Somehow Ben found it funny. As he grinned, he shook his head. “CB? I know it’s your initials, but everyone keeps saying it like it’s more than that.”
“Ugh, you asked about me, didn’t you?” As I hid my face against his thigh to hide from his laughter, I sighed. “I’m very good at my job.”
There was laughter in his voice, but as he responded, it didn’t feel like he was questioning my abilities. “I know, pretty bird. You’ve also terrorized several area bankers and a member of that local business group with the weird initials.”
Ben’s response made me laugh, then sigh. “Well, the bankers were probably idiots who dragged their feet, and the business lady wanted me to build her an in-law suitewithout permitsandfor cost. Like, just for materials. She’s crazy.” I might’ve been an ass but at least I wasn’t delusional.
Ben’s body twitched like he was trying not to laugh, but he got control quickly. “I like complicated men, and I don’t think I’m going to have any trouble working with the mysterious and slightly rough around the edges CB.”
I groaned, which only seemed to egg him on.
“I found him to have a lot of wonderful ideas and he was honest about what he thought he could do and what I was insane for asking about.” Ben was nearly giggling, but I looked up and frowned.
“You don’t have the budget to move the plumbing that far. It’s a stupid request. Just—” He cut me off with a finger to my lips as he grinned.
“That, my pretty bird, is why people told me you were a wonderful builder but a pain in the ass.” His finger stroked over my lips, and something about the heated way he was watching me kept me from being pissed. “However, I like how honest you are and I think you understand my vision.”
“We’re going to fight about stuff.” Because I really was a pain in the ass sometimes and I wasn’t sure he’d realized that yet.
“Then we’ll figure our shit out and make up.” He shrugged, slowly running his finger along my jaw until he was caressing around my ear. “It’s what happens when two very passionate people are in a relationship. We butt heads and we work through it.”
Were we in a relationship?
It seemed like a stupid question, so I filed it away for when I was wearing something sexy that’d distract him better.
“I’m going to say something dramatic and storm out like the world is ending at least a few times. My last therapist said I have trust issues.” And then I’d said he was an idiot, but we’d recovered from that little problem until he’d said I would always be a pain in the ass but I didn’t need him anymore.
I was pretty sure he’d just gotten frustrated with me, but I wasn’t going to point that out since it’d kind of been court ordered to help with my anger issues.
If that moron hadn’t grabbed my ass, there wouldn’t have been any issue, but no one believed the half-naked drama queen twink.
Who knew?
Ben managed not to laugh, but he didn’t do a very good job of hiding it. “Thank you for the warning, but as soon as you’re ready, I’m going to figure out the perfect collar for you so you’ll know I’ll never let you go. You’ll always be mine. We won’t have to worry about what happens when you get pissed. You’ll already know you belong to me, so you have to come home.”
He was insane.
But I would look pretty in a collar…I looked good in anything that sparkled.
“That’s not how life works.” At least, that wasn’t how the idiot therapist said it would. “We communicate and build trust and I learn that even if we break up the world isn’t going to end.”
Ben rolled his eyes, leaving me trying not to laugh. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m just going to keep you and get you a pretty collar of some sort, maybe an anklet or a tattoo that will always be there to remind you that you can’t leave. You’d hate having my name on your ass without actually being with me. See? Problem solved.”
He was right…that would piss me off.
“I’m not sure it should go on my ass.” It was already nearly perfect. I even had cute little dimples right at the top to make sure everyone looked at it. If god had designed it to drawattention, well, who was I to argue about it? “We’ll come up with another option.”
Ben cupped my face, grinning like an idiot. “Confident men are so sexy.”
He really was a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal…and it was a really good thing I was a cheeseburger man myself.
“I’m just trying to warn you so you can’t say later that I didn’t.” How I kept meeting men who thought I was sane was beyond me.
“I appreciate that.” He made a soft thinking sound as his thumb caressed my cheek. “I’m guessing bad childhood, rocky teen years, and a few bad relationships helped build that chip on your shoulder.”
And he was psychic too.
“Um, kicked out at fifteen for being gay. I was sleeping at a roughed-in construction site one night and the guy building the place came in late because he forgot some papers. Instead of kicking me out, he let me sleep in the office trailer and started paying me under the table.” He’d been the biggest asshole I’d ever met, but Amos had been fair and hadn’t cared who I wanted to fuck or fall in love with.
