5. Bennett
BENNETT
I’m pissed, but I’m trying to hold myself together. I’m driving toward my house with Audrey in the passenger seat and Knox in the back seat. Neither one of us wanted to leave her, so we decided we would get her somewhere safe, and Knox would deal with getting her car later.
I keep looking at Audrey, worried.
I didn’t know she had panic attacks, and the thought scares me. How long has she been dealing with them on her own?
She must feel my gaze on her because she asks, “What’s on your mind, Bennett?”
I squeeze the steering wheel tighter. “Have you had panic attacks before?”
She looks at me, and I begin to wonder if she’s going to answer or not. Slowly, she answers, “Yes. When I lived at home, I did. But it was pure chaos there. I’ve been able to manage them since I left.”
I have to know. “So this is the first one you’ve had since you arrived in Kingston territory?”
She nods.
That calms me some, but it still pains me to know that Victor is disturbing her peace. The rest of the ride to my house is silent. I glance in the rearview mirror at Knox, and I can see my thoughts mirrored in his. He’s not happy about this either.
I carry the bag that we were able to save some of her toiletries in, and she’s still carrying her backpack.
I show her around the house, and when I show her to her room, she walks in and looks around. “Thanks. I, uh, will be out of your hair as soon as possible.”
“You can stay here forever.”
Her forehead creases in confusion. I know it’s a weird thought, but it’s one both Knox and I have been thinking. We want her here, and we don’t want her to leave.
She clenches her fist and rocks back and forth. “I, uh, well, as soon as I get a job, I can get out of your hair.”
Knox moves closer to her. “Seriously, you can stay here for as long as you want. We want you here.”
She blinks, looking between us, and then she nods, but before she can speak again, Knox tells her, “What kind of job are you interested in?”
She wraps her arms around her chest. “One that pays.”
I see the desperation on her face, and I’m not having it. “Don’t worry about money. I’ll give you—”
She cuts me off, holding her hands up in front of her. “No, I’m not taking your money. I can work; I just can’t find someone to hire me. Everyone in town knows who my father is, and since I’m on the outs with him, they don’t want the drama that comes with it.”
I point to my chest. “Work for us.”
Her mouth falls open, and then she quickly closes it. She shakes her head. “You want me to work for you? In one of the Kingston companies?”
I nod, and she shakes her head. “I’m not working at the strip club, Bennett. I’m desperate, but that’s not my thing.”
Aghast, I stare at her in surprise. “You think I’d have you work in a strip club? That would never happen. Never.”
There’s no hiding the hurt from my voice. Knox steps forward. “Audrey, I’m sure what Bennett was thinking was in an office somewhere. Or what do you like to do?”
She glares at me as she answers Knox. She seriously thinks I’d put her in a strip club? She doesn’t know me at all. And here I thought I was making progress.
Audrey pops a shoulder. “Well, my degree is in marketing.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Great. We need a marketer.”
Her forehead creases. “You need a marketer?”
I nod. “Do you know how many businesses the Kingstons have? Yes, we need someone to coordinate the marketing.”
Her eyes widen. “For all your businesses?”
I shrug. “Yeah, whatever you think. I’ll put together a profile for each business, and you can create a plan for each of them. Where do you want your office to be?”
She doesn’t try to hide her surprise. “Office?”
I nod. “Yeah, we can put you in the same building as my office, or—”
She cuts me off. “I don’t need an office. I can work from anywhere.”
Knox looks at me. “Maybe until this is handled, we should have her work in one of the vacant offices in our building. That way we can keep her safe too.”
Knox and I go back and forth, deciding which office when Audrey waves her hand. “Hello. I’m right here. Do I have a say in any of this?”
I nod. “Yes, and as long as whatever you say is something you can do and we can keep you safe, then the answer is yes.”
She blurts out, “You can’t just give me a job because I need one.”
I shrug. “Yes, I can.”
She puts her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah? And what do you think your dad is going to have to say about a Sterling working for him?”
I hesitate for just a second. “I’ll work it out.”
She throws her hands up and starts pacing back and forth. “Really? See. This is the last thing I wanted. I don’t want to come between you and your family.”
“You won’t,” I assure her.
She looks at Knox as if she expects him to be on her side. “Tell him. Tell him that I can’t just come to work for the Kingstons.”
Knox lifts his shoulders in a shrug. “Why not? I mean, if it’s up to Bennett and me, you’re going to be here for a while, so it makes sense.
” He takes a step toward her. “And we could use your help. We need someone to do marketing for the diner, the salon, the general store—hell, all of it needs help.”
She looks between Knox and me. “You two have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
Knox grins. “Usually.”
She rolls her eyes, but some of the tension leaves her shoulders. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
I breathe easier. “You’ll take the job?”
“Yes, but I’m working for my money. I don’t want you to just make up some kind of position where I sit around and do nothing.”
I almost laugh. She has no idea how badly our businesses need help. “Trust me; you’ll earn every penny.”
Knox claps his hands together. “Well, that’s settled. You have a place to live and a job. I’m going to go get your car and bring it here.”
He walks toward Audrey and wraps his arms around her for a tight hug. She leans into him, and something inside me settles.
Knox nods at me on the way out of the room. “Be back.”
He gives me a look, and I know exactly what he’s saying to me. Don’t spook her. I resist rolling my eyes and give him a quick nod.
As soon as he’s gone, I walk over to Audrey. “Well…”
She smiles at me. “You’re feeling pretty good about yourself, aren’t you?”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
“You wanted me here, and now I’m here.” She shakes her head. “You’re used to getting your way, aren’t you?”
There’s no reason to deny it. “Yeah, I usually get my way.”
I take a step toward her, and when she doesn’t tense, I take another. I don’t stop until we’re standing toe to toe.
She tilts her head back to look up at me. “What are you doing?”
I put my hands at her waist. “Well, Knox got his hug. I was hoping for one too.”
“Oh,” she says and then nods. “Okay.”
I slide my hands around her back and pull her flush against me. The soft warmth of her against my body feels better than I could have ever dreamed about. She sighs and melts into me, and I hold her tighter.
When she pulls back, I don’t let her go far. I’m staring into her eyes, and they widen when she realizes what I’m about to do.
I brush a hair off her brow. “I want to kiss you, Audrey.”
Her eyebrows lift, and she wets her lips.
I slowly lean down, and as soon as I press my lips to hers, I know that I am right. Audrey is the one for us.
I try to take it slowly, I really do, but tasting her for the first time is better than I imagined it would be. I tilt her head to the side to give me better access.
She opens to me, and my tongue presses against hers. Everything inside me feels like it comes alive, and I have to pull away before I let myself get carried away.
If the kiss surprised me, hell, it stunned her.
She’s staring at me wide-eyed. Her lips are swollen and wet, and I would give anything to kiss her again, but I’ve already gone too far. I force myself to step back. “If you need anything, our rooms are right down the hall.”
Her eyebrows lift. “Both of you?”
I chuckle. “Yep.”
Her cheeks turn pink. Fuck. I know exactly what she’s thinking because I’m thinking it too. Living under the same roof with Audrey Sterling is going to test every bit of control I have.
Before I can walk away, she asks, “Bennett, what about Knox?”
I search her eyes. I know what she’s asking, but I clarify anyway. “You mean about the kiss?”
She nods.
I smile. “Knox isn’t going to have a problem with me kissing you, Audrey. He wants you just as much as I do.”
Her eyes widen.
I continue. “And when you are both ready, I’m sure he’ll get his own kiss.”
Her mouth falls open, and I chuckle. “Get some rest.”
I go to the door and force myself to walk out of her bedroom.