Page 18 of Hot n Bothered

“ F uck me.” Ben sighed as they settled into their seats. “I know you said they were bad, but she’s worse than Mother Gothel.”

Isobelle smiled at him. “I did warn you. Having second thoughts?”

“Absolutely not. That’s ignited my inner protective boyfriend. Not a chance am I letting anyone upset my Belle.” He shuddered. “Now I understand why you detest being called my darling.” He pulled a face. “I know they’re your parents but how could those two produce you and Darren?”

“We used to joke that both of us were switched at birth. That there are two perfect families out there for us and they are raising shallow, self-absorbed versions of us wondering how they got that way.”

“I still can’t believe they still act like Darren being gay is a phase. It’s 2025 for fuck’s sake.”

She looked at him, he was giving the impression that he was fine.

But his shoulders were way too tense, his smiles weren’t reaching his eyes and his leg was bouncing so fast it was like a blur.

So she pulled out a notebook, this one had the most additional bits dotted all over the place. This should distract him.

“Let’s see if you can follow this.” She said.

He took it gratefully, leaning his head into hers as she explained what the random symbols meant and where to look for the additional text. He picked it up very quickly and after flicking through some more pages he showed he understood.

During take-off she put her hand over his as it gripped the armrest so tightly his knuckles were white.

She tapped out her breathing timings as she talked through yet another idea for a story that was half-formed in her head, just playing possible scenarios back and forth.

After a while his grip relaxed enough for him to turn his hand and interlock their fingers.

“Thank you.” He said bringing her hand to his lips. “What would I do without you?” He murmured against her skin.

“Not be on a plane.”

That laugh reached his eyes. She loved the little lines around them.

They showed he’d spent most of his life laughing and smiling.

Her mother spent so much money trying to erase any lines on her face, even the twins at just 23 spent a fortune on the latest antiaging creams and formulas.

But to Isobelle those lines told the story of that person’s life and that in itself was beautiful.

“What are you staring at?”

“Honestly?”

He nodded. She reached out to touch those lines.

“These. I love how they show how much you smile, how much you laugh.”

His eyes dropped from hers, focusing on their joined hands. Wait, was he blushing? There was a definite flush to his cheeks.

“Belle… I… um.” He looked up at her, opening his mouth as if to speak, then closing it again. He cleared his throat, then flashed his grin. “Are you telling me I look old?” He joked.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m saying it’s good that you are a happy person.”

He shrugged. “It’s the company I keep.” He lifted his eyes to the tone indicating the seatbelt sign had been turned off. “I believe that’s my signal to start working.”

“If you still want to. I know my work is a mess and honestly I wonder if I should forget about… Ow! Ben!” She glared at him. “Stop with the pinching.”

“Then stop with the criticising. Now go on get your Surface out your bag so I can find out what happens in this one.”

“Bossy.”

He grinned. “You love it.”

“Hmm.” She muttered as she stood to get her bag out of the overhead bins.

Typing up her work seemed to help Ben. He’d put his headphones on to concentrate and was a lot less tense, he even chuckled a few times at what she had written.

She smiled to herself to hear the old couple talking to the flight attendant about how they had been upgraded and how it was a wonderful surprise.

She shook Ben’s arm to get his attention. “It’s their wedding anniversary.” She whispered to him.

“Huh? Who?”

“The couple you upgraded. I just heard them talking. It’s their 60 th wedding anniversary and he’d always promised to take her to Athens. Their kids paid for the trip.”

He smiled. “That’s lovely.” He frowned at her. “Are you crying?”

“Not exactly.”

“What is not exactly? Either you’re crying or you’re not.”

“I’m teary eyed because it’s so romantic and it makes what you did even more wonderful. Especially since they called their kids and know it wasn’t them and they have no idea it was you.”

“Well don’t tell them.”

“I won’t. Are you blushing?”

“No.”

She giggled. “Oh my you are. You’re now scowling and blushing. That’s so adorably cute.”

“Wow, just wow Belle. That’s what every boyfriend wants to hear.” He rolled his eyes.

“So if not adorably cute, what do you want to hear me describing you as?”

“Sexy as fuck. Stop laughing.”

“Then stop making me laugh.”

“You are hard on a man’s ego. Do you know that?” He shook his head laughing as well. “By the way, what I’m typing up is it finished? Because if it’s not it will kill me to not know what happens.”

She held up her notebook. “Working on it right now.”

“Well then get back to work missy. Chop, chop.”

“Bossy.” She laughed.

“You love it.”

“You keep saying that and yet somehow I still don’t.”

He put his headphones on and playacted that he couldn’t hear her making her laugh even more. He looked so much more relaxed now. She focused on the pages in front of her as she tapped her pen against her cheek as she thought on how to get her main character out of the bind they were now in.

Landing was not good for Ben. It was bad enough he had to put away everything that was distracting him. But there was a little turbulence that had him shutting his eyes tightly. He was gripping the arm rest so hard, she wouldn’t have been surprised to see he had cracked it.

As soon as the plane came to a stop he bent forward breathing deeply. She rubbed his back, startled to feel him trembling under her hand. She stayed there with him not saying anything until it was their turn to leave.

“Come on Ben.” She said in his ear. “Let’s get off.”

He practically ran off the plane, pulling her along not saying a word, even through passport control.

It was only when they were at the baggage claim that he turned to her, fear still on his face.

She hated to see that so she wrapped her arms around his neck.

His arms were immediately around her waist pulling her in tight to him.

He buried his face into her neck as he took deep shuddering breaths. She could still feel him tremble.

“What can I do?” She asked. “What do you need?”

Whatever he needed she would do it, anything so he would stop feeling so scared. She recognised the look on his face, he was on the verge of a panic attack. There was no way she wanted him to experience one, not if she could prevent it.

He squeezed her tighter. “Just this. All I need is you.” He muttered into her hair.

So she held him just as tightly, breathing in the mixture of scents that made him, him. The tang of his deodorant, the almond of his body wash that she loved and underneath all that the warm comforting smell that she could only describe as Ben.

After a while he stopped trembling and his grip relaxed. He sighed, moving the hair away from her neck he pressed his lips to it.

“Thank you.” He whispered, the movement of his lips against her skin and the feel of his hot breath making her shiver. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“You shouldn’t have had to do this in the first place.” She said. “It’s not worth it if this is what it does to you.”

Ben lifted his head and stared down at her. He cupped her face in his hands and leaned down capturing her lips with the softest and sweetest kiss he’d ever given her. It stole her breath, had her heart thundering and made her want more.

He slowly drew back and rested his forehead against hers. “I don’t think you understand.” He said softly. “You are worth it Belle. You are worth everything.”

“Not got our bags yet my darling?”

Urgh! Her mother and her great fucking timing had her pulling back from Ben, a blush on her cheeks.

“I mean it would only be polite since you got off first as well.”

Isobelle gestured to the empty baggage claim that had just started up. But judging from the look her mother gave her, that was no excuse.

This was going to be a long three weeks.