Yours for the Taking Page 29

  Gina shrugged. “The same, he’s resting. We talked to the doctor and they’re going to do an angiogram in the morning. From there they’ll decide whether to do an angioplasty or a bypass.”

  Kate rubbed Gina’s back. “Where’s Ben?”

  “Oh, he’s showering. He should be back any minute. He came here right after his run. Annabelle was nice enough to bring him a change of clothes.”

  Trapper motioned to the door. “Speak of the devil.”

  Ben and Mike returned and all the Kincaids but Trapper went to greet him. Trapper sat down and patted the chair next to him so Gina took a seat. He twirled his hat around on his finger. “So, have you two worked things out?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  He gave his hat another twirl. “Yet here you are.”

  Gina moved closer to whisper. “What was I supposed to do, Trapper? Just let Gramps languish in the hospital all by himself? No one was able to reach Ben, and we are still legally married.”

  Trapper shrugged. “Ben’s been here how long?”

  Gina turned toward him. “Gee, Trapper, I never thought you’d be the type to beat around the bush. Why don’t you get it over with and say whatever it is you need to say?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I just think it’s funny that a woman who is so desperate to divorce her husband would choose to sit for hours in a hospital waiting room with him and his entire family, that’s all.”

  “I care about Joe. I told him I’d take care of Ben.”

  “And the whole family. Thanks for inviting us to stay with you.”

  Gina crossed her arms. “My pleasure.”

  Trapper nodded. “That’s the first honest thing I’ve heard you say. Well, that and you care for Joe. You can’t fool me, Gina. I’m a judge, remember? I’m trained to recognize the truth.”

  “If you know so much, why are you bothering to talk to me?”

  “Because I don’t know if you know it. Sweetheart, if you’re really out to divorce Ben, then you should leave and we should get hotel rooms. Dragging this out won’t be any good for you, Ben, and especially not Joe.”

  “You want me to leave?”

  “No, I want you to take Ben back. He loves you and for some unknown reason, you seem to love him.”

  “Trap, stay the hell out of my marriage.” Ben had come out of nowhere… Okay, it wasn’t nowhere, just across the room, but Gina for once hadn’t been aware of his every move. She shivered when she saw the look on Ben’s face. He sported the same one right before he left her. It was enough to make all the hair on her arms stand straight up.

  A slow smiled crossed Trapper’s face. He rose and stood nose to nose with Ben. “I was just keeping your lovely wife company, Ben, hardly a punishable offense.”

  “Leave it alone.”

  “Done. But it doesn’t look to me as if you’re having any luck.” He turned and walked toward the rest of the family who were taking turns going in to see Joe.

  Ben sat beside her, ran his hands through his still-wet hair, and leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry.”

  Gina rubbed his back. “It’s fine. I can handle Trapper. How did the reunion go?”

  Ben shrugged. “Well, it looks as if everyone is talking to me again.”

  “I never told them to stop.”

  Ben sat back and put his arm around the back of her chair, his fingers brushed back and forth against her upper arm. “I didn’t think you did. They took it upon themselves to punish me. It’s their version of tough love. As if losing you wasn’t torture enough.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Ben’s every emotion showed in those big blue eyes of his. The man was scared, heartsick, and even though he was now surrounded by his family, he looked like a lost little boy.

  Gina stood when she saw the last group return. “Come on, everyone. There’s nothing we can do here. Let’s go home and get you settled in. We need to be back early.”

  Ben stood and watched as everyone gathered their things. “I guess I’ll go back to my place.”

  Gina couldn’t let him do that. “Oh, no. You’re not getting off that easy. I won’t let you leave me all alone with your whole family. You’re coming with us.”

  Ben shook his head. “You don’t need to do this.”

  “Ben, stop telling me what to do and just come home.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “The only thing I’m sure of is I don’t want you to be alone right now.” Gina didn’t know if he felt it was a pity invite, but at this point, she didn’t have the energy to even think about it.

  ***

  The two cabs carrying Ben, Gina and the entire Idaho contingent pulled up to the house. Everyone piled out and stared at the massive brownstone.

  Ben opened the front door and was surprised to find Jasmine sitting on Fisher’s lap in the living room while he talked with Tina and Sam.

  “When did you get in?” Jasmine jumped off Fisher, stumbled over her own feet, and ran to Ben. He bent down to pick her up.

  Fisher gave Ben a guy-hug around the puppy. “Just about a half hour ago. I didn’t think I’d get in to see Grandpa Joe tonight, so I just came here. How is he?”

  The whole family gathered while Gina introduced Sam, Tina, and Jasmine to the brood. She stood so close to Ben that she kept brushing up against him. Every time she did, it felt as though an electric current ran through him. For the first time since he was thirteen, he was at a loss of what to do with his hands. Part of him wanted to put his arm around her and pull her to his side, but he wasn’t ready for the rebuff, especially in front of his entire family. He stuffed his hands firmly in his pockets to keep from doing something stupid.

  After a quick head count, Ben realized if everyone got a room, they’d be short one. His mind raced. He supposed he could take the couch since he didn’t think he was capable of sharing a bed with Gina and not losing what little was left of his mind.

  Tina and Gina brought out snacks and drinks while the group caught up on the news of Gramps’ condition. Before he knew it, Sam and Tina were showing everyone to their assigned rooms. Ben hung back, saying good night to everyone until he and Gina were the only ones left on the first floor. “Where’s Jasmine’s leash? I’ll take her out for a walk.” He definitely needed to clear his head and figure out what to do next.

  Gina went to the hall table and held the leash. “I’ll go with you.”

  Ben raised an eyebrow wondering if now was when Gina would give him the brush-off. Jasmine pranced around waiting to go out and Gina chose this time to show him how well Jasmine had learned to sit. It took a few tries but she finally sat before Gina clipped the leash to her collar and smothered her with praise. She handed Ben the leash, grabbed a bag, and pulled her keys out of her purse. “I’m ready.”

  He was glad someone was, because Ben wasn’t ready for anything else to happen today, unless it was good. He’d had about all the bad news he could handle. He held the door open for the girls and followed them out. He might have held the leash, but Jasmine walked with Gina. When Gina noticed he was hanging back, she stopped and slipped her arm through his. Okay, things were looking up and not just in his pants. “Cold?”

  Gina looked up to him and smiled. “A little. Not as cold as I was at the ranch, though.”

  He slipped his arm around her and let Jasmine lead them around the park.

  “Are you worried?”

  Was he supposed to play the big strong man part, or tell the truth? He chose the truth since Gina was not one to stand for even white lies. “Yeah, I’m scared to death. You?”

  “Uh-huh. I don’t think my heart has slowed down since Annabelle called me this afternoon.”

  “Thanks for rushing to the hospital. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you hadn’t.”

  “Really?” She looked surprised.

  “Really. I’ve spent the last week thinking about what I’ve done, how I’ve handled things.”

  “We’ve both made mistakes. Believe
me, I’ve had a few people point them out to me today. I hate it when they’re right.”

  “Yeah, there’s no shortage of that going around. Before I left Gramps this afternoon, he read me the riot act. To give the old man credit, he didn’t say anything I hadn’t already said to myself a thousand times.”

  “So you took a long run to think or to get away?”

  “To think.”

  “About?”

  “What I could do to get back to where we were before we left the ranch.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible. We can’t take back what happened. We just have to decide where to go from here.”

  Ben spent the rest of the walk in a daze. Before he knew it, they were back at the front door. He walked the girls in and waited for Gina to tell him to leave. After all, she’d just said they couldn’t go back. He’d been trying to re-learn the art of breathing ever since.

  Gina took the leash off Jasmine and put her keys back in her pocketbook. She shuffled from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable. He stood between her and the door waiting for the ax to drop. She bit her lip and looked up at him, her big eyes shining in the light of the chandelier. “Are you coming to bed?”

  Ben’s stomach took a dip. “I guess that’s up to you. If you want to toss out a pillow, I can take the couch.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  He closed his eyes and prayed that he wouldn’t say the wrong thing. He opened them to find her standing so close that if he took a deep breath, they’d touch. He placed his hands on her shoulders and ran them down her arms to hold her hands. Sliding them behind her back, he pulled her close. The feel of her against him had him stifling a groan. “I’ve made it abundantly clear I want to be wherever you are. But when it comes down to it, it’s your call, Gina. I’ve given up trying to steer this relationship. Whenever I’ve tried, I’ve hit the skids, so to speak.”

  Gina bit her lower lip and he held back the urge to soothe the redness she’d created.

  “Just because we can’t go back to the way we were at the ranch doesn’t mean we can’t go forward. Come to bed.”

  Ben let out a breath and picked her up. Jasmine barked and jumped around his feet.

  “What is it with you mountain men always feeling the need to carry me around?”

  Ben decided not to press his luck and say he was the only man allowed to carry her anywhere, especially to bed. He took the steps two at a time, careful not to tread on Jasmine. When he made it to their bedroom, he let her slide down the length of his body. Jasmine jumped on a doggie bed in the corner and turned a few circles before lying down with her paws crossed in front of her.

  “She’s not sleeping with us?”

  Gina shrugged. “Only if she has doggie nightmares, or if one of us feels the need to cuddle.”

  “If I’m going to be cuddling with someone, it’s not going to be Jasmine.”

  ***

  Ben’s words sent a shiver through Gina that was impossible to disguise. The way he watched her was unnerving. She took a deep breath and opened the top button of his shirt. Her hands shook and no matter how many times she told herself she’d already seen him naked, this time felt like the first.

  Gina tackled the second button as he pulled her blouse from her waistband. His thumbs caressed her stomach as his hands held her hips. She fumbled her way down the button band and pulled his shirt from his pants. She’d like to think she’d forgotten how wonderful he looked, but she hadn’t. She’d seen him every night in her dreams, kissed him, made love to him, only to awaken alone and needy. It was almost a relief to know that tomorrow morning she wouldn’t wake reaching for him only to find a cold empty bed, or worse, Jasmine.

  Ben unbuttoned her jeans; blood rushing through her ears muffled the sound of the slide of the zipper. She reached for his belt buckle and his hands stayed hers. “Wait.”

  She raised her eyes to his; Ben’s look of uncertainty stopped her. “What’s wrong?”

  Ben took a deep breath and blew it out. He shook his head as if to clear his mind. “Gina, I can’t do this. If you are looking for comfort or a roll in the hay, I’ll grab a pillow and sleep on the couch. If you want me, I’m yours for the taking, but I want this to be a fresh start. I want this to last forever.”

  For whatever reason, Ben was always the one in the relationship to know exactly what he wanted to do, and he always seemed to have no problem steering her in the direction he wanted to go. Now, she was the one leading—which on one hand was nice since she always resented the fact that he’d spent most of their relationship ten paces ahead of her on so many levels. But along with the leadership position came the pressure to make the right decision, and live with the consequences. It was not as easy as it looked. She’d never been the one to step into a relationship and if she removed his belt buckle, that’s exactly what she’d be doing. She’d always been the one to run away, and that’s what she’d done with Ben. The feelings she had for him scared her down to her toes, but after she’d left him, those same feelings followed her no matter how far she ran, even across the country. There was no peace to be had, no escape; running hadn’t worked for either of them.

  Gina pushed away Ben’s hands and slid the leather strap through the buckle, gave it a tug, and pulled it free right before she went up on her tiptoes and kissed him hard, letting go of the anger and fear she’d carried with her all her life. Ben wrapped his arms around her and for the first time since she left him, she felt at home.

  The rest of their clothes and any uncertainty they held were shed before they made it to their bed. For a moment, she looked into his eyes and found everything she’d lost, and everything she’d longed for over the last weeks. His hands slid over her body, dragging her close, caressing, exciting, tantalizing. It was familiar and new at the same time.

  Gina ran her hands over Ben’s chest and down toward his stomach as he rose above her. Her legs wrapped around his waist urging him on. He entered her in one long, slow thrust. A feeling of completeness washed over her. They stilled, their eyes met, and she found everything she never knew she’d searched for. “I love you.”

  He looked as surprised as she was. She hadn’t planned to say it, especially while they were making love. She’d never said those words to any other man. Okay, she’d told Joe she loved him, but that was a totally different kind of love, so it didn’t really count.

  A slow grin spread across Ben’s face. “I know.”

  “You know? I tell you I love you and that’s all you have to say?”

  He slid out of her and then reaching beneath her, held her hips and slid back deeper. “Sweetheart, if you didn’t love me, I wouldn’t be making love to you now.” And he did, he loved her slow and gentle. Teasing her, caressing her inside and out, driving her to the brink of sanity and letting her hang there, still wanting more. He drove her up and then higher. His slow and steady pace keeping her from reaching her climax. Gina raked her nails across his shoulders and bucked beneath him, arching her back, urging him on. When she kissed him and sucked his tongue into her mouth, he lost all control thrusting deep and hard, sending her over before finally groaning her name, stiffening in her arms, and coming. He thrust within her twice more before collapsing on top of her.

  Still inside her, he kissed her softly, and then rolled onto his back. She rested her head on the pillow of his shoulder and listened to the beat of his heart slow to a normal pace.

  “Do you think Joe’s going to be okay?”

  He trailed his hand down her side. “Yeah, he’s too stubborn to die.”

  “That’s good. I hope you’re right.”

  “Gina?”

  She raised her head so she could look him in the eye. “Yeah?”

  “I love you.”

  She kissed him and settled her head back on his shoulder. “I know.”

  ***

  The knock on the door woke them. “It’s getting late, guys. Are you ready to go to the hospital?”

  Ben rolled, pulling Gina
along with him. “What time is it?”

  Gina pulled her sleeping mask off and looked at the clock. “8:30?”

  “Shit.” He rolled off the bed. “We gotta go.”

  They quickly showered, dressed, and ran downstairs. Trapper looked up from the paper he was reading. “Sleep well? Or maybe I should rephrase that, sleep at all?”

  Hunter spit out his coffee, and Fisher looked over at Karma. “You owe me twenty.”

  Kate walked out of the kitchen and smacked all four of her kids in one fell swoop. “Hush. You leave Ben and Gina alone.” She turned to Ben. “It’s about time you two got up. There’s coffee in the kitchen and then we have to leave.”

  There was a knock on the front door and Gina went to answer it. “Can I help you?”

  “Gina Reyez?”

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  The man handed her a manila envelope. “You’ve been served.”

  “What?”

  Ben swore under his breath. “Gina, don’t.”

  He moved as if in slow motion as she opened the envelope and pulled the papers up. Her eyes widened, she nodded, and shoved them back in the envelope.

  Karma went over to her. “What’s that?”

  Gina shook her head and stuffed the envelope into her bag. “Divorce papers.”

  Kate turned. “What?”

  Everyone in the room turned on Ben, but at that point, he couldn’t care less what they thought. He cleared his throat and addressed his family. “Why don’t you go over to the hospital? Gina and I will be along in a few minutes.” A horn beeped outside. “The cab’s here. Go on.”

  Everyone gave him nasty looks as they hugged Gina on their way out. The door closed behind them, and the silence was enough to choke him. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry?”

  “Gina, I was afraid you were going to move out if I didn’t file for divorce right away. I wanted to make sure you kept the house and the money. I just wanted you to be okay.”

  “And you thought I’d be okay without you?”

  Sam, who’d been silent the whole time, stepped forward. “Gina, it’s not like you gave the man much of a choice.”

  She turned on him. “Sam Corrigan, stay out of this. It’s between me and Ben.”