Page 30 of Coming Home

I watched in my peripheral vision as she returned the text, smiled, and set the phone back in her lap. Two seconds later it chimed again. This time she laughed.

“Sorry,” she said.

“Does he know about me?” I asked.

She put the phone down and looked at me. “Of course he does. He finds our current situation hysterical. And you can tame down the macho shit. Walker and I aren’t even together. We went out on a couple dates while he was in town with Maddie a couple months ago. We both knew there was nothing there, but we did become good friends.”

“Did you kiss him?” I asked.

“Not your business, but yes.”

I growled. It was deep and low and surprised me.

“Did you sleep with him?”

Shelby scowled. “Ben, that’s none of your business. You weren’t around, you have no right to ask or judge. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”

My shoulders slouched as I was slammed by the feelings of betrayal. I gripped the steering wheel hard enough to leave handprints and drove a little faster to get us home. I needed a break from Shelby. Everything was too overwhelming and the thought of her with another man was tearing me up inside.

“Hey, Ben, slow down,” she said.

Her hand went to my shoulder and rubbed on the tense muscles there. It started to calm me, and I pulled over to the side of the rode to regain some control.

“Look at me, Ben,” she said.

I didn’t want to because I knew she could see the hurt and betrayal I felt. But I forced myself to anyway. This was Shelby, my mate. There was no one else on Earth I would let myself be this vulnerable with.

She sighed and pulled her hand from me. She wrung them in her lap as she stared at the floor.

“I didn’t sleep with Walker,” she said softly. “I haven’t been with anyone like that since you left. Only you.”

The relief and possession that washed over me was all-consuming. I was out of the car and opening her door before I could process what was happening. I carefully unbuckled her seat belt and pulled her out.

“Ben, what are you. . .” she managed to say before I pinned her against the car with my body and kissed her.

I expected her to go stiff in my arms and need a little coaxing, but the second our lips touch she responded with a hunger equal to my own. I put my hands on her ass and lifted her higher so we were equal in height. Her legs naturally wrapped around my waist.

As her most intimate parts press against mine, I immediately hardened. I felt instant relief. Over the years the guys had tried to hook me up with numerous girls but just couldn’t go through with it. I had wondered if there was something physically wrong with me, or if I was just struggling with guilt, pining over a woman I didn’t think I could ever have. As far as I was concerned, this proved the latter was my problem, only now I knew I could have her.

We were both breathing heavily when she started to slow our kisses. If she hadn’t, I might have marked her right there in the open for anyone passing by to see.

“Ben, this is crazy,” she finally said.

I kissed her again, more gently this time. I knew she was still fragile and would be more vulnerable with the heightened emotions passing between us.

I rested my head against her forehead. “I have so much I want to say to you, to tell you, but I’m terrified you’re going to vanish in my arms.”

She hugged me tightly and we stayed that way for an undetermined amount of time.

“You said I have two weeks. There’s no point in rushing nine years into day one,” she said as she unwrapped her legs from around me and slid back to the ground.

I smiled and nodded. “Fair enough. I can still bring the twins over for Thanksgiving tomorrow, right?”

She nodded and even smiled.

“And you’ll actually be there, right? I don’t need to show up an hour early to catch you making a run for the hills, do I?”

She pushed at my chest. “I’m not running from you, Ben.”

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