"I'm an awesome secret keeper," I remind him.
His eyes narrow playfully. "I know. You never would tell me that it was your brothers who sank my canoe."
Because it wasn't my brothers. It was me. I didn't mean to shoot it. I was aiming at the damn woodpecker that was making my life hell, but tripped over my boot's untied shoelace as I fired the shot.
But, since I'm an awesome secret keeper, I keep that to myself and just grin at him.
"What happened between your brother and your ex?" I ask before I can stop myself.
That small bit of humor dies. "Nothing. My brother wasn't actually the father. That was just Sadie's way of tearing us apart by getting him to confess he'd screwed her behind my back. The baby belonged to another guy who eventually married her. But Sadie's marriage ended this past year."
I nod, even though I don't know why I'm nodding. I guess I'm not sure what else to say.
"One more thing," I say, prompting him to sigh.
"I think I've told you most of the drama that is my family. I don't really feel like saying more about it today."
I shake my head. "How do you make your money? I've Googled Benson Nolans a thousand times, and nothing ever pops up on you."
His grin instantly returns. "You've Googled me a thousand times?"
I nod, unashamed.
"I admit that I was mostly curious about what you looked like without a horrible beard-obviously this was before you lost it."
He chuckles under his breath.
"That's because I legally changed my name to Nolans before moving here. That was my grandmother's maiden name. My father hasn't been in the picture for a really long time, and that name would have pulled up some interesting things, if anyone from Tomahawk got curious and started asking questions."
"Why would you care?" I ask, confused.
He grins broader. "Because this is Tomahawk."
I groan as he laughs.
"Then what's your real name?"
He stands, putting me on my feet, before tugging my hand in his.
"My real name is Benson Nolans. It's the only name I care about. Everything before this version of me feels like a different person in a different life."
"You're not going to tell me, are you?" I ask as he starts guiding me upstairs.
He turns his head and flashes that devilishly perfect smile at me.
"The secret to being a bore is to tell someone everything."
When I groan again, he laughs, practically dragging me up the stairs to his bedroom.
I suddenly don't give a damn about his past when he presently starts kissing me stupid. I sigh into his mouth, too content to let this moment slip away, when his arms come around my waist and lift me so that he doesn't have to bend.
He lowers me to the bed before undressing me, and I push his clothes off him as fast as I can. I'm almost crazy with need when he finally pushes into me.
His lips stay on mine as his lazy thrusts do unpredictably awesome things to my body. I never knew how right something could feel.
In this moment, everything is perfect.
Chapter 13
Wild Ones Tip #842
We're fucking crazy. Your crazy will never beat our crazy, because we're competitive.
LILAH
"You two are simply adorable," Evette Dickens says as I put some grapes into the shopping cart.
"Thanks," I tell her sweetly, letting Benson tug me to his side.
Evette's daughter is eyeing him, even though she's only sixteen. I admit, I totally get it. Benson is hot, and the world is starting to take notice that he's also awesome.
I still hiss at her like a rabid cat when she bites her bottom lip suggestively.
Evette's eyes widen, and her daughter pales, probably remembering I'm one of the four corners of crazy in Tomahawk for a reason.
Evette starts urging her daughter along as I chuckle to myself. Benson shakes his head, not even commenting on the fact I hissed. Then again, it's probably the least crazy thing he's witnessed me do.
We barely make it to the frozen goods, when we're abruptly cut off by Janice Holland, local busybody.
"I heard you two had finally crossed that threshold into couple-dom. How are your brothers handling it?" she asks me, not bothering with small talk, since she's looking for something juicy to share about our corner.
"They're planning to make Benson an honorary Vincent," I say cheerily.
Benson grunts, not saying much as he starts grabbing food. He usually only talks regularly to me, and he doesn't say too much to people he doesn't know. Or like, for that matter.
"Really?" she asks, almost sulking like she's disappointed in the lack of crazy.
"I had to work three years to get into their good graces before I could be with her," Benson says, saving my brothers' reputations.
He doesn't turn around or even glance at her, and when her eyes rake over his profile, I cock my head.
"Anything else?" I ask, smiling the creepiest smile I have in my arsenal.
She clears her throat and looks back at me, recovering her fake smile.
"Are you two planning on tying the knot soon? I figured Penny would be sending out invitations already."
Benson chuckles, and her smile wavers. She expected that to scare him. Really, the guy has been dealing with my family for so long that it's a little hard to scare him.
"I think we'll fornicate for a while longer before spending money on some rings. I like it when he uses his tongue. Wouldn't want him getting lazy anytime soon just because of a piece of jewelry telling him I'm his."
Benson chokes on air, not turning around, as Janice's face turns three shades of red.
"I … think … Oh! I see Clara. I need to go there. To her. Now," she says rapidly, stumbling over all her words.
She's gone in the next instant, and I grab some frozen peas. A bunch of them.
"Why all the peas?" Benson asks, recovering from the way I dismissed our annoying busybody stalker.
"Great for sore balls," I state absently.
He groans as I toss in a couple more packs.
"Why?"
"I forget you don't shop with me usually. But the thing is, my brothers piss me off a lot. And when it's two-to-one, I have to capitalize on their greatest weakness. I also feel guilty every time I do. Therefore, I buy frozen peas."
He blows out a breath, like he's tired of trying to understand me, and I guide him through the store as he pushes the shopping cart.
"Speaking of which, why are you shopping with me today?" I ask him as we turn the corner to the chocolate aisle-A.K.A. the heavenly aisle.
His eyes come up just as Chuck comes walking down the aisle. At least I think it's Chuck. I'm still getting used to real faces and not figuring them out based on the beard.
Chuck's gaze drops to my legs, just as Benson's arms come around me, his hand possessively spreading over my hip.
"Chuck," he says, nodding politely despite the edge to his tone.
"Benson." He nods by way of greeting, since Benson's hands are too occupied with my body to offer a handshake.
"Heard you two were thinking of tying the knot," Chuck says, eyes lingering on my chest for a minute.
I'm wearing a T-shirt of a little woodpecker flipping a feathery bird finger. No cleavage to be seen.
"We're together," Benson says vaguely.
Chuck walks away, and I contemplate just how weird that all was.
"Well, that's why," Benson grumbles, tossing in my favorite chocolates.
He really is perfect.
"Why what?" I ask, confused.
"Since the beardless party, all the men have a double shot of ego and confidence. I've been jealous since before you were mine. I sure as fuck can't stand the thought of someone hitting on you now."
I grin before I can help myself, and he turns to face me, arching an eyebrow.
"You may actually get dubbed an honorary Vincent if you keep acting like one."
He cocks his head, studying me. "You saying you get jealous?"
"I hissed at a sixteen-year-old girl not ten minutes ago for giving you the eye. And I thought about rearranging Lindy's face with a beer bottle before cutting off her vagina lips. You forget I'm a corner of crazy."
His smile is instant, and I press against him as his arms come around me.
When his lips brush mine, I get lost for a minute, forgetting we're in the one and only grocery store.
"Let's hurry up and get out of here," he whispers across my lips, never kissing me, as though he knows-like I do-that a kiss will lead to the inevitable indecent exposure that will get us banned.
Like my brothers.
Who I have to shop for.
We finish our shopping trip quickly after that, and stop at the hardware store, where I get left in his truck, because he knows there will be more men he'd have to show his jealous side to.
Since I find it cute, I let it slide, especially since he's buying the necessary items to fix my bed once and for all. It'll support two people's weight from now on.