Ben sat up and looked at the two ladies to ensure he had their attention. “Because I’m defining our relationship in terms of what you need not what you want. You are both beautiful young women but you’ve had half of your lives stolen from you by a… very bad man. I’m willing to help you regain what was taken from you but if you accept my help we will do it on my terms. Unlike how Shakir treated you, from me you will only receive honesty and respect. I expect the same from you. You aren’t pets. You have far more potential than that. If you accept my help you will have a say in all matters that concern you. My role in your lives will not be that of lover. You won’t flirt with me. You could think of me like… an uncle-”
“Father,” Penny blurted, her eyes welling with tears.
Ben smiled gently. “Sure. Father works too. I will protect you, guide you, and support you until you are able to take your lives under your own control. But like I said it’s your choice.” He looked at the two ladies and saw Karen was having more difficulty with the idea than Penny who seemed completely onboard.
“Something you need to say Karen? You can say anything you want to me,” he said gently.
“I- I liked it. Just the being taken care of part. Not having to make decisions!” her voice was a little shrill from fear.
“Come here,” Ben said and Karen rushed to crawl up the lounge bed and press herself against his chest. She was trembling.
“I’m not throwing you into the deep end to see if you will sink or swim. We will do this together, work out how much autonomy you can deal with every day until you are comfortable with taking charge of the important things in your life. When you have control over that, well, that would be the optimal time to find a boyfriend. He’ll have to endure a grilling from me but if he survives my interrogation then he may be worthy of you.”
Both women were grinning by that point and Penny rushed up onto the bed to hug him.
“Am I interrupting something?” said a frosty voice.
Ben looked up to see Margaux standing rigidly at the end of the lounge bed. He sighed. “Karen, Penny, this is Margaux De la Cruz. Please tell her what I just told you.”
Karen looked a little confused but she spoke first. “He won’t rub suntan lotion on us and won’t be our lover.”
Penny seemed to get the message a little clearer. “Ben will help us get our lives back but as a father would.” She beamed him a loving smile.
“Thank you. Now I think you can put on your own lotion and help each other do your backs.” Ben shooed them off the bed. The two ladies grinned and moved quickly back to their lounge chairs.
Ben looked at Margaux who was struggling to regain her composure. She frowned and her bottom lip started to tremble. “Come here, please,” Ben said.
The woman gracefully sat on the edge of the bed. “Closer.” She slid forward a few inches. Ben sighed and leaned back against the inclined cushions and lifted his left arm across the top of the pillows. “Climb up here and tuck yourself against me so we can talk. You’ll feel better.”
Dark brown eyes looked deeply into his then she moved closer and slowly lowered herself to the cushions and his side. Once her head was resting against his chest he felt her exhale and begin to relax.
“It’s beautiful up here. I was just lying here listening to the sounds of the breeze and the water lapping in the pool, the kids playing and the happy murmur of the other guests talking and… I felt at peace. I’ve had a few moments like that on this vacation. I treasure those as I’ve had so many moments in my life that were the direct opposite of them. I’m learning to cherish the important moments.” He moved his left arm down and cuddled Margaux a little tighter against him. “This feels like one of those moments too.”
“You’ve just seen the ugly monster that lives within me. It is so eager to destroy every chance at happiness. How can you say you want me to be with you when you’ve seen its evil?” she said quietly, her voice trembling.
“You think you are the only one carrying monsters inside? We all have them to some degree. The trick is to recognize them as separate from who you are. Don’t be defined by their actions and impulses. Own them, understand them but deny them their ability to make life decisions. To truly love someone is to accept them, monsters and all.”
Margaux pressed her face against his chest and breathed in deeply. Her body was relaxing.
They lay on the lounge bed together for a time, neither speaking, both enjoying the simple comfort of human contact. The waiter returned with the drinks and Margaux ordered one for herself. Once more the waiter tried to flirt with the ladies but both glanced at Ben and saw his raised eyebrow. They turned back to the waiter and politely denied his request to meet them later. Dejectedly the man moved off.
Margaux chuckled. “You are doing it again!”
“What?” he asked with a smile.
“Unconscious Dom behavior,” she looked up at him with a knowing smile.
“Not this time. That was a ‘you’re not ready for dating and he’s not worthy of you’ look. Dad stuff,” he rumbled.
Margaux pushed herself up on one elbow to stare into Ben’s eyes with surprise. “You’re serious! You’re really going to treat these women like your daughters?”
“It’s what they need most right now. The stuff they’ve gone through? They didn’t deserve. The stuff they missed out on? I can help with that.”
“How? How can you afford to do all this? You told me you were a semi-retired mechanic?” she asked incredulously.
Ben snorted and began to laugh. Once he got control of that he smiled at her confusion. “Mechanical Engineer. I make stuff. Solve engineering issues. Invent things to make other things work or work better. I get patents on the things I make. I get royalties for those I license others to manufacture and sometimes I sell the design outright.”
“You’re rich?” she said with a quiet intense voice.
Ben looked around. “I do alright.”
“So you’re not after my money,” Margaux smiled as she rested her chin on his chest to look up at his face.
He grinned. “No. I’m not.”
“You’re some kind of millionaire playboy?” she teased.
Ben snorted. “Definitely not!”
“Good!”