Shattered Trust, Stolen Hearts
by Martine
Chapter 6
I awake first, the sun is going down in the desert sky. The air is still, it would be frightening, but for the pair of warm arms which envelop me. I look at Ben, still sleeping, wearing nothing but a smile on his face. I am in heaven. He opens his eyes.
"You’re still here." He sighs.
"Now where would I go, Ben?" I pause to kiss his lips. "More importantly, how would I get there? We came in your car, remember?"
"How could I forget?" He smiles, brushing a stray strand of hair from my eyes.
"Anyhow, there’s nowhere I’d rather be, except here in your arms."
"Now, there’s a coincidence because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be, Meg." He holds me tighter, as if he’s afraid that I might disappear if he lets go. "I wish this day would never end."
"It has to, Ben, but we don’t have to ever." I say, tentatively, knowing how scared he is of relationships. "I will never hurt you, if you let me into your life."
"You’re already in my life. I would never have brought you here if I wasn’t committed. I’m not the type of man who sleeps with a woman and then dump here afterwards." He speaks gently, with real love in his voice.
"I know you’re not, Ben. I just meant that you have a lot to work out, concerning your feelings for Maria..."
"Maria is the past."
"I know she is, Ben, but there’s people like Annie and Ricardo who are going to be against our relationship. They should want you to be happy, but they only want you to be happy if it makes them happy and this won’t. Make them happy, I mean. Does that make sense?" I hold his hand.
"Everything you say, makes sense. I don’t know what I did without you." He starts to tickle me under my arms.
"Ben Evans, are you mocking me?" I pretend to be hurt, but I am giggling too much. His hands are all over me, tickling me in places I never knew were ticklish.
"Would I do that to you?" Ben, my tormentor, my lover, my best friend, has a smile on his face. He looks so happy. He is totally different now, I hope it was me.
"Yes, you would, Ben, but I love this playful side of you. I haven’t seen it before, except for on the Internet where we were two different people." He shakes his head, and puts his finger on my lips.
"Not so different, Meg. I was my true self in cyber-space, as were you. It’s only in this real world that we hide our true natures in case we get hurt."
"How did you get so wise?" I snuggle deeper into his chest.
"I’m not wise. It’s you, Meg Cummings. Your love gives me strength, inspires me to be true to myself. Don’t ever leave me."
"Not in a million years!" I run my fingers over his chest, loving the sensation it gives me. "I wish we didn’t have to go back to the real world." I sigh, knowing what his answer will be.
"We don’t." He says, quietly.
I sit up and look at him. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Ben Evans?"
"I know. I feel like a new man with you." He laughs, pulling me down on top of him. "I just meant that we can stay here for a while. Work can wait. Did I really say that? I think you’re a very bad influence on me."
"That’s right. Blame me." I lean up to kiss him on the lips, very passionately.
"You’re forgiven. That was wonderful....." We are interrupted by his cell phone. "Hold that kiss. I want more of the same." He pulls on his robe over his perfect body. I watch him as he talks. His face is so expressive, it changes from pure happiness to anger and sadness.
"What’s wrong, Ben?" I ask, as he comes over to the bed. He has tears in his eyes.
"It’s my house, Meg. There was a fire in the kitchen and it’s completely destroyed. The rest of the house is fine, but Ricardo thinks it was deliberate. Someone’s out to hurt me. I can’t believe it. Who’d want to kill me?" He is completely distraught. I pull my robe on and go over to him. Gently I take him in my arms and just hold him for the longest time.
"We’ll get through this together. You’re not alone anymore. I'm here, if that helps." I reassure him, hoping that my strength will give him the strength he so desperately needs to get through this nightmare.....
Chapter 7
Dust and ashes. I watch Ben’s face as he shifts through the rubble which was once his kitchen. Although he says that Maria is gone from his life, I know that you can’t just forget about how much someone meant to you overnight.
I go over to him and put my arms around him. I want to support him, as he has always supported me. "How are you doing, Ben?"
"I’m okay...."
"Really?"
He smiles and touches my cheek very lightly. "It’s only a kitchen, Meg. Bricks and mortar. I would have felt more upset if you had been hurt."
I can’t believe what he’s saying. "You mean that, don’t you?"
"My dear Meg, you pretend to be so together, but you’re as scared as I am."
"How did you know?"
"Well, I know you. I know your heart." He takes me in his arms and gives me a kiss so powerful, so passionate, it almost takes my breath away.
"Wow Ben, you surprise me sometimes." It’s true. I am surprised, not at his passion. I know he is a truly passionate person, but at his display of passion.
"I’m happy I surprise you. I’m just sorry it has taken me so long to show you." He shakes his head. "From the moment I saw you on the beach at sunset, I knew."
"What did you know, Ben?" I know. I just want him to tell me.
"That our lives were woven together, inexplicably for good, forever. I don’t know why. I only know that I want to follow this through." He doesn’t let me go.
"Oh Ben, you don’t know how long I’ve wished you’d say that to me! I thought you’d reject me, I didn’t think you’d ever get over your past." I say, with tears in my eyes.
"To be honest, neither did I. I knew it would be all right when you exposed yourself as Dorothy from Kansas. My good dreams were all about her, what she stood for. Don’t ever lose your spirit, Meg. It helped me find mine." He brushes my tears away. "I love you."
"I love you too...." I start to say, but we are interrupted.
"I hate to interrupt the passion, Ben, but there are more pressing matters at the moment." Ricardo bursts in with his usual amount of tact and diplomacy. "Like arson."
"Ricardo, aren’t there enough crimes in this town to occupy your tiny mind?" I love the interaction between Ben and Ricardo. It’s so honest.
"Very droll, Evans. What I want to know is where were you between the hours of six last night and now?"
"I know what you’re implying, but I wasn’t here, Ricardo." Ben stands shaking his hand at Ricardo.
"He was with me. All day and all night." I step forward. I have nothing to be embarrassed about. I love Ben.
"Nice try, Meg, but I don’t believe you."
"She’s telling the truth. We were together and we will be together forever. You have to move on from this vendetta you have against me. I didn’t kill Maria, and I didn’t set fire to my own house. Why would I do something so idiotic?"
"Don’t push me, Ben. I might just answer that." I didn’t know how deep the hatred between Ben and Ricardo went, until now. "You were seen. That’s how I know Meg is lying."
"Your witness needs an eye test. Meg has already told you that we were together. Why won’t you believe her?"
"Because she is not a reliable witness. She is in love with you. It’s written all over her face."
"Hang on a minute, Ricardo. I do love Ben, but I wouldn’t lie for him, if he was guilty. I’d like to think I’m stronger than that!" I really let him have it. He is so self righteous.
"Maybe Ben has an identical twin brother he hasn’t told us about, although I very much doubt it." Ricardo laughs, but from the look on Ben’s face, I think Ricardo is right for once in his life.
"Ben? Do you have a brother?"
"Yes...."
Chapter 8
"I didn’t know you had such a vivid imagination, Evans." Ricardo cuts in before I have a chance to reply. I can see Ben getting angrier by the second. I need to talk to Ben. Alone.
"Believe what you want, Ricardo. It’s the truth." Ben leaves the kitchen with the two of us following him. "But you’re biased in this area. After all, I did kill your sister...."
"I’m just doing my job, Ben."
"Of course you are. Well done." He claps his hands at the irony of the situation. "You’re always wanted to find me guilty of something. But guess what? I’m innocent. And if you won’t listen, you’d better leave."
"Ben...."
"Get out, Torres." He holds the door open. "Don’t come back unless it’s with an apology."
Ricardo leaves. Ben slams the door and turns to face me. "I’ve always wanted to do that, Meg. I feel so much better."
"I’m glad. I was getting worried for a minute." I hold his hand as he leads me to the couch.
"Well, don’t be. Ricardo has a habit of rubbing everyone up the wrong way, especially me. I think I have some explaining to do."
"Not to me, you don’t. I trust you." I reassure him.
"That is good to hear. You are so precious, Meg, the light in the darkness, but I need to talk about him. You see, it’s a shock to me, because I thought he was dead...."
"Dead?"
"It’s a very long story, Meg, so please bear with me." I listen carefully. Ben’s voice, once strong, is now shaky. I can tell it is very painful for him to relate. I squeeze his hand to show my support. "Derek was an investment banker in London until the crash five years ago. Somehow he heard about my success and was determined to ruin me. Last time he came here, he upset my life and nearly ruined my marriage. He pretended to be me, Meg. He hated me that much..."
"I am so sorry, Ben. That must have been awful for you." I hold him close. "How do you feel about him?"
"I should hate him, but I don’t. He’s still my brother."
"That’s very generous of you."
"Not really. You taught me how to love again. It was you who awoke all my senses and stimulated my very being." Tears are rolling down his cheeks. "You saved my very existence last night with your tenderness. Making love with you is a memory I will cherish forever..."
"It will happen again. Very soon. You just have to believe." I kiss his lips passionately. I can feel the electricity radiate throughout my body. We could generate the world with our love.
"My darling Meg, it can’t come soon enough for me!" He returns my kisses with the same amount of feeling. Then he suddenly pulls away. "But there’s still the Derek problem...."
"We’ll face him together, Ben." I am surprised at my assertive tone of voice. "We’re an impenetrable force together. Now that I finally have you, I’m not letting you go. Ever."
"He’s dangerous...."
"I don’t care. No-one messes with the man I love...." He is about to speak, but I silence him with my kisses, and he finally gives in......
Chapter 9
"I like your feisty, independent side. It reminds me of the woman I met on the Internet." He laughs.
"Have I lost that side recently?"
"No. You’re becoming whole, and I love watching you grow. While I adore the soft, romantic, sexy side of you, I love the strong side to your nature. They both turn me on." He leans into me, kissing my neck and working his way upto my lips. I find him difficult to resist, but I feel there is so much to say about Derek, that I pull away. I hate myself for it afterwards. "What’s wrong? Do you want to take this upstairs?"
"Oh Ben, if you only knew how much I want you to take me upstairs, you would be shocked, but there is still so much to talk about...." I shake my head. Am I crazy for resisting him now? But there is plenty of time to make love. I can see in Ben’s eyes that he understands.
"Derek? What do you want to know?"
"Everything. The more you share with me, the more I can help you." I brush my hand against Ben’s handsome face.
"He is my exact identical. He has studied my expressions, mannerisms and my life perfectly. I have changed the security codes on my alarm about six times since Maria’s death, and still he manages to break in. He’s clever." He pauses. "And he’ll stop at nothing. Even murder."
"Did he kill before?" I ask. Derek sounds like a psychopath.
"He tried to, but we managed to stop him...."
"We?"
"Maria and I. She was taken in by his clever ways until she saw us in the same room. She nearly collapsed with the shock of seeing double me!" He stands up and paces the floor.
"I can imagine!" This would be funny if it wasn’t so deadly frightening. From the look on Ben’s face, a look of terror combined with relief at being free to talk about Derek, I can see that it was the most painful experience of his life. "Why didn’t you tell Maria about Derek?"
"It sounds pretty obvious, doesn’t it? That I should tell my wife about my twin brother?" Gently I nod my head. "What you need to know though, is that I don’t discuss the past with anyone. I ran from England to escape family. We don’t mix. And Derek and I never did get on. I don’t suppose you can understand, coming from a close family unit."
"I’m trying to, Ben. I want to understand everything about you."
"It’s not a criticism, Meg. Just an observation." He smiles. "It’s just many of the wonderful things you’re teaching me."
"Even in a close family, we have fights. Sara and I used to fight like cat and dog." I tell him. "So I do understand."
"Derek was evil, conniving. It wasn’t ordinary brotherly fights, there was something wrong with him from the beginning. Then when he got this important job, he settled down. I used to blame the company who let him go, for his personality change, but it was a part of him always."
"Poor Derek." I find myself thinking outloud. "Sorry."
"Yes, poor Derek. He’s lost out on so much not knowing love and passion."
"The kind we’ve discovered in one another, you mean?" I smile, pulling him towards me to give him a tender kiss.
"Yes." He returns the kiss and gives me a impish grin, his eyes lighting up. I love that face. "But you must understand him. He’s very charming. He’ll try to impersonate me, but you must see him for what he is...."
"How will I identify you?"
"Derek always wears his watch on his right arm. I’ll wear mine on the left arm." He swaps his watch around. "See, he’ll never know. Even if he hacks into a computer, he’ll never find that out."
"You’re brilliant, Ben Evans....." I yawn. "It’s late. I should be going home."
"Stay, Meg. I want you in my bed tonight. I want to make love to you." He envelops me with tender kisses........
Chapter 10
Ben wanders over to his radio and he switches some music on. It is ‘Beyond The Sunset’. "My God, Ben, it is our song."
"Don’t you see, Meg? It’s kismet, two minds meeting and our bodies coming together in a pure expression of love, much more than just sex or lust..."
"I wasn’t thinking that. I know you love me." I stroke his face, he is so handsome. My head is telling me to go home, but my heart tells me to stay with my Ben, to further explore the intimacy we discovered at his beautiful cottage. "Ben....."
"Don’t think about it, Meg. Just stay. My bed is crying out for you to stay with me." He silences my empty protests with his kisses. "I need you tonight. It’s not about Derek. It’s about us, become stronger. Even if all we do is talk and sleep, that’ll be enough for me..."
"You’re truly amazing, Ben. Hearing those words is like music to my ears." I say, coming closer to him, so close that our bodies meet. "If all we do is talk and sleep, I’ll be a very disappointed woman."
He laughs at my boldness. "Well, I can hardly disappoint you, can I?" He takes my hand in his and squeezes it.
"I need you too." I whisper. I can hardly keep my hands off him now. My need for him is greater now that I know about Derek. His vulnerability is quite charming. "I want you to know that you’re not alone anymore. I’m here, and I love you."
"I love you so much." He nibbles my ear. "It frees my soul to be able to say those words after just thinking them for so long..."
"I understand." I begin to unbutton his shirt, letting my hands run wild over his chest. It is as though I am attached to him, I couldn’t leave now even if I wanted to. "Ben, don’t stop." I whisper into his chest.
I have never felt more amorous than I do now. After the trauma of today, Ben has shared more of himself than he ever has done before. With anyone, I suspect, and I want to show him just how much I care for him. He pulls me close to him, bringing his hands to my rear, pulling me into him.
"My God, Meg, I love you." He whispers into my ear, sending shivers through me. We stand together for a long time as we enjoy the closeness of our bodies. Finally he brings his mouth down to mine, enveloping my lips in a tender kiss. I run my arms up to his and hold tightly to his shoulders.
On his knees beneath me, Ben slowly pulls my skirt down over my hips, letting it fall to the floor. I cling to his shoulders, desperately trying to keep myself from falling. Ben leans me back against the arm of his couch and moves his hands to my hips.
I let out a soft moan as his tongue runs over me.
He brings me to the brink just with his lips over me. I start to convulse in his arms. He looks at me. "Are you okay?"
"Yes Ben. I couldn’t be any better." I fall to my knees, but suddenly feel very exhausted. Kissing one another's necks and shoulders, he finally sweeps me up in his arms and brings me to his big bed. "You stay here, my love." He whispers in my ears and he leans over me.
"I’m not going anywhere." I sprawl out on the bed as Ben disappears into the bathroom. I can hear him moving things around. He returns with a few bottles and a towel.
"Honey, I want you to get comfortable. You are in for a surprise." As I lie on the bed, he arranges the bottles on the stand. He puts the massage oils in his hands, rubs them together and squirts a little into my back. It is an incredible sensation. He has magic fingers! Ben rubs his hands against my tingling skin as the oils make their way into my skin.
I groove under his remarkable hands as he slides them up and down my spine. His fingers magically working every muscle and every tense spot free. He works my buttocks with his fingers and palms. He presses his palms deep into my spine to free the knots that have formed in my lower back.
We make love slowly and tenderly. He is the perfect lover and the best friend I have ever had. I feel so blessed. He wraps his arms around my body, pulling me close to him. I relax in his arms as my legs scurry up to his, forming the same position as him. I close my eyes, feeling safe and secure in his loving arms.
"Well, well, well, isn’t this quite the picture of happiness?" A voice startles me. I open my eyes to see who it is, but the room is dark. I can’t see anyone. It sounds like Ben, but it is coming from the other side of the room and Ben is still sleeping beside me. Not for long though. He wakes up. The light comes on. My eyes struggle with the brightness, and then I see. I realise that my body is exposed and I pull the covers around me.
"Derek." Ben looks this man in the eyes. A man who looks like him, but is a stranger to me.
"I must say your taste in women has evolved, brother dearest." He wanders around the room. "This one is quite beautiful, a bit skinny for my liking, but I suppose I could get used to that...."
"You bloody barstard!" Ben looks angrier than he did with Ricardo. "Get the hell out of here."
"Oh, I intend to, Ben, but I just came to warn you...." He comes over to me and runs his fingers over my cheeks.
"Don’t you dare touch her, Derek!" He grabs his robe, and jumps out of bed, taking his brother by the throat.
"I’m scared...." He smiles. It’s strange, but he has a different smile to Ben’s. So alike and yet so different. Ben pushes him to the door.
"I’ll make this very simple for you, Derek, you hurt Meg, I kill you. Understand?"
"Not if I kill you first." He responds. This man is not afraid of anything. "Okay, I’m going, but I will be back. The kitchen was just a warning. Next time, I’ll take your beautiful little girlfriend, and she won’t be able to tell the difference between us. Ciao." He waves as he leaves the room.
Ben embraces me. We just sit in silence to allow what has happened to sink in......
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