Good." She jumped off the stool. "Now, they better hurry up. I need food before I can go partying."
He raised one eyebrow, half-amused. The rate at which she recovered was too rapid.
"What?" she asked, smiling at him innocently. "I'm not going to spend a Saturday night stuck indoors. I'm in London. This doesn't happen very often."
He laughed. "Oh, you are too good. So all th e dramatics about uncle was put on."
She raised her hand to her chest and feigned offence. "As if I would. He is really sick , and knowing how stubborn you can be, I had to exaggerate things a bit."
He frowned at her, feigning anger. "You know I don't like being manipulated."
"I'm sorry, but you've promised to go visit him. You can't renege on your promise."
She was right. He never went back on a promise.
"Fine. But don't ever pull that stunt again."
"I won't." She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
She headed for the door. "By the way, Louisa is coming over."
He stared at her blankly.
"You know, my friend that fancies you?" she smiled sweetly.
"The same one who crawled into my bed the last time?"
"Yes. She's disappointed that you're married. She's willing to crawl naked through the streets if you tell her to."
She laughed and disappeared through the doorway.
Ben shook his head. His sister's words conjured up an image of the only woman he wanted crawling around naked for him. His wife. And she was awaiting him in their room. His pulse quickened. Time for some fun.
He should really leave her alone to think about the implication s of what she'd done. At least until dinner time. But he wanted to see her. And why should he deny himself? Selina was the one being disciplined, not him.
He picked up the bottle of wine and a single glass, walked to the living room. From the sideboard he withdrew his cigar case and took one roll out and stuck it into his shirt pocket.
On the way back to his bedroom, he knocked on Beatrice's door. She opened and stuck her head out.
"Listen out for the buzzer. The concierge will bring the food up. Get started. Selina and I will eat later."
She nodded and retreated. He walked down the hallway to the far door. His heart was already galloping at the anticipation of what would happen once he open the door.
Twisting the knob, he pushed the door open. His heart skipped several beats at the sight before him, his half-awake erection roaring to life. His grip on the wine and glass tightened to stop them from slipping.
This woman will be the death of me.
Chapter Seven
A rush of cool air from the air-conditioner in the hallway washed over Selina's bare skin like a rolling wave. A rash of Goosebumps skittered down her arms. Her shiver wasn't from the draft that had entered the room when the door opened. Rather it was from anticipating the man who now stood blocking the light filtering in from the hallway.
She swallowed the lump in her throat as her hands , which were clutching each other at her back, trembled. Nothing else filled her with a mix of excitement and trepidation like Benjamin's imposing presence, especially when she didn't know what lay ahead.
Wool pile scratched the taut skin on her knees. She itched to adjust
A tear rolled down her cheek .
"Bea, that man is as strong as an ox. It'll take more than a little illness to kill him off ," he said. They'd often joked that the old man would outlive them.
She smiled weakly.
"What if it's something more serious? Promise me, Ben." She stared at him with doe eyes."Promise me you'll go and see him and resolve this thing between both of you."
He waited the pulse of several heartbeats before responding. This obviously meant a lot to his sister. Although he didn’t think the old man was any closer to the grave than the rest of the m, finally burying the hatchet between the two of them was a good enough motive to visit his old home. For the sake of his sister and his new wife.
"I promise. I'll go and see him."
"Good." She jumped off the stool. "Now, they better hurry up. I need food before I can go partying."
He raised one eyebrow, half-amused. The rate at which she recovered was too rapid.
"What?" she asked, smiling at him innocently. "I'm not going to spend a Saturday night stuck indoors. I'm in London. This doesn't happen very often."
He laughed. "Oh, you are too good. So all th e dramatics about uncle was put on."
She raised her hand to her chest and feigned offence. "As if I would. He is really sick , and knowing how stubborn you can be, I had to exaggerate things a bit."
He frowned at her, feigning anger. "You know I don't like being manipulated."
"I'm sorry, but you've promised to go visit him. You can't renege on your promise."
She was right. He never went back on a promise.
"Fine. But don't ever pull that stunt again."
"I won't." She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
She headed for the door. "By the way, Louisa is coming over."
He stared at her blankly.
"You know, my friend that fancies you?" she smiled sweetly.
"The same one who crawled into my bed the last time?"
"Yes. She's disappointed that you're married. She's willing to crawl naked through the streets if you tell her to."
She laughed and disappeared through the doorway.
Ben shook his head. His sister's words conjured up an image of the only woman he wanted crawling around naked for him. His wife. And she was awaiting him in their room. His pulse quickened. Time for some fun.
He should really leave her alone to think about the implication s of what she'd done. At least until dinner time. But he wanted to see her. And why should he deny himself? Selina was the one being disciplined, not him.
He picked up the bottle of wine and a single glass, walked to the living room. From the sideboard he withdrew his cigar case and took one roll out and stuck it into his shirt pocket.
On the way back to his bedroom, he knocked on Beatrice's door. She opened and stuck her head out.
"Listen out for the buzzer. The concierge will bring the food up. Get started. Selina and I will eat later."
She nodded and retreated. He walked down the hallway to the far door. His heart was already galloping at the anticipation of what would happen once he open the door.
Twisting the knob, he pushed the door open. His heart skipped several beats at the sight before him, his half-awake erection roaring to life. His grip on the wine and glass tightened to stop them from slipping.
This woman will be the death of me.
Chapter Seven
A rush of cool air from the air-conditioner in the hallway washed over Selina's bare skin like a rolling wave. A rash of Goosebumps skittered down her arms. Her shiver wasn't from the draft that had entered the room when the door opened. Rather it was from anticipating the man who now stood blocking the light filtering in from the hallway.
She swallowed the lump in her throat as her hands , which were clutching each other at her back, trembled. Nothing else filled her with a mix of excitement and trepidation like Benjamin's imposing presence, especially when she didn't know what lay ahead.
Wool pile scratched the taut skin on her knees. She itched to adjust
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