This is a disclaimer pretty standard this book is not about you or anybody you know, any

brands listed are their own and are not being advertised. Please dont give this book to any other
persons its not a cold, dont share the file please the FBI looks down on that sort of thing I
wrote this work on my own, this is my intellectual property and it is self-edited. And yes, I am the
cover artist as well. The photo is stock from Hot Damn Designs (btw, thank you for the lovely pic
Ms. S) Please do not use any portion of this novel from the cover to the last page without prior
permission from the author unless the quote is in reference to a review of the story. So with that being
said, all errors are my own and I cant blame anyone but myself for any and all mistakes. There are
numerous erotic elements in this story (in this case, anal play). So please dont be offended if you
(i.e. the reader) choose to explore any further than this page. If you are under the age of consent
wherever you are, please read something else for now and not this book until you are legally able to
do so. I am not responsible if you try anything I depict in any of my stories this one included.
With that said, enjoy and happy reading!
Publication Date: January 2013

This book is for anyone in need of that quick pick me up. Love is in the air and has the benefit of
being totally free (recession friendly!). But I want to give a special thanks to the excellent ladies of
Beautiful Trouble publishing. J and J are two awesome divas See yall on the flip side J

So alone...
Amelia was an author who wrote happily ever afters. She had been badly burned over twentyfive percent of her body after a rabid fan splashed her with lye and her torso along with one arm were
affected the worst. She became a shut-in and wrote because it is all she knows. But she never
imagines a man could love her, damaged as she was. Every Tuesday she has a grocery delivery, and
the man who brings her food is incredibly handsome. Until one day she finds herself unable to deny
him and lets him into her home and her heart.
He had been burned by life too...
Benjamin was a small business owner and his best client was Amelia. But he knows that she is a
woman with a secret, beyond the scars that she kept well hidden from the world with turtlenecks and
makeup. She bought hundreds of dollars in food each week and had a standing order to deliver half to
the homeless shelter. That was enough to make him want to get to know her better, but she was
unwilling to even learn his name. Until he decides that he wasn't going to wait any longer.
Can Amelia let go of her painful past and find a love worth holding onto?

Prologue: From Beauty to Beast

January 2002
I am one lucky woman.
That was the first thought to cross her mind when she opened her eyes. Amelia was excited
beyond belief. As her feet hit the floor that morning all she could feel was a sense of being blessed,
even if she was a bit stressed. Everything that she wanted was within arms reach. At just twenty
four, she was about to have her first book signing at a local book store that afternoon, and she was
just a few months away from the wedding of her dreams with the man she loved.
Plus the masters program had already accepted her request to graduate since she would
complete her last handful of credit hours at the end of the semester.
She wasnt vain, but she was a looker. Her eyes were china cut, almost Asian and a gift from her
Afro-Cuban father. Amelia was perpetually asked if she were mixed, despite the deep red undertone
in her brown skin. The questions tended to be more abrasive when her hair was down. The mass hung
to her waist and she had been growing the length her whole life with only minimal trims to ensure the
health of the locks. She had full lips and a deep skin tone that proudly proclaimed the Kenyan ancestry
of her mother. She wasnt extremely tall, but at five six, she was just enough not to be looked at as
perpetually cute.
Her body was just as nice, with a well formed C-cup above a set of flared hips. Although she
was a smidgeon pudgy around the middle, she had a diet planned to begin next week so her gown
would be a perfect fit. That way she didnt have to miss out on celebratory dinners with family and
friends the next few days. And there were several that she had to attend so as not to offend the hosts.
To ensure she looked the part of a serious author and more adult than her years, she chose each
garment with care days prior. She put on her favorite glasses, even though she didnt really need them
for every day wear. She wore a pair of wool slacks and cardigan set in white along with a Burberry
scarf that was way out of her budget.
Her fianc, Charles, was supposed to come by in support of her later, but she had to get there a
bit early to make sure her table was set up perfectly. Her hair was twisted into a bun with a set of
crystal topped chopsticks to hold the strands in place. She completed the look with a simple pearl
earring and left the brownstone townhome she shared with the love of her life.
Once she made it across town, she was even more elated than she was to begin with, and the
excess emotion was unlike her. Enough to the point where she was a bit shaky and she had a hard time
controlling herself. But she had a right to be happy, today was a glorious day and even the sun shone
just for her.
The bookstore was a small local one, but it was to kick off a larger set of signings she had

established with her agent for additional promotion on her new self-help series, based on personal
accounts from people who had learned the art of fostering joy in their lives. The series was called
Straight Jacket Diaries and the books were each on a form of self-healing after loss and personal
devastation. She had received so many letters and emails about the books in the last few months, that
she had a personal assistant who read them all.
There were even a handful from nuts and kooks, but that was part and parcel of being a wellpublicized author. Plus, these were the very people her books were for and some needed more than
just a book in some cases. But they all deserved some attention from her as paying customers and she
made the time to respond to even the most absurd letters so far. She even had one man who claimed to
be in love with her, but she recommended a visit to a psychotherapist instead.
After most of the brouhaha and to-do, she found it was exhausting work to sign books all day.
She had run out of inspiration after the first hour and just wrote a universal, Thanks for reading!
after a while. Two hours later, nearly all of her copies were sold, simpered over by patrons and she
had finally gotten used to the idea of being almost famous, or at least she was happy that she got her
fifteen minutes of fame. The line finally thinned out and she prepared to take care of the last handful of
people who had thus far waited patiently for their turn. The next person strode up to the table with a
travel mug in one hand and her book in the other.
In your book, it states that people should get rid of cancers in their life. Like bad influences and
situations? He seemed angry, but Amelia wasnt sure why. Although the wait in line was longer than
even she expected and she chalked his negative attitude and irate demeanor up to that.
Yes, the second book in the series does touch on that concept briefly. There are times in life
where people have to expunge negative influences and that removal is a catharsis. Amelia took the
book from the proffered man before her. He unscrewed the lid from the mug as if to take a drink and
she looked back down at the thin volume that represented a years hard work, massive research and
personal dedication. Who should I make this out to?
Its for Lilly, bitch. When she looked up at his use of the expletive she saw the coffee mug
swing in her direction. Her hands flung upwards in front of her face. The liquid wasnt hot as it hit her
skin, but a few seconds later she was on fire, every inch of her above the waist felt blanketed with
flames.

Chapter One: Rules Are Made to Be Broken

Nine years later
Winter 2011
Hey Mister B, youve got a call. Some nut wants us to deliver groceries to her house. Ive
already told her that we dont do that, but she refuses to listen to me. Benjamin heard his stocker call
him from the other side of the store.
Ok, gimme a sec here, Johnny. Johnny was a nice kid, but young and not the best stock boy
hed ever had either. But he had to keep Johnny as he knew the money from this job went to help
support his family. Johnnys dad was dead now, and his mom was disabled. The little money that
came in from the teenagers evenings here was to help his brothers and sisters. For that reason only,
Johnnys job was secure, and the boy could almost do anything and get away with it.
The phone in Benjamins office rang with the transfer, the sound emitted was a shrill pitch for
the sleek wall unit. He answered and he could hear heavy panting and panic through the land line.
Hello, this is Ben Winston. How may I help you?
Mr. Winston, this is Amelia Barnett I live outside the county line and I cannot leave my
house. I need groceries and if dont get something soon Ill starve. Im willing to pay well for a
delivery. He had to admit, he was intrigued. The woman sounded just fine to him. Maybe it was
something mental. Hell, maybe this call was a prank. They got those from time to time, usually just
bored children who asked if his fridge was running or some such shit. It was a part and a parcel of
life in the country. Kids got bored and liked attention.
If you dont mind, why are you not able to come to the store? We dont make deliveries, but I
may consider it if you have a good reason. He had always been a sucker for a sob story.
Ive been badly burned and I dont leave the house. I have had a few incidents on occasion and
therefore I dont leave the house. She sounded resigned and sad. Benjamin knew that she wasnt
lying. He could hear it in her voice.
By the end of the fifteen minute call, Ben knew he had to help her. He took a list of what she
wanted and her card. But he was surprised when she requested he give half of the groceries to the
food bank. Ben liked the fact that she was willing to ask for him to help someone else and he decided
to double what she set aside for her donation with his own to match.
He closed the store at usual seven p.m., took the groceries hed left in walk-in freezer out to his
car and drove to the outskirts of the county. He knew her house well. It was a beautiful colonial that
had rotted into a genteel state of neglectful dilapidation. The couple that lived there died within
weeks of each other and had stipulated that they be buried side by side in the grave yard a few miles

away. None of their kids wanted the place, or rather wanted to fork over the cash into the repairs
needed to make it comfortable. The house sat on the market for three years until it was sold for a
fraction of its worth due to the repairs needed and the poor state of the real estate markets.
When he pulled up the long gravel driveway he saw that the new owner had taken much time and
loving care to restore the house to its former glory. The windows were new, and there were several,
rich, glossy coats of ecru paint on the structure. The lawn was manicured perfectly and he would bet
if he pulled out a ruler, hed find the grass was a perfect inch from the soil. He walked to the trunk of
his Durango and began the arduous task of hefting the multitude of brown paper bags up to the door.
He was nearly finished with the last few bags when the door opened. The woman standing there
amazed him, at first in attraction then in ire. Her face was an ode to angels, delicate as the rest of her.
She was a tempting toffee color with milk chocolate eyes. Her hair was bone straight and the high
cheekbones were a perfect frame for her bowed lips and button nose. She wore a turtleneck shirt, but
he saw nothing about her that would let him know she was as disfigured as she claimed earlier. The
idea that she was willing to go so far to get her way disturbed him and he grew angrier by the second.
Thats what I get for letting a sob story make me break my own rules.
But when he came back with the next brown sack he saw her heft one of the other bags off the
porch. Her hands and wrist were mottled, the flesh was tight in appearance and he finally understood
what she meant now. She must have not been burned badly in the face, but the rest of her? He wasnt
sure how far the scar tissue extended, but he had to admit he was strangely curious and he bet that was
the reason she didnt leave the house. She probably was asked questions that she didnt want to
answer or she was the recipient of strange looks.
Either way, being in the outside world and exposed was probably not the best way to make
peace with an accident of the magnitude that she had probably experienced. But before she could
carry the remaining groceries inside, he stopped her.
Excuse me, Ms. Barnett, may I take these inside for you? He asked, but somehow, he knew that
she would refuse.
No, thank you. She didnt ask for his name or even sound as if she cared what it was in the
first place.
He couldnt force her to accept his help, but he did hand each bag off to her at the door until she
finished. When she was done she came back with a fistful of dollars. The money was clenched into a
crumpled wand of bills, almost as if she cared less how much she gave him and just grabbed
whatever what at hand.
She finally spoke to him as if he was a person and not a thing that was available for her
convenience. Here, thanks for bringing the food by.
He shook his head to indicate his refusal of her offer.

But when Benjamin drove away, he had more questions than answers about the lovely woman
with the not so lovely scars.

The man who delivered her groceries was cute, was Amelias first thought. Although, cute was
an extremely weak word to describe the male in front of her house. Not to mention a copout,
especially for an author with a plethora of descriptive adjectives at her disposal. He only appeared to
be in his mid-thirties with russet hair and green eyes. He reminded Amelia of a young Joe Namath in
appearance down to the cleft in his chin. He was fairly tall, somewhere in the neighborhood of six
feet, maybe an inch or so less.
And just that quickly, the moment she looked him in the eyes, Amelia knew she had a muse for
her next book. She was ashamed that after all of the years alone, she could still find a man attractive.
That was an urge that she assumed she had beaten back long ago. The realization forced her to close
the door quickly, almost rudely, on the too handsome man who was nice enough to come across the
county and bring her some groceries.
When she moved to the area, it was with the idea of being as far from the city as possible. It was
amazing in this era, anything could be done online. Even the house purchase was by proxy and she
didnt personally see the place until she bought it. That was against the advisement of everyone
associated, but Amelia stuck to her guns. She went into the purchase forearmed with the knowledge
that there was some wear and tear, but the bones of the house were sound and that was what mattered
most.
In the city it was easy to have anything she wanted brought to her front door, and usually she
didnt have to even make a phone call to get it. But that was one of the few things she didnt account
for when she moved out to Nowhereville, USA. Amelia was so concerned with finding a place that
she would never have to leave and that was the reason she forgot some of the logistics of living in the
middle of the boonies.
One of which was the lack of civil niceties like online order placement and delivery of
groceries. Otherwise, the transition was perfect. The house was smack dab in the middle of farms and
country roads, and all to its self. She could go outside at will here and not get strange looks or pitying
glances from neighbors whose name she didnt want to know.
She could be happy now, or as close to the emotion as her scarred mind and body would let her.
Amelia pulled the stifling turtle neck off. She didnt sweat much due to the scar tissue on her torso,
and regulating her temperature was difficult at best. In the summer she felt as if she were baking in her
skin and winters chill always seemed to be bone deep. It wouldnt do to get overheated and have a
heat stroke or something. The long sleeved tops were part of her arsenal, to be used only in the
situations where she had no choice but to leave her home.
She was careful and made sure she didnt have to go out too often, but there were occasions

where she had no choice. Amelia was certain that today would have been one of them, but as luck
would have it, the grocer was kind enough to help her.
The shirt was for him, she didnt want to have anyone else see her this way. Never again would
she endure a mans gaze on her burnt body if she could help it. The disgust on Charles face when she
was unwrapped spoke volumes that she still heard within replay over and over again.
The rest of her evening was used to put away her newly acquired groceries and she planned her
to-do list for next week. When she was done, Amelia went to work. She no longer wrote self-help
novels, they were a waste of her time. One of the very people she helped was indirectly responsible
for the state she lived in now. She was afraid to leave her own four walls and she was terrified of the
outside world. She had cars that she rarely drove and owned a vacation house in Jamaica she would
never get to see again. They went in jointly on the purchase of the small cottage on the island, but
Charles signed his half away when they split.
Guilt money. Or rather, guilt real estate.
In fact, she was a prisoner, only this jail was of her own making and there was nothing she
would do about it.
Amelia sat down in front of her laptop and worked until dawn. Her agent was harping on her
about her latest book and she wanted to get the draft finished ASAP. That way she could have a few
quiet months during the editing process to herself. At least then she could finish up some of her
decorating and renovations. She had most of the work done with a contractor, but she kept two rooms
closed off for her to have free reign. One was her bedroom, the other was her attic. For now she slept
on the futon she set up in the spare suite downstairs and she was going to work on the rooms with her
bare hands.
Her latest would finally finish off her series of erotic suspense novels. She never would have
imagined writing erotica, but after she healed and her fianc left her, she had no sexual outlet. Her
libido returned with a vengeance after the first four years of her celibacy and there was no man
available to slake her pent up desires with. Nor did she want one, as she was too disturbed by her
own body now with the scars and mottled skin from numerous grafts.
But it would have been nice to not feel so alone sometimes, to have someone hold her and care
how she felt. There were nights more often than not where she had wet dreams starring her ex. She
didnt hate Charles, there was no reason to. She couldnt blame him. How could he want her, when
she didnt even want herself? He tried, but the pressure was too much for him to handle when it was
apparent that she would never look the same.
When she was burned, he delayed the wedding over and over. At first, the reasoning made sense
as she needed to recuperate. But when she was as healed? Then, it became crystal clear that he didnt
want to go through with it at all. Though in Amelias opinion, it was better that their relationship
ended how it had, versus being a married couple and her losing everything after the I Dos were said

and done.
But her ex was decent in bed, enough that she had orgasms. Although, she had only been with
Charles, so if he sucked, there was nothing to personally compare to anyway.
Hence, her nightly naughty desires were given life in the form of a suspense series that had taken
off pretty well.
She made just as much as she did with the self-help novels, and the erotica was easier on her
schedule. There were no public appearances, and she didnt have to think about the mechanics of it.
The novels were under an assumed name, and she kept the series to herself. Only her agent and her
publisher knew who she was, and that was the way she liked it.
The following Tuesday, Amelia received a phone call. She was working on her attic at the
moment and she was sure that hanging the ceiling fan herself was not such a good idea. The step
ladder was just a hair too short and she was exhausted from standing tip-toe for the last hour. She was
far from a prima ballerina and the dust in the air was enough to keep her sinuses at attention from
rapid fire machine gun sneezing. The phone rang, the sound dim as the device was plugged into her
kitchen socket and the caller was lucky she heard anything at all.
When she ran downstairs and looked at the caller id, she saw it was the grocery store.
Hello, how may I help you? She wondered what the call was for.
Hi, is this Amelia? His voice was amazing, like the balm of aloe on sunburnt skin, cooling and
calming all at the same time to her ear.
Yes, this is she.
Its Benjamin, from the grocery store. I thought Id call and check on you. I didnt know if you
needed anything, so I just thought to ask. She was shocked to say the least. She was silent for so long
that Benjamin had to ask her again. Do you need anything?
Thanks for calling. I dont need anything that I can think of today but dish detergent. Maybe you
could bring some by with my next order?
I dont mind carrying it out to you today, if you want. I live just a couple miles down the road
and its no hardship to stop on my way home.
Why? Did he want a chance to stare at the freak? Sure, that would be just fine.
But even with those misgivings, she accepted anyway and she had no idea why.
Yes, you do. He is cute though.
She clicked the green phone button to end the call and leaned back against her marble

countertop. It took her half an hour to shake the disbelief off of her shoulders and continue with her
day. She was finally able to hang her fan and the rest of the work was left for another time.
Later that evening as promised, he brought the soap to her. She took time to make sure she was
presentable and showered along with a touch of makeup to hide the discolored tissue on her cheek.
She put on her favorite mock neck shirt in a buttercup yellow and a pair of khaki slacks. It was a
perfect night to enjoy the weather and she made a quick decision to change into something light and
airy as soon as he left. She walked downstairs barefoot and started dinner.
The doorbell rang out, Phantom of The Opera interlude broke into the peaceful cooking sounds
her shrimp made as the crustaceans sizzled in her skillet. She pulled the pan from the gas heat and
flipped the burner off before she walked to the front door. The cutie from last week was on the other
side with a bag in one hand. She tried to hand him a twenty dollar bill for his trouble and gas, but yet
again he rebuffed the gesture.
She had to offer yet again. Nothing in life was free, and Amelia would rather pay in advance
than on the back end. Gas is expensive. Dont you think that you should take it?
No thanks, it was no trouble. Like I said, this is on the way home for me anyway. His multihued brown hair glinted with golden streaks under the porch light. He smiled and she was taken aback
at the beautiful teeth, almost blindingly white displayed before her. She couldnt help but to respond
in kind and smiled back, even though the motions felt strange. She hadnt genuinely smiled in years,
and the scar tissue always pulled when she tried. But this time the gesture felt good, almost natural
again.

Chapter Two: Country Boy Curiosity

Benjamin called Amelia and he wasnt sure why. She had ordered enough food to feed a
baseball team last week. But, he wanted to hear her voice and even he wasnt sure why the need was
there. Hed thought about her for the last days and even expected a call from her for some kind of
household odd or end she lacked. But when there was no contact from her, he decided to make a call
of his own. No sooner than he dialed the number hed committed to memory last week, Ben called
himself a million kinds of fool.
It shocked him that he really wanted to see how she was doing. For some reason Ben couldnt
forget about her, no matter how he tried. The fact that she was extremely private didnt help matters at
all. Amelia was far from an open book and it seemed he might never get the chance to meet the
woman she truly was. That was one thing folks quickly learned to discard in the country. Miles may
separate neighbors, but they would know someones business quick, fast, and in a hurry. Sometimes
even before the involved parties did.
Yet, when she agreed to let him drop off detergent he was elated. Even though he would only be
able to see her for a minute, at least he would know that she didnt need anything more than what
shed asked for. When he left the store and rode to her house, he jumped out bag in hand before he
was even fully parked in her driveway. His knee bothered him slightly and Ben knew he over did the
stocking today. There were too many boxes, plus the delivery was later than usual and combined with
a sudden rush of customers left him without an extra pair of hands.
But he still finished just a little behind schedule and was able to make it to Amelias by seventhirty.
The doorbell was unusual, he knew the tune, but wasnt sure where from. As soon as he got the
chance to pick up on the melody the door opened. Amelia was lovely, her skin was flushed from
steam and the smell of Alfredo sauce and shrimp wafted out to greet him before she could. She must
have made it from scratch, as he recalled the heavy cream and block of parmesan cheese she had him
deliver.
She, once again offered him money for his trouble and yet again, he said no. She seemed none
too short of money and she liked to keep people at arms length with it. Eventually, Amelia would
understand that he wasnt going to take anything from her. All he wanted was some of her time and
until that was on the table, he would refuse anything less. He smiled at her and the resulting
spontaneous grin from her made the long drive worthwhile. But just as quickly, the smile drooped and
she was a blank slate again.
Thank you, Sir. She moved to close the door and he couldnt help himself.
Its Benjamin, and youre welcome. The door closed firmly in his face and he walked back to
his SUV.

Six Months Later

Benjamin had no idea when he became obsessed with Amelia. It just was, like he needed air or
water. She still hid herself from his gaze and he had seen every conceivable color and style of
turtleneck that had ever been made. She still made him leave her parcels at the front door every
Tuesday night. The only difference was that the last few months he had the chance to get to know her.
He treated the scant minutes weekly as they were a date and ensured he smelled nice, even if that
meant a shower first. He made sure that he always served her with a smile. For some reason, he had
to know all there was about her.
They had an unspoken game where every week he would ask her a single question and most
weeks he spent thinking long and hard about what he really wanted to learn. The only sacrosanct topic
was her injury and how it happened. It wasnt anything that she had to spell out, but he could see that
there were certain borders that she was comfortable within and he refused to ruin the twenty minutes
he got with her once a week by pissing her off.
Benjamin rubbed his knee, it was full of pins and with the way hed been pushing himself he
couldnt see how he was going to make it today without a painkiller. He hated the damn things, as the
pills made him slightly loopy. But, if he could hold out until this evening, he promised to reward
himself with a beer.
After he was done for the day, he loaded her groceries into his car and headed towards Austin
Road. When he parked, the house was unusually dark but he rang the bell anyway. There was no
answer and for a moment he felt a vague sense of concern. Where was she?
She popped around the corner wearing a dirty apron and carrying a bucket of gardening supplies.
Hi, Ben. Sorry about the wait, I was out back gathering some of the veggies for my dinner tonight. I
have some really beautiful cucumbers and tomatoes. Would you like some?
Ill take some of the cucumbers. Thanks. He was allergic to tomatoes, they gave him hives.
But he would be happy to eat some fresh cucumbers tonight. Its not like he had eaten stranger things
for dinner.
Today, she wore something aside from a turtleneck and he was shocked slightly. In place of her
usual top she wore a crisp button down mens shirt and a pair of leggings. Both were black, but the
fact he got to see the hollow of his throat surprised him, as she didnt usually show even that much
skin. He could clearly see her wrists and just a few inches of her forearm from the rolled back
sleeves also. But to keep her comfortable, he didnt mention the change in her wardrobe at all.
She walked to his Durango and popped the trunk hatch. He ambled down the steps and grabbed
the bags in the space before she could take anything.
I would have liked to help.

Nah, Ive got this.

But when he turned around he saw her holding two books. Shit.
Some light reading? She asked, but the expression on her face was one of surprise or
confusion. He wasnt sure which. Just kidding. For your girlfriend?
You know I dont have a girlfriend Amelia.
She quirked a brow upwards. For your mom then?
Nope, they are mine. She chuckled and he felt a bit embarrassed.
Okay then. That was all she said and even though the words werent posed as a query, he felt
like he was supposed to respond.
I was in a bad accident a few years ago. My sister, Lilith, gave me a box with random books
and there was a copy of the Straight Jacket diaries along with a few other novels. I ended up reading
the entire series and loved it. The other is the most recent copy of Ambrose Jenners series. The first
installment was in the box Lilith gave me and I have to admit that Im hooked on it.
Wow. I never pictured you as the type
To what? Read, Amelia? Yeah, I like to read.
Not that, Benjamin. Just romance novels? Didnt see that one coming.
Yeah I bet you didnt. Theres a lot about me that you dont know. And thats because you
dont want to find out. He was pissed. In all of the months that he tried to get to know her, she hadnt
even paid one iota of attention to him or the tidbits he dropped into their conversations. He heard
every word she said, along with parts unspoken and she was unable to even retain whether or not he
had a girlfriend. Even though he had made it clear on several occasions that he was single.
Why he even bothered trying to get this womans attention when it was clear that she didnt even
want it was beyond him.
Sorry that I pissed in your Cheerios this evening, Benjamin. Excuse me. She walked past him,
lugging one heavy sack inside with her.
Today, Ben wasnt feeling the idea of being dismissed like an errand boy or menial servant at
her doorstep and he followed her inside with the remaining parcels. When she turned around and saw
him inside of her space, he saw a look of terror flash in her eyes.
Here you are, Amelia. The fear quickly melted into scorn and she took the bags into the
kitchen.

When she returned she had yet another fistful of bills in her hand, despite the fact hed never
taken anything extra.
Here you are.
Amelia, how many times will I have to tell you that Im not going to take your money before you
get it through that thick skull of yours?
I am far from stupid Benjamin. What in the hell do you want from me? Is this help a cripple
month or something? She spat the words at him and they hit him like bullets one after the other.
Cripple month? Is that what you think this is? How about pity party month? I dont see a
crippled woman in front of me. But if thats what you see He let the words trail off as there was
nothing more he had to say.
If you dont mind, I have some things to take care of.
Like what Amelia? Hiding in your plantation house on the backside of Union County?
Her eyes narrowed and Ben knew he had taken this too far. But he was too incensed to stop now.
He could see the look of ire scroll across her features, but shoot, he took the cake for irate. Hed been
enamored with a woman for months. And she not only refused to give him the time of day, he wasnt
even on her radar.
When she grabbed the nearest bag and began to unpack it, Benjamin took the others and did the
same. He found the gift that hed brought her and sat the bottle on the counter. She looked up from her
freezer and he enjoyed the amazed glint her eyes took.
Whats that? She asked. But her eyes seemed to thank him.
Its a bottle of moscato. I know that it happens to be one of my sisters favorites and I thought
that you may enjoy it.
Lucky sister.
Do you have any siblings?
Nope. Her tone was a bit lonely, as if she was an only child that longed for a sister or brother
growing up.
Dont sound so sad. Its not as much fun as it seems. The grass is always greener on the other
side.
Thats easy to say Ben, especially when youve got Kentucky blue grass in your own yard.
You act like youve got crab grass here.

I do. He knew she wasnt referring to the yard, which was immaculately trimmed and green as
a Georgia pine.
He thought a change of topic would be welcome. The last thing he wanted was to have her
associate him with bad memories. What are you cooking tonight? Smells good.
Cornish game hens.
You held on to those for a while. She had ordered the hens well over two months ago.
Yeah, well I felt like having that today.
Wish I could have some. Yeah, he knew that he was being obvious, but the last months of
hinting at what he wanted hadnt worked.
Sounds like you are angling for an invite. She sounded nervous, almost as if she wanted him to
be asking for a meal, but in the same token was afraid of him.
Yeah, I guess I am. But the question is, are you gonna bite? The expression on her face was
priceless, and he wasnt sure what answer he would get.
Since you brought me a bottle of wine, I dont think I have much choice here. Do I act like a
boorish, uncouth asshole and drink your wine by myself tonight? Or do I act according to genteel
southern manners and say yes?
Youre not an asshole if you truly would prefer to dine alone. But if youre saying no because
you would prefer to shut me out? Well, thats a whole nother kettle of fish. He was grateful she
didnt take offense to his statement as her laughter pealed around him in the confines of the large
country kitchen and let him know she could take a joke.
The joy changed her face from lovely to stunning, as if she glowed from within radiantly.
Alright, have a seat. It should be ready in a few minutes. Do you want anything to drink while you
wait?
Im not completely helpless in the kitchen. That is, if you dont mind help.
There isnt much left to do Ben.
Well, how about I pour us both a glass and we can watch water boil together?
It was the beginning to a beautiful friendship. But Benjamin wanted more than to be her friend.
He wanted to be her lover. He wanted to be the person she told all of her secrets to. If she would let
him in that close. The evening was spent with a heady mix of laughter as he told self-effacing jokes
and she chuckled in all of the right places. He knew there was chemistry between them, if she would
just let her guard down long enough to feel it with him. But at the end of the night he knew she was the

most gracious, personable and lovely woman hed ever met.

And hed met plenty of women in his time, just none like her. She was unable to be herself
around other people and she closed off the natural facets of her personality due to her shame. He
could tell she was embarrassed of the way she looked, but none of that mattered. She was healthy
enough to renovate her own home and she was healthy enough to spend time with him. Those things
mattered more to him than all of the sex the world had to offer, or all of the physical perfection that
could be found on Earth.
Hed had his fair share of women who were unable to see anything beyond themselves and what
things appeared to be. The only things that concerned them were broken nails and whether their outfits
were couture designs down to their drawers or not. Or whether he would purchase said outfit. People
who were only concerned about how far they go in life and everything else be damned. But Amelia
cared about others and what the state of the world around her was like.
He knew she appreciated the finer things in life, her home and the care she took in her own
appearance showed him that. But it was far from the end all, be all, to her existence. He still had no
idea what she did for a living. He knew it was enough that she didnt have to leave her house if she
chose not to. But then again she had no idea who he used to be either, and he had to admit that he
could care less about the people they were. What truly mattered was who they were now and planned
to be tomorrow.
By the end of the night, he was sure that she could grow to care for him, just like she had
wormed her way into a piece of his heart over the last months. It would just take time, and he had
plenty of that in spades.
It seemed that for the next few weeks, she allowed him into her sanctuary with less reluctance,
and more excitement. Even he felt the change, the easy transition from acquaintances to a comfortable
casual friendship, one that he had never been privileged to have with another person before. It was
more than the testosterone laden joviality between men and more than the heat of attraction he would
feel with a woman. It was more than all of those things, but less as well. The new emotions were
fragile, they felt like a house of matches waiting for the wind to blow the flimsy structure down and
reveal everything within.
Like the fact that he wore his heart on his sleeve.
The idea of feeling so much for a woman, especially one that he knew wanted to keep him at
arms length was a bitter pill to swallow. So he left the thoughts behind and picked up the latest copy
of Ambrose Jenner to pass the slow moments at work that had left his idle brain with too much time to
think.
A few days later, Ben was back at Amelias for dinner. She had gone out of the way to make him
country fried steak and mashed potatoes complete with tea after he mentioned it was one of his
favorite meals the week before. She had gotten him good and he had no idea what was on the menu

until he arrived that Tuesday evening. The smells of the frying steak and butter greeted him at the door
before he could even lug the first bag inside.
That smells fantastic.
Hope it tastes that good, Ive never made this before and I had to look up a recipe.
Well from here? It smells like a country kitchen, amazing, especially considering youre a
Yank.
Im going to take that as a compliment.
I would never be so crass as to insult you, Amelia.
I would hope that you would be a gentleman when dining in my home Ben.
The night continued as usual, laughter and jokes amid a fine meal. Only tonight, Ben planned to
taste her lips finally. He had an obsession with her full mouth and wanted nothing more than to kiss
her. But he was trying to take it slow. The last thing he wanted was to push her away by being too
forceful. She was a mite skittish and he knew she would bolt if he pressed his suit too far, too fast.
When they finished, Ben took the liberty of clearing the table along with washing dishes.
Amelias face was one of stunned surprise when she watched him scrub each pot and pan. She didnt
allow him to finish the chores alone, instead she dried each clean dish until the even the utensils were
put away. As she walked him to the door at the end of the evening, his palms sweated slightly and he
rubbed the sweat away covertly when he pushed his hands into the back pockets of his button fly
jeans. The denim dried the sweat off of his fingers, but the digits still tingled slightly despite their less
moistened state. Before he stepped through the threshold to the outdoors he mustered up a smidgeon of
courage deep down.
Good night Benjamin. She smiled, the crooked grin hed learned to associate with her, and the
tilt of lips gave him a boost his ego sorely needed. Enough that he didnt question the impulse hed
squelched before.
Before the borrowed courage could flee, he grabbed each of her hands and pulled her close. Not
to the point that they touched, but close enough that they shared body heat and he gave her a moment.
The only seconds she would get to decide if she was comfortable enough for his intentions. There
were no complaints or protests and he took her silence as consent. His mouth lowered to hers and
nature took its course from there. When their lips met, he felt her breathing hitch and the softness of
her skin. She tasted like their recently eaten meal and he enjoyed the fact that he was able to taste
delicious seconds from her sweet oral orifice.
Amelia kissed as if she were starved for the contact of skin-on-skin just the same as he was. She
was delightful, not a surprise to him, but even with the knowledge of their chemistry she took him
aback.

He didnt take a breath of air until his mouth reluctantly pulled away from hers and even then he
was starved for precious oxygen when he drove away. He watched in his rearview mirror as he
turned right onto Austin road, and didnt pull away until she shut her front door.

Chapter Three: Its Not You, Its Me

Amelia was dumbstruck. It had been so many years since she had been kissed that she forgot
what it truly felt like to have someone want that intimacy with her. He was a fabulous kisser. There
was just enough tongue, the perfect mix of saliva and a mere hint of teeth. If the lip lock had gone on
much longer, she would have had a reason to take a shower when he left. As is she would be taking
one, if only to finish what he started.
She felt a familiar throb between her thighs and for the first time in years, she was aroused by
another man. And not the one that left her behind. She felt free, as if she were just a regular woman
who had enjoyed the attentions of a normal red-blooded male. That night she touched herself, but
instead of her own fingers plucking the nipples, they were his. Instead of her palm pressed over her
mound, it was his larger one.
The evening was spent on her belly in bed with her laptop and more fodder for her next book.
It had been awhile since she had a fantasy for herself and she felt a new development for her
hero take shape for her latest book. It came to the point that her mind flew faster than her fingers could
and when dawn rose, she was sitting by the fireplace on the floor with a dead battery in her electric
notebook. She leaned her head back against the wall and fell asleep.
The next day found her with a Charlie horse and cramps in several other places. There was
going to be a hot tub installed in back yard, but that wasnt for a while. Amelia would have to make
due with a hot shower and one of her prescribed pain meds today.
She felt as if she were on cloud nine, there was no other way for her to say it. The memory of
Bens kiss the night before still made her heart beat faster and lips tingle. It wasnt until she divested
herself of the robe to climb into the tub that she looked over at the huge gilt framed mirror. The sight
of the mottled skin over her right side made her sick.
What man would want to look at that in bed?
What woman would be crazy enough to show it to someone else?
The skin wasnt as bad as it was initially, time had mellowed the still ugly skin, but the
patchwork coloration was something that she had looked at for so long that she was almost able to
tune it out. Amelia ran her fingers over her neck, felt the ridges of healed flesh. The skin was smooth
to the touch, but the places where the grafted skin ended felt calloused slightly and rough. The right
arm and shoulder were just as bad. She had a large patch on her chest, just above her heart. Her face
took less damage in the attack, due to her natural reaction to toss her arm upright. But the skin on her
brow and cheek were still affected to a lesser degree.
She looked like a monster. She even felt like one most days, and she would do well not to forget
it. Especially for him. Benjamin deserved to have a woman that was just as good as he was, a woman

who was whole and healthy. Not a freak show, a woman who was afraid to leave her own four walls
and smell the roses.
Amelia shrugged off the despair that her own visage had inspired and she let the water run into
the huge claw-foot bath along with a generous portion of bubbles. When she took off the light bra and
panty set, she looked at the ugliest part of the damage on her right breast. She shouldnt complain
really, as she was lucky that she didnt have to lose the shape entirely. But if she ever had a child,
there was no way she could breast feed on that side. The burns had fried her areola and the entire side
of her rib cage. The nipple was non-existent, the flesh a mere nubbin when compared to the left one, a
full blackberry-capped crest atop a freckled mound.
The end result was that the left breast was a half size bigger after the reconstruction was done.
But she didnt want to have any additional procedures unless it was absolutely necessary. The pain of
recovery was not worth the result in her opinion. But she wasnt ever going to be able to have a child,
not unless the Lord opted for a second immaculate conception.
Amelia was in the process of scrubbing the tub when she heard the phone ring. She darted
through the house as she cursed the fact that the only house line was in the kitchen. When she picked it
up, she was breathless.
Hello.
Hey. It was him.
How are you? She asked, because she had no idea what she should even say. It had been
awhile since she had a conversation over the phone just because, instead of conducting business or
making appointments, etcetera.
Im great, Amelia. How are you? He asked as if he truly wanted to know.
The fact that he sounded as if he cared was the only reason that she could give for her response.
Im nervous.
Why?
I dont know Ben.
Yes, you do. You may not want to tell me why, but you do know what makes you afraid.
I didnt say afraid, I said nervous. There is a clear difference.
Ah, but is there Amelia?
Yes. Being afraid is feeling fear about something. Nervousness is an apprehension one feels.
True, but nervousness is the fear of the unknown, of what will happen.

There wasnt much she could say to that, he was correct.

She was afraid. But as to whether she could admit it or not? Just as Ben had said to her before,
that was a whole nother kettle of fish.
So what? She was just like millions of others, afraid of rejection. It just so happened that she
proactively did the rejecting first. That saved her a mountain of nerves, emotions and time.
They say silence is golden, but I think yours may be worth more than that.
Benjamin, what exactly is that supposed to mean?
You havent answered my question.
I dont recall being asked anything.
Wasnt that what we were just talking about? But if you need a reminder, I asked why you were
nervous, Amelia.
I-I dont know.
Keep telling yourself that then. But as to the reason that Im calling you She waited with
bated breath for that very information. Although now he was the silent one.
What? She asked and immediately shut her mouth. It didnt matter. Did it?
Of course not.
Well, I thought that if you were of a mind to he was once again silent and now she was more
than curious, she was dying to know.
Okay, now youre just doing that to get on my nerves.
What is that, pray tell? She laughed when she heard the last part of his sentence. I know, I
know, I read too much Ambrose Jenner. Somehow the Detective makes it sound suave. I just have to
figure out how to use it right. Although, youd think after three years of reading the books Id get the
hang of it. He chuckled and she wondered what he would think if he knew that she was the author
that he liked to read so much. The Investigations of Merlot Row series was extremely popular with
readers across the nation and had started to take off on foreign soil as well.
But that was something that she never planned to announce to a living soul. Not even her agent
had seen her face, not a headshot, nor in person, and that was the way she liked it.
You are egregious! But yes, I can tell you like Ambrose Jenner, and he is one of my favorite
authors too.

Dont get me distracted woman, I called for an actual reason and I mean to talk to you. But we
can certainly get back to that later.
Fine then, what is it? Amelia heard the exasperated tone to her voice and she mentally
chastised herself.
Dont get in a huff, Ms. Barnett. I just wanted to see if you would allow me the opportunity to
repay the hospitality of the other night.
Ho-oww exactly? The words were a stammer, and she was frustrated with herself for the faux
pas in speech.
Well, I coach little league baseball and I would love for you to sit in the stands and cheer me
on tonight.
Tonight? This time her voice was a squeak and tinny to the ear, a further cause for shame.
Well, seeing as I have a game at seven fifteen tonight, yes tonight.
Maybe next time?
Well, thats a problem. Either, A, we win and go to the State game, or B, we lose and stay
home for whats left of the season. So if you dont come tonight, I may never have the chance to show
off my prowess in the only way these old bones can. I cant run anymore, but I sure can yell with the
best of them.
Amelia laughed before she could stop herself. Can I at least think about it?
Well seeing as all Ive got is time, sure. Ben chuckled and Amelia was reminded of the
warmth of roaring fires in winter.
Dont you have work to do at the store?
Yes, but I took the afternoon off anyway.
And left Johnny in charge? Usually Ben had to fix half of what the boy did during his shift.
Sure did.
Youll be lucky if he locks the doors at closing.
Thats okay. Most folks here tend not to steal. More than likely Id be left with an IOU written
on yesterdays news paper.
No way.

Believe it, missy, this side of the city doesnt see much crime.
Theres had to be at least one terrible crime to happen here.
Well, he paused, there are a group of teens that grow pot in fallow fields. The sheriff usually
sets the crop on fire and keeps moving.
So, if she took a deep breath and held it for a split second before releasing the air in lengthy
exhale, and I mean if, I go to the game, how is this supposed to work exactly?
Well, I will come and pick you up in my trusty vehicle. From there, we meet the bus and take a
quick road trip up Providence Road to Charlotte. From there you get to watch a bunch of children
chuck baseballs at each other. All while hoping that some kid doesnt end up snaggle-toothed after
being smacked in the face with a blunt object. Afterwards, there will be an American favorite for
dinner. Pizza pie, that is and more than likely made by an Asian guy named Peter who hails from
Taiwan.
Snaggle-toothed? Taiwan? She sputtered out a chuckle.
Yeah, you know the missing teeth thing that children have? My mom called it that when we
were kids and it fits now that I think about it.
Yeah, my mom called it toof-less. The memory of a time when her life was nothing more than
wonder around every corner made her smile.
So what do you think?
About what? Pizza from an Asian guy? Its okay with me, so long as its greasy.
See, and here I thought I was the funny one in the relationship.
Relationship? I think it takes more than a single meal and, Amelia glanced at the clock hanging
over her doorway. Twenty minutes of conversation to make a relationship.
Well, seeing as I already told the kids my girlfriend was coming, I hope that I can change your
mind within the next four hours. Or else the boys are going to be mighty disappointed.
I dont know about that one, Benjamin. You might have to ride solo. Thats too much for the
kid. She had to put the brakes on the errant train before the whole thing derailed on her. If she
covered up with her usual turtleneck and maybe some extra concealer she could She stopped the
thought. She was supposed to be the logical one here.
Please? He wheedled and the word that emerged was something better associated with a five
year old. Rather than a grown man.

I can tell you hang with children too much, as you seem to know how to pout quite well.
Come on, I promise that you will have the time of your life.
Ben, you know I dont go out.
Well, I do know that you enjoy the dirt, and there is that aplenty at the field. Plus, its all about
perspective. I happen to think the woman I ate my meal with last night was the most beautiful person
that Ive ever met. And anyone I know would say the same.
Really and who is she? He must have eaten another meal last night. With someone else.
Yeah right, who has two dinners?
Well, she is a yank, but she has all of her teeth and a lovely smile with the warmest chocolate
brown eyes. Still no idea?
I think I need another clue.
Hmmm She also tasted like garlic. The mashed potatoes shed served to go on the side of
the country fried steaks were loaded with the root vegetable.
Really? Thats the best you could do?
Yep, I happen to love garlic, especially from her purty lips. Hed interjected an extra twang in
his voice and helpless to stop herself Amelia laughed until she cried.

Chapter Four: Cant Say No, AKA, the Yes Track

Benjamin sat at his desk for hours and wondered when he could call Amelia. He knew she was
at home, as far as he knew she hadnt left the property once since she had moved in. Maybe it was
time someone changed that.
The phone rang for over and over, and his mind raced with the possibility that maybe, just
maybe, Amelia wanted no parts of him at all. He could just be the only one lost in impossible
fascination. But then he heard the click of the line picking up and he released a breath that he didnt
know he was holding in.
He wanted to see her again. After innocuous banter and a few chuckles from his quarry, he felt
like the time was ripe to ask for what he wanted. She prevaricated for a while, but he could hear the
interest in her voice, she wanted to come out for the evening.
Just one more laugh and he could perhaps get her on the yes track. Do you have tennis shoes?
Yes, I think almost every person in America has at least one pair. She was a smart ass and as
long as this worked, he wouldnt call her on it today.
Do you have a hooded jacket? She sighed and mentally Ben smiled, she was getting irritated
with the scenic route.
Yes. She huffed.
And blue jeans? Last one, he thought and waited for her reply.
I can safely say that I do own a pair of jeans. Good girl, he thought.
Alright, then its settled. Ill be there around at five to pick you up.
Yes, Ben. Wait what? Perfect, just like he planned it.
Ill see you at five then. She gasped and he knew that she finally caught up to what she had
conceded to.
He heard her sputter and knew she was about to rescind her agreement. But it was too late now
and he hung up the phone before she could emit another word.
Ben imagined she was going to be pissed at the way he had railroaded her into coming. He
couldnt find it in himself to feel guilty however.
Yes! He spun in the chair around in circles with one fist pumped in the air.
Hey, boss? Ben jerked and he caught himself halfway before he fell out of his seat. Johnny

stood at the door and the younger mans face screamed confusion.
Yeah? Damn, he must look like a plumb fool, spinning around in a chair like a big ass kid.
I need to grab Mas medicine from the pharmacy. Can I go on lunch now so I dont have to stop
on the way home?
Sure, take whatever time you need, so long as youre back by four.
Johnny skipped out, so fast that Ben only caught a blur of the aprons hunter green color on exit.
Ben carefully stocked the produce before Johnnys return. The boy was good kid, but he was
color blind and had ADD to boot. Half the time, Johnny didnt read the labels, just placed items
where they looked like they should go. But that didnt work very well. The last time hed let the boy
stock the fruit, limes were with lemons and granny smith apples laid atop Red Delicious ones.
The hours seem to pass by in a rhythm of quick, slow, quick, slow. There were
moments he could look up and an hour had passed by. Then when he would check the clock and only
fifteen seconds had passed, until he was ready to tear his hair out. When four oclock came, Ben left
so fast that he was out of the parking lot before four-oh-one.
He was showered and clean shaven early, and he only nicked himself once. Not to mention the
quick splash of Issay Miyake that he walked through to make certain he smelled nice. When he
arrived at Amelias, he rang the doorbell. Once the door opened, Amelia walked outside, but she
didnt look happy about it at all.
He had to change that by any means necessary. Hi, Amelia. You look fabulous.
Uh, thanks. She looked nervous, as if she would rather run away than get inside his car.
He clasped her shivering fingers in his hands and smiled at her.
Hey Ms. Barnett?
Yes, Benjamin?
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side? She asked as if she had no idea what he was driving at.
Nope. He wanted to avoid the KFC on the corner. Her lips curled up along with his.
She laughed at his stupid joke and the extra flash of white teeth immediately made him feel ten
feet tall with good knees.
He kissed her, a speck on the lips. Now thats out of the way, allow me to escort you to my

trusty steed. Benjamin held her hand and opened the passenger door. He smiled when she leaned
over and unlocked his side. Thats what he was talking about. A woman that would support him in the
small ways would be there for the big stuff.
Like losing everything in the stroke of a single second. First, he lost his cardboard cutout
fiance, their child, his knee went, and then his career. He still had money, but the life he led was
much simpler than before and the standard of living was much less at home too. He owned the store,
but that was more so to have something to do each day.
Owning the store wasnt going to make him a rich man. Really, it barely turned a profit due to the
food he gave away and the locals made sure to patronize so he could continue to give away groceries
to the neediest.
Not to mention when he had busted his knee, the recuperation was slow. Most of the time was
spent fishing and the occasional boat ride, but he began to feel sorry for himself. If he would have had
less pride and more sense, he could have had a career to rival many a famous player. And he was on
that track until his life crumbled around him.
Ben looked at Amelia as he turned left, headed for the practice field. The buses would be there
at five thirty and on the road fifteen minutes later.
Amelia, you know this is going to be a long ride if you dont talk to me.
What do you want to talk about?
Since I know you like books, Ill tell you a little secret.
What?
Ambrose Jenner saved my life.
How?
I was a miserable coot after my last surgery, and I couldnt walk, shower or go the
bathroom without help. My sister noticed I was ready to climb the walls. Im normally very active,
and sitting still is a problem for me. She lugged in the biggest box of books Ive ever seen outside of a
library, and then told me to shut up my griping and read. I picked up the first novel, Shanghai Served
With Soy because it was looked more I dont know how to say it without sounding like a
chauvinist.
Amelia chuckled. Okay just spit it out, and Ill do my best to make sure that I keep it cool.
It was the cover. I knew after reading the jacket, that there was a romance angle, but the cover
was something normal It didnt make me feel like I was reading porn in plain sight so it was okay
if I got into it. But the best part was that even though I knew it was a chick novel, I didnt care. The

sex was hot enough to make my ears beet red. And the mystery about the box? Ugggh, it was pure
masochistic genius. She chuckled.
Yeah, I liked that too. I had no idea the box was the key to enter the hidden room until she
actually used it. I kept swearing that Gaspard had stolen whatever was inside of it. But it never
housed anything!
Right? He turned the heater on, to make sure the air circulated nicely. I never imagined that I
would love reading, before that point I read magazines at the doctors office and that was about as far
as I delved into literary arts.
I used to love writing, but even before then I was a reader. I would read for the hell of it and in
my youth that was my only indulgence. All of my money went into books. I would take my paychecks
from my afternoon job and buy the classics. Amelia chuckled and he knew those were fond
memories. He could see her as a teenager, reading in some nook hidden away from the world because
she was so involved in the realm within the pages.
Wow. I know of people that read that way, but Im slow. It takes me a week to finish a single
novel.
Theres nothing wrong with that. Whenever you read slower, you capture all of the details. I
read so fast that it seems like skimming more than reading. I can finish a book within a day and
almost any book at that rate Actually as a teen, I read the Count of Monte Christo unabridged in
twelve hours one Saturday afternoon. The book was thirteen hundred and sixty-five pages long, but all
that mattered was finding out how he got his revenge She smiled and looked out of the window.
But when I reread the book I had missed things. They were small and still grasped what I read the
first go around, but the slow way is best. A turn of phrase here or a twist of linguistics there can make
a scene so much more than mere words. Those phrases can paint the story and because I didnt pay
them their due diligence the first time, I missed something special that the next read cant give me.
Hmmm, well thats fine, to err is human right? I would suspect that for most things in
life, you can go left or right and be okay either way. I dont have to be the same as you, and you only
have to be yourself.
Hmm aint that the truth? Amelia chuckled and he noticed the way she combed habitually at
her hair to cover her cheeks. It made Ben feel as if she were ashamed of the distorted skin.
He wasnt ashamed of her, and he wasnt going to let her feel humbled about her appearance
either. That was the whole point of his invitation, Amelia needed to see the world around her and
realize that she was an integral part of the workings within it. When Ben reached the corner to make
the next turn, he pulled over on the shoulder. Traffic here was nonexistent, so he didnt have to worry
about blocking the flow. If one broke down out here, may as well start walking, as the cell signal was
spotty and the nearest house was at least two miles back the way he came.
Why are you stopping?

Look at me. Ben unbuckled his seat belt.

What is it? Amelia appeared dumbfounded and a bit afraid.
Dont make that face. I would never hurt you. He wouldnt. In fact, he would do whatever he
could to protect her. She just didnt know it yet.
Well, stopping unexpectedly on the side of a deserted road and unbuckling your seat belt are
not the best ways to keep a lady from being nervous while she is in your company. Ben smiled.
Amelia was always such a pragmatist.
True, but the reason I stopped is because I want you to know that I care about you. I like you,
Amelia, just as you are.
What is that supposed to mean?
I know you dont leave your own place too much, and thats not the way that its supposed to
be. You like sunshine and being under the wide blue canopy of sky. I can see that every time I see
you, the way your skin reacts to the warmth of daylight. As if you want to bask in it. But instead of
enjoying the feeling, you shun it. Come here. He jumped out of the drivers side and walked around
to her door. There was just as moment to enjoy the surprise on her face when she stepped out of the
car.
Is this a new exercise in crazy?
Not quite. He took her face in between his hands and kissed her gently on the lips. Look up at
the sky. I want you to feel the wind on your face. Ben tugged at the hat that rested atop her head, the
brim was distressed and cap fit closely. There was a university logo on the face of the cap, but he
didnt take the time to note which one.
Hey! Give that back! She jumped for the hat and he held the bill high in the air, farther up
than she could possibly reach. Unless she had the genes of Michael Jordan in her family tree.
Nope. Im keeping it for now. Ben tucked the locks of hair behind each ear, and she smoothed
her flyaway strands with a shaky hand. Now that the sun shone fully onto her face, he could see where
she had been injured better.
Before the mottled skin just appeared slightly rough in appearance, but now he could actually
see where the grafts had been applied. The skin wasnt bad to look at per se, just different. It was as
if her cheek was tougher in quality than the rest of her face. There were more hair follicles, and the
shape was a large square where the normal skin met the irregular flesh.
But none of that bothered him. What really got to him was the fact that he could see that she was
ashamed. Even as he took stock of her, she seemed to cringe under the directness of his gaze.

I love the way you look. It doesnt scare me. His free hand cupped the scarred cheek, even as
his lips met hers again.
But she didnt melt into his easy caresses. Instead, she shook the hand away and stepped
backwards.
Thats easy for you to say. But you could never know what it feels like to be normal one day,
and in the blink of an eye, become a creature from some little kids nightmare.
You are not a monster, Amelia! Ben didnt realize how loud he was until he heard the birds
scatter overhead in all directions. She looked at him in owl eyed shock as she blinked twice.
I didnt say monster. The tone was quiet and resigned.
You are always working offense with a twist of semantics, arent you? But you cant talk your
way out of this one. You said, and I quote, a creature from some kids nightmare. Open your eyes
Amelia. That is a monster.
I-I She stuttered as if she wanted to parry the direct riposte of words. But when none were
found her mouth garbled over the lack of language to sputter anyway.
Let me ask you a question. She swallowed audibly, the gulp of muscles seemed dry and he
made a mental note to get her a drink when they got on the bus.
She nodded, just a simple bob of her head north and south. Are you a registered sex offender?
Do you hurt children? Stolen from someone? Are you a murderer?
Her face was confused, but she shook her head east and west with a tiny wobble.
Then what makes you a monster? The fact that you were hurt, but you were strong enough to
keep living despite it?
I just hate the way people see me.
How do they see you Amelia? He stopped for a moment and wondered aloud, ... how do I
see you?
Like Im pitiful a burned up freak. He touched the passenger side mirror and the glass
cocked upwards.
Look down at this mirror. He glanced down at her and saw her eyes dart downwards to the
reflective surface. Youre not a freak to me. Are you pristine like the day you were born and
perfect? No. But are you beautiful and worth savoring? Most certainly. This time when his hand
cupped her cheek, she leaned her head into the palm for more of his warmth.
Maybe not right now But when you get to see me for what I look like without clothes on, then

you will run for the hills. She stressed the word will as if the emphasis were intended to be both a
portent of their future and reminder of a distant memory combined.
No, I wont. Amelia, what I like about you most is who you are as a person. I like the woman
that buys food for the shelter without fail, even though you are too scared to bring the food yourself
for fear of being scorned. Its not about what you look like. When we make love, it will just be us,
nobody else. It would be the act of using our bodies to become even closer to one mind. What you
look like doesnt matter to me. That changes with time anyway Why are you afraid to let me in?
Im just not ready for that yet. You dont understand.
Try me. I may just and better than you think. He would. She wasnt the only person that had
been burned by life.
She smiled, the quirk of lips was sad. Ask me that later.
Ill table it for now. But dont think that I will forget it. And he wouldnt, she was only getting
a reprieve here and now.
Amelia sighed. I wouldnt expect that.
Good.
He wanted to remove the hollow sadness from her eyes. Well, we have somewhere to be, but
before we go let me give you something.
What?
This. With that he swooped in and fitted his lips to hers, crowded her into a rock and a hard
place. She was trapped between the SUV door and the man who made her heart beat faster. He tried
hard to be gentle with her, to work her lips as if they were more delicate than butterfly wings. But she
wouldnt let him.
Amelias oral reply was aggressive, her hips flush against his, the hollows of her thighs home to
the fit of his erection, which he had allowed to hang left in his boxers today. Her jeans radiated heat
that scalded him to the quick and made him wish there were less clothes and more time.
With that unwelcome mental reminder, he pulled away from her reluctantly and couldnt contain
his smile at the visage of her blushed cheeks, the color almost a faint burgundy under the deep peanut
butter brown of her skin. Amelias lips were a bright and bruised blush and swollen from their orally
fixated aggressions. She was more pliable this way, as if she were made for his arms alone to enjoy.
There was no other woman that had ever felt so good before. It had been awhile since he had been
with anyone, but even his memories were nowhere near as nice.
She was so beautiful that he had to let her go.

Chapter Five: Lets Play Ball!

Amelia was petrified to simply state the truth. She was about to actually put herself in the realm
of people she didnt know. And for no reason other than pure entertainment within a crowd. But after
she had grudgingly conceded that she would go to the ball game, the remaining hours before Ben
arrived, she spent fretting. What could she wear that wouldnt make her stand out in the like a sore
thumb while she was there?
When she dug past the monotone wardrobe of dark and light neutral hued turtlenecks, past the
bland blazers and cardigans to match and beyond her extensive collection of slacks, there it was. She
found her old college hooded sweatshirt and ball cap. If she put a thin mock neck shirt beneath, most
of her scars wouldnt show.
With the hat on and if she carefully combed her hair, she may be able to pass muster if the person
giving the once over was quick.
She waited nervously at the door for half an hour and she made reason after reason to beg off
while in the foyer. But when he arrived wearing a pair of jeans and a jacket bearing the Union
Underdogs logo, she knew she had to keep her word.
Why did it have to feel this way? She was alright on her own these last years and she had
learned to appreciate the value of her own company.
They made their way towards the municipal field, where most people would follow the bus into
Charlotte. There was idle chit chat, and she got the chance to actually talk to another person about her
books for the first time in years. It was amazing to see what he thought unfiltered and without artifice.
The rave reviews hed given the Ambrose Jenner series were beyond what she thought a red blooded
man would like. The books were written from a male perspective, but the romantic angle was
apparent as the Detective had a love interest that he scorched the sheets with on several occasions in
every novel.
The scenes were borderline erotica and more descriptive than mainstream graphic. For him to
enjoy that told her that he was open minded, as the Detective was into kink. Lots of it and the man
frequently found ways to toy with his lover until she was nearly comatose. But she had never
experienced the things she wrote about. Those were fresh from her imagination and plenty of
research.
Once they were a few miles away, she looked out of the window and tried to ignore her
imperfect reflection as it scrolled, hologram-like, super-imposed atop the landscape they passed. She
scraped at her hair, combed the layered length in front of her face. Amelia was so lost in thought that
she didnt realize the SUV was off the beaten path until she felt the gravel sputter beneath the wheels.
In that moment, a million thoughts and images flashed into her conscious. Primarily, that maybe
she had made a mistake. What if he was going to hurt her? Rape her? Murder her?

Stop it, youre being a ninny. If he wanted to rape, kill, or beat you, he didnt have to make
you dress up and come out into the back roads. He could have easily hurt you any way he wanted
right in the privacy of your own home. And no one would know for ages.
Then her overly active imagination played the scene in her minds eye, what it would look like if
she were murdered.
The police would look at her half decayed body, maybe partially eaten by wildlife or bugs.
Months could go by before anyone even looked for her. Her bills were paid forward for six months
at the time, so her lights and everything might still be on. She was a woman alone and the case
would grow cold after no suspects could be found. Her possessions would be split up amid the
charities that she had in her will, including her home and car.
It would be a pathetic way to go.
But when she stepped from the SUV, Ben looked at her as if she were the only woman in the
world. By the time he mentioned the words when and make love, she was toast. Her body was
always on a low simmer, a by-product of the novels she wrote for a living and her natural libido,
combined with a lack of physical satisfaction.
Her rampant imagination took another fantasy flight once again, but now she was in his arms in
her bed.
The massive four-poster was framed in candlelight, courtesy of the huge pillar luminaries
posted in the corners of the room. Their bodies entwined, a scant sheet twisted around their locked
groins the only covering able to come between them as she fisted and gripped at the fabric. His
cock would be a close fit as she was tight from years without penetration, save her fingers. His
skin glistened and the only things she would wear that night were his body and her own sweat.
The moment her sex swelled with lust, his lips latched onto hers. The exploration was gentle, but
she didnt want that. Didnt need that. Her fantasies were too deep for the delicate kiss he tried to
serve her, and she wasnt having it. Not now. Her hips nestled perfectly against his. That is, until she
felt the erection down the leg of his pants.
Amelia didnt remark on the iron hard bar of cock she felt embedded into her right thigh. But she
did explore it. All she had to do was shift in the right direction and there he was cradled between her
thighs, hard, hot and ready. For her. That realization, the fact that he saw her as lust-worthy made all
of the difference. Her perspective was no longer that of a broken woman with a whole man, but that
of a woman afire. But when she was pressed even closer to the car door and felt the mirror dig into
her ribs, she had to stop this. They were on the side of the road, and any person could pass by while
she necked like a horny teenager.
The thought was embarrassing, but even more so arousing. She wasnt certain how she had come
to this pass and so quickly. He had her at the single admission of her beauty. There were still the

misgivings of her past, and those didnt completely disappear. But Amelia was willing to try, and that
was more than she had to go on before.
The ride the rest of the way was quiet, Ben didnt speak at all, and Amelia didnt either. What
was left to be told? Everything and the weight of the unspeakable battered her mentally. He knew
nothing about her, not the big stuff. Not the events that made her the person in the seat next to him. Nor
even what happened afterwards. All he knew was the essence of her. But admittedly, that was
something that no other person had bothered to learn since she became the shut-in she was today. That
was something that she couldnt share via a book jacket, or pre-launch media press release.
The bus was warming up as the Durango parked in the back of the lot. Benjamin quickly jumped
out and walked to her side to let her out. It was then that she noticed the huge group of children that
ran from several directions to converge with Ben as the center. And by extension she was bathed in
the glory of exuberant pre-adolescence. It was quite simply amazing and astounding all at once.
Hey coach B!
Youre suposta to take us for pizza after right?
When are we leaving?
Are we riding on the bus with you?
The melee of questions came from so many directions, that she wasnt sure how he would
manage the patience to deal with all of them.
But in the same way he gentled her, he calmed the children more deftly and quickly than a
kindergarten teacher would.
Hey team! Are you ready for the game?
A resounding chorus of, Yes Coach! or some variation spread among the crowd until every
member had concurred at least once. Though, some exuberant youths did so a few times.
Ben laughed with the happy children. Good. Tonight, I want everybody to do their share. And
why is that?
A tiny boy maybe seven replied. Becauses theres no I in team.
Because were suppos-ta? Another child piped in with a giggle.
Because we wanna win? She couldnt see the child that said that one.
I think all of the above sounds good to me. Ben smiled and she saw the crows feet at the
corners of his eyes expand beneath the brim of his ball cap. So are we ready to load up and ride
out?

The words, Sure are Coach! pealed around her in surround sound with premature victory
yells.
The group of kids ran hell bent for leather towards the bus and piled on in the same fashion that
they had unloaded in the first place. There was one mother who carried a cooler onto the bus before
she kissed her childs freckled forehead and climbed into a stereotypical mommy wagon minivan.
Come on, let me get you seated. He took her hand and motioned for her to precede him up the
metal trimmed steps. The two seats in front were empty, and Benjamin showed her the one behind the
drivers seat. There was only space for one adult, or two small children on the slick cushion but she
didnt remark on it.
He walked down the aisle and the kids were quiet, as if every word that fell from his lips was
pure gold. Alright, Im only going to say this once. I want us to win, but having a good time is more
important. As a team I am very proud of our season thus far, and no matter what happens tonight, you
are all winners in my book. Just make sure that none of you vomit on the field this time, and make sure
to keep all of your teeth. If we do that much, Ill consider the night a success.
The kids laughed en masse. Amelia couldnt help joining in, and with her overactive imagination
she couldnt help envisioning what that particular game would have looked like. Afterwards,
Benjamin opened the cooler positioned at the back of the bus where the assistant coach sat.
Everybody, we have a special guest today. Her name is Amelia.
Hi Ms. Amelia! She heard several variations of the greeting from the hyper children around
her and even the assistant coach gave a quick greeting by way of a tossed up hand.
Amelia smiled, how could she have thought to turn this offer down for her usual night of boring,
lonely nothingness? Hi everybody.
When the children were silent again, or a quiet as a group of kids could be when armed with the
energy of youth and the natural excitement that went along with it, Ben piped in. Okay you guys,
Conans mom was kind enough to supply some snacks for the ride. Weve got, Amelia watched as he
leaned over and began pulling out small foil packets. Juice pouches, and in several different flavors
too. Looks like apple, grape and fruit punch.
There were lots of oohs, ahhs, and a few kids called out, Awesome!
Okay, give me a show of hands, who wants apple? About half of the kids tossed their hands
up.
Benjamin handed the right number of pouches to the assistant coach, who passed them out.
Who wants grape? The remaining hands went up.

Nobody wants fruit punch? Mmm, more for me. Ben chuckled.
We know that ones your fav-rit, coach. The boy she saw with his mom earlier piped up.
Bens smile was radiant, and enthralling. The man truly enjoyed children, and the little ones
seemed to like him back just as much.
Its the best of Ben was cut off before he could finish.
Both worlds! A small group of kids completed the sentence, and Amelia knew that this was a
running joke among the team.
After everyone was calmed and seated again, Amelia watched Ben climb into the drivers seat
and turn on the bus. He pumped the brakes over and over again for a few minutes.
So youre driving? She leaned forward to ask him the question as the volume of chatty
children was an ear splitting decibel.
Yep, I have a CDL. I got the license a couple of years ago when the pee-wee team was gifted
with this bus to go to away games. There wasnt a driver amid the group with the appropriate class
needed to push one of these puppies, so I bit the bullet and got it. The parents carpool together in most
cases, so everybody can save on gas.
Wow. What if you cant drive?
If that happens, the parents would just follow each other there. Not a big deal, thats
the way it was before the bus anyway.
Amelia could see how that would work just fine, but the bus would make the trip much
easier on the parents involved. Oh, okay.
I have something for you. Ben smirked, and then winked at her.
Okay what is that, pray tell?
Open your hand and close your eyes.
He looked back at her expectantly and she complied. It was cold, wet and had a
plastic straw attached? When she cracked her eyelids open, she saw one of the fruit punch pouches in
her hand.
Its the best of both worlds. He smiled brightly.
So how is this supposed to work exactly? It wasnt as if she had much experience
with children.

Watch. He took a pouch from his pocket and pulled the straw off the front, then
jabbed the unwrapped stem in a small hole apparently built for the plastic.
Amelia tried to do the same, but her straw ended up bent as she stabbed in the
direction of the tiny circular window in the foil.
Not quite. It takes some finesse, he laughed, and a spot of patience. Here, take
mine. Amelia handed her juice to Ben and took the ready to serve packet in lieu.
Thanks. He quickly popped the straw in and immediately began to suck the contents
dry. She was so rapt watching him that she didnt even drink hers.
Youre not going to drink?
Uh, yeah. She held the pouch to her lips and drank. The first sip was delightful, way
more refreshing than she anticipated. Now, she saw why he slurped the thing down the way he had.
The juice was somehow yummier than any shed ever had before. Maybe because of the pouchs
small size. It wasnt fair that as soon as she was able to taste the juice it was gone and she only held a
crumpled wad of foil at the end.
Like that huh? With those words, he put on a pair of Oakley sunglasses and the bus
pulled off. The ride across the county line was fairly quick at this time of the evening, but once they
crossed into Mecklenburg, the traffic changed and became as much a snarl of cars and lights, so
unlike the eerily smooth traffic of the previous country roads.
When the bus pulled into the parking lot, everyone made an orderly single file exit and
ran to the bathrooms just outside the gate. Amelia walked around a bit lost, as she looked at the
various sights and sounds of the concession stand. She knew Ben would be busy with preparations
and morale building for the game, and wouldnt have the time to show her around. She expected to be
on her own, and she decided to buy some of the overpriced candy with a bag of popcorn.
Excuse me Maam. Amelia turned around, even as she didnt think the person was
speaking to her, but she had to be sure.
When she completed her about face, there was a young woman who might be in her
early thirties with a small blue cooler in her hand, just a few feet away.
Yes? The newcomer was lovely, in a delicate sort of way. The woman had gamine
features, really delicate, reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn. But instead of brown hair, the womans was
a mix of reds and gold in a short cut. The bag she carried appeared too large for her, but somehow the
woman deftly maneuvered the cumbersome cooler anyway.
Hi! Im Jenny. Dont buy anything from there, the prices are ridiculous. I brought
some things if you want to share with me. I have a tendency to bring too much food anyway.

Hi Jenny, Im Amelia. I dont want to impose Amelia offered hesitantly.

Its no imposition. The only repayment I need is a seat mate. The other woman was
nice, and Amelia knew she was out of her depth here.
Can I at least buy something to supplement your snacks? Maybe a hotdog, or
something else?
How about a compromise? Next time, you bring the snacks.
I thought this was the last game of the regular season?
It is, but were going to the state game, mark my words.
The woman was right. The snacks were expensive. On what planet was a bucket of
popcorn ten dollars and that was okay? Amelia knew little about baseball and in all honesty, she
didnt really know much about any sport, but Jenny was more than happy to fill her in. Although, she
was torn between covert glances at Ben, the game itself, and Jenny as all competed for her attention.
As the game went by, it was clear that Bens team was a well working one. He was a good and
patient coach, and the kids under his tutelage seemed to be antsy to do their best. She watched child
after child run around the bases, until the score was nearly a shut-out fifteen to three. The other team
was good, but the children on the Bulldogs squad were slightly outclassed by the Underdogs.
Before the game was over, Amelias new companion, Jenny, leaned over and prodded Amelias
arm. Youre a lucky lady. Ben is a great man. After all that hes been through, Im happy that he has
met a nice woman to date again.
The comment made her supremely curious. What was the story there? What had he been through,
and what did Jenny mean by again?
But there was no way to inquire discretely as of yet, so Amelia didnt even attempt to
stifle herself. Ben and I are just friends.
He doesnt take his friends to the ball park. Jenny tossed back, a gamine smile on
her lips.
What was she supposed to say to that? Check and mate courtesy of the tiny woman next
to her. Well, I dont
Alright, heres the skinny. I cant hold water, and this is common knowledge anyway.
When Ben hurt his knee, he had to be bought out of his contract. There was no way he could play, not
with that knee in the condition its in. Then his ex-fiance Kylie, Jenny spat the name out as if the
mere saying of the word was a curse, walked away for a player still under contract with another

team. He came back here, but he hasnt been the same Ben I knew in school. He hasnt been that man
for a long time. Hes always polite and respectful, thats just part and parcel of who he is. But he
wasnt happy. His eyes were always so shadowed, so dim, that it hurt to even look at him. And hes
been along in that big house of his for so long. Though, I hear yours is just as nice.
Jenny smiled and looked back at the field. Get it, Conan! She cried out and Amelia watched
the tiny child round the diamond in an attempt to steal third base.
So, it seems like you know more than I do. Amelia said matter-of-factly.
You would know if you asked him.
I-I
Amelia, She looked over at her, the large Coach glasses covered up most of the delicate face.
Yes Jenny?
He likes you. Just go with it.
She felt like a fox run to ground. Im just trying to see where this goes.
If he brought you here, you practically have wedding bells in your future. Ben does this out of
kindness. There was no team until Ben came back, not one that was feasible for most parents to travel
to, unless one felt like driving into Monroe and thats almost a half hour one-way. Ben built the
municipal field, he bought the bus. He doesnt tell people that, but Im not stupid. How does a tiny
town in the back woods of North Carolina get its own public park and field? There wasnt one until
six months after he showed back up in town.
Thats amazing.
Hes an amazing man, Amelia. After he bought the store from B.C. Purcell a few years back, I
went to get something, maybe milk or sugar, but nothing much. Ben was at the cash register and he
talked to Conan, just a little conversation here and there and not about anything of importance. But
when Conan said he wanted to play baseball, Ben asked him why he didnt, at that point Conan
blathered on about how there was no place to play. Within a month, the ground broke and the field
and park were in process. That seems far from a coincidence.
Yeah Jenny, thats a pretty blatant clue.
The conversation was welcome. It had been too many years that she had shunned other people,
for fear of being ostracized. But talking to Jenny was nice. The woman never even looked askance at
her, like Amelia was completely normal and uninjured. It made her feel hope. As if she could be in
society around others and not feel like something that crawled out of a lagoon.

Jenny packed up the trash from the snacks that they had partaken of. When she looked away from
their cleaning attempts, she saw Ben look up and put a hand in front of his face visor-like and then
smile in her direction. She hoped the lift of lips was for her. She smiled back and watched the final
seconds as the Union Underdogs won the regional game and turned state bound.
Jenny hooped and hollered with the victory and the excitement was contagious. Amelia climbed
back onto the jubilant bus, where the kids excited with their win yelled and jumped. The result was
the bus rocked from side to side and the swaying motions made the children even more excited.
Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! She heard chanted repeatedly.
Hold your horses! Ben piped a whistle sharply once.
The chanting children immediately stopped as one.
Its time for pizza boys! Ready? Ben called out.
Ready coach B!
Alright then, settle down. Im not moving this bus until it gets less bumpy in here.
The children all calmed down in varying degrees, but for a group this size, Amelia was
surprised at the quickness of it all. She would have assumed it would take longer. Ben pumped the
brakes again, and before she knew it, the Underdogs and company were back on the road.

Chapter Six: Victory Lap

Ben was just as excited as the kids were. The game was a good one, his kids had taken
everything he taught them thus far and used it to bring home a victory for their team. He always felt so
proud of them anyway, just because they always tried their best. But with this win, the usual pride
was superseded by jubilance. It didnt make everything that happened to him worthwhile, but he
certainly was grateful that he was the one to help start it all. For a newer team, this was more than
could be expected.
He loaded up the bus after a few photos were taken by the newspaper of the team including
himself and Jimbo, the assistant coach. Afterwards, he gave a quick interview for the article.
Benjamin was starving as he hadnt had the chance to eat more than gum in the last four hours, and he
would bet most of his boys felt the exact same way. The pizzeria was on the other side of the county
line and closer to home, it was the same place that he would normally take them to after any other
game and tonight was no exception.
Peter kept his restaurant open after hours for this victory, as promised. Usually, Peters Pizza
closed at eight, but Pete and he were good friends, plus his son was on the team. So when they came
over the threshold, it was no surprise that there were several pies hot, fresh and waiting.
Hey, Ben! Peter called out from the kitchen when the front door opened. Just give me a
minute. Ive got a surprise for you!
I think the decorations were enough, Pete. Looks like you went all out as is.
Well, I have faith in you guys, so I didnt think the decorations would go amiss.
They didnt. The space was full of fun items. There were cloths with baseballs and bats on each
of the tables, along with confetti. There was a huge banner over the menu wall with the words,
Congrats on the victory! Not to mention the clusters of balloons with small foil covered weights to
keep the helium-filled rubber from pinging off the ceiling.
When the children were all inside, complete with parents, Ben helped everyone get in line, and
he served them. He could smell Pete cooking more pizza, and as quickly as the pies disappeared, that
was a good thing. His assistant coach, Jimbo junior, served drinks at another table. Quickly, the team
and accompaniments were all served, save himself, Jimbo, and Amelia.
She waited patiently for everyone else to have their share before she picked up a plate.
If you dont mind, wait for me. Im just going to go and wash up first. Ben escorted her to the
last empty table and brought her a cup of iced tea. Pete made his the same way most Chinese
restaurants did, with really sweet tea mixed with lemonade drink mix packets. He knew she liked the
southern version of tea as she drank the beverage at home. He had delivered too many boxes of black
pekoe tea to her door in the last months to know she drank the stuff on a daily basis.

Okay, I think I can wait. Jenny fed me more food in two hours than I eat in an entire day. So its
safe to say that I am far from hungry.
Yeah, as tiny a thing as Jenny is, she sure can eat. I think she has the soul of a fat person, but her
body wont let her gain the weight. He whispered conspiratorially, leaned over the table to catch a
whiff of her scent.
But he noticed she took a deep breath, he hoped the cologne hadnt worn off, and left him
smelling of field and sweat. Her face said his smell was pleasing, or he hoped the smile meant that. It
could just as well mean she loved the smell of melted cheese, tomato sauce and bread. But he wasnt
going to think that way, not unless he had good reason to.
He washed his hands and splashed his face with water at lightning speed. There was a lovely
lady waiting for him, and he didnt want to waste time in the John while she sat at a table with
cooling food. That would not do, especially since he wanted to make a good first impression.
But the semi-private table was occupied when he came back out. Jenny was there with Conan,
and both were talking Amelias ears off. He could see the glazed look in her eyes that said she was
lost with her attempts to keep up with the current conversation.
Dammit, I was hoping to keep her all to myself.
If that was the case, then you wouldnt have brought her to the game.
But he knew she had to be just as starved for companionship as he was, she was just better at
hiding it. So he sat down and swallowed the disappointment that rose as he realized he was going to
have to share her. For a little while at least. Although, the ride back was all his.
I thought youre allergic to tomatoes? Amelia asked with the gooey triangle half-way towards
her mouth.
Yes, he is. Jenny chuckled. I remember in what was that? Second or third grade, Ben?
When your face swelled up after we did a lunch swap. I had a turkey club with tomato and lettuce,
and he had PB and J on cinnamon raisin bread. I loved that bread when I was a kid, heck, I love it
now.
Ben chuckled. Yeah, it was second grade. We were in Mrs. Spensers class then.
Jenny hooped out loud with laughter. Ooh, it sure was.
But to answer your question Amelia, Peter has a Benjamin special. If the wall wasnt covered
with the banner, youd see it on the menu. He created a pizza just for me, no tomato sauce, with beet
paste and spices instead. Sounds crazy, but it almost tastes the same. Thats what others have told me
anyway.

Amelia laughed and he watched he bow her head for a moment. Then she took a bite of the baked
dough and he watched the cheese enviously as the molten mozzarella dangled precariously from her
lips, still attached to the dough.
She made the meal look more than appealing, and he finally picked up the wedge of pizza to take
his first bite.
Before he finished the folded slice, there was a lot of commotion coming from the kids at the
nearby table. When he looked over, there was a large cake that almost seemed to walk out on its own.
Congratulations Underdogs! Peter called out.
Yay! Cake! Conan cried out.
As soon as the word cake was said, there were more calls from the peanut gallery of children.
Even some of the parents looked tantalized by the huge decorated sheet cake Peter carried to the
table.
I want some!
Me too!
Yay!
Mommy can I have some? Please?
Ben chuckled. Kids were so easy to please. Adults on the other hand? Grown-ups were an
entirely different animal. When did he lose that ability to take pleasure in the simple things? He
thought on it for a moment, but couldnt pinpoint the moment that he lost his natural verve for life. He
just knew that sometime between the freshman year in college and the pro-circuit a handful of years
later, he was another man entirely. And he wasnt sure if he liked the newer version at this point.
But the cake was served in short order. Peter sliced it up and onto plates for the bouncing
children before he could blink twice.
I just want to say, good job! Peter was all smiles and joviality. The other man's mood
mirrored that of the room precisely.
The cake was practically demolished when all was said and done. There was just enough left to
fit in a takeout box and Peter was kind enough to give the packages to Benjamin, though Ben offed the
box to Amelia for safe keeping. He gave several high fives and a few hugs, shook a few beaming
parents hands. The children all climbed into their parents cars to go home after the late night. Well
almost all. Jenny was going to have a massive sleep over at her place and about ten of the boys would
be at her place.

Hey, Amelia, give me a sec before you go! Jenny called out and he watched her herd the
menagerie of youths into her van.
Ben clasped hands with Peter, who smiled then handed him a cup of tea to go. Thanks for taking
care of us. Just make sure to send me a bill tomorrow. You can email or fax into the office like
usual.
No worries, Benjamin, this one is on me.
There was a lot of pizza eaten tonight. You better send me a bill. It can be your treat when we
bring home the state championship. By the way, how did you know we won? Peters son was on the
team as well, but his wife was sick and didnt come. So he had no idea when the man would have
gotten the knowledge.
Peter laughed. Well, I had two banners made and when Tommy got on the bus he sent me a text
message.
Ben snickered. That child is too young for a cell phone.
Yeah, wait until you have a kid. Youd be lucky if by the time they turn three if you havent
given them one, just to keep them off yours.
Ben looked out the door where he saw Amelia stand beside of the bus doors, her posture
slouched as if she were tired or achy. When Jenny was done ensuring all of her wards for the night
were buckled in, she walked towards Amelia. She stiffened, then stood stock still as if a deer caught
in the glare of head lights at Jennys approach. When the two women were within earshot, Ben saw
Jenny pull Amelia into a hug that Amelia didnt quite respond wholeheartedly to. But Jenny didnt
seem to notice.
He walked out and heard Peter lock the doors behind him.
Jenny beamed as usual and the minute womans naturally sunny disposition meant that she would
never meet a stranger. Amelia, I just wanted to give you my number. Im always home, so if you
want to we could have a chat and maybe a girls night. Ben couldnt stop the smile that crept onto his
lips for any reason. Amelia must have felt the same as he watched her pull out a cell phone that he
didnt even know that she owned and dialed Jennys phone.
Alright and thanks for snacking with me. The two women hugged again and Ben herded
Amelia quickly into the privacy of the bus
He was going to make sure he had the number to the cell by the end of the night. He kissed her
hand, nothing else, even though he really wanted much more than that. He pulled the bus away from
Peters Pizza and into the darkness.

Ben handed Amelia his car keys before he stopped in front of his Durango to let her off.
Go ahead and get in, Im just going to park and Ill be over in just a few minutes. Ben did
exactly as promised and he jogged back to the truck five minutes later. The SUV was already warmed
up and ready to drive.
Did you enjoy the game? He asked, on the way out of the empty lot.
She smiled, this grin was a real one compared to the faux ones hed gotten earlier in the day.
Actually, I did. Thanks for taking me.
This time the ride was so much faster. It seemed as if he had just pulled away, and then he was
back at her house. Amelia made a motion to open the door herself, but Ben cleared his throat once and
she stopped immediately. He opened her door and took her hand to escort her to the door.
Thank you for coming with me, Amelia. He said, just as she opened her mouth.
Would you like to come in for a drink, Ben? She laughed slightly, the sound sweet on the night
air. Oh sorry. She blurted out. Youre welcome.
And yes, I would love a drink with you. Just let me grab my keys from the... He was so
stupefied by the fact that she finally asked him inside that he lost his train of thought altogether.
Gotcha. She smiled and unlocked her door as he turned away, with a huge grin on his face
and an unusual flurry in his chest.
When he walked back inside, Amelia was in the kitchen. She was bent over at the waist as she
rummaged the overstocked fridge. But she must have gone into the pantry first, as the small door was
open wide at the side of the cabinets closest to her. He had no idea what she did with all of the food
that shed brought before, and now he knew. She would do any country kitchen proud with the mass of
filled mason jars spanning the entirety of the closet. There was row upon row of canned goods, and
barely room for anything else. There was pickled this or that, jellies, preserves and all manner of
vegetables.
Amelia clanked bottles together. Umm, do you want a beer?
I dont usually drink and drive at all, theres too much wildlife and not enough road for the both
of us.
Oh, I didnt think about that. Is tea okay with you then?
Amelia, I didnt come in for a drink. Just like you didnt invite me in for one.
She seemed perturbed at his honesty. Now just a minute, buster! Her response just confirmed
it.

Before you say anything Amelia, I am not saying that you meant to offer me anything more than
your company. But as we feasted like two fat pigs in the sunny side of the trough less than an hour
ago, I think that I can safely assume neither of us is thirsty.
B-but" She stammered and the first thought he had was that he felt like the big, bad wolf. Like
he was about to eat the tender juicy morsel that her quivering lips presented.
On second thought, he was.
Actually, I lied. I am thirsty.

Chapter Seven: Truth Is The Light

Amelia was half way to poleaxed by the time pizza was finished. In one evening, every mantra
she lived by in the last few years was blown to shreds.
Dont make friends, they will only leave you.
Dont fall in love, you will only get hurt.
Dont talk to strangers, they will only pity you.
You are a monster.
You are ugly.
No one will like you anyway.
On the ride back to her home with Ben she was lost in her own mind. Every last one of those
statements had kept her out of the eye of the public for too long. She had readers that didnt know she
was a female, because she had spent so much time alone. There were times she didnt even know
what day it was, what month it was and she didnt care either. Once she had even lost track of an
entire season. The last was the reason that she moved to the middle of nowhere in the first place.
Just before she purchased the house, she had fallen into a funk. The last time she had recalled
going outside, it was spring and everything was in bloom. Or as much as the concrete jungle of the
city could be termed "in bloom". The stalls on each corner were filled with fresh flowers and kissing
couples held hands as they traversed the streets.
She was alone of course, as she had shunned the company of other people for many years. But
somewhere, deep down, she felt left out. There were newborn babies, joy, and beauty to be seen in
the brightness of day. And even with all of the loveliness than abounded, she was still alone. There
was never going to be a baby for her, for that she needed a man willing to give her one.
The few people that even noticed her seemed to quickly turn their faces from her. As if Amelia
was a physical reminder that while lilies may be gilded on one side, they could be tarnished on the
other. It wasnt until she walked past a bakery in her neighborhood that she and Charles used to love,
that her melancholy turned into a full depression, one that she would be gripped within for months.
The window was frosted over slightly, damp with dew too new to bead in the warmer weather.
She saw a flash of nut brown skin, the red color of Fisher roasted peanuts the predominant undertone.
The coloring was too familiar to disregard entirely and she stopped in her tracks. There was her ex.
And he walked back to the table with his wife and apparently, they had a child. A daughter and who
from the look of it, was in the gangly stages of pre-pubescence. Maybe eight or so? Amelia wasnt
good with estimating that sort of thing, but the kid was certainly seven or better.

Was it? No, she thought, it couldnt be.

But as she peered into the warmth of the cozy scene, she knew that she was right. Charles had
made a new life so easily, without her. He had made promises to another woman, and gave her the
gift of children. While she was left alone with only her company to keep her sane and no child to hold
in her arms either.
It was that crucial moment that sent her into the welcome arms of North Carolina, to a place
where no one knew her name.
That wasnt what she had intended at the time, not at all. She stopped at a nearby package store
and bought more bottles of rum than she could carry back. She gave the owner double the tab, just so
the man would bring her remaining rum to her and leave it at her door. There were at least twenty
bottles in all, and she pretended they were for a punch fountain to be served at a wedding.
The man looked askance at her and he knew she lied, she could see it on his face. But he must
have felt pity for her and did it anyway. The man, named Jered, delivered the bottles as promised. But
she was far too drunk to answer the door. The box was in front of her door the next morning, and the
hung-over, bitter version of her dragged the crate inside. She spent a season, the spring to be exact,
drinking her pain away as bottle after bottle was chased with too little food and no water.
More than likely, she could have pulled a Leaving Las Vegas, and drank herself to an early
grave. But the one thing that saved her life was happenstance at the end of third month she woke up.
That moment was engraved on her skull and would be until the day she died.
But she was quickly jostled from her not-so-nice walk down memory lane when the Durango
reached the tightly packed gravel in her driveway. The sound snapped her back and when she was
escorted so carefully from the SUV, Amelia made her rash offer.
She hadnt planned on giving the invitation. The thought in fact never crossed her mind. But
when she stood in front of her home, the words spilled from her lips as if bidden by a higher power,
that of her curious subconscious. Amelia had so many questions that the evening had inspired and she
didnt even know where to start. It would have been easier for her to list what she didnt want to
know, because quite simply she wanted to know everything.
Even while frightened at her own train of thought, she hoped that if she were lucky that she
wouldnt have to go to bed with only her own company to pass the night. For the first time in years
she could feel the loving touch of another human.
Amelia opened the pantry door, but scooted away to dig into the fridge. There were dozens of
drinks she could offer Ben to quench his thirst. But what she actually sought was the moment to figure
out how she could approach the situation without looking like a fool.
How do women hit on men without looking stupid? Amelia was never one for batting her

eyelashes and tossing her hair about, even before she was burned. And after? At first, she was lucky
if she had a day where each breath she took didnt hurt. Then when she was healthy enough to live life
again, it was as if she no longer fit in as a polite member of society. For her to go from a normal,
healthy and happy young lady, the transition was an insurmountable feat that she couldnt accept.
But for tonight at least, she would pretend that she was that girl again, like she had been
untouched by life and untarnished by tragedy.
After he refused her offer of a drink, she was thrown off kilter. It felt as if they were actors in a
play, but his character spouted lines from Much Ado About Nothing, and their show was The Taming
of the Shrew. But he had quickly struck at the heart of the equation and she was left without even the
thin excuse she had given in the first place.
Uh, Ben?
Yeah? His voice was husky, and she immediately felt heavy down below. As if the bottom
was ready to fall out of her.
Thirsty? She squeaked, and the weak wavering in her tone made her angry with herself.
Dammit!
Yeah. Come here.
Amelia walked to him, even as her hips ticked as if they were pendulous swaying weights
attempting to mesmerize him. When they stood face to face, Ben ducked his head and pressed his lips
to hers. She was sure that the kisses from before were tantalizing, but they were nothing compared to
this one.
His tongue teased hers, offered taunting probes that left behind an echoing taste of sugar, and
tantalized her senses with each foray into her mouth. Her knees weakened and Amelia leaned into Ben
as he supported her clingy limbs. Anything she could offer, she gave when one hand clutched his
shoulder and the other fisted in his hair. She heard the ping of the ball cap as her greedy machinations
displaced the stiff cotton to disturb the flat, dampened hair. Her ankle twined around his leg and she
could feel the tight calf bunched atop her joint.
He pulled his mouth from hers. The sticky conjoining of tongues dismantled, only to leave the
tang of lemon and the desire to taste more of the citrus. Amelia was lightheaded and she couldnt take
a deep enough breath to replace what he had taken away. What she had given away.
Are you Do you want anything? She asked, even as her loins yearned for more than to offer
him the simple hospitality of her home. For the first time in well, forever it seemed, she wanted to
offer the hospitality of her body.
He huffed and puffed, and she chuckled at the thought that he had already blown her house down

with his heated lips. Actually, I think I want that drink now.
I thought you didnt drink and drive, Ben. Did he mean what she thought he meant? Or was it
just her imagination?
I have the feeling that my car will be sitting out front at sunrise. He sighed yet again and
Amelia wondered what was wrong.
Amelia immediately felt nervous at the huff of air, but what cemented the fear was the way his
hands absentmindedly raked into his hair. The tugging at his locks seemed more than mere irritation,
more than mere sexual frustration, and she had no idea what he was thinking at this point.
She wasnt going to drive herself crazy with worry about him. If he wanted to be here? That was
good. And if not? Then he needed to go home and she would wish him well. You dont have to do
anything. Ben, just take it with you and enjoy once you are in the house.
Amelia.
Yes? She was trying her best not to pressure him or make this a hard situation. But between
his confusing signals and her need, it was hard to determine if she saw something that wasnt even
there.
Shut up. He smiled and the cleft in his chin deepened along with the comma grooves beside
his mouth took the sting from the words. You dont understand. Its been a long time for me Amelia. I
havent so much as touched a woman in the last three years. I can see that you want me, the same as I
want you. But I dont think that youre ready for that right now. Even though I really want to.
How do you know what Im ready for?
Because, until we clear the air between us, dispel the good, bad and ugly sides to both of our
pasts, I know neither one of us is ready.
The kiss a minute ago says ready to me.
Thats our bodies. And you, Ms. Barnett, deserve more than just a warm body.
God knows, she loathed this man, just as much as she liked him.
Thats scary, she thought.
Fine. You want the good, bad and ugly? Ill give it to you and a drink to chase the tale down
with.
Ben cleared his throat. That sounds nice. Amelia poured two snifters with the first bottle of
liquor she touched. Strangely enough, it was the poison of her choice for the bitter stroll back down
memory lane the last time, and it seemed apropos to drink it once again.

When she handed him the cool glass, he tossed back half the contents with a single, long
swallow.
You want a refill? She quirked her eyebrow north and held out the bottle.
No. But we can take this conversation into living room so we can get comfortable.
You said you would stay over. But do you have a change of clothes, or anything to sleep in?
There was nothing here that he could wear, he was much taller than she was and she doubted he
would appreciate her yoga pants the way she did.
As a matter of fact, I have a duffel bag with some workout clothes that I can wear out in the
morning. But I usually sleep in my boxers at best. So long as I can have something to wash with and a
toothbrush, Ill be fine. Boxers? It was doubtful her libido could handle boxers.
Maybe I can put a bag over his head, and then I could imagine he looked like a toad, instead
of the far too good looking man sitting on my couch right now.
Amelia sat down on the sofa and Ben took the spot next to her instead of any one of the numerous
options all farther away from her personal orbit.
So how is this supposed to work? Are we going to swap stories of personal pain and
commiserate over these glasses of liquid courage?
He sighed. Something like that.
Okay, who is supposed to go first?
Do you know how to RoShamBo, Amelia?
She twisted her lips to the left. You mean rock paper scissors?
Exactly. The winner gets to ask any question of the loser first. Then the loser gets a turn.
Anything?
He held his hands up. Yep. Unless you want to make a topic off limits now.
Do you? There were things that she didnt want to speak on yet, but putting the limit there was
going to ensure that he was even more curious about it. So she took the safest option of the two when
she threw the query back to him and decided to let the chips fall where they may.
No. I dont see the point of that. Either we are going to get to know each other or we arent.
This is kind of all or nothing, Amelia.

She clenched her right fist and sat the bunched knuckles atop her open palm. Ben did the same.
One, Two, Three! With each number, they smacked their fists onto upturned palm until the
third when she unfurled her fingers into a peace sign.
Bens hand remained a fist. Okay, first question. When did you get burned?
Amelia took a deep breath. Almost ten years ago.
Your turn.
Why did you have to leave baseball?
I knew Jenny was running her big mouth. If her mouth stops moving for more than five minutes,
its because she is asleep or eating.
Now who was prevaricating? Amelia thought. That doesnt answer my question.
I know it doesnt. But the way you worded it, makes it difficult to give you the answer without
the whole story from start to finish.
Perfect. Amelia smiled and she held her breath to hear the story that she had been waiting for
all night.
I attended college on an athletic scholarship. When I was in my junior year, I had some really
impressive numbers and a few pro clubs were eager to take me on. Since the semester was close to
an end I decided to finish up and have an agent get me the best deal possible.
Amelia waited as he took a drink from the melted dregs of ice in his glass. When he sat it back
down, she leaned over and refilled the contents with fresh rum.
Thanks.
No problem. Continue. She sat stock still and waited for his story.
You are the bossiest woman alive, you know that?
I used to be told that was one of my more endearing traits.
I bet.
Amelia refused to entertain his hesitation. If you recall Benjamin, you said this was necessary. I
didnt.
I know. Its just that even while I want to tell you, I dont know how. Ive never told a living
soul the whole story. But I want you to know.

How about this Ill talk and you listen. By the time Im finished, you will think you had a
cake walk for the most part.
She could see by the look on his face that he didnt believe her. Okay, Im all ears.

Chapter Eight: You Cant Handle the Truth

Ben was fairly sure that he had shot himself in the foot. Just because the situation he had been in
before was almost more than he could bear, didnt mean that she had seen less trauma and for totally
different reasons. He didnt know her story, the tale of what made her such a special person, a woman
that thought so much of others that she disregarded self.
She was silent for a long moment, not the lengthy spell hed taken, frozen like a coward. But
more a calm before the storm, when all was thoughtful and even the very animals heeded the pensive
warning Mother Nature gave her children.
It was ten years ago. Do you know the book you read? From your sisters box while you
convalesced?
Which one?
Amelia inhaled and released the air in a lengthy hiss. The Straight Jacket Diaries.
Yeah.
I wrote that.
The writer of the novels was named A.E Barnett and he had never put two and two together. Ben
couldnt believe that the woman before him was the author of one of the books that helped him so
much before. He had never personally met an author, unless one counted reporters and before hed
licked his wounds in private, Ben had spoken with his share of the rabble-rousing paparazzi. Thats
amazing.
Yeah. Well, ten years ago
She told him about how she had gone to her very first book signing with so much joy in her heart.
Then he learned of the cruel hand she was dealt when she was burned by an incensed man. How the
man had blamed Amelia for the fact that his wife left him after he cruelly abused her for decades. The
man had fixated on Amelia after his wife, Lily, walked away from him when she read Amelias book.
Finally, the man after a drunken bender concocted the plot to hurt her, the same way he was hurt.
Ill never forget what he said to me as I writhed in the floor begging for the pain to stop.
Nothing in life could be as painful as corrosives when applied to the skin. It feels as if youre being
eaten alive by a fire, but there are no flames to put out. I rolled over and over as I went into shock. I
flopped like a fish out of water. He said to me, Now you know what it feels like to be burned by a
stranger.
Amelia shuddered and Ben immediately reached over to her. He tugged off her light weight
tennis shoes, along with her cutesy owl printed ankle socks.

Take off the jacket and hat, Amelia.

She looked nervously at him, but he refused to let her fear force him into backing down. When
she saw he wasnt going to give in, she shrugged off the jacket followed by the cap. He pried his own
shoes off, popped the socks into the empty cavern inside. The fact that he had taken his shoes off in
her house made his cock lift slightly. As if the sight of their footwear side-by-side was more intimate
than anything hed ever had before.
Even with the rock-star sex groupies tended to give, all to say theyd fucked an athlete. But for
him, that game grew old far quicker than it did with most men of his ilk. Within six months of boning
his first ball bunny, he was sick of fly-by-night sex with women he less than barely knew.
Doesnt that feel better? He asked her as her toes curled up, then flexed outwards.
Certainly does. She smiled, but that changed to a look of fright when he grabbed her feet and
placed them in his lap. She was effectively forced to turn and recline against the arm of the couch.
Please, continue. How quickly thing change, Ben thought, at first she was the one impatient,
now he was the one to provide the reminders.
O-okay. She twisted her hands together, then when she looked down at her hands in the midst
of a soapless wash stopped the movement altogether. After years of therapy and numerous skin
grafts, taken from places that hurt to even think about later, I was physically healed. But emotionally?
I know I was a mess then. I might be bad off now, but before? Ugghh, I went through every stage of
grief every single day. Even looking in the mirror is hard to do. Can you imagine looking at your
reflection, and the person that you see is not you? It was like I had to learn a new body, I had to learn
how not to cringe at the sight of myself. I remember the pain of the burn, but the pain of seeing this
face in the mirror every day was a million times worse than anything else done to me.
Im sorry Amelia. Youre right. I cant completely understand what happened to you. But I can
sympathize.
Thanks, Ben. But I think the hardest part was that when the bandages had to come off, my
fiance ran like he owed me money.
Now that I can understand. He certainly could, just as she was about to find out.
I moved here when I realized there was nothing left for me back home. One day, I went outside,
uncharacteristically. As I passed by a place I used to eat, my ex was there with his wife and their
child. It was as if everything I had was stolen from me and it wasnt my fault. Like I helped others but
had to sacrifice myself in the process. I drank the pain away for months lost an entire season.
Spring as a matter of fact. That was the year I moved here. Amelias eyes were dry, but he was
guessing that was only because shed cried so much about what happened that there were no tears left
for her to give.

Ben rubbed the arch of her foot with his thumb and watched as the pain in her eyes melted into
pleasure.
Since you were willing to tell me everything, Im going to tell you a story that no other person
knows. She sat up, as if hed drawn her attention away from her own hurt. And all it took was the
knowledge that his pain would also burn on the altar crafted out of the harsh baggage carried between
them.
It all started about ten years ago for me too He told her about how he had gone to State with
an athletic scholarship. His major was in economics and business management. Im a farmers son,
Amelia, were simple folk. But the hardest part about farming is the supply and demand. Sometimes
you have a great harvest, with no diseases, bugs, or poor rain to plague you. Other years can be much
harder. I thought that if I wanted to get a degree, at least I could get one that would help the family
business
But partway into his junior year, there were a few major league scouts sniffing around, and he
decided to talk with an agent. Ben was smart enough to know that if her were crazy enough to make
his own deal, that he would get taken somehow. Even if every other decision he made thereafter was
dumber than hell, he did try to start out well. His father was proud, but disappointed as the elder
wanted to have his son follow in the footsteps of many a proud Winston man. And Benjamin wanted
the same, but he knew that if he played his cards right, he could ensure that his parents were always
well taken care of. No matter how well the farm did in the harvest seasons.
But when he was picked, the contract was a good one. He made more money per year than he
would make in ten in the family business. After he started making money like water, Ben did
practically anything he wanted.
First, he purchased a condo downtown. Then there was the Maserati. He acquired a steady
stream of women, all who loved to shop. He didnt care, the revolving streams of ladies were all
easily disposed of and none of them cared about him anyway. But after a few months of sex, sex and
more sex, he was bored with the vapid women he wasted his time with. He was practically a monk at
that juncture. Gratuitous sex wasnt going to cut it for the country boy, even though he dealt with a lot
of ribbing from his teammates.
A couple of years and a beyond stale sex life later, he met Kylie. Somehow, she was a breath of
fresh air, pure womanly curves that put Marilyn Monroe to shame and a brain that gave Stephen
Hawking a run for his money. Within a month, he knew that he loved Kylie. She was almost anything a
man could want.
But she kept finding ways to delay marriage and one year turned into two, then a third. The next
thing he knew, his patience was gone. At first, she used her education as the reason she didnt want to
wed. Then she was a hairs breadth from earning her PhD, but she was still skittish about setting a
date.

After that, he started really paying attention to what she wasnt saying. One night everything
came to a head. Ben had a few drinks under his belt and he was ready to talk about the elephant in the
room, hidden behind their healthy sex life and singles fun.
During the confrontation about what was really on his mind, Kylie blurted out, Im pregnant.
Ben fell to his knees, and all he felt was extreme joy. But Kylie acted far from elated. In fact, she
seemed as if someone died. Her face was drawn tight and lips thin, bloodless. Whats wrong
Kylie?
He could never forget what she said next. I cant do this.
What? I dont understand. He truly didnt. The fact that Kylie carried his baby was only
confirmation of what he knew. It was past time for them to become man and wife. He had no problem
swapping his Maserati for something more kid friendly.
I dont want the baby.
What the fuck was that supposed to mean?
Instead of trying to figure it out he asked. What do you mean, you dont want the baby? She
looked at him as she shed a single tear that dripped down her right cheek.
Just that, Ben. I. Dont. Want. The. Baby. Each word was punctuated with a finality that made
him sick at the end of the syllables.
He couldnt let her destroy their child. I do! If you dont want it, then give the baby to me. I can
raise it! Ill give you anything I have Kylie. All Ben knew was at that moment he was willing to do
anything to change her mind. He was willing to pay any price to save their baby.
I dont even want to have the baby.
Youre going to kill our baby, Kylie? Why? Because a child doesnt fit into your five year
plan?
I just cant, Ben. Her face was resolute and he felt true rage for the first moment in his life.
What kind of monster are you? In that moment, he knew one thing. That he never loved Kylie,
he could never love a woman who would murder his child.
The kind that does what she has to do.
If you do this, Ill never speak to you again.
I anticipated that. Be grateful I even told you. I didnt plan this, but you browbeat me into it.

Benjamin clenched his fists and for the first time in life, feared he would hit a woman.
Get out! He yelled and Kylie scurried backwards, away from him. When she ran out of the
door, he punched a hole into the nearest wall. There were dry bits of paint and shards of drywall
embedded in his knuckles.
He spent the night pouring enough liquor down his throat to fall into a gluttonous stupor. The
only thing he remembered of that night even now was the fact that he had the bright idea of going to
the store for another bottle of liquid ruin.
When he came to, he was in a hospital bed with no memory of what happened. I had fallen
down the stairs and had the bad luck to land on my knee and wrist. Ben shrugged out of his jacket
and held the wrist out to her. Its held together with pins and the knee is the same. So I understand
how you feel. I thought the world was about to be given to me on a platter, only to find that I was to
lose it all. Its kind of like Midas. He wanted gold so badly that when he was given the gift to make
all as he wished, Midas lost his own child to his greed.
Amelia sat still for a moment, and then she leaned forward and shifted her feet from his lap. She
scooted closer and then her thigh pressed to his. Her arms wrapped around him and he took a deep
breath. Im so sorry, Ben.
Me too. Even now, he mourned the child he had never gotten the chance to know. He loved
children, and the fact that he had lost the opportunity to raise a little boy or girl still ate at him.
Benjamin stood and stretched. When Amelia did the same, he took her hand.
Lets go to bed. Amelia stiffened then smiled.
Alright.
Now, dont think to show me to a guest room. I want you to take me to your room. I plan on
holding you tonight and waking up with you in the morning too.
But Ben, I dont know if Im ready for that much intimacy.
Im going to keep my hands to myself. Well, as much as I can help anyway. He smiled and she
slowly ascended the steps with him in tow.
Her room was just like her, serene and self-contained. Everything had a home here and he saw
the amount of time she had taken to determine exactly what would go into the area. There was just
enough that the room wasnt bare, but the space was still sparse, Spartan within in the spotless
cleanliness. Nut brown walls and crisp white trim with a large four poster bed and a few dressers the
only furniture. There were no photos, nothing to deem the room as hers. Any person that walked into
the room could be comfortable in the generic decor.

He almost felt like he was in Hotel Amelia.

Would you like a shower? I can toss your clothes into the washer if you want.
Ben didnt have to think twice about her offer. I sure would love a shower. I probably smell
worse than a three day dead fish in the sun. She laughed at his analogy. After being on the field half
the evening, he probably smelled far from fresh and he didnt want to leave Amelia with that kind of
impression.
Why is it every analogy you give has something to do with the sun? I think you smell just fine,
but I certainly want you to feel comfortable. Follow me. There was a small en suite master bath in
her room.
She pointed out a few of her most recent additions to the space. The bedroom connected to a
closet that spanned the hallway. It appeared that she used the small nursery to make the hallway,
which was spanned on both sides with cabinets and long bar shaped racks. There was even a place
for shoes at the bottom, each labeled with a picture of the contents held within the carefully stacked
boxes.
First stop on our tour is the master bathroom. She handed him a towel from the large cabinet.
Here you are. Oh, wait a sec, here is a toothbrush. She pulled out a large package of the tooth
cleaners and he could see that she was well prepared for anything. Maybe even Armageddon, he
thought with a laugh that he buried in his chest.
Thank you.
Its no problem. There are several types of soap in the shower basket beside the tub. Im just
going to wash your clothes, so leave them outside of the door and Ill just hop into the hall bath.
After she walked away, he left the small pile of clothing in front of the door and took the offered
shower. The water was better quality than the citys harsh mineral output and he vaguely wondered if
she had added softeners to her tank.

Chapter Nine: Hold Me

Amelia picked up the discarded clothes and took them to the washer. The garments smelled like
Ben with a kick of something sensual and she couldnt help but to bring the fabric to her nose before
she tossed the load into the basin.
She quickly grabbed something to wear to bed. Normally, she would wear something beautiful
when she dressed for the night. Over the years it had become a habit. Even if no one else saw, she
tried to build her flagging esteem with the garments.
But tonight? She was going to wear more discrete night garb. So she tugged out a long sleeve tee
and tights. Her bath was the quickest on record. Shoot, she lathered her entire frame so fast that she
should have been issued a ticket. She brushed her teeth, but really she was far short of the two
minutes that dentists recommended.
But the only thing she couldnt avoid in her usual routine was her hair. If left to its own devices,
the locks would be a mass of tangles that she couldnt even comb in the morning. She brushed the
straight length away from her face and twisted it into her signature bedtime braid. Ben asked for the
good, bad, and ugly, and he was about to get it.
With the hair out of her face, and her skin freshly scrubbed, the scars were so much more
noticeable than before. But she climbed into the bed anyway, and no sooner than she had pulled the
sheet over her arms, Ben walked out of the bathroom.
You know I forgot to grab my bag. He shook his head and merely tucked the towel tighter. Ill
be back.
Youre going outside like that?
Yeah, I am. Its one a.m. and this road sees maybe thirteen cars during broad daylight. So I can
safely assume that no one will even know. Thats one of the merits to country living. He chuckled
and Amelia sank further into the pillows at her back.
What would the neighbors think? Wait a minute and hold your horses, Amelia, she thought
ruefully. The nearest house was a quarter mile away, so, highly doubtful that anyone could see
anything this far away.
She dismissed her random train of thought and grabbed the remote for her satellite
dish. Amelia flipped channels, not really sure what she was going to watch. As an author, she had a
hard time watching TV late at night. Not only was the boob tube full of stuff that she didnt want to
see, as she could care less to how some movie star lost a thousand pounds, but what played at this
hour of night was less than entertaining to boot.
Nor did she care about the newest breakthrough in skin care as she already had a specialized

regimen.
When Ben walked back, Amelia had found an old episode of some sitcom that she
hadnt watched in forever. He carried the towel in one hand and only wore a pair of shorts that rode
low on his hips. The reveal was extremely mouthwatering and made her even more wary of being
naked in his presence. He wasnt huge, but well-honed and lean. Every muscle of his chest and
abdomen were in stark relief, visible for her hungry eyes to devour.
He was dusted faintly with golden hair all over, and the tiny filaments only added to
the masculinity he exuded from every pore. Ben climbed into the bed as if it were his own and
grinned.
I used to love this show.
She could do small talk, especially after the heavy conversation that they had earlier.
I just happened on it the other day. This satellite has so many channels that I didnt even know
existed.
Yeah and the bad part is that all of them show the same thing. True.
Exactly.
Ben cocked his head to the side and looked at her strangely. Really, she had no idea
what his expression meant. Are you opposed to sharing a bed with me?
That was from the left field, Amelia thought and the pun made her feel mirthful. No
why?
Because you are clinging to the edge, and frankly, it looks uncomfortable as hell.
Oh. That would make sense.
Amelia laughed at herself. Ben was right now that she looked at it. Her body rode
atop the seam along the mattress border in a straight line and she couldnt even roll sideways, lest
she end up in the floor.
His gaze softened and she immediately felt guilty. He was a guest and she made him
feel less than welcome in her home with standoffish body language. Are you afraid to get close to
me? If so, I can sleep in one of the other rooms. Or take the couch.
No, sorry. Its just been awhile since Ive had to share.
Duly noted. But the whole reason I chose to stay was that I didnt want either of us to
sleep alone tonight. He scooted across the expanse half way and looked at her as if he was expecting
her to meet him the remaining distance.

She conceded to the pressure of his gaze and slid over in slow inches until finally the
two of them were side by side. Ben raised one arm and she leaned forward before she lay back atop
the extended extremity. The feel of another person in close proximity to her was disconcerting, nervewracking and despite all of that, amazingly soothing.
It had been so long since she had touched another person that at first, Amelia was
frozen stiff. She couldnt move, she could scarcely breathe. There was no way. The entire tableau
was too intimate, with them in bed and skin to skin at that. They were both dressed, but just the feel of
another person touching her was incredible. It was even more than she remembered. The only hands
that had touched her for years were either her own, or those of a medical professional.
And the lack showed. Ben turned towards her warmth. But, he made no other moves
towards her. It was just his arms around her, their feet touched and that was magical as if something
spread between the two of them like lightening. The tingle of electricity seemed to spark from every
place his flesh met hers.
Turn onto your side for me. Ben asked and he gently caressed her cotton covered
arm. Amelia turned over, aided by the gentle pressure he exerted at her back. So what are we
watching next?
For the remainder of the night, neither of them spoke. There was nothing to say, at least
in part because most of it had already been said. The positioning grew more and more natural over
the course of the night until her eyes closed and she drifted away.

Benjamin watched Amelia, but she stared at the TV. Although he felt like neither of
them watched the show, instead the LCD display watched them. She was still and silent until finally
the moment came when she must have become accustomed to the feel of the man next to her in bed.
Then the shallow breaths lengthened and her muscles relaxed slowly. He appreciated the way she felt
in his arms, the slight weight of her skull pillowed by his arm and the thick curves of her hips flush
with his.
His descent into sleep was much farther away than hers, as he watched her in repose.
Saw the moments where she was unguarded for himself. There was nothing he wanted more than that,
to see the real woman behind the veil she used to protect herself.
Ben closed his eyes and let himself drift away. He rose before dawn and looked over
at his nocturnal companion, bathed in the pinks and oranges that ushered in the day. He had slept that
night with the most incredible sense of peace as if all were right in the world. Amelia still rested so
blissfully that he didnt have the heart to wake her with his need for more of her company.
He stealthily disentangled himself from her, the mass of sheets tangled around them,
beneath them. When he was free from the web of fabric and woman, he made his way into the kitchen

and looked in the cabinets for something to break their fast.

He was lucky as a few minutes into his search he was able to locate some in season
ripe fruits and some really spotty bananas. Ben knew a decent enough recipe for muffins and he used
the sorry bananas to make nutty monkey bread. As the muffins would only take fifteen minutes to bake,
he had a chance of actually having breakfast ready before Amelia woke up.
His timing was exceptional, as no sooner than he pulled the freshly baked muffins from
the stove he could hear stirring above him. Ben placed the hot pan in the freezer and began to dish up
the fruit salad he had made while the bread baked.
Amelia didnt come down immediately and he was able to get the food upstairs although she
wasnt in bed. But her scent was everywhere as if she had perfumed the room with her own essence,
a sensual brew of woman and wild blooming buttercups. He sat the tray on the freshly made sheets,
with a quick decision to see where the woman had gone to. It wasnt as if she could have gone far, he
thought wryly.
As he walked into the master hallway slash closet, he found steam billowing from
beneath the door and he could hear Amelia sing along with her radio. The sounds of the shower were
more apparent as he was closer than before.
But after a few moments, Ben felt like a fool. Here he stood, in front of her bathroom
as if he was a pampered pet waiting for its master to acknowledge him. He turned away, lest he feel
any more of a voyeur than he already did.
No sooner than his back turned to the door, he heard her cry out and Ben did what any
Good Samaritan would. He thrust the door open to see if she was alright.
Liar, you just want to see her naked.
But the sight that greeted him certainly said she was okay. The curtain around the tub
was sheer, and parted at the perfect angle to see her. Amelia was nude, save the scattered bubbles
that revealed little yet in the same vein concealed nothing. Although, she did wear a clear cap atop
her head and he assumed it was to protect her hair from the water. Her flesh was glorious in nudity,
he didnt understand how she was able to degenerate herself the way she had before. He could barely
see that she was injured before.
Ahhhh! She screamed out at the sound of the door even before she could see the
disturbance he presented with the amount of soap in her eyes.
Its just me Amelia. He watched her rinse her face beneath the spray of the water.
What are you doing in here Ben? She cried out and he smirked, but he was sure that
she couldnt see him. Especially, considering how concerned she was with concealing her modesty.

She appeared torn, he could see that she wanted to hide her womanly parts from him,
and she wanted to hide her scarred skin as well. Her hands couldnt do both, and her fingers flexed as
they scattered over her body in a hyperactive sprawl. All the motions did was expose her even more,
highlighted the flesh that the bubbles had effectively concealed before.
Dont hide from me Amelia.
B-bbut
But nothing. He laughed, this was perfect. Let me help you out.
How? She gasped out at last as he walked towards her.
Turn around. Amelia cringed and finally she must have decided there was no way
she could exit the situation gracefully. It was in that moment that she decided to comply with his
request and turned her back to him.
Ben took the loofah that she used on her own skin just a moment before, rinsed it and
re-lathered with the body wash she used. He rubbed the scratchy sponge over her, started with her
neck then rubbed over her spine. Every inch of her back was given similar care. Once she was
gentled to his touch, he finally allowed her to feel his bare hands as he kneaded over the tight muscles
at her nape.
At the bare contact of his fingers, she shuddered slightly, the shivers told a story that
her lips wouldnt. Or couldnt. She was his, the woman of his dreams, the woman he needed even
before he knew what he sought from Kylie all those years ago. But they were worlds apart, and he
didnt think that he was perfect. Far from it. In fact, she was closer to the state than he was.
She just didnt know it.
Her eyes were closed so tightly that he wondered what she was trying to escape from.
Was his touch repulsive to her? Was she repulsed by the idea of him forever, the same way that Kylie
seemed to be? Her head sagged and he felt the water splash his chest in fat droplets, now that her
body no longer fully diverted the stream.
Look at me Amelia. She turned her head and he looked at her, truly looked into her
eyes and saw something that astounded him.
She wanted him. Her eyes were soft with love but heat behind them burned violently
with lust. Ben had never seen a woman who seemed so hungry, yet so removed. She was still and
quiet, as if she were afraid of the heat between them. He wondered how a woman could be so vital,
but still able to keep herself composed as if her needs had no sway over her reactions.
Ben wasnt afraid of it. Actually, he felt as if he wanted to revel in it. He cupped the
injured cheek in one hand and lowered his forehead to hers. The pants that he wore were sodden with

water and he clasped her hand with his, bringing the meshed digits to the liquid logged band to push
the fabric to the bottom of the tub.
She refused to look at his as the pants wetly plopped to the tiles. But he wasnt having
that.
Look at me, Amelia, or Im going to think that I repulse you.
No. Im far from repulsed Ben.
Then why are you hiding from me?
Because, I dont know whats next.
Really? Well, if you havent had that talk yet, I can pencil you in. He chuckled and
waggled his brows. The short version is, usually when two people love each other, they put tab A
and slot B together, and thats how babies are made.
Amelia gasped then started laughed uncontrollably, finally her eyes met his and he was
grateful that instead of shadows he saw mirth. Even if it broke the mood a little, he could recover that.
His hand still gingerly cupped the scarred skin and he pulled away before he leaned in and kissed
every inch of her jaw then gave the flesh up to her forehead the same treatment.
I didnt mean that next, Ben But he saw her put two and two together and get the
four she was mean to. Wait? Did you say
He cut her off. I did Amelia. He smiled as her eyes dampened and he watched one
warm tear escape her right eye that he kissed away from her cheek. Although the left one was
threatening to do the same and his thumb caressed the soft flesh beneath her eye as the water dripped
from her lashes.
Can we get out of here? She smiled brightly.
Sure can. He leaned into her and pushed the valve until the water ran from the faucet
instead of the shower.
Amelia turned the knob at her back until the water stopped running. Ben stepped from
the shower and pulled her into his arms. He carried her through the closet framed hallway until they
dripped in front of the bed.
Oooh Ben and you made breakfast? Wow.
Yeah, I made breakfast. But I find Im hungry for more than a mere snack right now.
I didnt have any muffins. She looked at him, her eyebrow cocked up questioningly.

I baked them with the bananas you had in the kitchen.

If you can make those bananas look this good, I dont want to know what you could
do with real food and time. Amelia laughed and he loved the brightness of her smile. Her teeth could
rival the sun and the light in her eyes made her glow.
He wondered what she would look like in the glow of their lovemaking, or aglow with
their child.
Theres only one way to find out.
Ben sat her at the edge of the bed and handed her one of the still warm muffins.
Go ahead.
She looked at him and took a fat bite of the crusty exposed edge at the top.
Mmmm Amelia muttered around the half-masticated mouthful. But Ben had other plans for her
right now, though all she had to do was eat and he would take care of the rest in short order.
Ill be right back. He winked and walked away.
Ben searched for a bottle of lotion. He knew she would need the lubricant on her skin
to keep the scar tissue supple. There had to be some that was medically prescribed. He didnt find
anything with a scripted label. But he did find a jar with a thick viscous unguent and he knew he hit
pay dirt as the lid opened. The balm smelled like honeysuckle.
He carried the jar out and brought it with him back to the bed. In the few minutes he
was away, Amelia had polished off half of the huge muffin. Not to mention, she had covered herself
with a robe.
Take it off. He said, and the statement was far from a question.
But Im naked!
Hmm, and here I thought that was obvious. As you can see, you wont be alone. He
looked down at his cock, which had begun to thicken with her bold appraisal. I had wondered for a
long time, why you always smelled like my childhood. Honeysuckle drifted past me every time I was
within eye shot of you. I like it.
Thanks, I make it myself.
He sat the jar down and pulled the ties of the robe apart to reveal a strip of tan flesh
that never saw daylight. He could tell as the skin there was several shades lighter that her face, hands
and feet.
Go ahead, finish your muffin Amelia.

Uh Okay.
When she put her lips back to the half-eaten baked good, he opened the jar and
scooped a handful up. Ben rubbed his hands together to warm the contents and slathered her legs and
feet. When he had spread the balm over her skin she gasped and choked a bit on the crumbs in her
mouth. Ben leaned over and handed her a cup of juice from the tray.
Amelia finally took a normal breath and he resumed as she sat the mug back down.
You okay? He asked and she didnt verbally respond. Instead she nodded once and
he let his fingers speak for him.
At first the digits roamed her feet, caressed the skin over her ankles and palmed the
bottom. She groaned and he smiled, Finish your muffin.
You are crazy. How do you expect me to eat while youre touching me?
Yes, I am crazy enough to expect for you to eat the muffin I baked for you while I rub
your body all over. And thats not all you have on your plate either.

Chapter Ten: Literal and Figurative Muffins for Breakfast

Amelia was stupefied. Here she was eating a muffin that the man before her was kind
enough to bake, and she was barely able to swallow a single bite. Well, she amended as she looked at
said muffin, she had the opportunity to eat half of the delicious thing. But every morsel that she had
eaten seemed to become a paste inside her mouth that no amount of swallowing could dissipate.
The balm he used to rub her feet and calves was made in her own kitchen. It was a
bunch of things, shea and cocoa butters, coconut oil and her personally handmade blend of scents.
One of which was honeysuckle, along with lavender and Moroccan vanilla. But the country boy he
was, he noticed the honeysuckle above everything else.
Though, she couldnt bother with the idea of what she used to make her unguent, he had
her discombobulated at the first touch of his fingers. She had never touched herself the way he was.
Her hands had never rubbed over her flesh as if the expanse was worth savoring. Ben did. He treated
every caress of skin as if it were worthy of love. But she couldnt eradicate the thought that as soon as
he reached the parts of her that were disfigured, his hands would shy away.
His hands had reached her lower thighs and now more than ever, Amelia was fearful
of what he would find at the apex of the limbs. She was more than wet, and there was no way the
questing digits could miss her feminine nectar. Um, dont you think you should eat?
That sounds like the best idea either of us has had all day. Ben smiled at her, and
she offered a slivered wedge of mango that she sandwiched between two bits of kiwi. He shook his
head. Feed me, Amelia.
She placed the fruit between his lips.
Do you want more? She asked.
Yes.
But when she leaned over to offer another wedge of fruit, this one an apple slice, Ben
didnt take it. Instead his eyes lowered and she could see that he was ogling her wet thighs and sticky
sex. He licked his lips and spread her knees, which she had pinned together in embarrassment.
I think what I want isnt on the menu.
She opened her lips to speak, but before she could stop him or ask for more, his
fingers parted the lips of her wet cunt and she was left speechless. He studied each crevice with his
eyes and Amelia waited with bated breath for what she knew was coming.
But she was wrong. Instead of the fingers she assumed he would probe and manipulate
her with, it was his mouth that descended on her fleshy folds. Amelia knew that people performed

oral sex on each other, but she had never personally had the chance to feel lips on her pussy.
But no matter how much she had imagined the hands would feel on her, the tongue he
probed her with was ten times more sublime. Amelia groaned and the left over bit of muffin was
quickly forgotten. His mouth was everywhere, as if he inhaled her cunt whole for one hugely greedy
bite. The sensations were so elaborately woven, almost diabolical, that each nerve sang in joy.
She panted and watched him taste her, the dining on her flesh so through and complete
that she was unable to do anything more than clench his hair and squeeze her legs around the bulk of
his shoulders.
You like that? He asked, but the question had to be rhetorical. There was no way he
could expect her to respond to him verbally. But he waited for her response. Once she nodded
frantically, he lowered his head again. And yet, even though she logically knew what to expect, she
was still was unable to contain her gasps and cries of pleasure.
I-I-Im going to No sooner than she said it, did he plunge two fingers into her
convulsing snatch. Then what she had threatened was now a reality as he jabbed the tips of his fingers
at a spot near the entry of cunt.
Her body bucked, no longer under her own control, nor did she try to cease her hips
from jerking as wave after wave drowned her within a sea of seduction. When he ceased toying with
her cunt, Amelias head lowed back to the headboard. Her skull thudded against the heavy wood, but
even the slight pain was not enough to wipe the smile from her lips.
She opened her eyes and looked over at Ben, he now laid on his side and faced her.
She roved her gaze over the landscape of man before her. Amelia was so hungry for more that her
ogle hungrily ate the flesh from his bones, yet he remained whole and healthy before her.
Amelia wanted to give him the same pleasure she just had. She wanted him to lose himself to her
lips the same way she had lost herself under his mouth. Her tongue itched to feel the thick cock in
front of her. The meaty club hung south, fat and the eye wept a droplet of pre-cum that she so wanted
to taste the consistency and flavor of.
Ben smirked Nuh-uh. You cant have that yet.
Why not? She was truly confused.
Because I want you to eat your breakfast, Amelia and I dont think thats too much to ask.
That is asinine, Im an adult and if I want my dessert first, then thats my prerogative.
True. But I think if you eat first, then youll have energy for all of the fun were about to have.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander, Benjamin.

Ah, I do love wise women who can spout proverbs at the drop of a hat.
Huh. She grunted. Seems like you would stop talking and start eating then.
Ladies first. But she saw how he looked askance at the discarded muffin, now a mass of
crumbs on the pillow next to her. Only then did she realize he wore a fistful of crumbs in his hair and
she had dough under her fingernails.
She stood and more of the crumbs scattered to the floor.
Ben dismantled the sheets and watched him toss the mass into the hamper. Amelia ducked into
her closet where she had a small vacuum that she could use on the floor. When she came back he was
already fitting a new sheet to the bed.
No flat sheet? She asked as he tugged new pillowcases on.
No need, were only going to toss it aside once it gets in the way. But I can put it on if you
want.
Please? She said as she turned on the small handheld vacuum. Amelia knew she was a bit
OCD, but she couldnt stand the idea of a less than fully made bed.
As the lady wishes. Ben shook the sheet out and the luxurious cotton billowed across the
bedding. When she placed the vacuum back in the closet, Ben had already finished with the sheet and
the corners were perfectly tucked in with military precision.
Im going to have a quick shampoo, as I think I would get kicked out of your bed for sprinkling
crumbs everywhere.
But she thought about it as he walked away. After what he just did? She wasnt throwing him out
of bed for eating crackers anytime soon.
He returned just a handful of minutes later. Amelia lounged in bed and snacked on the tray of
room temperature fruit and cold muffins. Ben sat down next to her, the tray between them and Amelia
couldnt resist a not-so-covert glance over the hollow V of hips that perfectly framed his now
softened cock.
She held a dripping mango wedge out, her hand cupped to catch the juices. He accepted the
offering with one slurp of his lips, but before she could pull her hands back, he grabbed each wrist in
his hands. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. He took the sticky hand that held the
fruit and licked the fructose-laden trails from her finger tips, down the digits, bathed over the palm to
suckle at her wrist.
Amelia panted and opened her other hand to offer up the sugar coated extremities. A light

entered his eyes and he bent his head to suck at the juices that collected there. His tongue dipped
between her fingers and he nibbled over her knuckles.
When he finished, she panted and he did too. Thats what I call the best part of waking up.
Ben smiled, followed with a healthy chuckle. Mmm, we havent gotten to the best part yet.
He lifted the tray and set the wicker on the floor as Amelia got an up close and personal look at
the play of muscles framing his spine. There wasnt much extra to Ben, he was all sculpted body and
lithe musculature, but what there was of him was spectacular. She was nowhere near a slouch when it
came to her physical fitness, but she was a couch potato compared to him.
Ben turned back to her. Now thats out of the way, I think I asked you to do something earlier
and you still havent done it yet.
She had no idea what he was talking about, until his gaze raked over her from hair to heels.
Amelia looked down only to realize he meant her robe. She only had to feel the warmth of the sun at
her back to know how sunny the morning was. When she took away the concealment of the terry cloth,
he would see everything.
He seemed to take pity on her, or he was truly impatient, as he leaned in and tugged at the belt
once more. The terry parted and exposed her inch by inch of decade old marred flesh. Amelia only
dropped her eyes to gaze at his perfection, a perfect foil to the discolored and thickened skin on her
shoulder and chest. It took every iota of strength she had not to try and cover herself from his view.
But Ben seemed to understand her fears and he reached out with one hand. She fought the urge to
cringe away and offer the single perfect breast she had on the other side. She didnt, and her personal
fight was validated when his fingers scrolled over the marred skin. Amelia never imagined that she
would ever feel anything there again. She knew there was sensation, knew that she could feel pain, the
pinch of bra stays and straps irritated her. But not that pleasure would be so strong. And she had no
idea that it would be enough to make her knees weak.
Can you feel me when I touch you here? His eyes seemed to confirm his question, as if he truly
wanted to know if he could give her pleasure on the marred areas the same as the untouched parts of
her.
Yes. She forced her throat to work and the result was throaty with a punctuating moan.
Good. Im going to touch you in different ways. All I need is for you to tell me what feels good
and what doesnt.
O-okay.
Lay back for me, Amelia.

Her chest heaved as she leaned over to recline fully on her back. Ben turned sideways and
propped his head up on one fist. The other hand scrolled over her flesh busily as he drew errant
patterns along her skin. Bens fingers gave the occasional rasp of callouses that teased her
unmercifully.
How does this feel? He skipped along the seam of the damage.
Good. She groaned.
How about this? His fingers scrolled over her tiny half nipple.
Yes.
I think I love this nipple. I think we should dub it niplet.
What the hell is a niplet? The term hed coined was funny and she wasnt sure whether she
should laugh or be offended.
But she didnt get the chance to choose for herself. Ben never responded as he was rapt with
attention, lips open wide then fastened onto the nubbin of flesh. Her hands clenched his hair. Her back
bent forcing more of her breast into his hand, into his mouth as she wordlessly asked for more. This
time he opened his mouth wide and sucked as much as he could in, drew his cheeks into hollows with
the pressure.
Please Ben! Amelia couldnt wait anymore.
Not yet.

Chapter Eleven: Take Me

As Ben pulled her robe away, he had never imagined she was hurt the way that she had been.
The scarring was worse from the neck down. Yet, the marred skin didnt disturb him, even as he
knew that a few years ago in his quest for perfection, it might have. But regardless of what she had
been through before, he was here now and he planned to be around for a long time. He would never
let another person hurt her again.
She was truly special and he had never imagined that he would ever meet a woman like her. He
didnt even know someone like her would exist. And that she could be his. Amelia had all of the inner
beauty hed sought with Kylie and she was lovely to boot. The scars didnt repulse him, in fact, he
could barely see them. He estimated that her breast had taken the worst of the damage from the attack.
But the flesh rolled over his tongue, the taste of her just as supple as she was everywhere else.
He hoped that she could be able to feel the way he loved her skin with his mouth. All he really
wanted was for her to feel pleasure from his touch, never pain.
She responded sweetly, her need cried out to him as he cradled her body against his. She was
outrageously decadent against his tongue and he wanted so badly to feel the rest of her. Amelia was
going to scream his name most of the morning and if all worked out, the afternoon too. He wanted to
fuck her so badly that little else mattered, but he made the time to work her need into an intense fire
that would steal her breath away.
The only problem he saw was that he only had one condom. It was just the one men tended to
carry in their wallets, and he was no exception to the usual rule. If he could just make the patience, he
could go to his store and get a box from there. But that was for later on, hed rather be right where he
was at the moment.
Amelia was apparently through with waiting as her hands seemed to be everywhere. She would
rub him in one spot, only to tease another and even quicker than he could process the sensations. Her
fingers stroked his nape with one hand, and the other caressed his left buttock. When she stroked his
scalp, her digits roved his hip as if she sought more than the confines of the R-rated play at war with
their mutual state of NC-17 nude. He didnt either, but he was patient enough to wait for her to come
to a nice full simmer before they boiled over together.
Ben, she groaned his name and clenched her short nails into the buttock shed so recently
caressed, please! The volume escalated at the last word and her needs seemed to intensify his own
so much higher than before.
Yeah baby? He asked as if he had no idea what she pleaded for.
But he knew and he just waited for the pitch of ecstasy to hit her voice, the one that would signal
her peak was close enough for her to taste the impending orgasm. Ben lowered his fingers to her
undulating snatch, where he delved the fingers into the wet seam. Amelia bucked again, this time the

slit parted to reveal the fluffy, aroused inner folds and he ran his digits over the soft skin.
I need this to last forever, and when I get inside of you, Ill consider myself lucky to last one
minute.
I dont care. Her voice was a drawn out complaint.
But I do. We only have the one condom, so if I waste it now He didnt think expansion on
that statement was even needed.
Yeah, I dont have any either.
I thought so. I plan to go to the store later, but I plan on savoring you for hours before I go
anywhere.
Amelia shivered and clutched him even tighter. Can I taste you at least?
That sounds like the second best idea all morning. Amelia laughed and he rolled over onto his
back. Come here and put your pussy on my face.
She gasped and he wondered if she was offended by his language. But she climbed over him and
his mouth watered, he wanted to taste the dripping scented flesh more than he wanted inside of her.
Wait, turn around and face the other way. She turned around. Now you can have what you
asked for and I can have what I want too. Amelia lowered her lips to his shaft and he grasped her
hips to pull her onto his mouth.
But he nearly forgot what he was about to do when she took her first exploration of his shaft and
laved her tongue over the head. He groaned into her wet cunt, caused a chain reaction that forced her
to gyrate wildly on his lips and her mouth to fasten around the head of his cock.
Yes he grunted. Just like that Amelia so good. He broke the connection of lips to labia
to hiss the words at her, the tone so vehement that he sounded as if he cursed the agility of her oral
skillset. She was utterly decadent, a sinful sampler of feminine seductive wiles.
Mmmm The only response she made was a quick murmur to greet his arousal with
vibrations that bathed over his cock with a deliberate intent, as if the stiffened erection were
delicious to her palate.
He rolled his tongue over her clit and nibbled with his lips over the fat pearl of nerves. She
squeaked and he pressed on, when he probed two of the fingers from the hand clasping her ass inside
of her juicy walls. Her mouth went crazy on his cock, he couldnt see the bob of her head up and
down the shaft, but he could feel every agile movement of her orifice.
Amelia sucked his cock better than any hooker ever could have, better than he ever imagined a

blow job being. Every caress he gave her was served back to him ten times over and their oral play
was the best example of what karma really meant. He never felt a nip of teeth, only soft wetness and
suction greeted him. His cockhead was given the chance to greet her esophagus when she swallowed
along the mushroomed bulb. Her breaths were controlled huffs into the tightly drawn up sacs beneath
the stalk and the warm air tickled strangely against the closely cropped hairs.
He wasnt going to last much longer at this rate. Ben would call himself a lucky man to hold out
for five minutes and only then if he brought her along for the ride. She may have smelled like
honeysuckle before. But when he tasted her right from the source, it was as if she spouted a pure
fountain of sweetness for his delectation.
He didnt want to stop even knowing the more pleasure he gave, the more he was going to
receive until he was beyond holding back. Damn, he wondered how in the hell her ex had left her
with her wicked mouth, her lips were made to service cock. Ben was going to have to make a mental
note to ask her about that later.
He was too close to coming to ask for anything at the moment, but to persevere. Ben
almost thought it was impossible, but he thought about baseball. That train of thought brought him to
the topic of how hed left the game and the shame associated with his injury. Even though the
memories were slightly bittersweet, her magic mouth still kept him a hairs breadth from the brink.
Ben was sure that if he didnt do something and fast, he was going to pull the trigger
and explode. He dragged the sodden digits from between her soaked slit, and laved his tongue from
clit to anus. No sooner than his breath caressed the dark cavern she jerked and released his cock with
a healthy groan. Bingo.
He had found all he needed to make her scream. The tip of his tongue made the first
foray inside of the undiscovered territory. She tasted more savory and less sweet here, but the
differences were just as delightful.
Ahhh She grunted around his cock.
He felt the need in her groan all the way down to his toes. Shit! Fuck the foreplay,
he thought. Ben had no choice but to go for it, he only had a few seconds left at best and he could
come right now at worst.
He probed the tightly crinkled skin with one of the soaked fingers hed lubricated in
her cunt just moments before. She pushed willingly back into the pressure and he was able to give her
the full length. Once he saw she was able, he quickly pulled back and gave her the full length of the
sodden pair. Ben rolled his tongue over her clit once again and sucked the throbbing nodule into his
wide open mouth.
She screamed into a face full of his crotch, and he gasped Amelias name into her
bobbing pussy. He nearly drowned and died a happy man when her cunt spurted her sweet orgasmic
nectar onto his waiting tongue. The liquid he was unable to drink from the source rolled up his face

and half way into his nose. Although that was no impediment and his orgasm was on the heels of hers.
But the rapid swallows around the swollen head of his cock spoke to the fact that she did a much
better job than he had of not wasting the vital juices.
She tried to roll away and fall onto the soft give of the mattress but he had her tightly
clasped by the hips. He couldnt let her go. Ben wouldnt let her go. There had never been such a
feeling of well-being and joy before, not as an adult man, and not even the rest from the night before
could compare to this. He had no idea when his idle curiosity had transformed into the unearthed
emotions of love. But he was head over heels for her, and all he knew for certain was that it happened
somewhere between now and the moment hed first heard her voice over the phone.
That was amazing. Her voice was slurred, the intonation one of impassioned
drunkenness.
Sure was. He rotated the fingers still plugged in her anus and she quivered
deliciously. Ready for round two?
Amelia shuddered and gasped as even more of her cream sluggishly wept from her
cunt. Yeah, Im ready.
Then come here. She slowly turned around until she rested next to him on her side.
He kissed her, let her taste her own juices and his sticky skin. She nipped his chin, now covered in
the short bristle of emerging stubble.
Now roll over for me and face the window. He leaned over and picked up his wallet to locate
the single precious condom that hed gotten for Christmas two years ago. The bi-fold contained a
rubber that his sister had put inside for his gag gift. He remembered what she said like it was
yesterday.
I know its supposed to be a joke, but I really want you to use it. His sister, Edith, looked at
him earnestly as if she truly wanted nothing more than world peace and for him to get laid to have
the magic of Christmas made valid.
And now here he was using the latex sheath to make love with the woman he adored almost two
years later. Amelia turned her head and he spied the hunger in her gaze as he rolled the rubber on. He
took her jaw into his hands and kissed her to give himself a precious moment to regain some
semblance of self-control.
Ben rubbed his hand over her exposed arm and nibbled her lip, just before he slid his
hand to her knee. He lifted the limb upwards until he could feel the heat of her cunt warm his thigh.
Ahhhh, perfect. He rocked his hips back and forth, allowed nature to take its course as their bodies
fell into the angle and alignment needed to fulfill their lusts completely.
Amelia rocked against the hard pipe he nestled against her apex. The movement
appeared borne of desperation as she mewled when she didnt get what she wanted.

Please, Ben.
Do you think youre ready for this? He asked, but she answered without words, her
hands greedily fisted his cock from between her spread thighs.
Yea, I can safely say that. The high pitch of her voice was accented when Amelias
head rocked backwards, the crown of her skull pinned under his chin as her spine arched.
The curve of her spine finally achieved what her machinations had not. His cock head
poised at the opening to her sex flesh, wet with dew and frothy from her prior orgasms. The heat was
too much to resist and Ben flexed his hips, once, twice, thrice, then again. She was extremely tight and
the result was that he had to fight for every inch his cock claimed into her cunt. He couldnt even
fathom how good she felt, the wet walls sopped his shaft the way breakfast biscuits sponged up
country gravy and he refused to stop sheathing himself.
He repeated the staccato thrusts until he was fully seated inside of her milking cunt. She was his
best cheerleader as she cried his name repeatedly with every movement he made. The sound of his
name being chanted over and over made certain his erection was harder than forged iron. Ben made
sure to re-gift the length back to her as she was responsible for every thick inch of it.

Ben Ahhh, please Ben! I cant take anymore Fuck me, Ben, please! Amelia
pleaded with him for surcease, for it to never cease, and really, she wasnt sure which she asked for.
He was so good to her body, made every organ alight like decorated Christmas trees
and she never wanted the feelings to end. Each nerve she could lay claim to was his, all zipped
sensations to her pussy. Even each breath she took was to support the needs of her throbbing sex.
There was so much to feel around her, even the brush of his scraggly beard rasping over her skull
made her cunt crave more cock.
Amelia only knew she couldnt take the waiting game any longer. The needs had
boiled into a seething, teeming mass of lust, desire, love, want, and longing that she never imagined
could co-exist in the same headspace before. She wanted to feel him deeper, wanted to look at him,
gaze upon him while they made love.
I want to see you.
And here I thought we were out of good ideas.
Never that.
Now, Im going to tell you this, but its a secret. He whispered against her earlobe.
What is it? She whispered back.

Were going to roll over, and Im going to fuck you hard for five, maybe ten minutes
tops. But after that He rubbed one finger in a swirl pattern over her marred breast, where the
areola should have been. It was utterly delicious to feel him caress over the flaw she kept hidden at
all costs for so long.
Ill take option one Ben! Amelia joked, her tone one of a cheesy game show host
and he chuckled at her impression.
Good, seeing thats what I have to offer. He pried their bodies apart, goaded her
hips into rolling forward as his scooted backward.
The pop of his cock on exit made each of them groan. Amelia lay back this time
propped onto the pillows against her spine and she wanted Ben back inside her, where he belonged.
He rolled atop her and she parted her thighs to make him welcome. His thick member once again
rested between her thighs and no sooner than their hips met, she rocked back and forth in an attempt to
deepen their shallow penetration.
She wanted to be at one with him, only this time there was a need to see the hunger she
had mirrored in his gaze.
I thought you promised me five to ten minutes of good loving Ben.
Hmm, I dont think I said the word loving at all. The delivery the sentence was
blunt, but his eyes twinkled with mirth as he said it.
She agreed, he didnt say it, but his body told another story. Yeah, I think youre right
about that one.
At that second Ben shocked her when he pulled her left leg high and planted the calf
atop his shoulder. His cock slid deeper and farther into her than he had before, so much so that she
couldnt keep the cry from escaping her throat.
Thats better huh? He asked her, but there was nothing Amelia could do to make her
mouth work. The only sounds she was capable of were grunts of greedily satisfied pleasure at his in
stroke, and groans of denied fulfillment when he tugged away.
Amelia never imagined she could be so wanton, as if she were capable of any act this
man desired. And she would find no hesitation when she did it either. She clutched his shoulders
with one hand and the other fisted his soft hair at the base of his neck. Her hips clashed with his, a
duet of cymbals crashing, until finally there was nothing more to hold back.
Ben stopped just before Amelias orgasm crested. He ceased the incessant digs of
cock inside her, slowed the rocking of his hips and he released the leg pinned skyward.

My knee isnt going to hold up like this Hold on for just a minute. He clasped
each of Amelias hands within one of his and scooted over the edge of the bed.
His feet now stood on the bedside mat and her hips were just over the rim of mattress.
Ben leaned over her, and pulled their joined hands over Amelias head. Her spine arched and flexed,
although the angle he pinned her body into would allow only the slightest of movements. But it only
took him a moment to get his footing as he slowly withdrew his cock until only the head remained
sandwiched in her snatch.
However slow Ben was to retract his cock at exit, he was twice as fast to rebound
back. Amelia gripped his hands to ground her in her body before she rocked into him for all she was
worth. After the first few slow strokes their bodies were back at the punishing strokes of before, and
Amelia reveled in it. After all of these years, she had written about good sex, imagined she knew
what it was all about. But she had never experienced it. She had never known what it was that she
claimed the hero and heroine of her stories experienced each time they were tossed together on the
black and white of newsprint.
And damned if she hadnt gotten most of it wrong.
Good sex was so much more than physical, it was chemical too, and a million other
things that she couldnt describe. It was all of the things that made humans special of all the animal
kingdom combined into a sixth sensory organ, the sexual sense. That sense was the amalgam of
everything that made humans the top of the food chain. She could smell him, so well that even if she
were blind she could find him.
Her eyes were locked with his, and the intensity of emotions that welled within her
chest nearly enough to ensure she had a stroke. She could taste him, even now the flavor of the
contents his cock spewed into her mouth were a memory her tongue savored. She could feel him, of
course how could she not? He was around her, inside her, and delighted her.
But strangely the feel of making love was completely different than the sex she had with the man
she was to marry before. Why was that? She wondered, but the thought was unable to remain for long.
Bens hips changed the angle of penetration as his cock rocked over the spot hed caressed with his
fingers just a short handful of hours ago.
Its so good. He kept saying the words over and over, as if he couldnt believe how wonderful
it all felt. As she agreed, Amelia closed her eyes and panted when she nodded her head in consensus.
Glad its not just me. Ben chuckled and closed his eyes.
He knelt, his lips met hers and he made one more digging foray into her heaving, swallowing
snatch. The pressure, angle, Ben, the erotic aspects of everything around her combined into a fierce
storm she had no control over. Just before she detonated, she remembered something.
Ben was wrong. He lasted much more than ten minutes.

Although he was right, those were the best moments of her life.
The universe imploded into a supernova of pleasure, after that all she knew was the lights went
out and no one was home.
Amelia woke in a smothering blanket of heat. Every inch of her body tingled in a way
that she had forgotten about after her years of celibacy. Ben was still inside of her, his cock a sticky
cunt plug that marinated in their mingled juices. Damn, she had missed some key elements when she
wrote her erotic novels. She had missed so much over the last years of crafting literary art that she
could only be grateful that her readers hadnt sent her mutinous emails about the lack of reality in
some of her characters sexploits.
But despite the ironic track her thoughts took, all for once was right in her world.
Ben must have felt just as exhausted as she did. He still snored heavily within repose, the drone
of his breathing was hard to ignore.
I have no idea how I am supposed to sleep next to that every night?
On second thought? It doesnt matter. Hes not going to get much sleep anyway.
She giggled, the sound was out of place, not only within her usually silent four walls,
but the fact that the joyful noise emerged from her throat as well. Amelia idly stroked her hand over
his skin, just took the time to enjoy the feel of him next to her as she catalogued the differences
between them. Wholly perfect versus imperfect. Male versus female. Rough elbows versus crinkled
knees. Anything that she could reach was hers to savor and learn while he slept on.
Amelia lazily removed herself from the physical restraints of his limbs. She crept from
the bedroom with two intentions. The first was to start a meal. She was starving and she assumed that
he would feel the same. That is, after he woke up. The second was to take a shower. It would be more
fun with him, but in the same token, she didnt want him to see her daily toilette. It was too private
somehow, to have a man watch her go about her daily routine and she wasnt certain if she was ready
for that much intimacy.
That was laughable, too much intimacy?
Its not like he hadnt seen it all anyway, she thought, then chuckled again.
Now hes got you confused enough to use double negatives, Amelia?
Thats not a good look for a well-known author.
Dinner was a simple affair, just a couple of jars of stew she had canned earlier in the year
tossed into the crock pot to warm for a while. She would have enough time to take her much needed
shower. But when she came back Ben sat in bed with her latest novel in his hands.

I hope you dont mind, I saw it on top of the night stand. My copy is in the truck. Her mouth
dried up into a pasty thing, dry and sticky. He was going to figure it out eventually. There was too
much of the area in this novel as the story was about a local grocery owner who finds a body in the
store. The owner was the prime suspect and enlists the detectives help. The store owner looked like
Ben, so much so, that she may as well have put his picture on the cover.
And unlike her usual novels, this one was more about the owner than the Detective himself. She
had already received a few emails from fans about the change. Most liked the new guy, but who she
really worried about was just across the room from her. He still watched her expectantly.
But she had no idea what to say.

Chapter Twelve: Four Can Only Keep A Secret If Three Are Dead
Amelia? Ben called her name as he watched the adorable woman across from him nervously
shuffle her feet and bite her lips. He could hear how sticky her mouth was, a dry click from her tongue
the only sound coming from her direction.
Uh yeah, its okay. She ducked her head.
There was much to laugh about. He already knew why she was so nervous.
Let her flounder for a little bit.
Ben had already read and enjoyed Amelias latest novel. He waited for her to bring it up and she
never said a thing. He liked the idea of being a hero in her book. In fact, the literary version of him
was better than the actual man she used to pattern the character behind. Ben could throw a punch or
two, but he was no brawler. He could do a quick two step for about five minutes, but he was far from
a ballroom dancer. And he had no idea how to make a bomb from kitchen supplies either.
But he hoped that she would like him as he was. Imperfections and all.
The same way he liked her and all of the traits that made her beautifully human.
He flipped through the fresh pages, found the place he sought and began to read. It was time to
shake things up a bit.
the grocer was unlucky enough to be the sole person with a grudge against the woman. After
all she was his ex-wife, and the alimony payments were high.
They were pretty expensive. Come on, Baeren paid her ten thousand a month, plus child
support. Amelia replied to his recitation and Ben laughed.
Yeah, that was pretty steep. Worth killing over? Maybe.
Well, Ben, at least the grocer didnt do it. Amelia shrugged her shoulders in an imitation of
innocence.
Yeah, I would have had a hard time swallowing the pill of murder, Amelia Or actually
should I say Ambrose?
She sighed. Guilty as charged.
Were you ever going to tell me?
I dont know for sure. All I can say is that I would have kept it a secret as long as I could.

Really? She was telling the truth. Ben was fairly sure that she would have kept it a secret for
ever, but she was her own worst enemy. Now that he thought about it, the cadence and speech in the
books even sounded like her. He should have put that together a long time ago.
Yeah. You are the only person to ever meet Ambrose Jenner and just one of four people who
knows my real name. So yeah, it would have taken a while. She didnt seem sorry, more like sorry
that she got caught. Ben smiled and thought that he could have plenty of fun with this woman.
Damn Amelia, I love the way your mind works. He really did. She was smart, witty,
beautifulamazing. Everything that he had attributed to Kylie, the so called perfect woman for him,
he had found in Amelia.
Thanks. She seemed shy, as if embarrassed. The concept was cute. Amelia was usually so
secure and self-contained. Ben liked the change, liked that he could see the woman beneath the
turtlenecks and stiff demeanor she used to brush people off.
Ben crooked one finger to ask her to come to him.
She shook her head and backed away from him. Nu uh. I have to take a shower.
That sounds like the best invitation Ive had in the last few hours. He stood up, even as she
backpedaled, his every step towards her was matched by two of hers in the other direction.
Before he could blink twice, Amelia bolted. She ducked into the bathroom, but he was too quick
and her attempts to shut the door behind her were quelled with his shoulder. She laughed and fell
away from the wood as he strode inside the well-appointed space. He couldnt help chuckling at the
picture the two of them made in the large oval mirror on the other side of the room.
Amelia was half-way onto her knees and weak with cachinnation. Though, he wasnt much
better, half-bent over and his chest locked in a vicious cycle of chuckles as well.
Okay the breaks in speech were accented with huffs of air filled with mirth. Okay. But I
wasnt inviting you with me. It was planned to be a solo event. She had one hand held up and the
other cradled the middle of her abdomen.
Havent you heard Amelia?
What? She looked askance at him.
Save water, shower with a friend. That was all she wrote. Amelia fell to her knees and he
watched two tears escape her left eye.
But being the environmentally conscious man he was, Ben was really happy to save water.
After lingering in under the water for thirty minutes, the output of warmth had dwindled to a

lukewarm temperature and he shut the spray off. They dressed, if underwear and robes could be
called actual garb. Although, there were many jokes about the options he had for his robe. Amelia
didnt own a single one that was plain. His choices were a pink plaid, red with hearts, or a lavender
cloud theme, and all seemed to threaten his masculinity.
Amelias homemade chili was delicious and Ben devoured half of the crockpots contents on his
own. She joked that his hearty consumption of the meal was to compensate for the less than manly
options offered for clothing. He was lucky that she ate considerably less than he did or there would
have not been enough for the two of them.
Ben cleaned up as Amelia was kind enough to make sure that there was a hot meal
waiting for him. Afterwards, Ben wanted a replay of the morning, but no sooner than he got the
erection, realized that there were no more condoms.
Damn it! Ben cursed.
What is it? Amelia forehead scrunched the rest of her face into a frown.
I was about to pounce on you, but I forgot.
What? She seemed even more perplexed than before.
Condoms. Just mentioning the lack of latex sheaths made his mouth droop south into a
frown.
Oh yeah. Amelia didnt look any happier about the dearth than he did.
She turned her hands up. Well, how about a game of Parcheesi?
That was the beginning to a beautiful relationship. They did play a laughable game of
Parcheesi, along with a game of Twister that led to a night to remember.
He never got those condoms that evening, but neither of them minded. There was much they
could explore without them, although, he did make a promise to carry his sorry behind to get some the
following morning.
Although, the funny part was, he had to open the store and needed to be there anyway.

Jennifer Willows is the pen name of a romance author who prefers the Multicultural and BDSM
genres. She is a newbie single and a pro at being a mother of two. She still fixes other peoples
mistakes by day, but she makes plenty of time to write at night. No website yet, but just be on the
lookout it will be coming soon (okay, she really has no idea, but shes working on it). Also she wants
to give a reminder: Dont forget that reviews are an authors best friend and please feel free to speak
your mind or tag her books as needed. If anyone would like to hit her up for a chat, complaint, or
questions feel free to email or Facebook at jenwritesureadATgmail.com or tweet her
@wildinthewillow
Happy reading!
Jennifer
Also by Jennifer Willows:
Another Mans Woman
Logannes Run
One Night Stand
Please Me: Parisian Passion (Pt. One)
Please Me: Parisian Punishment (Pt. Two)
Scarred
The Virgin Chronicles
Published by Siren Bookstrand:
Bound by Accident (Book One of the Moreland Brothers)
Lust for Life (Book Two of the Moreland Brothers)
A Harem of One (Book Three of the Moreland Brothers)
Coming Soon:
Not Just a One Night Stand (February 2013)
The Laughing Assassin (April 2013 available at Siren Bookstrand)