Page 79 of Loved By The Bad Boy

Sex and lots of kisses. In other cases, cuddles.

Ben catches the tears on my cheeks, his eyes full of concern. He allows me seconds to myself before asking, “Is that why you are crying? Because of what I said?” It also sounds stupid to me. “I know it’s more than that.” He knows me too well, and I hate it sometimes. “Talk to me.”

“I want to go home.”

“We will go tomorrow.”

He still thinks my parents are cool with me staying back. I’m surprised Mom didn’t call to chew his ears off. Maybe she has accepted that I’m now an adult. His lips meet mine as if to whisk away my troubles. I press my lips to his and kiss him hard enough to muffle my sad thoughts.

“You didn’t wear the clothes I picked out for you,” I say.

Ben sets me down on the bed, shrugs out of his shirt, and puts on the set I selected. My lips curl in a small smile as he spins in a small circle. He grabs my hand, and we exit the room. There is no one in the living room. Ben screams at the stairs to let his mom know we are heading out.

There’s another car in the garage; more than two. Ben opens the passenger door for me and gets right in. I turn on the radio, and he reduces it to the lowest. We drive around for a bit without a particular destination. He casts worried glances my way at intervals, and I try to maintain my smile.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks.

“I’m homesick, that’s all.” His knuckles brush my cheek in quiet reassurance. The car stops in front of a familiar eatery. I giggle, and soon we are both shrieking with laughter. “You’re a sock.”

“Not an expired coupon?” he teases. I roll my eyes, and he laughs harder. “I’m your sock.”

The first and last time we visited this place, I complained about everything, including their Coke. It was watered down. The meals were bland, but we made out heavily. Ben promised to bring me back so we could make out in their restroom. He grins and unfastens his seatbelt. I don’t wait for him before I do the same and slide onto his lap. I kiss him hungrily, taking everything he offers.

His warmth, his presence, his reassurances.

“You’ll be home tomorrow, I promise. I’m sorry for keeping you away from them.” This is my first time away from home for this long, but it is not his fault. I squeeze him in a hug, and his jaw touches my shoulder. “Thanks for coming, Gracie. This will never have happened without you.”

“Hey, don’t give me credit for what you did. It was all you, babe.” I place a finger over his lips to keep him quiet. When his chest sags in defeat, I withdraw. “I am proud of you.” I spare one cautious look at the eatery. People are trooping in and out. “Are we really going to eat there?”

“We could make out in their bathroom.”

His suggestion is strangely pleasing, but we need actual food.

“They might have changed. It’s been… four months?” I say, and he shrugs. “Alright, let’s go.”

I kiss him again before sliding out of the car. He spanks my ass and winks. An old couple passing by throws us a scowl, but I don’t give a shit. I have my Benny back.

Thirty-Four

“It doesn’t taste so bad,”I mutter with my mouth full. The burger tastes better than it did the last time we were here. Plus, their services have also improved. I didn’t order fries, so Ben wouldn’t steal all of them. He’s having pasta with a weird leafy sauce and chewing like a goat. “How’s yours?”

Giving me a thumbs up, he says, “Super.”

Ben finishes before me. He throws his arm over his seat while watching me eat. My cheeks go rosy pink from all the staring. He doesn’t care to hide it, even when my eyes widen in a warning.

I wolf down my burger, and Ben passes me the soda. He’s back to his pompous self. I must finish it or get a lecture on ordering only what I can’t finish. I belch in an unladylike fashion. He rolls his eyes, but I know he finds it cute. He finds everything I do cute. It goes both ways, really.

The waitress who served us approaches our table. Ben and I extract our wallets. My boyfriend glares at me, but I push my money closer to her. She offers me a sheepish smile and accepts Ben’s cash. Talk about girls’ power. Ben winks at her. Laughing, she takes her leave. I fold my arms across my chest. We are sitting across from each other, or I would have pinched his ear.

Ben pats the spot beside him, and my shoulders raise in refusal. “I wanted to pay.”

“Honestly, I’m not sure why you keep trying. I don’t know what to do with all the money I saved for Josef.” He sinks into my seat, pushing me closer to the wall. I scowl. “You’re so cute when you do that.”

“Liar.” His hand slides to my knee. I finally process his words. “So, my boyfriend is rich, rich?”

Ben kisses behind my ear. “No, honey. He’s a poor boy.”

My phone vibrates, but I ignore the buzzing in my pocket. We have a rule. No phones when we are together, but we leave them on in case of an emergency. It vibrates again, and I snatch it from my pocket. Maria, my best friend. The sight of her name unearths strange emotions within me.

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