Stephanie might have been blind, and she might have been frail from months of depression and self-neglect, but they’d purged all the old sculptures from her studio quickly. For a fresh start, she said.
Then she found new energy to drag Ben to her small single bed in the corner and fucked him silly. Stephanie wanted to ride his pony, she said as she giggled. She’d been listening to some new music, it seemed.
She did ride his pony, then let Ben fill her from behind, doggy-style. Finally, he drove himself down into her from above, pounding her into her mattress while she clung to him and cried out in bliss.
The studio wasn’t the most soundproof room in the chateau, and they filled it with the sounds of their gasps, cries, and moans until Stephanie finally said enough.
He was worried he’d been a little too rough with her, but she had the widest smile as they cuddled.
Before she completely faded, she made Ben promise to let her map his body in the morning. Her muse wanted her to create a new sculpture of him which she promised not to sell. He told her to speak to Alexis after she and Béatrice talked to Richard and Henry. He wouldn’t explain why as it made him too uncomfortable, so he just kissed her.
The following morning he’d fulfilled his promise to her and relaxed back on the mattress as she ran her fingers over every inch of his skin as she wore an expression of fierce concentration. Ben got a little stiff down below from her attention, but she was still a little too sensitive from the night before. That didn’t mean she didn’t spend time mapping his cock in excruciating detail.
Afterward, Ben and Gabriella kissed her, Alexis, and Béatrice goodbye, and the group piled into the vans. They had to hurry back to Grenoble to make their take-off time.
All the way back, the Commandos dropped innuendos about Ben’s noisy visit with the artist. As they’d been on the ground floor during that entire interval, they’d enjoyed the audio track of Ben and Stephanie’s reunion.
Zama lamented her top-floor room robbed her of this. Moon just smiled innocently as her room had been just up a flight of stairs and within hearing range of the studio.
Evelyn fidgeted as she’d heard some of it when she checked in with the Commandos before heading to bed.
Liliya listened to the teasing with interest.
Gabriella hid her satisfied smile as she knew she would soon make those sounds with Ben herself.
“Fisher, we need to make a brief stop in London,” Ben said.
The man looked over the seat at Ben in frustration. “Again?”
“I spoke with Dennis last night, and I have the address for Robin Wood. We need to retrieve the item she stole from Stephanie.”
‘Shit! How much time will you need?” Fisher growled.
“She lives in a townhome in Hounslow, a suburb just east of Heathrow. It’s a five-minute drive,” Ben explained.
“Fine. Killjoy and I will take you. The rest will stay with the plane,” he insisted.
“Evelyn and I will be with Ben as well,” Liliya insisted. Fisher glared at her but nodded.
The drive back to Grenoble didn’t take long, and the flight to Heathrow was relatively smooth. Once they were on the ground, Ben found himself whisked through a back door with Fisher, Stim, Evelyn, Liliya, and Moon. He wasn’t sure why Moon was in the group, but Fisher didn’t give him time to ask as they rushed through the accessways of the terminal.
They were met by some security personnel who directed them to an airport security van which they climbed into. Fisher shook his head when Ben went to speak, so he just waited and glanced over at Moon, who smiled at him. One of the airport security team climbed behind the wheel, and they were on their way. Fisher gave the driver the address Ben had provided him, and within seven minutes, they were parked in front of the home.
It wasn’t much to look at. Dennis said Robin told him she inherited her home from her grannie, a two-story townhome in the middle of a block of identical dwellings. Most showed some level of disrepair, and hers desperately needed a paint job. None of the homes had any green space in front, favoring parking pads instead. Ben assumed Robin was away from her home more than she lived in it.
He got out of the van and stood before the home, wondering what he would say. He thought he should give her hell for hurting his friends, stealing from them, and misrepresenting herself. All of that felt insufficient. He decided he wouldn’t give her any more of his time than he had to. He glanced back at his protection, then looked to the van, but only the driver was still visible. He frowned as Moon was gone.
“We don’t have much time, Ben,” Fisher said.
Glancing back at the CO, Ben nodded and walked to the door. He pressed the doorbell and waited. A peephole in the door showed a glimmer of light, perhaps from a back window. That light flickered as someone approached the door.
Ben heard someone on the other side of the door swear, and it was a feminine voice.
“Robin? It’s Ben. I just want to speak with you,” he said calmly.
There was a long delay, then the door opened but stopped as there was a chain across the gap.
“Ben! W-what are you doing here?” she asked nervously, her blue eye peering at him through the gap.
He raised an eyebrow. “I think you know why I traveled all the way to your door to speak to you.”
“No! No, I don’t!” she said quickly.
Ben sighed. “My friends have been telling me about a woman who came into their lives, befriended them, grilled them for information on me, and just as quickly cast them aside and left. A beautiful red-haired woman named Robin.”
The compliment surprised her, as did his gentle tone. She might have expected him to be angry. Her exposed eye watched him carefully.
“Honestly, I just want to talk. You should know by speaking to everyone I’m a man of my word. No one here means you any harm, and no one will lift a finger against you. I have to get back to the airport momentarily. May we come in?” Ben asked.
She watched his face carefully, then nodded. The door closed and reopened without the chain as Robin stepped back, running her fingers through her hair, trying to make it presentable. She might not have washed it for some time. She also looked like she’d been living in the tracksuit she was wearing, which needed a wash.
“I-I wasn’t expecting company,” she blurted.
Ben followed Evelyn inside as she looked in all directions and nodded.
“Five minutes, Ben,” Fisher said, and Ben nodded as he stepped inside with Liliya following.
They stepped into a sitting room, and Ben smiled as he could see Robin’s grandmother’s style written all over it. There was almost nothing of Robin in the room.
“What that for?” Robin asked Ben as she stared at him.
He looked at her curiously. “What’s what for?”
“Your smile as you entered? What’s so funny?” Robin said defensively.
Ben shook his head. “It’s not funny. It’s sweet. I can see your grandmother’s touch in this room. It feels like you haven’t changed anything.”
Robin nodded slowly, her guard dropping a little.
Ben fixed his eyes on her. “Time is short, so I’ll get right to the point. It came to my attention that you’ve been tracing my path, speaking to people in my life, and pumping them for information on me. Why?”
Robin glanced at the faces of the two women with Ben and swallowed. “A book. I’m writing a book.”
“About me?” Ben asked.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “You won’t give interviews, and there is a huge demand for your story. I wanted to be the one to meet that demand. It’s going to make me rich!”
Ben nodded. “Can I ask you not to write it?”
She chuckled. “You can ask, but it’s already been written. It’s with my publisher right now.”
“Ah. I assume they gave you an advance on it?” Ben said.
“Only a small one at first, but once it goes to print, I’ll get the rest.”
“Who is the publisher?” Ben asked.
Robin’s eyes flared. “I’m not going to tell you that. I’m not jeopardizing my fortune by letting you interfere.”
Ben watched her and nodded. “Okay.”
She peered at him closer. “What does okay mean?”
“Nothing at all,” Ben shrugged. He knew he should just leave, but he had a few minutes left, and for his friend’s sake, he wanted to say something. “There is also the damage you did to my friends. You hurt quite a few people in your quest to get my story. Don Blake told me how he ruined his marriage by giving into temptation with you. He’s got a real problem which you didn’t help.”
“It’s not my fault he cheated on his wife!” Robin said scornfully.
“Not entirely, no, but it takes three to cheat: a couple in a monogamous relationship and at least one other person willing to help break that vow. Don couldn’t cheat by himself, and you knew he was married. Not cool.”
Robin glared at him. “I think you should leave now.”
Ben nodded. “Sure, but I’m also here for Stephanie Murino’s property.”
Robin’s eyes looked away from Ben. “I’ve no idea what you mean by that.”
Ben waited until she glanced back at him. Was that guilt on her face? It looked like it to Ben. He aimed a questioning look at Liliya, who was a far better lie detector than he was. She nodded with a flat expression.
“You won’t return it?” Ben asked plainly and saw Robin begin to scowl. She was digging in her heels. She wouldn’t be giving anything she’d worked to get. Time to take a different direction.
“By the way, Mary says hello. She was pretty sad when you left as she thought you’d become friends. Then she was confused and disappointed when she found out you were just squeezing people for information. I told her you were likely hoping to get rich off this somehow. Maybe one day, own one of those mansions your mother used to clean. She was worried you’d succeed but discover you had no one to share it with because you hurt everyone on your way up.”
Robin sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes teared up.
“I thought you were a pretty great woman until I found out you stole from a blind woman suffering from depression. I can’t begin to express how revolting that is,” Ben said calmly as he held Robin’s eyes.
“Get out!” Robin shrieked and pointed to the door.
“Give me Stephanie’s property, and I’ll go,” Ben said.
“You’ll get out, or I’ll call the police!” she shouted.
Ben shook his head in disgust and gestured for Evelyn to lead them out.
Liliya was angry, so her accent was heavier. “You are stupid. You use same name everywhere you go. You are so easy to find.”
“Liliya,” Ben said as he saw Robin’s eyes widen at the subtle threat. Liliya smiled and followed him out.
They met Fisher outside, and he glanced at the grim look on Ben’s face. “No luck?”
Ben shook his head. “No, let’s go,” he said and walked to the van. Everyone got in, but one person was still missing.
Ben caught Fisher’s eye. “Where’s Moon?”