Against All Odds (Shifters)(12)

Ben started laughing. “I’d never be a celebrity. I like my privacy a little too much.”

“Do you have control of your tiger?” she asked.

He froze.

“I know I shouldn’t be asking, but I thought it would be open for discussion seeing as I’ve talked about part of my past I’m not comfortable with.”

Turning to her, Ben stared into her clear green eyes. “Push me away.”

“What?”

“My tiger responded to your rejection. Push me away.”

She tensed but then shoved him hard. Ben stared at her as she continued to push and hit him. His tiger was gone. There was no chance of his animal letting loose.

“I’ve got a handle on it,” he said.

“How?” she asked, amazed.

Heather raised her hand to hit him. He caught her hand bringing her close to his chest. She let him, but he’d not reached out to her face. Ben knew his boundaries with regards to touching her.

“What happened to you was the reason I can keep him at bay. He’ll never come out and attack you. I’m ashamed of what I did. You can push me away, scream, yell, and treat me like shit, Heather. You’re safer with me than you are in a house full of leopards.”

Dropping a kiss to her knuckles he let her go.

“I still can’t believe it’s happened so fast.”

The desire to reach out and touch her was strong. He kept it at bay.

“You’re my mate. Attacking you was like a shock to the system, and it will never happen again. When I’ve been around you my tiger comes to the surface but only ever to hold you. I don’t want to hurt you.” Ben leaned down. He saw her tense, and he dropped a gentle kiss to her lips. “I don’t expect you to trust me right away. I’m promising you that I’ll do everything I can to make you trust me.”

“I believe you.”

They started walking again until their walk stopped and they were back at the house. Lunch was a tense affair. The Ashtons didn’t know how to tell Heather they wanted to get back to their life. He didn’t think they were being cruel.

Glancing at Heather, he tried to gain her attention.

She reached between them, grabbing his hand and tightening her hold on him. “Do you guys want to hear the good news?” she asked, cutting through the tense silence. Even Felix looked ready to climb the walls from being confined to the cabin for so long.

“What good news?” Dana asked.

“Ben has agreed to let me stay with him. It’s close enough to the city so you can visit me, but also my parents don’t need to come.” She was smiling as she looked between them.

“If you’re not ready, honey, we can wait,” John said.

Ben saw the older man’s protective side coming through.

“John, I know you guys are struggling to stay here. The fact you’ve held out as long as you have means a lot to me. Malcolm gave me the all clear, and I’m fine. He doesn’t need to come out again to check on me. Over time the scars will heal, and in no time I’ll be back to my old self. Ben has agreed to take care of me. I mean, I’m supposed to be his mate, so I might as well use him for something, right?”

Her grip was tight on his hand. Ben never wanted to let her go.

“He’ll protect you, Heather,” Dana said. “If not, I’ll kick his ass, and he’ll wish he listened to reason.”

His woman chuckled.

“Really, thank you for sticking with me. It has been difficult for all of you, and I promise I’ll keep in touch. I’m sure Ben won’t have a problem with you all visiting me if that’s what you want to do.”

“I won’t have a problem. My home is open for you all,” Ben said, reassuring everyone.

“Ben, can I have a word with you in the kitchen?” John said. The older man was already moving toward the kitchen, so he didn’t really have a choice but to follow.

When they were alone John turned on him. “Do you think this is wise you taking her home with you? What if your tiger comes out and attacks her again?”

“I’m fine. It will never happen again.”

“How do you know that?” John asked.

“I know. I’ve never attacked a woman. My tiger is bound to me, and I hurt the one woman who means the world to me. I’ve got it handled, and no matter what happens, Heather will be safe. Out of everything that has happened, I can guarantee her safety above everything else. I’d never hurt her.”

The attack on Heather had been like a shock to his system.

“Has your tiger been close to the surface?”

“Yes, all the time. I want to protect her and love her. I want the chance to prove to her how much I can.”

His feelings had changed over the last few days. Ben was sure of his love for her. It had been something that had taken him by surprise. He was going to spend the rest of his life showing her his love.





Chapter Nine



One week later with a suitcase in hand, Heather stared up at the large house she was about to live in. Ben was grabbing a couple more cases from the trunk of the car. They’d said goodbye to the Ashtons that morning. She’d been ready to get out of the cabin, but staring up at his house, she couldn’t help doubt her original thoughts.

The house was large, bigger than her parents’ home.

“Is this like a mini-mansion?” she asked.

“I like plenty of space. It’s a seven bedroom house,” he said, standing beside her.

“You’ve got a security gate.”

“Yes. I’m a private guy. I’m also a shifter. I need space and privacy.”

She could only nod as he produced a set of keys.

They walked up the steps, and she waited as he slid a card inside a lock and then typed in a load of buttons. Once inside he flicked a switch. It didn’t seem so large inside, and she saw several pieces of expensive art work on the walls.

“Do you have people working for you?” she asked.

“I’ve got a maid and a cleaning crew. I don’t clean. I do cook and everything else.” He dropped her case on the floor. She followed him through to the first room. Considering the house was large she noted the modern, bachelor décor.

“Did you get in a decorating crew?” she asked.

“No, I did all this myself. I work from home, and I like building shit with my hands. I got it from my father. I bought the house about three years ago, and I spent the first two and a half years bringing it back up to repair,” he said.

She watched him open a heavy curtain. Going to the fabric, she knew it wasn’t readily available around them.

“Yes, I will confess to owning a sewing machine as well. My mom used to love working with her hands, and she taught me how to make everything myself. I’ve done all the fabrics and built all the furniture.”

She was truly amazed. “Is that why you’re so fit? I mean, erm, your muscles are rock hard. They look rock hard.”

He chuckled. “I’ve got a gym, but I don’t use it. I love working with my hands, and the best way to do that is by making everything myself.”

“This is amazing.”

“Take a seat,” he said, tapping the back of a chair.

Cautiously she sat down and moaned. The chair was so soft and comfortable. On the far wall a large plasma television hung waiting to be watched. “How do you move out of this room?” she asked.

“I’m waiting for you to laugh at my hobbies.”

“Why?” She watched him take a seat next to her. Heather couldn’t deny he really was a good-looking, hard-working man.

“I’ve got woman hobbies.”

“Excuse me?” she asked, laughing. “Women’s hobbies?”

He laughed with her. “It’s something my dad would always say.”

“Ben, there are male designers out there. You’re good at what you do. I think you should be proud of what you’ve achieved. This house is amazing. I want to see more of it.”

“Come on, it looks like you’re going to fall asleep.” He took her hand in his and tugged her out of the chair. She groaned, not wanting to leave the comfort of the chair. His arms went to her hips.

She wasn’t even tempted to push him away. Dana and everyone around her knew she wasn’t the type of woman to hold a grudge, even with Ben. He’d made a mistake, and she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. If she’d not gotten to know him it would have been easy to hate him. Now, hatred just seemed petty.

He showed her his study and the desk he’d crafted with his own hands.

“Wow, this is awesome.”

Heather saw the pride in his eyes. He was also trying to impress her. Once he’d shown her the dining room and the games room, he took her upstairs. Ben showed her several guest bedrooms, and he’d made some themed rooms for boys and girls. She thought it was sweet. He’d not wanted a family, but he’d still made rooms for children.

The master bedroom was a thing of beauty. He’d made a four-poster bed with lace curtains around the bed. It was truly beautiful. The bed showed the love shining out of the man. The more she was getting to know him, the harder it was to walk away.

“I don’t sleep in this room. It was something I needed to do. The room spoke to me. I sound crazy, right?”

“No, not crazy at all. All kinds of artists have their work speak to them. This is just part of who you are.” She ran her fingers down one of the posts. “I wished I had this skill.”