Page 17 of Second Chance Wedding
“I’ll put together a schedule,” Gage said, joining the conversation from his position at the door. “Split his time among the four of us.”
“Five,” Cole added. “Make sure you leave some hours for him to man up and work for his mom. He owes her the most.”
Ana met her son’s gaze as Ben slid her a glance. He quickly looked away. Did she actually glimpse a bit of guilt? Remorse?
Acknowledgement that these men were calling him on something she’d said all along?
“Are we done? Can I go now?”
Benji sounded sullen and ill-tempered. Ana stared at her son, disappointment piercing her on Benjamin’s behalf and her own.
Her mind flashed to when he was a toddler. Benji loved snuggles, and his infectious grin would light up the room. She’d believed those days impossibly hard as a single mother at the time, but now she’d give anything for the simplicity of them. For a cuddle and kiss to heal whatever hurt he held locked up so tight inside that he hated everyone and everything.
Alec stood and motioned for Benji to join him. “No. Come with us. We’ll show you around and get you started.”
“I have to start now? Today?”
“Jail, Benji,” she snapped, face hot with embarrassment. Had he not heard a word that had been said?
“Yes, now. Let’s go,” Alec ordered.
Everyone seemed to move at once. Benji shoved himself from his seat. Gage opened the door. Alec and Brooks brought up the rear, cutting her off and trapping her in front of the chairs before she could follow behind Benji.
The door closed and she hadn’t even made it halfway across the short expanse of the office.
The soft snick of the door latching sounded loud in the room, magnified in her ears due to her complete and total awareness of Cole’s presence behind her.
He, too, had moved when the others had, and now her every inhalation carried the scent of him. Sandalwood, mint, and spice filled her head and blasted her senses. Her pulse raced, and her mind flashed with backseat whispers, sky-high Ferris wheel kisses, and all those times when the only thing that mattered was being together.
“We’re not done, Ana.”
She quickly took the remaining three steps to the door only to watch Cole’s hand appear in front of her. He placed a palm against the panel to hold it closed even though she froze at the low growl of his voice and didn’t twist the knob.
Ana felt the heat of his body at her back and replaced memories of their past with facts from the present. “I…need to get back to work.”
“We’re not finished. I want answers.”
She fumbled with her bag and finally managed to face him, taking extraordinary care so that they didn’t touch. “About what?”
He leaned closer, and she found herself instinctively placing a hand on his chest to press him back and regain some breathing room. He wrapped his free hand around hers and held it despite her attempt to pull away once he took hold.
“Where is Ben’s father?”
“Not in the picture,” she said. “And that’s all you need to know.”
She eyed his long fingers and big hand encompassing hers, a silent gasp filling her lungs.
Chemistry had never been an issue with them.
“Promise me something.”
She looked up, taken aback that he’d make such a request from her considering how she’d ended the last promise she’d made to him.
“Promise me you’ll tell me if Ben ever hurts you.”
She blinked at him, shocked at first and then…furious. “He would never… How dare you imply that he would.”
This time he didn’t fight her withdrawal when she yanked her hand away.
