No Strings

I palm the side of her face, letting the words flow now, not overthinking what I’m saying. “I love you, Sav, and being with you makes me feel complete. I thought building my empire did that. I thought with every club I built, I would feel more fulfilled, but now I can see the difference, feel the difference. Those three words don’t feel like nearly enough, but since they’re what people use to express themselves, I need you to know that I love you so damn much, and yeah, having a baby is forever, but I’m okay with that because if it’s up to me, you and me... we’ll be forever.”

Tears fill her eyes, and I worry I’ve said the wrong thing, or maybe it was at the wrong time. Or fuck, maybe it was too much too soon. But then a smile curls at the corners of her lips, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

“I love you too. And forever sounds really freaking good.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Savannah

“I think I picked the wrong place to live.” I sink my toes into the cool sand and stare up at the bright moon hanging in the sky. I don’t know the exact temperature here, but it’s warm enough to have my feet in the water wearing a jersey dress while still cool enough that I’m not sweating.

After we finished eating a delicious dinner at a cute little seafood restaurant that overlooks the Atlantic, we stopped on our walk back to Ben’s beach house to sit and watch the sunset. One of the things I love about Ben’s place is that it’s within walking distance to several shops and restaurants.

“You want to stay here?” Ben asks, his warm, supple lips kissing the side of my neck. I’m sitting between his legs, and he has his arms wrapped around my waist, holding me tight. I can’t remember the last time—if ever—I’ve felt so safe and loved. “Just say the word.” He nips the bottom of my earlobe. “We can stay as long as you want.”

I know he’s only joking, but the thought of staying on this beach with Ben with no end date is kind of tempting. It’s not that I don’t love my life, I do. But I also love the moments when we’re in our own little bubble.

“As much as I—” My words are cut off by the sound of his phone ringing from inside his pocket.

“Hold that thought,” he says, pulling his phone out. “It might be Brody…” When he glances at it, he hums. “I don’t recognize the number. Probably spam.”

“You should get it just in case.”

“Yeah.” He hits answer. “Fields.” He listens for a moment, then, “Yes, this is Benjamin Fields.” Another pause. “Yes.” I can’t hear what’s being said, but Ben’s entire body tightens in response. “How long ago?” He pushes away from me and stands, so I do the same. Something is wrong. I can feel it. He asks a few more questions and then says, “I’m on my way. Thank you,” before hanging up.

“Brody?”

“No. My dad.” He clenches his jaw. “He had a heart attack while he was at home. He was able to call the ambulance before he lost consciousness. When they got there, he wasn’t breathing. They performed CPR, and he’s alive, but he’s in a coma.”

“Oh, Ben.” I wrap my arms around him. “I’m so sorry.”

“We have to go.” I can see his brain is in overdrive. Much like when he’s in business mode, he’s become detached. “Luckily, the jet is here, ready to go for tomorrow.” He types away on his phone. “I’ll call the company we use and see if they have someone available to fly us back tonight.”

We speed walk back to his house, and on the way, he confirms a pilot and calls his sister to let her know the little bit of information he was given while demanding she stay calm because the stress won’t be good for her pregnancy.

When we get back, he tells Brody what’s happened. We pack quickly, and Ben has an Uber waiting to take us to the airport when we walk outside. He’s quiet during the entire drive, as well as the plane ride to New York. Once we land, he insists Brody and I take a taxi home while he heads straight to the hospital. It’s almost eleven o’clock, and even if his father can have visitors, visiting hours won’t start again until the morning.

“Shit, would you mind staying at my place with Brody?” he asks at the last second just before I close the door. “His mom isn’t home yet and—”

“Hey, stop. Go be with your dad. Don’t worry about us. I have Brody.”

He dips his head into the vehicle and kisses me. “Thank you.”

Luckily, Brody has his key on him, so we can go to Ben’s place when we get home. Using Ben’s bathroom, I take a quick shower to rinse off and then change into my pajamas, and after telling Brody good night, I lie down in Ben’s bed. It’s the first time I’ve been in his bed, and it feels weird to be in it without him. I don’t want to bother or distract him at the hospital, so I only send him one quick text to let him know we’re home. Then I call Brianne to let her know about Olivier, so she can let her brother know since they’re best friends and their fathers are friends.