He grabbed a bottle of tequila, a big bottle of water and a shot glass, and headed toward their bathroom.

Her eyes were red-rimmed and his heart broke. He took his clothes off, settled in behind her in the tub and poured her a shot.

He took one himself and put his arms around her. He didn’t say anything for some minutes. She needed the silence, he knew.

Instead he massaged her shoulders and scrubbed her back. He rinsed her and she turned, on her knees.

“Baby, I hate to see you so sad,” he said before she brushed her lips across his.

“I’m all right. I just needed the silence for a while. I just needed to not be responsible for anyone’s anything. Thank you.”

He stood, helping her out and then drying her off. She patiently let him take care of her before taking his hand and following him into their bedroom.

“How about a fire?”

She nodded as she got into bed and he hit the switch. Instantly, the room lit with a golden glow.

“Takeout?” He looked at the clock. “Todd will be leaving in a few minutes. I can have him stop on his way home.”

She nodded again and he went to the phone. Todd heard the request, asked if she was all right and sounded relieved when Ben said yes. He said he was leaving then and would be home as soon as possible.

Ben turned back to her and slid into bed, holding her.

Finally, he spoke. “I’m sorry you had a shitty day. I’m sorry about the fight with Todd and I’m sorry about Caroline.”

“It was a stupid fight with Todd. He wanted me safe and got all macho. I needed to be alone and pushed him away. He got snitty, I got bitchy. It’s fine, I’m sure. You all wouldn’t stay around if you couldn’t handle bitchy.”

He smiled. “Plucky. Sassy. Independent. Not bitchy. Not most of the time. Although you hog the chocolate gelato when you’re PMSing.”

“As for Caroline, I don’t have a problem with you having dinner with her or whatever. I don’t like this let’s talk without Ben around business. She barged into my life at precisely the wrong time and she wouldn’t just spit out why she was here, although I have a good idea.”

He kissed her forehead and adjusted his body to look into her face. “Yeah? And what’s that?”

“Ben, Ben, Ben. So very pretty but not very sharp sometimes. Your little Caroline wanted to see me so she could gauge how easy it would be to maneuver back into your life. Now, she may not really want you back. She left you easily enough before. I’m sorry, but it’s true. Stupid cow. But she’s one of those girls who may not really want that piece of cake but they don’t want anyone else to have it either. For all her talk about being poly and oh so progressive and free, she’s full of shit. And I’m in the music industry, I can spot someone who’s full of shit a mile away. She wanted to talk to me to propose a little foursome action. Oh, she’d invite us to a club like the Spot or something, a way to get us all into position, and she’d make her play. Only, the thing she misses is that it takes more than big tits to be yours. If that was the case, you’d be hers.”

She slid a hand up from his belly to his heart. It was disconcerting to hear her be so frank and be so f**king right all at once.

“You see, I know you. I know you deep inside. I care about all of you. I want to understand you. I’m not with you for your magical cock, although I do enjoy it. I’m with you because you’re like a wish come to life. She didn’t love you. Not really. But I do, and because of that, she’ll never have you the way I do. I’m not jealous, I’m just annoyed she wasted my time and yours.”

He kissed her, feeling laid bare before her.

“You have Todd. You’d have been happy without me.” And there it was. She’d pulled his deepest fear from him without asking, without prying. Because he trusted her.

She looked at him carefully, not jumping to answer and deny off the bat. “Yes. I do have Todd, and yes, I’d have been happy without you. I was happy without you. But that was before you stepped into our lives and now that you’re here, I wouldn’t be happy without you. It’s not Ozzie and Harriet, but it’s us and it works.”

She knew just what to say. He was defenseless. If she wanted to hurt him, she could do so very easily. But he knew she wouldn’t. That last bit he’d been holding back, that small knot of fear, of feeling on the outside, loosened and fell away.

He rolled on top of her and she opened to him easily, wrapping her legs around his waist as he slipped inside.

“Already wet.”

“We’ve established I like you.” She smirked up at him.

“Good. But if this is how you are with everyone you like, I’m concerned.” He set an easy rhythm.

“Ah, but I don’t like too many people. You’re safe. My pu**y’s virtue is safe.”

“I love you. It doesn’t matter what Caroline wanted today. She can’t have it.”

She arched, rolling her hips to take him deeper. “I love you too. And I know.”

He laughed and continued to f**k into her until a pretty flush built from her br**sts up her neck. He bent to lick, tasting salt and woman against the heated column of her throat.

“Would you like to come?” he murmured, kissing up her neck, stopping just below her ear.

“Yes.” She swallowed hard and whimpered when he swirled his tongue in that supersensitive spot.

“Touch yourself.”