Page 70 of Wine Whiskey & Lipstick

Ben hated to pull out of her body, but he did. “Incredible is an understatement.” He moved Dillyn into the crook of his arms, and Dillyn snuggled into his warmth.

Just as Dillyn was drifting off to sleep, she heard Ben sigh contentedly. It made her smile.

It didn’t take long for them to fall off into a deep and peaceful sleep.

Chapter 30

Frustrated, Dillyn dropped her face into her hands. She’d been sitting in front of her monitors for hours staring at the screen. It had been a month since that harrowing night, and she was no closer to finding out if it was connected to Steven’s murder or who was really behind Selah’s abduction. And did either of the incidents have anything to do with the explosion at Frank’s?

Dillyn had hit a dead end. She had gone through both Thomas’s and Steven’s files too many times to count but hadn’t found anything that could help. Nothing she had discovered would rise to the level of someone taking Steven’s life over it.

Dillyn got up and stretched. Her back was killing her. “I’ve been sitting for way too long.” Her stomach growled too. She realized she hadn’t eaten anything, and it was already past noon. Dillyn was just about to go downstairs to the kitchen to grab a quick snack when there was a knock on her bedroom door. “It’s open.”

Ben cracked open the door and came inside. He was carrying a brown paper bag. “You took a break yet?” She had been working like a maniac.

Dillyn rubbed her shoulders, hoping to relax those muscles. “I was just about to.”

“Good.” He’d been worried about her. Dillyn was burning it at both ends, trying to get to the bottom of Steven’s murder and Selah’s situation. “You look tired.”

“Just what every woman wants to hear,” Dillyn couldn’t suppress a yawn. “Anyway, I can rest when I’m dea—” Dillyn caught herself. “There’s too much at stake to take extended breaks.”

“Your health is important too,” he said with concern.

Dillyn walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him. “Thank you for your concern, but I promise I’m fine. How is Selah?”

“She’s stronger than I ever imagined.” His face held a thoughtful expression. “She’s busy trying to take care of us and has a hard time letting us take care of her. That woman reminds me of someone else I know.”

“Ben . . .” If Dillyn had a dollar for every time he’d thought she was overdoing it, Dillyn would be a billionaire. He had to understand how important her work was. She sighed out of frustration. “People I love might be in danger.” She looked up into his eyes. “I wouldn’t be able to survive it if anything were to happen to you.”

“You don’t think I feel the same?”

“Of course, I do, but even with your special skill set, you, Lucas, and Wyatt can’t be with us twenty-four hours a day.”

He smirked. “We can try. I like waking up and falling asleep next to you.” Ben had also hired extra security and installed a state-of-the-art security system to look out over both their properties. Wyatt was also using his connections to gather as much information as possible. Ben wasn’t leaving anything to chance.

“I won’t lie. Waking up to you is almost as satisfying as our morning rides with Whisper.”

“Almost? Am I really competing with a horse?” He chuckled.

“We both know that Whisper isn’t just a horse. She’s magical.”

“True.” Ben turned serious. “Hmm.”

Her brows furrowed. “What? You don’t believe me?”

“I know that Whisper’s magical. She brought us together. That required a lot of magic. I was just curious.” His tone was lighthearted, but his eyes were anything but. “Do you count me as one of the people you love?”

Dillyn was surprised at the question. “Don’t you know?”

“You’ve never said it.”

Dillyn’s face softened. “Benjamin James Cash, I love the way you love me.” She planted a butterfly kiss on his lips. “I love the way you allow me to be me,” she said, kissing him lightly in between each declarative statement. “I love the way you support me.”Kiss.“I love the way you love your family and those you care about.”Kiss.“I love the way you’ve shown me what healthy love looks and feels like.”

Ben held on to her every word . . . waiting.

“I love you so much. I love you with everything I am and everything I want to become.”

The corners of his lips edged upward, revealing an incredible smile. Ben lowered his face close to hers and wrapped his arms around Dillyn’s waist. “Now multiply that times infinity because that’s how I feel about you.” Ben leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

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