Page 83 of Because of You
Julie places the order, and I go grab her laptop from her office. I don’t have mine, but I don’t need it. I could give Julie all the details in my sleep.
We chat until the pie comes and then get to work. We sit in the kitchen of the law firm we built, and we talk and we plan. And with my best friend by my side, my dream starts to come alive.
Me
Julie and I talked it out and everything is fine. Better than fine.
Ben
I’m so happy to hear that. And I’m so proud of you.
I’m going to be here with Jules for a while, going over our plan. I’ll be home late. Like, really late. Don’t wait up, ok? Jules said she would drive me home.
Stay as long as you need to. As long as you come home to me at the end of the night, I’m a happy guy.
I’ll be there. I love you.
I love you too, Hallie girl. I’ll leave a light on for you.
Chapter Fifty
Hallie
It’s almost three in the morning when Julie drops me off at my house. I walk in the front door; it’s silent and dark, except for the light on over the kitchen stove. The light was off when I left, which means Ben literally did leave a light on for me. The thought of him walking through my house, turning off the lights for the night, but flipping this one on so I didn’t walk into complete darkness when I got home has emotion clogging my throat.
This is what I want, I realize. To leave lights on for each other when we need to work late. To share space with Ben. To share a life with Ben.
My heart full, I go to the kitchen and rummage around in my “all the things I can’t find another place for” drawer. When I find what I’m looking for, I put it on the counter, tucked out of view behind the coffee maker. Then I go upstairs to get ready for bed.
In my bedroom, I brush my teeth and wash my face as quietly as I can and slip on a sleep shirt. When I go to get into bed, I see one of my giant tumblers on my nightstand. When I open it, there’s ice all the way to the top, just the way I like. And I smile at the man responsible for it.
Ben is fast asleep in the middle of my bed, sprawled out on his back. His face is relaxed in sleep, his long blond eyelashes fanned out across his cheeks. I stand at the side of the bed, just looking at him. He is so beautiful, and he’s all mine. His right arm is flung out over my side of the bed, as if he consciously left it there, waiting for me to snuggle into. I do just that. Sliding into bed, I curl up against Ben, my head resting on his chest. His arm comes around me instantly, securing me firmly to his side. He rolls towards me, bringing his other arm around me and pressing a kiss into my hair.
“Missed you, Hallie girl,” he mumbles. “Proud of you.”
I kiss his chest where my head lays. “Missed you too, Benji. Go back to sleep. I’m here now.”
“It never feels right without you next to me.”
My heart squeezes. Love for him swamps me.
I go to respond, but his breathing has already evened out. He is asleep again, holding me tightly against him. Laying in the circle of Ben’s arms, the future of my career clearly laid, I feel settled and content—maybe more than I ever have been. Exhaustion threatening to overtake me, I let the warmth of Ben’s body, his steady breathing, and the beat of his heart lull me into sleep.
The sun is high in the sky when I wake up the next morning. I peer over Ben’s shoulder and am shocked to see it’s after ten. After working almost all night, Jules and I decided to take the day off. We texted Molly and Emma around midnight, and they enthusiastically agreed. We’re all meeting for dinner later, but a whole day of nothing stretches before me, so I settle back down,prepared to doze until Ben wakes up. I don’t have to wait long. Ten minutes later, he stirs.
Eyes still closed, he kisses my neck, whispering, “Morning, Hallie girl.”
Ben slides his lips up my neck and across my jaw, then takes my mouth in a kiss full of heat and desire. Tongue tangling with mine, the hand wrapped around my hip starts roaming my body. Lips never leaving mine, his fingers creep under my shirt to rub over my nipple, sending lust straight through me. Then he glides his hand down my stomach and below the waistband of my underwear. He drags his fingers through my slit, dipping his index finger inside me where I’m hot and needy.
“Fuck, Hallie, you’re so wet for me.”
Ben uses my wetness to lightly circle my clit, and I let out a whimper, moving my hips in search of more friction. Crashing his mouth to mine, he sinks two fingers inside me, curling them up while his thumb takes over strumming my clit. It feels so good that I moan into his mouth, right on the edge already. But I want more.
Tearing my mouth away from his, I whisper, “I want you inside me. Please.”
“It would be my absolute pleasure.” Ben rolls me onto my back, tugs my shirt over my head, and slides my underwear down my legs, where I kick them away. He strips off his briefs and moves back to press his lips to mine while he hooks an arm under one of my knees, pushing my legs apart. In a single motion, he slides inside of me, and our twin moans shatter the quiet morning.
“You feel so good, Hallie girl. There’s nowhere I would rather be than inside you.”
