Chapter Ten

"In conclusion, it is Bulwark"s goal to continue a steady but conservative rate of growth throughout the bear market. If we need to tone down our aggressive approach to investing, it is what we will do to assuage the fears of our shareholders. Capital retention must be our primary objective over the next quarter to complete the year on a highly positive note."

Jewell signed the speech of their CFO, Barry Westmoreland, to Benjamin. Even as the words came from Barry"s mouth, Jewell winced. She knew exactly what Benjamin"s reaction would be to Westmoreland"s conservative approach. Benjamin"s eyes darted from her to their CFO, and back again. He shifted in his chair, the leather upholstery squeaking with the movement.

"Is he kidding?" Benjamin asked, one eyebrow arched high and his wrist twisting in question.

She shook her head as subtly as possible.

"Does anyone have anything they want to discuss to close out the meeting?" Barry asked.

Jewell relayed the question and saw the answer formulating in Benjamin"s eyes. With slow intent, he sat forward and stood up. They sat on Barry"s left, several chairs down from the end along the highly polished oak conference table. Fund managers from the various capital management departments took up all the chairs around the table, everyone from international growth to asset retention.

"I want to clarify something," Benjamin said. "This conservative approach will only apply to those funds where it is most prudent, such as retention or income funds. It can"t be an across-the-board tactic."

"Oh, great," Kevin Burke mumbled from his slouched position on the other side of the table. "Here we go."

Jewell didn"t even acknowledge Burke"s huff by glancing in his direction and didn"t bother to translate his comments for Benjamin.

"Ben, the shareholders are worried. The Dow is taking more twists and turns than a thrill-ride rollercoaster. We need to take a step back and assuage their fears."

Benjamin shifted his stance. "Barry, that goes against the general principle of mutual fund investing, and a conservative approach contradicts a good portion of our fund objectives, specifically my team. We can"t do that without a shareholder proxy vote.

"Every one of the funds I manage quotes an aggressive approach to international or global investing. It"s the investors who have multiple holdings in U.S. companies who are concerned. The individuals invested in my funds are, by their very method of investing, taking an aggressive approach. If they have a diversified portfolio, they fully expect some funds to not perform as well. They expect funds like mine to pull their weight and bring up the average."

"If shareholders are concerned about capital loss, they are going to liquidate. We need to preserve our capital," Mr. Westmoreland pointed out.

"And if we don"t perform, our top-tier investors are going to liquidate. Shareholders are going to liquidate one way or another. They"ll get bad financial advice, or worse yet, no advice at all. Some will panic and some will exchange into bonds or money markets. Hell, some might just liquidate for a trip to Jamaica or the down payment on a house. But capital is going to leave. If we stay aggressive in the funds where it"s called for, and come out at the top of the industry, we will not only retain shareholders, but we will gain new investors who are seeking proven growth histories with well established fund companies. Investors choose my funds exactly because they are aggressive, and if I back off on my investment strategies, they"re going to leave because we aren"t delivering the goods. Playing safe won"t get us to the top."

"We need to reassure our investors—" Westmoreland tried to interject, but Benjamin continued.

"How much money came into Bulwark the first quarter after Smart Money named five of our funds as top performers in the industry? How much above projections?"

"I"m not sure, Ben, I don"t have—" Westmoreland answered.

"Four-point-three billion. Two-point-seven billion more than projected. The last half of last year sucked. But we stayed aggressive where we needed to. We won over people who might have otherwise been lining up at the bank for CDs. They came to us because we didn"t back down. We stayed honest. Why should we now reverse direction?"

"And B.P. Roth takes all the credit," Burke said louder this time, apparently not drawing enough attention the first time. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the biggest badass fund manager in all of Boston."

"Burke, that"s enough," Westmoreland snapped, glaring at the other fund manager for a brief moment before turning back to Benjamin. His lips formed a tight line beneath the short mustache. "I think we should continue this discussion offline."

Taking that as their cue, the other managers in attendance stood and gathered their notes to leave. Mr. Burke tried to engage one or two other fund managers in conversation. Jewell fought her smile when she saw each of the other managers scowl and step away from him, avoiding his caustic diatribe.

Benjamin stood in his place, his hands deep in the pockets of his slacks. His face was set and he made no move to exit with everyone else. Jewell didn"t stand, but remained in her chair by Benjamin"s side. She folded her hands and waited.

The two men faced off over the expanse of the table. The tension in the room was tangible and crackled like electricity. The difference in management views between the two was no secret. Jewell had heard other executive assistants discussing the difference of opinion between the men. That, coupled with the strong wills of each man, made for clashes of ego. Westmoreland knew how to run a company, and Benjamin knew how to run a fund. Both men were good at what they did, but that didn"t always mean they saw the same solution to the same problem.

Benjamin reached back and touched her shoulder briefly before signing. "Jewell, go back to the office. I"ll be there in a while."

Benjamin didn"t look down as he signed, his stare holding on Westmoreland. Jewell nodded and stood. The motion brought her body within a breath of his. She wanted to touch his hand or brush his arm as a sign of support but didn"t dare. Enough rumors were floating about without adding to them.

As Jewell reached the door, Barry Westmoreland rounded the table and headed for Benjamin. He threw down his presentation folder and planted his fists at his nonexistent waist.

"What the hell was that, Roth? How dare you?—"

The closing of the heavy wood door shut Mr. Westmoreland"s voice off mid-sentence. Jewell paused, her hand resting on the doorknob. She knew there was nothing she could do to help him. Benjamin didn"t need her help, or anyone else"s. Nonetheless, her heart ached and she wanted to stand beside him. With a sigh, she dropped her hand and turned down the hall.

April was away from her desk when Jewell reached their office. With a glance at her watch, she realized the woman was probably out for lunch. It quickly approached one o"clock, and Jewell"s stomach grumbled in a nasty reminder her lunch sat on the kitchen counter at home. She could just go down to the company cafeteria, but couldn"t quite bring herself to pay $15.95 for a tuna melt. Maybe she could convince Benjamin to step out for something before they had to be back for market close. After all, it was Friday.

She smiled as she went into Benjamin"s office and sank onto the leather couch near his bookshelf. Tonight was their dinner date, the first time they"d spend some time together that wasn"t in the office, near the office, or surrounded by people from the office. The idea made her stomach flutter and her pulse jump. She drew in a deep breath through her nose and blew it out through pursed lips. She looked around the office, eventually focusing on his desk. Memories danced in her thoughts and Jewell"s pulse sped up with a jolt. She took a deep breath. Just looking at the desk brought an erotic rush to her bloodstream.

Three days had passed since the kiss. It was the most powerful, arousing, fireworks-going-off-and-melt-your-toes kiss Jewell had ever experienced. Followed by the sweetest, most tender kiss…the kiss he asked permission to give.

Neither had spoken of it since then, and he hadn"t kissed her again, but his hand skimmed her arm and his gaze held on her enough for her to know none of it was far from his mind. Benjamin seemed distracted Wednesday morning, distant and not very talkative, but whenever she drew his attention away from his thoughts he smiled, and she pushed aside concerns that she was the cause of his distance. He didn"t say what was wrong and Jewell didn"t ask. Two kisses certainly didn"t give her the freedom to pry into things he might or might not want to share. No matter how much she worried, she kept it to herself.

With a shake of her head, Jewell opened the portfolio she"d brought back from the meeting. Clicking out the lead of her pencil, she made some notes to be integrated into her next report. She still sat on the couch when he returned. The door swung open quickly as he entered. With his hand on the knob, Benjamin quickly searched the room and stopped when his eyes fell on her. She smiled at him and raised her hand in greeting as he shut the door. He walked across the floor, his hands deep in his front pockets, and fell onto the couch beside her. She laughed at the theatrical force of the fall. Benjamin slouched and rested his head on the back of the couch, his arm over his eyes.

She let him relax several minutes, listening to the deep resonance of his breathing, before nudging his knee.

He looked at her from beneath a slightly lifted arm. Benjamin"s slow, disarming smile created a sweet flutter in Jewell"s chest.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

Benjamin waved his hand in dismissal. "Fine. Westmoreland blew off some steam, I doused his argument, and he gave in. He left me the freedom to run my funds the way I want. The way they"re supposed to be run. We go through this about this time every year, especially when the markets are giving us the worst headaches. You just haven"t been here long enough to have the pleasure of seeing it."

"I wish someone had warned me."

Benjamin"s shoulders shook with silent laughter. "What, and take all the fun out of it?"

She laughed and looked away. Her pulse pounded at her throat as she struggled to keep her breath at a normal pace, but her skin tingled and her breasts ached from his closeness. His aftershave played on her senses like a potent aphrodisiac of pure male pheromones. As inconspicuously as possible, Jewell took in a deep breath through her nostrils and relished in the heady effect.

She jumped and caught her breath when Benjamin twisted on the couch and reclined, barely getting her portfolio out of the way before he settled his head into her lap. He closed his eyes, giving her no means of argument. A subtle smirk rested on his lips. At first, Jewell sat motionless, her arms held up to keep from touching him. Then he rocked his shoulders and his head settled further against her thighs. One eye opened, looked at her, winked, and closed again. Benjamin sighed deeply in contentment.

Jewell smiled and dropped the portfolio to the floor beside the couch. Unable to resist the temptation, she lowered her hands. One rested on his chest, her palm on the soft silk of his tie. The other fulfilled a fantasy she dreamed about for weeks.

Jewell fought down a gasp when her fingers combed through the softness of his hair. She started at his brow and ran her fingernails along his scalp to his crown. The beautiful golden waves wrapped around her fingers and slid over her skin like satin. It was thick and alive, and amazingly sensual.

Benjamin"s chest rose and fell beneath her other hand. She smoothed her palm down his tie and continued to caress his hair.

"This is dangerous," he said softly but didn"t open his eyes. "But it feels incredible."

She wanted to whisper, "Why is it dangerous?" but the tactic of keeping his eyes closed prevented any further discussion without forcing the issue. That was something Jewell didn"t want to do. They both shifted to get more comfortable. Benjamin swung his legs over the arm of the couch and folded his hands across his flat abdomen, and Jewell wiggled deeper into the soft cushions and tilted her body into him.

This felt nice, very nice. So comfortable and natural. They could be sitting in the living room at home rather than in his office. She stroked his hair and hummed softly to herself. Benjamin"s hand moved up and covered hers, holding it firmly against his chest. His heartbeat drummed beneath her fingertips. Soon, the rhythm of his breathing slowed and grew deeper. The features of his face relaxed. All tension in his body fell away. Jewell smiled and almost laughed. He was asleep in her lap. How sweet was that? A low sound in the back of his throat worked its way out and Jewell stifled her giggle behind her hand.

She stroked his forehead with her fingertips and followed the chiseled line of his cheekbone. This was a rare opportunity, to examine him in such a relaxed and natural state. In sleep, his countenance lost the harsh sternness that often furrowed his brow. Jewell stroked her hand over his shoulders and down his arms, as she memorized the contours of his muscles through the crisp cotton of his shirt.

"Oh, Benjamin," she whispered to herself. "What am I going to do about you?" Jewell pressed her fingertips against her lips and transferred the kiss to his mouth with a gentle touch.

His hand snapped up and strong fingers gently wrapped around her wrist. Jewell gasped and looked down into deep brown eyes that glowed with a sheen of purpose. Benjamin sat up, not releasing his hold on her wrist. He held her in his stare as he rose off the couch, turned, and knelt one knee into the cushion beside her. She was vaguely aware of the shifting sound of the leather cushions as he moved.

Jewell couldn"t breathe. Her heart pounded an erratic and rapid tempo against her ribs. Benjamin"s intense look sent waves of warmth over her skin. With her wrist still held captive, she could do little but look up at him and melt beneath his overpowering presence. He touched her cheek with his other hand. The rough pad of his thumb ran across her lower lip and Jewell"s eyes fluttered shut.

The revisiting of his lips against hers was the reliving of a sweet dream. He drew her into the kiss without effort, sipping at her mouth with sensual tenderness. A soft moan escaped from the back of her throat and her free hand moved to his side.

They shifted together on the leather couch, their only communication a physical response to each other. The delicious weight of Benjamin"s body pressed her back into the soft upholstery. He released her wrist and moved his hands to her hips. With an open mouth, Benjamin"s kiss pummeled her body with sensation. The hot tip of his tongue probed persistently, requesting entry. Jewell parted her lips and met his demand. His tongue made a slow entrance to caress her own, stealing her breath as the circuit sparked between them.

Without breaking the contact of their lips, Benjamin shifted her body and nestled his hips against hers. Jewell gasped. Tingling sensations raced over her body.

His tongue probed deeper, demanding an equal response. She could not deny him. Jewell clung to him, spinning out of control, as the kiss deepened.

Her body arched and Jewell pulled back when his hot palm pressed against the bare flesh of her stomach. Shock and sensibility suddenly overtook the sweet sensations of his kiss from a moment ago. Benjamin responded immediately. He pressed his hands into the cushions of the couch and lifted his weight off her. His deep gaze scanned her face, concern and question as evident in them as their rich color.

A flutter danced around her heart. The grip of a steel fist clenched her gut. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing would come. Jewell curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt in a desperate attempt to hang on to the delicious pleasure of his nearness.

Benjamin shifted off one arm, the weight of his body increasing slightly. He caressed her cheek with his fingertips and a smile hinted at his lips. He leaned down and pressed a long kiss against her cheek before shifting and standing to his feet.

She immediately felt the loss of his touch. Hot tears burned her eyes, but she choked back the sentiment and sat up, straightening her skirt with a rough jerk. She covered her eyes with her hand and leaned her elbow into her knee. Mortification burned hot in her cheeks.

Benjamin stood near her. She was painfully aware of his presence without even opening her eyes. A nauseating pain shot through her stomach as she wondered what he might be thinking at that moment. Jewell wrapped her arms around her abdomen to ward off the queasiness. It was one thing to let whatever this was develop between them, it was another thing to be so…she didn"t even have words.

He sat back down beside her, his feet set apart with his hands clasped together in the space between his knees. She couldn"t look at him, too embarrassed by the way she"d responded, here of all places. His office. His couch. The worst part of it was that she didn"t want him to stop. She couldn"t remember a time when she"d been so…shameless. Her mother certainly had taught her better.

Benjamin reached out and took her hand. His fingers laced between hers and the other covered their linked hands in a gentle squeeze. She could only bring herself to look at the joined fingers. The simple act of holding his hand calmed her nerves and eased the tumultuous fluttering in her stomach. Jewell took a deep breath and lifted her chin to meet his gaze.

He kissed the back of her hand before releasing it. "I"ve wanted to kiss you for three days. I didn"t anticipate…" He smiled his slow, sexy smile and paused in his signing to run his fingertip along her jawline. "I didn"t realize how quickly I am capable of losing control with you."

"I was just thinking the same thing," she signed with a nervous grin.

"I"m sorry."

"I can"t say I am. I should be, but I"d be lying."

His slow, sexy smile sent short bursts of energy through Jewell"s bloodstream. Benjamin slapped his hands on his knees and stood, walked to his desk, and turned to lean against the edge. Jewell relaxed back into the couch cushions. The smile meant only for her remained on his lips. A huge part of her wanted to call him back to sit next to her and continue where they left off.

"You should know something before you come tonight," he finally said. "My sister is staying with me. She"ll be at the townhouse when you arrive, but I believe she intends to go out with her fiancé."

Jewell smiled and stood, taking a single step closer to him. "That"s great. I"d love to meet your sister."

Benjamin reached for her hand, and she let him take it, drawing her closer to him. He touched her cheek with his other fingers, his gaze shifting as he studied her. Something about the way his features softened when he looked at her made her hold her breath.

A soft rap at the office door made her jump. She pointed towards the door and stepped back. They definitely had to find a better place to be alone than an office with people coming and going. That thought in and of itself was a contradiction in propriety. She quickly moved to the chair opposite Benjamin"s at the desk.

"Come on in, April," she called as she sat down.

April came in, a package in one hand and a day planner in the other. She sat down in the chair adjacent to Jewell"s and Benjamin moved behind his desk. A small smirk tugged at Jewell"s lips when she saw him inconspicuously refasten a button on his shirt that must have come undone. The three of them went over phone calls, scheduled meetings, and upcoming projects. Jewell only dared one or two sideways glances in Benjamin"s direction, but each time she found him surreptitiously watching her. His sexy smile was ever-present and always succeeded in warming her blood. It would be a very long day.

* * *

Victoria sat on the kitchen island and watched Benjamin move around the large space. He set a variety of fresh vegetables on the counter near her and chopped up a head of iceberg lettuce. With a mischievous grin, she stole a baby carrot and popped it in her mouth.

"This must be some hot chick to have you slaving in the kitchen for her," she signed. "You don"t bring out your culinary skills for just anyone. Chicken Parmigiana, fresh garlic bread, homemade pasta, and salad? I hope you took out a good wine."

Benjamin smirked. "Of course. A delicious merlot."

He chopped and dumped the vegetables into a large glass bowl. His baby sister continued to steal carrots and olives, and he ignored each theft. He thought it was funny, but hid his amusement by keeping his face down. Once the salad was done, he wrapped it and moved on to breading the boneless chicken breasts. After getting everything combined in a glass pan and in the oven, Benjamin sat down on a tall stool and sipped his cola. Victoria was still on her perch on the counter.

"I thought you didn"t date women you work with," she pointed out with a wink.

Benjamin wondered how long it would take for her to get to the question. "For Jewell, I think I might make an exception."

Victoria"s jaw dropped.

Benjamin raised the hand that held his soda and shrugged. "Don"t act so surprised. I said I might, not that I would."

"You already have. I"ve never known you to see a woman more than three or four times. Most women can"t stand your attitude much longer than that. As far as I know, you didn"t care if they liked it or not. Are you telling me this woman is special enough to make you change your bachelor ways?"

He smiled and set down his drink. "She"s very special."

Victoria made a surprised face. "Is she the one?" She emphasized "the one" with over-dramatic movements of her hands and widened her eyes.

Benjamin shook his head. "You know me, Vicki. I"m incapable of taking care of another human being. Isn"t that what Old Jonny Boy always said?"

"Since when do you believe anything Daddy ever said about you? You didn"t listen when you were a kid, why would you listen now?"

He shrugged. His sister was right. Why he let some things his son of a bitch father said get through, while completely ignoring others, was just as much a mystery to him as to his sister. When his father told him he would be lucky if he ever graduated from high school, he pushed himself harder than anyone else and graduated not only with honors but also early. His father called him a deaf-mute and swore he would never function in the real world. Benjamin couldn"t change the deaf part, but he worked for years to master speech and lip reading. Jonathan Roth complained Benjamin would be a financial burden for the rest of his life. So, what did Benjamin do? As soon as he graduated high school, he never accepted another dime from his father. He went to college on a full academic scholarship and worked his way through graduate school. It didn"t take many years before Benjamin went from living in a one-room studio over a Chinese laundry to a multi-level townhouse in Cambridge.

"You"re ten times the man he is, Ben. Don"t let him ruin something for you by not letting it happen. You"ve never opened your heart to love." Her eyes shined with moisture. "Love can be a salvation. It can save your life."

He raised his hands and shoulders in a questioning shrug. "Who"s talking love? I just made her dinner."

"Have you ever cooked for a woman before?"

He shook his head in answer.

"Then I guess there"s a first time for everything," she signed with a smirk.

Victoria hopped down from the counter and came to him. She kissed his cheek and Benjamin put his arm around her. Then she ruffled his hair.

"Benny"s got a girlfriend."

He shoved her back playfully. "Cut that out."

She stepped back, a smile on her face. "Sorry. I wouldn"t want to mess up your hair before the big date. Dillon is coming by to get me, so we"ll be out of here most of the night."

"How are things with the two of you?" he asked.

"Good, now that we"re here. We"re thinking about moving to Boston. Dillon"s company has a branch office in Newton. They"re willing to transfer him if he wants."

Benjamin stood to check on his garlic bread. "That"s great. It would be nice to have you closer all the time."

"Really? You wouldn"t get sick of me?"

"Of course not. I miss you when you"re not here."

Tears shimmered in her eyes, but her smile was warm. With slow emotion, she signed, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He looked down at his sister. She was beautiful. Victoria didn"t look like either of his parents. Her dark hair and eyes came from their grandmother on their mother"s side. Then again, he didn"t look like either Jonathan or Barbara Roth.

"You"re the only person in the entire world I love."

She punched his arm lightly. "Give this Jewell chick a chance. She might pry the words from your fingers."

The lights over their heads blinked off and on in a quick progression, indicating someone rang the front doorbell. Victoria"s head snapped in the general direction.

"Someone is banging on the door," she told him. "Hard."

Benjamin dropped his dishtowel on the counter and headed for the door. Even before he reached the front entrance he knew it wasn"t Jewell. She wouldn"t knock on the door. He also couldn"t picture her pushing the doorbell violently enough to make the lights blink so rapidly. The force of impact on the wood vibrated through the knob when he grasped it. As soon as the door opened, Benjamin stumbled back and into the entrance hall.

Only one man possessed the strength, coupled with the testicular fortitude and stupidity, to physically push Benjamin around, and that was Jonathan Roth. He didn"t look in Benjamin"s direction and shoved past him into the house, yelling down the hall. His mother followed behind with a tight expression on her face. She grabbed Jon"s elbow to pull him back, but he jerked free.

"What is going on?" Benjamin demanded.

Victoria rounded the corner, shock on her face. "Daddy?"

"Victoria, what is going on?" Benjamin demanded again.

His father continued to yell. Benjamin saw the redness rise from his collar into his face. Spittle flew from his lips as he raged in the entranceway. Jonathan wagged his finger in the air, pointing at Victoria as he yelled. Only once his accusatory finger came around to Benjamin"s face. Benjamin slapped it away. He still didn"t know what his father was shouting, but he didn"t really care.

The elder Roth turned back on Victoria. Benjamin moved around and pushed his body between them. Victoria stepped behind him and rested her hands on his arms as she found shelter with her big brother. With his arm wrapped behind him and around Victoria"s hips, Benjamin shielded her from their father"s rage.

"Either calm yourself right now or get the hell out of my house," Benjamin demanded.

His father"s face flamed red and his mouth clamped shut. Large fists doubled at his side.

"Get out of my way. She"s my daughter and I intend to bring this stupidity to an end. I"ll be dead before I let her whore around with some no-good gold-digger like Dillon Ferguson."

The rancid stench of alcohol assaulted Benjamin"s senses as his father shouted just inches from his face. He fought back the initial revulsion and turned away for a split second to recollect his senses. Victoria shouted something over Benjamin"s shoulder at her father, but Benjamin couldn"t read her lips to know what it was. Without a doubt, it was retaliation to their father"s ignorant classification of her fiancé.

"She"s a grown woman," Benjamin added.

"How dare you think you can hide her from me. Who the hell do you think you are? You have no right to interfere!"

"I have the right and duty to protect her," Benjamin snapped, the heat of anger pounding in his temples. "She"s my sister."

"You are nothing to this family," Jon Roth spit out. "Haven"t you figured that out yet? Or are you too stupid?"

Despite the walls he"d built over the years, his father"s stinging words hit him harder than Benjamin ever expected. He bit back the rage and clenched his fists at his side. His lungs burned and his ears pounded.

"Get out of my house," he demanded.

"Listen to me, you little asshole. You have done nothing but make this family look bad your entire life. You"ve defied every rule I"ve ever put down. You"re a disgrace. I will not allow you to drag my daughter down with you."

Victoria stepped around him and pressed her hands into both men"s chests. Benjamin breathed deeply through his nose to keep his adrenaline rush in check. His sister looked from their father to him.

"Stop it." She signed and spoke at the same time. "Daddy, stop it. How can you say such ugly things? About Dillon or Benjamin. He"s your son."

"Since the day he was born?—"

"Since the day I was born I was deaf. Imperfect. Isn"t that the real problem?"

In an instant Benjamin was thirteen again, rebelling against his father"s iron fist and underlying revulsion for his own son. Even now, despite Benjamin"s height and build, his father stood taller than he. When he was thirteen, his father was a frightening, oppressive force. At thirty-six, Benjamin refused to be intimidated. Despite his resolve, cold memories flashed in his mind like fireworks.

Everything came back to him in a vicious burst. His father refused to learn Sign because he said it was the coward"s way out. If Benjamin wanted to function in the real world, he had to get off his ass and not ask anyone to coddle and accommodate him. Even when he learned to speak, and could communicate with those around him, Benjamin was considered less than acceptable by his father.

Benjamin hadn"t been allowed to be alone with his infant sister because his father said he was untrustworthy and incompetent to care for a small child. The sickening pain of seeing his mother say he was better off at the boarding school hit him once again, feeling just as horrible as it did nearly thirty years before.

Jonathan Roth continued to yell, his fists waving before Benjamin"s face. He only caught some of the words now, his mental state unfocused on the outburst. The hazy edges of the room lost focus and disappeared in a red miasma of anger, rage, and pain. Benjamin shook his head and shot his hands up in a sign of frustration. Chaos happened around him. No matter how he tried, he couldn"t keep up with the three fighting people.

"Stop it" he yelled, bringing up his hands in front of his father"s face. "I don"t know what you"re saying."

His father swung around on him, his face inches away. "You worthless, useless waste. Isn"t it bad enough you"ve ruined your life, and mine, that you have to drag Victoria along with you?"

Benjamin looked from his father"s red, infuriated face to the ragged, strained face of his mother. Barbara Roth yanked again on her husband"s arm.

"Jon, stop this. You said we were coming here to talk. What are you going to accomplish by calling Benjamin names and dragging your daughter out by force?"

Jon Roth shot a vicious, seething look at his wife.

"Shut up, Barbara. Stay out of this."

"I won"t. These are my children."

"That"s right, Barbara. Your children. You can"t deal with them, so leave it to me." He pushed his wife back.

Benjamin forced his father"s grip of steel from his mother"s arm. He was one man, but he did his best to protect both his sister and mother from Jon"s physical abuse. With his shoulder, he pushed his father away. The disgusting odor of the alcohol his father had consumed before coming here wafted in the air to churn his stomach. Victoria"s small hands clutched the back of his shirt.

His mother pushed his hands away. Benjamin"s first reaction was shock at her rejection of his help. Barbara Roth"s eyes flicked up for just a split second to meet his before turning away completely. She crossed her arms over her body and closed her eyes. Heaviness slammed into his chest and shoved him back like an invisible fist.

What had he done, besides being imperfect at birth, to deserve the absolute hatred of the two people who parented him? He covered his face with his hands, attempting to block out the turmoil erupting around him.

Then Jewell was there. Her hands were on him, pushing him back from the melee. Dainty fingers wrapped around his wrists and uncovered his face. Brilliant emerald eyes looked up at him. Concern and shock registered in her delicate features.

"Benjamin?"

His father"s arm shot between them and he shoved Jewell. She stumbled back and bumped the hall table. A ceramic vase tumbled and fell to the floor. Pieces shattered in all directions. Jon"s forearm slammed into Benjamin"s chest and heaved him back against the wall, his arm pressing against Ben"s throat.

Enraged, Benjamin pushed back. Hard. His father stumbled and grabbed the still-open door for support to keep from falling down the front stoop. Barbara Roth jumped forward.

"Don"t," she shouted with a dramatic flare of her hand.

Benjamin caught what she said, but chose not to respond. He moved past his father"s hulking form to Jewell and took her hand to draw her away from the wall. Not looking in his parent"s direction, he reached back for his sister. With a woman"s hand in each of his own, Benjamin walked away. He didn"t care if his parents left or if they stayed. They could continue to yell all they wanted. No longer were they worth his time.

"Get out of my house before I call the police," he said, not even bothering to look back over his shoulder.

The three reached the den. With emotional exhaustion dragging at his limbs, Benjamin shut the door and leaned his forehead into the smooth wood. Gentle hands touched his back, and instinctively he knew it was Jewell. Warmth rested where her hands touched. Benjamin turned and wrapped her in his arms, burying his face into her auburn hair. It smelled of fruit and flowers and Jewell. She held him as tightly as he needed, and he needed her embrace more than anything he had ever needed in his life.

That son of a bitch! His father could have hurt Jewell and he didn"t even know who she was. All Jonathan Roth knew was her presence in his son"s house, which translated into the demeaning of her value in his eyes. Nothing mattered but appearances outside the walls and in public. But inside…

Benjamin pressed his lips quickly against her cheek and pulled back. Her verdant gaze searched his face, the brightness of her eyes asking a thousand questions in one moment. Two deep lines of concern appeared across her delicate brow.

He cradled her face in his hands, tried to smile, and looked beyond her to Victoria. His sister stood near the window, looking out. Moisture glistened on her cheeks and she held a tissue to her lips. As he watched, she sank into a chair and rested her head against the high back. How much more chaos could Jonathan Roth create? Benjamin looked back to Jewell.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Did he hurt you?"

Jewell shook her head within his grasp. "No. Benjamin, what is going on? Was that your father?"

He nodded, ashamed to admit a link to the man, though it was only biological. "I"m sorry you had to be here for any of that. I never expected him to show up here."

Victoria stood and walked to them. "They left. I watched them get in their car."

Benjamin pulled his sister against his side and kissed her forehead. "When there was no one left to fight, it wasn"t worth sticking around." He stepped back from both women and sighed. "This isn"t the way I wanted it. Jewell, this is my sister Victoria. Victoria, this is Jewell Kincaid."

Both Victoria and Jewell smiled and exchanged brief greetings between them. Then both snapped their heads around to look towards the door leading to the hall. Victoria turned back.

"There"s someone at the door. It might be Dillon."

Benjamin signed for them both to stay put and headed back out. He highly doubted his father would come back to continue the fight, but would rather be safe than sorry. There was no need for either Jewell or Victoria to deal with Jon"s arrogance and antagonism again. The light in the hall blinked slowly, indicating a more rational suppression of the button outside.

Benjamin stepped on the broken vase in the hall, feeling it crunch beneath the soles of his shoes, and opened the door. Dillon Ferguson stood outside, a wide smile on his face. As soon as he took in the state of the front hall, and most likely the dark expression on Benjamin"s face, his smile faded.

"What"s wrong?" Dillon asked.

Benjamin motioned his sister"s fiancé into the house. With a glance up and down the street to look for his parent"s white BMW, he shut the door. He kicked some of the vase against the wall. Dillon looked down and moved some of the pottery with the toe of his shoe. Confusion pulled his eyebrows together when he looked back at Benjamin.

"Victoria is in the den. Our parents were just here."

"Oh, shit."

Benjamin nodded, agreeing with Dillon"s sentiment. Victoria came out the den door and jumped into Dillon"s arms. The tall, dark-haired man Benjamin had known since childhood embraced Victoria and kissed her hair. He saw them speaking but didn't attempt to understand any of it. Jewell now stood in the doorway of the den and watched. Her face still read of concern and alarm.

"You two go. Get out of this house for a while. Try to enjoy the rest of the night," Benjamin told them.

Victoria wiped again at her cheeks and nodded. "Yes, okay. Ben, I"m sorry for causing so much trouble."

He shook his head and held up his hand. "No. That bastard caused the trouble, Vicki, not you."

Her eyes were sad and angry, but she gave him a watery smile and nodded. Victoria stepped away from Dillon and turned to Jewell, squeezing her hand.

"I"m sorry you walked in on our dysfunctional family. Trouble seems to follow us everywhere. Don"t let it discourage you."

Jewell shook her head and touched his sister"s arm. Victoria and Dillon joined hands and headed for the door. Benjamin released a long sigh and crossed his arms over his chest as the door shut behind them. The shattered vase shouted out a violent reminder of the hostile pandemonium that followed his father like a plague of pestilence. Deep gouges now scarred the high polish of his hardwood floor. He closed his eyes and leaned into the wall. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward off the growing headache behind his eyes.

This wasn"t exactly the way he thought the evening would go. Benjamin hoped for something more along the lines of a short dinner and a quick exit to the living room couch. Holding Jewell in his arms for three, four, or twenty-four, hours would do wonders to elevate his mood.

Thinking of her, he opened his eyes, surprised to see Jewell crouched near the door with a hand broom and dustpan in hand. She balanced on the balls of her feet and swept the bits of broken pottery into the pan.

He stepped forward and stooped down beside her. "I"ll get this," he signed and took the half-full dustpan from her.

"I broke it. I"ll clean it up."

A jolt of anger pummeled him and he grabbed at the dustpan. "You had nothing to do with it," he said through a clenched jaw.

Her expression darkened and he saw moisture build in her brilliant green eyes. It just fed the anger smoldering inside. His father was such an asshole the effects of his rampages lingered even when he was gone. Anyone and anything that brought tears to those beautiful eyes deserved to be hurt the same way. Whether it was him, his father, or anyone else. For Jewell"s sake, he bit back the anger and circled his fist on his chest in apology.

She nodded and gave his hand a quick squeeze. Jewell refused to give him the broom, but brushed it across the floor and added the final remnants to those in the pan as he held it. With all bits off the hardwood, she allowed him to take the small whisk. Benjamin indicated with a tilt of his head for her to follow him into the kitchen. Once there, he dumped the trash into his compactor and hung the items back in the small closet where Jewell had found them.

When he turned back, Jewell stood near the sink, her hand resting on the counter edge. She"d left her hair loose except for two narrow braids she"d pulled back from her temples to clip at her crown. On any other woman, the dark brown of her v-neck sweater might seem plain. On Jewell, it deepened the auburn of her hair and accentuated her pale skin and freckles. He indulged in a few moments of just looking at her.

"Dinner smells wonderful," she signed, rubbing her hand over her stomach.

"It"s Chicken Parmigiana. Do you like Italian?"

Jewell nodded. He opened a cupboard door to take down two plates and two wine glasses. She moved to his side and pressed her palm against his shoulder blade. Despite his attempt to hide his immediate physical reaction to her contact, Benjamin sucked in a short breath. The tenderness of her touch was near unbearable. It set him off balance. He dared a look over his shoulder at her.

"Benjamin."

His name on her lips, the way they pursed and wrapped around the word, grabbed his gut like a fist. Benjamin let his gaze wander over the delicate planes of her features. Small, scant freckles danced across the bridge of her dainty nose. Her eyelashes were dark and thick, with the slightest whisper of an auburn tint at the end of each. He laid his palm against her cheek and rubbed the pad of his thumb across the soft skin.

"Benjamin, do you want to tell me about what happened earlier?" she asked. Her face expressed the tentativeness her hands could not. "The things your father said were horrible."

"Not tonight," he said, not wanting to take his hand away from her cheek long enough to sign. "I want to spend the evening with you. Is that okay?"

She nodded and smiled. The smile was accepting, reassuring, and sincere. Her palm moved up and down his arm. Needing to hold her, Benjamin turned and pulled her against him. Responsive to his touch, Jewell"s arms circled his neck, their bodies aligned from knee to chest.

She tasted so damn sweet!

He pressed his hands against her back and pulled her against him as close as possible. Jewell"s body was pliant against him. Benjamin"s lips parted hers in a desperate hunger and searching massage. Monday morning he would worry about the consequences. Tonight he needed to hold her and forget.