And Then You Fall (Crested Butte Series) (7 page)

Christine was good about making sure they spent time with him when he was in town. When they were married, he was out playing clubs every weekend of the month. Now that they were divorced, he tried to spend as much time at home as he could, to be with his boys.

He wouldn’t see them again for a week. Christine and Joe were taking them to the Grand Canyon over Spring Break, the trip had been planned for six months. He didn’t want them to go, but only because he’d be lonely without them.

Ben had seven days with nowhere he needed to be and nothing he needed to do, and all he could think about was Liv. He liked her, a lot. He wanted to get to know her, spend time with her. The fact that she didn’t seem to want to see him, made the urge to win her over even stronger. He knew it was crazy, more than a little rash, but he knew what he was going to do.

An hour later he was on the road. He didn’t know exactly where she lived, but he’d find out. If she didn’t want to see him—well, he didn’t want to think about that. He had no intention of giving up that easily.

***

Micah jumped the fence into the main pasture easily. They’d had a good ride, much more fun than her ride on Pooh had been. Pooh was getting older and Liv didn’t ride her enough. She planned to give Dottie a call this afternoon to see if one of her grand kids would consider riding the horse for her. She’d even pay them. That way, Pooh would get the exercise she needed, with the kind of rider she was used to, someone more like Renie.

Two more months and Renie would be home for the summer. Liv couldn’t wait. This was Renie’s last summer before graduation, maybe she’d want to take a trip somewhere. Liv planned to talk to her about it this weekend, but they’d kept missing each other’s calls. She hoped they’d be able to catch up soon.

She got down and took Micah’s saddle and other tack off. She’d let him relax in the pasture for a while and brush him later. She opened the gate, walked around the corner, and slammed the saddle right into Ben’s stomach.

“Ow! Shit, that thing is as hard as a rock.”

“Oh! You scared me. I’m so sorry.” Liv dropped the saddle to the ground and was about to make sure Ben was okay when her tummy did a little flip. “Wait. What are you doing here?”

He grabbed her and crushed his lips to hers. He didn’t try to hold back. He wanted her and she wanted him, he knew she did. He’d planned to be sensible, to be civilized, to have a rational conversation with her. But now that she was in his arms he wanted to mark her, possess her, consume her.

Liv’s hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer to her. He pulled back abruptly. Her eyes were wide, he couldn’t tell if it was from arousal, or from fear. His hand lifted and caressed her cheek. Her lips were red and full from his assault. “I couldn’t wait.”

“I’m so glad you didn’t.” She took his hand, leading him away from the barn and pasture.

“What about . . .” he pointed to the saddle and out t
oward the horse in the pasture.

“They’ll be fine.”

Liv’s house wasn’t exactly modest. And maybe his wasn’t either, she had no idea. But any thoughts of nervousness about his seeing where she lived were squashed by her desire to get him inside and naked as quickly as possible. She’d been crazy to think she’d last even another day without seeing him. She was ready to rip his clothes from his body before they’d even reached the back door.

Once inside he kissed her again, deep, open-mouthed kisses eating her up. His fingers trailed down the side of her neck, over her collarbone. He reached up and unfastened the top buttons on her shirt, rubbing the curve of her breast.

Without words she led him into her bedroom. His eyes took in the openness of it, the big windows that looked out over the prairie, the massive two-sided stone fireplace that separated the bedroom from the master bath, and enormous king-size bed that looked too high for Liv to be able to climb into. He put his arm around the back of her knees and back lifting her, laying her down on the fluffy cream-colored duvet. It puffed up aro
und her.

He toed off his boots and lay next to her, drawing back to look into her eyes. Her hands went to her buttons, finishing what he had started. He pushed the open shirt over her shoulders and she took her arms out of it.

“So beautiful. You’re so beautiful for me, aren’t you?” He kissed her mouth softly, reverently.

She stared up at him, at his big blue eyes, his long thick eyelashes, the stubble of darkness on his strong chin. She ran her hand over it. He smiled and the corners of his eyes crinkled. He smiled often, he had laugh lines. Her body tingled all the way from where his lips met hers to her toes. Ben’s powerful leg stretched over the top of hers and she could feel his hardness pressing into her hip. Her other hand reached for him.

His kisses grew stronger, in a frenzied hunger. Every nerve ending in her body hummed, throbbing, heat rushed through her veins. “Ben,” she breathed.

They broke apart, each removing their own clothes. His hand came back to her hair, tipping her head back, he kissed his way over her lips, to her chin, then throat, then to her breasts. She felt his breath on her stomach as he continued working his way down her body.

Sensation sizzled across her skin, an inferno built inside her. She gave a whimper and in a flash he was inside her, once again she had no idea when he had donned a condom.

“Don’t move,” he whispered. “Shh, be still, just let me feel you.”

Liv couldn’t hold herself still, she ached to move against him. Slowly he started to move again. Too slowly. She arched to him and he moved faster, harder, slamming himself into her. Pleasure began to flow from the center of her out to her fingertips and toes. A coiling tension rose inside her. He took her higher and higher until she burst with a sweet sensation flooding her, she cried out.

“That’s it, oh Liv,” Ben groaned as he came apart with her.

They stayed like that, both stopped moving, slumped together in the softness of the duvet. Her head was spinning as she felt his lips begin to work their way back up the side of her neck, beneath her ear, across her chin, and up to brush back over her lips. “Liv,” he breathed, like a prayer. He kissed each of her eyelids, then back to her mouth, where he kissed each corner.

“How did you know where I lived?” She asked, when she felt as though she could finally speak again.

“It’s a secret.”

“Paige?”

“As long as you won’t be mad, yes, Paige.”

“How long can you stay?”

“All week. Or as long as you’ll have me.”

“We’ll see how it goes,” she said as she moved to stretch out on top of him, skin on skin, body on body. “I need to go take care of Micah. Can I interest you in a ride later? Maybe around sunset?”

“Sounds like heaven.” He didn’t say that anything would sound like heaven as long as he was with her. He wanted her and he planned to have her. He was into this deeper than she was. By the end of the week, he’d change that.

Chapter 6

When they rode that night, they saw Dottie and Bill over the crest, sitting by the campfire. Bill stood up and waved them over.

“You don’t mind do you? They’re like family to me.”

“Don’t mind at all. In fact, if they mean something to you, there isn’t anybody I’d rather meet.”

It took them ten minutes to make their way down the rocky terrain. Given that it was almost dark, Liv decided if they stayed for any length of time, they’d leave the horses in the Patterson barn overnight and get Bill to give them a lift home.

They tied the horses off and walked over to the fire. Bill had chairs set up for them and a bottle of wine open.

“Bill and Dottie, I’d like you to meet Ben Rice.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Ben reached out and shook Bill’s hand. Dottie stood up and when he tried to shake her hand she pulled him in for one of her big hugs.

“I don’t shake hands, Mr. Rice. Men will judge you by your handshake. I like to see what you young fellas have in the way of a good strong hug. Tells you a lot about a man.”

“Nobody hugs like Dottie does,” Liv added.

“You don’t do too bad yourself sugar,” Ben stooped down and kissed her forehead.

“I like him already,” proclaimed Dottie.

“Glass of wine Liv? How about you Ben?”

“Sure, I’d love a glass, especially now that I see what you’re drinking.”

“Dottie had me run in the house to get it when we saw you comin’. Livvie here loves Zinfandel. We keep it on hand just for her. Before she taught us about wine we always thought Zinfandel was the pink stuff. I thought she’d have a fit the first time we tried to serve it to her.”

“That’s me, always gracious,” Liv turned ten shades of pink.

“We love you anyway darlin’ girl.” Bill pulled her close to him. “When Livvie lost her parents so close together, Dottie and I adopted her. She’s like one of our own. You better keep that in mind young man.”

She’d lost her parents? Another thing he hadn’t known about her. Maybe he should start making a list of questions so he didn’t feel like such a jerk when someone else pointed out something he should already know.

“How about you Ben, can I get you a glass?”

“No, thank you, don’t touch the stuff.”

“Well, can I get you a beer then?”

“No, sorry. I’m not a drinker. If you’ve got a coke or a bottle of water, I’ll be just fine.”

He turned toward Liv, and saw a flash of confusion on her face. She quickly masked it away. And that was something he hadn’t told her. Not that she’d asked. It hadn’t seemed like a big deal when they were in Las Vegas. She had a drink here and there, and he’d never felt it necessary to point out to her that he was abstaining.

“Have a seat you two, make yourselves comfortable.”

An hour into their campfire and several rounds of s’mores later, Bill asked Ben to help him with the horses. “They’re better off sleeping in our barn tonight Livvie.” She hadn’t told Bill she was thinking the same thing.

The Pattersons were the only people who called her Livvie. She didn’t know how it got started, but she loved it. It made her feel special, like she was really a part of their family. Just like with Paige and Mark, Liv would’ve been lost without Dottie and Bill. They didn’t remind her of her parents necessarily, they were bigger, louder, more openly affectiona
te versions of her mom and dad.

“How’d you and Livvie meet?” Bill asked Ben while they were getting the horses settled.

“Fate kept throwing us together and finally we started paying attention.” Ben went on to tell Bill about meeting her at Red Rocks, then again at his family’s bar in Crested Butte, and finally about bumping into her at the pool in Las Vegas. That’s as far as he took the story.

“So did you come back with her from Las Vegas then?”

“Nope, I went home first, to Crested Butte, spent a couple days with my boys, then drove over this afternoon. I kinda surprised her.”

“Boys?”

“I’ve got two. Jake is twelve and Luke is nine. Before you ask, I’m divorced.”

“I guess I’m pretty transparent when it comes to my kids, and I consider Livvie one of ’em. She’s not an easy one to get a fix on. Plenty boys ’round here would tell you that. My own son had a mad love on her for years. He finally gave up, not for lack of trying.” Bill chuckled. “Either she’s real good at playing like she doesn’t notice somethin’ or she really was clueless all them years.” He thought for a minute before he continued. “But don’t go thinkin’ she’s not smart as a whip son, she’s one of the brightest women I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Sad that she lost her husband so young. Renie wasn’t even born yet.”

Ben wanted to ask more, but how did he tell Bill that he was staying at Liv’s house, but didn’t know a thing about her husband, her parents, even where or how she grew up?

“Did Livvie tell you Scott was shot down in the Gulf War? They’d only been married a few months. Tragic. I gotta tell you, for a long while I thought that man held her heart for good, and that was why she didn’t pay any attention to men trying to catch her eye. Guess maybe I was wrong about that.”

Ben didn’t know what to say. Tonight, tomorrow, the day after that, he was going to get to know her. As much as she would let him.

“You’re awful quiet.”

“She’s a remarkable woman, that much I know. One I want to spend as much time as I can getting to know better. I appreciate all you’ve told me Bill.”

“You care about her then?”

“I do.”

“Than you’ll be all right with Dottie and me.”

They walked back down to the campfire. Dottie and Liv were snuggled up under a blanket. Liv had her head rested on Dottie’s shoulder.

Ben walked over and stroked her cheek with his finger. “Tired?”

“Content would be a better word.” Liv stood up and put her arms around his waist. “Let’s head back to my house.”

“You got it.”

Bill handed Ben a set of keys. “You take the old Ford. I’ll come get it in the mornin’.”

“Thanks Dottie. Thanks Bill. I’m glad you got to meet Ben.”

“We are too sugar pie. Ben, how long you in town for?”

“Through the weekend, I think. If she’ll have me.”

“Well if she lets you stay, I expect the two of you over for dinner on Friday night. You can take her out on Saturday. That’s date night after all.”

“I’ll do that. Good night both of you, it’s been a pleasure, and thanks again.”

“You know how to drive a stick shift?” Liv asked him as they walked up to the driveway.

“You’re kidding right?”

“Does that mean yes?”

“That means
of course.
I’ve gotta get you back over to Crested Butte. You don’t seem to have any idea how much of a good ol’ boy you’ve gotten yourself mixed up with.”

“I noticed you didn’t have any trouble finding your seat on a horse.”

“Why do I feel as though I passed some kind of test tonight.”

“You did. With flying colors.”

“I’m guessing there will be more?”

“Lots more cowboy.”

The next day Ben followed Liv around like a combination between a newspaper reporter and a lost puppy. He wanted to know everything about her, and didn’t want to let her out of his sight.

By dinner she was exhausted. They ate and cleaned up and went to sit in the family room. “This house is spectacular,” Ben said, looking up at the cathedral ceilings and the rafters that looked as though they’d come from an old barn. “Did your father build it?”

“No more talking Ben,” she pulled him over to the couch and pushed him down on it. She put her hands on either side of his head and sat down, straddling his lap. He pulled her in and kissed her deeply. His arms went around her and pushed her over so her back was up against the arm of the sofa. “You’re trying to distract me.”

“Are you writing a book or something Ben? I feel as though I’ve been through a ‘This is Your Life,’ interview today.”

“I just want to know you. I want to know everything about you. He pushed the bottom of her shirt up so he could put his hand on her breast. “I want to know every curve of your body and every nuance of your soul baby.”

“Let’s focus on the body for the rest of the night, okay?”

“You got it.” He nuzzled under her ear and breathed in the scent of her. “You smell so good I want to bottle you and keep you with me all the time.”

“Ben.” That one word, his name and the way she said it, and he wanted to devour her. He kissed her hard, pushing her further into the sofa. His hands roamed wherever they could reach, his body strained to get closer to hers.

Fingers fumbled with buttons and zippers. Ben reared back from her. “Bedroom.” He pulled himself up, he reached under her back and knees, picking her up like she was no more than a pillow in his powerful arms. He carried her in and stood her by the bed. He broke their heart-stopping kiss to finish undressing her. When she stood before him naked he said, “Now me.”

Liv’s hands pulled at his shirt, trying to get it off over his head. “Lean down,” she breathed. Next her hands went to his belt, pulling it loose, grabbing at the button on his jeans and pulling down the zipper.

His head was thrown back. She leaned forward and licked across his throat, down over his nipples to his sternum. Ben groaned, “Need you now baby, so bad.”

Her mouth slammed into his, cutting short his demands. His rough hands cupped her bottom and lifted her. Her legs automatically circled his waist. “Wait,” he said, lowering her to the bed. He reached for a condom and put it on as quickly as he could.

“I wondered about that, how you got them on so quickly, I thought you had a magic trick.”

His mouth was hard on hers again, picking her back up, putting his hands on the back of her thighs helping her circle his waist again. “Shh, no talking, remember?”

With a quick snap of his hips he was inside her. “Hold on to me,” he demanded. Liv wrapped her arms around his neck. He thrust hard again and again, holding her firmly against him with both hands. He started humming, the deep vibration of his voice spread through her and she trembled.

“Come fly with me baby. Fly apart for me.” Liv gasped at his words and cried out, her body spasming around his. “Take me with you Liv.” He groaned deeply, then held her very still and lowered her to the bed.

As soon as her head stopped spinning she opened her eyes, and he was gone. She felt the bed shift as he lay back down beside her. “Wow,” was all she could come up with.

“Liv, can I ask you something?”

She rolled to her stomach and groaned. “I thought we agreed, no more talking.”

“This is different. I don’t want anything to come between us. I don’t want to use a condom when we’re together.”

Liv hesitated. “I’m not on any kind of birth control Ben.”

He put his arm across her back and kissed her shoulder. “Think you might wanna be?”

“By the time I do . . .”

“Finish the sentence Liv.”

“We might not be together any longer.”

Ben rolled to his back and looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath and trying to gather his thoughts before he spoke. Liv hadn’t moved. “Have I given you the impression I wasn’t in this all the way?”

“No, I guess not.”

“Then why are you so hell bent on ending this thing between us?”

It took Liv a long time to answer, but she knew Ben would keep at her until she did. “I’m very independent Ben. I don’t know any other way.”

“Oh baby,” he pulled her until she was stretched out on top of him, her head resting on his chest. “I’m not letting go of this Liv. I haven’t felt this way for a very long time. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this way. I want to be with you every chance I get. Can you please accept that and quit fighting me on it?”

“I can try.”

“That’s all I can ask of you. But Liv?”

“Yeah?”

“I want you to try a whole heck of a lot harder, okay? I want you to let go, let yourself fall for me.”

“I’ll give it my best shot.”

“Repeat after me, ‘Ben, I’m going to let myself fall for you.”

Silence. “Come on Liv, do it. Repeat after me.”

“Ben, I’m going to let myself fall for you.”

“There, that wasn’t so hard. Now keep repeating it to yourself in that beautiful head of yours.”

“I’ll try Ben. Really I will.”

He waited until her breathing got more even. He couldn’t believe it, she’d fallen asleep splayed out on top of him. His heart surged with joy. No more sleepin’ alone, that’s what he was after with her. He sensed the road to it wouldn’t be an easy one, but she was worth whatever it took to get them there.

He closed his eyes and let himself drift to sleep.

***

If he could, Ben would make time stand still, the week was speeding by too quickly. Wednesday night they went out for dinner in town with Paige and Mark, and then back to their house. Ben had an acoustic guitar with him, and he and Mark went off on their own to jam for a while.