Cruel Fate

Chapter 5: Dangerous Territory

Ben threw his head back against the headrest of his leather seat and barked a laugh. “That’s a nice way of saying I look horrible.”

Adorably bewildered eyes met his blue ones. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh,” Amelia observed.

“It happens sometimes,” Ben returned, his fool mood slowly disappearing from being in her presence. He had, in fact, not slept a wink. All night long he’d laid awake. Lately, he constantly seemed to have trouble sleeping. He’d never been one to sleep away half the day, but getting two or three hours of sleep a night was testing his focus. Stress combined with piles of work didn’t help his trouble to find rest. “Rarely, but it happens.”

“You’re too serious. I often wonder if you have a funny bone in your body.”

“I do. I just hide it when I’m at work.” Ben admitted he could be a bit grim during working hours, but to him it was businesslike behavior. He couldn’t imagine joking around with his staff. It just wasn’t him. It would feel unprofessional.

“You do a remarkable job,” Amelia smirked, shaking her head. “You’ve everyone fooled. I’m sure every single employee thinks you’re just a stiff, solemn person that lacks humor and amiability.”

She sure didn’t hold back, Ben thought as he stared at her in astonishment. “You weren’t this forthcoming and bold when I first met you.”

“I was a silly eighteen years old that still believed in fairytales when I met you,” Amelia returned. “Besides I was intoxicated and still shy as shit. I probably would’ve run away the moment you walked up behind me if I hadn’t been drinking that night.”

He’d forbidden her to speak of that night, but Ben had to admit it was his own fault they’d ended up discussing it now. “Too drunk to know what you were doing?” It was a question he honestly worried about. At the time, he hadn’t realized how much she’d been drinking. He would never have deliberately taken advantage of her. Ben might be a lot of things, but he’d never sink that low.

A small smile crossed her lips, Amelia shook her head. “No, I was conscious enough to know what I was doing. It’s just something I probably wouldn’t have done if I’d been sober. I wasn’t exactly an outgoing person back then. I’m still not.”

“I never would’ve taken it that far if I’d known you were still a virgin,” Ben confessed. It still bothered him, even seven years later. He never really forgot about his mistake. It opened his eyes and made him realize he had to be more careful in the way he handled women. She’d been a delicate flower and he’d treated her like a quick shag. He hadn’t even taken her to his own place. Not that he’d ever brought a woman to his apartment. It was his sacred place, the one spot where he could find peace. Ben was a private person. He didn’t want a woman snooping around in his home.

Amelia studied him for a moment before nodding. “It’s probably why I never said anything. I didn’t want you to stop. I might not have known you, but you made me feel safe.”

Ben sighed. “We shouldn’t be talking about this.” He’d already crossed way too many lines for one day. It was a dangerous game they were playing.

“We shouldn’t,” Amelia agreed with a nod.

The silence that followed was tense. The drop of a pin could probably be heard. Ben knew he should’ve kept his mouth. He’d said too much, things that never should’ve been spoken about.

“This situation is too damn complicated,” Ben mumbled to himself as he drove inside the underground parking lot of the offices.