“The hell is wrong with you? I wasn’t talking about her chest.”
Liam was offended enough that Benson had to take a step back and mutter an apology. “Sorry. She’s at that age where she’s not quite aware that everyone who raised her now recognizes she’s got an adult body. I’ve had to deal with some… well, quite frankly, perverts in my office when they came over. Found out that one of the couriers at the office was making up reasons to drop by when he realized Drew was here. She was seventeen, by the way.”
“Ew. Hope you fired that weirdo.”
“I did. Thanks for asking.” Benson returned to the kitchen, where he had forgotten to turn off the burner. “What do you want?”
Liam glanced in the direction of Drew’s room. When she didn’t come running out, he said with a lowered voice, “It’s about Eden. You saw her message, right?”
The absolutelastthing Benson wanted to deal with now was women problems.The only thing worse is men problems.He looked at one right now. Why couldn’t he justwillLiam away?
“Of course I did.”
“Well, you should probably know that she figured out what was going on between us.”
There went Benson’s appetite for breakfast.
“Not the whole story. She just figured out that you and I used to…you know.”
Benson was gonna have a stroke.
“With other chicks.”
“I swear to God, I’m gonna kill you.”
“Oh, keep your biceps in your shirt. I’m just saying she knows how we used to roll with other women. Figured it out all on her own. She’s smart, you know. Sees right through our collective bullshit. Dangerous, huh?”
“So, what are you saying? Is this really just like old times?”
“Not at all. That would require your cooperation.”
“Piss off.”
“Ben.” Liam stayed a decent distance away while Benson slammed dishes into the sink. “She hasn’t told us to take a hike. That’s all I’m saying.”
He can’t be serious.Was he suggesting that they both keep dating her?Her?Eden? One of the most perfect women that Benson had ever met?I didn’t mind another man dating her for a while. But I didn’t know it was him…Yes, they were quite familiar with each other’s desires in the bedroom, if only because there was often a woman in between them benefitting from their kinks. That didn’t mean, however, that Benson wanted to relive those times. There was a reason they were in the past. A reasonLiam had flown the coop and gone to California, as far away from Benson as possible.
He had meant it when he confessed it was his fault.I’m the reason it blew up.Benson was old and mature enough to admit it.
The thought of Eden being withthisman, of all men… honestly, Benson would prefer if his girlfriend were getting torn apart by someone he hated.
Because he didn’thateLiam. Part of the reason they blew up was because Benson was too uptight and unable to see the forest through the trees. He had cared so much about the delicate balance of his relationships that he couldn’t take it anymore. He had scared himself away. Only instead of being the one to extract himself from the reason, it was Liam who pretended everything was fine.
“So, what are you really saying?” Benson finally asked while drying off his hands.
“I’m saying we should talk to her. Together. Sometime this week.” He cleared his throat. “And let’s not go out with her, either of us, until then.”
“Says the man who probably saw her last night.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“I could punch your face in right now.”
“Because you weren’t invited?”
Don’t start with me.Liam had always had a smart mouth on him. It was one of the things Benson loved… until it was directed athim.Also, it had been a terrible influence on Drew when she was a sassy middle schooler learning how to push boundaries with adults and establish her real personality.
“Fine. We’ll arrange something with her this week. But it’s officially tax season, so I’m swamped most evenings until Friday.”