Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
The last time they’d had a big dinner like this was in celebration of Skip’s anniversary with his late wife, Gertie.
And while tonight’s feast wasn’t as delectable—the good majority of their sides came from a can—nor as lively, it was nice to be in one another’s company, sharing a meal and conversation.
It almost made Tabitha forget the looming threat of the storm. Almost.
But a sudden howl of wind whipping against the shutters drew up Tabitha’s shoulders like the wary hackles on a dog.
The weather was like a living, breathing thing.
The air had a voice. The ocean had angry fists that pummeled the coastline.
The skies raged with tears that spilled down the windows and over the siding.
This storm was an entity in and of itself, and its power for destruction was downright terrifying.
“You good?” Ben’s hand found her knee under the table and gave it a light squeeze.
“I’m good.” Settling her fork beside her plate, she turned to her ex-husband. “I know Camille really wants us all together, but I think I’d do better at my own place tonight.”
He held her gaze a moment, neck drawing tight with a slow swallow. “I could come with you.”
That offer did something to her system. Kicked everything up a notch. Her heart rate. Her breathing. She forced a swallow of her own, her mouth now impossibly dry.
But before she could answer, he amended, “I’ll sleep on the couch, of course. But just so you don’t have to endure the storm alone.”
Oh, those words were so telling in a nearly haunting way. All her life, Tabitha had tried to endure the storms alone, as had been her preference. It wasn’t as though she didn’t want to bother others; it was that she thought she was fully capable of getting through it all on her own.
But tonight, she needed Ben. She knew that. And she was grateful for the offer.
“I’d like it if you’d come back with me.”
He just nodded once. Lifted his napkin from his lap to place it on the table. Scooted out his chair. “I’ll help clear the dishes, and we can head out right after that.”
Casey and Hannah never showed, something she figured they’d never hear the end of from Aunt Camille.
But Tabitha was grateful they’d stayed put.
She didn’t want them out in the worsening conditions, not when they would be perfectly safe in Hannah’s apartment in town.
Like Camille, Tabitha did find comfort in knowing the whereabouts of her loved ones, but she was a little more relaxed when it came to needing them right by her side.
Except Ben. She did need him right there with her, a pull that honestly still surprised her.
Ben made quick work of the dishes and Tabitha worked to convince her sister that it was okay to let the guests go their separate ways.
“I don’t like it.” Camille’s head was on swivel, shaking in defiance. “I don’t know why you can’t stay here. We have plenty of room.”
“Because I’d sleep a lot better in my own bed tonight, sis. And I’ve got an early morning shift that I need to be at my best for. A good night’s sleep is a requirement.”
Camille clamped her eyes shut. Hissed out a long breath as she released her frustration. “You’re right. You do need to get a good night’s sleep. I get it. But if there is any change in the storm or if you need absolutely anything, you’ll call? I don’t like the idea of you being all by yourself.”
“I won’t be. Ben’s going to stay over.”
That got the stunned reaction Tabitha expected from her sister.
“Oh, is he?”
“Not like that. He’ll be on the couch. But I’ll feel better having him nearby.”
“I’ll feel better about that, too.”
After saying their goodbyes and reiterating their promises to Camille that they would reach out should they need anything, Ben and Tabitha finally peeled themselves away and made it out the door to head to the beach house two doors down.
Wind instantly whipped through Tabitha’s hair, causing tendrils to fly across her face. Side by side, they pressed into the storm, shouldering into the wall of rain that pushed them back at each step with the force of a linebacker.
Tabitha was used to the roar of the ocean, but coupled with the wind, the elements were disorienting.
“You okay?” Ben shouted into the commotion of wind and rain.
“I’m good, but let’s hurry.”
In a flurry, they raced over the slick walkway. Water sprayed up at their feet, poured over their faces, obscuring their vision and muting their voices.
Fitting the key into the lock, she burst into her entryway, Ben on her heels. He shut the door tightly behind them.
“I’ve never seen so much rain.” The cold, wet fabric of her shirt clung to her chest as Tabitha rallied her breath. “Not in Seascape Shores, at least.”
“They’re predicting six inches of rainfall overnight.”
“Seriously?” She tried to peel out of her lightweight jacket, but the sodden material was stubborn and clung to her skin.
“Let me.” Ben moved to help her out of the cumbersome layer of clothing.
Something about his warm hand lighting on hers made her knees turn to mush. What was this effect he’d had on her recently? And why was she so surprised that she continued to feel it each time they touched?
He placed the jacket on a coatrack near the door to dry before removing his own.
They shouldn’t have even bothered with the outerwear; it did little to keep them dry.
Tabitha just stood there looking at Ben while he removed his wet shoes to place them beneath the coats.
His hair was drenched, a mop of short, graying waves that touched the tops of his ears.
When they were married, he had kept his hair cut close, never letting it get too long.
Always above his ears. But now, it was as if Ben was letting loose, even in the seemingly insignificant way in which he wore his hair.
And why did Tabitha’s fingers suddenly itch to rake through it?
Why did she almost ache just looking at him?
He turned, catching her gaze. “Tabitha?”
“Sorry.” She bit her thumb, embarrassed for getting caught in the act of ogling her ex. She honestly wasn’t sure what was allowed anymore.
“And what would you be apologizing for?” He moved closer.
“I was staring at you.”
“I know.” He moved his hand back and forth over his head, flicking the water from the strands. “I do look a bit like a drowned rat.”
“You actually look really great,” she said before she could stop herself.
“Really?” His dark brows drew together. “You think so?”
He didn’t say anything else, but the way they held each other’s gaze made something warm spread through Tabitha’s chest.
He took another slow step toward her. The backs of his knuckles brushed across her forehead, sliding her damp hair curtaining her face. “You’re beautiful.”
“I’m soaked.”
“You’re still beautiful.”
She could feel the clammy fabric of his shirt against her own, their chests pressing together as she moved into his arms. She shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold. “Ben.”
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said, hand cupping her jaw. “Is that okay?”
“Mm hmm,” was all she could mutter.
“What was that?”
“Yes.” She tugged him the remaining way to her, eagerly pressing her mouth to his.
Ben made a sound from the back of his throat, and that set something off.
They were a flurry of mouths and hands, pushing each other across the room until Tabitha was pressed up against the kitchen island, her backside meeting the counter’s ledge.
“Tabitha,” Ben moaned against her cheek. His lips dragged across her jaw, pressing kisses across her chilled skin. “I want you so badly.”
She’d never heard those words before, not from Ben.
Miguel had said them to her once, but the lustful feeling they evoked then didn’t remotely compare to the deep sense of love she was currently experiencing for the man uttering them now.
She wanted Ben more than just physically. She wanted him back in her life. Permanently.
“I want you, too.”
He pushed the neck opening of her shirt aside, giving his mouth better access to trail kisses down the slope of her jawline. “Tabs,” he groaned. Goosebumps drew up across her collarbone as his breath feathered over her skin. “I’m so in love with you.”
She pulled back. “What?”
His head dipped lower, but he looked up, blinking away the water still clinging to his lashes. “I’m in love with you. I love you.”
She couldn’t catch her breath, nor locate any words to say in response.
Ben bracketed her within his arms, a hand on either side of her on the counter. He brought his forehead to hers. “Does that scare you?”
She didn’t want to gulp, but knew if she swallowed, she would. So she just stood there, trying not to even breathe because her reaction wasn’t a neutral one.
“I’m not trying to scare you, Tabs. I’m just trying to be honest,” he said. “I feel like we both owe one another that.”
“I love you, too, Ben.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
“What does this mean?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged a little. “I don’t know if it changes anything.”
“Of course, it does.” He moved his hands to her waist and lifted her onto the counter, then slid into the space between her legs. “Because I’ve felt this way for a while now, and if you feel the same…”
She wasn’t ready for a big change. Wasn’t ready to make the commitment Camille and Foster had recently made through vows and promises. So where did that leave them?
“Tabitha? Will you be my girlfriend?”