Shattered Trust, Stolen Hearts
by Martine
Chapter 11
I still can’t get Derek out of my mind. Ben went out to get some breakfast so I get into the shower, hoping to get rid of the memory of his touch. We slept in each other’s arms last night, or rather we pretended to sleep. I think neither of us got any sleep at all.
"Is there room for a little one?" Ben steps into the shower with me, holding me close. Since the first time I saw him taking a shower, I have wanted to take one with him. Call it a silly post-adolescent longing. Under different circumstances I would be thrilled, but I am human and the memory of last night is still there. I take some soap and wash Ben’s back for him, he turns around and pulls my hair back lovingly. I hold him tightly, while the water runs over us, providing a shelter for us. The shower steams up and we get out.
"I thought you were getting breakfast?" I wrap him in a towel and begin to pat him dry. "Not that I’m complaining."
"I had a feeling that you needed me more. I was right, wasn’t I?"
"It seems I can’t hide anything from you, Ben." I smile weakly. He is drying my hair, massaging my scalp gently. "That feels good."
"Anything for you. I know how last night made you feel, and I’m sorry."
"You’re not to blame. He may be your twin, but he’s his own person. The man I see before me is very loving and very sexy. You’re completely different." The tables have turned, but I realise that Ben needs me to support him. Derek is too much to carry, even for Ben’s strong shoulders.
"I know that, Meg, it’s just that he will go around town, pretending to be me."
"No-one will believe him. Your friends know the real Ben Evans." I do my best to reassure him. I button his shirt for him, and then he helps me do up my dress.
"He fooled Maria. She thought he was me. She...." He stops, avoiding my gaze.
"Go on, Ben." I rub his shoulders, to let him know that I will love him, whatever he says.
"She slept with Derek. She thought he was me." He shakes his head in despair. "I should have told her about him."
"You can’t let the past rule your life. You told me. This is the only time that matters."
"You’re right, Meg." His face brightens and I can see the cloud is beginning to lift. "Thankyou."
"You’re welcome." I kiss him on the lips. "Do you think he’ll come back for more?"
"He’s not coming back, Meg." He looked so like Ben, but I could tell from his voice and his actions that he isn’t my Ben. Derek reminded me of a snake, cold, cunning and very evil. "He knows we’re expecting him. You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, or to us."
I smile. "Of course I trust you, Ben. It’s just that last night was wonderful, and Derek standing over us, looking so smug, kind of took the magic away. It was magical."
"It was for me too." Ben kisses me tenderly, melting all my fears away. He looks at his left arm. "Remember, the watch is on my left arm, Derek’s is on his right."
"Don’t worry, Ben." I shake my head. "After just one meeting, I know the difference. The two of you may look similar, but there’s only one of you. My Ben." I can see he looks surprised. "That’s okay, isn’t it? We are together, officially, aren’t we?"
"You know we are, Meg." He takes my hand.. "I love you so much. I know we have only been together for a couple of days, but what I feel for you is much deeper than any time scale....."
"I sense there’s a but coming."
"I don’t want you put in any danger, Meg. I know I’m not too good at expressing my emotions, but if he hurts you, I’ll kill him." Ben starts to shake with anger. "You remember how I told you I had my demons, well Derek is one of them."
"I told you I don’t care about your demons. All I care about is you, Ben." I stroke his cheek. "With you at my side, I know nothing can hurt us. Because together, we’re stronger than anything life can throw at us."
"That’s all very well in theory, Meg, but he’s extremely dangerous..."
"So am I. If Derek comes near me, he won’t live to tell the tale. In fact, he’ll end up in the cellar and I’ll feed him on insects until he plays nice." I crack a joke, but Ben is not amused. "I’m sorry, Ben. I just wanted to let you know that he doesn’t scare me."
"I’ll let you in on a secret. He terrifies me. I can’t even say his name without being scared. What do you think of me now?" He turns away, and I reach out to take his hand.
"I love your vulnerability, and that you choose to confide in me. It’s one of the things that attracted me to you over the Internet. Your heart. It’s very tender and very loving. I’m glad that you share it with me." I reach up to kiss his soft neck and work my way up to his lips, so full and inviting.
"You have a way about you, Meg, that makes talking very easy. I just hope having Derek around doesn’t scare you away."
"You’re not getting rid of me that easily." I put my foot down. "I love you so much, and nothing you say or do, will ever change that."
"I’m happy to hear that." He looks at his watch again. "I hate to leave you, but I’ve got a meeting with Gregory about the resort. Will you be okay?"
"I think I can cope without you for a little while, Ben." I laugh. "I’ve got a shift at The Java Web soon anyway."
"I’ll miss you, Meg." He puts his jacket on. He looks so strong, so appealing and so gorgeous. Not even Derek can scare me away. Ben and I shared a magical night together, and he just came in. I would never say this to Ben, but the way Derek touched me made my flesh crawl. I walk along the beach to work, thinking about Ben and Derek, and I decide that it is worth it. Ben is my destiny and I just know everything is going to be just fine.
Chapter 12
"Please, Meg, don’t go in there...." Mark pleads with me, tears running down his face, as we stand looking at the remains of ‘The Deep’, a place where so many magical memories were created. Now it’s like Ben’s kitchen, up in smoke and dust and ashes. "There was nothing I could do, nothing any of us could do."
"I know. It’s not your fault, Mark!" I hug him. He’s shaking. "Does Ben know?"
He pulls away and shakes his head. "There was no time to call him. I think it’s better coming from you."
"You’re right, but it’s going to be so hard." I know just what Ben’s reaction will be. He’ll be devastated, the club was his baby....
"Ricardo’s talking to a witness now, she saw the whole thing." I look over to where Ricardo is standing, and see that he is watching me very closely. I know exactly what he thinks, that Ben set fire to his own club and that Derek doesn’t exist, but I know differently. I have seen just how evil Derek is. Ricardo wouldn’t know the difference, because he hasn’t looked further than his own hatred for the man who allegedly killed Maria. He doesn’t know Ben’s heart, but I do, and I’ll be damned if Ricardo is going to mess with the man I love. "Excuse me, Mark."
I walk up to Ricardo, determined to speak my mind when suddenly I hear Ben’s beautiful voice booming out. "What’s happened here, Ricardo?"
"As if you don’t know! You torched your own club. Don’t tell me, it wasn’t you. It was your identical twin brother!" Ben’s face is turning red from anger, but to my surprise, he doesn’t hit Ricardo, he puts his arms around me lovingly.
"Hey, all those years at police school really paid off, didn’t they?" Ben’s voice is heavy with sarcasm. "You’re right, it was Derek. And if you don’t believe me, ask Meg. He paid us a visit last night."
"He did, Ricardo. He broke into Ben’s house and tried to attack me." I hold onto Ben for support. "He looks just like his brother. I know, what you’re thinking, that I’d support Ben even if he did set fire to the club...."
"So, now I can add psychic abilities to that long list of talents you have, Meg." He looks into my eyes, red from crying. "I’m sorry you are telling the truth..." He continues, his voice becoming softer and more compassionate. "Right, Ben and Meg, come down to the station and tell me about Derek."
It seems as though we are at the station for hours, going over the Derek story. I do most of the listening, as it is Ben’s story. He needs me there for support. I love this man so much, and I’d do anything for him....
Ben puts his head on the table while Ricardo leaves the room. "Put your head on my shoulder, Ben, it’s strong enough to take all your problems..."
"I only have one problem, Meg. He’s called Derek, and I’ve just realised that he really hates me. I have never know such hatred before." Ben looks deeply in my eyes. "Don’t ever leave me. I don’t think I’d cope if you weren’t by my side."
"I said before, I’m not going anywhere. I love you, Mr Evans. You’re stuck with me for life." I suddenly realise what I’ve said, and that it might frighten him. "If that’s okay with you? I don’t want to pressure you."
"I’ll tell you the truth. If you had said that to me a week ago, I would have run a mile in the other direction, but now, it sounds good." He smiles as he leans over to embrace me. Our lips almost meet when Ricardo comes back. We laugh at our childish embarrassment.
"Don’t stop on my account." Ricardo smiles. "I’ve checked with Gregory Richards and he confirms you were with him at the time of the fire."
"I thought you believed me." Ben jumps to his feet.
"Calm down. I do believe you. We just have to double check everything." He speaks gently as if to defuse a potentially explosive situation. "We’re keeping a look out for your brother and he won’t be that difficult to spot, but it does seem as though he wants to make you and Meg suffer. So I have a suggestion to make, if you’re prepared to listen."
I look at Ben. "Go on, Ricardo."
"Leave town for a while..."
"I can’t. I have businesses to run!" He exclaims.
"Are they more important than your life? Than Meg’s life?" Ricardo gets up and walks around the table.
"Ricardo’s right, Ben." I take his hand and look into his eyes. "I love you, and if anything happened to you, my life would not be worth living."
Ben hugs me. I can almost read his mind. He seems afraid, but he is not alone anymore. He’ll never be alone again. "Okay, but where would we run to?"
Suddenly I have an idea. "We’re going to Kansas....."
Chapter 13
Ben is very quiet on the flight over to Kansas. I know I say I can read his mind, and sometimes this is true, but there are times when he locks himself into his own world and creates imaginary walls between us. I am just discovering this now. I know he had a past before I came crashing into his life, but there is so much I want to know about him.
I squeeze his hand. He turns to me, his blue eyes bearing into my very soul, breaking my heart with its cry for help. "Thanks, Meg."
"There’s nothing to thank me for." I shake my head.
"You’re too modest." Ben laughs quietly. "You’re here, most women would have run from me once they found out about my demon twin brother."
"No, they wouldn’t. Because you’re too special to let go."
"What are you, the founding member of the Ben Evans fan-club?" He cracks a joke. He’s amazing the way he always finds the good side in the worst possible situation. He calls me an optimist, but he’s the one who looks at the bright side.
"Try, the only member of your fan-club." I encourage his bright spirits. "Seriously though, I love you so much. I think I loved you before that first meeting. Your heart shone through so brightly. I was determined to make you mine..."
"I am yours. Wholeheartedly." He gently takes my hand and brings it to his lips. He kisses my fingers so softly that the sensation heightens my erogenous zones. I want him so much. Then when I think it can’t get any better, he pulls my face towards his, and kisses me so sensually that it touches places that before Ben, I had only read about in romance novels, and experienced in my dreams. He starts to unbutton my blouse. As hungry as I am for him, I pull away. The plane is making its descent. "I’m sorry I thought you wanted it as much as I do....."
"Ssh, Ben." I kiss his lips to quieten him down. "Believe me, I would love to have you take me in your arms and make love to me, but the plane is landing in a few minutes." A wicked smile crosses his face. "No, Ben, you don’t want our special time together to be rushed any more than I do, and besides my parents will be waiting for us at the farm. One look at my face and they’d know what we’d been up to."
"It’s a beautiful face, Meg." He sighs. "You’re absolutely right. We have so much talking to do. There’s stuff you need to hear. I’m just afraid you’ll hate me once you know what I’m really like."
"Me hate you? That’s not possible, Ben. Even if you told me that you are a mad murderer. You’re not, are you?"
"I wasn’t the last time I looked." He laughs. I love his laugh. It’s like music to my ears. "I wish we could stay in a motel. I need to hold you in my arms."
"My mom will be hurt if we don’t stay with them. And besides I already told them you’d be sharing my room."
"What did she say?"
"There was nothing she could say. They raised me to have my own ideas." I am only telling Ben half the truth. Mom was disappointed in me. She’d taught me that sex was a precious thing to be shared within marriage, but she knows that I’m an adult now.
"I love all your ideas." Ben kisses me passionately. Suddenly the plane lands. "We’re here. I’ve never been to Kansas before."
"That’s not entirely true, Ben." He looks at me bewildered. "You did come here in our cyber chats and you featured in more than a couple of my dreams!"
He smiles. "You’ve got a wild imagination, my darling. Hey, I don’t suppose you could use it to get rid of Derek once and for all?"
"I wish I could." I sigh. "He’s still there, in your mind, isn’t he?" He nods, his blue eyes filling up with tears. "He can’t hurt us here, sweetie, and if he tries to, he’ll have me to deal with. What are you afraid of?"
"Truthfully? I know Derek, and he’ll hurt you to get to me. He can’t stand to see me happy."
"He’s not going to hurt anyone." I say, confidently. "Do you know how I know? Because we’re stronger than he is. He might be dangerous, but we are formidable. And if he comes near us, he won’t stand a chance."
"I believe you, Meg. You are one strong woman."
"Come on, let’s get off the plane." We step out into the bright sunlight, hand in hand, to face our future. I'll don't know what it holds in store for us, but I do know that our love will pull us through...
Chapter 14
It seems Ben has remembered the conversation we shared a while ago about him being a hero and riding up on a white horse to rescue me as he rents a white convertible at the airport. He says that there were no other cars, but I know Ben. He is so modest about everything. I feel like a princess being driven by her handsome prince. Okay, I’m a complete romantic, but I’m not going to apologise for that. We arrive at the farm, much quicker than I thought we would, or hoped we would. I kiss Ben and jump out of the car. "I’ll just go and warn my mom, Ben, I won’t be long."
"I’m counting the minutes, Meg." He laughs.
Mom is waiting for me at the door. She can’t see Ben. "Honey, that was quick! Did Ben hire concorde?"
Now I am totally confused. "What do you mean? We left home this morning. It has taken all day to get here."
"Ben just rang me two hours ago to say that you were heading out for the airport and you’d be there soon." My mom explains.
"You must be mistaken, Mom. Ben has been with me all day and he didn’t call you. He wouldn’t have...." I say, but then it hits me. Derek called Mom, pretending to be Ben. "I’ll be back in a minute." Mom looks bewildered, but I can explain later. I run back to Ben.
"Derek has phoned my parents. My mom thought he was you. We’re not safe anywhere." I tell Ben. "We can’t stay here."
"Calm down, Meg." Ben jumps out of the car and holds me. "You’re shaking."
"I’m so scared. We can’t keep running, like we’re a pair of fugitives. It’s not right." I try not to cry, but a lump is forming in my throat.
"Everything will be fine. Do you trust me, Meg?" He asks, lifting my chin up so he can see into my eyes.
"With all my heart." I say, and I do. I know it’s only been two months since we met, in person, but I feel I know him intimately. And I am not talking in the sexual sense, I mean I know his soul. "So, what’s the plan, Ben? I know you have one."
"Ah, you know me too well, my sweetheart." He laughs. "It’s nothing elaborate. We spend the day here with your parents after I call Ricardo. We act normally, you show me round the farm. Then we wait. Knowing Derek, he won’t show up until night, I’ll be ready for him."
"It sounds dangerous to me." He seems so excited about doing something positive for me that I smile. "But I know that you’ll handle things beautifully, as you always do."
"And that’s why I love you, Meg. You’re so encouraging. You make me feel like I can take on the world." We do fit well together. "We’d better go in. Your mom will think we’re up to no good."
"I wish we were." I sigh. Ben throws his arms around me and wraps me in his embrace. We kiss passionately, and I suddenly feel a surge of energy running through me. "Lets go in."
"There will be plenty of time for making love, Meg." He promises, helping me out of the car.
"I know." He takes my hand and I lead him in. "Joan, how are you?" He embraces my mom.
"Why, Meg, I can see why you love this man." My mom greets me with a smile. "You two must be exhausted. Your room is ready for you."
"Thanks Mom, but we’re fine. I was thinking of showing Ben around the farm." I glance over at Ben, who nods at me. He is on his cell phone, speaking to Ricardo.
"Are you sure you’re okay?" Mom seems concerned. She knows everything about me, and I can’t hide anything from her.
"We need some time alone. Things were stressful in Sunset Beach." I say, hoping this will appease her. She smiles a knowing smile. Ben takes my hand and leads me outside. "I hate lying to her, Ben."
"I know you do, Meg." He leans over to kiss me. "We will tell her the truth, but after Derek has been arrested."
"You really think he’s going to get caught?"
"Better than that. I know it. Ricardo is coming here this afternoon, with a team of police officers. All we have to do is try to relax, and I know just the activity that will help!" He reassures me, the way he always manages to. "Come on, where’s the barn?"
"Why do you want to see the barn? It’s just an old building with straw and hay in it."
"Well, it has always been one of my secret desires to make love in a barn with a beautiful girl." He smiles. "I hope you’re not going to disappoint me." He doesn’t give me time to reply, as he scoops me up in his arms and carries me to the barn. He gently puts me on a bale of hay, and makes love to me very tenderly, thus banishing all my fears away....
Chapter 15
Ben lies nibbling my ears with his tender kisses. I love being with him, he makes me feel so safe and content, in contrast to the terror we both know is coming very soon. Why couldn’t Derek leave his brother in peace?
"Thankyou, Meg." He breaks the silence with his deep voice. "I really needed that. I needed to be with you."
"You always have me, Ben. You know that." I roll on top of him, nestling my head into his chest.
"That’s the only thing I can count on at the moment." He sighs. I know what he is talking about. "I know, let’s stay like this forever. In each other’s arms."
"Hmm, that would be great, but we’re in my parent’s barn." I point out. "I think they might find us. They do come in here, occasionally."
"Spoilsport! That was my fantasy, Meg." He laughs. He has such a beautiful laugh. I tell him. He laughs louder. "With you in my life, I have every reason to laugh."
"I love you so much, Ben." I get all serious for a minute, my eyes welling up with tears. "You’ve shown me what real love feels like."
"You know, I was going to say the same thing to you." He wipes my tears away. "We must be in synch."
"Totally." I sit up. "We’d better go back to the house. My mom will have the police out to look for us!" Ben helps me do up my bra and zip my dress. In turn, I button his shirt for him. We like doing things for each other. Just as we walk out of the barn, I take his hand. "Wait a minute. You’ve got hay in your hair! One look at you and we’ll be busted."
"And that would be a complete tragedy, right?"
"Absolutely. You haven’t met my father. He’s a devil with a shot-gun." I say, trying to keep a straight face, but it proves to be an impossibility. I burst out laughing. "I’m sorry, Ben. You are just too easy to tease."
"I’ll get you for that." He winks at me.
"Now that’s a promise I’ll make you keep." The night is beginning to fall and it is getting cooler. Ben puts his leather jacket on. He looks so sexy in black leather. "You are too gorgeous, Ben."
"What do you want?" I can tell he isn’t used to compliments. Well, that is about to change!
"Nothing that I don’t already have." I laugh assuredly.
"You do have me." He swings me around and surprises me with an intimate kiss that lasts a few minutes.
"Wow, Ben, what was that for?" He literally took my breath away.
"I just needed you to know that although the next few days might be rough, my love for you will never change. You’ll always have me." He grows more serious now.
"You mean, Derek?" I ask, not wanting to say his name and spoil the night, but I need to.
"He will come, Meg. This time, he means business...."
"What are you talking about, Ben?" But as we come in sight of the house, we see a strange car parked in front of the house.
"He’s here. I can feel him near." He takes my hand and kisses it longingly. Without a word spoken, I know he wants us to be a normal couple, but with Derek on the scene, that will never happen. "Come on. We can’t leave him alone in there with your parents. He’s dangerous."
"What can we do?"
"You go in first and convince him to come out with you." He takes both my hands. "I know you’re scared, Meg. Believe it or not, I am too. Deadly scared, but we can do this. Ricardo will be on his way soon. I love you so much."
I wipe my eyes and nod my head. "I won’t be long. I love you too."
Without looking back, I go into the house I grew up in, to face the brother Ben grew up with. I have no idea what is going to happen, all I know is I have to do this for Ben. The man I love. I step into the unknown and come face to face with........
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