Bennett grimaced. "It also gets old."

"Yeah, right," Eden scoffed. "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, eh?"

Bennett helped himself to a wing. "I didn't say it wasn't flattering, I just said that it gets old."

In the process of dunking a celery stick into a pool of dressing, Eden paused to look at him. She'd detected the smallest amount of disappointment in his voice, as though he'd regretted being honest with her. She swallowed, annoyed with herself on too many levels to enumerate. "I guess any sort of attention-be it good or bad-has the potential to get old."

Bennett looked up and something unreadable shifted in his gaze. "That's my take, anyway."

Eden released a shallow breath. "So...back to this new suspicion you think isn't worth mentioning-mention it," Eden said pointedly.

"I-"

Oh, for heaven's sake, Eden thought. "How am I supposed to find this girl if you won't give me the information I need?" Good grief, it's not as if she wasn't aware of his man-wh.o.r.e reputation. She knew, dammit. It sickened her, broke her heart, but it wasn't a d.a.m.ned secret. "You know, Bennett, I appreciate the fact that you're now embarra.s.sed by your, er...womanizing reputation-and you seem like you want to change that-but you've picked an inconvenient time to go n.o.ble. I-" Eden thought. "How am I supposed to find this girl if you won't give me the information I need?" Good grief, it's not as if she wasn't aware of his man-wh.o.r.e reputation. She knew, dammit. It sickened her, broke her heart, but it wasn't a d.a.m.ned secret. "You know, Bennett, I appreciate the fact that you're now embarra.s.sed by your, er...womanizing reputation-and you seem like you want to change that-but you've picked an inconvenient time to go n.o.ble. I-"

Bennett pa.s.sed a hand over his face and swore. "It's not someone I've slept with, dammit," he finally snapped, clearly not wanting to have this discussion. "Or even dated, for that matter." He shuddered, as though the mere notion made him want to wretch.

Eden blinked. The idea that this wasn't a scorned lover had never occurred to her, and frankly she couldn't imagine anyone who hadn't had an intimate relationship with Bennett hating him enough to pose a threat. She frowned, confused. "I don't understand. Who exactly are you talking about?"

Bennett hesitated again. "Look, Eden. This isn't the place."

Eden lifted her chin. "This is the place we've got. Tell me who she is. Tell me who she is."

Bennett paused to consider her, seemed to be bracing himself for some sort of fallout. Finally his lips twisted with bitter humor and he released a whooshing breath. "Your mother."

Eden froze and her entire body went numb with shock. "My mother?"

Looking miserable at having to have this conversation with her, Bennett shrugged awkwardly. "I told you we didn't need to do this here."

"My mother?" Eden repeated, dragging the word out.

"She certainly hates me enough, don't you think?"

She hated him, yes, but enough to threaten him? To stalk him? To hurt him? Surely not, Eden thought. She couldn't believe, couldn't imagine-Eden gave her head a skeptical shake. "I don't know, Bennett. She-"

He winced, clearly regretting saying anything to her about it. "Look, you pressed for it and I told you. I'm just saying...she wasn't above smashing that heart that I carved for you-" He paused and quirked a questioning brow.

Eden nodded, silently acknowledging that she remembered. G.o.d, did she ever remember.

"And she wasn't above coming to me and telling me that if I didn't stop seeing you, she'd make you pay. That she would make sure that you you hurt and that it would be hurt and that it would be my my fault." He tapped his bottle softly against the tabletop and curiously seemed unable to meet her gaze. "She can be pretty d.a.m.ned ruthless, and frankly I don't think her elevator goes all the way to the top." fault." He tapped his bottle softly against the tabletop and curiously seemed unable to meet her gaze. "She can be pretty d.a.m.ned ruthless, and frankly I don't think her elevator goes all the way to the top."

Eden's mouth went bone-dry, her heart rate soared and an impending sense of dread hovered like a shadow around her shoulders. Her mother had gone to him? she thought faintly. Had told him that if he didn't stop dating her that she'd make Eden pay? That it would be his fault? Whereas only moments before Eden had been numb, feeling now came rushing back, making her entire body tingle. Nausea clawed at her throat, and anger and humiliation swirled through her churning belly with enough force to make her hold so tightly on to her fork that she could feel it bending in her hand.

That manipulative b.i.t.c.h, Eden thought. How could she have done something so terrible? So deceitful? Eden knew without having to ask that Bennett was referring to the first time he'd broken up with her, when they'd been in high school. He would have been too young to have fought back, wouldn't have known what to do. And he would have been too embarra.s.sed to come to her and tell her why he was breaking up with her. Eden thought. How could she have done something so terrible? So deceitful? Eden knew without having to ask that Bennett was referring to the first time he'd broken up with her, when they'd been in high school. He would have been too young to have fought back, wouldn't have known what to do. And he would have been too embarra.s.sed to come to her and tell her why he was breaking up with her.

A bitter laugh broke up in her throat, and she shook her head as the impact of what he'd finally shared cleared up so many questions she'd had over the years. When they'd gotten back together the last time, Eden had been too elated to bring up any of the old problems they'd had. He'd apologized, and she, content with the sincerity, had merely accepted.

As always, she'd just wanted him. Even now, G.o.d help her, she wanted him. She could feel her body betraying her-an achy yearning in her s.e.x, in the tingling tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the sluggish way her blood was moving through her veins. She could lie to herself and chalk it up to the alcohol-she'd always been a lightweight, after all-but Eden knew better. It was Bennett, had always been Bennett and always would be Bennett.

He finally cleared his throat, evidently uncomfortable with her extended silence. "I'm sorry, Eden. I should have told you a long time ago. I was just so ashamed of not fighting for you, and it was just easier to become what everyone had expected me to be."

"It's not what I expected you to be," she said softly.

A sad smile shaped his beautiful mouth. "I know."

"What did she say to you exactly?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. I just thought, in light of my stalker, that you should know. What do you think? Could she be the one?"

It did matter, Eden thought, but she wasn't going to insist that he tell her. It had taken ten years and a stalker impetus to get him this far. Pushing Bennett didn't work. Besides, given the dark turn Bennett had taken, he didn't have to tell her for Eden to know what her mother had said to him. She could just imagine. Her mother had the rare ability to ferret out a weakness with pinpoint accuracy, then strike with even more chilling efficiency.

As for her being the one-who knew? Eden supposed it was possible. Considering Giselle's housekeeper did all the shopping, it would be easy enough to find out if she'd bought any chicken livers lately. She shared as much with Bennett.

"You'll keep me posted, right?"

"Sure," Eden said, releasing a small breath. And on that note, it was time to leave. She'd had all the walking down memory lane she could stand for one night. Any more and they'd be holding hands and kissing and having wild, frantic, wonderful, back-clawing, screaming-o.r.g.a.s.m s.e.x. She swallowed a whimper as a hard tingle pinged her s.e.x. Eden reached for her wallet, but Bennett quickly stalled her.

"I've got it," he told her. "Give me a minute and I'll walk you to your car."

Eden summoned a smile. "I've had some self-defense training," she said, tossing his earlier observation back at him.

He grinned at her, recognizing the attempt at humor for what it was-a tension breaker. "And I'm trying to be a gentleman."

Eden slid out from the booth and made her way toward the exit. "Ah," she said knowingly. "Another part of the turning-the-whole-tree-over, eh?"

Bennett held open the door for her, snugging a finger at the small of her back, causing a delicate tremor to work its way through her. "One leaf at a time, babe," he sighed. "One leaf at a time."

Eden bit her lip against the tide of longing that rose inside her from that simple, innocuous touch. A blaze of gooseflesh raced up her spine, licked around her belly and settled between her thighs. She bit her lip against the instant invariable rush of tangled emotion and desire, the ultimate feeling of desperate longing she'd known only with him.

Sweet heaven.

Rather than remove his hand once they'd walked outside, Bennett kept it at her waist, making her all the more aware of him-which she wouldn't have thought possible. Don't touch me, Don't touch me, Eden thought desperately. Eden thought desperately. If you touch me, I'll come unglued. I'll fall apart and back at your feet and you'll break my heart all over again. Don't apologize. Just let me go. Let me go. If you touch me, I'll come unglued. I'll fall apart and back at your feet and you'll break my heart all over again. Don't apologize. Just let me go. Let me go.

Just a few more steps and she'd be at her car and she could escape before she did anything stupid. Eden released a shaky breath, reached for her keys and hit the remote lock.

Bennett stopped behind her. She could feel his gaze skimming her profile, could feel his regret and uncertainty pinging off of her like little miserable darts of remorse. Oh, G.o.d. Time to go, Time to go, Eden thought, urgency making her almost fumble her keys. Eden thought, urgency making her almost fumble her keys.

"Good night, Ben-"

"I'm sorry, Eden."

Equally quiet, intense and sincere, those dreaded words left his lips and slipped right into her heart.

Eden closed her eyes tightly and stilled. There it was, she thought with a quiet laugh. Her downfall. The end of life as she knew it. She'd known it was coming, hadn't she? She wanted to tell him it was too little too late, to say that being sorry wasn't good enough.

She wanted to be angry at him for taking advantage of her vulnerability, but instead she was just angry at herself for not being able to stay strong. G.o.d help her, why couldn't she hold a proper grudge? Why couldn't she be as cold as Kelly? As angry as Kate? Why couldn't she hold on to a modic.u.m of self-respect, self-restraint and self-preservation where Ben Wilder was concerned?

Why? Why? Why?

Eden knew why-he was her Ben. Her One. The only guy she'd ever loved and instinctively knew she'd ever love.

Gallingly, Eden felt tears burn the backs of her lids and she lowered her head, disgusted, miserable and ashamed of the weakness.

Bennett swore softly, then settled his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around.

"Don't, Ben," she whimpered, more to save face than to really protest. She knew what he was going to do, knew what was to come and hated herself even more for wanting it when she knew she shouldn't.

He tunneled his big, warm hands into her hair, cupping her jaw, pulling a shudder of antic.i.p.ation out of her that soaked her panties and made her nipples pearl behind her bra.

His dark, troubled gaze searched hers, then he breathed her name into her mouth as he settled his lips over hers.

For the briefest second Eden simply savored the feel of his lips meeting hers. Other than the softest sigh of inevitable heartache, she didn't respond. It was too perfect, too beautiful and more than she'd ever hoped for...being kissed again by Bennett Wilder.

Then need and instinct took over, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and greedily sucked his tongue into her mouth, because tasting him was more important than anything else in her world at the moment.

In fact, her world had shrunk to the point that it only included the two of them and the small patch of asphalt that currently anch.o.r.ed her feet to the pavement.

Feeling his hard body aligned thrillingly with hers, that sinfully carnal mouth feeding at hers as though she were a rare treat...that was all that mattered.

Bennett's strong fingers ma.s.saged her scalp and cradled her face. His breath was ragged, and little masculine sounds of pleasure reverberated off her tongue. The hot length of him nudged her belly, making her own s.e.x throb to an intense beat that she hadn't felt in years. It was almost enough to make her cry.

Sweet s.e.xual longing hurled like a caffeinated sugar rush through her body and concentrated in areas that had been neglected since he'd left town. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s grew hot and heavy, her neck felt as if it was too weak to support her head and her spine seemed to have melted completely, because she was clinging to Bennett as though she were unable to stand on her own. Her blood burned sluggishly through her veins, making her a curious combination of lazy and energized, and a pressing itch commenced in her c.l.i.t that made her wiggle shamelessly against him.

Seemingly reading her mind-or, more accurately, her body-Bennett lifted her up, pinned her against the car and rocked against her. The first hint of pressure ripped the breath from her lungs, and the promise of impending climax spiraled through her s.e.x.

"G.o.d, Eden," Bennett growled, b.u.mping against her once more.

G.o.d didn't have anything to do with this, Eden thought. This was the devil in her reacting to the devil in him, and were they anywhere but a public street, she'd be ready to commit some seriously overdue back-clawing, name-screaming wonderful wonderful sin. sin.

Eden pressed herself more firmly against him, wincing as her achy nipples met the hard wall of his chest. Dammit, why hadn't she parked in the back? Then they could have simply crawled into the backseat of her car. In for a penny, in for a pound, In for a penny, in for a pound, Eden thought, not even questioning the fact that they were going to sleep together again. She'd known it was a foregone conclusion, hadn't she? That's why she'd tried to keep him from apologizing. She'd known- Eden thought, not even questioning the fact that they were going to sleep together again. She'd known it was a foregone conclusion, hadn't she? That's why she'd tried to keep him from apologizing. She'd known- "Hey! Get a room, why don't you!"

Breathing hard, Eden tore her lips from Bennett's long enough to watch a smiling Kelly Briscoe drive past. She shot Eden a thumbs-up, which drew a questioning look from Bennett.

Bennett frowned. "What was that all about?"

Mortified, Eden peeled herself away from Bennett. She'd just inadvertently scored one for the Ex-Girlfriends' Club, but she suddenly felt as though she'd made a terrible mistake. Then again, she'd made so many tonight, trying to pin one down seemed like too much trouble.

Kelly quickly forgotten, a lazy smile curled Bennett's lips and a sleepy-looking, all-too-wicked gleam flashed in those come-sin-with-me eyes. "I liked her suggestion," he said, blatantly fishing for an invitation back into her bed.

Eden weakened and wavered, and her body, having been spoiled and primed by Bennett's masterful kissing skills, staged a successful rebellion against her better judgment. Why fight it? she thought with an inevitable sigh.

Heartache now versus heartache later-either way she knew she was doomed.

At least this way she'd enjoy the road to ruin first.

Eden sighed and, smiling resignedly, jerked her head toward her SUV. "Get in the car."

13.

GET IN THE CAR, BENNETT THOUGHT four minutes later as he and Eden-her legs wrapped around his waist, her hot, hungry, equally desperate mouth attached to his-zigzagged their way through her darkened kitchen. Had more wonderful words ever been spoken? four minutes later as he and Eden-her legs wrapped around his waist, her hot, hungry, equally desperate mouth attached to his-zigzagged their way through her darkened kitchen. Had more wonderful words ever been spoken?

"It's straight...through there," Eden told him between kisses. She pushed her hands into his hair, kneaded his scalp, setting his entire body aflame. "Last door on the right."

h.e.l.l, he'd done good to get out of the car. He hadn't thought they were going to make it inside at all, but the gearshift digging into Eden's hip had registered long enough to break the s.e.xual haze and they'd managed to stumble through her back door.

Terrified that Eden would change her mind before they could get to her house, Bennett had kept up a selfishly wicked siege against her on the short drive over-he'd nibbled on her earlobe and slipped his hand between her legs, ma.s.saging her until she climaxed and jumped the curb coming into her driveway. Selfish? he thought, smiling against her mouth. Not completely.

But in this case the end would justify the means.

The minute they got inside the house he was going to be back inside her, and the need hammering throughout his body-the primal animal drive beating a relentless tattoo in his loins-told him that it couldn't be soon enough. He didn't just need her-he had had to have her. to have her.

h.e.l.l, he'd never been able to keep his hands off her. They'd always-always-been hotter than hot together. Because they'd been each other's first? Bennett wondered dimly, and not for the first time. Learned together, as it were? Or was she simply his Achilles' heel?

More than likely all of the above.

Bennett nudged open her bedroom door, and the sweet smell of magnolia blossoms met his nose, a scent he'd always a.s.sociated with her. The big, beautiful trees lined her parents' driveway and Eden had always kept a bouquet in her room. Clearly that hadn't changed. His tongue tangling around hers, Bennett cracked an eye open long enough to find the bed-a big Spanish antique that dominated the room-then made his way forward.

An unearthly yowl sounded above their heavy breathing, causing Bennett to almost trip and fall. Startled enough to call his bada.s.s reputation into question, he tore his mouth away from hers. "What the fu-"

Eden chuckled softly and dropped her head against his shoulder. "Cerberus."

Right, Bennett thought darkly. How could he forget? The cat currently sat in a ready crouch, every hair on its back standing on end, looking ready to pounce if Bennett so much as made a move. Evidently dear old Cerberus had been sleeping soundly, curled up on Eden's duvet before they'd arrived.

Clearly there wasn't enough room for both him and the cat in the bed. As if coming to the same conclusion, Cerberus growled and hissed low in her throat and inched forward, a feline dare.

Though he knew it was juvenile, Bennett hissed back, drawing a chuckle from Eden.

"Here," she said, wiggling down from him. "Let me put her out of the room."

"I don't think she's going to like that," Bennett said, eying the cat warily.

"Probably not." Eden lifted Cerberus off the bed and carefully set her outside the door, then pulled it closed with a finality that brought a smile to his lips. "But she'll get over it." Her hot green gaze raked his body from head to toe, making his skin burn. "Now where were we?"

Bennett pulled his shirt over his head, tossed it aside and dropped onto the foot of her bed. "We were working on getting here."

Smiling, Eden toed her shoes off, then coolly shucked her shorts, revealing lacy low-rise aqua-colored panties. Looking confident and in control-G.o.d, what a turn-on-she sidled forward, pushed him down and straddled him. She was tanned and toned and s.e.xy as h.e.l.l.

A halo of pale hair framed both of their faces as she lowered her mouth to his, bringing a fond smile to his lips. He'd always loved her hair, Bennett thought, feeling the silky ma.s.s slip over his cheek.

Growling, he cupped the firm roundness of her rump, aligning her against the hard ridge of his arousal, then slid his hands up her slim, supple spine. He knew every indentation, knew the exact measure between each vertebra, knew what sort of touch drove her wild and tripped her trigger.

He knew her, her, Bennett thought, his throat tightening, and he knew that he liked himself better when he was with her. Bennett thought, his throat tightening, and he knew that he liked himself better when he was with her.