She sighed as she felt safe, loved, and content. When she’d been married to Elijah, she’d given up all hope of ever feeling this. Now she cherished the gift.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Ben said gently.
She squirmed and kissed his chest. Then she looked up to see he was watching her face.
“It’s nothing. I’m… just happy,” she sighed.
Ben was quiet for a moment, then he spoke again. “I’m sorry we don’t get that much time together.”
Ashley lifted her head and turned to face him. “Don’t get any silly ideas that I’m feeling neglected in the slightest. I know how busy you are, and I know how many people you’re splitting your time amongst. I’m delighted to spend this time with you. Besides, my life has been so full, with taking care of the girls and Joshua and attending school.”
Ben pulled her closer so he could kiss her then she settled once more against his side.
She would have to collect her children at some point, but for now, this was her me time.
Sunday morning was busy for Ben. He woke early so he could get in a workout. He wasn’t sure how many opportunities he’d have over the next week, so he’d start with a good one.
Once he’d showered and dressed, he packed his suitcase for the business trip. Tina and Lucy helped him with that as he trusted their style better than his own. When they were finished, he knew which combinations he could use to mix and match the clothes he was bringing and look good doing it.
He packed some casualwear as well, but Evelyn hadn’t briefed him on what their schedule looked like yet. Lucy said she slipped one pair of swim trunks into the bag, just in case. He packed some workout clothes as well.
Once he’d had breakfast and brushed his teeth, he kissed the ladies and kids and stepped outside. It was going to be another hot one today.
Liliya carried Rose up his steps, and he kissed the girl before the mother handed her daughter to Lucy.
They walked to the driveway, where they met Tatiana and Evelyn. Ben tossed the Sergeant the truck keys as she grinned at him. Once they climbed in, Ben punched in the address to Ed’s into the GPS.
The drive to the next town was relaxing, and Evelyn used the time to fill them all in on the schedule for the next few days. It certainly sounded like they’d be busy.
“Do you know if any of these hotels has a gym?” Ben asked.
“I think some do, but they might not be up to your preferred standard. Tourist hotels often don’t have serious gyms,” Evelyn said.
They left the highway and made their way across town to the Silverton Heights neighborhood. The homes got larger and with more property on this side of town. Once they turned onto Ed’s street, the road went through a lovely tunnel of trees before they saw the first driveway. There’d been another bump in the size of the homes and properties. Ben admired the neighborhood with its mature trees and beautifully landscaped yards. The houses were gorgeous, and as they went up the hill, they became fancier.
“This is the one,” Ben said as they almost reached the peak. They couldn’t see the home as a tall, evergreen privacy hedge surrounded the property. They turned into the driveway to follow the curving lane to a tall brick wall with a huge, motorized gate. Evelyn dropped her window and pressed the intercom button.
“Hello?”
Ben recognized Ed’s voice.
“Ben Shepherd and party,” Evelyn announced.
“Ah! Come on in!” Ed said excitedly, and the big gate began to move.
Evelyn drove them through and continued along the path until they pulled onto a large parking pad before the home. Ben and Evelyn smiled as they admired the natural aesthetic of the structure. They could see the greenery growing on the roof.
“I can see design elements from the building your accountant works from,” Liliya said.
“Yes, Ed said this home was a prototype they used as a template for the office development,” Ben replied.
They parked and got out of the truck as the home’s front door opened and three young girls charged outside. Blonde, brunette, and strawberry-blonde, the three rushed up to stand a few feet away from Ben with wide, toothy grins.
Ben smiled as he saw Ed and Grace follow them out.
“Hi, Ben! You’ve met Grace?” Ed said.
“Yes, hi again!” Ben responded, and she waved with a shy smile as she eyed Ben’s entourage.
Ed continued. “May I introduce Evelyn, Caelyn, and Brooklyn, our beautiful daughters.”
Ben smiled and bowed slightly to the three. “Hello there! I’m Ben, and this is Liliya, Tatiana, and Evelyn! Two Evelyns!”
The blonde girl smiled at Evelyn. “Are you wearing a uniform?”
The Sergeant smiled a little self-consciously. “Yes. I’m a Sergeant in the Army.”
“What do you do?” Caelyn asked Tatiana, who was watching the Sergeant with an amused smirk. The tall assassin looked down at the small brunette child in surprise. She smiled sweetly at the girl. “I do many things, but right now, I protect Ben from bad people.” She caught Ben’s warning glance and stopped with a smile.
“You protect him?” Caelyn gasped as she looked at Ben’s size compared to Tatiana’s.
Tatiana nodded with a grin as she enjoyed the wonder in the girl’s eyes.
“So do I,” Liliya said. “And Evelyn does, too.”
Now all the girls were looking at the ladies in amazement.
“Why do you need so many people to protect you?” Brooklyn asked in confusion.
Ben shrugged dramatically. “Maybe it’s because I’m just so big!”
The girls giggled.
“Okay, girls. It’s time for you to head inside and prepare for the party,” Grace said, and her daughters waved as they rushed back into the house. The mother followed them in.
“Come on, I’ll get your tour started!” Ed said.
“Even from the outside, we can see the similarities to the office development. The building is gorgeous! It’s all one level?” Ben asked.
Ed nodded. “There is a basement level under the ground floor, but nothing above this. The majority of the roof is covered with a green roofing system. There are some solar panels, wind turbines, and mechanical systems on the roof as well.”
He led the group inside, and in the foyer, Ben saw a stunning redhead dressed in a red bikini and a gauzy coverup that did not cover much. She grinned at Ed’s frozen expression.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” she purred to Ed, who tore his eyes away from her straining bikini top.
“Oh, yes! Rachel Thompson, this is…” Ed turned to the ladies. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your last names.”
“Evelyn Killcade,” the Sergeant said with a smile and nod to the red-haired beauty.
“Liliya Sokolov,” the blonde replied.
“Tatiana Pushkin,” the brunette sighed.
Rachel nodded to the women, then turned her eyes to Ben.
“And this is Ben Shepherd. We’re going to be working together on a large project.”
Rachel’s smile suddenly froze. “Sh-Shepherd?”
Ben saw recognition in her eyes, which immediately dropped to stare somewhere below his beltline. Just as quickly, they snapped back up to his eyes, but she knew he’d followed her gaze, and her face soon matched the color of her hair.
Ed seemed to have missed the byplay and continued enthusiasm. “We’re flying to Hong Kong tonight!”
“Yes, that’s right! How exciting!” Rachel said, with a wobbly voice to Ed. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, and she gazed at him with twinkling eyes. “Did you mention before that you were working with Mr. Shepherd?”
Ed thought about it and shrugged. “I think I did. I’m pretty sure I did, but I might have just said Ben.”
“Ed! I need help with the cooler of steaks!”
The man in question looked past Rachel toward the voice calling out for his help.
Ben looked down the hall and saw another woman approaching. She was just a few inches over five feet but what she packed into that petite stature captured the eye. Like Rachel, she wore a bikini that struggled to contain her more than generous curves. Gold appeared to be her favorite color and metal as she’d adorned herself with rings, bracelets, chains, and earrings made of the precious metal, and her metallic bikini gleamed as well. Her straight black hair was currently disappearing into her deep cleavage as her head was bent forward while she straightened the cups of her bikini top.
She looked up and swept her long hair back over her shoulders and stumbled to a stop as she faced a bunch of strangers in her home.
Ed made the introductions. “Ben, this is Zoe Sandoval. Zoe, this is Ben Shepherd, Evelyn Killcade, Liliya Sokolov, and Tatiana Pushkin.”
Zoe’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Ed. “You didn’t tell me they were coming today!”
“Yes, he did,” Grace said calmly as she joined them with her daughters, who were also wearing their bathing suits. Grace was wearing a pretty one-piece suit and sandals.
“W-when?” Zoe squeaked.
“Friday night.”
“What was I doing that ni–Oh!” Zoe’s eyes went to Ed.
“Yes, that was your date night with Ed. You were… preoccupied,” Grace teased.
Zoe’s caramel complexion warmed as she smiled at the memory. She pulled herself from that to smile at Ben and the ladies. Ed hustled away to grab the cooler and took it out to the car.
Ben watched the comfortable banter between people who obviously loved each other, and it felt wonderfully familiar. Glancing at Rachel, she was still a little star-struck, but now she was smiling at Zoe’s flustered expression with affection. He’d seen love in her eyes as she gazed at Ed earlier. When Ed returned, Zoe flashed him a hungry yet playful look that hinted at their passion, and Grace’s smile let him know she was fully aware of it.