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He waited until her breathing evened. She fell asleep splayed on top of him, and his heart surged with joy. No more sleepin’ alone, that’s what he was after with her. He sensed the road to it wouldn’t be an easy one, but she was worth whatever it took to get them there.
He closed his eyes and let himself drift to sleep.
Ben wanted to make time stand still, but the week sped by too quickly. Wednesday night they had dinner in town with Paige and Mark, and then went back to their house. Ben had an acoustic guitar with him, and he and Mark went off to jam for a while.
“Was he on his way when we were in the barn Monday morning?”
“No, he called after I left your place. I wouldn’t have lied to you about it. He wanted to surprise you, so you wouldn’t tell him not to come, and so he got an honest reaction out of you when you did see him.” Paige poured Liv another glass of wine.
“He doesn’t drink.”
“I noticed that when we were in Las Vegas.”
“I didn’t.”
“You were too busy paying attention to what the rest of his body was doing.”
Liv blushed. “Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t bother me, but he hasn’t talked about it. He doesn’t talk much about himself. He asks me plenty of quest
ions, though.”
“He wants to get to know you better.”
“It’s as though he wants to know everything right this minute. Why is he in such a hurry? It’s not natural…he’s forcing it.”
“Have you told him that’s the way you feel?”
Liv shook her head. “And that’s the other thing. I’m not used to having to tell somebody how I feel all the time. I’m used to being alone, Paige. All this togetherness…”
“How long is he staying?”
“Through the weekend, he says. His boys are on vacation with their mom and stepdad.”
“That’s a lot of together time for you, isn’t it?”
Liv didn’t answer. She was enjoying the togetherness. Even after just a couple of days, she liked waking up with him, spending the day together, being a couple.
“What’s he say?”
“About being together? That he wants us to do it as much as we can. I don’t know how that looks, or how it feels, or what his expectations are.”
“You should try asking a few questions of your own.”
Liv woke up before Ben the next morning, put a pot of coffee on, and went out to the barn to feed the horses. Yesterday he had helped her, today she wanted time alone with her routine.
She stroked Micah’s nose as she led him out of the stall. “Let’s get you outside this morning. We’ll take a ride a little later.” She threw the lead up and over Micah’s withers. “What do you think of him? Seems okay, right? And when he leaves, you’ll still be here for me, won’t ya, boy?”
Ben stood outside the barn door, listening to Liv confide in her horse. It sounded more as though she expected him to leave permanently, not just leave at the end of the week. He wasn’t sure how to convince her he wanted more. Only time would show her that. Only a week ago they were in Las Vegas, and he was trying to convince her he wanted to see her again.
He was impatient when it came to her. The more she resisted, the harder he pushed. He didn’t understand it himself, how could he explain it to her?
He came around the corner and cleared his throat. “Mornin’,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. “I was lonely when I woke up and you were gone.”
“You used to having a woman next to you every morning when you wake up, Ben?”
Ouch. He hadn’t expected that from her. “No, can’t say as I am. I can say though, that these last couple of mornings I liked waking up next to you. Not any woman, Liv. You.”
Liv pulled away, leading Micah toward the panel door at the back of the barn. “Be back in a minute.”
