Ahem not really a smut warning, but like a hint of smut appears, so if you don't like that, tread with caution at the end.
Bennett
I sat in the airport lounge, searching for my Xanax, the usual flying anxiety beginning to have too much of an effect on me. I could feel myself sweating through my suit. My fingers touched the prescription bottle and I pulled it out of my carry-on. There was still an hour and a half until take off.
Frowning, I stared down at the bottle. Would it be better to take it now or later? I always had this issue. It was why I hated flying for work. Relying on medicine wasn't my favorite thing in the world.
But once I got on the flight I was one step closer to getting home and seeing Henley. I could do it.
"Attention passengers on American Airlines flight 6107 to Albany. The flight has been delayed due to a late-arriving aircraft. Our new departure time is 1:05 PM."
I stopped with my hand almost to my mouth. That was my flight. I let the pills fall back in the bottle as my mood dropped. That was over a three-hour delay.
Putting a hand to my forehead, I sighed deeply. I just wanted to get home.
"You look like you could use a drink," a woman's voice said behind me as a hand landed on my shoulder. "Can I buy you one?"
I glanced over my shoulder to see Cara grinning at me. Sitting straighter, I followed her movements as she took a seat in the chair opposite of mine. "What are you doing here?"
She grinned. "What a coincidence, right? Almost like fate."
"This is one of the biggest airports in the U.S and you're the CEO of an airline. It's really not that much of a coincidence," I told her.
She grimaced. "You're not very romantic, are you?"
"What? I'm very romantic," I said. "Ask Henley."
Cara nodded, pulling out her phone. "Yeah, sure. I will. Right now."
I hesitated. Would Henley say I was romantic? Did I do anything romantic for her? I tried to think. Did making her dinner count? Was that really all I could think of? "Since when did you have her number?" I muttered.
"I don't. I just wanted to see you sweat. It worked."
I folded my arms over my chest. Why did everyone like to do that to me?
Either way, I needed to do something romantic for Henley. Something that would sweet her of her feet. It was always one thing after another and barely ever any time for us to just relax together.
If I could ever get home. I sighed again.
"Want me to get you on a quicker flight?" Cara asked. "I can as long as there is a free seat. Can't promise it'll be first-class though."
I thought about it for a moment. Getting home faster, or having to sit next to someone within breathing distance in economy?
Henley's disappointed expression popped up in my mind. I tried to reason with it. Having strangers sitting too close to me didn't help my anxiety. And I had long legs and needed the space.
The image didn't go away.
"I'll take what you can find," I told Cara.
She beamed. "Cool. I'm going to fly back with you, then. Come on."
"How's Tala been?" I asked as we exited the lounge.
"Good! She got a sneak peek at the next generation of the BMW X1 that she's been excited about."
"Ah. A crossover."
"Don't like them?"
"I wouldn't go that far. Just not my preferred model."
"Tala would love to talk to you about your preferred models," Cara responded with a laugh. "We should all meet up for dinner soon."
I nodded. "Sure. You two can come over to my place."
"How is everything at the hotel?"
"It's... a lot."
"Ha, I feel you. No one likes when someone young takes over. Especially if that person is a woman."
I glanced out the tall windows of the airport, my stomach turning at the sight of planes on the apron. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's okay. I expected it. I wonder what will happen when everyone finds out I'm a lesbian, too," she said, smirking.
"No one knows?"
She shook her head. "Nah. Not at work. It's none of their business. I did tell my father though."
"How did he take it?" I asked and then regretted my words. "Sorry. That's invasive. You don't have to answer that."
"It's alright." She smiled a little. "Even though he spent all these years trying to get me to marry you or some random man, he just apologized for it and said he loved me no matter what. I'm very fortunate to have a supportive parent."
"When did you tell him?"
"When he got out of prison. I decided to buy a house with Tala and I think he kind of figured it out at that point, but I was worried he'd go right back to setting me up with someone and I didn't want Tala to have to deal with that again, so I decided to tell him flat out that I wasn't interested in men. But I'd like to think he wasn't going to try to set me up again considering what happened with your mother."
I'd forgotten that Cecil got a reduced sentence in exchange for providing evidence of my mother's crimes. He hadn't tried to contact Lee or I. Or even Brandon. I didn't know whether to be grateful for it or annoyed.
Cara took out her phone, scrolling through it. "Are you asking because you're worried about Lee?"
"No," I said. "But it's not like I haven't thought about that for him. He's already having a tough time. I'm sure you know, but there are more people unhappy about him becoming a CEO alongside me than happy about it. Sometimes I do wonder if that weighs heavy on him, too."
"Well, it's his business. He doesn't have to tell anyone if he doesn't want to," she responded shrugging. "He will do what's most comfortable for him."
"You're right."
Cara gave me a sidelong glance. "When did he tell you?"
"He didn't. I just knew from how he acted around Henry. But I don't really think he tried to hide it, anyway. He's happy with Henry and I'm happy that they're happy."
Cara clapped me on my shoulder. "Then you have your answer. Lee can decide for himself what he wants to do. And if he wants to talk to someone about it, he can always talk to me. No offense, Bennett, but you could never really understand, anyway."
"I know," I answered. "And he might not even be thinking like that. I'm just worried about him. I'm not trying to make assumptions."
Cara put her phone back in her pocket, smiling. "At least you're aware. Okay, we have seats. We can board. And rest easy, we're first class."
I searched for my Xanax again, this time swallowing them dry.
The flight back was only bearable because I knew I'd be able to see Henley soon. When we landed, Cara and I retrieved our luggage and walked to the pick-up outside our terminal together. I nearly stopped in my tracks at the sight of the robin blue colored M7 idling by the walkway. Tala rolled down the window, waving from the driver's seat. "Hey, guys!"
"Is that new?" I asked her, leaning into the passenger window to get a glimpse of the inside as Cara put her suitcase in the trunk.
"Yeah, Cara just bought it!" Tala responded happily. "Nice, isn't it? As soon as it arrived I knew Cara would want it."
"I want it," I said.
"Heh, sorry. Next time I'll keep you in mind, Bennett. Do you already plan in trading in your other one?"
I shook my head. "No. But there's nothing wrong with having multiple cars. I could use one for winter."
"Come to the dealership!" Cara said.
I moved out of the way so she could open the door. "I might." I paused. "Wait. No. I might buy a Maserati."
Both girls raised their eyebrows at me. "Why?" they said in unison.
"Why indeed," I said, smiling a little. I just wanted to see Henley's reaction when I showed up at her house in one.
I winced a little. What privilege I had to spend thousands of dollars just to see my girlfriend smile. I made a mental note to donate extra money this month for even having that thought. And volunteer at the soup kitchen.
"We gotta run though," Cara told me, slipping into the passenger's seat. "We have nail appointments."
I shut the door for her, nodding. "Okay. Have a good day."
"Let's meet up for dinner soon!"
"See ya, Bennett!" Tala said cheerfully. "Let me know if you change your mind about the BMW. I'd like to claim that commission."
"Of course," I said. "Have a safe drive home."
I watched them leave before heading down the strip, looking for Henry. My eyes landed on Lee's Maserati though, instead, and I wandered up to it, trying to subtly see who was driving. Lee waved me over as I grew closer.
"I thought Henry was picking me up," I said as I opened the passenger door.
"I really wish you wouldn't ask him to do these things anymore," Lee responded flatly, opening the trunk for me. "Put your luggage away and let's go."
His attitude caught me off guard and I did as he said, frowning. Lee never spoke to me like that. I sat in the passenger seat awkwardly. "Sorry," I apologized. "But Henry offered."
"Don't you know he's too nice to say no to anyone?"
I tried not to get annoyed. Lee looked exhausted. He sighed heavily as he pulled away from the curb. "I would have asked Henley to, then, if Henry had told me he didn't want to."
"And you weren't going to ask me?"
"No."
"Why?" he asked an edge to his voice.
I stared at him, noticing how tightly his hands gripped the steering wheel. "Because you've had to handle everything at the office all week and I didn't want to bother you on your days off."
"But you can bother Henry?"
"Lee, what is the problem here?"
"There is no problem."
"Then why are you giving me an attitude?"
Lee pursed his lips. "I'm not."
I placed my hand on my forehead, taking a deep breath. "Did something happen while I was gone?"
"No. Why would you think that? I can handle things on my own, you know. I did for six years while you slacked off."
I dropped my hand, now annoyed. "What?"
"I don't appreciate you questioning my worth ethic."
"I wasn't."
"It sounded like it."
"Look, clearly something is wrong," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "If you have something to say, then say it."
Lee kept his eyes on the road, jaw clenched. "Nothing is wrong."
"Lee."
A second of silence passed and Lee's Adam's apple bobbed. "I am stressed out," he finally admitted.
"I've got that," I told him. "I have never heard you speak like this before. I hope you haven't been speaking to Henry like that. He might actually cry. He's a sensitive guy."
"Why are you speaking as you know him better than me?" Lee snapped.
I blinked at him.
"I don't understand how you're doing it."
"Doing what?"
"Acting so normally. As if what happened is not a huge deal." He glanced at me. "Although I guess for you it's not. Nothing ever seems to be."
"You're sounding awfully petulant for an almost thirty-year-old man," I said.
"Bennett—"
"Your feelings are valid, but don't attack me because you assume I'm less affected than you are. You don't know how I'm feeling."
Lee's shoulders sagged. "You're right. I'm sorry, Bennett. I'm just feeling a little envious of you right now. I don't understand how you're dealing with this so easily. My therapist has been on vacation all week. I'm a little on edge."
"We're two different people so of course we're going to have different reactions," I responded, leaning back into my seat. "But that doesn't mean I'm not affected. I just focus on other things to forget it. You seem to be the opposite. You focus on it and can't focus on anything else."
"I think I'm going to talk to her."
"Who?"
"Our..." He bit his lip. "Your mother."
I sat up straighter. "Lee, I'm not sure—"
"I want you to come with me."
"Why do you want to talk to her?" I asked.
"I have so many questions. I can't stop thinking. It's driving me crazy. Work is going miserably because I keep spacing out and people are already questioning my mental state. I'm just giving them more reason to criticize me."
I clenched my hands into fists. "Who cares what they think?"
"I do," Lee answered simply.
My hands relaxed. I couldn't argue with that. "What do you think you'll gain by talking to her?"
"I don't know. I just know I need to talk to her."
"I'll go with you."
He looked at me with wide eyes. "Really?"
"Yes."
"I thought it'd be harder to convince you."
"Why? If it's for you, I wouldn't say no."
Lee cleared his throat. "Sorry for being rude earlier."
"It's fine," I told him. "But Henry really did say it was okay."
"Henry still won't say no when you ask him things."
"Are you trying to tell me not to ask him to pick me up from the airport again?"
Lee gave me a small smile. "No, but you have to give him an easy out too, so he's more likely to say no if he doesn't really want to."
"Yeah, alright. Did he tell you he didn't want to today?"
"No. I made him stay home so he could write."
I rolled my eyes. "Then your attitude was unnecessary."
"What if I asked Henley to pick me up?"
"You shouldn't. Just being near the airport gives her anxiety," I said to him seriously. "Ask me."
Lee tapped the steering wheel with his fingers. "Are we being too protective over them?"
"No."
"I want to go soon," Lee said, becoming serious again. "In the upcoming weeks."
I nodded, but inwardly, anxiety was already beginning to build. What would she say to Lee? What would she say to me? I'd hoped I wouldn't have to see her for a long time, but I wouldn't leave Lee to go alone. "I have to fly back out to California the week after next. Do you want to go before then?"
"We can go after," Lee said. "We're swamped at work. Let's take care of one thing at a time."
"Will you be okay?"
"I already feel a little better now that I have a plan."
"What about our father?" I asked.
Lee checked the side mirror before merging onto the highway. "I plan to talk more with him, too. What about you?"
"Haven't decided."
"I don't think he has bad intentions."
I glanced at the speedometer as he sped up. "You don't?"
"He could have chosen to hide everything from us. He could have chosen never to see us again."
"After over a decade?"
Lee put on his blinker, switching into the left lane. "Bennett, I don't mean to offend you when I say this, but you gave up on Henley pretty fast to protect me."
"That's..."
"You didn't feel like you had any other choice. I know that. So, who are we to say that our father didn't feel like that? Maybe he truly thought he did what was best for the both of us."
His words made sense, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to acknowledge that or not. Instead, I grew alarmed as Lee sped up even more, pushing ninety. "Lee. Slow down. Do you always drive this fast?"
Lee eased on the gas. "Sorry. I always forget how easily this car picks up speed."
I didn't understand how Lee didn't have any speeding tickets. I refused to go more than five miles over the speed limit, and the one time I did, I got pulled over.
We finally made it back to my house two hours later and Lee seemed to be in a much better mood. I relaxed, seeing him smile and laugh as he talked about Henry messing up a cake as he parked in my driveway.
"I have to pee, I'm going to come inside for a moment," he told me, unbuckling.
"That's fine," I told him, glancing at my phone. Henley wouldn't be around for a few more hours.
Together we walked up to my front door and I watched as Lee put the passcode in for me. I gave him a wry look as he opened the door and let me inside. This had to be what Henley felt like when people let themselves into her home.
The first sign something was off was the fact the lights were on. I never left the lights on.
I reached out and grabbed Lee's elbow as he headed for the bathroom after kicking off his shoes. "Wait a second, Lee."
"What's wrong?"
"I didn't leave the lights on."
"Henley might have stopped by."
I released Lee, moving quietly to the balcony edge, looking down into the living room. "Henley wouldn't come here if I wasn't here. She doesn't like doing that."
"Why not?" he responded, but lowered his voice, looking around him.
There was no sign of any intruder down below. Frowning, I moved down the hall, deciding to check my bedroom and Lee's old bedroom. Lee followed closely behind me, his phone in his hand.
I swung open the door to his old bedroom first, but it was empty. Lee went in to search around while I went for my bedroom, finding it untouched as well. I checked my closet, seeing all my watches and cuff links there.
"Oh my God!" came Lee's shocked voice.
I hurried out of my room, panic lodging itself in my throat. "What? What's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry!" he choked out, his eyes screwed shut, and his head facing away.
Confused, I came to a stop beside him, looking into the bathroom.
Henley stood there, frozen like a deer in headlights, cheeks flaming red, holding a towel to her chest.
It took me a second to realize she was naked behind it.
My mouth fell open.
"I'm— I'm going to go," Lee said, keeping his eyes averted as he hurried back down the hall to the door.
Henley and I didn't say anything to each other for a moment, just stood staring at each other speechlessly.
"I was going to surprise you," she finally said, her voice sounding detached.
"Naked?" I asked, my mouth going dry.
She nodded tersely.
"Lee is never coming inside again."
Her blush deepened again and I finally managed to peel my eyes from her form to look beyond her, realizing that the bathtub was filled with bubbles and there was a bottle of wine and two glasses on a wooden table next to it.
"I thought you'd show up alone," she muttered.
"Did Lee see...?"
Henley nodded again, looking like she might actually die of embarrassment. "I thought it was you coming into the bathroom. Remember? I said I'd meet you with arms wide open." She raised her arms for example and the towel dropped.
I swallowed.
She quickly swiped it off the floor, covering herself again. "Damn it. I screwed this all up. How can I look Lee in the eyes again? He's my boss. Oh, God. My boss saw me naked. Wait. What's worse? Him being my boss or your brother?"
I didn't know what to say.
"Ugh. The mood is all ruined," she said, tying the towel around herself, and running a hand through her hair. "Maybe I should just drain this and—"
"We can forget it happened," I told her, stepping into the bathroom.
"Yeah, that's not going to happen that easily." She groaned. "I should have made sure it was you first. I can't believe this."
This was the first time I felt mildly annoyed by someone's bladder.
"Lee probably doesn't care," I said unhelpfully.
Henley pursed her lips at me. "That doesn't make me feel better."
"What would?" I asked her. "I don't want to let your preparations go to waste."
She considered it for a moment. "I guess we shouldn't let the water go to waste."
"No," I agreed, smiling a little. "I wonder what else you have planned for us."
"Don't smile like that. We're just taking a bath. Imagine how you would feel if Brandon walked in on you naked," she said, pouting.
I shrugged. "I'm pretty confident with my body."
She gave me a sarcastic look. "I should have expected that answer from you."
I slid off my blazer, hanging it on one of the rungs hanging off the wall. Then I captured her in my arms, pulling her to my chest. "Are you still embarrassed?"
"Of course I am," she said, her arms straight at her sides. "I'm going to be embarrassed for the rest of my life."
"It's not a big deal."
"Huh. I expected you to be more jealous than this."
I pulled back a little to look at her. "What? Me? Jealous?"
"Typically."
I held my chin up. "This was an accident."
"Maybe I raised the towel quick enough so that he didn't really see anything," she said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself.
"If it makes you feel better I'm sure Lee knows what female anatomy looks like. It's probably nothing new."
Henley burst out laughing. "I don't know how you have a way of making things better and worse at the same time."
"Put it out of your mind," I said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I haven't seen you in five days. I'm not going to let you think about my brother tonight."
"If I really think about it, it's not a big deal, I guess," she said, pulling herself free of my arms. "It's not like I'm embarrassed of my body. I've worked hard to accept myself."
I folded my arms over my chest. "Prove it."
She rolled her eyes. "I know what you're doing." But she still dropped the towel and my pulse picked up. "Come on, let's get in."
"How am I supposed to get in like this?"
She paused.
"Undress me," I said.
She looked like she was going to refuse me for a moment before she stepped up to me, reaching for my tie. I watched as she undid it and slid it off my neck. Then she reached for the buttons of my shirt, unbuttoning them slowly, her fingers purposefully brushing my skin as she moved onto the next one.
I lowered my shoulders so she could take it off fully and she pressed her chest into mine and she did so.
I ran my hand through her hair as she reached for my belt, unbuckling it and tossing it aside. She made quick work of the button of my slacks, but instead of letting them drop, she lowered them along with herself to the floor.
I stared down at her, aware that my breathing had increased, but trying to keep it under control.
She smiled back up at me as her fingers dug under the waistband of my underwear.
"Henley," I breathed.
"Are you that excited to see me?" she teased as she pulled them down.
Who wouldn't be I wanted to say, but my breath caught in my throat as she wrapped her hand around me. Her gaze never left mine and it took everything in me to stop her as she brought her mouth closer to my length. "Henley, wait."
She sat back on her calves. "What?"
"I was really sweaty at the airport from nerves," I murmured, bending down to take her hands in mine, and helping her climb to her feet. "Let's bathe first."
"Oh, right." She was blushing a little and I bit back my smile. Cute.
We climbed into the bathtub and I pulled her into my lap, enjoying the feeling of the warm water surrounding us, and her weight on me. "It's sexy when you take the initiative," I said as I massaged her lower back.
"I figure I owe it to you for teasing you on the phone the other night," she responded, resting her chin on my shoulder.
"You don't owe me anything," I said, kissing her shoulder. "I'm just happy to be home."
She pushed back so she could see my face. "I'm happy you're home, too."
I leaned forward and kissed her and she sighed in content, kissing me back, matching my soft pressure. I used one hand to scoot her closer to me, leaving no space between us. She placed her hands on my chin, holding my face still as she deepened the kiss. I opened my mouth slightly and a second later, she gave me what I wanted, slipping her tongue inside. I hummed appreciatively, my hands gripping her hips.
I tried to adjust my posture and my purchase on the bottom of the tub slipped, sending both me and Henley under the water as I slid forward. She flailed for a moment, her hands pressing roughly against my chest as she straightened out and climbed off me. I shoved my head above the water, shaking my wet hair out of my face.
"We should have learned our lesson by now," Henley said tiredly, her hair wet hair sticking to her face. Her forehead was red and I realized. She must have hit her head on the edge of the tub as she went forward.
I had to buy a bath mat. One with great grip.
I touched the mark. "Did you hit your head?"
She nodded miserably. "I'm okay though."
Maybe I'd just get rid of the tub.
No. It was one of Henley's favorite things. I'd stick with buying a rubber bath mat.
A second later, her stomach growled. She clasped her hands over her stomach, looking mortified. "Ignore that."
I chuckled. "How about we eat?"
"Um, but what about..." she trailed off, staring at me pointedly.
"It's fine. We can shower after we eat and we have all night," I told her, touching her cheek. "I rather not have one of us die in here or you pass out in hunger."
"Pass out?"
"Shouldn't I also show you how much I missed you?"
She pushed on my shoulder, flushing. "Bennett."
I grabbed her hand, kissing her fingers, then her hand, up to her arm, then to her neck. She tilted her head to the side so I could have better access and I sucked on her skin for a moment before kissing her jaw and then meeting her lips as she turned her head toward me. She moved to straddle me and then fell into me as her knees slipped on the slippery tub floor as my butt did moments earlier.
I gave her an I-told-you-so look.
"Fine," she agreed, carefully climbing out of the tub, and wrapping her abandoned towel around herself again. "I guess we should eat first anyway."
I got out as well, grabbing the edges of her towel, and pulling her body flush to mine, wrapping the towel around both of us. "You were planning on sleeping over, right?"
"Yes," she said, breath brushing my skin. "Maybe not too much sleeping."
I didn't want to let her go. She felt too good pressed against me. I drew the towel in more, holding it tightly so she couldn't move away. She wiggled against me purposefully. I had half the mind to lift her onto the counter and give her what she clearly wanted.
But then her stomach growled again and she went still.
I released her, hiding a smile as I retrieved a towel for myself from the cabinet. "We'll wait, then. What did you get for me to make?"
"Pasta primavera," she said. "Is that okay? We could order out if you don't feel like it. I know you had a long flight."
I debated about putting my work clothes back on, but remembered if I did Henley might unbutton my shirt again later, so I threw it back on. "No, I don't mind. We can make it together."
"Okay," she said, appearing in front of me, smiling. "I can cook the noodles."
"You should really stop calling them noodles," I said.
"What? Why?"
"Some people are not very happy when they hear you say that..."
"Who?"
I shook my head, kissing her forehead as she looked up at me in confusion. "Nothing, forget it."
We headed to the kitchen together and Henley took out all the ingredients she bought. "I kind of just got whatever."
"I'll make it work. Where did you park your car, by the way?" I asked. "I didn't see it when pulling in with Lee."
"I asked Ariana to drop me off. I really wanted to surprise you. Although maybe if I had driven, Lee wouldn't have been surprised, too."
I almost laughed at that. Almost.
But her mentioning Lee made me think of my mother again and how he wanted to talk to her. How would Henley feel about it? Would she be worried? I'd have to ask her how she felt about it before we went.
But not tonight.
Tonight was just for us.
Author's Note:
Readers: We were robbed!!!!!
Bennett and Henley: So were we.
Me: Listen... It's already 5k words 😂