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Everything disappeared as we moved together, and when the first twinges started deep in my core and spread outward, I quivered in his arms . As my sheath contracted around him over and over, he groaned. I threaded my fingers through his hair as my other hand pulled him deeper. His cock jerked and twitched inside me, and as I came, warmth filled my insides. If there hadn’t been a condom, his essence would have been inside me.
He collapsed on top of me, his warm weight comforting before he eventually rolled away, the tips of his fingers touching mine for a second before he got out of bed. I slipped almost immediately into sleep after that, barely able to keep my eyes open. Feeling the bed dip briefly, I murmured his name. I thought I felt his arms around me as I surrendered to sleep.
THINKING I’d fallen asleep in his arms made it all the more disorienting when I woke alone in my own bed the next morning. He must have carried me in here, but when? Had it been as soon as I’d passed out, or had he held me for a little while first? Not knowing was going to bother me, but I couldn’t imagine having the nerve to ask. I didn’t know if he had another outing planned for today, since it was Saturday, but I cringed imagining having that conversation somewhere like the zoo.
“So, um, Ben, did you fuck me and then dump me off in my room right away, or did you give me a little pity cuddling first?”
I so didn’t want to hear his answer if it was the first, and even the second wouldn’t do anything to take away the feeling of sadness. I’d known it was a one-time thing, and I thought I’d been prepared for that, but as I sat up and rolled out of bed, I knew I’d lied to myself.
The telltale ache between my thighs made me wince. Bending over to cup my tender bits for support, I saw a piece of paper on the floor. My heart fluttered wildly as I lifted it, expecting it to be a note that had fallen off the bed. It was, but it wasn’t from Ben.
Panic forming a lump in my throat, I ran from my room, not even caring I was stark naked. “Ben!” I shouted his name, and he emerged from his room a moment later, wearing a look of concern. And some pants, which I hadn’t thought to grab.
He frowned at my nakedness before rushing forward. “What’s the matter, Lindsay? Are you hurt? If there’s a little blood, that’s normal...”
I waved the note at him. “It’s nothing like that. Elle ran away.”
CHAPTER 11
BEN
F or just a moment, I stared at Lindsay in shock, unable to comprehend the meaning of her words. She couldn’t actually be saying what she had just said. “Elle ran away.”
There was sadness in her eyes, but it was her sense of urgency as she thrust the note toward me that finally forced my synapses to fire again. I took it and read the brief words and my heart dropped into my stomach, followed by a wave of nausea rolling up toward the back of my throat. “Fuck. Why would she do this?”
Lindsay, still naked, seemed as bewildered as me. “I don’t know. I thought things were getting better for her. It makes no sense.”
I nodded as I clutched the piece of paper in my hand. “Why don’t you go get dressed, and I’ll call in some people to help find her.” I turned away from Lindsay, who was scurrying back to her room as though she suddenly realized she was standing naked in the hallway, and hurried to my office down the hall. Once inside, I immediately dialed Eric’s number. As soon as he answered, I said, “Elle ran away, and I need you to find her. Bring everybody you have. Recruit people if necessary, but we have to get her back as soon as possible.”
“Of course, sir.” He sounded at the ready, which was as comforting as anything could be. “Should we check your ex-wife’s house?”
I grimaced. “Oh
God. I can’t imagine she went there, but if she did, I’d have to bring her back myself. For now, I’d like to keep Ashe out of this.”
“I understand. Should I have someone drive by her house to see if there’s any sign of Elle?”
I shook my head before realizing he couldn’t see me. I was too distraught to think straight. “No, Ashe might recognize you, and she’s probably paranoid enough to be watching for cars if she does have our daughter. I can only send someone she won’t expect.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
After hanging up, I ran a hand through my hair as a heavy sigh racked me. I had to pull my tattered thoughts together.
Elle’s disappearance was completely unexpected, and I didn’t know how to proceed. I’m always in control. I usually had a plan, and what’s more I rarely deviated from it. Being helpless and uncertain had left me feeling lost.
All I knew was I had to bring Elle home, and she had to be kept safe. There was no other option I could accept. I also had to keep Ashe out of it, in case she decided to try to sue for custody again. While I didn’t think she had a chance of winning, and I really didn’t think she even wanted Elle, she knew another drawn-out battle would hurt me. She didn’t care what kind of damage a fight would do to our daughter.
I looked up as my office door opened and Lindsay crept in. She was dressed now, and she looked as lost as I felt. She came toward me, hesitating a few feet away. “What are we going to do?”
I liked how she said “we,” as though we were in this together. We most certainly were, at least when it came to Elle.
As she hovered nearby, looking uncertain, I realized she was waiting for me to reach out to embrace her. I didn’t know if I could. Giving in to that kind of impulse, no matter if I shared it, risked starting something real between us. The last thing I had time to worry about was my love life at the moment, but I couldn’t deny the fact that I needed comfort too.
When I opened my arms, she slipped into them and nestled against me as though she was made to fit. I let out a long sigh, not even realizing I was holding my breath until the moment I released it. “We’re going to find her, and she’s going to be fine,” I said.
She looked up at me, and there were tears on her cheeks. “You can’t know that for sure.”
I cupped her face in mine. “Nothing else is acceptable. We have to bring her home safely.”
