Chapter Nine

With a twist and a tuck, Jewell managed to tame her hair into a french braid, clipping the plait at the base of her skull with the barrette she"d worn at her crown earlier in the day. It wasn"t as formal as she usually wore, but after hearing the litany of stories and rumors April had reluctantly shared, she refused to give the horde of gossipmongers any more fuel for their fires. Her hands shook a little as she smoothed her fingers over her hair, wispy tendrils already falling around her face. That"s what she got for improvising.

She huffed out a breath and patted a damp towel against her blotchy cheeks. Her face and neck had been in a constant state of flushed since April started talking, leaving her mottled and looking like she"d spent the last fifteen minutes crying.

That wasn"t about to happen. She refused to allow Kevin Burke, or anyone else who wanted to listen and propagate his innuendo, to get to her enough to bring tears. She had done nothing wrong, nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing she would regret.

"Take that, Burke," she mumbled, tossing the clump of wet paper towels in the trash.

She straightened her spine and squared her shoulders, looking at herself once more in the massive wall of mirrors along one wall in the washroom. With a sharp tug to the hem of her jacket, she straightened her suit and took in a slow, calming breath.

"You"ve hidden out long enough," she told herself, not even caring that she was talking to herself in an empty washroom. With a firm yank on the door handle, she stepped into the hall and headed back toward the bullpen and her office.

Knowing now what stories and tales actually drifted around the office, Jewell felt each glance her way like a poke with a long stick. She held her head high and marched the distance across the wide space to April"s desk. April looked up with a compassionate smile, and Jewell knew April felt as bad about telling her as Jewell felt for hearing it.

"Is Mr. Traynor still in with Mr. Roth?" she asked, passing behind April"s desk to set her hand on her own office doorknob. April nodded. "Okay, did you reschedule the meeting from yesterday that Mr. Roth missed?"

"Yes, for this afternoon at three."

"Thank you, April."

"Sure," April said with another smile. It didn"t help.

Jewell turned the knob and stepped into her office, keeping her eyes diverted from the door leading to Benjamin"s office. It was open a crack, and the low murmur of conversation drifted in, but she figured she would draw more attention by closing it than by leaving it as it was. Instead, she went to her desk and turned on her computer, wincing at the telltale twitter as the operating system engaged.

She managed to do a fine job of ignoring the conversation in the next room and made it halfway through her emails before she heard Benjamin"s distinctive and firm "No" come through the crack in the door.

Her fingers stilled over her keyboard. She held her breath, despite herself.

Mr. Traynor"s voice drifted to her, but still too low for her to decipher. Jewell released the breath she held and thunked her elbow on her desk, resting her forehead in her hand. She thought herself above eavesdropping, but knowing that Kevin Burke had somehow initiated the conversation in the next room made her stomach flutter, and not in a pleasant way. With a shake of her head, Jewell sat up and checked her emails. There was nothing earth-shattering: a company-wide email regarding an upcoming corporate event, an analysis report on recent fluctuations in the NYSE, and a cartoon that had rotated through the company email system twice already.

"Are you telling me I have to comply to Burke"s hissy fit?"

Benjamin"s raised voice made her jump, and she bit down hard against her knee-jerk reaction. With a hard tap on her mouse, she opened her preferred music app and set the station to a jazzy, Big Band mix. It was something to fill the silence and block out the teasing bits of conversation she both did and didn"t want to hear. She opened a file she"d been working on for the last couple of days and decided to focus on reviewing it before the meeting she"d rescheduled for that afternoon. A meeting she and Benjamin should have attended the previous afternoon. It was busy work, but that"s exactly what she needed.

Convinced after a full review that the report was as complete and correct as it could possibly be, Jewell pressed print, swiveled in her chair to stand and gasped, nearly losing her balance. Benjamin stood half way between her desk and the door connecting their offices, silently watching her.

She took a steadying breath, demanding her racing heart to slow down. "You startled me, Benjamin."

His smile was slow and sexy and made her flush from her hairline to the collar of her blouse. He crossed the distance to the end of her desk, his hands pushed into the pockets of his trousers. "I"d like to say I"m sorry, but you"re beautiful when you blush."

"Not fair." She shook a scolding finger at him. "Saying things like that just makes me blush more."

He grinned. "I know."

Jewell pushed back from her desk and stood, facing him with the corner of the desk between them. His eyes shifted up and he studied her hair, reaching out to stroke his fingertips along the wisps of hair at her brow.

"You put it up."

"I didn"t have time this morning."

"Why put it up at all? It"s beautiful loose."

"But not very professional." Drawing a slow breath, she looked down, stepped back, and settled into the corner edge of her desk return. Only when she was a safe distance from his touch did she look up again. "I rescheduled the meeting we missed yesterday for today at three."

"April told me. Thank you." Benjamin came around the corner of the desk and stepped toward her, running his fingertips along the desk as he walked. With each step, her heart fluttered faster and she had to fight to keep herself from hyperventilating. "Did you hear any of what Travis said?"

She shook her head, another wave of heat hitting her cheeks. At this rate, her face would spontaneously combust by lunch. "No, I—" She cleared her throat. "I went with April for coffee, then came in here. I didn"t hear Mr. Traynor's words, just…I heard you a couple of times."

Benjamin glanced toward the office door leading out to the bullpen and raised his hands. "Kevin Burke is trying to throw his weight around. He"s making assumptions about you stepping beyond your position here."

Jewell scowled, flipping her hand to emphasize her confusion. "Just how am I doing that?"

"On your first day here, you asked me if you would be welcome in all meetings with me. Meetings executive assistants usually didn"t attend. I told you that you would be welcome because I said you were welcome. Burke is using your attendance as leverage."

Despite the nervous nausea that had haunted her all morning, Jewell laughed and shook her head. "Seriously? That"s the best he can do?"

Benjamin shrugged. "He has no grounds for complaint otherwise." One corner of his mouth tipped up in a half smile. "You bruised his manhood. He"s grasping at straws."

"How did I bruise his manhood? Because I didn"t fall on my knees in front of him?"

His smile turned into a teasing grin and he winked. "No, you fell on your knees in front of me."

Jewell gasped and dropped her mouth open in feigned shock, pressing her hand to her chest. "Benjamin Prescott Roth, shame on you."

She tapped the back of her fingers against his chest, but he caught her hand before she could pull away, wrapping his fingers around hers. With a gentle tug, he pulled her toward him. She looked down at his hand and forced her breath to be slow and metered as he stroked her knuckles with his thumb. With his other hand, he touched her chin, urging her to look up. His touch was cool, which only confirmed for Jewell how flushed her face had to be.

A deep "v" dug into his brow as his gaze studied her, his eyes shifting over her features. Jewell swallowed and curled her lips inward between her teeth. Immediately his eyes slid down, focusing on her mouth, and her heartbeat jumped.

"Something occurred to me when Travis brought up Burke and his assumptions," he finally said, ending the silent study.

"What?" she asked, the act of speaking almost painful.

He took a small step closer to her, but not enough for their bodies to touch other than where his hand held hers. "I want to punch Kevin Burke for what he said to you." Jewell shook her head, but he laid his palm along her jaw, stopping her. "He made assumptions. But, I realize I may have done the same thing."

Jewell tipped her head within his touch. "I don"t understand."

"I assumed you wouldn"t mind if I kissed you." He had dropped his voice low so it carried only between them, and Jewell mentally noted not for the first time that she was impressed with his understanding of tone and volume even when he didn"t know his own sound. "I had no right."

Jewell stared at him, her mouth open because she couldn"t find anything to say in response. The thumb that rested against her chin shifted to touch her lower lip, skimming back and forth. She let her eyes close, and summoned up enough courage to purse her lips and press them against the tip. The hand holding hers tightened slightly, and she opened her eyes again.

"What do you think you should have done?" she asked.

Benjamin drew his hands from her, and she immediately felt the loss. "I should have asked." He moved in closer to her, leaving little space for signing just as he had before kissing her against the desk. "Whatever your answer, I will honor it. Jewell, I want to kiss you again. May I?"

She smiled and nodded slowly, drawing in a breath before his lips pressed to hers. In comparison to the first kiss they"d shared, this one was sedated, but the effect was the same. Jewell"s stomach fluttered and tingling danced over her skin. She raised her arms and combed her fingers into his hair, holding his head as he kissed her slow and deep. Each movement of his lips across hers was meticulous and studied, and when his tongue slid along hers, filling her mouth, she couldn"t help the small purr in the back of her throat.

He moved his hands from her face to her back, pulling her closer. The long, slow kiss eased into shorter kisses until finally, he drew back enough to look into her eyes.

"I understand now why office romances aren"t recommended," he said with a chuckle. Jewell tipped her head and pulled her brows, saying with her expression that he should explain. He kissed her again, a small peck on her lips, before answering. "How am I supposed to focus on your hands when all I can think of are your lips?"

"I"ll just have to kick you under the table when I think your attention is wandering."

Benjamin groaned and stepped back, giving her space to breathe and find her balance again. "Then I have a feeling I"m going to have perpetually bruised shins."

Jewell drew in a deep breath, letting the tension ease from her body. She"d let people like Kevin Burke tie her up in knots long enough. Her life was hers. With a smile she hoped affected him as much as his half-grin affected her, she moved past him to the printer situated near their doors for easy access by both of them. The report had finished printing in triplicate, and with a couple of quick staples, they"d be ready for the meeting.

He stood in his spot as she walked past him again, his hands pushed into his pockets. She felt his gaze on her as she picked up her stapler, tapped the papers, and fastened them. Just having him watch her made her skin tingle and her breath catch enough that she had to take another deep breath before turning and handing a copy of the report to him.

"In case you want to take a look at it before the meeting, to make sure I"ve got everything right." She smirked, unable to control herself. "I wouldn"t want you to be surprised by my report."

He returned the smirk, and she knew her gentle jab wasn"t lost on him. "I"m sure everything is fine, Ms. Kincaid," he said with an arch of his eyebrow, jabbing right back. "Your work has been impeccable, even if I haven"t liked the results."

"Is there anything you need before the meeting?"

He focused on her lips, and she warmed. His shins might be bruised, but she"d have a perpetual fever if he kept looking at her that way. "Just one thing." Jewell arched her eyebrow. His gaze angled to the door leading out to April, then back to her. "Have dinner with me. Friday night."

Jewell grinned. "Do you want to try Bertucci"s dinner menu?"

He chuckled and took a step closer, enough that she had to hitch up her chin to hold his gaze but still with space between them. "As appealing as that sounds, I was thinking of something a little different. Come to my home. I"ll cook."

* * *

Benjamin came through the garage door into his kitchen with a heavy step and a tired yawn. He dropped his keys on the counter and worked the knot out of his tie without conscious thought needed for the actions. Nothing in the refrigerator looked appetizing or sufficient to really satisfy his thirst. Settling for a can of soda, Benjamin popped the top and took a long drink.

He looked around the kitchen, his eyes following the natural flow into the connected dining room. Everything was meticulously clean and tastefully decorated. The scent of lemon cleaner hung in the air, indicating the cleaning service had been there that day. Cream-colored carpets and imported tile covered the floors. Copper pots hung from a rack in the ceiling. The canisters and appliances on his countertops each had their specific place.

This townhouse was too big. What did he need with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a half dozen other rooms designated by name for some special purpose. The Den. The Library. The Sitting Room. The Media Room. What did he need with a media room? On nights like this, when not another soul occupied the huge house with him, his silence seemed too quiet. On nights like this, the silence was something beyond the lack of noise. It was the lack of life.

As Benjamin leaned back against the counter, a folded piece of paper on the center island caught his attention. Feeling tired deep down in his bones, Benjamin leaned forward and picked it up. It was probably a note from the housekeeper. A smile spread across his face when he read it. Leaving the half-empty can of soda on the counter, Benjamin bounded up the stairs. He didn"t knock on the spare bedroom door but walked right in.

Victoria sat reclined on the bed, an ice pack pressed to her forehead and a box of tissues beside her. Her eyes were swollen and red. Benjamin"s good mood at reading Victoria"s note plummeted when he saw her. She"d obviously been here alone, crying.

"What"s wrong?" he asked as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed beside her.

What tears had dried up before his arrival returned in a full torrent. His little sister"s face distorted in a sob, and she held her arms out, begging to be held. Benjamin wrapped her in his arms. Her small body shuddered against him.

When the trembling stopped, he pushed her back and wiped his thumb across her cheek.

"Vicki, what"s wrong?"

Her hands shook violently as she signed, but her chin shook worse and reading her lips would have been difficult. "Everything is so screwed up, Ben. Can I stay with you?"

He nodded. "Of course. Tell me what"s going on."

"Daddy is trying to dictate my life again. He"s even forcing his way into my love life now."

Benjamin smirked and shook his head. "That doesn"t surprise me at all. I take it he found out about Dillon Ferguson?"

"Worse than that. Dillon asked me to marry him and Daddy found out."

"Vicki, did you really think Jon would accept Dillon? What were you thinking?" he signed, using the jerk of his hands to emphasize his point, doubting his voice could.

Benjamin"s sister shrugged her shoulders. Black curls bobbed around her head. "I told Dillon we had to just run off and elope. I knew Daddy would never give his blessing. But Dillon wanted to do it the right way. He came to the house this afternoon to speak to Daddy."

"So what happened?"

"Daddy had been drinking all afternoon. I tried to catch Dillon before he went in to see him, but I was too late."

A shudder danced over Benjamin"s nerves. Several nasty images and scenarios played in his mind. When Jon Roth, alcohol, and bad news came together the result tended to be explosive. As a boy, Benjamin had spent many of his evenings at home hiding in some remote corner of the house. It seemed the very sight of Jon Roth"s eldest child was enough to send him into a tirade.

Until his adolescence, Benjamin was almost thankful for the months he spent at Bridlethorpe School for Boys. While away at school he didn"t need to worry about what he might do to trigger his father"s rage. But as Victoria grew older, Benjamin"s concern turned to her. Would she be another target? Fortunately, Victoria didn"t seem to inspire the same outrage as Benjamin.

"What happened?" Benjamin asked, not quite sure he wanted to know, but needing to all the same.

"Daddy went crazy! He locked me in my room and kicked Dillon out. Physically removed him from the house. George tried to calm Daddy down, but you have to know it did no good. I snuck out as soon as I could, but I haven"t been able to get in touch with Dillon yet."

Benjamin shifted to face away from her. He knew Dillon Ferguson. Dillon was the grandson of George Ferguson, Jon Roth"s butler, chauffeur and whatever else he was told to be. No matter how great Dillon might be to Victoria and no matter how much Victoria loved him, he was still the grandson of a chauffeur. He wasn"t a member of the "old money only" country club. His name wasn"t synonymous with wealth. For those reasons alone, Dillon would be deemed unacceptable. Jonathan Roth wouldn"t allow his progeny to marry so low.

Jon had told Benjamin once "You can sleep with whatever trollop you want, just make sure no one knows it. Don"t father any bastard kids who could come back to haunt you later. It happens every day. Trust me."

"You can stay here as long as you need to," Benjamin told his sister as he turned back to her. "Dillon is welcome here as well."

Victoria burst into tears again. Benjamin wrapped his arms around her and held her until she fell asleep.