Broken Record

Chapter 24: Benton

Benton had a hell of a Monday. It was finally winding down, at least in terms of meetings, but he still had a pile of desk work waiting for him that would probably keep him well into the night. He made his way into his office, a disappointing meeting with a potential artist clouding his mind. The talent had turned out to be a total let down, and now he had a major gap to fill.

Benton slumped into his chair, his body tired. He usually didn't feel these different emotions throughout the day. Frustration, exhaustion, distraction. During meetings his mind would flash to last Thursday. To Stevie's flushed cheeks and wild blonde hair, her legs spread and tied for him. The sexy whimpers and moans from her lips as she pulled against her restraints to no avail. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, trying to reign in his wayward thoughts.

Benton glanced up when he heard a tentative knock at his door, Mary popping her head in. Mary, Jesus, Benton thought to himself, I still need to deal with her apparent stalking habit.

"Yes?" Benton felt a headache coming on and hoped Mary's request would be brief.

"Um, you, uh, have a visitor, Mr. West."

"A what?" Benton glanced over at his calendar on one of his computer monitors, not seeing a meeting at this time. "I don't have a meeting."

"I know--"

"So tell them to schedule one."

"Um, I would, Mr. West but I really think--"

"Benton?" Benton's spine went ramrod straight as he heard a high, feminine voice. A voice that he'd know anywhere. A voice he'd never forget and never expected to hear again. Benton stood, bracing his palms on his deck as Mary moved back and a tall, slender woman emerged, her dark red hair slightly shorter than he remembered.

"Cora?" Benton practically breathed out the name, his chest constricting tightly with conflicting emotion.

"Benton, hi." She licked her lips, clearly nervous. Reluctantly Mary left, the sound of her clicking the office door shut reverberating painfully throughout the office.

"What...why are you here?" Benton came around the edge of his desk, trying to reign in his raw emotion at seeing Cora, here, in his office. He hadn't seen or heard from her in almost four years.

"I know, I should've...I should've called." She twisted her hands, glancing nervously between Benton and the ground. She looked the same as he remembered her. Poised, elegant, beautiful. But not Stevie. Benton internally balked at the thought flashing through his mind, unconsciously comparing Cora's tall elegant frame to Stevie's pixie-sized but curvy one. The way Stevie's eyes lit up with excitement and energy. Her fistfulls of thick, pale blonde hair. Cora's rich brown eyes were pretty but lacking the spark he'd recently grown addicted to. She wasn't Stevie. No one was. And why in the hell was Benton thinking anything about Stevie while his ex-fianceé was standing right in front of him after four years apart?

"You, um, you look great, Benton." Cora let out a small laugh, rubbing her arms as if she were cold.

"Do you want to sit down?" Benton gestured to the guest chair in his office, having no clue what to do or say next if Cora didn't start explaining her presence here.

"No, no it's fine. I just," she stopped, glancing out the window overlooking Los Angeles behind Benton's back before turning to face him, "I miss you, Benton. I think maybe...well I think maybe we made a mistake. Walking away from what we had."

Benton shook his hand, dragging his hand along the side of his hair. He leaned his back against the edge of his desk, slouching slightly. "Cora, nothing has changed."

"Maybe I've changed?"

"Cora--"

"Benton, please. I'm willing to try. To try and give you...what you need--"

"Stop. Please." Benton raised his hand, pacing slightly. This had to be coming from somewhere. There was no way in hell Cora could give him what he needed. There was no way she'd ever crave it like Stevie did. It's what had broken them. He'd hurt her. She didn't understand. And she walked away. Benton let her. He wasn't going to trap someone in a life that neither of them could fulfill, no matter how much he cared about her at the time.

"Are you in trouble or something? Do you need money?" Benton gritted his teeth at his words, hating this kind of accusation toward Cora. She'd come from a privileged family and worked as an attorney. It wasn't like her to need money, but something about this appearance didn't sit right with Benton. It didn't make sense.

"Benton, god no! Wow, is that what you think of me now?"

"No, I...fuck." I don't think of you at all now. That was the truth. At least, it was the truth for the past few weeks. Ever since...

"Is there someone else? I mean, I know it's been a long time but I thought...I thought you'd be happier to see me?" Cora's bottom lip quivered slightly, her eyes pinching at the corners.

"Cora, please. Can we not do this here? Maybe grab dinner?" Fucking hell, Benton thought to himself, dinner wasn't right. A date? But he held his ground, not sure how else to shut this shit down in his place of work before it spiraled out of control.

"Um, yes, okay. Dinner would be nice." Cora smiled and Benton felt a lead weight settle in his stomach. It was Cora's optimism, her too-gentle kindness, her aiming to please. All great traits that resulted in nothing but disappointment from Benton who couldn't ever be what she needed. Here she was, thinking it was her. That she needed to change. That if she would just allow Benton to tie her up and fuck her, they'd work. The thought made him sick, hating that he'd gotten in so deep with Cora in the first place. He wasn't right for her. On so many levels.

"Okay. Tomorrow? I can text you the details." Benton nodded curtly, hands in his pockets, back in work mode. He had a pile of shit still to get through and now he'd have this unexpected encounter hanging over his head. The thought instantly made his hands itch for creamy rope, for Stevie's soft, pale skin pulling futilely against it. Reveling in the bite against her flesh. Shut it down, Benton. Now.

"Tomorrow. It's a date." Cora ducked her head with a smile and left the office. Once the door was fully closed, Benton pounded his fist directly on the wooden surface of his deck, stifling a groan.