And now I feel like I've been pouting for no reason.
I shrug, looking back over at Liam, who is staring at anything but us right now as he leans back on the picnic table.
Benson wouldn't embarrass someone by shrugging them off, hence the reason Lindy and Delaney touching him didn't get rebuffed. I still don't like it. I'd rather him be an ass. I'm used to my brothers-they'd both be total assholes.
"I kind of miss my beard right now," Benson grumbles when Lindy starts walking our way.
"I miss your beard too," I say too quietly for him to hear.
No other women noticed him before I stupidly helped get that bad beard gone. Now it feels like I'm struggling to keep him to myself like I've done for the past three years.
"Lindy!" Aunt Penny yells before Lindy can reach us. "I need help with these desserts!"
Lindy stares at Benson for a beat, but he leans over like he's hiding beside my face, his breath tickling my neck until I laugh, unable to stop it. His arms are strong around my waist as they tighten there.
I've never once gotten a death glare from another woman.
Not a damn one.
Until now.
I never should have ruined the beards.
"Coming," Lindy says before spinning on a heel. "Maybe Lilah could help us too," she adds so sweetly.
"Lilah always helps. She's at all these gatherings. Thought maybe some of you new girls could pull your weight for the night," Aunt Penny, the most awesome woman in the universe, says.
Benson snickers beside me as I laugh, and Liam even chuckles.
His eyes scan the place, and I secretly wonder who's missing. It's a small town. Sure, there are more single women than I realized initially, but I don't know who he'd be looking for.
"Still don't see her?" I ask.
He shakes his head, darting an apprehensive glance to Benson, and I realize he doesn't want him knowing.
Got it.
"See who?" Benson asks.
"One of the girls here asked him for a three-way. He's trying to avoid her," I deadpan.
Liam's lips twitch when Benson strangles on air, and I wink at him, letting him know I'm damn good at keeping secrets.
"I don't want to stick around for fireworks. Think they'd get mad if we bailed early? All the buzz over my beard being gone is getting annoying," Benson says close to my ear.
Butterflies. I've totally got butterflies. Because I'm fairly sure he's telling me I'm coming with him, or at least assuming I am.
That's normal, but tonight it seems a little different. I think. Or maybe I'm being a girl and seeing something that's not there.
"Sure," I say all too readily.
He stands, his arm sliding around my waist, and we both tell Liam bye before making our way toward the boat.
"Hey, Nolans. We need to talk to you," Killian says, eyeing the hand Benson has on my waist.
Benson sighs. "Ignore them," I tell him.
"Can't. Just let me deal with it, then we'll get out of here."
Even though I try to stop him, he still goes to my brothers, who smirk at me. Fortunately, I've seen Benson rough both of them up in the past. Like that time they broke my bathroom window and I got stung by a bunch of bees as a result. Did I mention they broke my window with a limb that had a beehive on it?
Yeah. They were like Pooh Bear going for honey, and it didn't end well for me when the limb and hive crashed through my bathroom window as I was showering.
The damn hive didn't have any honey in it. It wasn't honey bees.
Dick bags.
I know they had to know that.
Benson literally beat the shit out of them for a while before he made them go buy me comfort foods, hydrocortisone cream, and various other things while he patched up a temporary window and ordered me a new one.
That they paid for.
Why didn't I think I liked him sooner?
I really should have just slept on top of his chest a year or two ago. Then I could have had him before he lost the beard and every other girl wanted him.
"So what's up with that?" Delaney asks me, her tone guarded as she stares at Benson talking to my brothers.
He's smirking. They're not smiling at all.
"What's up with what?" I ask as I turn to face her, playing dumb.
She narrows her eyes at me. "You've never acted interested in anyone, then I flirt half the day with him, competing with Lindy this entire time, and suddenly you're cuddled up with him on the picnic table? Seriously, what gives?"
My smile slowly spreads. "You never saw him before he lost the bad beard, did you?"
She frowns. "What?"
"Delaney, that is maybe a little more affectionate than we've been in the past, but not much. We're always touching, and always hanging out at these gatherings-not that you're here to see that. I do his shopping on Tuesdays when I go into town. Benson and I have been friends for three years at least. I've even talked about him to you, and it's like you never paid attention when I said his name. Nothing romantically related, but he came up in many conversations."
Her entire face falls. "Oh," she says, her face reddening.
The sun is starting to set now, and she fidgets awkwardly, focusing on where the massive ball of fire is sinking into the horizon.
"Makes sense why he was so uncomfortable with us. I thought it was just because he was shy and not used to the attention. Found it sort of cute or endearing. Now I feel stupid."
I laugh lightly. "No need. I feel stupid for making the beards go away."
Her eyes widen and she grabs my shoulders, shaking me a little. There's my Delaney. "Don't you ever say that again. This town finally, finally has men in it that don't look like they crawled out of a gutter or survived an island where no one had to look at them for a decade. We should erect a statue of you to commemorate this momentous occasion that has forever changed Tomahawk for the better."
We both dissolve into laughter, and Benson is suddenly back, his arm slipping around my waist and dragging me closer.
"What'd I miss?" he asks, though he feels a little stiff.
Delaney's eyes twinkle with humor, and she winks at me. "Nothing. Just talking about sculptures. I'm going to go keep Paul company."
She saunters away, and Benson relaxes against me. "Let's go before someone else tries to stop us."
"What'd my brothers say?" I ask as he pulls my hand.
"Threatened me with bodily harm if I took your virginity."
I stumble over my own feet, and he laughs, turning to face me.
"I'm not a virgin," I quickly tell him.
"I don't think they want to accept that as the truth."
I glare over my shoulder at my two brothers, who are staring at us with their arms crossed over their chests, daring Benson to make a wrong move.
"You can still kick their asses, right?" I ask as Benson tugs me to his boat, helping me off the dock.
"One on one in a fair fight? Definitely."
Chapter 8
Wild Ones Tip #413
If a squirrel has firecrackers, run for your damn life.
Benson brings me another beer, popping the top on one of his own, as he shrugs out of his shirt.
My eyes widen, and I grip the beer in my hand too tightly. He tosses the shirt away, and he sits down beside me, dropping his arm over my shoulders like it's no big deal that he's now shirtless.
And touching me.
And shirtless.
I try to fix my attention on the TV, but it's too hard.
"We'll go out when we hear the fireworks starting," he says. "But all the beer has me burning up."
I can't help myself; I poke his stomach to see if it's as hard as it looks, and he jerks, looking down at me like I'm a crazy girl.
"How are you so hard?"
He chokes on his beer, and I replay those words in my head.
"I mean your body," I amend.
He laughs lightly, shaking his head. "I kayak first thing in the morning almost every morning, which you know. I work on various projects-physically demanding projects, which you know. You've seen my gym; it's not just for looks. Not to mention the running-"
"You run?" I ask, interrupting him as horror washes over me. "On purpose?"
His smile slowly forms. I really like that smile he's been hiding for too long. "Yeah. At least once a day, usually early mornings … why?"
I shudder dramatically. "I don't know you at all."
A rumble of laughter escapes him as I try to process that.
"I don't think we can be friends anymore," I tell him, looking back at the imposter who I thought was awesome just a few seconds ago.
He just grins broader, not taking this as seriously as he should.
"So Liam and you looked chummy tonight," he says, deflecting.
"Well, he didn't confess to something as nasty as running on purpose."
That smile only grows. "You trading me in for him as a friend? Or was he finally asking you out?"
I shrug, smirking as I redirect my attention to the TV.