Love Under Two Benedicts (17 page)

His deep chuckle reverberated low in her belly, sending delicious tingles throughout her body. When he caressed her hair then took hold of it, pulling her head back, she tilted her neck for him. His lips, hot and hungry, fastened onto hers.

She opened to him, her tongue sliding and stroking his. He tasted of man and coffee, and the scent of the outdoors clung to him.

“You’ve been up and out,” Kelsey said.

“And here I am, up again.”

Kelsey laughed, the laughter turning to a moan of pleasure when Steven moved, sliding his cock all the way into her in one solid thrust.

“You feel so good around my cock, honey.” Steven’s words tickled her ear. “I love fucking you.”

Kelsey never would have believed how incredibly hot it made her to have a lover talk dirty. Now, emboldened by his words and her arousal, she said, “I love having you fuck me.”

“Mmm. Did you like having both our cocks in you last night?”

“God, yes.” She had never felt so full or come so hard.

Steven moved, taking her with him so that she knelt on the bed, her ass high in the air while he continued to fuck her from behind.

The sensation of his cock moving in and out of her, the friction, the fullness, set every one of her nerve endings on fire. She became so wet, making the glide of the latex-covered girth within her smooth and slick. She felt tingles gathering low in her belly, spreading out, and she groaned. Higher and higher, these fiery spasms swirled within her.

Steven changed his angle, seeming to stretch to the side, and
oh, yes
, his cock began to hit harder and deeper inside her. The twinges of pain rolled into the heat, and Kelsey gasped at the even greater stimulation.

She heard a sound just before she felt the cold slide of lube on her anus. Steven rubbed a finger back and forth across it, then pushed, sinking into her back entrance. He added a second finger and began to finger-fuck her ass in a fast and furious rhythm.

“Oh, God!” Kelsey came in an explosion of orgasmic bliss, the climax flashing through her entire body, consuming her, burning her so that all she could do was cry out in ecstasy and let it take her. She heard Steven’s low curse, his muffled shout, and felt the cock in her cunt convulse as he found his own release. Still, wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, and it felt like forever before the climax finally ebbed.

Her hips slid down on the bed until she was lying flat, Steven still on her, in her, as they both fought for breath. She shivered, aftershocks of her personal earthquake shimmering through her, and she wondered how she could actually live through such powerful convulsions.

“Are you all right, sweetheart?”

“Dead.”

Steven chuckled. He moved, kissed her where her neck joined her shoulder, then fell to the bed beside her.

“No, you’re not. I didn’t hurt you?”

“No. It was fabulous.”

He gathered her in, and she took a moment to revel in the afterglow and the snuggling. Turning around to face him, she stretched up and laid her lips on his. Easy, comfortable, this kiss conveyed an emotion Kelsey thought was very close to love.

From the dresser, a sound intruded, and Kelsey sighed. “Benny.”

“I’ll get him. You shower and meet us down stairs. Okay?”

Kelsey smiled. “I won’t be long. I’ll make breakfast.”

“That’s a deal.”

* * * *

Ginny Rose wiped the dried tears from her eyes as she struggled to awaken. Her gaze took in her surroundings, recognizing a motel room. Beside her on the bed, the sound of snoring sent a shaft of revulsion through her.

She didn’t turn her head to look at Deke, didn’t think the sight of him first thing in the morning would do anything good for her stomach, which was churning with nausea and bile.

The ache in her right shoulder nearly made her cry out loud, but she was good at hiding her reactions. She reached up with her left hand and massaged the ache.

At least Benny was safe.

She hated herself, hated the life she’d let herself fall into, hated herself for giving in to Deke’s pursuit of her. How was she to have known he’d abuse her? He’d seemed so loving and attentive at first. He’d even seemed to like Benny. She’d believed she’d finally done something right, chosen a man who would
be
a man and take care of her and her baby.

But it had all gone to hell. She’d taken the first slaps because he’d continued to be kind to her son, and Benny’s well-being was everything to her. When he’d begun to show less patience, when he’d been mean and punishing of the innocent little boy, she’d known she had to do something.

Then had come that horrible ultimatum, a threat uttered one night when Benny had been crying and Deke had been drunk. He’d told her to shut her baby up or he’d shut him up permanently. Ginny knew she needed to do something immediately, something drastic.
 
He’d apologized when he’d been sober, but Ginny no longer trusted his apologies. More than anything she’d wanted to run away, her baby tucked safe to her bosom, but she knew the reality was she couldn’t. Deke hadn’t finished with her yet. There could be no escape for her. He’d told her he’d kill her if she left him. But if she could make sure that Benny was safe first, then that would be another matter.

She’d recalled reading that article in the paper about the woman who’d opened that restaurant in Lusty. Hell of a name for a town. So she’d convinced Deke that getting rid of Benny was what she wanted to do so they could party more, and she could give him all of her attention. Asshole never looked at her really, so he never saw the way just saying those words, just pretending, tore the very heart out of her.

Ginny hoped with all her heart that, someday, Benny would understand. She knew that even if that woman, Kelsey Madison, didn’t step in and take care of her boy, he would be safe.

She pushed away her own memories of growing up in foster care. The authorities were more careful these days, more rigorous in rooting out the pedophiles, giving more care to the children’s safety than they had when she’d been in the system.

Ginny inhaled deeply and looked toward Deke, who continued to snore in the bed next to her. She moved as carefully as possible, wincing when the chain of the handcuff that held her fast to the headboard clanged.

There, on the bedside table beside the two empty Jack bottles, lay the key to the cuffs. She had to pee so badly she decided to risk waking Deke by reaching beyond him.

Moving carefully, she inched her way up on the bed, pulling her legs closer to her chest, sidling until she could get her knees under her. Fire shot through her shoulder.

If I could only reach the key.

Deke had locked her up while he’d been so drunk he could barely see. She could only be grateful he’d left the key where she could see it. Reaching it would be another matter.

Kneeling on the bed, she stretched her entire body toward the nightstand, her arm extended, fingers stretched. One eye fearfully watched Deke for any sign that he was awakening. It had been very late when he’d finally passed out, so he likely wouldn’t wake up for a couple of hours yet.

Best be careful. No sense tempting fate
.

Ginny stretched for all she was worth and bit back the pain and frustration when she saw her reach was just inches short.

Damn it
.

She edged her knee closer to the headboard and heard another soft clink of metal on metal.

Looking down, she recognized Deke’s belt, nearly off the head of the bed, between the mattress and the headboard, where he’d abandoned it after…

Ginny swallowed hard, the sight of the leather sending chills through her and curdling her stomach. It took everything in her to reach out, take hold of the thing, and bring it closer. Working quickly and one-handed, she folded the stiff leather in half. Grasping one end of the shortened accessory, she reached out, lifting it over Deke’s snoring head toward the nightstand. She knew one moment of a strong urge to use the thing on him, on his face, to see how he liked it. She tamped down that impulse because that action would surely get her killed.

Ginny was swept by the sudden and certain knowledge that she didn’t want to die. She wanted more than anything to get away from this bastard, find her son, and hold him close.

Stretching, the belt touched the table just beyond the key. Closing her eyes, gathering her strength and, praying, she pulled the belt toward herself quickly.

Thank God
. The key hit the mattress, and Ginny set the belt down and picked up the key.

Working quietly, she unlocked the cuffs.
 
Easing from the bed, she inhaled deeply as she gained her feet and blinked back tears. She hurt in so many places, but the deepest wound was one that had no bruise or abrasion. The deepest wound was in her heart.

My baby
.

She used the facilities quickly, then ran the water just lightly enough to be able to wash her hands and face. She gave herself a quick look in the mirror, wincing at the sight of the bruise on the side of her face. She didn’t check the rest of her body.
 
She didn’t want to see the welts. She could feel them. That was enough.

Leaving the tiny haven, she let her eyes roam the nondescript room. She had no luggage here. She hadn’t known Deke had planned to stop at a motel, or that instead of returning home to Waco, he’d decided to head to Abilene to visit a friend of his.

The words he’d said before getting completely drunk last night brought a chill to her now.
 

Moose is my best buddy, and he knows how to handle a woman. You’ll see.

Ginny didn’t know how far they’d driven after leaving Benny. She didn’t really know where she was. She
did
know she couldn’t stay another day with Deke. Benny was safe, so she could try and escape now.

She grabbed her clothes, dressed quickly. Next, she gathered her shoes and her purse and searched for Deke’s wallet. Finding it, she opened it and scanned the sparse contents. Helping herself to the fifty there, she tossed the wallet back down, then headed for the door. Easing it open, she slipped outside, pulling the door gently shut behind her.

She knew enough to know they’d been heading north after they’d left Benny. If she wanted to go back to her son, she needed to head south. Taking only a moment to put on her shoes, she gave a glance at the car before turning and walking toward the end of the building.

Looking around, she fixed her bearings and began to walk. Nerves told her to run, and so she did. The motel had been on a country road at the bottom of an exit ramp from the highway. She ignored the roads and instead struck out across country. It would be harder walking, but Deke would never be able to follow her where he couldn’t drive.

Frightened, yet determined, Ginny began to run for her life.

* * * *

Kelsey really liked Bernice Benedict. She hadn’t been certain how she would feel sitting face-to-face with the older woman over the kitchen island now that she was sleeping with two of Bernice’s sons.
 
Any fears she might have had about the older woman harboring any animosity toward her vanished within the first few moments of her visit.

“So here’s the little man who’s captured the heart of Lusty.” Bernice’s greeting had made Kelsey smile. It was true. Benny had captured the heart of the entire town. A delivery of clothing and toys had come just after breakfast, and that act had been repeated over and over again ever since.

Kelsey brewed a fresh pot of coffee, then sat across from Bernice as they both watched Benny playing on the floor with his some of his new toy trucks.

“Any word yet from Matthew?” Bernice asked quietly.

“Just that he hasn’t found her yet,” Kelsey responded softly. “That poor woman. Imagine feeling so desperate…”

Bernice shook her head. “I can’t. It’s simply beyond my experience. There’s never been a problem, or an obstacle, that either me or one of my husbands hasn’t been able to surmount. Even during the hardest times, there’s always been a slew of family—Benedicts, Jessops, Kendalls, and Parks—to lend a hand.”

Kelsey tilted her head to one side as she considered the woman and the statement she’d just made.

She opened her mouth to ask a question, then thought better of it. Bernice, however, proved that she was at least as observant as her sons. Reaching forward, she laid a hand on Kelsey’s and squeezed.

“It’s not always easy balancing two men, but in my experience, it certainly is worth it.”

Kelsey sighed. “It still seems surreal to me. As though, I don’t know…”

“As though someone is going to come out of the woodwork at any moment and condemn you for daring to follow your heart?”

“Yes.” Although Kelsey hadn’t said the words to the men the way they had said them to her, she felt love for them within her. Making love with both of them at the same time
was
following her heart.

“I have to admit that I felt that way at first myself. Outside family can be a deterrent, too. My father never came to accept my lifestyle, although my mother did.” Bernice shrugged. “What I do know is that both Jon and Caleb were meant for me, and I for them. They each meet separate needs in me.” Then she leaned forward. “One day, when you come visit us at the big house, I’ll show you Sarah Carmichael Benedict’s journal. She wrote it not long after her sons courted and then married Madeline Kennedy. I guess in helping her daughter-in-law to adjust to the reality of loving two men, she figured her words and insights could help future generations. By then, their dream, a town where people could live and love as they chose, had become a reality.”