Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
When Hannah gazed up at him, she felt so deliriously happy.
She could feel that grounded peace that moments like these gave Ben. He was like a towering oak who stood quietly and dependably, the kind even a stormy wind couldn’t move. She’d always loved that about him.
His beautiful silver gaze was filled with love, but when he pressed his forehead to hers again in yearning, she knew he struggled to find the words to express how he felt.
“Yeah,” she whispered, her mouth inches from his, “that’s how I feel too. Oh, Ben, I love you so.”
He swallowed thickly. “I love you too. Don’t want to ever think about living without you again.”
“Good thing you don’t have to, then,” she told him, pressing an assuring kiss to his mouth until he settled again.
She urged him to his side and then snuggled into him like she used to. He’d teased her plenty about crawling all over him, but she knew he enjoyed her cuddling because he’d always held her tightly to him. Their private world, he used to call it.
When he kissed her softly and traced her cheek with a sweetness that made her heart clench, she knew their time was at an end.
“Cooper’s going to be wondering where I am,” he said quietly, planting endearing little kisses up her neck. “I don’t want to go.”
She hugged him tightly. “Neither do I. Then again, we never did before, did we?”
“No, we didn’t.” He tightened his grip before easing away. “I don’t like being away from you any more now than I did then.”
She enjoyed watching the flex of the muscles of his broad, strong back as he pulled on his shirt. His chest was wider, but God knew his six-pack was the same from all the ranch work he did. “You still take my breath away, you know.”
He grinned as he stood and started putting his pants on, giving her a tantalizing view as captivating as the panoramic Wild Mountain. “I believe that’s my line.”
Sliding off the bed, she hunted up her clothes, giving him a flirtatious smile when he held her panties up on his index finger with a smirk.
Cute. Wiggling into her jeans had him stopping to give her his full attention.
She made sure to give him a good show. By the time she was finished, his desire was clear in his heated gaze.
“Now I really wish I could stay a little longer.” He took a few calming breaths. “We need to figure out how we’re going to be together more often. It’s been hard to be away from you, but after today, I’m refusing to go a day longer without you in my arms.”
She sat on the bed and pulled on her cowboy boots. “Cooper seems a little better about you being out of sight. Do you want to come here at dawn? We could take a ride and head this way?”
Now that he’d built the tree house, the ranch hands and everyone else would know what they intended. Then again, when had there been much privacy on their spread? He should probably even post a discreet lookout when they came up here. Hadn’t they increased security at the ranch?
He finished putting on his belt, regarding her quietly. “I hesitate to ask, but I’ve been wondering, so I’ll just spit it out. When is Neil heading back to Scotland? Because your house is an ideal place for us to meet after Cooper goes to bed.”
Biting her lip, she couldn’t help but grimace. “Right now, he’s planning to leave right before the Cherry Festival.”
He opened his mouth to say something before shutting it, giving her a crisp nod. Busying himself with putting on his own boots, the silence was telling.
“Do we need to talk about this now?” she asked softly.
“No, we don’t.” He walked over to the trapdoor and lifted it, signaling they were done. “Dawn will work fine for the moment. Come on. Let’s head back.”
As she followed him down the ladder, she couldn’t help but feel like their earlier closeness had been shattered somehow.
When they reached the horses, even a good nuzzle from Flame couldn’t make her smile. “You do know I love you.”
He gave her a leg up into the saddle and put a gentle hand on her thigh. “Of course I do. I’m only feeling a little jealous, is all. Can’t seem to help it. I called it out there because we both know that’s what’s going on.”
She laid her hand over his and held his troubled gaze.
“He’s my best friend, Ben, and a great work partner.
I’m not saying I want or need you to be friends with him, but I hope you can understand and accept him being around.
Because even once he leaves Montana, he’s going to be in my life.
We work online together, and I expect he’ll be visiting. ”
He nodded tightly. “I’ll work on it, Hannah.”
She knew better than to press for more.
As he swung up into the saddle, he gave her a heartbreaking smile. “Thank you for a beautiful afternoon.”
Her throat grew tight as he tipped his hat to her and started to ride out. She followed slowly, thinking about his jealousy, one she didn’t know how to handle.
Because if he ever found out she’d slept with Neil, she wasn’t sure he could get over that. Logically, she knew they both had a past, so to speak. He’d been with Amber, and likely she hadn’t been the only one.
Except he wasn’t on friendly terms with them like she was with Neil.
She’d done her best to move on after losing Ben, dating a few men in Scotland. Only with Neil had she felt like she’d had the best shot—until she’d finally had to call it, something he’d told her he’d been expecting.
When he’d said it wouldn’t affect their friendship or working relationship, she’d believed him. Neil had never made her doubt it.
Neil’s daily presence in their lives would be challenging to their relationship, and she truly understood why. If the boot were on the other foot and Ben was still friends with Amber, Hannah knew she’d always feel uneasy. Mind you, that was far more complicated, given Amber had always hated Hannah.
I’ll tell him in a while—once we strengthen our relationship a bit.
She didn’t like it, but she didn’t think he could understand or trust that she and Neil were only friends now after being involved.
Then again, she feared on some level Ben already knew.