The Ex-Girlfriends' Club Part 5

Bennett killed the engine, exited the car and pocketed his keys. No time like the present to find out, he decided, some grim sixth sense telling him that it probably had something to do with his unexpected return to h.e.l.l.

He let himself into a freestanding wrought-iron gate that wasn't attached to a fence, and admired the neat lawn and flower beds as he made it up the walk, noting the little touches that should have tipped him off to the fact that this building had been repurposed.

Hanging baskets bursting with blooms hung from the small front porch, and the typical American flag had been replaced with one featuring bird-houses and geraniums. A big tabby cat lolled on the porch, but bolted at him and hissed loudly the instant he put his foot on the first step.

Startled, he oomphed, swore and instinctively stepped back, then cursed himself for being cowed by a cat. He glared at it, then deliberately put his foot back on the step.

The cat hunkered low, into a ready crouch, and made an unearthly loud loud keening yowl that made the fine hairs on the back of Bennett's neck stand on end. Its amber eyes glowed eerily in the porch light and it continued to growl at him low in its throat. keening yowl that made the fine hairs on the back of Bennett's neck stand on end. Its amber eyes glowed eerily in the porch light and it continued to growl at him low in its throat.

Sweet mother of-What the h.e.l.l was wrong with this cat? Bennett quickly backed up again. Not because he was afraid, of course-that would be too galling to bear, seeing as he was supposed to be a bada.s.s-but because he didn't think Eden would appreciate him hurting her cat, even in an act of blatant self-defense.

True to today's luck, someone chose that particular moment to open the door, and a group of women laughed and chatted amiably as they walked out onto the porch, unaware of his presence.

"G.o.d, this is going to be so good," one enthused. Marcy Duncan, if he remembered correctly.

"I know. I can't wait for Ben-" Sheila Weaver's gaze suddenly landed on Bennett and she stopped short, her mouth hanging open in comical shock.

Marcy followed her stunned gaze and let out a little gasp of surprise. "Bennett," she said, smiling the sort of smile that made him instantly uncomfortable. It suggested she knew something important that he didn't.

"Evening, ladies," he replied, nodding as more women filed out onto the porch. He recognized all of them, of course. With the exception of Kate, he'd dated every d.a.m.ned one of them. So here was his Ex-Girlfriends' Club in the flesh, Bennett thought, resisting the urge to shift uncomfortably. He felt his cheeks burn, and thanked the darkness that hid it from them. Between the attack cat and the animosity rolling at him from the porch, Bennett had to admit he wasn't exactly feeling the love. That didn't keep him from appearing completely relaxed, though. He'd learned to master his emotions a long d.a.m.ned time ago.

"Well, well, well," Kelly Briscoe said with a brittle smile. She shared a conspiratorial look with the rest of her group. "Speak of the devil."

So he'd been right. They had had been talking about him. been talking about him.

And if Kelly was in on the conversation, then he could only imagine the tone of that little chitchat. There were lots of things he'd regretted doing, but doing doing Kelly Briscoe was definitely in the top three. Kelly Briscoe was definitely in the top three.

She'd chased him for months-calling him, showing up at his apartment-and she'd always managed to mysteriously find him when he was out and about town. Having heard the "clingy" rumors about her, Bennett had managed to successfully avoid an entanglement. But after overhearing Kelly's sanctimonious father tell someone that he didn't have to worry about his daughter getting mixed up with Bennett Wilder because she had better sense, Bennett had amended his don't-fool-around-with-Kelly policy just long enough to get a dinner invitation so that he could see the look on her old man's face. Bennett grimaced.

It had almost been worth it-almost being the key word. being the key word.

Kelly had latched on to him like a needy parasite, and he'd had one h.e.l.l of a time shaking her off. Judging from the evil die-b.a.s.t.a.r.d-die look she was giving him now, she hadn't forgotten, much less forgiven him for it.

Eden pushed her way forward. "Bennett," she said. "I-I, er...wasn't expecting you."

That much was clear, he thought, offering her a pointed but droll smile. "You don't say? I'd wanted to talk to you, but-" he cast a meaningful glance at her entourage "-clearly this isn't a good time."

"Actually..." Kate piped up, starting deliberately down the front steps. She paused and petted the cat from h.e.l.l, garnering an uncharacteristic purr from the feline. "This is an excellent time."

"Perfect," Sheila Weaver concurred with another oddly significant look. She followed Kate down the steps, and the rest of the group-all of them wearing interesting smiles that made him distinctly uneasy-filed past him until the only thing standing between him and Eden was her infernal cat.

Eden smiled a bit uncomfortably and gestured toward the animal. "I see you've met Cerberus."

Bennett felt a grin tug at his lips. "Cerberus, as in the three-headed dog that guards the gate to Hades?"

She nodded once. "That'd be the one."

He felt a smile tug at his lips. "Interesting name for a cat cat guarding a guarding a church, church, Eden." Eden."

Eyes twinkling with guarded humor, Eden bent and scooped up her kitty. "I actually got her before I moved here, but I do appreciate the irony." She nuzzled the cat, making Bennett momentarily jealous, and though it was probably only his imagination, he thought the cat looked a little smug. Eden hesitated, clearly torn. "Would you like to come in?"

Now that he was here, he wasn't exactly certain that he'd made the right choice. Ordinarily, he didn't second-guess himself, but Eden had always had a way of knocking him off his game. "Are you sure you don't mind? I should have called first, but-"

"It's fine," she said, not quite convincingly, but he'd take it. She turned, her long hair swishing over the small of her back, and gestured for him to follow her inside.

She'd changed out of her uniform and into a pair of khaki shorts and a white tank top. Both showcased a tight, curvy little body that instantly conjured ideas of naked flesh, of pert nipples and a weeping s.e.x. Of long hair sliding over his chest and the sweet spot behind her ear, which had always smelled like spring rain.

Bennett had never been able to look at her without wanting her, but knowing just how far out of reach she was now seemed to have made her lethally appealing. His blood burned through his veins, pooling in his loins with a ferocity he'd only ever experienced with Eden. Because she was his first? he wondered, never quite far from that perfect memory, one of the few in his misbegotten life. Or simply because he'd never, despite his best intentions, been able to resist her?

In the end, what did it matter? He wanted her...and grimly suspected he always would.

He belatedly noticed that a silver toe ring winked from her bare foot and an interesting tattoo-one he couldn't quite discern from this distance-hovered above her right ankle. That was new, Bennett thought, equally impressed and turned on.

With an unhappy mixture of desire and unease d.o.g.g.i.ng his every footstep, Bennett shoved his hands in his front jeans pockets and made the short trip over her threshold.

"Wow," he murmured, his gaze drawn upward to the vaulted ceiling. She'd left the original leaded-gla.s.s Gothic-style windows in place, and rather than dividing the rooms with walls that went all the way to the ceiling, she'd merely part.i.tioned areas off with the standard eight-foot variety. It gave the house a sense of definition but left the fantastic architecture still viewable.

Eden gently deposited the cat onto a nearby armchair. "Behave," she admonished in a low voice. She turned to Bennett. "Thanks," she said softly. "It took a little while, but I finally got it how I wanted it."

"When did you move in here?"

"A couple of years ago. Things over the garage got too intense, so I bought the first thing I could find. I hadn't counted on it being a church, but-" she smiled and pulled a shrug "-it quickly became home."

And considering she was making the move away from pure evil-namely Giselle-moving into a holy site was probably prudent. Her mother's skin probably burned when she set foot in the yard.

"Hold on," Eden said, strolling toward the back of the house. "I'll get you something to drink."

Southern hospitality, Bennett thought, giving his head a small shake. He could be her mortal enemy-and probably on some level was-and yet she couldn't resist being a good hostess. Bennett murmured a thanks and wandered around her living room, appreciating her artwork, soaking in her atmosphere, and felt another wave of longing wash through him. She'd done several headstone and memorial rubbings of people she evidently admired and had them matted and framed. He read Dorothy Parker's and chuckled. "'Excuse my dust'." "'Excuse my dust'."

Eden returned and handed him a beer. Their fingers brushed, igniting an electrical charge that caused her gaze to tangle startlingly with his. Yes, I felt it, Yes, I felt it, Bennett silently answered. Bennett silently answered.

Dammit.

"She was funny," she said, nodding toward the picture in a blatant attempt to break the tension. "Have you ever read anything of hers?"

Bennett felt a little odd accepting the alcohol in what used to be a church, but since the building hadn't caved in when he walked through the door, he took it nonetheless. "No, I can't say as I have."

"You should. She's hysterical."

Next to Dorothy Parker's he found Bette Davis's. "'She did it the hard way.'" "'She did it the hard way.'"

Eden c.o.c.ked her head and released a rueful chuckle. "I think that can be said of most women."

"I would agree-" he cast a cautious look at the preening, haughty cat "-but I'm afraid you'll set that evil feline upon me."

"Cerberus isn't evil," she said, feigning insult. "She's merely protective. She might not be as loud as a dog, but she's every bit as loyal and vicious."

Bennett poked his tongue in his cheek. "I noticed that. When she was getting ready to attack me."

"You should be glad none of the other h.e.l.lcats here tonight tried to attack you," she pointed out significantly, the corner of her ripe mouth tucking into an almost smile.

Bennett laughed, conceding the point. "There is that." He paused, sent her a hesitant look. "I'm equally lucky that you haven't yet, either."

Something unreadable flashed in those beautiful green eyes. "Don't get too comfortable," she warned. "I could still pounce without warning."

He sure as h.e.l.l didn't doubt that. Though her temper had never been as violent as his own, Eden's fuse often varied in length, usually in direct correlation with the perceived injustice. Be it firecracker or nuclear bomb, you could always count on some form of explosion as a result of a wrong. He'd wronged her in the worst possible way-he'd broken her heart. At some point, Bennett knew she would detonate on him...and he deserved the blast.

Perversely, he looked forward to it. Anything would be better than this agonizing awkwardness. Like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"So...I guess you're here about the Web site?" she asked, smoothly changing the subject.

His drink stalled halfway to his mouth and he studied her over the lip of the bottle. "In a manner of speaking."

"Have you seen it?"

Bennett nodded, his gaze tangling with hers. "I have," he admitted. "That's, uh...that's some impressive work. Was it all yours?"

Eden considered him for a moment, evidently unsure of what to make of his att.i.tude about the site. No doubt she'd expected him to blow a gasket and go off on her about it-reasonable, considering that's what he would have done in the past-but other than being slightly irritated and mildly amused, he hadn't been able to muster any real anger over the site.

He'd deserved it.

Or most of it, at any rate.

"I did the majority of the work on the site, yes," Eden finally admitted, lifting her chin in that adorably belligerent way of hers. Her eyes twinkled with wicked humor. "What did you think of the mug shot?"

"That was a nice touch," he conceded. Bennett grimaced and took a pull from his beer. "Though I take exception to the 'premature ejaculator' warning."

Eden laughed, the first genuine chuckle he'd heard since he'd walked through her door, and he felt it move through him, break a bit of the tension hovering around them.

"That wasn't my work. Every member got to come up with their own warning for the home page." She paused thoughtfully, seemed to be mulling it over. "That was Kelly's, I believe." wasn't my work. Every member got to come up with their own warning for the home page." She paused thoughtfully, seemed to be mulling it over. "That was Kelly's, I believe."

Bennett snorted. That figured. Vindictive witch.

"You don't seem surprised." She hesitated, chewed the inside of her cheek and said, "You know, Bennett, every guy has an off night every once in a while. You shouldn't beat yourself up about it. I've heard that Kelly is pretty demanding in the bedroom, so if things went a little haywire-"

Bennett almost choked on his beer. His gaze swung to hers and, in the nanosecond before he could tell her that she, of all people, ought to know better, he discerned the hint of a smile hovering around her ripe mouth.

"Very cute," Bennett told her. "You know, I don't give a d.a.m.n what you put on that site so long as it's accurate." He let his gaze drift slowly over her body, purposely reminding her of the truth. Stupid, he knew, because it made him want her all the more. But..."And that's that's not." not."

A low stuttering breath leaked out of Eden's lungs, and he had the privilege of watching those clear green eyes darken with remembered heat. Her lids drooped and her warm gaze dropped to his mouth. And lingered. She absently licked her lips, then her gaze tangled with his once more. In that instant he knew her mind had gone to the same place his had.

To a long-ago summer night three years ago.

Just like old times, they'd spent the day together, combing the back roads, looking for a secluded spot to make love. Every place in town had been exhausted, so they'd had to start widening their circle. h.e.l.l, he'd never been able to keep his hands off her.

Take now, for instance. Just breathing the same air as her right now made him feel more alive, more energized and more turned on than he'd been since the last time he'd seen her. It was as though she had the ability to flip a switch inside him. Everything became more colorful, clearer. Had there been other women? Of course. He was a man, wasn't he? But not in the past few months, because even unfulfilling s.e.x got old.

And being with Eden had always been so...easy. Odd for him, when nothing else up until that point in his wretched life had been. They'd ridden out to Suicide Lane, a long, straight stretch of road that abruptly ended with a cliff. The combination of danger and the view-h.e.l.l, oddly picturesque from that vantage point as it glowed like a diamond cl.u.s.ter in a sea of inky blackness-had made it a particularly special spot for them.

Armed with blankets and pillows, Bennett had backed his truck up so that they could lie in the back and watch the stars. Eden had snuggled in next to him, her hair spilling over his shoulder, and a contentment and peace had stolen over him so completely that he'd found himself curiously unable to breathe.

She'd chosen that moment to tell him that she loved him-unwittingly sending him into a tailspin that would rattle him to the point that he left town. Then she'd pressed a kiss to his jaw-just the softest touch against his skin-and he'd...broken.

The determination, anger and resentment he'd insulated himself with had just fallen away...and then he'd fallen for her all over again.

Moonlight and sibilant sighs, a yard of pale blond hair sliding over his chest. Pearled pale pink nipples, soft belly and softer thighs. Her tight body balancing over his, riding him... His d.i.c.k swelled and a burst of heat blanketed his loins, remembering. His own Lady G.o.diva, Bennett had thought at the time. His d.i.c.k swelled and a burst of heat blanketed his loins, remembering. His own Lady G.o.diva, Bennett had thought at the time.

She blinked, breaking the spell.

"I'll, uh...I'll see what I can do about a correction," Eden told him, backing up a bit.

"I'd appreciate it," Bennett said, his voice curiously rusty. s.h.i.t, Bennett realized. He'd been crowding her. Leaning in, drawn to her as always.

A line of irritation emerged between her brows, then she cleared her throat and looked away, seemingly trying to gather her thoughts. "That's what we were meeting about tonight."

"The Web site?"

"Yes. Even though we're quite attached to the name," she said drolly, "we've decided to change it."

"What?" Bennett asked, feigning surprise. "BennettWilderSucks.com isn't working for you anymore? Too tame?"

Smiling, Eden shook her head. "No." Her gaze caught his and she hesitated. "It's served its purpose," she said vaguely. "And in light of the circ.u.mstances which have brought you back to town, well..."

They'd decided to cut him some slack, Bennett realized, even though she didn't appear to be able to say it. He nodded, silently acknowledging that he understood. "Thanks," he managed, then shot her a look. "Besides, you girls are swapping so many recipes, ISuck.com doesn't really seem to fit anymore, if you ask me."

Eden paused, and once again those green eyes sparkled with reluctant humor. "You read every word, didn't you?"

He pulled a shrug. "I was curious."

"And you're not angry?"

Still stuck on that, was she? "Stunned? Yes. Outraged over blatant untruths regarding my performance in the bedroom, the size of my p.e.n.i.s and the size of my brain? Yes," he confirmed. "But angry?" Bennett shook his head, took another drink of his beer. "Nah. I was a jerk." He shrugged. "You retaliated quite creatively, I'll admit. And I deserved it."

Eden's gaze darted to his, startled and cautious and just the tiniest bit...annoyed? Bennett thought, puzzled by her response.

"So you're changing the name of the site?" Bennett moved on. "Should I be worried?"

Eden blinked. "Er...no. Not unless you object to www.b.i.t.c.hingfromh.e.l.l.com?"

Bennett felt his lips twitch. "b.i.t.c.hing from h.e.l.l, eh?"

She quirked a brow. "It has a certain cachet, don't you think?"

He grunted. "It beats the h.e.l.l out of the one you had, that's for d.a.m.ned sure. Can I expect to see my mug shot removed from your home page anytime soon?"

Eden winced and gestured with a small s.p.a.ce between her thumb and index finger. "Baby steps."

A bark of laughter burst from his throat, followed by a long sigh. "I guess changing the name of the site is progress enough for now." More than he'd hoped for, so he'd be better off to count his blessings.