Elli (A Second Chance Novel Book 1) Read online

  “Damn woman, you are killing me.” Elli shoved his pants down his legs and kicked them away with her feet. Ben growled. “Elli, I need you now, cher.” His words were both a statement and a question. He pressed a condom into her hand. She fumbled with it in the dark and laughed a breathy laugh at her clumsiness as she slipped it onto him. Ben’s heart skipped a beat. Damn. What in the hell was that about? He felt her smiling face looking at him and was damn glad the lamp was off.

  He rose on his knees above her, suddenly wanting to torture her as much as she was tormenting him. With his teeth and hands he yanked her shorts down. He kissed her smooth inner thigh, her soft knees, and her tight calves. “Oh Ben,” she cried, restless beneath him. He pressed his body harder against her as he slid lower on her body, feeling the need to dominate her, control her. He ran his fingers between her toes as he kissed the instep of her foot. Elli cried out again. “Ben, I can’t…” she managed, with gasping breaths. He moved up her body but Elli shoved him with all her might until he was on his back. He smiled at her and pulled her down on him.

  “Then take me, cher. Take me any way you want.”

  And she did. She climbed on top of him and he forgot about trying to make her want him as much as he wanted her when she slowly slid her body over his thick, long arousal. Ben gritted his teeth. In the deep purple light and charcoal shadows of the dark room, he saw her full lips fall open, her head fall back and her breasts sway. “That’s it,” he gripped her hips to keep them from falling off of the planet.

  “Oh, Ben,” she cried out as an orgasm, hard and huge, tore through her. Ben flipped her onto her back and drove harder into her. While she was still falling apart, he did, too.

  “Forget this,” he said, falling back onto the bed, pulling her on top of him and caressing her bottom. “This isn’t just for tonight. This is until the day you drive away, headed back to California.”

  Chapter Eight

  Have you ever considered just how outstanding the nurses, doctors and support staff are that work with us cancer patients? They love us and care for us in such an intimate way, not knowing if we will live or die. Their hearts must constantly be breaking, yet, they smile and laugh and make us feel special. Here is a shout out to my medical team…my friends! Thank you, Jenny, Doe, BJ, Donna, Sonya, Raul, Bob, Jeffery, Harry, and all the rest I couldn’t name here, but whose names are forever written on my heart! I love you all! I wish you good health, E.

  Bosom Blog Buddies Post

  Elli’s face pressed into Ben’s pillow, only her left cheek and pouty lips showing. Her smooth, white, shapely, naked derriere peeked from his brown sheets. The woman could inspire artists, Ben thought, wishing he could paint or at least had a camera. Damn. If he didn’t want her out of his life so much, he might consider letting her hang around for a while. Damn shame, life was so damn complicated.

  The sun was just starting to come up, its dim light casting a pink glow through the split in his curtains. Ben slipped on his sweatpants and looked at his cell phone clock. Five thirty? It was too early for the sun to be that bright. Ben remembered not turning the light off on the galerie the night before and smiled. He had had other things on his mind. As he recalled, he had it on his mind three more times after that. Damn, what a night. He stretched his arms over his head, feeling the sweet ache of muscles used in good sex. Elli was a surprise there. The woman didn’t hold back.

  Ben walked into the hall and flicked off the light switch to the galerie. He returned to his bedroom and found the light through the curtain was dimmer, but there was still that odd pink glow. “What the hell is going on?” He walked to the window, opened it, and stepped outside. “Merde…Elli!” Several crows near the bayou squawked from his shouting and took flight. He poked his head through the open window. “Crocifissa,” he called in a loud but controlled tone. Elli’s head popped up. Her short hair was a mass of blond curls sticking out at odd angles on her head. She rubbed her eyes and looked at him. He crooked his finger to her. “Can you step outside?”

  Elli sighed. “No. I know what you want, Ben.” She dropped her head onto the pillow, tugged the sheet over her exposed bottom, and lifted her hand. “Talk to the hand.”

  Ben stepped into the room and plopped on the side of the bed. “Are you kidding me? Pink? Hot pink?”

  “It’s hideous. I know.” She rolled onto her back, keeping the sheets covering her. “Tante Izzy thinks it’s grand. Don’t be surprised if she paints her house that awful color.”

  “Do you know how many coats of paint it’ll take to cover that crap? It’ll eat up all of your profits.” He tugged on the sheet, but Elli tugged back.

  “Mine? It’s a fifty-fifty split, remember?”

  “Extra expenses come out of your share. Remember?” He kissed her shoulder and drew a circle around the spot with the tip of his finger. Elli’s eyes fluttered. His heart began to pound. Damn, the woman didn’t know how powerful her surrender was. He sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her. He kissed her right breast through the sheet and went to pull it away, but Elli held on tight to it. “What’s wrong, cher? I’ve seen you naked already, why are you shy now?”

  She smiled, but Ben could see the worry in her eyes. What was wrong? She didn’t mind him touching her. She liked it and encouraged it during their lovemaking. He stroked her exposed arm as he would one of his nervous animals. She closed her eyes and sighed. The woman sure as hell liked it.

  “I’m sorry,” she began. “I have issues. They shouldn’t be your issues. This,” she circled her hand above her chest, “is my Kryptonite. We are going to be together such a short time; there isn’t any need to waste our time with Kryptonite issues. It’s way too heavy and not fun to deal with. Just accept this,” she waved her hand over her chest again, “quirk of mine. We’ll both be happier if you do.”

  “Hmm.” He smiled. “A Superman reference. If I didn’t want a superficial relationship, I know there would be something really interesting to explore.” Elli shrugged and Ben knew he was right.

  “Let’s just be like our dogs and live in the moment.”

  “Will you wag your tail when I enter the room, cher?”

  She laughed a full laugh that squeezed his chest so tight that Ben thought he might be having a heart attack. “Yes, at the end or beginning of the day, in a dark room, with no one around to discover us.” Ben tucked a wild curl behind her ear. “That’s what you want too, right?”

  Of course, it was what he wanted. He nodded, but the tightness in his chest gripped him again.

  “Good,” she said, too brightly. “We’ll be superficial, covert and…” she sat up holding the sheet against her Kryptonite, “hot.”

  As she moved closer to kiss him, the sheet slipped under her right breast. She didn’t notice it but Ben did. As he kissed her, he saw a flash of her plump exposed breast. It had a light pink scar along the outer slope with a small indention beneath it. It looked like the same kind of injury he’d seen on his dogs that were in a fight and had healed after a piece of flesh had been removed. Was it a birth defect? From an accident? Surgery? Attack? What the hell happened to her, he wondered. He deepened the kiss and pressed her back into the mattress. This obviously was the Kryptonite she spoke of. He’d respect her request to not discuss it. Why would he want to anyway? It seemed like it held both physical and mental scars they had no business exploring together. That was reserved for long-term relationships, not a fling like theirs.

  Elli grumbled and broke the kiss. “Donna’s up.”

  Ben dropped his forehead to hers. He hadn’t heard the tiny fur princess, but he heard her funny yap now. “Figures. Just when things were getting nice and superficial, covert and hot.”

  “You know, Donna’s going to be furious with me,” Elli said, standing. She was careful to keep the sheet wrapped around her body. “She’s in love with you. If she knows what we did in here, she’ll have her pound of flesh—mine, not yours.”

  “I’ll take her out,” Ben said, running his f
inger along the top edge of the sheet, over her round, perky breasts. “You know my mouth was on every inch of your body. I’m not afraid of your Kryptonite. It’s yours, not mine. You can let that sheet drop.”

  “I like having you think of me the way I look in the dark. It’s my best lighting.”

  He tapped her on the tip of her nose. “Before I walk out of here, I want to make sure you are clear on a couple of things. One.” He lifted a finger. “Last night did not and will not sway me regarding our impasse with the plantation.” He held up a second finger. “Two. I’m going back on my word.” He stood. “And I’m not holding you to yours.” He smiled. “Last night wasn’t our only night together, cher. I’m not done with you.”

  “Oh no, Ben. We agreed.” Her eyes were wide, worry brightening them.

  Ben shrugged his shoulders and left, deciding he wasn’t giving her a choice in the matter.

  * * * *

  The morning erupted into chaos early and Elli was grateful for it. She didn’t have a chance to dwell on her amazing night with Ben and how she had let her guard down with him. She had thought about it long enough while showering and concluded that it began when she gained confidence knowing her scars were hidden in the darkness of the room, but it turned into something more when she allowed his mouth on her breasts. The surgeries had left the area numb, but having him in her personal space, in an intimate way, had her wanting to draw him nearer. The focus on her body had nothing to do with cancer, radiation, and medical concerns. Her body was being explored for pleasure between a man and woman. It felt so normal, so wonderful. . .so healthy. She had tested her sexuality since all the scars changed her body, but this was different. It was much more intense. Real. Ben wanted her in his bed. She wanted that, too. It was just a physical thing. Yet, somewhere in the recesses of her brain where she allowed the thought to flourish for five seconds, she wished it could be more. Stupid girl.

  A horn blew and Elli jumped out of her thoughts and back to the busy day. She had managed to change her breakfast meeting with Rachel to a quick coffee after lunch. It was a good thing she had, because the first of the production crew arrived in an eighteen-wheeler at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Elli directed them to park on a side road in the cane field, on the northern side of the plantation. Ben had picked up Joey and Lucky from Helen’s, and when they returned to the plantation, the sweet boy asked to hang out with Elli. Ben reluctantly agreed, giving Elli a stern warning to keep an eye on him. He had his loyal chaperone join them, trusting the quirky looking animal with the short legs to keep an eye on his son. Elli guessed she understood why he would trust his dog more than her.

  She enjoyed Joey’s company, and he seemed to enjoy himself in the ensuing chaos when two more eighteen-wheelers loaded with equipment arrived an hour later. Three motor homes for the actors and director arrived with them. Soon, Sugar Mill was buzzing with production staff and security. Elli was rushing around, directing everyone where to set up the backstage gear and where to set up security. At 10:45, her phone rang, and Joey pulled it from her back pocket to answer it.

  “Hi, Dad,” he said, his voice bright. “She’s right here, telling the man where to put the port-a-potties.” He laughed and tapped Elli on the arm. “My dad wants to talk to you.”

  Elli smiled. “Thanks. Hello Ben, what’s up?”

  “I want them all to stay the hell away from my dogs and my kennel. That’s what’s up. The Texians are disrupting our training session.” His tone was back to the pre-fantastic sex anger. Elli didn’t want to be hurt by it, but she was. Nothing had changed between them and it was crazy for her to think it had. They had made an agreement that they would have a superficial, one-night affair. It was unfair for her—and for him—to expect anything more. They had very different agendas, which was clear in Ben’s tone. “The dogs are in a frenzy. Those movie people are sightseeing in my kennel. I have work to do. Get them out of here or I’ll evict them.”

  “I will.” Elli shoved the phone back into her pocket. She looked at Joey and shrugged her shoulders. He slipped his hand into hers, and her heart felt three sizes larger.

  “He doesn’t like anybody to bother him when he’s training the dogs,” Joey said. Elli was touched by his loyalty to his father and his concern for her feelings. She kissed him on the cheek.

  “Thank you for explaining that to me. Let’s see if we can make sure no one disturbs him.”

  Elli, Joey and Lucky met with the director. She explained, again, that there was a working kennel on the property and it had to remain off limits to the cast and crew, no matter how cute the dogs were. He agreed, but to make sure everyone listened, Elli and her small entourage drove to the kennel to talk to the security guards that were hired by the production company. They were stationed at the main gate. She gave them instructions to chase anyone other than Sugar Mill Kennel staff away from the kennel. Once they finished that task, they went to the kennel office to tell Ben. As soon as they entered the office, Lucky went straight for his bed near the desk. Camille was holding a large German Shepherd on the examining table as Ben was looking at a slide under a microscope. The dog looked at Elli and began to growl. Of course he did, she thought, feeling out of place. Joey walked to the dog in a smooth, easy gait. The animal didn’t mind his approach. Joey smiled at Camille and Elli felt a tweak of jealousy.

  “Hello, Doc,” Elli said, walking into the medical room. It smelled like a dirty dog with digestive problems. Her eyes began to burn and water. She covered her hand over her mouth, but not before gagging. Camille looked at her with a satisfied smile, and Elli tried to pretend it didn’t bother her. “Not enough sick humans in Cane to fill office hours?” So much for pretending.

  “I took off this morning, knowing Ben and I would have a late night at the ball.” She smiled possessively at Ben. “And I was right. My feet are still protesting all the dancing we did.”

  Elli gagged again, then pinched her nose. The dog was still growling at her, so she stayed near the door, not that she could get closer to the stinky animal if she wanted. She’d be sick for sure. “Ben, I know you’re busy but I wanted to discuss security with you for a minute.”

  He looked up from the slide, opened an upper cabinet, and retrieved a huge, brown tablet from a medicine bottle. He pried open the dog’s mouth, shoved the tablet in, and lifted the dog into his arms. He carried the shepherd to a pen along the back wall. After securing the dog inside, he walked to the sink to wash his hands. Camille joined him at the sink to wash her hands.

  “I’ll wait for you in your office,” Elli told him, fighting the urge to throw up. She walked away, grateful her weak stomach kept her from witnessing any possible tender exchange between the Doc and Ben. “Oh God,” she whispered, suddenly realizing she had allowed herself to be the other woman last night. Ben and Camille were the perfect couple, and she had sex with another woman’s man. Why hadn’t she thought of that last night? How could she have been so selfish? So dishonorable?

  Elli walked to the window near the front door and looked out. Her heart felt heavy but her head told her she hadn’t done anything wrong. She didn’t have to rush to church to try to save her soul, just yet. Ben and Camille might be perfectly matched for one another, but they weren’t a committed couple. Hadn’t Ruby and others indicated that? It was clear that was where they were headed, but they weren’t there yet. Still, did that make it okay for her to have sex with Ben?

  Camille walked out of the treatment room ahead of Ben. She smiled at him as she walked to the door to leave. “If you need any more help with the shepherd, call me.” She waved a friendly good-bye to Elli, but her eyes didn’t match the amicable gesture. They seemed almost sad as she closed the door behind her.

  “Can I bring these to the Newfies?” Joey asked his father as he walked out of the treatment room with a handful of treats. When Ben told him yes, Joey rushed out of the office to the dogs across the street in the training yard.

  “Ben, should I feel guilty about what happened last night be
cause of you and Camille?” Elli began, once they were alone.

  “Nope.” He sat at his desk and typed something into his laptop computer before placing a sheet of paper into a file on his desk.

  She walked to the desk to stand in front of him. “I don’t want to be the other woman.”

  “Elli, I don’t do other women. I’m a single guy, free to be with whom I choose.” He rolled down the sleeves of his denim shirt. “I guess you have a right to know about Camille and me,” he added, looking at her. “We are not lovers. Never were.” Elli exhaled and relaxed in the chair near the desk. “What did you come here to talk to me about?

  “I spoke to the head of security.” She crossed her legs, then noticed Ben’s eyes look down at them. She hated to admit it, but it pleased her that he seemed to like what he was looking at even though they were covered in denim. “He’ll have the guard at the gate watch for any cast or crew wandering around the kennel. He’ll also post keep out signs along the perimeter fence.”

  “Good.”

  “Did you change the gate code like I asked? We can’t have any well-meaning family coming onto the property while the stars are here or while they are filming.”

  “I took care of it.” At that moment, a loud truck came to a screeching halt in front of Ben’s office. The door flew open seconds later and Tante Izzy walked in. Elli shot Ben a look. So much for changing the code and security.

  “I hope I’m not late fer cast call,” she said. Elli covered her grin. She was wearing tan face foundation, two shades too dark, that settled in the deep creases of her cheeks. Her eyes were bright and dramatic with pale blue eye shadow coloring her lids. Her lips would’ve been a perfect shade of pink pansy had it not been in high gloss. As anyone who knew Tante Izzy would expect, her clothes matched the drama of her makeup. She wore dark denim overalls with a red and white checkered blouse beneath it and the white rubber shrimp boots that Jenny liked so much.