Don’t be sweet. Don’t you dare be sweet.
“That’s very thoughtful, thank you.” Good manners take over and I go to give him a quick hug, but he wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. He’s warm and big and strong, and he feels so good. We stay like that for an extended time. My eyes close, and damn…
There isn’t a better place on Earth than Ben’s arms.
Cut it out.
“How did you know I was having lunch now?” I ask as I pull out of his grip, but he catches my hand in his before I can think. Oh no, he’s touchy today. How the hell am I supposed to resist touchy Ben?
“You told me last night that you have lunch at one every day.” He lifts my hand and kisses it. I watch him as I feel my heart somersault in my chest.
Why does he have to be so fucking gorgeous?
“Do you want to have lunch with me?” I whisper before I can stop myself.
“I want to do everything with you.”
Oh, boy.
He pulls me closer to him by my hand, and I stare up at him.
He’s going to kiss me. He’s going to kiss me. Do it, do it, do it.
His lips take mine softly and his hands snake around my waist. He pulls back to look at me as his thumb dusts tenderly over my cheek. I can feel his erection through his jeans and I feel like I can’t breathe. “What do you want for lunch, angel?” he whispers.
You… I want you. All of you, right here, right now.
He smiles, as if reading my mind, and our lips touch again.
Oh. This kiss is too good. Arousal starts to pump heavily through my body.
“You fucking prick,” a voice growls.
We both look up to see Eric, and my face falls.
Oh, my God. I jump back. “E-Eric…” I stammer.
He pushes Ben hard and he flies backward. “I fucking warned you!” he yells.
“And I told you my intentions. Now, fuck off,” Ben growls.
Eric pushes Ben again, and then, as if losing control, Ben comes forward and pushes him back.
I glance around to realise that we are out the front of my work on the pavement. What the hell was I thinking?
I kissed Ben… in public.
“Stop it. Please,” I whisper as my eyes dart around guiltily.
Eric punches Ben, and he flies back, knocking into a group of people.
My hands fly over my mouth in horror. Oh, no. Ben recovers and steps forward. “That’s the first and last time you fucking hit me, prick,” Ben growls.
Eric punches him again and Ben smiles sarcastically. “Is that the best you got, cunt?”
My eyes widen in fear. Oh, no. Eric is trying to get himself killed.
“Ben,” I whisper. “Please, don’t. Just leave it.”
But it’s too late. He grabs Eric by the throat and punches him hard in the face, making him fall to the ground.
“Stop it!” I yell. “Please, stop it,” I cry.
Eric has gone psycho with rage, and he picks himself up to dive at Ben and tackle him to the ground. The sound of their bodies hitting the concrete is a loud thud.
My hands fly to my mouth in horror. Oh, my God. My eyes fill with tears. “Stop it!” I cry as I look up into my office to see Bethany and the girls from downstairs all watching through the window, like it’s some kind of sporting match. I’m going to get fired.
Eric’s got a death wish.
What do I do? What do I do?
They become really violent, as if trying to kill each other, and Eric rips Ben’s T-shirt.
I look up and down the street and see a security guard from one of the shops three doors down from ours just inside his shop. I run down to him. “Help me. There’s a fight!” I cry.
“Who’s fighting?” He frowns.
“My two ex-boyfriends. Please, you have to break it up.” I grab his hand and drag him out the door and point to the two fucking idiots going blow for blow on the main street of town.
He runs towards them, and I scrunch up my face, my eyes filling with tears as I step backwards.
Ben has an obvious upper hand and Eric is in bad shape.
Poor Eric. He didn’t deserve for me to treat him like this. I can’t stand that he saw us. Pain lances through my heart… he saw us kissing.
I’m a bad person.
I’ve hurt him, and now Ben is really hurting him.
“Stop it,” I cry. “Ben. Stop it.” But they keep going and Eric is going crazy.
I can’t watch this.
I have to get away from here, from them.
I turn and run up the street and dart into a restaurant to take a seat at the back corner. Tears are streaming down my face and I swipe them away angrily. I inhale deeply as I try to get some air into my lungs to calm myself down. I can’t believe that just happened. I pick up a menu to hide behind.