Page 15 of Savage Romance
Ben turned around in his seat and glanced out of the rear window and simultaneously called out to the driver to stop the car.
A horn blared behind the Bentley as the driver slowed and veered toward the curb.
Intrigued and bemused, Zoe lifted an eyebrow. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m not sure.” Ben let go of her hand and unbuckled his seat belt. “I’ll be right back.” With those words, he opened the back door, letting in a gust of wind carrying a few snowflakes and the aroma of fresh pine, hot chocolate, fire, and roasted chestnuts before he closed the door, leaving Zoe in a cocoon of warmth and comfort.
She unbuckled her own belt and turned in her seat to follow Ben’s path as he strode with determined steps over the pavement. He veered around a couple, ignored the street vendor and the potbellied guy in a Santa suit, and headed for a little stretch of greenery.
Zoe narrowed her eyes and pressed her nose against the window to have a better view.
“What is he doing?” she muttered to herself.
Ben bent and peered under some bushes. His behavior didn’t make sense. At first, Zoe thought he might want some of the chestnuts, but Ben hadn’t even glanced at the vendor.
She got her coat from the parcel shelf and informed the driver, “I’m going to see what’s wrong.”
“Now, Missus—”
She ignored the driver’s protest and hopped out of the car. Ben had disappeared between the bushes. Her curiosity piqued, Zoe lengthened her stride as much as possible on her high heels and pulled her coat closed against the cold wetness swirling through the air.
She slowed when she neared the small park and heard the rumble of Ben’s voice.
Ben didn’t turn her way but somehow her husband sensed her nearness. “Don’t spook them.”
Them?
Cautiously, she moved closer and spotted a majestic swan. No. No, there were two swans, but something appeared off.
“I think his partner got stuck. He was trying to get pedestrians to pay attention to him, but the people just ignored him.”
But Ben had seen and reacted.
Does the man have to become more appealing each day?
“His partner?”
“Look at the knob at the top of his forehead, it’s larger than on the female. Also, he has a thicker neck, and his beak is a brighter orange.”
She nodded and held her breath in awe as Ben coaxed the nervous animals and gradually approached the trapped female. Under the measured stream of the words, the male relaxed. The animal was truly majestic and up-close, much larger than Zoe realized. If Ben was worried about the animal attacking, he didn’t project it. And the animal seemed to sense Ben was there to help. Without regard for his Italian shoes or his Armani suit, he kneeled next to the swan’s partner and set to help her. With careful, but confident movements she recognized from their bondage morning, he worked the poor swan free from the landscape netting she’d somehow gotten tangled up in until she was released.
“There.” Ben stepped back and grinned as the swan flapped her wings and the male imitated her move before waddling toward the river.
“Did you know that swans choose their mate for life?” He asked her as he observed the two swans glide into the water and swim away with grace. “He would have probably stayed with his partner until they both starved.”
At a loss for words, she grabbed his mud-covered face and kissed him with passion and wished with all her heart their marriage was for life, and not just a scam.
Chapter Twelve
Ben grinned as he spotted a streak of mud on Zoe’s right cheek and a smudge on her forehead. “There’s something on your face.” He chuckled and held up his mud-covered hands. “I’d like to wipe it away for you, but I would only make it worse.”
She wrinkled her nose at him, changing the pattern of her freckles. So cute!
“We’re both covered in the stuff.” She shivered despite her warm winter coat. “You must be freezing, Ben! Let’s return to the car.” She turned her gaze back to the swan couple, and her beautiful smile warmed Ben from the inside out faster than a bonfire could have.
Ignoring the puzzled stares the Christmas shoppers threw their way, he escorted Zoe back to the car.
“Here you go, sir.” Lenny, his part-time chauffeur, sometimes bodyguard and go-to man for odd jobs, straightened from the trunk and handed Ben a beach towel and a bottle of water.
