Lila put the phone down, amazed that she had even been able to muster the courage to call, much less that she had actually found Ben. Turning away from the dresser where the phone stood, she grabbed her purse and walked out of her hotel room. Even in a town as small as Harding Junction, there had to be a decent place to eat.
Setting the phone down, Erin numbly leaned back in her chair, staring at the desk in front of her. "Lila?" she repeated the name as if it were a foreign language. "What the hell is she calling Ben for? I thought..." Erin's thoughts were cut short as Ben rounded the corner and came into her office, perching himself on the edge of her desk as he gave her a smile and leaned forward to catch her lips in a sweet 'hello' kiss.
"Hey punkin," he said with a smile as he sat back. Taking one good look at her face, he saw that something was not right. "What's the matter, babe?" he slid down to the floor, kneeling before her and searching her eyes as he took her hands in his.
Erin glanced at her small hands in his - marveling for just a split second at the size difference - then looked up into his eyes. "There was a phone call for you..." she began.
"Oh?" Ben asked, "Who was it?"
Erin closed her eyes for a moment, almost afraid to tell him. She had no idea what precautions he had taken when he left her to keep his whereabouts a secret, and she may as well have just outright told Lila that Ben was living here now. Looking sadly into his eyes, she took a ragged breath. "Lila."
Watching his face closely for his reaction, Erin saw a flood of varied emotions pass over his features. The only ones she was able to identify were a look of shock, then disbelief, turning to a tortured mix of pain and anger, all passing over his face like a storm cloud on a sunny day. "Lila?" he whispered her name like a question as his gaze drifted away from Erin's face, his brow furrowed as he stood and began to pace the office. "Why…why now? What could she possibly want?"
Erin stood, going to Ben and stopping him from pacing. "C'mon - you're making me nervous walking back and forth like that." Laying her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and stared out the window, she tried hard to push the insecurity from her voice as she spoke carefully. "She didn't say what she wanted or where she was - all she said was 'Just tell him Lila called'."
Lila sat in a quaint little restaurant near the marina in Harding Junction, perusing the menu as she sipped her water. Glancing down from the menu, she looked curiously at her belly. "Hungry?" she whispered. She had a good hour to kill before the ferry to Raven's Harbor would arrive, and then another hour before it departed again. She planned to be on that ferry - she had something of great importance to discuss with Ben.
Docking the Ferry at Harding Junction, Ben and Erin stepped onto the pier. "Well, Mr. Quinn’s tires were supposed to be here and waiting for us - looks like they're running a little behind," Erin said.
"Tell you what punkin," Ben began as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "I'll go see about the tires if you want to run to the hardware store and pick up those drywall screws that we needed." Ben rested his forehead against hers as he looked into her eyes.
"I think I can manage that," Erin replied. Giving Ben a kiss, she checked the time and whispered, "Don't worry about Lila - I'm sure it's nothing."
Ben managed a smile and nodded and waved as she walked away. "I hope you're right babe - I sure hope you're right," he said quietly.
Lila watched Ben kiss the petite blonde when they got off of the ferry, and the raging jealousy she felt was nearly impossible to hide as the woman walked past her on the pier. Not wanting Ben to see her just yet, Lila turned and began to follow the woman as inconspicuously as she could back into town. She figured that if she had come here with him, she was likely going back with him, and she wasn't going to miss this chance to see him again - not if she could help it.
As she followed the woman, she noticed that she was practically the complete opposite of herself. They both had long hair, but the similarities nearly ended there. She was blonde, for one thing, and Lila had hair so dark brown it was nearly black. When she had walked past her on the pier, Lila had noticed that she had clear dark green eyes, whereas her own were light blue and nearly translucent. Lila also had relatively fair skin, and this woman had a nice tan. Lila could see as she walked in front of her that the woman was in good shape - much better than she was now, but that had a lot to do with the fact that she hadn't been able to do much in the last few months. It really wasn't her fault. 'What the hell would my Ben want with you, you little cheerleader?' Lila thought angrily to herself.
Erin walked into the hardware store, oblivious to the fact that she was being followed. "Hey Jack!" she greeted the older gentleman behind the counter with a dazzling smile as she strode into the store.
"Hey Erin, what can I get for you today?" Jack replied heartily.
Lila listened carefully as she browsed in a nearby aisle, hearing this 'Erin' woman - whoever she was - asking Jack for a couple hundred drywall screws. The two chatted for a while, Jack eventually asking her how Ben was doing. That irked Lila to no end. Seething beneath her skin, she willed herself to listen - hopefully she could pick up on something without having to actually be seen in the store.
"Ben's good - he's settling in real well," Erin replied. "OH! And…he told me he has no intention whatsoever of going back to live on the mainland!"
"Hey - that's great!" Jack grinned. "Looks like you finally got yourself a permanent ferry pilot then, huh?"
Lila's jaw dropped. Permanent ferry pilot? Never coming back to live on the mainland? How had this little pipsqueak brainwashed him into that one? 'Oh he'll change his mind right quick when he hears what I have to say,' Lila thought rather self-assuredly to herself.
Finally, the woman said goodbye and walked out the door, and Lila snuck out unnoticed right behind her.
Erin took her time walking back to the pier, stopping here and there along the way at the little town market booths and such as she went. She knew that her errand wouldn't take near as long as Ben's would, and the only reason she had really come along was so that she wouldn't be sitting on her butt back in her office, waiting for Ben to come back. She had found in recent weeks that it was increasingly difficult to sleep without him at all at night, and for as many nights as they had spent at one cabin or the other, they should've just had Ben move in with her and given the other cabin up for other guests. But even if they weren't quite ready to take that step yet, it was surely coming soon.
Lila followed ten steps behind Erin at all times, watching her like a hawk but being very surreptitious about it at the same time. Erin had no idea that she was being followed, and Lila planned to keep it that way.
Erin decided at the last minute before going back to meet Ben that she would pick up the mail at their PO Box in Harding Junction - that way neither Ben nor Seth would have to do it later. Walking into the post office, she vaguely noticed the dark haired woman who was hanging out on the sidewalk near her. Hadn't she seen her a few times since she got into town already? Shaking her head only slightly, Erin thought to herself that Harding Junction is a small town, then walked into the post office to get the mail.
Lila waited outside of the post office, walking aimlessly about as she waited for Erin to come back out. She had a certain affinity for the mail right now - after all, if it hadn't been for the little screw-up back home, she never would've gotten that piece of junk mail for Ben with the change of address sticker on it. Granted, all it gave her was the PO Box in Harding Junction, but once she was in town, it was easy to find out who would have a PO Box and why. Raven's Harbor was damn near the only thing even close to this place, and when she went out for lunch she had spoken a bit to the restaurant manager. She picked up in the short conversation that Ben was living on the island now, although she now knew that the manager had failed to mention that Ben was now the ferry pilot for the resort. Lila should have expected him to be doing something so ridiculous - after all, he had been working on the river when she had decided that she'd had enough of his shit and started messing around with Robert. Sure, she felt bad being with him, but Ben was never home anymore at that point, and when he was he was too tired to do much more than shower and eat something before falling dead asleep. Other than Robert, what did she have to do? Damn near nothing.
Well, now Robert was gone too. Lila sighed slightly as she looked down. 'Nice fucking timing, Rob,' she thought to herself.
Erin grabbed all of the mail from the large box and a little yellow slip of paper fell to the ground. Picking it up, she saw that there was a package waiting for them at the counter. Going to the clerk and giving him the slip, he disappeared and came back a few moments later with a rather large box. Handing it over the counter to Erin, she smiled her thanks and checked the label. "Mitch Quinn…coming from Kropog's Tack. Huh - he must be helping Sarah out more than I thought," she said, barely loud enough for even herself to hear. Tucking the box under her arm as best she could, she set back out to the street and towards the pier to meet Ben.
Lila saw her walk out of the post office, and once Erin was a few steps past her again, she fell slowly into step behind her once more. As they walked down the pier and neared the ferry, Lila saw that Ben had beat them back. Ducking into the sparse crowd on the pier, she tried to keep Ben from seeing her face as she watched the two of them kiss - it made her ill to watch him with someone else, but she was about to change everything.
"Hey Benji," Erin joked as she leaned in to give him a kiss.
"Hey punkin. I missed you," Ben replied, kissing her back. Looking back onto the pier, Erin saw the huge tires that were stacked next to him like gigantic donuts. "Well," Ben chuckled, "I got 'em here, but I didn't get a chance to get them on the ferry before you got back."
Erin smiled as she shifted the box to her other hip. "That's ok - I can help," she said, stepping carefully onto the ferry and setting her armload near the entrance to the cargo hold.
Ben grabbed a tire and balanced it on its treads for a second as she turned around. "You sure?" he asked pensively. She stuck her hands on her shapely hips and stuck her tongue out playfully at him. Laughing, he rolled the tire to her. "Don't point that at me unless you plan to use it, babe."
Erin eased the tire into her hands and smiled a devilish little grin up at him. "Later." Ben's eyebrows went up in interest. Two seconds later, she was in the cargo hold and out of sight.
Just as he was about to reply to her little quip, he heard her swearing a blue streak that would make a sailor blush down in the cargo hold, and he quickly grabbed another tire and stepped onto the ferry to go see what was happening.
Lila saw Ben disappear down under the wheelhouse, and she quickly made her move toward the ferry. If she was really going to do this, it was now or never. Walking silently and swiftly, she was suddenly stepping over the edge of the pier and onto the ferry. Looking around, she tried to find a place to hide where she could be sure that neither of them would hear or see her. Hearing the two of them getting closer and laughing, she panicked and saw another passageway to the side of the one that they had gone into. Ducking into it, she saw that it was the passenger area. Skittering down the narrow passageway, she got as far away from the door as she could, rounding the wall and backing herself as far into the corner as she could manage. She kept her ears perked and her eyes peeled, all the while looking for another place to hide if she needed it.
"Well you didn't have to start swearing like a truck driver over it," Ben teased Erin as they both came back up on deck.
Erin playfully swatted his perfect ass. "Well I'm sorry - my finger got caught and it really hurt, ok?"
Ben stopped and stepped back to her, taking her delicate but strong hands in his, and he lifted the finger that had gotten caught in the tire rim to his lips. Kissing it tenderly, he smiled impishly and murmured into her palm, "You sure we have to wait 'til later?"
Snatching her hand away, Erin giggled. "You know we do - besides, we can have SO much more fun back home," she taunted mercilessly. Ben went visibly weak in the knees at the mention of playtime, and Erin smiled as she playfully righted him, then gave him a little push toward the other three tires. "The sooner we get these on here, the sooner we can be back at your place," she teased, running a graceful finger along his necklace and up the side of his neck before kissing him explicitly.
Breaking the kiss suddenly, Ben seemed to have the strength of four men, and he grabbed two tires and jumped down onto the ferry, hooting like a madman. "Get that last one babe - I'll have us on the open water in no time!" he shouted from the cargo hold. Erin giggled and grabbed the last tire from the pier, passing Ben coming out as she went down below to stow it. Kissing her as they passed each other, Ben untied the ropes from the timberhead, flew up the narrow stairs to the wheelhouse, started the ferry and began to steer them out into open water again - aimed for home.
Lila sighed with relief when she looked out the large window and realized that they were headed out on the water, and she knew that neither of them had a clue that she was there. Also, judging by what she had seen, it was unlikely that Erin would leave Ben's side the whole way back, so Lila stepped toward the window and took a seat out of view of the doorway. She might as well enjoy this ride as best she could.
As soon as they were out of view of Harding Junction, Erin sidled up behind Ben, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and grabbing the wheel. "I think it's later," she whispered in his ear, then stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed the back of his neck.
Ben stood straight and pressed his now attentive cock against her hand as it rested on the wheel. Turning his head only slightly, he whispered back, "You better not be teasing me, woman."
Erin smiled slyly, "Tell me one time I've teased you since that afternoon at Mitch’s cabin."
Checking their course and making certain that they were clear in all directions, Ben turned around to face her. "Funny - can't think of one." Leaning down slightly, he gently kissed her lower lip, and she responded by nipping at his upper lip as it brushed against hers. Groaning slightly, Ben wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up a little, then turned so that she was between him and the control panel as she giggled in anticipation.
Sliding his hands up her sides, he untucked her t-shirt from her cutoff shorts and reached underneath it to playfully thumb her nipple through her bra. Erin let a small moan escape her lips, and she unconsciously dropped her head back, exposing her lovely neck to him. He took her silent invitation and began to lick and nip at her throat, his arousal pressing hard against the denim that held it back from her.
Erin was not entirely patient, and she began to unbutton his jeans as he did the same to her shorts. Glancing up every so often, Ben made sure they were staying on course and that there was no other traffic on the water where they were headed. Once he had Erin's shorts completely unfastened, he slid them past her hips, and they fell to the floor of the wheelhouse. She managed to get her chunky boots through the leg openings, and kicked them to the side as Ben reached down to slip her panties down as well. He crouched at her feet, helping her to step out of her little satin panties, and then tossed them on top of her shorts.
As he slid back up her body, he traced the line of her leg, starting at her ankle and drawing a slow line up her calf, her knee, and the inside of her thigh, pausing where her t-shirt obscured his line of sight, and finally, torturously grazing his fingertips over her swollen jewel as he stood completely. "God - I've barely even touched you…how can you be so wet?" he whispered as he wrapped his hands around her hips, not waiting for her answer as he bent slightly and lifted her so that she was seated before him on top of the control panel.
Erin was simply buzzing with desire, and she watched Ben slide his jeans down over his hips through lust-shaded eyes as she drew her legs up, opening herself to him as she propped the heels of her boots at the edge of the panel. Her pulse quickened when she saw his proud and fully erect cock spring free of its restraints, and she impulsively reached down between them to wrap her small hand around it as best she could.
Ben emitted a low groan as she pulled him to her, and without further hesitation, he fitted himself to her body, pressing ever so slightly against her honeyed slit as she snaked her arms around his shoulders and drew him in for a luscious kiss. Wrapping his arms around her back, he kept her hips anchored, and pressing steadily forward, he slid deep into her wet velvet heat, and she bit into his shoulder to silence her initial cry of pleasure.
The instant he was buried in her, Ben was completely overcome by the need to please her. "Here - put your legs down…" he whispered, his voice husky with need. Getting her to drop both of her legs off of the panel, he was able to press his hips forward, putting an exquisite amount of pressure on her throbbing clit. Erin responded initially by pressing back into him, but soon her vision clouded and she felt as if she were completely weightless. Drifting away for just a split second, the force of her climax hit her like a freight train, slamming her back into her body and she wrapped her legs around Ben's waist as she gasped for breath, riding out the waves of bliss as they washed over her.
The moment she wrapped herself around him, Ben had the inexplicable urge to be as deep within her as he could possibly be, and she leaned back carefully as he grasped her hips again, thrusting deep and hard as he felt the initial twinges of his release. Erin cried out as he impaled her, more from surprise and sheer pleasure than anything else. He was hitting her in all the right places, and just as he felt her begin to let go again, he slammed into her one last time as the rolling thunder of orgasm claimed his body, and they collapsed against each other in exhaustion.
Lila wasn't sure, but she thought she had heard Erin scream. Not meaning to be intrusive but always having been too curious for her own good, she listened more carefully to the sounds coming from the wheelhouse, and she was angered to no end when she put two and two together and realized that they were up there fucking. 'What fucking right has she got to him?' Lila thought to herself, thoroughly annoyed. "Well dammit, that shit's gonna stop - and soon," she muttered.
Slipping her shorts back on, Erin smiled at Ben as he buttoned his jeans again. "Well, that was a new one on me," she giggled.
Ben smiled at her. "Me too - never made love in a wheelhouse before," he chuckled, "I think we just christened the ferry." Erin began to laugh. Smoothing his shirt and running a hand through his thick hair, he leaned into the wheel again and checked their course. "One thing is for sure - it definitely passes the time heading back home."
Erin let out a wicked giggle as she snaked her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his shoulder blade. "You can say that again."
Docking the ferry back at the Harbor, Erin and Ben made a few trips, taking the mail and Mitch’s tires up to Erin's Jeep, which was parked outside of the boathouse. They giggled, poked, and tickled like two little kids, completely wrapped up in each other. They didn't notice the dark-haired woman watching them on the last trip, waiting to see if they were coming back again or not.
Lila watched carefully, taking great pains to keep herself out of sight until she was sure they were gone. What seemed like hours later, she finally emerged from the ferry, sneaking off of it and down the pier, up the stairs to the boathouse and around the side of the building to the front. Sure that no one had seen her, she took a deep breath and began walking down the road, not sure where it would lead her.
Kate had decided to take Tiny out for a ride, and as she brought him up around a bend in the road, she saw a woman walking, and looking rather lost. Guiding the massive beast closer to the woman, she smiled a greeting and gave a little wave. "Hi there - you look a tad lost. Can I help you find anything?"
Lila looked up, amazed at the size of the horse this woman was riding. Taking a step back, she managed a weak smile and said, "Actually, do you know where Benjamin Parker is staying? I need to see him and I don't have a clue where he is."
Kate looked thoughtful for a moment. "Benjamin Parker?" Then it hit her. "Oh my God - Ben! Of course! Just follow this road to the end, then make a left. Take the second right after that, and he's just down at the end of the drive."
Lila quickly memorized the route. "Thank you - I really appreciate it."
Kate looked at the stranger, not quite certain why she didn't feel entirely right about her. Maybe it was those eyes of hers - they seemed to bore directly into her soul, and it set her on edge. Finally managing a smile, Kate shook off the unsettling feeling the woman had given her. "Not a problem. See you 'round," and with that, she clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, and Tiny was off again.
Lila watched the woman ride off, then turned to the road before her. "I appreciate it more than you know," she uttered coldly as she began walking again.
"Maybe we should just call Sarah's place and tell Mitch that his tires and his package are here," Erin suggested as they left the main lodge. They had taken the mail back and distributed it accordingly, and Erin's mind was about a million miles away from running to the South Ranch at that particular moment.
Ben looked over at her as she made her way down the drive, suddenly concurring completely when he felt his heart give a small jump as he took in her innocent sensuality. "I think that would be just fine," he agreed, "Besides - Sarah can bring her truck over and haul them easier that you could."
Stopping at the end of the drive, she looked over at him and gave him a sly smile. "Well then, whatever shall we do with our time now?" she kidded in her best southern belle accent.
Ben leaned over and kissed her as passionately as the confines of the passenger seat would allow. Pulling back breathlessly, he joked back in a westernish cowboy drawl. "I believe we have some unfinished business to take care of, ma'am. I suggest we take it up over at my place, if you don't mind."
Lila saw the Jeep turn down the road up ahead, and when she saw the flourish of blonde hair through the open top, she knew that Erin and Ben were inside. "Not much longer now, and you won't be able to come within ten feet of him, you little bitch," she muttered as she kept walking.
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