And Then You Fall (Crested Butte Series) (4 page)

Ben sat on a bar stool, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her closer to him. “I want to kiss you so bad, right here in the bar. Would that embarrass you?”

Liv rubbed her lips across his before pulling back and away.

“That was hardly a kiss. Come here, give me some more of that.”

Before he could pull her closer she stiffened her arm, keeping him at a safe distance. “Careful, your adoring fans may not like seeing you with me.”

“What’s goin’ on with you?” Jimmy asked after Liv was out of earshot.

“I wish to hell I knew. God, just look at her.” Ben breathed in deep and let it out. “I could just eat her up. Have you ever seen a more beautiful woman?”

“I’m confused, didn’t you just meet her? You seem kinda’, you know, over the top.”

“Yeah, I did just meet her. I mean, I met her last summer, after that show we played at Red Rocks.”

“Oh yeah, now I remember, so you met her then, for five minutes, now she’s coming to our shows? Hmm.”

“Nah, it isn’t like that. I ran into her at the pool yesterday morning. And then one other time, at the Goat, in January.”

“And you don’t think she
meant
to run into you? Come on.”

No, she was different. She hadn’t meant to run into him, it was fate that keep putting her in his path. Liv had been fighting the attraction between them. She didn’t recognize it for what it was. Something special, something unique.

“I’m tellin’ you, it isn’t like that. And I really like her, so back the fuck off.”

Jimmy held up his hands. “Just sayin’, don’t get so touchy.”

Liv could not wait for them to get up on stage. She loved their music so much and couldn’t wait to watch him play, up close, where she could see those big, powerful hands on the guitar, watch his eyes as he sang.

Wow, it was getting hot in here, maybe she should go get some fresh air before they started. Wait, what was she thinking, this was Las Vegas, there wasn’t much fresh air and what there was of it wouldn’t cool her off.

One by one the band members started taking the stage, everyone but Ben. The MC came out, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome . . . C . . . B . . . R-i-i-i-c-e.” The place was packed, the crowd roared. They started to play and seconds later, Ben came out on stage, guitar in hand, already playing.

They were so close to the stage Liv could see the sweat on his brow. His eyes were closed as he stepped forward and starting singing, “Twisted.” It was clearly a crowd-pleaser.

Can’t blame it on the whiskey, can’t blame it on the smoke, half of me’s in heaven, the other half’s in hell. I might be goin’ crazy, but I just can’t tell. She got me twisted, all torn up. There’s nothin’ I won’t do for her sweet, sweet love.

Ben’s eyes met hers as he sang the words.

Paige elbowed her. “Jeez, this is as hot as he is. He’s singing to you.”

Liv wanted to crawl under the table. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, she just knew anyone who looked at her would
know.
They’d know what she and Ben had been doing just a few short hours ago, it had to be written all over her face.

By the third song Liv and Paige were dancing, along with everyone else. The band knew how to get people up on their feet. Liv turned and surveyed the crowd, mesmerized by Ben and the rest of the guys, but mainly Ben. She wasn’t alone in that. He pulled people to him, made them sing along, hang on every word. He was magnetic.

They slowed things down with the next song, the crowd settled back in their chairs, giving Liv an opportunity to just watch Ben play. The muscles in his arms flexed, the corners of his mouth turned down, his eyes closed, and his whole body moved with every sound coming out of his guitar. He threw his head back and really got into it. Just like he did when they were having sex.

“Whatcha’ thinking about now?” Paige elbowed her and grinned. Liv grinned back. Getting him alone again. Never letting go of him once she did. That’s what she was thinking about. She definitely wasn’t thinking about the fact that soon they’d both be getting on a plane, going back to their normal lives. Her boring, miserable, sexless life. Nope, she wasn’t going to think about that
at all.

When she looked back up at Ben, he was watching her, his brow a little furrowed, as though he wondered where her mind was, and why it wasn’t on him. That was silly, he was playing in front of a room full of people, lost in his music, lost in his fans, she doubted very much he even remembered she was there.

They played for another hour, then came back out for three encores before the break leading to the last band taking the stage. One of the other guys from CB Rice came out to their table.

“Ben asked if you’d come back stage with me. Paige, will you be okay out here by yourself for a few minutes? Liv won’t be too long.”

“Of course, go! I’m fine.” Liv saw Paige had already struck up a conversation with the table next to them. Liv never had to worry about Paige, she had never known a stranger, only friends she hadn’t met yet.

“Hi! Come here baby,” Ben reached out for her. “No, wait, I’m all sweaty.”

“I don’t care,” she said as she rested her body next to his. “I like it when you get me sweaty.”

Ben pulled her in closer, bent his head and kissed her. Liv’s mouth opened beneath his. The kiss deepened, Liv’s hand went to Ben’s cheek, his hand went to her bottom and pulled her in closer to him. “God, you’re so sexy.”

“No, I’m not. You, on the other hand—” Liv couldn’t finish, everything about him turned her on. His fingertips drifted down, to where her dress rested against the swell of her breasts.

“You have no idea, do you? What you do to me. What you were doing to me while I was up on stage? All I could think about was being inside you. Every song, every note, I’d close my eyes and see you there, writhing beneath me.”

“You were thinking about me?”

“You weren’t thinking about me? About us? About this? Getting horizontal with me again?” His arms wrapped around her waist and he playfully kissed the side of her neck, under her ear, down and over her shoulder. “I wish we could go off on our own, I want to be alone with you, I don’t want to share you with anyone else right now.”

Liv held her breath. She’d like nothing better. But what about Paige, and the rest of the show?

“But we can’t, at least not for a little while. Listen, I’m gonna go talk to the guys for a minute, hang out before the next band goes on stage. They’re setting up a roped off section for us, somebody’s probably already getting Paige moved and situated. I can’t come out before they start their set, but I’ll be out shortly after that.” He pulled her in again and ravaged her mouth with his. “Then later, it’s you and me. Got it?”

“Mmm hmm,” she couldn’t speak, only nod. She got it.

The guys from the final band were pros. Their horn section alone reverberated throughout the club. When she’d seen them before it was at an amphitheater filled with ten thousand other people, and even in that setting, they were bigger than life. Seeing them here, even if she hadn’t planned to see CB Rice, was something she was glad she hadn’t missed.

The House of Blues closed their doors after the show, but with the number of bands that had participated in the benefit, the place was still packed. Everyone wanted to talk to Ben, Liv hadn’t seen him for over an hour. Paige was engrossed in conversation with a power-looking couple someone said had something to do with Mandalay Bay management.

She didn’t want to pout, but she was bored, and tired. Exhausted. She wanted to crawl into bed. The problem was, she didn’t want to crawl into it alone. Why did she always surround herself with people who were so much more interesting than she was? Ben, Paige, Scott, even her parents had always been so much more interesting than she was.

***

Liv grew up
loving
Scott Fairchild. As far as she was concerned, there wasn’t a better man alive, or a more handsome one. Her dad had mentored Scott as a cadet at the Air Force Academy, and helped guide his career. He came to their house often. When Scott got his promotion to captain, her parents threw a small celebration dinner for him at their house. Scott planned the trip to Colorado Springs so he would be promoted there, by Liv’s father.

“He asks about you, you know,” her mother had said to her.

“Huh? Who asks about me?”

“Scott. I happen to know he asked your father if he’d mind if he took you out while he was here.”

“What did Dad say?”

“Dad said it was okay with him.”

Liv was shocked. She was sure Scott hadn’t ever thought of her as anything other than her father’s little girl, he was eleven years older than she was, and she had just turned eighteen.

They did go out, every night he was in town and she was the happiest she’d ever been in her life. When he went back to his base, they’d talk every night on the phone. Scott came the next Christmas to spend it with her family, and proposed. She said yes and they were married on Valentine’s Day. Soon after Liv realized she was pregnant.

In less than a year she went from being a girl who just graduated from high school to a wife, soon to be a mother. And less than ten months after that, she was a widow. She and Scott hadn’t been married a year when his plane was shot down. She was younger then than Renie was now.

Between then and now, she hadn’t been with another man. She hadn’t really thought about it. Scott was the only the man she’d ever been with, until last night. The truth was, she’d been too scared to let anyone else get that close to her, to share that part of herself again. The last time she opened herself up like that, her heart had been broken into a million pieces.

All these years she believed if she kept her heart closed, she wouldn’t ever have to feel that gut-wrenching pain again. The only person she ever loved who hadn’t been taken away from her was Renie. And every day Liv prayed that God would keep her safe.

Liv didn’t know whether to thank Ben for awakening these feelings in her, or curse him for it. This was different though, this wasn’t about her heart, it was just sex. It wasn’t about forever, the way it was supposed to be with Scott, it was just a fling. A few days of fun. Other people did it all the time, had sex with people who they didn’t think they’d ever see again.

She stood, facing the bar, trying to decide whether to get Ben’s attention or just head up to the room when she felt his arms slide around her waist.

“There’s my girl. Oooh you feel good.”

“Hi,” she whispered, turning so she could wrap her arms around him.

“Let’s get out of here. You ready?”

“Are you sure you can leave?”

“Yep, and even if I couldn’t, I couldn’t wait another minute to be alone with you. Come on, let’s go.”

He pulled her with him, heading to the bank of elevators in the opposite direction of hers. “You’re staying with me tonight, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Liv let out a heavy sigh. She needed to keep reminding herself,
this wasn’t about her heart, it was just sex
.
This week, these couple days with him, would be memories she’d carry with her forever. And even though those memories wouldn’t keep her warm at night when she was back on her ranch in Black Forest, at least she’d be able to say she’d done this, something a little wild, a little crazy, and had a lot of good sex.

When they got on the elevator she was the one who pushed him back up against the wall, running her hands under his shirt. His muscles tightened beneath her touch. He lifted her up and slid her down over his long, hard body.

“Liv,” he whispered her name, “you are so beautiful.”

“So are you,” she whispered back. Her hand slid down his belly toward his hip. Her heart thudded faster as she leaned into him, her body pressing as close to his as she could get it.

The elevator stopped, the door opened and they twisted out, neither letting go. This time Ben pressed her against the hallway wall. “Naked,” was all he said.

“Room,” she answered, kissing then licking the pulse point on his neck.

He slid his hands to her breasts, trying to free them from her bra.

“Wait,” she gasped. “Someone might see us.”

He cupped the perfect mound of flesh and gently stroked her hardened nipple with his thumb. “I don’t care.” He moved his hands to her ass and grabbed her, pressing, grinding against her.

“Oh God, Ben, I want you so much,” she groaned.

He had his key card out and in the door of the suite, she hadn’t realized that was what she was pressed against. It opened and she almost tumbled to the floor before he caught her. He pulled her back against him and pushed the door shut behind them.

“I can’t keep my hands off you,” he groaned. His lips trailed down her body, “I can’t keep my lips off you.” He reached for the zipper on her dress and pulled it down, it slid off her shoulders to the floor. He traced the lacy edge of her bra, his gaze riveted there.

“Your turn,” she murmured, tugging at his shirt. He grinned and reached behind him, pulling it off in one swoop.