Free The Inn at Laurel Creek by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson Page A

tapped a finger to his chin and nodded. "So you like my disguise?"
    "That depends," I said.
    He furrowed his brow. "On what?"
    "On which is the disguise and which is the real you. If this…" I waved my hand at him. "If this is the disguise then I'm bummed, because I like this look a lot. A lot . But if Bret's darker, shorter hair is the disguise, than yeah that's cool. I'm good with it."
    "This is me," he said. "I'm Ben. Bret is my music persona. I am a natural blond and keep Bret's hair short so I can get the color out quickly and grow my hair back when I'm not touring."
    I ran my hands through his hair. "I like the longer, shaggy look. It's sexy and it suits you and it makes my insides melt every time I see you." I kissed him. "Don't get me wrong, Bret Bennett is hot, but I prefer the super smokin' hotness of Ben Reynolds."
    He dropped his back to the ground. "I was completely freaked about how to tell you," he said. "I didn't know how you'd take it."
    "I didn't take it that well at first, really. It freaked me out too. You've probably got girls crawling all over you. And do you have a bodyguard?" I clenched my fists. "I'm afraid the girls might be a problem."
    Ben laughed. "The girls aren't a big deal," he said.
    "Seriously? You did not just say that."
    "To me. They're not a big deal to me . And yes, I have a bodyguard while I'm on tour. A few actually, and they help with the girls. I don't really have a problem with the girls. Most of the time I don't even realize they're around. And I don't do a lot of backstage pass stuff or public appearances so I don't really run into them all that much."
    "You're going on tour in three weeks."
    He nodded.
    "How long will you be gone?"
    "Six months, off and on."
    " Six months ?" I dropped my back onto the throw. "That's a long time."
    "Yes, but I've got time between most gigs, and I'll be able to fly back home a lot, and if you can get the time off, you can fly out to see me. I've got a good paying job, so I can buy your tickets." He smiled big and I smiled at the slightly crooked tooth.
    I raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a nest egg?"
    "I do," he said, winking at me. "That's a turn-on for you, isn't it?"
    "Kind of," I said, smirking.
    "We can make it work, Carly," he said, pulling me over and on top of him. "It's only six months, and like I said, I'll be back often, at least once a week. You won't want to see me more than that anyway. You'll get sick of me."
    I kissed his nose. "I'm pretty sure that won't happen."
    "Just pretty sure?"
    "Never say never."
    "You've got spunk. I like that," he said, and pulled me closer.
    "I'm freaking kissing Bret Bennett," I said.
    "And I'm freaking kissing Carly…" He paused. "What the heck is your last name anyway?"
    I laughed. "Howard. Carly Mason Howard. Two last names because my mom gave me her maiden name as my middle name."
    "I'm freaking kissing Carly Mason Howard."
    "And you're one lucky SOB," I said, kissing him again.
    ***
    The kissing was passionate and intense, but it wasn't enough. I wanted more. I wanted to feel his skin against mine, to trace the cut of his waist with my fingers. Ben and I had effectively turned a corner in our quick romance. We made a non-verbal commitment to each other— him by telling me who he was, or trying to anyway, and me by not caring. Our feelings were clear and our attraction was strong. I wanted to move the physical part of our relationship forward to match it up with the emotional part, but I didn't want to be the one to make the first move.
    Ben must have felt the same because his hands wandered to places they'd never been and didn't stop mine from doing the same. His hand slipped under my shirt and unhooked my bra in one swift, impressive motion, making me wonder what other tricks he'd show me.
    "Are you okay?" he asked. "We can stop if you want. I don't want to rush you."
    "I don't want you to stop," I said, and pulled his head to mine. He opened my lips with his tongue, and set my desire on fire. I