Beauty and the Boss (Modern Fairytales) (13 page)

Jesus, what was
wrong
with him?

When the ostentatious woman in front of him shot him an incredulous look, he clutched his stomach and kept going even though it hurt, and he couldn’t stop. Nothing short of a punch to the face would make him, and even then, he probably wouldn’t quit.

By the time he’d regained control, Maggie had joined him, her musical laughter mixing with his. His mother no longer looked quite so unaffected. She seemed
pissed
.

“Darling,” he said, swiping his hands across his face. “You’re killing me.”

She smiled, her face lighting up. “It worked.”

“What worked?”

“I made you laugh.” She blew her bangs out of her face with a short puff of breath. “That’s all I wanted.”

“
You
.” He yanked her into his arms and pulled her into his arms. She gasped, resting her hands on his chest. “You’re amazing. You know that, right?”

She shrugged and scrunched her nose up adorably. “I may have heard that a few times last night…”

“And you’ll hear it again.” He kissed her jaw. “And again.” Her nose this time. “And again.” He kissed her fully on the lips, and she clung to him.

By the time he pulled back, they were both out of breath.

She smiled up at him. This. Right here. This was what he wanted. And come what may, he’d fight to keep her and his job, too. He didn’t want to lose her yet.

Hell, that wasn’t true. He didn’t want to lose her period.
Ever
. So whatever it took, no matter the cost—well, he guessed he was more like his mother than either one of them suspected.

He
would
win.

Chapter Fourteen

T
he second they entered Benjamin’s apartment, he pulled Maggie into his arms and kissed her. He’d already excused William and sent him off, so they were finally alone. After watching the musical with him, her recent choices made perfect sense. All throughout the show, the words the characters sang had echoed pretty much every feeling and conversation
they’d
had about taking chances on one another, and not being afraid to leap blindly into something that could possibly be
every
thing.

Toward the end, during an emotional song about learning to live without the one you loved, he had glanced over at her, seen the tears streaming down her face, and caught her hand in his. And he hadn’t let go of her for the rest of the musical. It was as if that entire score had been written for her, to teach her a lesson.

And she’d listened.

God
, had she listened.

She had a feeling he had, too. He was oddly silent on the way home, as well as throughout dinner at The Monkey Bar, and now he kissed her with an abandon that was unparalleled. As if she was about to slip out of his hands. She felt it, too.

The desperation.

It was real, tangible, and as unavoidable as it was unwanted.

He pressed her back against the door of his apartment, slid his hand up her dress and skimmed his fingers between her thighs. His knuckles brushed against her core, and she groaned, her stomach twisting into a tight knot at his barely-there caress. She undid the buttons of his shirt with shaking fingers, as he cupped her, pressing his palm against her.

The second she had the last button undone; she shoved his jacket and shirt off in one swoop. They hit the floor, and he stepped closer, towering over her as he trapped her between the door and his chest. He tasted like wine and smelled like woodsy cologne. And felt like paradise.

She dragged her hands over his crisp chest hair and hard muscles. His tongue dueled with hers, and the unyielding urgency she felt inside engulfed her. He seemed to sense her need, because he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

When he rubbed his hard length against her, she almost came. He groaned and undid his pants, not breaking off the kiss even for a second even as they hit the floor.

Twisting her head away, she gulped in a deep breath. He didn’t waste any time putting his mouth to use elsewhere. He bit down on her shoulder, and sucked on it gently. “Benjamin. Yes. Now.
Please
.”

He grunted and shoved her panties aside with two fingers. He ran them along her slit, slowly, torturously. “All I’ve been able to think about all damn day was getting you home, lifting this dress, and fucking you so hard you wouldn’t be able to walk straight for the rest of the night. I need you, darling. I need you
now
.”

Slipping his hands under her butt, he tilted her hips forward and drove into her with one thrust. She screamed and let loose a few curses.

He froze. “Shit, are you—?”

“I’m fine, and I’m on the pill. Have been for years.” She smacked his arm. It was so hard it hurt her knuckles, but she was past caring about that. “Don’t you dare stop. Do it again.
Harder
.”

Letting out a sexy chuckle, he buried his face in her neck and thrust inside her again. “How about that? Hard, fast, rough?”

“
Yes
.” She dug her nails in so deep they drew blood, but he didn’t seem to care. Instead, he moved his hips even faster. And she—exploded. “
Benjamin
.”

He moved inside her relentlessly, not giving her time to catch her breath or come down from the orgasm he’d already given her. She lost track of how many times she hit him, or cried out, or came. All that mattered, and all she was aware of, was that she needed this man in her life more than she cared to admit.

More than she would’ve ever thought possible.

Pulling out of her, he set her on her feet and spun her so she faced the door. She flattened her palms on the cool steel, gasping as he ran his hands down the curve of her hip, and across her upper thigh. He grabbed it, his fingers brushing against her core.

“So damn pretty.” Seizing her butt, he tilted her hips backward and kicked her legs apart. “So fucking mine.”

She swallowed a moan. “Yes, I’m yours. And
you’re
mine.”

Fisting her hair, he pressed against her, his front glued to every inch of her back. His other hand splayed across her bare stomach, holding her exactly where he wanted her. “Damn right I am. Don’t you ever doubt that. I’m all yours—happily and willingly.”

His tender words were at odds with his dominant hold on her, but somehow that only made it all the more intimate. His fingers curled over the front of her core, pressing against her clit as he thrust them inside her. She bit her lip to hold back her moan. “Me too. I swear it.”

The second the words came out of her mouth, she was flat against he door and he slammed inside of her again. She screamed, and the pleasure of the new angle blinded her momentarily. She scrambled for something to hold on to, but couldn’t find anything. As if he sensed her need, he wrapped her in his embrace, one fist still in her hair, and thrust into her again.

Tension spiraled inside her, building higher and higher, until she was sure it would tear her in half. “I’m gonna…I…”

“Me too. Fuck, me too.”

His uneven breath grew faster, more frantic, and so did his hips. The faster he moved, the higher she went, until she came
again
. And this time, when the world exploded around her, he was with her the whole way. He stiffened behind her, a guttural groan escaping him. “
Maggie
,” he said, long and low, drawn out like a sigh.

She dropped her head against the door, struggling to recover her balance when all she wanted to do was collapse into bed with him and never move again.

He broke the silence first. “I’m serious about what I said earlier.”

“Which part?” she asked, peeking over her shoulder at him. She couldn’t see his face, because it was buried in her neck. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“I have no doubts.” His hold on her hair loosened, and he dropped a kiss on her bare back. “You make me…
happy
. I didn’t think I knew what that was, or if it was even a real thing, until you. But now I do, and I don’t want to let go of it. I don’t want to let go of you.”

Her heart fluttered in her chest. There he went again, trying to steal it. If she wasn’t careful, she’d let him. “You make me happy, too. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m still holding onto your hand with both of mine. I don’t want to let go either.”

Without another word, he swept her into his arms. It wasn’t until he held her close that she realized she hadn’t even taken her purse off her shoulder. All of that insanely amazing sex had taken place without her removing an article of clothing. A giggle bubbled out of her.

Though he kept walking, he frowned down at her. “What’s so funny?”

“I’m still wearing my purse.” She held it up. “I didn’t even take off my purse.”

His lips twitched, and she burst into laughter. Shaking his head, he kicked his bedroom door open and laid her on his bed, a huge smile on his face. “The things you find funny…”

That only made her laugh even harder.

By the time she had herself under control, he’d put on a pair of sweats and walked into his closet. “I got you something. Don’t be mad.”

She swiped her hands across her wet cheeks and watched him, her heart picking up speed. “What did you do?”

“I saw this, and I couldn’t help but think it would be perfect for the party at the Met on the twenty-third.” He came out carrying a big pink box. “You usually pick your outfits, and I know you don’t like me spending money on you, but I couldn’t resist this one.”

She reached out and took the box, her arms feeling weak and shaky. He bought her a dress? How very…prince-like of him. “Is it black?”

“No.” He snorted. “Never.”

Smiling, she played with the pink bow for a second before undoing the knot. The second she lifted the lid off the box, she gasped. The most beautiful midnight blue dress she’d ever seen stared back at her. It was satin, and had intricate beading that looked like it was straight off an A-lister’s back on the red carpet. “Oh my God. It’s beautiful.”

“I couldn’t resist.” He sat beside her, bending a knee and settling on his foot. He touched the dress, tracing one of the threads that led to the beads. “The blue matches those flecks that show up in your eyes when you smile. And since I plan on making you smile a lot that night, it seemed like it was made for you.”

“It’s perfect,” she whispered, tears burning her eyes. “You’re perfect. I love it. Thank you.”

He curled his hand behind her neck, and kissed her. When he pulled back, his blue eyes were warmer than ever before. “You’re the perfect one. Not me. I’m just me.”

She wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she kissed him instead.

And she didn’t want to stop.

By the time they came up for air, they were both undressed and breathing heavily, and the dress had fallen to the floor. Yawning, Benjamin pulled the covers over them and settled in. She rolled onto her side, facing him, and folded her hands under her cheek. “I—” The ring of her phone cut her off. “Who could that be?”

He raised a brow. “I have no idea, since it’s not my phone. Answer it, we’ll find out.”

“It’s probably just—” Digging in her purse, she pulled out her cell and frowned down at the screen. “Oh. It’s my parents. They never call this late. Could you give me a second?”

Benjamin sat up. “Sure. I’ll go grab us a couple bottles of water.”

“Thanks.” She watched him go, waiting till he crossed the threshold and turned the corner. Then, and only then, she answered the phone. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” She paused. “But Lou called a few minutes ago. We got word from the bank, and we’re going to find out tomorrow at nine a.m. if we got the grant that could keep us running.”

She held the phone tight, offering a silent prayer that they would get it. If they didn’t, her parents would lose the farm, and everything they worked so hard to build all these years. “Did Lou give you any indication of the verdict when he called?”

“No, he said he wasn’t told yet. He just heard the answer was waiting for him on his desk.” She let out a small sigh. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“Don’t think like that. You have to think positively.” Maggie flopped back on the bed and stared up at the fan above Benjamin’s bed. Unlike hers back home, his did
not
need to be dusted. It was impeccably clean. His sheets were soft and satiny, and everything looked…
rich
. Different. It didn’t feel like home. “If you believe it can be saved, it will. You taught me that.”

Her mom laughed. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” She peeked at the door, but there was no sign of Benjamin. “The farm won’t be shut down. I swear I’ll do everything I can to make sure it stays open, before we have to resort to something drastic and final.”

“That’s not your job, dear,” her mom said, her voice sad. “It’s mine. And this
is
our last resort. We’ve exhausted every avenue we could. If we don’t get a loan or a grant…it’s over.”

She rubbed her forehead, worry taking over despite her words to her mother. All her life, her father had worked hard to keep
his
father’s farm going…and for what? To lose it now?
No
. That couldn’t be how this ended. “I refuse to accept that. There has to be a way to get the money. There just has to.” Footsteps came down the hallway, and Maggie cleared her throat. “Don’t lose faith.”

“I won’t,” her mom said.

Benjamin hovered in the doorway, and she motioned him inside, sitting up and folding her knees in front of her. She hadn’t wanted him to hear this conversation, but it was pretty much over now. He wouldn’t understand the struggle her parents faced, and would probably offer to throw money at the problem to fix it, and as much as that might help, she refused to be yet another hand held out for him to fill. “I have to go now. I’m not at home.”

He walked in, two bottles of water in his hand, and sat down on his side of the bed. Slowly, he rubbed her back in large, sweeping circles.

“Are you at that guy’s house?” Her mother asked. “The one you told me about?”

Maggie flinched, side-eying him. He smiled back. “Yes.”

“Is he there now?”

“Yes…”

Her mom whispered. “Can he hear me?”

“Yes,” she whispered back. “He probably can.”

His hand froze on her. Leaning in, he whispered, “Why are we all whispering? Is someone listening to us?”

A laugh escaped Maggie, and she covered her mouth. “Okay, I have to go now. Love you, Mom. And…don’t worry. It’ll all be fine. You’ll see.”

He resumed rubbing her back as she hung up. When she finished, she tossed her phone aside and hugged her knees. He sat up, scooting behind her, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “You told your parents about me?”

“Yeah.” She leaned over to peer at him. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No.” He resumed rubbing. “I told my mom about us, too.”

She rolled her eyes. “No, really?”

“Really.” Chuckling, he kissed her neck. “Is everything okay, though? You sounded upset.”

“It’s fine.” She shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“Okay…”

Silence descended, and she couldn’t think of anything to say to fill it. So she said nothing, just let herself enjoy the sensation of his hand moving over her back, slow and steady. “Remember when I told you my father died of a heart attack, and I was too busy partying to bother to show up in time?”

She lifted her lids, blinking slowly, her heart wrenching. This time, his voice was laced with pain, and his pain physically
hurt
her, because he was finally letting her in. He blamed himself, and his mother blamed him, too, which made her long to pull him into her arms, hug him, and promise him that it would all be okay. “Yeah?”

His hand paused. “When I finally listened to my voicemail and found out what happened, I rushed to the hospital, breaking all kinds of traffic laws, but he had died ten minutes before I got there. My mother…she wouldn’t even let me see him before they took him away. I didn’t fight it, because I felt like I deserved every ounce of shit I got from her. I’ve spent the last few years trying to become a man he would have been proud of. Trying to model myself after him.”