“Only you can find beauty in places like this.”

  “You have to look harder, baby.” I take off my coat, goose bumps already forming on my arms. “Now, come warm me.”

  ***

  “Your breasts are ridiculous,” Benjamin murmurs. He takes my nipple into his mouth with no real intention. His fingers graze the flat space between my breasts, descending over my heaving stomach. I wipe my hair from my damp face, utterly blissful.

  I push him on to his back and circle his darker nipple. “So are yours.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call them breasts.” He chuckles.

  “I would.” I lean down, laying kiss after kiss to his defined chest.

  “They’re large.” Peck. “Defined.” Another peck.

  He groans when I settle myself onto his long body. “Did I say large?”

  He smiles, peering through his eyelashes at me. “I think you may have.”

  “Seriously, how do you keep in shape like this? I mean, obviously there are ways that don’t require leaving home,” he raises his eyebrows, smirking as I continue, “but you’re so busy. I never see you work out.”

  “I have a gym at work. I work out if I get there early.”

  “No way.”

  “Yes. I need to keep up with your attacks.”

  I pinch him, at which he grunts, reaching to kiss and distract me.

  “Speaking of busy,” I pull back, frowning, “you didn’t have work to do this weekend? I thought you said you were trying to finalize that furniture franchise before Christmas.”

  “I needed to get away.” He shrugs, which makes the turmoil he’s gone through over his life’s work seem a far less important matter on his mind. But I know better.

  “It’s been a busy few weeks.”

  “I agree.”

  “Have you always loved what you do?”

  I lay between his legs, glad he surrounds me with his arms.

  “I thought I did.”

  “You don’t now?” I look up at him.

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?”

  He exhales heavily. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding ridiculous.”

  “I won’t laugh, I promise.”

  “Well, it’s always been about money. Everything I’ve made has been because I’ve taken it from other people. I have started businesses on my own, but it’s so much more profitable to buy out the companies instead.”

  “Then why don’t you change that?”

  “It’s a lot harder said than done. I have the funds to go through with it, but I don’t know. I’m…I just like making money. I’m good at making money this way.”

  He’s being bluntly honest, divulging the inner workings of the mind he usually keeps smartly hidden. I’m reminded of that day he took me shopping for the cancer event and found it unfathomable I’d want to hear about his livelihood.

  “Does that make me a horrible person?”

  “No. You’re human. You know the market. You’re incredibly smart. You’re just doing what you’ve been taught to do.”

  We drift into silence, which makes the world outside the window intensify. The owl hoots louder, the car speeding past the motel shakes the mattress. The room is gradually warming, but the system is ancient and hardly releasing the air it’s supposed to. I curl my leg around his.

  “If I gave it all up one day, what would you do?”

  He disarms me with the question, so much so that when I dare meet his gaze, my chest constricts. He hardly blinks, watching me with a caution that tells me he’s not sure what my answer will be, which disarms me even further.

  “The business, the fame, the money…”

  “I’d love you.”

  He places his hand behind his head between the headboard. “Still?”

  I can’t look away, despite how badly want to—and should. His gaze is intense, and I know I’m showing him far too much right now.

  “Forever.”

  At his continued silence, I move over him, not caring about my lack of clothes. I take his face between my hands, forcing him to listen. “You never seem to comprehend what I’m feeling. It wouldn’t matter to me if you were a janitor, Benjamin Scott. I’m not with you for your money. I’m not with you for your fame. I want this.” I lay my hand on the left side of his chest, feeling the faint, steady beating underneath my palm. “All of it. You give that to me, only me, solely, and you’ll have made my life.”

  He clasps the back of my neck.

  “There is nothing more important to me than you, Ben. Nothing.”

  His arms envelop me, hands spreading across my scarred skin. I lift my head from the crook of his throat and search for his face, but he’s already rolling until I’m beneath him.

  He settles onto me, and I bask in the reassurance I experience when his weight overtakes my own. His lips are warm on my chin, drifting over my jaw in gentle grazes. He takes no time at all deciding on where he’d like to start first, crawling further down my body.

  I take a deep breath, preparing myself for his version of thank you.

  ***

  The sound of a loud horn blaring hurls me out of sleep, and about a foot away from the bed.

  Benjamin squints from the pillow, his eyes reluctant to open. “What the hell was that?”

  “I don’t know.” I check the clock. “It’s 6AM.”

  I walk over to the window to check out the commotion outside, tiptoeing across the cold floor. Drawing the curtains an inch, I see large trucks hauling Christmas trees and lights out of the building beside the motel.

  “Jesus, it’s freezing in here. I think the heater stopped working or something,” I mutter, reaching down to fiddle with the unit.

  “Come here,” Benjamin says, his voice rough and hoarse. His eyes are closed, his arm outstretched on the bed, beckoning me. His hair is shielding his face from view, but I sense a sleepy smile. I head back to the bed, huddling as close as I can to him. He wraps his long arm around my waist, radiating heat. I kiss his chest, nuzzling the area.

  “Maybe the motel wasn’t such a good idea.”

  He hums. “I don’t know. I’m pretty sure you’ve sold me on this.”

  “Yeah?”

  He answers me with a chaste kiss, probably to shut me up. I drift off to sleep within seconds and we remain in and out of consciousness for most of the morning. By the time I open my eyes with the intent to keep them open, it’s almost four hours later. The bed is empty beside me, and I’m wondering where Ben’s gone.

  I cocoon the blanket around me when I stand, noticing by the warmer atmosphere that Benjamin must have gotten the heater to work. The woman in the bathroom mirror is someone I’ve never seen before. I push back my hair, surveying my face side to side. Mature. I feel matured. Before all of this, I’d only read about sweeping love stories in books. I never imagined myself feeling the way my favorite heroines did, but I do.

  I know it’s possible to love—and love hard—and it’s such an amazing feeling.

  The door opens, and Benjamin appears, holding a few bags in his arms. “I got us some things.”

  He’s composed, collected, and utterly astonishing. The insane part of it all is that even though he resembles a supermodel that has been poked and prodded by stylists all day, he probably climbed out of bed this way.

  “Please say one of those things is a toothbrush,” I plead.

  Like a magician, he pulls one out of the bag in his left hand. “And a fresh outfit.”

  “Thank you.”

  “There’s also some dresses in there. I stopped at the only two clothing stores in this town.”

  “Dress?”

  “I was thinking it might be nice to stay another night. There’s a Christmas Eve dance here tonight. The very kind cashier at the convenient store invited us.”

  “A dance? But we don’t live here. They’d let us come?”

  “They practically forced me to say yes.” Of course they did. Look at you. “I told them I’d speak with you about it.”

  “Um, it’s a given.” I grin in excitement. “This is amazing. I’ve always wanted to go to one of these.”

  He’s gazing at me fondly. “I thought we’d get breakfast and then figure out what to do today. It’s a small town, but there has to be something we can waste time on.”

  “And it’s safe? You know, for you to go out in public?”

  He squeezes my hand reassuringly. “Yes. Now get ready.”

  ***

  Benjamin divulges the story he had to endure from the woman stocking the woman’s clothing section on his trip to the store, which involves a firefighter named Bill, who is supposedly identical to him, and a bear, which almost took a chunk out of her dachshund. He was the one who got away, which made Ben the one to snag. We head toward the car outside the diner, which served hot breakfast we scarfed down within minutes. I’m still laughing at how he escaped his admirer when he moves onto the next subject, surprisingly talkative. I love it.

  “Surprisingly, this town actually does have a few things to do.”

  “Such as?”

  Ben opens the passenger door for me. “Well, there is—”

  His surprisingly absent cell phone disrupts our banter. He reaches in his pocket to get it. With one glance at the screen, his mouth tightens and his eyes flicker to mine. “One second.”

  He shuts my door, leaving me suspicious. He always talks about business in front of me. Maybe it’s his mother or father? Or John?

  I switch off the radio to listen to his side of the conversation while he walks to his side of the car.

  “Then go home, Jack. I won’t be in this weekend.”

  He runs a hand over his stubbled cheeks, something I’ve realized he does when he’s enormously ticked off. Catching my eye, he smiles, and shifts so his back is to the window.

  “I’m aware she’s waiting for the numbers, but she’ll have to wait. I’m not in town.” He pauses, then his back stiffens. “Excuse me?”

  Oh, no. The glorified CEO is present. His power is palpable, even shielded by glass.

  “Who owns this company, Jack? Who is your goddamn employer?” He nods, and I realize Jack is quickly trying to eat his words. “If I want to take a weekend off, I will, Mr. Upton. You’re already on my shit list after the SECRO deal.”

  He laughs, completely devoid of amusement. “You can try to bullshit me all you want. The work will wait until I get back. I suggest you make yourself useful and go see Veronica and the kids. Attempting to dictate my time is getting you nowhere. Merry Christmas.”

  I realize only now what Benjamin leaving work means.

  It means his empire is without its brain.

  “I’m sorry,” he apologizes when he climbs inside, starting the engine. I despise how quickly my mind tries to make this trip into a mistake. It’s Christmas. The man deserves a vacation just as much as the rest of the world. I wonder whether he’s regretting leaving.

  “There’s a holiday walk just down the road. I guess there are tons of trees lit and activities. A Christmas Story is playing at the theater we saw by the motel.”

  “A walk sounds nice.”

  He takes one of my hands and brings it to his face, kissing the space between my thumb and forefinger. “I’m following you.”

  ***

  “All right, that’s it.”

  I spin when Benjamin stops walking beside me. He shrugs, scowling.

  “I’m not moving another inch until you explain to me why you haven’t spoken a word since the car ride here.”

  “Ben, come on.”

  “No.” He moves in front of me when I try to walk again. “It’s Christmas Eve. I refuse to see you unhappy right now.”

  I drop my arms at my sides, unclenching fists I didn’t even know were balled up. “I’m not unhappy.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “You’re an important man. You have much more pressing things you could be doing with your time.”

  His eyes slim into a squint as he abandons his confrontational stance, inching closer to me. I focus on the new black boots Benjamin bought me this morning, crunching the snow underneath my feet.

  “You’re right,” he says. I’m stunned by his answer. Just as panic seeps into my bloodstream, he gathers me into his arms, calming the storm. He caresses the hill to my cheekbone with his cold thumb. “You are taking me from my work, and I could honestly care less right now. I feel like I’m finally living, Darcy. I’m not upset to be missing a couple of days.”

  “No?”

  “No. It’s new for me, having someone to spend nights and holidays with, and it’s new for you too. So let’s just enjoy it.”

  It’s strange how much I need the reassurance, and how quickly the unsettled questions subside the moment he rebukes them. I’m so willing to believe him.

  “Okay.”

  He kisses me sweetly, but our desire for more takes hold, and we don’t stop until our lips are on fire. He settles a confident arm across my shoulders, and I eagerly lace my fingers with his. The pathway is paved, and the mounds of snow are piled high on each side of the sidewalk. The town has decorated its trees with festive lights and ornaments, marking each tree with a family. Christmas music echoes from somewhere, reaching us in a cheerful melody. One of the houses nearby has a chimney and a fire going, and the comforting smell of burning wood drifts through the harsh wind. There’s nearly no one out, no one willing to brave the frigid weather.

  “I’m pretty sure just ahead there is sledding,” Benjamin says, pointing through the trees.

  I’m far more excited than I should be. “I’m game.”

  We head in that direction, and Benjamin’s arm leaves me, reaching for my hand instead. “You know what I’ve been thinking lately?”

  “What?”

  “That we have no pictures together.”

  I twist my mouth awkwardly. “I don’t like them.”

  “You have pictures all over your house of your friends, but you’re not in any of them.”

  “I don’t take pictures. I’m always scared they’ll end up online or somewhere where the people that knew me will notice me.”

  “I get that, but it’s also good to document your life, if just for yourself.”

  “A picture means that much to you?”

  “It would be nice. I have none of you.”

  “You know, a few pictures would do you good in that apartment,” I tease. He blinks, as if I’ve blindsided him.

  “What’s wrong with my apartment?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with it. It’s just a little cold. I don’t see you in any of it.”

  “Cold sounds like me.”

  I shake my head. “Not at all. You’re compassionate, and warm—”

  “It’s you, Darcy. I keep telling you that.”

  “Well, I like it.”

  His lips are on my hair. “I do too.”

  “Let’s take one then.”

  “Now?”

  At my nod of approval, he fishes into his jacket pocket for his cell. It’s unusual to pose for the camera, I have no experience with it. He holds the phone up, placing his arm around my shoulder again. I lay my cheek upon his chest and my eyes meet the lens of the device. He takes one picture and brings the phone down to show me the result. I laugh, simply because it’s strange to see myself happy in a photograph. He’s his usual striking self, which makes the picture worth keeping, despite my hesitant expression.

  He seems glad about it, and that’s all that matters.

  ***

  Benjamin ushers me by the small of my back into the inviting room within City Hall where the party is at full force. Christmas tunes raging, dancers spinning, townspeople toasting. I glance around the room, noticing I’m slightly overdressed. The wardrobe is mostly festive sweaters and skirts, while I’m in a red figure-hugging dress and heels. If Benjamin hadn’t stopped everyone in their tracks, I’m reassured this dress will.

  An elderly woman approaches us, all smiles. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

  “So are we,” Benjamin says, surprised when she leans in to hug him. There’s a sense of community and familiarity in this room, making it feel like I’m intruding on the town’s family holiday. Benjamin’s at ease, so I’m guessing this is the cashier he met earlier.

  “This is my girlfriend, Darcy. Darcy, this is Mary Nicholas.”

  I reach out to shake her hand with enthusiasm, mostly because Benjamin introduced me as his girlfriend. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You both are quite the talk of our little town at the moment.”

  “It’s lovely. The holiday walk was so stunning,” I say, wanting to distract her from the subject of us.

  “Well, thank you. It took us nearly three days to decorate all the trees. It’s always worth it though.”

  Two women about my age walk up to us, clearly with the intent of speaking with Benjamin. When they ask him for a picture, Mary’s smile widens.

  “Come on, Darcy. Let me introduce you to some people. It appears Benjamin will be busy for a bit.” I already see other women scurrying over to him. He glances at me briefly, suave in a sophisticated gray suit. His shirt is a darker shade of gray, and unbuttoned just enough to be respectable, but delicious. I have a difficult time leaving his side.

  In fifteen minutes, I’ve been introduced to pretty much everyone. It’s shocking that everyone here is so caring and warm to strangers. The city is a completely different story.

  I finally get a moment alone and walk over to the refreshment table.

  “May I get you a drink, Darcy?”

  A young man is leaning on the table beside me. He has strawberry blond curls and vibrant blue eyes. I think he said his name was Connor.

  “That would be great, thank you.”

  He asks the bartender for two champagnes. “So, do you like our quaint town? You’re from the city, right?”

  “Yes. It’s beautiful. I love it here,” I respond politely, taking the drink from him.

  “I’m glad. I run the travel agency here, but surprisingly, I’ve never been to the city.”

  “It’s definitely a change, but it’s my favorite place in the world. You should try to go sometime.”

 

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