Chapter Twenty-Five
The large gardening shed located near the Dragonfly Pointe beach had been broken into sometime during the weekend, their groundskeeper Max told Ben early Monday morning on the phone before he arrived at the Inn. It was time to start getting ready for spring, so Max had been checking out supplies and fertilizer to see what they needed to stock.
Max couldn’t find anything missing, so Ben had met him at the shed near the beach to check it out.
There were surveillance cameras all over the property, but most likely it had just been some troublemaking kids who’d broken the lock.
As Ben drove into the Inn’s parking lot after speaking with Max, he couldn’t figure out what was going on. The parking lot was packed with vehicles and there was a line of people waiting on the sidewalk that led inside.
Ben drove into his employee parking space beside the Inn, walking into the side entrance and heading into the lobby.
He couldn’t believe it. The line of women, and even a few men, extended directly into the open boutique.
Walking briskly through the breezeway, Ben peeked inside, surprised to see how efficiently Aylin was handling the crowd. When he’d dropped in on her yesterday, before taking her for dinner at the restaurant, he’d noticed that not only had she set up three registers with cash, but she’d also done a lot of decorating throughout the space with fresh flowers and potted plants. She’d also finished her window displays where she’d paired shoes and assorted clothing into coordinated bundles, even including some borrowed jewelry for sale from the artisan shop nearby.
She had a radiant smile on her face when she looked up and saw him, quickly waving before returning her attention to the customer she was speaking with.
Apparently standing nearby, Mom joined him. “This is crazy. I expected it to be busy, but nothing like this.”
“Hopefully, it will settle down,” Ben said, his eyes meeting hers. “Unless she runs out of stock.”
Mom laughed. “She even has that covered. There are boxes and clothing bags hung neatly inside the other space on garment racks that can be rolled directly into the showroom.”
“Does she need our help?”
“Apparently not. They’ve only got three registers, and there’s not much room for us.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll come back and check on her again a little later. Maybe I’ll bring her lunch.”
“That might be a great idea,” Mom said dryly. “In fact, maybe we should spring for all the employees in the shop.”
Ben smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”
* * *
The shop stayed open until ten that night instead of nine, and Aylin worked the entire day. She’d have to hire more clerks immediately, she realized, and possibly set up a delivery service while she was at it, otherwise the two clerks that she’d already hired wouldn’t want to keep working there. It would have been exhausting to have to keep going at this kind of pace every day.
Ben came walking into the boutique with a bottle of champagne as they were getting ready to close up.
He smiled, holding up the bottle after resting some plastic champagne flutes on the counter. “Ladies? How about some champagne to celebrate?”
“I for one, would,” Aylin replied, smiling. “How about you, Nancy? Kayla?”
“Just one glass,” Nancy said, looking grateful as Kayla agreed. “Since we both have to come back early tomorrow.”
“Kayla? It probably won’t stay like this more than a couple of days, but we definitely need more people if you want to talk with those two friends of yours who were asking about a job. I wouldn’t want to overwork you two.”
“I actually had a great time today. Everyone seemed so excited to meet you too, since you’re a celebrity, so that made it even more fun. But I’ll call both of them first thing tomorrow,” Kayla agreed, grinning.
After Nancy and Kayla departed, Aylin looked at Ben with a wry smile. Even though the shop was closed, Aylin was thrilled after having such a successful day. The adrenaline hadn’t stopped running yet.
She drew in a deep breath, staring into his big brown eyes. That handsome face of his had become quite endearing through the years. Despite inheriting his dad’s rather prominent nose, he looked so much like his mom, Danielle, with his sculpted face and thick ash brown hair, that always had kind of a windswept look.
“I don’t know if I’m being too pushy. I know that we’ve actually been together for only a week, and we should really spend more time getting to know each other…” She cleared her throat, “But Ben, I feel like celebrating.”
His stare was steady as he gazed into her eyes for a long lingering moment. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“It does,” she said. “How about meeting me in my room in about an hour?”
Ben continued to hold her gaze. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“More than,” she admitted.
“Okay,” he replied, looking dazed. “How can I argue with that.”
She barked out a laugh. He looked so bemused.
* * *
When Ben showed up at her room another forty-five minutes later, he was definitely nervous. He’d thought about bringing more champagne along but had changed his mind since they both had to work in the morning. He’d taken a shower and switched out his clothes from his suit to a pair of jeans and t-shirt.
Much to his surprise, when she opened the door, Aylin reached out, yanking him into the room.
“Let’s just get this over with,” she said, sounding impatient as she pressed her mouth against his.
He started laughing loudly as they broke apart. “Now wait a minute, Aylin. Shouldn’t we be romantic?”
“We can be romantic later,” she muttered, smiling widely.
Apparently she’d showered too and was wearing a sexy little dress.
“Well, let’s at least take our time and undress,” he said when she started to tug at his t-shirt. “Just hold on a minute. Okay? Let me take a deep breath and get my bearings. Since it’s our first time, I’d still like for it to be special. I hope we’re not rushing things.”
She sighed. “Alright.”
Ben undressed her slowly, not quite believing how lucky he was. “You really are beautiful, Aylin.”
And then Aylin finally tugged off his shirt, spreading her hands across the breadth of his chest. “You’re in such good shape, Ben. I’ve been wanting to get your shirt off since the first time I saw you again.”
“I feel like a piece of meat,” he said dryly.
She slapped him lightly on the shoulder.
And then he grinned.
When they finished stripping away their clothes, and Ben slipped on a condom, he wrapped his arms around her as they sat on the bed. “Let’s take our time, okay? I’m guessing that this might be your first time since your father’s had you so heavily protected during the past ten years. Is that why you’re in such a hurry?”
She rolled her eyes. “I guess I couldn’t get that fact past you, could I? Even though I hired my own bodyguards, my dad still had people watching me. Even if I’d met someone I wanted to be with, that kind of a relationship wouldn’t have been kept from Dad, and I didn’t want him butting into my business any more than he already did. I probably wouldn’t have been able to be sneaky enough to purchase the boutique otherwise.”
Ben laughed. “I can’t say that I haven’t been with other women, Aylin, but what I can say is that no one was ever you. I never in the world thought we’d actually get together just because I had a crush on you. I actually looked at you as out of my league when I was a teenager.”
She sighed. “And I never stopped thinking of you.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Alright,” she answered in a sing song voice.
He laughed again.
The tips of her fingers ran through the dusting of hair on his chest, gently grazing his nipples. And when her naked breasts were pressed against his chest, he became lost in sensation, feeling the softness of her skin, the fullness of her breasts, and her nipples aroused as they rubbed enticingly against his bare skin.
“ Now Ben,” she said softly. “I want you now.”
Her beautiful blue eyes burned with an intensity that touched him deep inside. He’d never felt like this before.
His heart began hammering in his chest, and with her urging him on, he laid her on the bed, covering her, slowly positioning himself over her and gently thrusting into her.
He stilled. “Are you alright?”
She moved a little, causing him to groan.
“Surprisingly, I’m fine,” she answered, seemingly unaware of what she was doing to him.
“Aylin,” he growled . “ I’m not fine. Quit moving around so much.”
She giggled until his mouth covered hers, the languid thrust of her tongue imitating the strong sure strokes of him moving inside of her.
He felt her hands slide up over his chest, hesitate on his shoulders and then rise to frame his face. Even locked deep within their kiss, he felt the touch of her cool fingers on his cheeks and jaw, and reaction streaked through him.
He thrust deeper, harder, and Aylin gasped, her body arching greedily under his.
Lifting his shoulders momentarily, enough to appreciate the way her curvy body undulated with each thrust, absorbed each forceful penetration as he rode her and filled her, Ben watched as he pushed her step by step closer to the peak.
He felt the tension inside her coil, felt her tighten beneath him, her thighs gripping his as release fluttered and beckoned. Aylin’s soft staggered breathing filled his ears, overlaying his own raspy breath.
Aylin reached for him, trying to pull him closer as they came nearer to release and fulfillment. Passion swirled before they fell.
They stayed that way for several long breathless moments.
Finally, Aylin sighed with obvious contentment as Ben wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he dropped onto the bed beside her.
Ben laid with his eyes closed, hearing Aylin’s breathing turn steady as she drifted asleep. He couldn’t believe just how perfect it felt being here with her—like they were always meant to be.
They completed each other, and there was nowhere else in the world that he would rather be than with her.
Eventually, he pulled down the covers, gently tugging her beneath, before wrapping his arms around her and falling asleep beside her.