Page 10 of The Trouble With Her (The Forbidden Love 4)

But it wasn’t always this way.

When I ran into Benedict on Oxford Street during what happened to be a torrential storm, he evoked emotions in me I never knew existed. Six foot tall, mouse-brown colored hair, and a smile which became my weakness. The two of us collided with him in his drenched business suit and me in my t-shirt and jeans.

I remember the day fondly, feeling incredibly homesick and wanting so much to hop on a plane to head back home.

“I’m sorry.” The man clutched onto my arms to stop me from falling. “How rude of me not to see where I was heading.”

I wiped the rain from my face, then lifted my eyes and met his deep brown ones. Caught off guard by how handsome this man was, I was lost for words with the rain falling heavily upon us.

“Um, no. I should’ve been looking. This rain is…”

“Awful,” he interrupted “And very England.”

I laughed, despite being uncomfortable as my wet clothes clung to my skin.

“It’s rained every day of all the seven days I’ve been here. How I miss the Californian sun.”

“C’mon, let’s get you dried up.”

I don’t know why I followed a stranger to the building just down the street. Albeit grand and luxurious, it was still a stranger’s home.

As soon as we were inside and took the elevator up to the penthouse suite, I quietly welcomed the shelter from the pelting rain.

“How rude of me not to introduce myself, I’m Benedict Banks, but you can call me your knight in shining armor.”

With a cheeky grin, my heart beat faster than normal.

“Jessa Bentley-Mason, and you can call me the girl who’s somewhat impressed with how high you think of yourself.”

He placed his hand on his heart. “Ouch, hit a man where it hurts.”

I scanned the room in which we stood. It was very grand and made the shoebox apartment I was staying in look exactly like that, a shoebox. “Wow, this place is something.”

Benedict looked around. “I guess so, just a place to crash while I’m in town.”

“Oh, you’re not from here?”

“I live in the country. Come here during the week.” He then left the room and came back with a towel. “Here, to dry off. You’re welcome to use the bathroom if you’d like.”

I stared into his eyes, not knowing what came over me. I grabbed his shirt and slammed my lips onto his. He was slightly taken aback but didn’t stop, kissing me deeply before I pulled away out of breath.

And then, his stare turned delicious as he glanced at my breasts. Without a second thought, he removed my shirt over my head to leave me in my bra. I threw my arms around him, kissing him once again as we stumbled to the bedroom, where he took me on his king-size bed in the middle of the day.

A slight stir between my legs causes me to cross them to relieve the memory. In my entire life, I’d never done anything so risky and bold, despite the numerous times I had wanted to.

He was a total stranger, yet something pushed me that day.

But Benedict is handsome andwasinsatiable in the bedroom. From that moment, our relationship was a whirlwind, and I was caught up without a care in the world besides the two of us.

“The spark,” I repeat as Kate watches me fondly.

“Jess, I lost you for a moment there. You’re not yourself.”

“Sorry.” I shake my head to clear my thoughts. “I just remembered when Benedict and I first met. It was so intense, you know. Sex over friendship.”

Kate nods. “I was once in a similar relationship. It was great at the beginning, but sex alone doesn’t keep you warm at night.”

“It would be nice at least to have sex,” I mumble.

---