Ben sighs. “I s’pose you’re right. How many days now?”
“Two.”
“Fuck,” he growls. He pushes me away slightly and untucks his t-shirt from the waistband of his jeans. “I’m going to shower.”
I watch as piece by piece, all of Ben is slowly revealed. His finely muscled back, his tight ass and the tattoos. There’s the Churchill quote across his chest, some Celtic knots and tribal designs on his arm and more recently, a simplified image of Big Ben bursting from a rose on his rib cage.
“You coming,” he calls out.
“I better,” I reply with a smirk.
* * *
My conversationwith Alistair keeps me up when normally, Ben easily wears me out. I replay it over and over along with what Ben said about Waterstone Hall.
Why is Ben refusing to sign the agreement to expand the estate? Will Alistair make good on his promise to ruin Ben’s businesses?
And then there is my own guilt over not telling Ben about his brother’s unexpected visit.
With a heavy sigh, I slip out of bed and head to the kitchen. Aimlessly, I open cupboards and the refrigerator, but I don’t really want anything.
“Can’t sleep?” The sound of Ben’s voice is unexpected and once again, the universe is giving me an opportunity to tell him about Alistair.
“I guess I’m not ready for all of this to be over,” I murmur.
“We’re not breaking up Milly,” Ben says walking forward. He stands on the other side of the kitchen island and spreads his hands out in front of him. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you?”
“Why don’t you go first? Something’s been bothering you since we left your family’s estate.” Turning the tables is always a great diversion, especially since I’m still struggling with being honest. Maybe understanding Ben’s perspective will help me decide what to do.
“It’s George, the groundskeeper at Weatherstone Hall. Alistair wants to buy his land, his home. He’s offering George a good bit of money for the property but I can’t just demolish his home, you know? It’s been in his family forever, just like mine.”
The pieces suddenly fall into place. “I’m sorry, Ben. I had no idea.”Tell him, I encourage myself mentally.Tell him about Alistair. “Why does he want to expand the estate? It’s already massive.”
“To expand the lodge park. It’ll bring in more money for the estate, and for him.”
“And for you too?”
“I don’t give a fuck about earning more money from the estate, Milly. I’m not about to ruin a man’s home for a few extra pounds a year. And I’m not going to be sucked into Alistair’s toxic world of greed.”
“I understand.” How on earth could I possibly try and convince him to help Alistair now?
He reaches across the counter and grabs my hand. “None of that matters, Milly.You do. I could lose it all tomorrow but as long as I have you, I’d be the richest man in the world.”
I pull my hand away slowly. “I wouldn’t want you to lose everything you’ve worked hard to build.”
“It’s just a hypothetical, sweetheart.” He says with a wink.
But what if it’s not? What if Alistair really means what he says and ruins Ben’s businesses? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened and Ben lost the pub and his properties all because of me.
Ben
This is ridiculous. So fucking ridiculous. Milly is sitting next to me in the Range Rover, but she might as well be a million miles away. Instead of enjoying the last two days in bed together, we slept in separate rooms. There’s something she isn’t telling me, and I want to push her because this woman is not my Milly.
“You’re not being completely honest with me,” I tell her as we drive to Heathrow.
“Yes, I am,” she insists quietly. She looks down at her lap, at her fidgeting fingers, at the drizzle splattering the windows but not at me.
“Milly, please don’t leave with this awkwardness between us.”
