Best Friends Forever

Her tentative smile robbed me of the ability to breathe for a moment, and the flush of pink in her cheeks almost made me dizzy with the effort to resist leaning forward to press my lips to hers. That’s not what employers and employees did.

I forced myself to release her chin, though I swore I could still feel the softness of her skin imprinted against the whorls of my fingertips. Clearing my throat, I looked away from her and bent my head to focus on writing the check. I signed it with a flourish and handed it to her a moment later. “Do you need an advance on your salary, Lindsay?”

She shook her head. “No, thank you. I have enough to tide me over until payday. Oh! That reminds me that I have to turn in my notice at my other jobs.”

“Jobs? How many do you have?”

“Two. I was looking into a third one when Mr. Baylor contacted me. With what you’re paying, including a room, I won’t have to try to juggle the other jobs with school and taking care of Elle.”

I nodded. “Good. Just so we’re clear, Lindsay. Elle is your first priority, okay? If you start to fall behind in school, please let me know, and I’ll arrange a tutor. Whatever you need, I’ll give it to you, as long as you’re focusing on Elle.”

The naughty thoughts suddenly crowding my mind, all the things I’d like to give her—things I shouldn’t be thinking—embarrassed me when I saw the gratitude in her expression. I sh

ielded my eyes and glanced away. “Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

My cock jumped in my pants, and I was back to feeling like an awkward teenager again. I gritted my teeth, not sure if I wanted to advise her to never use that honorific again, or if I wanted to demand she use it every time she was with me.

Dammit, I couldn’t keep losing myself in thoughts of her. “Good. May I drop you somewhere on my way to work?”

She nodded. “My apartment please. I need to pack my things. I might have time to take them over to your place before class.”

I glanced at my watch. “I’ll send Hector back for you after he drops me at the office.”

She looked almost appalled. “I couldn’t let you do that. This car must cost a fortune.”

I laughed. “Yes, but Hector gets paid a salary, and he sometimes complains of being bored during the day. You’d be doing him a favor.”

She looked skeptical. “I think you’re pulling my leg, but since I’m not really in a position to refuse, I’ll let you. Thank you, so much, Mr. Hudson.”

“Ben,” I reminded her with a smoky tinge in my voice I hadn’t intended.

She nodded.

“Say it.” I couldn’t explain it, but I needed to hear my name on her lips.

Lindsay looked hesitant, and was likely confused by my request, but she wasn’t brave enough to refuse it. “Ben,” she whispered with her head bent.

“Look at me and say it, Lindsay.”

Slowly, her head lifted, and her gaze met mine. Her cheeks were flushed, and her plump lips trembled for a moment. “Ben.”

It satisfied me in a way I couldn’t explain as I relaxed against the seat. “Thank you. Now, give me your address. I’ll tell Hector.”

Chapter 6

Lindsay

Thanks to Ben’s generous loan of his car and driver, I was able to grab my things from the apartment and bring them back to the Imperial in a flash. I left a note for the other girls who shared the old place with me let them know I wouldn’t be back. I also left a check for my part of the last month’s rent and managed to slip away before I had to see or talk with any of them.

After that, it was a smooth drive back to his apartment, though the traffic was the usual nightmare. Seated in the back of the limousine, I opened my phone and Googled Ben and Ashe’s names, trying to find out more about the divorce. I told myself it was so I could help Elle, but I knew that wasn’t entirely true. There was definitely a dose of unhealthy curiosity motivating my search, but I refused to look too far into why I might be so interested in the details of their failed marriage.

There were a plethora of articles from two years ago, and while most were from the society pages, some were about legal proceedings. I couldn’t find information on what had prompted the divorce, but I started to piece it together from the many headlines. There were two different ones screaming that Ashe had gone to rehab, and then a third from an undisclosed source who claimed Ashe was using again after losing custody of Elle.

The custody battle itself seemed to expand three months and generated multiple articles with salacious headlines. It sounded like it had been vicious, but Ben had won in the end. Considering Ashe was a drug addict, I wasn’t surprised. If she was as uninvolved with Elle as she’d been when I used to babysit for them, I was kind of surprised she’d bothered trying to get custody at all. Maybe she did it to punish Ben?

By the time I finished snooping, we were close to the Imperial, and I had just enough time to slide my phone into my bag and grab my two suitcases as the car pulled up in front of the building. When it slid into one of the designated spots for limousines, Hector opened the door for me and I popped out. “Thank you.”