The Neighbor III: The Dark Web

Chapter 10

One Year Later

Glasses clinked, pictures were being taken and laughs were radiating around the room. Before getting into this business, Cassie always thought book release parties would be boring, but they were far from it! Sure, once she gets there she has to make her rounds and thank everyone who donated, speak with her editor and other important faces.

However, as the night goes on and people start to drink more, it becomes one hell of a party! Unfortunately, she was riding solo tonight, as Ben had to be in Texas for a project he had going on there. He's been gone for two weeks and she misses him terribly.

She was glad to have her best friend and work colleague, Andy, there. Andy was the same age, but looked about ten years younger. He was stupidly handsome and the easiest person to get along with. He was also the easiest to get on his bad side. Ben had made that list when he threatened Andy to stay away from Cassie.

Ben got a hard lesson on what it meant to be under the wrath of Andy Lowell. While Andy was single and looking for a hook-up left and right, he does have morals. That includes not sleeping with someone else's wife. Thankfully, at the time that they met, Ben was still on his medication so he didn't hurt Andy. If it were a few years earlier, or even now, who knows what would have happened to this man.

The good news is that Andy proved to Ben that Cassie could have male friends without being worried. He was constantly asking if there was anything going on between them, to which Cassie stopped answering after a while. He learned to drop it and learned about how much he actually trusted her.

With that being said, she knows he'd beat the living hell out of Andy if he saw how they were dancing together. They were both drunk, but fully aware of the compromising position they were in. Grinding to songs only her kids listen to was not how she expected this night to go. But she was having fun and knew she wouldn't allow herself or Andy to do anything stupid.

After a few songs, Andy was feeling frisky and went to go flirt up a storm with the new intern. Cassie stayed on the dance floor and swayed by herself to the music. She felt a pair of hands grab her waist, but she immediately moved them off.

"Back off, Andy, that dance wasn't an invitation," she drunkenly said. The hands moved back to her waist and lips went to her ear as the person behind her said, "Good because from what I was watching it seemed like you both were going to fuck right on this floor."

Oh dear God.

It was Ben.

Cassie slowly turned with a sorry smile on her lips. "About that..." she started to explain to a cold faced Ben, but he put his hand up to stop her. "I come all the way here to surprise my wife on the night of her book release and find her grinding her arse on another man's dick. Thankfully, I trust you and I trust him, but I won't say I enjoyed watching it happen."

She pulled him into a hug as she said, "I'm sorry, Ben, I'm just really drunk. Besides you, he's the only guy I trust to dance with me like that. Unlike you, I know he won't take me away to fuck me inside of a bathroom."

That got a laugh to rumble from deep in his chest. "I'm not angry," he told her as he moved his hands slowly down her back and to his ass, "as I said, I trust you. I will just never enjoy watching something like that."

She pressed drunk kisses all over his face. "I'm sorry, Benny, I shouldn't have done that, even though I didn't think you were watching. I'm so fucking happy you're here though!" He smiled and brought her in for a deep kiss.

"Well," he said as he pulled back, "I think I need to get onto your level. Where's the bar?" She pointed to the right of them, so he kissed her cheek and headed over. When he saw Andy there, he made his way towards him.

Ben leaned up against the bar and waved down the bartender. Andy turned and said with a wide smile, "Ben! Cass said you were Texas for another few days!" Ben flashed him a smile as he said, "Came back early to surprise her. Rather, actually, she surprised me by dancing with another man."

Andy cleared his throat as Ben put in his order, then said, "Look, man, it was harmless. Let her have fun every once in a while." He turned back over to the cute intern and continued his flirting. Ben got his gin and tonic and flashed a smile to the bartender before handing him a generous tip.

Ben noticed the intern get bored with Andy and walk away. That's when he latched onto Andy's elbow and gripped it so tight that Andy's knees buckled from the pain. Ben pulled him back against him, making it look less suspicious.

He put his lips to Andy's ear and said in a low voice, "Listen to me, you prick. I've given you a million fucking chances being around my wife. Some of the things you've done I've let slide, but this was too damn far. She's drunk, she's vulnerable and you need to show some goddamn respect! Tell her to stop, get her some water, but don't encourage her! If I see you do anything like that again..."

He squeezed his elbow until he felt it crack under his fingers and Andy yelped. Between the bumping music and loud chattering, no one could have heard. "...I will fucking kill you." He let go of Andy and made his way back towards Cassie, who was still swaying to the music on her own.

"Let's get this party started," Ben said as he took her hand and spun her around as her laughs filled his ears.

A few hours later, they were both leaving the party pleasantly drunk and stumbling. Ben had his arm securely wrapped around her waist so she wouldn't fall and flailed his arm to wave down a cab. All of them passed him up.

"Bloody stupid, wanking shits," he drunkenly insulted. Cassie looked up at him while batting her eyes. "Baby, can we walk home?" She asked. "It's cold and I know it'll sober me up." Ben ran his hand down her cheek and said, "Whatever you want, my love."

He took her hand and pulled her along down the street. The thirty minute walk definitely sobered them up and they even stopped at a twenty-four hour café for some coffee and snacks. By the time they got home, it was almost two in the morning and the house was completely dark.

"It's Friday and the kids are asleep?" Ben quietly asked. "Bullshit." He went up the stairs and peaked into each of their rooms. Sure enough, they were asleep. He went back down into the kitchen to find Cassie sipping her coffee and munching on the cookies they had bought.

He snagged one for himself as he told her, "They are knocked the hell out." He bit into the cookie and sat down next to Cassie. They ate their cookies in silence, but it was a content silence.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you?" Ben asked. Cassie looked to him and gave a tipsy smile. "Yes, I believe you have. You said it loud enough by just surprising me tonight." He put his arm around her shoulder and brought her against him. "It was my pleasure, darling. I'd do anything for you, anything to make you happy."

She put her head on his shoulder and sighed contently. "I know you would." He rested his cheek on her head and they both closed their eyes. For a moment, Ben thought they were actually going to fall asleep this position, but they were jolted awake when there were hard and rapid knocks on the door.

Both Ben and Cassie looked at each other with furrowed eyebrows. She looked to the clock, then asked, "Expecting someone?" He huffed out a laugh and got up as he said, "Probably have the wrong apartment."

He—not-so-elegantly—made his way to the door, but before he could look through the peep hole, Michael and Jess came out of their rooms, rubbing their eyes. "Who is it?" Jess tiredly asked. Ben told her, "Nobody, baby, go back to bed. They just have the wrong apartment."

Both kids dragged themselves back into their rooms and shut the doors.

After letting out a long yawn, then shaking his head to make him a little more awake, he opened the door.

What he saw made his eyes blow wide and his jaw go slack. "Ca...Cassie!"