Author's Notes:

'A Shepherd in France -- Ch. 1 and 2' is a continuation of 'The Shepherd of Ashburn Court -- Parts 1 through 5'. Minimal effort is made in this tale to explain the backstory so please read the other stories first.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

********

A Shepherd in France -- Ch. 1

********

Chapter 1

Ben Shepherd shuffled a few feet closer to the entrance of the customs area in the airport in Paris. His neck was hurting from how it had been positioned when he slept on the flight over from the States. He tried rolling out the kink in the thick muscles. He grimaced in pain and rubbed at it. That was the problem with being muscular. Big muscles meant big muscle pain and Ben was a big man. 6' 3" and 260 pounds of hard muscle gifted from good genes and earned from a strenuous exercise regimen. He didn't look bad for a man in his forties.

He looked around at the seething mass of people trying to get through customs. Several large planes had landed and offloaded in quick succession which lead to this ugly bottleneck. Ahead of him in that mass were three women he was in love with and who had expressed their love for him. He never expected to find love in his life after his wife left him for another man. To find it with three women was so far beyond his expectation he still had trouble accepting the reality of it and accepting that he deserved it.

There was a voice inside him that whispered he wasn't worthy, it wouldn't last, and they would leave him like the others who claimed to love him had. He'd listened to that voice since he was a young child and it never went away. It was a daily struggle though recently it had been quieter than usual. He'd been surrounded by the love of these women and even his despised inner voice couldn't compete with that.

Before it could get a grip on him again he scanned the crowd ahead and saw Catherine McGovern and her daughters nearing the entrance, the four white blonde heads made them stand out as did their beauty. They were always the easiest to find due to their hair and their height. The mother was 5' 10" and matched by her oldest, Sophia who was 21. Her other two, Rachel at 20 and Megan who was 19, were just an inch shorter.

He smiled as he thought of Catherine's amazing blue eyes which often held a mischievous spark. It usually appeared with a sexy grin and the most delightful wrinkles on the bridge of her slim nose. She was truly gorgeous and it still stunned him that she was in love with him. She was all lean muscle and svelte curves from her swimming and her daughters were equally fit though he thought they chose martial arts to stay that way.

Each daughter had been blessed with their mother's looks, eye and hair coloring, and the resemblance was definitely strong but each was like a unique flavor of the same delicious dish.

Sophia's eyes were slightly more almond shape, probably from her father's genes and her cheekbones were just a little higher giving her face more of a heart shape. She was the calmest and most composed of the three daughters.

The middle child Rachel had inherited a bit of her father's strong nose. Not enough to overpower her other features but enough to give her a distinct look from her sisters. Ben thought she was truly lovely and she certainly had her mother's boisterous energy.

Megan was the doer. She was bold and decisive and the personification of cute from her wide blue eyes to her slightly upturned nose. She was also the one who helped drag Ben into Catherine's life.

A few passengers behind them was Tina Lee. Tina was Korean, petite at 5' even, slim and wore her luxurious, straight black hair to the middle of her back. She had a sweet face that showed its breathtaking beauty when she smiled. It always caught people off guard. She was currently living with Ben and had professed her love to him as well. Tina was special in that she was submissive. She'd had a very bad experience with her abusive late husband and Ben had reluctantly taken over as her Dom to the best of his abilities and she claimed he was exactly the kind of man she'd dreamed of finding. She'd worked her way into his heart even though she was only in her mid-twenties. Their age gap had given Ben quite a lot of trouble.

Behind Tina and closest to him in the throng was Gabriella Wallace with her two kids, Miriam, a pretty 16 year old girl, and her brother Daniel who was 13. Gabriella was an inverse mirror of Catherine's fairness and slim physique as she was raven haired and had generous curves. She was by no means fat, she just had curves! She also had brilliant green eyes that he could get lost in. But while Ben was enthralled by her beauty what drew him most was her wisdom and deep compassion. It was she who helped Ben get past his misconceptions of what love was and made him see he could be in love with more than one person and not inflict pain on the others. He loved her deeply and knew she felt the same for him. She was also the one who helped him accept Tina's love.

As Gabriella kept an eye on Miriam and Daniel she'd glance back occasionally to ensure he was still following. He snorted. Where else could he go? He was being led with all the other sheep into the large hall. He could see multiple queues leading to a series of customs desks. An officer was directing the incoming flow to random queues so he gave up hope of rejoining Catherine's or Gabriella's group. He caught her eye the next time she looked back and he gestured that he'd meet her at baggage claim. She nodded.

They slowly shuffled forward and as he expected their group began to get split up. Catherine and her daughters were directed to the queue on the far right. Tina, Gabriella and the kids went to the queue to the far left. When Ben arrived in front of the officer his neck spasmed and he grimaced as he rolled his shoulders. The agent stared wide eyed at Ben's facial scar which made an appearance. The officer pointed to the queue directly behind him and Ben stepped past the man. He didn't see the officer immediately call someone on his radio as he saw the queue he'd been directed into was shorter than the others. Ben smiled and felt a little better about his chances of getting through this area quickly. He looked to the left and right but he could no longer see the rest of his group.

Ben walked up behind a young couple who were arguing or rather the man was hissing angrily at the woman. She couldn't have been more than twenty five, maybe 5' 6" and her taller gangly boyfriend wasn't much older. They both wore an array of body jewellery with piercings in their nose, ears, eyebrows, lips, and tongues. The woman, whose bosom was... generous, wore a small halter top which exposed her trim arms, shoulders, most of her back and her flat stomach so her tattoos were in plain sight. While Ben would never consider getting a tattoo of his own he thought the woman's Japanese stylized art of a cherry tree in full bloom on her back was exquisitely done. Pink petals seemed to be blowing across her limbs. Several beautifully detailed, colorful koi swam in the cool waters depicted on her arms. Her auburn hair was braided into a single long braid running down her back past her ass. That was a lot of hair! Her legs were hidden behind a long flowing peasant skirt. She had worn leather sandals on her feet which had obviously seen some miles.

In contrast, her boyfriend's tattoos were rougher and seemed random. Nothing artistic about them. A fair number of them were just aggressively antagonistic slogans, like 'Fuck the Police' and images of weapons. He wore a mesh shirt which showed his underfed torso, a pair of ripped army pants, and scuffed army boots.

He was currently poking the woman hard while growling quietly right in her face. She seemed to be crying and shaking her head like she was frightened. Ben saw she was trembling.

Fuck.

Ben squirmed as he tried not to get involved though his instincts were screaming at him to do just that. He looked for Gabriella or Catherine but they were nowhere to be seen.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The punk leaned in and hissed at the girl again loud enough this time that Ben heard his words. "Cunt, I fucking own you! You do as I fucking say or you're dead. You will NOT fuck this up for me! I will FUCKING cut you a new hole if you don't stop your fucking crying!"

Then he slapped the girl's face.

Ben was being fast walked down a corridor by two police officers when he next became aware of his surroundings. His wrists were cuffed behind his back and a third officer was carrying his shoulder bag. They stopped before a door, opened it and pushed Ben inside. They pulled out a chair, undid the cuffs, and sat him in the chair. The cuffs went back on him but through a metal loop on the table's surface. One of the officers barked something at him in French but before Ben could respond they left.

Fuck.

Gabriella stood by the carousel and their luggage looking for Ben. She was getting worried as most of the passengers from their plane had already passed through customs and had left with their bags. Catherine walked back from the entrance to the customs area and her face showed she'd had no luck.

"I can't find him anywhere!" Catherine said to the group with worry in her voice. Sophia looked at her mother then shared a nervous look with Rachel.

Megan, who had been assigned baggage watch duty caught the eyes of her sisters and pointed to the suitcases. Sophia nodded and pulled Rachel over with her to stand with the accumulation of bags. They knew of the three of them Megan was the boldest and would push her way into places the others wouldn't think of entering.

Gabriella scanned the baggage claim area once more but Ben wasn't there. She had his suitcase so he hadn't been through the area yet. Megan walked up to her.

"Give me a few minutes," she said and Gabriella nodded. Megan headed off towards the doors to the customs area. Gabriella watched her slip through the doors as a passenger exited. She wished her luck but then the young lady made her own luck.

She looked over at Catherine and saw she was biting her lip. They were both nervous but Tina was beginning to look frantic. "Tina, don't worry. He's probably just caught up in some technicality. Megan will find him.

Tina trembled but nodded as her eyes remained locked on the doors.

Megan had surprisingly already made progress. She was sitting on a bench next to a young woman with lovely tattoos. As she'd passed the hall to the security offices she'd overheard an angry voice screaming something about killing the big bastard who sucker punched him and how he'd be back to 'cut the bitch'. That sounded like a promising lead so Megan walked into the hall as the police dragged the screaming and thrashing man away out another door. She sat down next to the crying woman who looked up hopefully at her. Megan saw she was handcuffed to the bench.

"Hi, my name is Megan."

"Lucy."

"Did a large man come to your rescue against the angry guy?" she asked with a smile.

Lucy looked at Megan with large teary eyes. "Yes! How did you know?"

"That was Ben. My mom's boyfriend. He does stuff like that. Did you see which way he went?" she asked.

"After he knocked Cecil out the police came and grabbed him. He didn't resist as they led him away. Is Ben simple minded?" Lucy asked.

"What? No! Why?" Megan snorted.

"He- he seemed kind of out of it when he grabbed Cecil after I was slapped. His face was blank and his eyes were a little scary when he held Cecil up on his tip toes by his ponytail. When Cecil tried to kick and hit him Ben punched him once in the face then dropped him in a pile on the floor. Then he looked at me with a friendly smile."

Megan frowned with worry. She recalled her mom saying Ben had zoned out before when he beat up their new neighbor who had abuse his wife. She hoped he wasn't relapsing. If the police had him she had to get Gabriella and her mom on damage control as soon as possible.

"Are you going to be OK?" Megan asked.

Lucy dropped her eyes down to her cuffed hands and worried a tissue into shreds. "I don't know. Cecil has my passport. And my money. He's going to lose his shit when he discovers I'm no longer carrying his drugs. He's going to kill me. I just want to go home!" she blurted then began to cry.

"The police have your passport by now. Just tell them how Cecil held you captive to be his drug mule. From what I've read that's more common than you think. That should get you free from him hopefully. Here's some cash to get you to our hotel, the Imperial Suites. When we get Ben free we'll meet you there and he'll hook you up with a flight home."

"Oh my god! Thank you!" Lucy gasped. She started crying again so Megan just patted her on the shoulder.

"You be careful and we'll see you soon, ok?" she said and headed back out to the baggage area. She had information some nervous ladies needed to hear.

Chief Inspector Antoine Boucher stared through the glass at the large man handcuffed to the table and contemplated how good he was going to look in the news tonight having captured Kirion Rapava, terror of the night! The man's crime spree had come to an end! Women could walk the dark streets at night no longer fearing the blade of this monster.

If it was him.

They hadn't proven that yet. There were no clear photos of Rapava nor any accurate eye witness descriptions. All they had was that he was large, muscular, had dark hair, and most importantly he had a scar crossing his face.

Boucher had watched the footage of the big man lashing out at the punk who slapped his girlfriend. He was certainly capable of violence. Boucher was a bear of a man but the man in the room intimidated him.

What planted the seed of doubt in Antoine's mind that the man they had in custody might not be Rapava was the gentle smile the brute had given the girl after he dropped the punk to the floor. Why had he protected the girl? That didn't fit the profile they had, at all. Rapava had never shown the slightest bit of compassion to any of his victims. All of whom were female. Or looked like a female in the case of that one unfortunate cross dresser.

The door opened quickly and Detective Chanel Babineaux pushed her way in with a fierce expression on her face. She drew up short when she saw Boucher.

"Chief Inspector! Is it true? We got Kirion Rapava?" She swung her face to look through the glass at the man inside. "Is it him?"

"Detective Babineaux, when did you get here?" Antoine asked. He took in the wrinkled suit and the short black hair in desperate need of a wash or even a brush. The woman's eyes were dark brown and bore right through your head when she focused on you. She had classic symmetrical facial features and a long limbed, slim build the ladies on the Parisian catwalks would kill for. Had she worn even the slightest amount of make-up or paid any attention to her looks she could have been breathtaking. But the Chief Inspector knew the detective despised all things 'girly'. Still rebelling from her mother's pressure to get her into fashion. He couldn't fault her for wanting to apply her keen mind to the 'more worthy' pursuit of being a detective in the police force.

"Just minutes ago. I was following a tip that Rapava was coming in on a flight today. I got here and was informed that he was already in custody!"

"It might be him. He matches the limited description we have. Our people are going over the documents he had with him. The passport was brand new. Could be fake but it's a really good forgery if it is. Our tech people are working on accessing the computer he had on him. He seemed to be travelling on his own."

Babineaux stared at the man shackled to the table. "Who's doing the interrogation?"

"Felix."

"Ah. Good man." she conceded. She would have loved to have been the one to crack Rapava. She had a personal connection to this case though she kept that fact to herself. Chanel had been on this case for years. She knew all the details of each attack carried out by that monster. You couldn't bury yourself so deep in the details without it affecting you. Then he struck too close to home. Someone she'd known... intimately... had been killed and all signs pointed to Rapava.

She examined the man in the room and memorized his features. He was handsome if you ignored the thin white scar that ran from cheek to cheek crossing is nose. Big, dark, and brooding. She wasn't sure how long he'd been in there.

"Have you seen the footage of him attacking the punk in the custom's queue?" Boucher asked.

Chanel looked at her boss. "He attacked someone?" she said in shock.

The man nodded and passed her a tablet. The door opened and the Chief Inspector was called outside.

Chanel queued the clip and watched it. She stopped it the moment he dropped the limp man to the ground. She saw the cold expression on his face as he struck the man. Quick as a whip and ruthless. It had to be Rapava. She put the tablet down and turned to the window again.

She saw the door open in the room and the man looked at the three officers who entered. He was staring at them as they spoke but he shook his head. She turned on the speaker to hear what they were saying.

"-English. Sorry, I don't speak French," he said.

The officers closed the door and took positions. One moved forward and removed one of the cuffs and stood back.

"You will remove your clothes for a body search." the officer who released him said. The man scowled at him but looked at the others who had their hands on their weapons. He unbuttoned his shirt.

Chanel jumped when the door to the observation room opened and two female officers barged in. They stopped and stared at Babineaux but she just nodded. Rapava deserved the indignity so she was fine with him having an audience. She moved to the left side of the window furthest from the door which gave her a better view anyway.

Three more female officers and two male officers came into the room to watch the unveiling. Their timing was perfect as the man was just taking off his shirt at that moment. He pulled it open and back over his shoulders. He was very muscular and several sighs and coos were heard from the watchers but that stopped when they noticed the scars. The room went quiet.

Terrible violence had been inflicted upon this man. It was difficult to tell the age of some of the scars. Some looked recent. Some were large and others small so there may have been multiple attackers of different strengths. Regardless they were chilling to see. Perhaps most disturbing were the three old bullet hole scars on his lower torso.

"The pants. Remove them." the officer said, his voice betraying his unease.

The man scowled again but undid his belt, button and zipper. He kicked off his shoes, pushed his pants down and stepped free of them. The watchers gasped and giggled as they saw the thick cock hanging down between his legs. He stood there with his hands at his side waiting while the officer inspected his clothing.

"Gil, would you like to spend some time with him in his cell?" Chanel overheard a teasing voice say.

"Like you wouldn't." was Gil's reply.

"They found his concealed weapon." giggled one of the ladies.

"Maybe you'd like to help conceal it once more?" chuckled another.

"You do realize this man is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of over a dozen women?" Babineaux said critically.

One of the women looked at her in surprise. "It's him then? Kirion Rapava? It's been proven?"

Chanel looked away from the officers to stare back at the naked man behind the glass who was bending over the table. "Not yet. But we're getting closer."

The room winced as they watched the man's reaction to the cavity check. "You can put your clothes back on." the officer who did the inspection said when he was finished.

The man dressed, all the while glaring at the three officers. His blush betrayed his humiliation and his facial scar stood out in stark contrast. Once he was shackled to the table again they left as did the watchers with Chanel. One of the ladies stopped and looked back at the detective. "I hope it isn't him. Sending such a beautiful man to prison for life would be such a waste." she said and ignored Chanel's glare as she left.

Minutes later she watched the door open on the interrogation room again. Detective Felix Mannus entered the room with a file in his hand. Mannus looked like he'd just stepped off a catwalk. Crisp, tailored suit, perfectly mussed hair, chiseled features, the man used his looks as a weapon against those he interrogated. He seemed to be able to get people to open up to him faster. People wanted to trust the pretty man. Babineaux snorted. She'd been told she could do the same thing but she found the idea distasteful.

Mannus sat and opened the file.

"Mr..." He looked at the file. "Shepherd it says here." he said in French.

"I'm sorry I don't speak French. Only English." the man said.

Felix looked at him. "I said the file reads that your documents indicate your name is Ben Shepherd."

"That's right."

"Ben Shepherd. Benjamin?" the detective asked.

"No, just Ben."

"Why did you attack the man in the customs queue, Benjamin?"

"Ben. I- I don't remember attacking anyone."

"Really? You don't remember? You are actually going to tell me that." Mannus said with a sigh. He pulled a tablet from under the file and queued up the clip. He turned it to the man and played it.

Chanel watched the expression on the man's face. She saw his jaw lock and his eyes go cold. Definitely a killer she thought. It's him! She was convinced.

"He hit the girl." the man said with a voice gone cold.

Mannus seemed to be looking carefully at the man across the table from him. "You struck the man very violently. He lost teeth." he said quietly.

"He hit the girl." was the only reply. Again, the smooth, calm voice sent a chill up Chanel's spine.

"Did you know this man or the woman he was with?" the detective asked.

"No." he said and began to blink. His eyes began to show confusion. "I need to let my friends know where I am. Tina especially."

"Your friends? You were traveling alone." Mannus said looking at the file.

"I was traveling with eight other people but we got separated at customs. Listen, Tina has... an anxiety disorder. She's probably in a bad state. I need to let her and the others know where I am."

Chanel frowned. This was a different ploy. Crafty bastard.

"Then perhaps you should answer my questions quickly so we can finish up here." Mannus said reasonably. The man frowned but nodded.

"What is the purpose of your visit to Paris?" he asked.

"We're on vacation. Sightseeing." the man replied but looked towards the door.

"How long will you be here, Benjamin?" the detective continued.

"Ben. Two weeks but we'll only be in Paris for five days. We're visiting several places as we head south and will finish up in Cannes and fly home from Nice."

"Your passport is new."

"Yes, I got it renewed before the trip." the man replied.

"You filled the other one? You travel a lot? Amsterdam? London? Warsaw? Johannesburg? Frankfurt? Rome?" Mannus said and Chanel recognized the list of cities where Rapava had left his mark.

"No, I've never traveled before. My neighbor Gabriella who organized this trip asked me to renew my old passport even though it still had a little under a year left on it. I hadn't used the old one."

"So you are claiming you've never been to the cities I mentioned." Mannus pushed.

"That's right. Paris is the first place I've ever traveled to and I'm starting to wish I hadn't." the man grumbled.

"That's odd because we have people claiming to have seen you in those cities." the detective pushed again.

"Then they'd be wrong because I've never traveled outside of the United States before." the man insisted.

"Their description of you was very specific." The moment Mannus said it Babineaux wanted to scream.

The man froze. He looked at the detective. "Is that what all this is about? I look like someone you are looking for? Is there a photo of this person I'm supposed to be?"

Chanel cursed. Felix had fucked up. She knew Rapava was done talking. She stormed out of the observation room. She had to contact her snitch to see if she could get more information on Rapava's actual reason for coming to Paris. She had to get it before he weaseled his way free of this. They still had his attack on the punk in the custom's queue. So they could hold him on that.

As she made her way through the halls she saw a cluster of officers and a medical team with a stretcher. There was a body under the sheet on it.

"Who's this?" she asked.

"Just some stupid punk who thought he could smuggle heroin inside his body and get into a fight. He attacked these guys and they put him down. But one of the bags in his intestines must have ruptured. He died of an overdose pretty quickly after that." the medic said.

Chanel pulled the sheet down and cursed. It was the guy from the queue. Their reason for keeping Rapava. FUCK! She thought quickly. There was still the girlfriend. She'd still be in holding. Chanel set off to find her.

Gabriella, Catherine, and Tina sat in a conference room waiting on the Chief Inspector. Megan had returned to them directly after speaking with a young woman who had witnessed the police taking Ben away. She'd filled them in on Ben's situation and everyone gave her hugs for her amazing detective work. The three women had immediately set off for the Security office and demanded to speak with whoever was in charge.

Gabriella looked over at Tina and saw she was looking a little better. Now that they knew Ben was in a room nearby the uncertainty was greatly reduced. They were taking action. But they still had to extract Ben from this mess.

A large burly man in a dark grey suit entered the conference room and introduced himself in French as Chief Inspector Antoine Boucher and that he understood they had asked to speak with him. Gabriella greeted him in French and asked if they could speak in English for Tina's sake. He smiled and graciously agreed.

"So I am to understand you know something of the man we currently have in custody?" he began.

"Yes, his name is Ben Shepherd and he is a very good friend and neighbor of ours. We've been neighbors for years and this is his first time traveling outside of the States. Ben is traveling with our group but we got separated in that mess at customs." Gabriella explained.

"Then you are unaware that he was involved in a violent altercation with another passenger." Boucher asserted.

"We understand that Ben came to the assistance of a young woman named Lucy who was being physically assaulted." Gabriella said.

"Ben does that. He is a good man!" Tina blurted and Catherine took her hand with a smile.

The Chief Inspector's face showed his surprise that they were aware of the young woman.

"Ben can't turn a blind eye when a woman is being abused. Did the passenger attempt to attack Ben when he stopped him from hurting the woman?" Gabriella asked.

This explanation spoke to Antoine's niggling doubts but he wasn't ready to hand over their suspect on the word of these three women. They were not citizens of France.

Gabriella read his unease and spoke up again. "I'm here on vacation this time but I'm in Paris frequently for my business. I import Parisian fashion from designers here for distributors in the States. I have several business contacts here that will vouch for me." Gabriella suggested. Boucher looked pleased and nodded. She brought up the contact details on her phone. She showed them to him and he made a note on his tablet.

When he saw the third contact he froze. "Is this a direct line to Madame Clarisse Leferre?"

Gabriella's face held a warm smile. "Yes. Clarisse is a dear friend as well as a colleague and she is aware of Ben. I've shown her a picture of Ben as well. She can vouch for me and for how long I've known him.

She pulled up a photo she had on her phone of her and Ben in the park in the center court during a block party. She turned the phone to Boucher. It was an older picture taken in the summer and Gabriella was showing a little more cleavage than she normally felt comfortable displaying. She'd done it to catch Ben's eye and she recalled it had certainly worked.

"If you would be so kind to forward this image to my account we will add it to the file... as proof of your previous knowledge." Boucher said with a slight blush.

"Certainly," she replied as she entered the email address he showed her on the tablet. The picture was sent and she watched him smile as it appeared on his tablet. Men were such slaves to their penises, she thought, but kept her smile to herself.

He looked closer at Ben's face in the image and noticed no scar. "When was this image taken? He is missing some characteristics his face now has."

She looked at Catherine. "When was our last block party? The big one we had in the park."

Catherine frowned. "I believe that was four years ago."

Gabriella nodded. "Ben now has a scar across his face."

Boucher perked up. "When did he get this scar?"

"Close to three months ago Ben was attacked by a man with a knife. He was stabbed in the chest multiple times and his face was slashed. He's healed very well but the scars remain." Gabriella replied.

Boucher felt disappointment settle upon him. Three months was too recent for this man to be Kirion Rapava. The first report of Rapava's scar was from five years earlier. Still he thought he'd try one last thing. He looked carefully at the ladies. "Does the name Kirion Rapava mean anything to you?"

Gabriella shook her head as did Catherine and Tina. He nodded.

"There remains the fact that your friend and neighbor used violence against a fellow passenger. A passenger that is in his rights to press charges. Please give me a moment to call your contacts and to confer with the assaulted man to see how he wishes to proceed."

Gabriella nodded and cast a worried look at Catherine and Tina. Once they were alone she addressed her fears. "The French judicial system is different than ours. Here you are guilty until proven innocent."

"We will not get to leave with Ben?" Tina whimpered.

"We will see. You may need to be brave Tina." Gabriella took her hand.

Chanel was in a rage. Felix was in the process of fucking up the most important interrogation of his career, the punk who could have pressed charges against their suspect to keep him in custody was dead, and the girl whose statement might have assisted them with at least delaying his departure was nowhere to be found. The detective was searching for the officer that released her.

She found him in the small kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Jacob! What the fuck! Why did you release the witness to the attack!" she barked.

"Good morning to you, Chanel. You look lovely as usual." he replied with a weary tone.

"Answer my question!"

"There was no reason to hold her. The man she was with died. She claimed that he held her captive, took her passport and money, threatened to kill her, and tried to get her to carry drugs which she dumped back in the airport in Amsterdam. She said he would have killed her when he discovered she no longer had them. She was clean, her papers are good and he was dead so there was no reason to keep her." He finished with a huge yawn having just finished his extended overnight shift. The coffee was just to wake himself up enough so he could drive home.

"There is an ongoing investigation she is a witness in!" Chanel growled.

"Am I a mind reader? Maybe you should share information like that!" he growled back.

"Where the fuck is she now?" she asked.

"She said she'd be going to the Imperial Suites then she was flying home to the States." he offered then scowled as the detective spun and rushed from the room. "Fuck you too."

Boucher was all smiles when he entered the conference room again. His call with Madam Leferre and subsequent video call with her had been delightful. He normally delegated such calls to subordinates but to speak with such a celebrity of the fashion industry had been a perk he could not deny himself. And she had been as lovely and gracious as he'd expected. The fact that she had suggested they video conference so he could show her the pictures of his suspect for her to identify had been unexpected and very welcome. She had identified the man as Ben Shepherd and confirmed that Gabriella had been neighbors with him for years. When he showed her an image he'd taken of Ben this morning she sighed when she saw his scar and acknowledged Gabriella had mentioned the attack on him.

He would have Gabriella's other contacts called by a junior officer but Boucher was convinced this wasn't the man they were after.

Gabriella, Catherine, and Tina all looked at him with anxious expressions.

"I have some good news for you. I have confirmed that your neighbor is not the man we are looking for. Also the man he assaulted has died." Antoine said with a smile.

All three women cried out in dismay as he realized what he'd just said.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I did not mean to imply the man died from the assault! He was carrying drugs inside his body and got into a fight with the officers detaining him. In the struggle one of the balloons of drugs must have ruptured. He died of an instant overdose. Nothing to do with your friend. Again, my apologies for my careless words."

All three smiled weakly and Tina leaned forward. "Please may I see Ben now!" she pleaded.

"I will bring him to you. Please wait just a moment more." Antoine said and glanced at Gabriella who smiled and nodded. He left the office and stopped by the tech department. He looked in and saw two of his tech heads peering at the screen on the suspect's notebook computer. Both were eating as they worked. Antoine shuddered at their poor eating habits. "Have you had any success?" he asked.

"Chief Inspector! Sir, uh, no sir. The security is like something from a spy novel. We have tried to get past it but there seems to be at least three levels of security, including biometrics which only the subject can match. If we had permission to take the machine apart..." one of the techs said with a hopeful tone.

"No, we are releasing the man. Close it up, pack it all away in his briefcase and bring it to interrogation immediately." Boucher said ignoring their looks of disappointment. He turned and walked back to the interrogation room. He stepped into the observation room and looked through the glass.

Ben was sitting as far back in his chair as the handcuffs would let him. He was glaring at the detective across the table but he wasn't saying a word. Antoine tapped on the glass.

Detective Mannus glanced over his shoulder and Ben jerked his head towards the mirror as if he suddenly realized it hid another room with watchers. His face went red but Antoine couldn't tell if that was from rage or humiliation. Even though he knew the man wasn't Rapava he still felt intimidated by him. Must be that damned scar.

Mannus closed the file and left the room. Moments later he entered the observation room.

"Chief Inspector."

"Detective Mannus. Your impressions?"

"He's big. He's menacing with that scar but I don't believe he's Kirion Rapava."

"Agreed. He was actually travelling with a group and I've spoken with some of them. They've provided confirmation that he is the man his passport indicates he is. I'm going to release him."

"What about the punk he assaulted?" Felix asked.

"He got into a fight with some officers and ruptured one of the balloons of drugs in his gut. He's dead. I don't need the headaches of trying to charge this man with no victim." Antoine said. "Get the officers to unshackle him please."

Felix nodded and left. Boucher took another look at the man inside the interrogation room. He sighed. If he had been Rapava there would have been reason to celebrate. Now that they knew it wasn't, and they knew Rapava may have slipped in, they would need to review all of the incoming passengers to see if any others matched the description they had. He saw the officers entering the room so he left to stand in the hall. The tech came by with Ben's shoulder bag and gave it to the Chief Inspector.

Moments later the officers led Ben out of the room.

"Mr. Shepherd, I'm Chief Inspector Antoine Boucher. My apologies for detaining you but we had to be certain you were not the very dangerous criminal we were informed had come to Paris. Your activities in the customs area helped set that impression."

Ben looked like he was struggling to control his emotions. Finally, he nodded.

"You have some ladies waiting for you in a conference room. One in particular seems very upset."

Ben's expression immediately changed to concern. "Tina? Is she alright? May I go to her?"

Antoine smiled and the last bit of doubt he had dissolved. This was not Kirion Rapava. "Yes, I will take you to her." He handed Ben his shoulder bag and nodded to the officers who walked away. Antoine gestured for Ben to walk with him. They got to the room and he allowed Ben to enter first.

"BEN!" Tina cried and leapt to her feet. She rushed around the table and crushed herself up against his chest. Ben held her trembling body tight and looked over to Gabriella and Catherine with love and gratitude. The other ladies came around the table as well and shook Antoine's hand and gave him a kiss on both cheeks. He looked very pleased indeed. He led them out of the conference room and once Ben pulled Tina from his chest they followed him into the hallway. They were led to the entrance of the Security offices and this time Tina leaned up to give Antoine a double cheek kiss. She also gave him a small bow then returned to cling to Ben's arm.

Boucher headed back to get the video analysis started and the others headed towards baggage claim.

Chapter 2

When the group reconnected by their bags there were hugs all around. When Ben learned it was Megan who found him and led Gabriella, Catherine, and Tina to him Ben stepped forward and pulled her into a big hug. Sophia and Rachel looked on with envy as their younger sister smirked at them.

Next came the ordeal of getting them and their baggage to their hotel. This was solved by piling into a number of cabs, Tina went with Ben, and the convoy made its way to the hotel without losing anyone or any baggage. Soon most of them were standing in the lobby of the hotel surrounded by their bags. Catherine was outside paying the last taxi driver and Gabriella was speaking to the front desk clerk checking their party in.

Megan noticed Lucy at the far end of the lobby, beat up backpack at her feet, being questioned by a tall woman with short dark hair. Lucy was shaking her head and didn't look happy. Megan reached over and tugged Ben's sleeve.

"Ben?"

He turned to her. "Yes?"

"The woman I spoke to who pointed out where you were? Her name is Lucy. She was pretty upset as the guy she was with basically kidnapped her. She just wanted to go home but he took her passport and money. I gave her cab fare and told her to meet us here. I kinda told her you would pay for her flight home." Megan said looking embarrassed at her presumption.

"She's here?" Ben looked up and spotted the girl, in tears now, at the far end of the room. He immediately set out in her direction with Megan and Tina in his wake. Sophia, Rachel, and Daniel remained with the bags while Miriam went to tell her mother where Ben was heading.

"Lucy?" he said and her head whipped up. The tall woman spun around with her hand moving to her sidearm. Ben saw fear and rage pass across her features in rapid succession then settle on incredulous anger.

"How are you here? Why aren't you in custody?" the woman growled.

"Who the hell are you?" Ben growled back.

"Detective Babineaux. Answer my question!" she barked.

"I'm done answering quest-" Ben began loudly when Tina interrupted him.

"Chief Inspector Antoine Boucher said Ben was not the man the police were looking for. He set Ben free! If you want to question your boss feel free to speak with him. Until then you may leave us alone please!" Tina asserted.

Ben looked at Tina with a proud smile. Then he looked over at Lucy who was sniffling. "Are you Ok?" he asked.

"I just want to go home!" she begged looking at Ben pleadingly.

"Then let's make that happen." Ben said kindly, holding out his hand.

Lucy picked up her pack, slipped around the detective and seized Ben's hand like a lifeline.

Babineaux stepped right up to Ben and looked him in the eye. The woman was almost his height. "I don't know how you fooled Boucher and I don't know how you've convinced these women to defend you but I know who you really are Kirion and I will take you down. Know this!"

"Lady, you have the wrong guy and while you're wasting your time with me the real Kirion is out there... doing bad things." Ben growled.

Chanel spat in his face and quickly stepped back waiting for him to attack.

There was a tense moment then Ben held out a hand to Tina. She placed one of her ever present cleaning wipes in his hand and he used it to wipe the spit from his face.

When he was done he fixed a cold stare directly into the detective's eyes. "Your boss is going to receive a call from me now. You have moved from being merely annoying to assaulting me. It's clear you're becoming unstable. Unstable people who carry weapons are a risk to the public. Maybe you should go speak with him. Convince him otherwise." Ben's voice was calm but very cold. He was obviously restraining himself with great effort.

Chanel ground her teeth then her eyes caught sight of someone long dead. Her reason for going after Rapava so fiercely. Her face froze with a look of shock as the apparition moved towards her. Tall, fair skinned, white blond hair to her shoulders, fine features, lush lips, and those beautiful blue eyes that looked right into her soul. Babineaux came undone, took a step back then turned and fled before the ghost of her past could reach her.

Ben watched the detective push open the side door and rush outside. He looked back at Catherine who was approaching with Gabriella.

"Who was that?" Cat asked him.

"I was going to ask you that very question as she was looking at you like she knew you." Ben said. When Catherine shrugged he shook his head. "She said her name was Detective Babineaux. She was rather upset I'd been released. She still thinks I'm this Kirion guy."

"She spat in Ben's face to get him to attack her!" Tina blurted.

Gabriella and Catherine made angry sounds then they noticed the young woman hiding behind Ben holding his hand.

Ben became aware of her again as well. He gently pulled her forward. "This is Lucy. We're going to help her get home."

Gabriella and Catherine both smiled and introductions were made as they all walked back to the bags and the other travelers in their group.

"We're all checked in. We have the top floor to ourselves. All the rooms are ours. We can go up now. Then you can make the arrangements to get Lucy home."

"Is that ok with you?" Ben asked the young woman.

"Yes, that sounds very ok." she replied with a timid smile.

They took the elevators up to the top floor and Gabriella led Ben to his room. Catherine led the others to their rooms. Gabriella had arranged the largest suite for Ben as he was paying for the trip. Ben looked around the lushly appointed room in awe. He immediately kicked off his shoes at the door. The carpet in the living room looked like it was handmade and a work of art in itself.

"This is too much for me! Uh... where's the bed? Does the sofa fold out?" he asked as he took in the beautiful sitting area.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and grinned as she walked over to a set of sliding panels cleverly disguised as frosted windows and slid them apart. Behind them was a huge four poster bed on a raised platform. Ben's eyebrows went up in surprise. He walked in and there was a door beyond the bed that led to an amazing ensuite bathroom with a huge soaker tub and a large shower with jets like he'd installed in his own bathroom at home. He was impressed. The room was a little... ok, way over the top but the bed looked inviting.

First thing first though. He had to arrange to get Lucy home.

He walked back out to the sitting room and saw her staring at the bed with wide eyes.

"You've booked the entire top floor and they all look like this?" she gasped.

Ben looked at Gabriella who smiled. "Well, they're not quite as opulent as this room but they're all very nice."

There was a rapid knock on his door and Gabriella opened it. Daniel and Miriam rushed into Ben's room with excited grins on their faces. Their eyes popped as they took in how fancy Ben's room was. "Mom! Our rooms are awesome!" Daniel gushed. The kids grabbed her hands and tugged at her to follow them. With a happy smile back at Ben the mother let her kids pull her away.

Ben sat down on the couch and pulled his notebook out of his shoulder bag. He flipped it open and grimaced at the oily fingerprints on his keyboard. He pulled out a wipe from a packet in the bag and cleaned the keys. He hated other people using his computer. Not that it was likely they got beyond the login screen. One of his customers installed military grade encryption and login authorization on it for him. He entered his password, swiped his finger across the biometric reader, and looked into the camera for it to map his face. Then he was in. He logged into the hotel's WiFi after his firewall said it was safe to do so and pulled up a travel website to book a flight.

He motioned for Lucy to sit next to him. "Where's home, Lucy? How long have you been away?"

Lucy sat and stared at Ben then looked away. "Phoenix, Arizona. At least it was up until I was eighteen. That was when my step-dad told me to put out or get out. I told my mom and she blew up and called me all kinds of nasty names and said I was lying. I had my inheritance from my grandmother so I just bought a ticket to Amsterdam and left. I've been doing odd jobs, moving from place to place and living off the inheritance when I had to for the past five years. I haven't spoken with my mother since the day I left."

"Maybe you should give her a call before you show up on her doorstep." Ben suggested.

"Could I?" Lucy asked.

Ben flipped his phone on and handed it to the girl. He gave her the country codes to dial the States and she dialed her home. When it started to ring she stood up and walked to the window. Ben tried not to listen but the room was quiet and he heard her side of the call.

"Mama? It's Lucy... Yes... I'm sorry to call at this time in the morning... It has been a long time. I'm sorry I didn't call before... I'm sorry... Mama, I want to come home... No Mama I'm not in trouble. Can I come home?... Don't say that! Please! Don't say that-... Mama? Hello?"

Lucy pulled the phone back from her head and stared at it in shock and disbelief. Ben had actually heard the final angry yells of the woman on the line at the end. He picked up that the call hadn't gone well and her Mom had hung up on her. She wasn't going to receive a welcome home.

Ben stood up and walked over to the young woman. "Are you ok, Lucy?"

She handed the phone back and spoke with a voice gone hollow. "I won't be needing to make any more calls home because I no longer have one. Mama- that woman told me I'm no longer her daughter." Reality caught up with her and the tears started flowing. She'd always held the hope that one day she'd be able to mend that relationship and go back to her mother but the impossibility of that had just been made crystal clear. Ben opened his arms and she turned in to his chest as the flood gates opened. Lucy cried in huge sobs which shook her body. Ben just let her cry as he gently held her in his arms.

Gabriella opened Ben's door and peeked inside when she heard the girl crying. Ben gave her a sad look and she came into the room with Megan in tow. They took a seat on the couch and waited quietly as the girl got it out of her system.

A few minutes later they heard her sobs begin to abate and soon she moved into the sniffle stage where Ben was able to pull back slightly.

"Feeling a little better?" he asked gently.

She nodded and glanced over at Gabriella and Megan who both had sympathetic looks on their faces.

"Lucy has suffered a little set back in her plans so I think she should just take a few days to breathe and consider other avenues." Ben said to the others then he looked to the young woman who was still clinging tightly to his shirt. "Lucy, you are welcome to stay with us while we're in Paris." He looked at Gabriella. "We're here for five days?" Ben guided her back to the couch and she finally let go of him as she sat.

"Yes, we have five days in Paris then we set off south." Gabriella agreed. "We certainly have room if she doesn't mind sharing a room some nights. We have the floor, six rooms. Yours, mine which I'll share with Miriam, Catherine's which she's sharing with Sophia, Rachel and Megan are in another, Tina has room with an extra bed and Daniel has his own room which he is thrilled about. As we have the whole floor and elevator access to our floor is controlled by our room keys, I'm comfortable about Daniel being on his own." She turned to Lucy. "You can bunk with Tina... or Tina can stay with Rachel and you can bunk with Megan," she amended when she saw the rapport the two young women had. Megan smiled at Gabriella and Lucy nodded.

"OK, it's settled. You're officially part of our party as of now. If you don't mind I'm going to take a hot bath then I'm going to take a nap. I'm bagged," Ben said feeling the weight of the ordeal he'd been through suddenly hit him like a sandbag.

"Just remember we have dinner reservations for the whole gang tonight at a very nice restaurant two blocks away. We're walking to and from the restaurant but attire is elegant," Gabriella reminded him.

They saw Lucy's face drop. Gabriella held up a hand before Ben could step in. "Lucy, Megan will take you downstairs to the lovely little dress shop on the main floor and she will help you pick out a dress and some shoes. No arguments, you are our guest." Megan jumped up and gave Ben a kiss on the cheek and Gabriella a hug. Lucy stood up and hugged Ben then Gabriella. She had tears in her eyes again but they were of happiness. She picked up her backpack then Megan took her hand and they rushed from the room.

"Would you mind if Tina were to join you?" Gabriella asked.

"No, that would be fine." he said as he leaned forward and gave her a sensual kiss. Gabriella smiled and growled playfully as she patted his chest when he pulled back. "Easy Tiger! Our date night isn't until tomorrow! I'll get Tina." She left with a smile.

Ben walked around his room and checked out the gorgeous view from his balcony. He walked back in as Tina was coming into his room. She beamed a smile at him and rushed over to hug him but pulled back abruptly.

"Your shirt is wet!" she said, wiping her cheek.

"Oh! I'm sorry Tina! That was from Lucy. She had a little meltdown when she discovered her mother wants nothing to do with her. She has no home to go back to."

Tina quickly started to unbutton his shirt. "You cannot wear this now." she said seriously but there was a twinkle in her eye.

"I'd like to soak in the bathtub then take a nap." he said as she pulled the shirt from his shoulders.

"I will get the tub started." Tina said as she rushed into the next room with his shirt. He smiled watching her eagerness.

He heard the tub begin to fill as he walked into his bedroom. He considered how many people had burst into his room and wondered how many of their key cards opened his door. He decided to close the sliding panels to the bedroom for some privacy in case someone else decided to visit.

He walked into the bathroom and Tina was naked and bent over the side of the tub testing the water temperature. Ben smiled at how quickly Tina had managed that and admired her perfect, round little ass. He undid his belt and the metal buckle jingled quietly. Hearing the sound she turned her head and smiled back at Ben. He dropped his pants and underwear and stepped out of them. He tugged his socks off last and stood naked behind Tina who was starting to squirm under his steamy look. Ben looked at the counter and saw she had unpacked his toiletry kit for him. His tube of lube was conveniently available. His smile turned into a grin as he realized Tina was on a mission.

He knelt down behind Tina and slid his hands up the sides of her legs slowly, his thumbs sliding up the inside of her thighs. Tina hissed with delight at the feel of his hands on her and Ben felt her trembling. Before his hands reached the top he leaned forward and ran the flat of his tongue over her pussy and pressed it firmly against her rosebud. Tina cried out and pressed back. Ben's hands reached her ass and he squeezed the cheeks firmly as she moaned and squirmed. He lapped at her pussy and she squeaked and gasped with each stroke. He moved his hands down a little and as he slid his thumbs into her wet pussy Tina groaned.

Before she could prepare Ben began to fuck her ass with his tongue and Tina's legs buckled until she was resting on the lip of the tub. He pumped his thumbs into her dripping pussy as he forced his tongue into her ass.

"BEN! Oh god Ben! I need you inside me! Please!" Tina wailed.

He reached over to the counter with one hand and grabbed the lube. He squirted some over his hard cock then ran his hand over it to coat himself.

"Ben! Oh please!" Tina pleaded.

He glanced at the tub and it was getting a little too full. "Shut off the taps, Tina." he said and she reached over to shut them off. The moment they were off Ben got behind Tina and pressed his thick cock against her wet pussy lips. There was a moment of resistance, he was very large for Tina's size, then he was sliding in. He took it slow and steady to protect her.

"Oh yes! Ben! So good!" Tina panted as his cock pressed into her depths. Then he reached bottom. He held still as he felt Tina gripping his cock tightly. He waited for her to relax then he slowly withdrew. Tina shook and moaned. He pulled out to the head then immediately pushed all the way back in again. The lube helped a great deal but Tina's pussy was still very tight for him. With each stroke she became less intelligible. Once he'd sped up to slap against her ass on each down stroke she was reduced to gibberish.

"Buh buh Bnnnnnnn, oooohhh Beh oh oh fuh! Mmmmm!"

Ben's orgasm was racing up so he began to rub her asshole with his thumb. Tina squealed and surfaced long enough to make her needs known. "YES! My ass! Touch me there! Please! Ohhhhh!"

Her pleading triggered Ben's orgasm. He slammed his cock in deep and slid his thumb into her ass. Tina screamed out his name as her own release swept over her. She looked like she was going to fall forward into the tub as her muscles began to go slack so he quickly reached out and grabbed her long hair up by the back of her neck. The sensations of having both her pussy and ass completely filled and her hair pulled roughly sent Tina into overload.

Suddenly her body went rigid and Ben felt her clamp down on his cock and thumb. He grunted from the rippling pressure and his body struggled to cum through her tight grip on his cock. He pulled his thumb free and grabbed under her torso to take the pressure off her hair. He got a rough handful of tit and Tina's wail went ultrasonic as she began to shake. He felt something warm splashing over his balls and he looked down. His legs were dripping and the towel they were kneeling on was soaked. His eyebrows rose.

He pulled Tina up against his chest and her head rolled loosely on her shoulders. She was out. He lifted her off his cock and his last two streams fired against her pussy lips as his interrupted orgasm finally finished. He shook through the end of his release then very carefully he rose to his feet and carried Tina into the shower stall. He gently turned her limp body in his arms to have her face him with her head on his shoulder. Then he reached out and got the shower running at a nice warm temperature. He cleaned Tina and himself as best he could then he carried her out and dried her with the big fluffy towels.

Ben carried Tina out to the bed, pulled down the sheets, dropped a towel over the bed and carefully laid Tina down over the towel. He pulled the sheets up and looked down at her sweet sleeping face. He kissed her forehead then walked back into the bathroom and put the wet towels into the hamper. Then he climbed into the soaker tub.

He gave himself half an hour in the tub just soaking in the heat. Then he took a quick shower and dried himself off.

Climbing under the sheets next to the petite woman he set his alarm to give them time to clean up for dinner then closed his eyes. Just before he drifted off cuddled up to her he had the impression that he'd forgotten to do something. Then it was gone and so was he.

Chanel sat at a table under an umbrella in the sidewalk café across from the Imperial Suites hotel. Her hands trembled as she tried to collect herself. There had been so many sloppy moves in this case to date and then she went and made the biggest mistake of all. Direct confrontation with Kirion Rapava. How could she have been so stupid! Then to get all flustered and hallucinate seeing... her.

She sat stewing in the café waiting for the call from the Chief Inspector ordering her in to hand in her badge and gun. It was so colossally unfair. She had failed and Kirion was going to walk free... unless she could catch him in the act. She turned off her cell phone so she couldn't receive the call. She would watch Kirion like a hawk from the shadows and take him down when the moment was right.

Chapter 3

Lucy sat in a salon chair facing a mirror in a spa on the main floor of the hotel surrounded by beautiful blondes. Megan was in the chair to her left having her hair shampooed while getting her nails done. To her right Megan's mother Catherine was having the same treatment. Both were facing away from the mirrors but they could see her face. Lucy could see Megan's sisters Sophia and Rachel in her mirror getting the same red polish applied to their nails while their hair was being dried. She knew in a back room Gabriella and Miriam were having a massage. They would be coming out for their hair and nails once that was done. Daniel was enjoying his room and its Internet access. Ben was taking a nap and Tina? She wasn't sure where she was.

She was feeling a little overwhelmed by the generosity they were showing her, a complete stranger. Catherine had seen her stunned expression up on their floor when they announced they were going to the spa and she was to join them. She'd explained that Ben had insisted to the group that during their visit in Paris they were not to stress about the cost. At the hotel everything would be charged to the rooms. Ben was covering their expenses on the trip. That was final.

She looked at herself in the mirror as the stylist examined her hair. She hadn't had it cut in years (saving her limited money) and it was extremely long. Too long. That said, she didn't want it all cut off. It was a beautiful chestnut color, slightly wavy, soft, and she preferred it long. The stylist had suggested a short bob but she asked for it to reach her mid back. Catherine had backed her up and the stylist finally agreed. She was beginning to work on it and Lucy was comforted to see the limited amount she was removing.

"Where is Tina?" Lucy asked Megan.

"Spending some quality time with Ben." Megan said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Lucy looked over at Catherine who had a serene look on her face as the woman washing her hair gave her a scalp massage. She looked back at Megan.

"I thought you said Ben was your mother's boyfriend?" she said directing her voice towards Megan in an attempt to be discreet.

"He is. He's also Tina's and Gabriella's." Megan nodded watching the woman paint her nails.

"Wow! I didn't get that impression from Ben at all!" Lucy said with surprise in her tone.

"What impression would that be?" Catherine asked curiously.

"Uh, that Ben was a player." she said timidly.

Catherine snorted then blushed at the rude noise. "Ben is a lot of things but a player he is not." she replied firmly.

"But he has three girlfriends?" Lucy pressed. "How does that work?"

"Quite well from what I've seen." Megan responded and her mother smiled at her. Lucy gave her a frustrated look.

"It's quite simple really. We love Ben, heart and soul. He loves us the same way. We can't all be with him at the same time but we have full lives with our families and careers so we share his time between us. Tina lives with him but she's a special case. She's completely selfless in her love for Ben and he's really good for her. Her husband, who's no longer alive, was a special kind of bastard to her, taking her submissiveness as permission to abuse her mentally and physically." Catherine growled.

"Mom!" her daughters chastised her in unison for disclosing too much about Tina.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have over shared about Tina." Catherine said contritely.

"Ben's a Dom?" Lucy said quietly in shock, trembling slightly.

Catherine's face showed her discomfort at blabbing and her daughter's scowls didn't make her feel any better. "He is for her. She's so much happier these days. But I've said too much on that!"

Lucy tucked that information away for a later time. She needed to speak with Tina.

"Isn't there jealousy with Ben being with three women?" Lucy asked Catherine.

"Four!" Sophia said with a smile.

"Five!" Rachel corrected her sister with a grin.

Lucy's eyes were threatening to leave their sockets as she stared at Megan's sisters. Her jaw dropped but nothing came out.

Megan caught on to Lucy's misinterpretation first. "They wish!" she laughed and her sisters caught on and laughed as well though the two looked pensive.

"They meant Trish and Rochelle." Megan answered. "They're also neighbors and good friends of Ben who have been in his bed."

"Ben has only expressed his love to four of us and Trish is only just coming around to admitting she feels the same way about him." Catherine had an impish look on her face as she looked at her daughters. "The actual count of women Ben has shared his bed with is nine."

"Nine!" her daughters and Lucy all yelped at once.

"Oh! Ten if you count his wife who walked out on him years ago." Catherine said after thinking about it.

Sophia leaned forward eagerly. "Mom! You've been keeping secrets from us! Dish! Who else has been with Ben? We only know about you three, Trish and Rochelle."

"You're giving Lucy the wrong impression of Ben." she chastised her eldest then she turned to Lucy who was wide eyed. "Ben is a physically affectionate man. It's completely unconscious with him. He's also a deeply compassionate man. When our neighbor Beth Wilson was going through severe depression he spent an evening with her making her feel loved and beautiful. He and Hannah have group therapy sessions with her and you know how good Ben's hugs feel. Beth's depression turned around and she'd doing really well these days. She's back at work and back to her usual bubbly happy self. Ben played a large role in her recovery."

"Rochelle was lonely and Ben spent an evening with her. She's smiling more these days too though she isn't sure if she can shake her issues with jealousy to be with Ben on a more regular basis. Ben cares for her. He was also with Trish's cousin Shelly but I understand that was Tina's doing." Catherine suddenly frowned and bit her lip. "Maybe I should stop there." she said looking uneasy.

"What? You can't stop there! There are two more! Who are they?" Rachel gasped.

Catherine looked at her daughters and saw identical looks of frustration and anticipation. She sighed. "The other two are special cases again. He only took them to bed to discipline them. Oh, that came out wrong." she winced.

Lucy licked her lips unconsciously. "Discipline?"

"They were exhibiting some very bad behavior jeopardizing their mother's livelihood and their future so Gabriella suggested he use their desire for him as a reward for changing their ways. He had to discipline the young ladies and from what I hear it worked very well. They are both on their best behaviour and are hoping for another session of rewards when Ben gets back."

"OH MY GOD! You're talking about the twins! Lisa and Lori McKellan!" Megan shrieked.

Sophia and Rachel erupted in cries of surprise as their mother's expression gave her away.

"Twins? How old are they?" Lucy squeaked.

Catherine looked at her. "How old are you?"

"Twenty three."

"Your age then. Ben has trouble with being so much older than some of the people who want to share his life and his bed. Tina is a special case as I've said but even for her she had to promise Ben to keep her heart open for the possibility of finding someone to love who is closer in age. Ben is paying for her to go to University this fall and she may meet someone there. That's the idea at least."

She looked at her daughters who were still processing the idea of Ben having sex with the twins. They were only two years older than Sophia who had a little smile creeping across her lips as did Rachel. Megan just looked incredulous.

"Don't get any ideas in your heads. Ben watched you all grow up and he had a really hard time disassociating those memories with the twins. He doesn't need any more mental anguish." Catherine growled at her two oldest daughters. They frowned with the unfairness of that.

"Ben watched the McKellan sisters grow up too! How did they get him past that?" Rachel insisted.

"That would be Trish's secret." Gabriella said as she and Miriam joined the others.

Catherine smiled at Gabriella who absolutely glowed with relaxation. Miriam was looking a little disappointed that she'd missed out on some juicy gossip.

Gabriella looked at Lucy's new hair length with a big smile. "Oh! Your hair is lovely!"

Lucy smiled at the woman and a tear came to her eye. "I don't know how to thank you all for taking me in."

"While how we met may not have been in the most pleasant circumstances we're glad you're with us now." Gabriella smiled. "I believe you and Megan are going to be going next door when you are done here to look for a dress for tonight." She looked at Megan. "Something pretty for underneath as well and don't forget to get shoes too!"

"We want to go too!" Sophia said and Rachel nodded.

"We're not stopping you." Catherine smiled.

They were all looking forward to the evening!

The group was to meet up in the hotel lobby thirty minutes before their dinner reservation. The plan was to walk to and from the restaurant as it was a beautiful night and the scenery made for an enjoyable walk.

Ben and Tina were first to arrive and Tina immediately found a seat to wait in. Even the nap they'd shared hadn't been enough to recharge her after the intensity of their 'activities'. She was wearing her beautiful black cocktail dress and it was all Ben could do to resist sweeping her up in his arms and taking her back up to his room. Tina made it clear though that she needed a day at least to recover from their fun in the bathroom. She smiled in contentment at his steamy gaze.

He was wearing his classic black suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a grey tie. Tina told him he looked very handsome and that was good enough for him. He thought he looked a bit too severe and with his new facial adornment he was worried the combination might be a little too intimidating. When his back was turned Tina tingled with delight at his new look.

Gabriella arrived with Miriam and Daniel next. The woman looked stunning in a green silk dress which did wonderful things with her lush curves. She'd had her nails done as well in a shade of green so dark it almost looked black.

Miriam was wearing a cream and tan cocktail dress and looked very lovely and mature for a sixteen year old. Ben mouthed a 'Wow!' at her and grinned. She returned Ben's smile with a shy smile of her own. Daniel looked very handsome and at ease in his dark grey suit and Ben gave him a serious nod which he returned with a smile.

Catherine stepped off the elevator with her two eldest daughters and heads turned. Each was wearing sleek and short red dresses of different designs and the color popped against their fair skin and white blond hair. Their legs also looked amazing! Seconds later Megan stepped off another elevator, also in a crimson dress showing off her own lovely legs. The McGovern genes were very strong.

Ben was all smiles as he took in the lovely women. They were enjoying his appreciative looks. Another woman stepped from the elevator behind Megan and Ben did a double take when he suddenly recognized the ravishing brunette.

"Lucy?" he said in shock.

Gone was the barely there halter and voluminous peasant skirt. In its place was a tight fitting pink cocktail dress which clung to her slim body like a second skin. The dress was off her shoulders, exposed her arms, and was low in the back so it showed off her tattoos and the color matched the cherry blossom petals. It also showed off a considerable amount of cleavage which Ben struggled to look away from much to her secret delight.

Her auburn hair gleamed in an elegant swept up arrangement on her head. Her feet were in sparkling silver pumps.

Ben smiled. "You look lovely! You all do!" He turned to Daniel. "We're going to have our job cut out for us tonight protecting these lovely ladies!" he grinned. Daniel rolled his eyes and the ladies chuckled.

They exited the hotel and made their way at a casual stroll to the restaurant. They drew quite a bit of attention on their way. One of those watchers kept them in sight the entire way. The restaurant wasn't too far of a walk and Gabriella had a large section of the rooftop patio reserved. The view was beautiful but Ben found his eyes returning to take in the beauty of the women seated around the table much to their delight.

Daniel had brought along his camera and took pictures of the group. Everyone posed for him and each of the ladies took a turn getting their picture with Ben.

Megan was first and boldly sat on Ben's lap when she looked at Daniel. The boy grinned at Ben's sudden uncomfortable look but waited for him to smile before he took the picture. From that point on all of the ladies wanted the same pose. Tina wiggled a little too much and Ben started to grow quickly. She grinned at him as she slipped off his lap. Sophia was the next in line and her eyes widened when she felt the ridge on his lap across her thighs. She smiled a little too broadly for the picture and Rachel got the next feel. Her grin in the picture was for Megan who missed out this one time. Gabriella and Catherine did their own wiggling as they enjoyed the heat coming from his lap.

Then it was Lucy's turn. She hung back but the other ladies cheered to encourage her to take a turn. She walked up to Ben and looked at him timidly. He gave her a gentle smile and she slid onto his lap and froze. Her face registered her surprise and she leaned back slightly bracing herself against his shoulder. This put the pressure of his erection directly under her own delicate parts. She turned her face towards Daniel and smiled as a flush crept up onto her cheeks. Just as he took the picture she felt Ben throb and move under her. She bit her lip and her eyes closed slightly. Daniel laughed at the funny face she'd made but Megan made him keep the shot when he went to delete it. He took another one which he thought was better but her face was still rather pink.

Lucy slipped from his lap and demurely smiled at Ben. She made her way over to the chair next to Tina and the two began a quiet conversation.

Wine arrived but Ben abstained. Tina decided to pass as her stomach was a little unsettled. After a moment's consideration Gabriella allowed her kids to taste the wine. Daniel turned his nose up but Miriam was so thrilled to be included she hid her distaste. Gabriella smiled and let her have a glass of her own but only one glass. Miriam was so happy she glowed.

The waiters were especially attentive to their table and they soon had their meals which were delicious. Gabriella had Ben try a little of each of the different dishes they had ordered. She explained the origin of the dish and word got back to the kitchen. The chef came up to speak with her. They spoke for a while entirely in French as he spoke no English at all. He was delighted with Gabriella and told her he would send her up a very fine bottle of wine, his favorite, free of charge. With a double cheek kiss he went back to the kitchen.

Sure enough, within ten minutes a new, large bottle of wine appeared at the table and everyone who was drinking wine got a chance to try some of the new bottle, including Miriam. She found this one to be much more to her taste.

Dinner winded down and Ben paid the bill. On their way out they thanked the chef for the amazing meal and the man was very pleased. Ben was surprised by his double cheek kiss and the ladies all had a giggle at his expense.

The night air was perfect for walking and they sauntered their way back to the hotel taking in the city lights at night and the Parisian ambiance. Miriam was floating back to the hotel on a wave of wine induced euphoria. Her mother had a gentle grip on her hand so she kept her tethered to the ground.

Catherine's daughters were charged up thinking of the night ahead. They planned to go clubbing but Catherine was tired from too much food and wine and begged off. Megan turned to Ben.

"Ben, will you come to a dance club with us? Please!" she begged. Sophia took up the chant and Rachel joined in.

Ben looked at Tina who had her arm through his. "I'm going back to my room to sleep off this food. You go have fun! Take Lucy!" she insisted and something passed between the two women as Lucy dipped her head to Tina.

He looked at Lucy and she smiled shyly. He nodded. He turned back to Megan and her sisters who were looking at him beseechingly. "Sure, why not." They cheered. Ben looked at Catherine.

"I'll feel better knowing you are with them." she said to him with a smile. He returned it.

Once they got to the Hotel Tina took Ben's suit jacket and tie as he wouldn't need them at the club and it was a warm night. She opened a few buttons on his shirt as well. Ben started to blush as she undressed him and stopped her hands at the fourth button. She gave him an impish smile.

The ladies who were not going clubbing but instead were going to bed took turns getting kisses from Ben. Miriam got a chaste kiss on the lips though he'd been aiming for her cheek. She giggled and rushed over to the elevators. He smiled and shook his head at her mother who returned the smile and rolled her eyes at her daughter's behavior.

The concierge suggested a dance club and hailed them a cab. The McGovern sisters pushed Ben in the back seat first, then Sophia and Rachel followed. Megan got in the front passenger seat and Rachel pulled Lucy in to sit across their laps. She ended up leaning back against Ben. With Sophia pressed tight against his right side and Lucy on his legs and chest his body began to respond. Lucy noticed and smiled up at him as she bit her lip.

The taxi took them through the Paris streets to travel along the Seine to a large building. Ben paid the fare then he exited the cab carrying Lucy in his arms. It was the easiest way to get out with the woman on his lap. He set her back on her feet and she adjusted her dress which had shifted during the drive. This did interesting things to her cleavage and Ben had trouble looking elsewhere. Rachel was enjoying the effect this had on Ben.

The women looped arms with Ben in the center and the five walked side by side towards the club. They saw the line outside was rather long. A man with an earpiece and a tablet was walking down the line selecting people from it to enter the club. He glanced over at them then walked over to meet them. With a quick nervous look at Ben, he gestured for them to follow him to the doors. The large doormen sized up Ben and pulled the doors open for him.

The sisters grinned at each other and up at Ben then they walked into a wall of sound. Even in the entry hallway they could feel the driving beat of the music pulling at them. Megan dragged the group with her out into the main dancefloor and they immediately gave themselves over to the music. The floor was full so they had to stay close together. This naturally led to a fair amount of body contact.

Ben was taller than most of the people around him so he had a good view of the crowd. For just a second he thought he recognized a tall woman with short black hair standing at the edge of the dancefloor watching him but when he looked back she wasn't there. He shrugged and let the beat move his body.

Lucy was in heaven. She hadn't been to a club since the early days of her arrival in Amsterdam. Back before she'd discovered how she was going to have to be so careful with her expenses. She swayed with the music and looked up at Ben's happy face. His eyes were closed as he moved to the beat and she took the opportunity to study his features. She thought he was a truly handsome man, maybe to the point of being a little too conventionally attractive but his scar added so much character to his face. His attractiveness drew her eyes but the scar roughly captured and held her attention. It was a raw element of danger that gave her a little thrill to look at it. His eyes opened and they were looking directly into each other's eyes and she felt a shock run through her body. She gasped and looked away shyly.

The sisters were loving the club and the music was so good. They stayed on the dancefloor for song after song. They must have been dancing for over an hour when Sophia started to look around to find a table but the club was so full. Ben caught her look and leaned in.

"What's wrong?" he yelled.

"I'm trying to find us a table." she yelled back. He nodded and began looking himself. He spotted a large booth near the edge of the dancefloor that seemed to only have a few people in it. Maybe they wouldn't mind sharing. He held up his finger to Sophia to let her know he'd be back and made his way over to the booth. When he got there he saw there was a very striking brunette woman sitting in the middle of the far couch with four attractive young men sitting with her. One on each side of her on the couch and one on each of the other two couches which were arranged around a central table. The men all had that uniform look of male models which was a little disconcerting. Ben gauged there would be enough room if at least one of either group was on the dancefloor.

The woman smiled at Ben and whispered something to the man on her left. He stood and the next man stood as well. They filed out of the booth as the woman indicated to Ben to have a seat next to her. Ben nodded to her then took the seat.

Surprisingly the noise was dampened by the curtains over the booth so they didn't have to yell to be heard.

"Hello, my name is Ben Shepherd. I sure hope you speak English because it's the only language I know." he said with a smile.

She smiled back at him. "You are in luck then for I am fluent in many languages, English being just one. My name is Margaux De la Cruz." Her beautiful accent and her last name strengthened his impression of her Spanish origin.

They shook hands and Ben noted the absence of wedding rings though she wore a few rings on her other fingers and thumbs. Now that he was beside her Ben could tell that she was probably close to his age. She dressed very well and her jewellery didn't appeared to be costume so she may have been well off. Aside from her gorgeous mahogany hair that fell in waves past her shoulders, she had intense dark brown eyes framed by long lashes, a slim nose, sensual lips and unblemished caramel colored skin. Skin she was displaying a lot of in her silver halter style sheath dress. It clung to her curves and left little to the imagination. Ben just managed not to stare at her generous cleavage though she noted his interest with a slight upturn of the corners of her mouth.

"Are you visiting Paris?" she asked.

"Yes, it's my first vacation... anywhere, ever. So my friends invited me along." he said with a smile. "Would it be alright for us to share this table with you and... these men?"

"Certainly!" she smiled at his awkwardness.

Ben stood and caught the eye of Sophia and waved her and the others over. He sat back down. Sophia was the first one to step from the crowd and when she saw who Ben was sitting next to she hesitated for just a second. Then she made her way into the booth and sat nearest to Ben's left. Rachel followed and Megan squeezed onto the couch. Lucy perched herself on the arm of the couch until one of the young men received a look from Margaux and gave up his seat for her.

"Carlos, get these ladies some drinks. Take Byron with you." Margaux commanded. Carlos leapt to his feet and took their orders. Byron was the sullen one who gave up his seat for Lucy. His back was to them at the edge of the dancefloor. When the men left Ben noticed the satisfied smile on Margaux's face. She definitely enjoyed having the young men under her control.

"Such lovely young women you are with!" Margaux smiled at Ben using a tone which implied much. He felt the need to clear up that misconception.

"This is Sophia, Rachel, and Megan. Daughters to Catherine... one of the women I'm with." Ben said politely with a direct look. "This is Lucy, a new friend we met just today."

Margaux gave Ben an appraising look. "Ah, I see. Forgive my misunderstanding. It has been my experience that there are many men who surround themselves with beautiful young women. My ex-husband said it made him feel young. I decided to see for myself if it was true. There are certainly some benefits to it."

Ben nodded and noted Sophia was listening carefully. Still, he felt compelled to answer. "I have been with women who are much younger than me but instead of making me feel younger I've always found myself wondering why these beautiful young women are wasting their time with someone so much older. They can do so much better than me." he said honestly.

This made Margaux and Sophia sit back a little and look at Ben. They both thought he was handsome but now they saw his lack of ego. For Sophia it just made her want him more.

Margaux wondered if Ben was making a dig at her. When she saw the young women with him she had assumed she'd met a kindred spirit. Someone enjoying what life had to offer with no strings attached. Now she wasn't sure where he stood.

The young man sitting to Margaux's right snorted at Ben's words as he agreed that the lovely ladies Ben arrived with deserved someone younger, like him. He immediately cursed at himself as he had to be careful not to show interest in any other women while he was with Margaux. He wasn't very quick witted however so he just tried to cover up his snort with a bad fake sneeze.

Margaux turned to look at him. "Anthony, you should go freshen up." she said and he immediately took her hint to be elsewhere for a bit. He got up and slipped past the others until he entered the busy dancefloor.

She turned back to Ben curious that he'd said he was with more than one woman and implied they weren't young playthings like she kept. She didn't understand this. Maybe they stayed with him for his money?

"What do you do, Ben?" she asked.

"I'm a semi-retired mechanical engineer. You?" he returned the question.

"I'm a senior VP for an investment house here in Paris. I also spend time at our head office in Barcelona where I'm originally from. I keep an apartment in both cities and have offices in both as well." she said watching his face.

"I work out of an office in my basement." he said with a grin.

Sophia heard this and smiled as well. She knew Ben did very well for working out of his house.

Carlos returned with their drinks and Margaux insisted on paying for them. Everyone sipped from their drinks and Sophia indicated that she'd like to dance again, her look hinting she'd like Ben to join her.

"I'd just like to speak with Ben for a short time longer. I'm sure these young men would love to join you on the dancefloor though." She looked at her men and they all stood up with smiles. Anthony returned and gestured for Lucy to join him. She cast a look back at Ben and he found himself nodding to her unspoken question. He caught himself as she left the booth. Why had he done that?

"You have excellent control over that one and you say you only met her today? Remarkable!" Margaux complimented him.

"I don't control her or any of them for that matter." he said uncomfortably.

"I distinctly saw her look to you for permission and she only moved when you gave it to her." Margaux explained.

Ben scowled. His scar surfaced distinctly. "That was unconscious on my part."

"So you've dealt with a submissive before?" the woman asked.

Ben's head whipped to look at her. "Lucy's a submissive?"

Margaux smiled in wonder. "Marvelous! You aren't even aware of acting as her Dom!"

Ben stood and looked out over the dancefloor but he couldn't see his friends. He sat back down and looked at Margaux's curious gaze. "How did you recognize it?"

"It's her body language. I see it a fair amount with the parties I attend. My Byron is a Sub. You needn't worry about the ladies being out there with them. They know the cost of being anything less than perfect gentlemen." She showed Ben a feral grin.

"So you 'keep' these young men as playthings?" Ben asked frankly.

"Yes. My previous experience with men my own age hasn't proven to be satisfactory. I suppose I'm too controlling. I'm very dominant so I frighten most men away. These young men are easier to control and give me the satisfaction I need."

"But what about love?" Ben asked, curious.

"Love? Can you seriously tell me these women 'love you' when they know you aren't theirs exclusively?" she scoffed.

Ben felt a little uncomfortable with her attitude and worried that he might be stepping into dangerous waters. Still, he felt compelled to answer. "Yes, I can. They don't need exclusivity. They not only say it but they've demonstrated this to me on multiple occasions. There's no jealousy, hurt feelings, or drama. We're all completely honest with each other. They have opened their hearts to me because they know I've opened mine to them and I would never hurt them."

Margaux sat back and stared at Ben. She was having trouble accepting his words.

Megan returned to the table to set down her drink as she'd accidentally carried it out onto the floor. Margaux leaned forward to speak with her and caught her eye.

"Does your mother love this man?" she asked.

Megan didn't even blink. "Yes, deeply."

"How many others claim that?" she pushed.

Megan looked curiously at Ben seeing how agitated Margaux had become. She looked back at the woman. "Three. Gabriella, Tina, and Trish." She looked back at Ben with a wicked smile. "Mom told us about the twins!" As Ben groaned she giggled and slipped back onto the dancefloor wiggling her hips.

Margaux looked at Ben in confusion. How did he get four women to love him? Without a guarantee of exclusivity that was impossible!

Ben's heart sank when he saw she was upset. "Look I'm sorry if I said something to upset you. I didn't mean to pry or judge you in any way. I was just curious. Everyone has the right to find happiness in their own way. If what you have works for you then that's wonderful. For me, I'm a mess. I can't do casual affairs. I get emotionally involved too easily and end up getting hurt or worse, hurting the women. With Catherine, Gabriella, Tina, and Trish I can open my heart to all of them without fear of hurting any of them. They know I love them. They aren't afraid I'll hurt them so they aren't jealous of the others. It was Gabriella who showed me how it could work. And it did and still does."

Margaux looked at Ben and wished he'd never come to her table. Her conviction that what she had was enough for her was shattered. She remembered what it felt like to be in love but for her, love always carried an element of jealousy. These women had learned to love unconditionally and more they had someone safe to do that with. Someone that protected their love and loved them unconditionally back. That made her envious. Another negative emotion.

Suddenly Lucy burst from the crowd and rushed to Ben who stood up to meet her. She stepped behind him putting Ben between her and the crowd. He spun to look at her and saw she was trembling with her left arm across her bosom clinging to her dress.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Ben gasped but the young woman wouldn't look up at his face.

"Look at me." Ben said and she lifted her eyes to his.

"I'm sorry I ripped the dress you bought for me." she mumbled, her bottom lip trembling. He suddenly noticed it was split.

"How did this happen-"

"THE BITCH IS LYING!"

Ben went still as he heard the growl behind him. He turned slowly and saw Anthony standing at the edge of the table looking belligerent.

"What did you do Anthony?" Margaux asked with a cold voice. Ben glared at the man who just became more aggressive as his nerves reacted to Ben's silent intimidation.

"Nothing. We were dancing and the little cock tease was rubbing against me getting me all fired up. I know the rules Ms. De la Cruz so I pushed her back. That's all." he explained.

Ben turned back to Lucy and leaned down to whisper to her. "Tell me what he did to you."

Lucy looked up at him and saw his eyes were fixed on hers. "The dancefloor is crowded so we did bump against each other. Then he- he grabbed my breast... and he squeezed it so hard! It hurt so much and he wouldn't let go. I tried to get away and the dress tore. I called him an asshole... and he hit me." Tears were dripping down her face. He reached up and brushed them away with his thumb. Ben pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Lucy.

"May I see the damage to the dress?" he asked calmly.

She gingerly pulled her hand back and the side seam under her right arm had been torn four inches down. Unfortunately this eliminated the support she had for keeping her right breast in her dress. The fabric pulled away and Ben saw the lovely half cup bra hidden under the dress. He also saw the bruises and scratches Anthony's fingernails had left on her breast. Ben put Lucy's hand back in place to hold the dress closed. She looked up and was startled to see his eyes had that strange distant look in them she'd seen in the Customs area of the airport. He turned back to Anthony.

"I TOLD you the BITCH LIES!" the man yelled.

"The bruises and scratches don't lie though, do they? They say you're an abusive little cowardly shit who gets his fun hurting women. That's what you are, aren't you. A weak little coward." Ben's voice was cold and flat. Lucy hadn't heard him sound like that before. She recalled what he'd done to Cecil and began to get nervous.

Sophia finally managed to get free from her dance partner who'd been trying to keep her from the table. "Ben, he hurt Lucy." she blurted.

"Yes, I know but thank you for confirming." Ben said and Sophia heard that oddness in his voice. His eyes seemed to be looking through Anthony.

"Fuck you!" Anthony bellowed and threw a punch at Ben's face only to find himself flying across the table where all their drink glasses were placed. He smashed through the glassware to fall between the couch and table on top of the shattered glass.

"Get your hands off me, ass wipe!" Megan yelled as she reached the edge of the dancefloor and jammed her elbow in a quick strike against the eye of Byron who was trying to hold her back. He went down screaming and clutching his eye. The crowd parted and Rachel walked through breathing hard but smiling as Carlos rolled on the floor behind her holding his groin and crying.

"These bozos tried to keep us from coming back to the table after that asshole hurt Lucy!" Rachel yelled angrily.

The asshole in question lunged to his feet, staggered onto the table and swung a broken glass at Ben. There was a deep thud as Ben's fist struck his solar plexus and Anthony was flung back to land on the couch where he lay trying to breathe.

Lucy cried out when she saw the red on Ben's shirt sleeve. Anthony's wild swing had cut the back of Ben's left forearm. It wasn't deep but it was bleeding. Megan grabbed some napkins from the table and held them down on Ben's arm. At her touch Ben's eyes started blinking and he looked down at the carnage.

"You OK big man?" Megan asked.

"Uh, sure. Are we done with dancing?" Ben asked. He looked over to Margaux's men standing at the edge of the crowd tending to their injuries. They looked back with fear in their eyes.

Rachel pulled them out of the booth. "Yeah, we'd better book before the cops arrive."

Ben looked back at Margaux. "I'm sorry we broke your toys but I think they were bad anyway. I know YOU can do MUCH better." The girls encircled Ben and pushed him across the club and out the door before the bouncers arrived and just before a very agitated police detective made it to the scene. When they got there Margaux was already gone and three young men were beating up a fourth for 'ruining everything'.

Ben reached into his pocket and pulled out a paperclip. He bent it into a new shape and gestured Lucy to come over. She stood next to him and gasped as his fingers slipped inside the top of her dress to press gently against the side of her breast. She looked up at his face then held still as he forced the paperclip through the fabric carefully. Then he pushed the other end through the fabric on the other side of the rip. When he was finished Lucy no longer had to hold the dress closed. He looked her in the eyes. "We'll take this to the dress shop to get them to fix it. Not to worry." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She blinked in surprise and looked at Megan who gave her a smile but there was worry in her expression too.

They grabbed a taxi at the taxi stand and rode back to the hotel in silence, each deep in thought. Sophia and Megan were thinking about speaking with their mother and Gabriella about Ben's little phase out during the fight. They both independently sent texts. Rachel was reliving watching Ben put Anthony down with one punch and that gave her tingles in happy places.

Lucy was back on Ben's lap and chest and was just enjoying the feel of him. She had major tingles happening herself and wanted desperately to touch herself. Or better, for Ben to touch her.

Ben was trying to put together the events of the night but there were gaps and that was worrying.

He paid and carried Lucy out again. She clung to his chest and pressed her face into his neck. He felt her body trembling so he carried her all the way to the elevators. He set her on her feet when they got in. Sophia moved to stand in front of Ben.

"Could I get a kiss goodnight here before we get to our floor?" she asked.

His eyebrows rose but he nodded. She leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. After the initial surprise he kissed her back. Her mouth was so soft and she smelled so good! She pulled back and Rachel stepped forward and planted her wonderful lips on his before he recuperated from Sophia's kiss. There was no tongue involved but it was a sweet kiss none-the-less. His head was spinning. Megan was wide eyed looking at her sisters. Then she stepped forward and kissed his cheek which surprised her sisters. The boldest of them was afraid of a kiss?

Ben moved awkwardly when they stepped from the elevator. Gabriella, Catherine, and Tina were all in the hallway waiting. They were wearing their dressing gowns and pulled the arrivals to Ben's room. Everyone took a seat and Tina took Lucy aside to speak with her briefly.

First things first, Gabriella took Ben into his bathroom and they took off his shirt so she could wash and bandage the cut on his arm. She had him put on his dressing gown over his pants as his muscular chest was too much of a distraction. She led him back out to the living room and they took seats with everyone else.

"Ben, Sophia and Megan both noticed you phased out again tonight during the fight. Did you experience memory loss?" Gabriella got straight to the point.

Ben nodded.

"We are going to create a record of these lapses so you can play it back for your psychiatrist when you get home. You should describe in as much detail as you can the things you remember. Witnesses will give their statements too. Can we do this now while it's fresh in your mind?"

"OK." he replied.

Tina put her phone down and started the audio recorder application. Gabriella gave the time and date and Ben described their evening. Then Sophia said her part, Megan, and finally Lucy. When they were done Tina saved the recording. Everyone took a deep breath.

"Time for bed. We have a busy day tomorrow. Listen to Tina." Gabriella said cryptically and smiled. She gave Ben a soft kiss and left the room. Catherine kissed Ben and looked on with surprise when Sophia leaned in and got another kiss from Ben. She pulled her eldest along with her and began questioning her on their way out. She looked back in time to see Rachel take a kiss from Ben. The middle child scurried after her mother and pushed the shocked woman out of the room.

Tina stood before Ben. "I would stay with you tonight but I am not feeling too well. We don't want you to be alone so I have asked Lucy to stay with you. Did you know she is a submissive like me? She also has had many bad experiences. She feels safe with you. I have spoken with Gabriella and Catherine so they understand and they agree. You need someone with you and tonight it will be Lucy. OK?" she explained and looked at him for his agreement. He was wide eyed but looked over at Lucy. Megan was standing next to her with a stunned expression on her face.

"Megan. Come here." Ben said and the young woman jumped. She moved to his side. He curled his finger and she leaned in. He turned her head and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night." he said with a smile. She grinned. Tina kissed him sweetly and left with Megan.

Then it was just Ben and Lucy.

He took a deep breath. Once more he was about to step outside of his comfort zone. He'd learned how to deal with a Sub with Tina but he knew everyone was different and he couldn't expect Lucy to respond in the same ways Tina did. He was starting from scratch again.

"Come here Lucy." Ben said.

Lucy moved to stand in front of him with her hands clenched in front of her. Her knuckles were white.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked gently.

"I've had some bad boyfriends. They hurt me." she said trembling.

"You've spoken with Tina. She's told you I'm not like that, right?" he asked. She nodded.

"She also told me how you initially pushed her away because you were worried about the age difference."

Ben nodded.

"I haven't worked out how I'm going to make a life for myself. My inheritance is almost gone. I pissed that away and the time I should have been using to develop some skills to build a life on. I can't go home. There is no home to go back to. I have nothing and I have nothing to offer. I feel like a burden for you and your friends. You came here to vacation and got saddled with me." she said in a whisper and tears started to fall down her cheeks.

Ben pulled her down onto his lap. She was trembling hard by this point.

"In my entire life I've never felt as safe as I do when I'm in your arms but I don't know how much time I'll have with you. Every time I've opened myself up to love I've been badly hurt because the moment they learn I'm a Sub they become cruel. But I think I'm more terrified to open up to you because I know you're not like that but I have no place in your future." She began to cry. She leapt to her feet. "I shouldn't do this to you. You don't deserve this!"

She rushed to the door but no matter how hard she pulled she couldn't get it to open. She looked up through tear filled eyes and saw Ben had his hand on the door over her head. He suddenly scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. He set her on her feet next to the bed and she tried to get away. He took her head between his big hands and made her look at him.

"Listen to me." he said sternly. "I don't abandon friends because they are 'inconvenient'. I knew what your situation was when we brought you into our little 'family'. I don't know what the future holds for any of us. I try to take it one day at a time but know this! I'm willing to ensure you have a future but you'll need to follow a plan I create for you as I did for Tina. You are young, like she is. You both have all this time in front of you. I know how Tina feels about me. She knows how I feel about her. But she had to promise me to keep her heart open to the possibility of love from someone her age. She agreed. That was the only way I was willing to take her back. If we were to spend time together you would have to be willing to make the same promise. I want you to speak with Tina before you say anything to me on that."

"Now, will you promise not to try running away again? It would totally ruin everyone's vacation if we spent the entire time tearing Paris apart looking for you." he rumbled.

She trembled in his hands and he pulled her into a tight hug. She whimpered as she cuddled in.

"I would like to go to sleep now and I would love it if you would share my bed. Will you do this?" he asked.

She nodded.

Ben unzipped her dress and held it as it slipped off her body. He let her step out of it then he folded it over the back of a chair. He removed the paperclip. He turned back to her and took in her sexy lingerie. He unpinned her hair and allowed it to pour down over her shoulders and back. "You look absolutely lovely!" he said with a smouldering smile.

She blushed and squirmed under his gaze.

Ben undid his robe, pulled it off and draped it over the same chair. Lucy gasped when she saw his scars.

"Oh my god! What happened?" Lucy reached out to touch them.

Ben looked down and saw her hands hover over the scars of the stab wounds like she was afraid to touch them, like they might open if she did.

"They're from a bad man with a big knife and a lot of rage. I stopped him from killing his wife in front of his kids. I think Trish may have killed him or at least helped. To protect Tina and his wife and kids."

Lucy seemed to be counting them. Then she saw the three bullet scars. "What- what are these?" she whispered.

"Bullet hole scars." Ben said quietly.

She looked up with shock in her eyes.

"They're from a bad man with a gun and a lot of fear. I stopped him from abducting Miriam when she was very young. Then I killed him. To protect Gabriella and Miriam."

Lucy looked at the bandage on his arm. "This scar is from protecting me."

"Badges of honor. Every one." Ben said firmly.

She was biting her lip like she was going to cry again. He reached out and touched her lower lip and gently pulled it from her teeth. She sucked in her breath at the intimacy of his touch. He smiled and touched the small ring piercing her lower lip. She looked at him nervously, fearing his rejection.

"I've never kissed someone with a lip ring." he said with a smile. "Or a tongue piercing. Or an eyebrow ring for that matter."

"Would- would you like to?" she asked in a voice that was barely a whisper. She was feeling faint as her heart pounded in her chest.

"Very much." he said as he dipped his face down to hers. His first kiss was light, a test to see how their mouths fit together. The cool metal in her lip was a new sensation for Ben but he didn't think it was particularly bad, just different. He loved the way Lucy caught her breath in a sudden gasp. Before she could recover he kissed her a little harder and sucked her lip between his. He ran his tongue over her plump lower lip and caressed her ring.

Lucy moaned and whimpered as he gently tugged at the ring with his teeth. He released the ring then slid his tongue into her mouth and slipped it over hers. When he encountered her little barbell piercing he played the tip of his tongue over it. He felt her hands land gently on his chest and pull back. He took her hands in his and held them firmly against his chest so she could feel they were healed and it wouldn't hurt him. She moaned again as he sucked her tongue while she ran her fingers over the muscles of his chest and his scars.

He pulled back from her lips and her hands went to his belt. She undid it and the button and zipper on his pants. She looked up at him for permission to push his pants down and he nodded. She slid her hands down over his hips and the pants dropped. His boxers went with them and Lucy gasped again.

"Oh god! You're big!" she said.

He gave her a questioning look. "Is that bad?"

She appeared to be about to hyperventilate so he hugged her to his chest and made shushing sounds.

"Lucy, I want you to know that I won't do anything you are uncomfortable with. If there is something you don't like to do we won't do it. My pleasure depends on my knowing you are happy. If you don't like something please tell me."

After a moment she mumbled something against his chest but it was too quiet and muffled to hear. He pulled back a little to hear her better. "What was that?"

She pressed her face harder against his chest and trembled.

"Lucy, please. You don't have to be scared to speak your mind. Please tell me."

It took a little more time before she finally peered up at him from his chest. "My ass." she whispered.

"Your ass? Oh, you don't like... anal?"

She shuddered and clung to him tighter expecting him to reject her.

"That's ok Lucy. We won't do that. I won't touch you there. Can I squeeze your butt? It's a really pretty butt and I think it needs caresses and squeezes." he said with a smile and she giggled against his chest. He could tell her giggles were just her tension releasing. "So that's a yes to bum cheek squeezing?" More giggles and a definite nod. "Good! How about tonight we just sleep and we leave the rest for later. There's no need to rush. Like I said, we have time."

He walked into the bathroom and went to brush his teeth. Lucy realized she'd left her toiletries in her backpack. Ben noticed and opened a drawer. He pulled out a new toothbrush the hotel supplied and handed it to Lucy. They brushed their teeth together then they climbed into the large bed and shut off the lights. Lucy took off her bra and cuddled up against Ben. She felt his body relax. She felt good that she could do that for him. Tina had let her know that he needed this now. She felt his lips on her forehead and she sighed contentedly, her own body fully relaxing for the first time in years.

Detective Babineaux saw the last light on the top floor of the building across the street go out and cursed under her breath again. First she'd been careless and was almost spotted at the club. Then the fight had broken out and she might have been able to arrest Kirion for causing it but she hadn't been able to get through the crowd fast enough and he got away. The man he'd beaten was so badly bruised from his other assailants there was no point in using him as evidence of Kirion's violence.

She wanted to stay as he might sneak out but she was too exhausted to keep the surveillance going all night. She'd make a mistake that might prove fatal. She'd return early to watch him in the morning.

First things first though. She turned on her phone to see if the Chief Inspector had left her a message asking for her badge or to come in. She was surprised to see no voice mails. She checked her email and spotted a message stating there was evidence on the customs video of a man roughly matching the description of Kirion Rapava. She shook her head and shut her email down. Of course there was. She was standing across the street from his hotel.

The fact that Kirion hadn't contacted her boss proved once more than it was him. Of course his threat to contact the Chief Inspector was empty. He avoided the police at all costs. Couldn't have the authorities looking too closely at him.

Chanel ached for sleep. With a final glance up at the top floor she headed for her apartment.

Ben woke up feeling refreshed and looked down at the woman drooling on his chest. He grinned. Lucy looked as relaxed as he'd ever seen her. Ben glanced at the clock and saw they needed to start their day as the others would soon come calling. He nuzzled Lucy's forehead, leading little kisses across her face and he felt her slowly surfacing.

Lucy pulled her face back from Ben's chest and felt the drool sticking to her. Her eyes flew open and she jerked back looking down at the mess she'd made. Her eyes shot up to Ben in worry but saw he was grinning at her.

"I'm going to make you wear a drool bib when you sleep with me," he teased and her face flushed red with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry," she began to babble.

"I'm teasing. You're not the first to christen my chest with saliva." he grinned. "We need to get cleaned up as we'll likely have guests soon."

Her eyes shot to the living room then she pushed back the sheets and sat up. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned.

Ben was getting his first clear look at her tits and he was definitely impressed. They were larger than he expected for a girl with such a slim build. Small pink nipples with little gold rings were centered on full orbs of soft flesh. She wasn't quite as large as Gabriella but she had a smaller frame so they just looked larger. She saw Ben's admiring look and her face went red again.

"You have beautiful breasts!" Ben said warmly.

"Thank you!" she whispered.

"I'm going to have a shower." He caught himself before he asked her if she'd like to join him as he remembered she was a Sub. It was time to start acting as her Dom. "You will join me. I'll wash you and you'll wash me." He saw he'd gotten it right when her nipples began to stiffen and a small smile showed at the corners of her lips. She dipped her eyes demurely and nodded. He got out of bed and pulled her to her feet. He kissed her, quickly and she gasped as his naked body pressed against her. He looked down.

"Remove those." he said pointing to her pink lace panties.

She blushed again and pushed her panties down. They dropped to her feet and she stepped out of them. Lucy kept her hands in front of her untrimmed pubic hair. This was something that she'd let slide during her time with the bad boy friends. She was embarrassed by the wild growth considering Ben was well groomed in comparison.

"We'll spend a little time on that this morning as the plan is to go shopping today. Go use the toilet and let me know when you are done." Ben said in a commanding tone and Lucy spun in place and rushed into the washroom. Ben waited and soon there was the sound of a flush.

"I'm done."

Ben walked in and stepped into the shower. He held out his hand and she joined him in the large stall. He started the water and got it nice and hot but not scalding. Once the jets started he stepped in and wet his body and hair. He pulled Lucy against him and he ran his hands through her long hair. Her tits felt great squeezed against his chest. He began to respond and Lucy gasped as it began to press up against her. Ben grabbed the soap and washed Lucy's body with a firm but gentle touch. He watched her expression change from timid to completely relaxed.

He washed down her body until he needed to kneel to move down her legs. He washed her pubic area but made sure he didn't get any soap in her. On her, yes, and she was squirming with the tingles he was sending through her body.

He got back to his feet and poured shampoo in his hands and ran it through her hair. He massaged her scalp as he rubbed the shampoo through every strand of her luxurious locks. He also shampooed her pubic hair though that was more just an excuse to drag his fingers through the patch of dark hair between her legs. He repeated the process with the conditioner.

He didn't really touch her in a sexual way but his handling of her body had her completely charged up and dripping wet. Lucy was panting with need.

"Please! I need you inside me! Please!" she whimpered.

"I'm not sure if you're ready for me." he said.

She looked him in the eye and begged. He leaned down and kissed her hard. His tongue slid into her mouth to tangle with hers. He cupped her heavy breasts and gently tugged on the nipple rings until she was moaning constantly. He shut the shower's side jets off as he needed the lubricant he was adding to his cock to remain in place.

He peeled open a packet of lube and rubbed it all over his stiff cock. He gasped when her small hand took a grip on him and stroked him a few times, smearing the lube over its head. Ben lifted her in his arms and positioned himself against her dripping pussy.

"We're going to take this slow." he said firmly as he lowered her onto his cock. He was surprised how easily he was slipping into her depths. She was really wet and not as tight as Tina. When he was halfway in the tightness suddenly began.

"Oh! Ohhhhhh! OH MY GOD! SO BIG!" Lucy groaned as Ben slowed her descent. He lifted her back up and she kissed him feverishly. He reversed direction again and went just a little deeper.

"FFFFFUUUUUUUCCCKKKKK!" Lucy pulled back from Ben's mouth to groan as the thick head of his cock spread her walls open as it forced its way deeper into her body.

Ben lifted her again then sunk more of his cock into her tight channel. She was shaking from the intensity of it and hooked her heels behind his ass to pull him deeper. "Oh Ben! Ben! Ben! Ben! Ben!" she chanted as he filled her completely.

Once he reached bottom he moved one hand up to the hair on the back of her head and he took a firm grip. Her eyes flew open and she looked into his. She was looking for cruelty or sadistic intent. All she found was his hunger for her and she trembled with desire. He dipped his head and caressed her mouth with his. She tried to press her lips harder against his mouth but his grip let him set the pace. She whimpered with need. He sucked her lower lip between his lips and stroked it with his tongue. He moved to her upper lip and nibbled his way from one side to the other. She was almost squealing with desperation for him to kiss her deeper. He was waiting for her to relax her muscles around his cock, a signal that she'd accepted his girth. He captured her tongue and got a grip on the stud. He sucked on her tongue and felt himself slip just a little deeper. She was ready. He released her tongue then lifted her almost all the way off his cock. He slid himself all the way to the bottom in one stroke. Her clit slapped against his pelvis.

"FFFUUUUUUUU-" she gasped.

He did it again. And again, getting faster each time. He was lifting and dropping her, their bodies slapping together. Each time her clit hit Ben she squeaked and her pleasure built. It was already making her head swim. She felt completely under his control and he was making her feel so damn good.

Ben changed the stroke to a short, deep but rapid pounding and Lucy's eyes rolled back as her jaw dropped in a silent scream as this brought her to her peak. She shook through her release.

He slammed it deep once more and pinned Lucy against the wall as he fired his cum up into her body in jet after jet.

"Ohhhhhhhh Ben! I can feel that! Sooooo deep!" she mumbled as her head rested forward against his chest. She squeezed him once more with her heels on his ass but he was as deep as he was going to get.

"I- I'm not on the pill but it isn't my time so we're safe." She huffed once. "Bad time to say that I suppose."

Ben slowly pulled his shrinking cock from the young woman. He tried to let her innocent words roll off but he must have tensed up as she noticed.

"What's wrong?" she asked looking at his face in worry.

"Nothing. It's nothing." He set her gently on her feet and held her steady until her shaky legs could hold her up on their own. "You don't have to worry about me getting you pregnant." He pointed to the lowest bullet scar. "I had a rather unconventional vasectomy." He gave her a grin but it failed to convince. He turned away before he could see the pity in her eyes so he missed the compassion.

Ben washed his hair and Lucy washed his body with the soap as he'd said she would. She helped him rinse off then they got out to dry off.

"I said we'd take care of your grooming and now we will. Do you have any preference as to how much hair we leave?" Ben asked.

Lucy looked up at him and shook her head in a small gesture. He smiled. She was leaving it up to him. She gave him a small smile back.

Ben asked Lucy to sit on the toilet with her legs as wide as she could comfortably keep them. He brought out his hair shears from his kit. He carefully trimmed off the excess pubic hair. He brought out his shaving cream and a fresh razor.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

She looked into his eyes and nodded with a smile.

He lathered her up and gently and carefully shaved her clean. She was biting her lip and trembling when he finished. Her labia were swollen with lust from his touches and he was hard as iron and she had a clear view of it. He cleaned her off and rubbed some bag balm over her skin to ensure it didn't become irritated.

"Oh God! Your hands on my skin feel so good."

He lifted her up onto the counter with her pussy right at the edge. He pushed her legs open and took a close look to ensure he'd done a good job of shaving her. Then he looked her in the eye and ran his tongue across her pussy lips. She cried out with bliss and grabbed his head, keeping it over her pussy. He lapped at her a few more times and dipped his tongue inside her deeply a few times for good measure. Lucy was tossing her head back and forth crying out his name so he sucked her clit between his lips and ran his tongue over it roughly making her jolt with sensation.

He stood up and lifted her in his arms. He carried her to the bed and laid her on it. He grabbed a lube packet and spread it on his hot skin then climbed onto the bed. He lifted her legs towards her chest and ran the length of his cock across her puffy lips spreading the lube across her opening. Then he pulled back and pushed the fat head inside.

The way in was not as tight as the previous time and Ben soon found his cock bottoming out. Lucy's freshly shaved skin felt amazing against his and she was way more sensitive to his deep thrusts now.

"Oh god! Faster! Harder! Oh please!" she moaned.

Ben gave in to her demands and began to drive his cock into her at a brutal pace. He kept this up until he felt Lucy's body tense up. She threw her head back against the pillows and began to make unintelligible sounds as she crested again and again. Ben's orgasm struck fast and he exploded into her once more. He closed his eyes and rode out his pleasure as he felt Lucy rocking through her own.

When they both came down from their peaks Ben pulled himself out and they made their way back to the washroom to clean up. He suggested she use more bag balm to treat the shaved area again.

"We should get dressed and meet the others for breakfast." he said.

Lucy bit her lip and looked at him. "My clothes are in Megan's room."

He leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly and felt her melt against him. When he pulled back he handed her his bathrobe. "Bring it back when you are done."

She smiled at him and put the oversized gown on and cinched the belt tight. She picked up her underwear and dress and put her shoes on. She looked back at him and he smiled at her. She wore a special smile of her own as she slipped from his room.

Chapter 4

Rachel jolted up to a seated position from a sound sleep. Her mind cast around for the reason for waking her so abruptly. She saw it was morning. Beautiful sunlight was pouring through the sheer drapes. Tina's bed was empty.

Then she heard it. Someone was throwing up in the washroom. Tina obviously. She'd better make sure she was ok.

Rachel threw off her covers and slid out of her wonderfully comfy bed. She was definitely feeling spoiled so far on this trip. Luxury accommodations, spa treatments, delicious gourmet foods, dance clubs and best of all, all expenses paid.

As if that wasn't great enough, she got to kiss Ben! Twice!

God! He was a great kisser!

She'd replayed those kisses over and over in her head last night. Sure, she would have loved to have tasted his mouth and felt his tongue taste hers but these were good night kisses and slipping him the tongue would have been a mistake. She and Sophia had spent some time texting the twins to find out how they'd managed to overcome Ben's resistance and the short answer was patience. Take it slow and override his memories of their youth with new images of their current state. Sophia and she had launched a plan to get Ben to see them as potential bed mates. The good night kiss was just the first salvo in that battle.

She knocked gently on the bathroom door. "Tina, are you OK?"

There was a flush then she heard the sink. A few seconds later the door opened and Tina was there looking a little pale, which considering her normally light skin tone was a little shocking.

"Seriously, are you OK?" Rachel asked.

Tina nodded then went back to bed. Rachel followed her and felt her forehead once she was under the covers. She didn't feel warm but her mom would be a better judge. She pulled on her dressing gown and headed over to her mother's door. She knocked and a few seconds later her mother opened it. Of course she was already dressed and ready for the day. Sophia walked up behind her. She was also dressed. Morning people. Ugh.

"Good morning sweet pea," Catherine greeted her middle child.

"Morning mom. Can you come take a look at Tina? She was throwing up this morning." Rachel said.

"Morning sickness?" Sophia quipped.

Catherine scowled at her eldest. "Don't even joke! I told you Ben was sterile. He's still a little sensitive about that." She glanced to see if Ben was within earshot.

She followed Rachel back to her room and walked over to the side of Tina's bed. The woman's eyes were closed and she was breathing softly so she was asleep. Catherine gently felt her forehead and didn't detect a fever. She moved back to the room's entranceway and gestured for her daughters to follow.

"Did you see what Tina had for dinner last night?" she asked.

Sophia answered. "She had the same pasta dish I had and I feel fine!"

"She was feeling a little under the weather before dinner." Rachel offered.

"Was she throwing up during the night?" the mother asked.

Sophia snorted. "You're asking the wrong girl. Rachel would sleep through an earthquake!"

Rachel just stuck out her tongue at her sister but shrugged to her mom.

"Well... let's let her sleep for now. Go have your shower and get dressed. I'm going to go speak with Gabriella. Maybe we can get a doctor in."

Catherine and Sophia walked over to Gabriella's room and knocked. Moments later Miriam opened the door, all smiles. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Miriam! Is Gabriella up?" Catherine asked with a grin.

"Very amusing, Cat." Gabriella said as she approached the door. She was also ready to head downstairs for breakfast.

"Tina's sick. Throwing up but no fever. We don't think it was from dinner last night as Sophia ate the same dish and Tina was not feeling well before dinner. I think we should call in a doctor." Cat said to bring her friend up to speed.

Gabriella immediately turned around and picked up the phone. She spoke to the front desk and asked for them to arrange a doctor to come in. She was assured they would send one up within the hour.

"Ok, a doctor will be coming soon. Less than an hour they said." Gabriella informed the group. She turned to her daughter. "I'm sure it's nothing so let's not mention this to Ben until the doctor confirms that, alright." Miriam nodded, pleased to be included in an adult situation for once.

There was a knock on the door. Cat opened it and saw Ben was standing there smiling.

"Ready for breakfast?" he asked.

"Not everyone yet. Why don't you head down and get your breakfast with those who are ready. Can you take Daniel down? I know he's famished."

"Sure! See you down there." Ben said. Miriam rushed to his side and grabbed his hand and Sophia put her arm through his other arm. Catherine eyed her daughter suspiciously as the door closed.

Catherine looked over at Gabriella and raised her eyebrow. "With Ben's memory loss events I'd rather not subject him to strong emotional impacts. No sense in worrying Ben just yet." Gabriella said with a frown. Her friend nodded.

She followed Catherine over to Tina's room. Their keys opened all of the rooms as did Ben's. She'd given Tina's room number for the doctor so they went inside. Rachel was just finishing up in the washroom. She walked out and looked over at her sleeping roommate.

"We've called for a doctor to check on her just in case. Can you check on Megan and head down to breakfast with Ben and the rest? No mention of the doctor to Ben yet, OK?" Catherine said. The two mothers got comfortable for the wait.

Rachel nodded, left her room and she knocked on Megan's door. Her sister opened it.

"Are you ready for breakfast?" Rachel asked.

"Lucy is just about done. I loaned her some clothes as everything she has needs a wash." Megan replied.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Why didn't you give Ben a kiss on the lips last night?" Rachel asked her sister.

"I- I just don't feel that way about Ben. I mean, I think he's gorgeous and I like to tease him and hear the stories about him but when I saw you two making plans for him I realized I didn't want that. I really like him but I don't want him that way. I don't want to change what we have. You know?" Megan said, trying to explain her feelings.

"Yeah, I get it. I can respect that."

Lucy came out of the washroom wearing Megan's cute little red shorts and a dark blue top which was never meant to hide tits as large as Lucy's. Rachel snorted and smiled.

"Well we're going shopping for clothes so Lucy can get a brand new wardrobe with shirts that fit her... generous bust." Megan responded to her sister's snort while pouting enviously at Lucy.

They both saw how gingerly the woman was walking then they saw the glow on her face. Simultaneously their eyes widened and they dropped their jaws.

"YOU HAD SEX WITH BEN!" Rachel gasped. "Out with it! We want details!" The sisters gathered close.

"Tina's orders are to be discreet. So, sorry!" Lucy said with an impish smile.

The sisters groaned and Lucy shrugged but her smile stayed in place.

They left the room and passed the doctor stepping off the elevator as they headed down to the restaurant serving breakfast.

Gabriella answered the knock on the door and let the doctor in.

"Bonjour. Je suis docteur Paquin. Où est mon patient?" the slight, older gentleman asked. She led him over to the bed.

"This is Tina Lee. She doesn't speak French. She was feeling unwell yesterday and this morning she was throwing up." Gabriella said. She moved back as the doctor examined Tina. She heard Tina quietly answering the doctor's questions. After a few minutes of this he turned back to them.

"Would it be possible for one of you to pick up an item for Tina in the pharmacy across the street?" he asked.

"Certainly, doctor. What is it?" Gabriella asked.

"A home pregnancy test. Any brand will do." he said with a smile.

Gabriella and Catherine rocked back and stared at the doctor, then Tina who had turned her face away from them.

"Did I say something wrong?" the man said, his smile falling from his face.

Gabriella was first to recover. "No, I'm sorry. I'll be right back." She nodded at Catherine to stay with Tina.

Ben had finished his breakfast and was just enjoying the ambiance of the restaurant and the happy chatter of his group around him. Miriam was glowing with happiness and even Daniel was acting his age, meaning like a kid for once. It was good to see him laughing and teasing his sister.

Sophia was looking very pretty in a yellow sun dress and smiled at his appreciation. Rachel was wearing a sheer white blouse over a sky blue skirt and he caught the outline of her bra under the fabric before he turned away embarrassed at himself for looking. Megan was more casually dressed with a red button down blouse over blue short shorts which showed off her legs. Again he pulled his eyes away only to settle them on Lucy's tits which were trying to escape from her shirt. She caught him staring and he blushed as she pulled her shoulders back slightly for his enjoyment. He could see the impression of the small nipple rings against the fabric and he began to respond. She had a coy smile on her face as Ben pushed back from the table. He turned to Sophia.

"It looks like I'll have time to pick up something before we go. I'll meet you back here in a minute." Ben nodded to the others and stood awkwardly due to his reaction to Lucy's display. Her grin went up a few notches.

As he made his way out of the lobby he wondered what was taking Gabriella, Catherine and Tina. He'd check on them when he returned from the pharmacy.

The sky was blue and the air was cool but he fully expected it to get much warmer. He'd dressed in light clothes as he expected to be carrying quite a few bags today. He made his way into the pharmacy and grabbed a basket. He headed straight for the aisle where the condoms were. He found the lube and dropped a few boxes of the individual packs as well as a jar of the stuff. Then he headed over to the aisle for shaving stuff. He needed to get Lucy a pack of fresh disposable razors, special shaving gel like his, and something to prevent skin irritation.

They had the special gels on the bottom shelf so he had to squat down. He heard the door chime then the distinct sound of Gabriella's voice as she spoke to the cashier by the door. He didn't quite catch what she said but the tone of her voice set off his nerves. He slowly walked to the front of the store as she rushed back into the aisles, grabbed something and rushed back to the cashier. Ben was just about to the front and saw what she placed on the counter. His mind blanked momentarily and when he returned she was gone.

He paid for his items and took the bag in his hand as he rushed back to the hotel. He wasn't sure why he was rushing but there was an urgency he couldn't deny. He went straight to the elevators and up to their floor. He knocked on Gabriella's door and waited but she didn't answer. Then he knocked on Catherine's door but she didn't respond. He turned and stiffly walked over to Tina's door. There was a roaring in his ears as he heard voices inside. He stood there unmoving. Minutes passed then he used his key to open the door and step inside. He saw Gabriella and Catherine looking at him with surprise and worry on their faces.

There was a strange man in the room with his back to him. Ben took in a doctor's bag on the bed. The man turned and there was Tina looking dazed and pale holding a pregnancy test in her hand.

"Ce est le père?" At Ben's blank look he spoke again. "Are you the father?"

Ben was crashing into the elevator slapping at the ground floor button. There were shrill voices behind him but he couldn't make out what they were saying over the roaring in his head. There could have been crying but his confusion was keeping him from comprehending the sounds. The doors finally opened and Ben surged out of the elevator and raced through the lobby and out into the street. He didn't know why he was running. All he knew was that something horribly painful was behind him and he had to keep out in front of it.

Megan saw Ben run through the lobby and glanced at Sophia. She held up her phone and set off after Ben in a sprint. She spotted him running down the street to the right in the direction of the Seine. She raced after him, keeping him in sight but not so close as he saw her. Then she spotted the woman in front of her who also seemed to be running after Ben.

She saw him stop at a corner and look in all directions. She and the woman both ducked for cover when his head turned in their direction. That confirmed for Megan that the woman was chasing Ben. She looked out again and saw Ben turn left and she and the woman rushed forward. Megan made sure the woman didn't see her as she turned the corner then ducked around the corner to see Ben far ahead and the woman picking up her pace to keep up. Megan also ran faster and soon she saw Ben reach the walkway next to the lovely river. He seemed to be leaning over a trash receptacle... oh. He was being sick. Maybe he had what Tina had? She began to really worry.

Gabriella pushed out of the elevator with Catherine and saw Sophia standing in the lobby.

"Did you see Ben?" she gasped.

"Yeah, he ran right through the lobby and outside." Before Gabriella could move to give chase Sophia put a hand on her arm. "You'll never catch him at this point. He was moving too fast." Gabriella looked like she was going to collapse so Sophia took her shoulders and looked in her eyes. "Don't worry, Megan went after him and she has her cell. She's the only one of us who could keep up with him and she'll keep him in sight."

Gabriella looked up hopefully and hugged Sophia. The rest of the group exited the restaurant and Gabriella indicated they needed to go upstairs. "Come on. Everyone brush their teeth so we can be ready to go when Ben gets back." she said. They headed to the elevator.

Megan watched Ben walk along the sidewalk next to the Seine. He looked from side to side occasionally like he was lost and she suddenly realized he was. She increased her pace until she was up to the woman following him.

"Why are you following Ben?" she barked and the woman spun to look at her.

"Who are you to ask me that?" the woman growled back.

"I'm Ben's friend, who watched you following him all the way from the hotel." Megan growled back.

"Oh, you are one of his bitches. Piss off little girl. I'm working here." the woman sneered and looked away.

"If you are working the street I guess that makes you a whore." Megan snapped.

The tall brunette spun to look at her with rage in her eyes. She slapped Megan's cheek, hard enough to daze her and knock her onto her butt.

"HEY!"

She spun to see her quarry running towards her so she turned and ran. It wasn't time to confront Kirion, yet.

Megan sat on the sidewalk holding her cheek and rolling her jaw side to side as Ben arrived. He knelt down to see if she was ok just as her phone buzzed with an incoming text. She picked up the phone and saw it was from Sophia. She replied all was good.

"Are you ok?" Ben asked turning her face to see the bruise coming up on Megan's cheek. He pulled out his phone and took a picture of the bruise. Then he noticed he had texts. From Gabriella. Why did he suddenly feel so nervous?

"Ben? Ben!" Megan was calling his name.

"Huh? What?" he said.

"Let's sit down on this bench and catch our breath for a bit ok?" she asked. He looked around and saw nothing familiar.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"A couple of miles from the hotel." she responded as they sat. "Just close your eyes and breathe. Relax."

He immediately did as he was told and she blinked. He must be in a suggestible state. "Can you hear my voice clearly, Ben?"

"Yes."

"The sun feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does."

"We should just rest here for a bit and relax. Can we do that?"

"Sure."

Megan began to text furiously.

Gabriella and Catherine were in Tina's room and she was crying inconsolably on her bed. The doctor was sitting on the end of her bed as Gabriella asked him to stay when Tina had said the baby was Ben's. She knew Ben was sterile so she needed the doctor to explain this to Tina so maybe they could get the truth from the woman. She and Catherine were stunned. While Ben had no reason to expect fidelity from any of them the last person they thought would find another partner was Tina. The doctor estimated she was likely six weeks along and from what Catherine had said, their flight over was the first time Ben had been able to have sex with anyone since his hospital stay.

"Tina, you need to tell us the truth. Ben is sterile. He hasn't had sex until this trip. It can't be his."

Tina rolled over angrily and glared at Gabriella. "I have not had sex with ANYONE but BEN!"

"He was on medication for weeks after the stabbing. Barely conscious most of the time. He couldn't have had sex with you!" Catherine pushed.

Tina's face looked stricken and they thought she was going to confess the name of her other lover.

"I had sex with Ben when he was sleeping." she whispered, her face flushing with shame.

"What?" Gabriella was confused. How was that even possible? Catherine just sat looking at Tina with her jaw open.

"The drugs made him sleep but he would become so hard and I was so desperate to be with him. He had died. I was so scared I'd never be with him again. So I climbed on him and was careful not to press on his chest. But I had sex with him every day for weeks like this. Sometimes... twice a day." She looked down. "I feel bad for doing this while he was sleeping but I needed him so much! Needed to be with him." Her shame was plain to see on her face.

"But... but Ben is sterile. He said he had a low sperm count to start with and then he was shot and the doctor said the bullet cut his cords." Gabriella mumbled.

The doctor perked up. "Has he been tested?"

All of the ladies looked at him. "What?" Gabriella asked.

"Has he been to a fertility clinic to be tested? I believe your doctor was full of shit. You are all so excited about guns! Take your man to a fertility clinic to have him tested. Tell the clinic he has a low count so they check very carefully. The doctor probably did not check sufficiently. A low sperm count doesn't mean you can't get pregnant. It just means it can be exceptionally difficult to get pregnant. Taking steps as Ms. Lee did may have increased her odds just enough. Once the child is born a paternity test will prove who the father is." He smiled at the stunned women. "If that is everything I must be on my way. Good luck to you all." With that he gathered his bag and left.

The room was silent except for the occasional sniff from Tina.

"Ben's going to be a father." Gabriella finally said. Tina's face burst into a smile as she heard her friend confirming her belief in her. Gabriella held open her arms and Tina was in them instantly. Catherine threw her arms around both her friends and they all cried tears of joy together.

Once they got control of themselves again Gabriella smiled at Tina. "We have to get Ben to take that test. He needs to believe it too. Whatever happened to him in his past has done some damage to his mind. He needs to see that psychiatrist we all hate so she can help him heal. Shocks like this need to be delivered gently. Not from him bursting into the room."

"Where is Ben?" Tina asked quietly.

"Can you get Sophia?" Gabriella asked Catherine who jumped to her feet and rushed to the door. Sophia and Rachel almost fell into the room from listening at the door. Their mother scowled at them then dragged them inside. Miriam, Lucy, and Daniel followed.

Once everyone was inside Gabriella addressed them. "We have some wonderful news! Tina is going to have Ben's baby!" There was a collective gasp though Daniel seemed more surprised at everyone's reaction to the news than the news itself.

Sophia looked the most stunned. "I thought you said he was sterile!" she squeaked.

Catherine glared at her, catching on that Sophia may have intended to bed Ben herself. "We believe the doctor who diagnosed that was wrong and that Ben just has a very low count. Extremely difficult to get pregnant... but not impossible." she said staring at both daughters now who had the good grace to blush guiltily.

"We are going to take Ben to be tested which shouldn't take too long. The rest of you should head out to the shopping district I told you about and if you find anything you like you can either buy it and hang onto the receipt to be reimbursed or just have the store set it aside. We will join you and pick up the on hold items then. OK?" Gabriella said.

There were smiles and nods and everyone came forward to hug Tina whose pale face was pink with embarrassment and joy. Lucy was last and her hug was the longest. She leaned in to whisper in Tina's ear. "You are so lucky! He is a wonderful man!" She was recalling Ben's words that very morning and the pain he'd tried to hide. Now that he had a child with Tina there would be no need for her. He would be complete.

Tina read the woman's body language as only another Sub could and pulled her in tight and fiercely whispered in her ear. "You will NOT hurt our man by abandoning him. He will need us more than ever. Do you understand me?" she growled for only Lucy to hear.

Lucy started. She felt overwhelmed by Tina's fierce devotion to Ben and how she was including Lucy in their relationship. She blinked away her tears and Tina pushed her back a little to look in her eyes. "You will be there for him?" Tina asked quietly. Lucy nodded and smiled, her heart overflowing with love for the woman in her arms. She leaned forward and kissed Tina which made the woman blink in surprise. Lucy pulled back and blushed. The room was silent with embarrassed glances going everywhere but at Lucy. Daniel was grinning at everyone's shocked looks. Gabriella smiled and so did Catherine.

"Welcome to the family, Lucy." Gabriella said.

Sophia felt her cell buzz and looked at it. "I've got a message from Megan. Ben's ok but she needs help getting him back to the hotel as he seems to be confused. She said he's in some kind of trance state. She has him sitting on a bench along the Seine relaxing in the sun. She sent me a map." She showed the picture to Gabriella who nodded.

"I know where that is. I'll go get them. The rest of you can go shopping and we will connect up with you soon. Daniel, keep an eye on your sister please." Miriam whined a little and Daniel puffed up importantly. Miriam and Gabriella shared a look and a smile when Daniel's back was turned.

Gabriella looked at Tina. "Maybe you should have a shower and get dressed. You need to accompany us to the clinic with Ben." Tina nodded and carried some clothes into the washroom and shut the door. Gabriella looked to her friend. "Catherine, I'll be right back... How are you doing?" she asked when she saw a sad little look in her eyes.

"Ben's going to be a daddy. Do you think that will affect how he feels about us?" she said, trembling.

"No. Remember, Ben's love just keeps getting bigger, broader, and stronger. He loves us. Never doubt that." she smiled at her friend who pulled her in for a fierce hug.

"You remember that I love you too!" Catherine whispered.

"I love you back. Now I have to go get Ben. Please ask the concierge to find us the address of the nearest fertility clinic." Gabriella said and left the room. She got a taxi when she exited the hotel and directed him over to the spot where Megan and Ben were enjoying the sun. She had the taxi wait while she walked over to the bench. Megan smiled at her as they looked at Ben's relaxed face. He seemed to still be in that trance state Megan mentioned. She wondered if this was something Ben's psychiatrist had taught him to do as a defense mechanism. She was going to have to call Hannah to ask her to speak to the woman about Ben's recent behavior. She looked to the relaxed man.

"Hello, Ben." Gabriella said.

"Hello, Gabriella." he replied without opening his eyes.

"You need to come with me now."

"I'm... I'm not sure I can." he said.

"You can. Do you trust me?" she asked.

He paused. "Yes, I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"I know I surprised you but everything is going to be fine."

"OK."

"I need you to come with us. Time to wake up."

"OK."

He opened his eyes and saw Gabriella. "Hi."

"Hi Ben. Let's go." She held out her hand and he took it. She walked back to the taxi and the three of them got in with Ben in the middle. They went back to the hotel and Megan went inside to get her mother and Tina.

A few minutes later they all came out and Catherine got in next to Ben while Tina got in the front passenger side. Megan was taking another taxi to the shopping district to meet up with the others.

Catherine gave the driver a new address and off they went.

Twenty minutes later they paid the driver and climbed out of the taxi in front of a tall white modern looking building. They went inside and went up to the fourth floor to the clinic's reception area. There was only one other couple in the waiting room and they were called into the back as Gabriella signed Ben in.

Tina desperately wanted to hold Ben's hand, hug him, just make physical contact with him but Catherine had warned her that they needed Ben to remain calm so he could do the test. After the test she would get a chance to explain how she had gotten pregnant from him. She said that she didn't think he would be too upset about that part.

He started to fidget as he became more aware of his surroundings and who was with him. Memories began to resurface.

Fifteen minutes later Gabriella brought Ben into the doctor's office. He was looking very uncomfortable by this point and it was only her assurances that kept him from bolting.

She made the introductions and they took their seats. As Ben couldn't speak French the doctor graciously spoke English though he was a little rusty.

"Are you wishing to have baby?" the man asked.

"What we need to confirm is Ben's sperm count-"

"I'm sterile." he blurted.

"We aren't sure of that. We need to find out for sure." Gabriella said gently. She turned to the doctor. "Years ago Ben was tested and they indicated at that time that his count was very low. Years after that test Ben was shot and a doctor told him that the bullet had severed his tubes like a vasectomy. We have evidence that this may have been a misdiagnosis. We need to see if he is sterile or just has a very low count."

"We can do this. It is simple." The doctor got up and left the room. He came back in seconds to hand them a sample collection bottle. "Provide a sample. Private rooms in the hall. We will test," he smiled.

Gabriella walked out into the reception area with Ben and looked at Catherine. "We need a sample from Ben." She raised an eyebrow and Catherine grinned. She got up and took the bottle from Gabriella's fingers and led Ben into the hall.

There were multiple rooms and none of them were occupied. Looking in both directions the coast was clear so she opened a door and pushed Ben in, following him. She set the lock on the door and they looked around the small room. There was a selection of adult magazines in a rack on the wall, a bench against the far wall, a sink for washing your hands with antibacterial soap, a paper towel dispenser, and a garbage can. The room smelled slightly antiseptic but better that than otherwise. She undid the top of the collection bottle and set it down atop the paper towel dispenser. Then she turned to Ben.

He looked at her nervously. "Now Ben we need to collect as large a sample as we can get so I'm going to help you. Do you have any of those lubricant packets with you?"

"Yes." He reached into a pocket and pulled out three.

"One should do." she said and placed the packets on the dispenser next to the bottle. Then she stepped up to Ben and reached behind his head to pull him down to her mouth. She kissed him deeply and crushed her body against his. She felt him respond as his tongue stroked across hers and his hands found their way to her back. He pulled her tighter against him and she felt his cock growing in his pants as it pressed against her. She moaned into his mouth as his hands reached her ass and squeezed her cheeks.

She pulled back from his body and grabbed one of the lubricant packets. She knelt down before him and rubbed her face against his bulge and looked up at him with need in her eyes. She undid his belt and pants and let them fall. Then she tugged his boxers down and his thick cock bounced free. She wanted to take him in her mouth so badly but she wasn't sure if that would spoil the sample so she just pressed her lips to the side of the shaft and Ben groaned his pleasure.

Cat squeezed the lube out on her palm then stroked his cock rubbing the slick gel all over the shaft and just a little way onto the head. She picked up the sample bottle and set it on the bench next to her so she could get to it fast when she needed it. Then she began stroking him quickly. She looked up at Ben's face and saw the bliss on it. He was rapidly approaching his orgasm.

She picked up the bottle with one hand and held it close to the head of his cock as she pumped the shaft faster and faster. Ben was panting and gasping so she finished him off by sucking one of his large balls into her mouth and running her tongue over it.

"Oh fuck, Catherine! I'm going to cum!" Ben grunted and she rubbed her thumb in circles on the sensitive skin just under the head. He moaned as stream after stream of cum shot out into the bottle.

Catherine squeezed out the last drops. She put the lid on the bottle and saw he'd filled two thirds of it. She smiled and set the container up on the dispenser. Then she looked down at Ben's cock which was still showing excellent firmness. She bit her lip and looked up at Ben's eyes. He was looking back with real heat. She popped the button on her shorts and shimmied them down her hips along with her panties.

Ben stepped forward and spun Catherine around. She grabbed the edge of the sink and bent at the waist. When Ben's tongue swept across her pussy her legs almost gave out and she gasped loudly. She was so fucking wet. She waited for Ben's tongue but his fat cock pushed deeply into her instead making her moan aloud.

"Oh fuck yes! Ben! Fuck me!" Cat moaned.

Ben held her hips and started driving his cock into Catherine with long fast strokes, slapping her ass with his pelvis. The room filled with the sounds of wet slaps, Ben's grunts and Catherine's whimpering and moaning. She slid her fingers over her clit in quick little circles as he pounded her ass again and again.

"OHMIGOD FUCK BEN! I'M CUMMING! OH FUCK!" Catherine yelled as Ben drove himself harder. The morning's frustrations and emotional turmoil boiled over for Ben. The noises became louder and Ben growled menacingly as his orgasm took him. Catherine looked over her shoulder at Ben in surprise as he was never this loud and it sent a thrill through her. His fat cock was buried deep in her body and she felt so completely full and so damn sexy. Ben released her hips as his arms fell to his side. He pulled his cock slowly from her pussy and Catherine's body shook through an aftershock.

When he was free he sat on the bench with his erection pointing skyward. Catherine turned around to face him and saw he was still hard. She hesitated as she was a little sore from his aggressive pounding. She moved to take care of him but he waved her off. He stood and washed his cock with cold water in the sink then dried himself off with paper towels while Catherine tidied herself and straightened her clothes.

As he tucked himself back into his pants Catherine saw he was still hard. She looked at Ben's frustrated expression and bit her lip. He glanced at her and saw she was ready with the bottle in her hand so he pushed the door open. He stepped out and jolted to a stop when he saw a woman in clinic scrubs leaning up against the wall across the hall from their room. Her eyes were closed and she had her fingers inside her top pinching a nipple while her other hand was inside the waistband of her pants rapidly flicking away. She seemed to be right on the edge of her own orgasm. Ben growled and her eyes shot open as she gasped and squealed through a sudden release. He strode away and walked into the waiting room of the fertility clinic with Catherine at his heels.

The room was no longer empty. At least five couples sat waiting aside from Gabriella and Tina who were both red faced. Ben sat down next to Gabriella as Catherine handed his sample to the flustered nurse who rushed in after them. She couldn't take her eyes off Ben. Catherine rushed back to Ben's side, sat next to him and took his hand.

Two women were glaring at their husbands with looks of resentment while the men glared at Ben.

Gabriella leaned over. "Didn't you realize those rooms weren't soundproof?" He gave a brief shake of his head then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to try to relax. His erection was still evident against his pants. This just made the men glare more and the women fixate on him. Fifteen minutes later Ben's name was called and he and Gabriella stood up to go see the doctor again. She turned back and gestured for Catherine and Tina to join them. When the couples saw Ben was with all three woman he received more resentful glares from the men and more interested looks from their wives.

They sat across from the doctor again and he was all smiles as he looked at the group.

"Ah, ok. Have you had sex or masturbated recently? This will reduce the count somewhat. That said, Mr. Shepherd, the original diagnosis you had was correct. You have a very low count and their motility is a little slower tha-"

"WAIT! WHAT?" Ben interrupted sitting forward, his mind was spinning. He was expecting to hear the number zero. Nothing else made sense.

The doctor looked at him. "You have a very low count. Making a woman pregnant through natural insemination would be extremely difficult."

"But not impossible." Gabriella asked, shaken by the idea that she'd had unprotected sex with Ben... multiple times.

Catherine was thinking of the sex she'd JUST had. Her eyes were wide then she realized her timing was good as she wasn't in a fertile stage. She relaxed... a little.

The doctor hesitated. "I do not wish to give false hope. I recommend artificial insemination. We can do this."

"Tina is pregnant. She has only had sex with Ben." Gabriella began and Ben's head whipped around to look at her then Tina.

"We only just had sex on the flight over-" he began.

"I had sex with you while you were recovering from the stabbing. While you slept!" Tina blurted then began to cry in shame. Catherine put her arm around her.

The doctor looked completely confused. "Who is the wife here?"

"None of us... but we're all with Ben." Gabriella said. "Tina had sex with Ben when he was recovering from an injury. He was medicated and often unconscious. He would get erections and Tina would... avail herself of them as she was distraught over almost losing Ben to his injuries. She desperately needed the closeness. She did this for weeks at least once a day but sometimes twice. Doctor, in your medical opinion, would that increase her chances of conceiving.

He looked at Tina as did Ben. Tina was looking at Ben with a desperate need in her eyes and Ben was shaking.

Gabriella looked at the doctor who was sitting with a stunned expression on his face. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, well, I- uh... yes, it would... a little." he stumbled through his answer.

Ben's arms opened and Tina was in them in a blink of an eye. She cried with the release of tension. Ben kissed her forehead and hugged her.

Gabriella switched to French to allow the doctor to respond more completely. "Why would Ben's doctor have diagnosed him as being sterile after he was shot?" she asked him.

"I don't know the specifics but sperm count can temporarily drop after a traumatic event to the body, such as a severe physical injury like being shot. With a count this low immediately afterwards if they were not properly observant his count may have appeared to be zero. Again, I would have to see the medical records to say for certain."

Ben was looking questioningly at Gabriella. "He said your doctor might have diagnosed you as having a count of zero as it might have dropped to that because of the trauma of the shooting. But it would have been temporary." she said.

Ben was rocked back by that news.

The doctor looked at Ben. "Your count is still very low and your motility is not as good as it should be. Your odds of impregnating a woman even at her peak fertility is very slim. Not impossible as has been proven, it seems. Are you two interested in intra-utero or in vitro insemination?" he said looking between Gabriella and Catherine.

"No!" they said in unison then looked guiltily at Ben.

"Please, I don't expect you to want more kids. I'm not even sure what Tina's opinion is." he blurted then looked down at Tina.

"May I keep it? I want to have your baby." she asked quietly, looking up at him with hope in her eyes.

Ben smiled and tears sprung to his eyes and dripped down his cheeks as his emotions overwhelmed him. He nodded and kissed her. He then smiled at Gabriella and Catherine as well. "I never thought I'd hear those words again or see it actually happen." he said with a voice rough with emotion.

Gabriella stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you very much Doctor!"

Catherine jumped up with a grin and leaned across his desk to kiss the doctor on both cheeks.

Ben stood up and set Tina down on her feet. He shook the doctor's hand then they all walked out. Ben held Tina's hand and drew even more ire from the husbands in the waiting room. Once they were on the street Ben stopped the group. He gathered the three women in a circle and looked at each of them with a troubled expression.

"I just- I just want to apologize for my behavior this morning. I- I don't recall some of it..." That drew worried glances from the women. "...but I do recall I wasn't angry or jealous. I have no reason to expect exclusivity from any of you. That would be horribly hypocritical of me and it just wasn't the case. I- I was running to escape the pain of knowing I'd failed you and you were unable to be honest with me. I was afraid to face the truth that I'm not worthy of you." Ben said with a look of pain on his face. He was suddenly enveloped by three tight hugs. "I love you so much!" he said.

Once they'd gotten control of themselves Gabriella and Catherine pulled back from Ben but Tina sagged against him. Her reserves were depleted and she still looked a little pale. "I think we'd better take Tina back to the hotel. This morning sickness is hitting her badly. Did this happen with your first pregnancy? " Gabriella asked her.

Tina nodded.

Ben scooped her up in his arms and they made their way over to the taxi stand.

Sophia and Rachel were going through a rack of lovely blouses in a quaint little shop on a beautiful tree lined street in Paris. They never imagined they would ever get to do this and the experience was living up to their dreams. Young Miriam was near the back of the shop waiting to try something on. Sophia was keeping tabs on the group with text messages to their cell phones. As eldest, that was her responsibility. She'd received a text from Megan asking where she was as she was on her way to them.

She knew Daniel and Lucy were watching a street performer two doors down, Lucy acting as guardian for their youngest member, protecting him from nimble fingers in the crowd while he watched the show. Her experience with living at street level in Europe was coming in handy. She said she didn't mind watching Daniel as she was feeling a little worn out from this morning.

Rachel told her that Lucy had been with Ben all night and they'd had sex. Apparently Tina had instructed Lucy not to divulge details so there was no juicy information forthcoming.

Sophia sighed in frustration and worry and her sister looked over at her.

"What?"

"Now that Ben's going to be a father I don't know how that's going to change his behavior. He may not be willing to 'share' so our plan to get him into bed may be over. Worse, he might not want to be with Mom anymore and that's going to hurt her as she really loves him." She banged out a quick text to her mother asking her to let them know how it went at the clinic and how Ben was treating her now that Tina was having his child.

Sophia tried to push that aside and enjoy shopping but the worry for her mother wouldn't leave her mind. She told her sister she was going out to see how Lucy and Daniel were doing.

She found them easily enough. Daniel was still watching the show and Lucy was keeping her eye on him while avoiding the paws of the two creeps who were not taking no for an answer. She named them Skinny and Beard. Neither looked like they belonged in this neighborhood... or France for that matter. Considering the kind of shopper that frequented this area they probably preyed on the tourists. She got closer and saw Lucy calmly telling the skinny one 'No' one more time as she deflected his wandering hands.

"Hey! Shit for brains! She's saying FUCK OFF but in a polite way." Sophia growled loudly. Skinny turned to face her and pulled out a switch blade.

"Fuck you, American Cunt!"

That's when Megan kicked him in the balls from behind. Sophia watched Skinny's eyes roll back and he collapsed to the ground dropping his knife in the process. Two policemen arrived and disarmed Beard before he could advance on Megan with his own knife. They said nothing to the ladies as they zip tied Skinny and Beard, collected the weapons and dragged the thugs away.

"I like the service of these policemen in France. Scoop up the bad guys and cart them away! No fuss!" Megan grinned at Sophia.

Her older sister was frowning. "That was a little odd though. They didn't even ask us for a statement." She turned to Lucy. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. You didn't need to do that. They would have gotten bored eventually and left." she said quietly.

Sophia looked at Lucy and realized she was probably right. It just pissed her off to see these punks trying to get away with that bad behavior.

"And miss the opportunity to nail that misogynistic bastard in his marbles? Not a chance!" Megan grinned at Lucy.

"Nice timing by the way." Sophia said to Megan.

"I told you, born under a lucky star." she said and bowed. "Are you done shopping? If so, can I take Lucy with me? She needs new clothes!"

"Sure, I'll wait for Mom." Sophia said and took over watching Daniel who wandered back to her.

"You know, Lucy was right. She had the situation under control. She's lived here long enough to know how to deal with the locals." The young man looked up at Sophia who looked at him and nodded. He was much more mature than he looked.

"Yeah, I know but don't you think there should be less tolerance for that bad behavior?"

"Yes, but you can't force good behavior on people. That kind of change needs to come from inside." he replied.

Sophia's eyebrows went up as she contemplated his words. He glanced past her and his eyes lit up. "Is that a Chocolate shop?" he said pointing. She looked and smiled. Yes, it was. "Let's go!"

Gabriella, Catherine and Ben were making their way to the rest of their group in a taxi. It had taken a concerted effort by all three women to get Ben to leave Tina alone in her room. All she wanted to do was sleep for a few hours so she would feel rested enough to have dinner with them when they got back. Now that she knew what was making her feel like this, she relaxed.

Tina didn't want Ben sitting in the dark while she slept. She had a cell phone to call them if she needed them and she could call the front desk for anything else. So out he went!

Ben sat between the two women in the taxi and held their hands. His mind was spinning. Gabriella smiled at Catherine across Ben's chest and she returned it. Ben was like a boy on Christmas morning. Full of anticipation and fidgeting. He lifted their hands to his mouth and caressed their knuckles with his lips.

"Ben! Stop that!" Gabriella gasped as sparks shot through her body. She heard Cat moan from her own pleasure. Gabriella's face flushed and he leaned over and took her mouth with his. She melted under his passionate kiss and when he pulled back she was breathless and her heart was racing.

Ben turned to Cat and she leaned up to meet his lips. They tasted each other and slowly pulled back.

When he'd gathered his wits back he spoke. "I want you both to know my feelings for you haven't changed..." He paused as he reflected on that. "No, that's not true. They feel stronger than before. It actually feels like my life has gotten sharper, brighter, more focused. The last time I felt this good was that first day I was... with you... both." He glanced at the driver but he didn't appear to be paying attention.

Gabriella and Catherine were all smiles as they felt his love for them practically radiating from him. They leaned their heads on his shoulders and he kissed the top of their heads.

The taxi pulled off the main drag and pulled up to the curb in a quaint little street. Ben paid and they got out to find their family. Cat pulled out her phone to send a text and saw Sophia had sent one to her earlier. She read the message and teared up. She loved her daughter so much!

She sent a text to her saying they'd arrived and were looking for the kids.

Moments later she received one saying they were all sitting in a little sidewalk café five shops down from the beginning of the shopping area. Catherine looked down the lane and thought she saw the place so she tugged on Ben's hand and he pulled Gabriella until they were standing before their families. The ladies were surrounded by shopping bags.

"Wow! You've really been successful already and this is just the side street. The main shopping area is two blocks away." Gabriella said. All of their faces registered shock. They thought this was it.

Gabriella and Catherine started to laugh and their kids started laughing too. "Ah, you really had us there for a moment!" Megan chuckled which just made the mothers laugh harder. "What?"

"I wasn't kidding." Gabriella managed to get out as they saw their expressions freeze again.

Ben pulled a pen out of his pocket and started labeling the bags with the owner's name so he could carry them all together. The ladies smiled as he looked inside and complimented them on their selections and asked for the receipts. He wrote their names on those as well. Soon everyone was smiling and looking forward to the rest of their shopping.

There was one small bag at the end and Ben saw it was Lucy's.

"Is this all you found?" he asked curiously.

"That was all I could convince her to let me buy." Megan growled.

"Lucy, come here." he said seriously.

She walked over to stand next to him. She was looking at his feet so he reached over and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes.

"Are we making you uncomfortable? Have we offended you?" he asked.

Her eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head.

"Did I not say I would ensure you had a future? Your future includes being dressed. I want you to buy some clothes. Clothing that makes you happy. I love what you do with that shirt but maybe you'd be more comfortable with something that doesn't squeeze your... assets so tightly," he said with a sexy growl.

She giggled and thrust her chest up and out and it was Ben's turn to go wide eyed. He blushed and her giggle became louder.

Megan laughed as well. "Man, I'll never be able to wear that shirt again without thinking how I can't do it justice!" Lucy laughed and patted Megan's hand.

"Are we ready to do some SHOPPING?" Ben said in an announcer's voice.

"YES!" went up the cheer. So they did.

Chapter 5

Hours later the weary shoppers arrived back at the hotel with their enormous haul. There was just too much for even Ben to carry. He had taken care of the remaining purchases personally so he had the receipts. Gabriella was going to ship the items home through her business account so Ben would pay the duties on that. Simpler and they wouldn't have so much to carry with them on the rest of the trip.

When they reached their floor Ben called out the names on the bags he still had and each person came forward to claim theirs. Soon everyone had a nice collection around their feet. Ben was the only one who didn't have any purchases. Even Daniel had scored some clothes, some books, and a kit for building a small robot he'd found in a toy store. With a 'thanks' thrown over his shoulder he raced off to his room to begin building before he was called for dinner.

Miriam was closest so she gave him a big hug and thanked him for the great day of shopping. She rushed back to her room to see which of her new outfits she'd wear at dinner that night.

Gabriella came forward and hugged Ben. He gave her a kiss and she leaned into it. When she pulled back she looked up into his eyes. "Tonight is our date night. Just the two of us for dinner and a little sightseeing of Paris at night."

"That sounds wonderful!" Ben smiled. "When do we leave?"

"Thirty minutes?"

"I'll be ready."

She turned and took her parcels to her room.

Catherine was next and pressed herself against him as she kissed him deeply. Ben was conscious of his audience so he reigned in his desire to pull her body against his and grab her ass. It was a damn good kiss all the same.

She pulled back and wobbled with a grin on her face. "Thanks for a great day today Ben!" she said, her eyes twinkling. He recalled their little fun too and his face pinked up just a little. "Tomorrow night is ours," she said with a sexy smile as she walked to her room.

Ben was visibly showing his appreciation for Catherine's kiss when Sophia hugged him and thanked him for the clothes. He felt her pressing against his body and he just got harder. She pulled back a little and gave him an innocent kiss on the lips as she said goodnight.

Rachel matched her sister's moves exactly and Ben was beginning to wish he'd packed looser pants. As she left Megan slipped in and got a quick hug but didn't crush herself against him. He was grateful for that.

"Lucy needs a suitcase as her new clothes should NOT be shoved into that backpack of hers." Megan said.

"Agreed! We'll pick one up before we leave Paris," Ben replied.

Megan headed for her room and Lucy walked up to Ben. "May I speak with you in your room?"

Ben agreed and they stepped inside the door. Once inside Lucy pushed Ben back against the door and dropped to her knees. She unzipped his pants while looking up at him with desperation and lust in her eyes. Down went his pants and up came his cock as it bounced free of the confines of his pant leg.

Ben felt Lucy pressing her face against the side of his cock and her smooth skin felt so good he moaned and rested back against the door.

Lucy began stroking his balls with her tongue and his cock stiffened further. Her hands ran up and down the length of him as she alternated sucking on each of his balls. Next her tongue ran up and down the sides of his cock making him slick and wet with her spit. She sucked the thick head of his cock into her mouth and rolled her tongue around it. Then it was sliding into her mouth and down her throat.

"God! Lucy, oh geez!" he gasped as he felt her swallowing against his cock. It was heaven and she began to pump him aggressively in long strokes from her mouth to deep in her throat. She went faster and faster and Ben's mind was spinning out of control with the incredible sensations.

"Ohmigod! Lucy! Too much! I'm going to cum!" he cried out.

She took a deep breath and took him in deep one more time tipping Ben's control over the edge. Just as the first jet of cum raced down his cock she pulled back to just keep the head in her mouth and load after load fired into her mouth. She hummed in pleasure and the vibrations intensified Ben's orgasm causing him to groan and shake.

Lucy swallowed and swallowed and once Ben was done she took him down her throat once more to squeeze every last drop from him. The intensity was almost too much for Ben and his knees wobbled. She pulled back and tenderly kissed the head of his cock after it left her mouth then smiled up at him.

"What- what was that for?" Ben gasped with his eyes closed as he leaned back against the door.

"Because I wanted to. You're being so incredible for me I wanted to do something to show my appreciation. I have nothing but I can offer myself which I gladly do for you. Besides you really looked like you needed it," she smiled coyly.

He looked down at her and smiled in wonder at the young woman. She pulled his pants up and he tucked his relaxed member away. He held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. He took her face between his hands and gave her lips a tender kiss. She was trembling by the end of the kiss.

He glanced at the time and frowned. "I have to get ready for dinner and I need to check in with Tina. I hate leaving you in this state."

"Don't worry about me! It's enough to know you care... for now," she gave him a crooked grin. With a quick peck on is lips she slipped out the door to go back to her room.

Ben freshened up and changed into nicer clothes for his date. Then he made his way to see Tina. He knocked and Rachel opened the door.

"Ooo! You clean up real nice!" Rachel said while eyeing his body in his suit. She went back to getting ready and Ben did his best to ignore the extra sway in her svelte hips as she walked away in only her panties and bra.

Tina walked over to meet Ben and he gave her a loving kiss. She pushed his face back with her fingers gently as the kiss was lingering a little too much and she was getting a bit wobbly. She smiled up at him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Tired. I remember the initial weeks are like this. My body is busy building a baby so I'm tired all the time. I think it would be best if I went back home at the end of the week. I won't be able to travel in the car for long periods and it would make the trip miserable for everyone else. Before you say anything you are not going home with me. You will finish this amazing vacation and bring me back souvenirs," Tina said patting his arm.

"But what about your anxiety?" he asked.

"Ben, I have you with me all the time now. I still worry about losing you but I spent the day today thinking how close I am to you now and that thought helps tame my fears."

He pulled her into his arms for a tender hug and kissed the top of her head.

"Can you arrange a flight home for me?" she asked into his chest.

"OK. I'll take care of it," he replied.

"Tonight is your date night with Gabriella. She is the most special of all of us for she was the one to help you see how you could love us all without hurting any. I am eternally in her debt as I am in yours. Please make her evening as special as mine was that first night you took me dancing."

"Remind me to take you dancing again when you are feeling better. Will I get a date night with you in Paris?" Ben asked.

"Yes, I believe that is on the schedule," she smiled at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

He gave her another kiss then left the room to meet Gabriella who was just coming out her door. She looked amazing in a black shimmering dress that clung to her curves and showed a delightful amount of cleavage. She wore a glittery necklace which just drew his eyes to her skin.

"WOW!" he said as he walked up to her. "You look breathtaking!" He held out his arm. "Shall we go?"

They took a cab from the hotel to a restaurant Gabriella knew. The weather that night was perfect for sitting outside so she chose this place for its roof top terrace and excellent food.

They were seated and took in the ambiance. Paris at night is magic.

Detective Babineaux sipped at her coffee as she watched the restaurant across the street. Kirion was on a date tonight. He had the dark haired woman with him. She was very attractive and she didn't appear to be as flighty as the others. How Kirion could be such a cold blooded killer and still surround himself with these women she didn't know.

Chanel had slept through her alarm this morning due to her exhaustion and by the time she got to the hotel she saw a group heading off. She hadn't seen if Kirion was with them so she had to follow. It turned out to be the younger members of his group. Chanel had studied the two white blonde ladies as they were so similar to the older one who looked so much like... she turned her mind away from that thought. When some street kids looked like they were going to get violent the other young blond arrived and had taken a little revenge of her own.

Chanel chuckled at that memory. Just as feisty as Isabelle- SHIT! She struggled to force the memories back into her mind. She glared around to see if anyone had noticed but she was being ignored.

Babineaux had called in a couple of officers to take the punks into custody to ensure they didn't 'interfere with an ongoing investigation'. Well, that's what she told the officers. They didn't complain too much as they got to beat on the thugs in an alley as she looked the other way.

Kirion had finally arrived and Chanel thought she was in for a dull afternoon watching them shop then she saw Isabelle's ghost. The woman was perfection in every way and it had seized her heart to watch her smile at Kirion. A nightmare! The woman she loved acting like she loved the man who had taken her life. The pain was too great and Chanel had fled once more.

When she'd gotten her wits back about her she waited outside the hotel. Kirion was most active at night when he'd been on his murderous spree so Chanel decided watching at night would be the most productive. When he exited the hotel with the dark haired beauty Chanel breathed a sigh of relief it wasn't the blond. She'd followed them to this restaurant and did a quick reconnaissance to ensure he wouldn't be able to slip away unseen.

So now she waited.

She felt eyes on her and glanced around but couldn't tell who it was. She took her badge out and placed it on the table. That should warn off any would be Lotharios. She settled in for a long wait.

Ben sat across from a raven haired goddess with the most alluring green eyes he'd ever seen. The stunning cityscape view from the terrace was lost on him as he watched the way the candlelight played across her features.

"Stop staring!" Gabriella admonished him with fake annoyance. His rapt attention was actually making her feel wonderful and special. The best part was he wasn't faking his interest. Her husband used to pretend he was interested in her after his passion changed from her to money. Ben noticed everything and actually listened.

"Would you like another glass of wine?" he asked with a smile.

"No, two is quite enough for me tonight. How was your meal?" she said spotting his clean plate. "Did you lick the plate when I wasn't watching?"

He grinned and pointed to the empty bread basket. His appetite had been voracious tonight and the bread made an excellent tool for soaking up the delicious sauce.

"Do you want to look at a dessert menu?" she asked him.

"No, I know what I want," he said, devouring her with his eyes.

Gabriella felt a thrill run through her body. She hadn't admitted it to anyone but she loved how intense and dangerous Ben's scar made him look. She wasn't used to the rough side of Ben but it got her so hot! She blushed and squirmed as tingles shot through her warm places.

"Th-the check then?" she stuttered as her voice betrayed her.

The heat in his look increased as he heard his prey was ready to be taken.

Gabriella smiled and quickly caught the eye of their waitress who had been ineffectively flirting with Ben through dinner. Ben placed his card on the table never once taking his eyes off of Gabriella's.

"Ben, please stop that! We'll never make it back to the hotel otherwise," she whispered to him.

"Maybe I can't wait. Maybe I want you... now," he growled low in his throat and the waitress chose that moment to appear and caught his words. She froze and stared at Ben open mouthed, hand to her throat. "Can we pay the bill, quickly?" he said looking up in the woman's eyes.

"Certainement, monsieur!" she said breathily and scurried away.

"The poor thing is going to be traumatized by your beastly behavior!" Gabriella said quietly with a sexy smile. She was feeling a warm flush spreading over her body and her nipples were stiff with need as Ben's eyes traveled over her exposed skin.

Moments later the waitress returned with the bill and Ben settled up. He made sure to give her a generous tip as she had been very attentive.

"Merci, monsieur!" she said demurely, unable to look away from him.

Ben stood and pulled out Gabriella's chair. They left the restaurant arm in arm and made their way towards the river. They enjoyed the feel of each other's bodies brushing together as they walked. Ben stopped them when they reached a dark spot along the walkway. He'd seen other lovers pausing along the route and he desperately wanted to kiss Gabriella. He pulled her against him as he dipped his head to kiss her. She tilted her head up to meet it. His lips were demanding and hers surrendered to his need. Her tongue met his halfway and their breathing picked up. Gabriella gasped when Ben's hands slid down her back to squeeze her curvy ass. She felt the bulge of his thick cock pressing against her. The tingles flared and she felt a little weak in the knees. She knew he wanted her so much! She pulled back and tried to catch her breath.

"Ben, wait! Oh my god! Ben! You're going to make me go off right here on the street!" she said breathily as she leaned her forehead against his cheek. "Let's keep walking for a bit. We have the whole night! Let me catch my breath!"

He nodded and took her arm again and they resumed their walk. They made it as far as the next taxi stand when Gabriella pulled Ben over to the first available car. Ben was grinning widely as he followed the excited woman.

Chanel walked along the river following Kirion and his woman. She saw them pause in a shadowed area and just for a second she thought Kirion might be attacking her but they parted and kept walking. She felt uncomfortable watching the man kiss the beauty. It felt wrong to her. She moved forward and soon she was in the dark section. She glanced up and saw a burnt out streetlight. When she looked forward again she saw the woman suddenly begin to drag Kirion to a taxi stand so she surged forward to catch up. She couldn't let her quarry get away.

She missed seeing the eyes watching her from the shadows where she'd been just seconds before.

Gabriella pulled back slowly from Ben's lips with a moan. God, she wanted him so badly just not here in the elevator. It reached their floor and she pulled him after her. She pushed him towards his room.

"Go get ready, I need to get something. I'll be there in a second."

Ben smiled and leaned in for another kiss. Oh god, his lips! She pushed him back and he grinned as he hustled to his room. Once he was inside Gabriella went to Tina's room and knocked.

Rachel answered and looked at Gabriella's smeared lipstick in surprise.

"Ah good, Rachel. I need to borrow some condoms," she asked.

Rachel blushed nervously. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because you and Sophia are planning on getting Ben into your beds and you discovered today that he's not sterile. Are you telling me you didn't take steps to protect yourself?"

Rachel's mouth opened and closed as she looked like she was going to try to argue. Then her shoulders just dropped. "How many do you want?"

"Two- no! Three!" she gushed and grinned at Rachel's pout. The young woman went back into her room and returned with the condom pack she'd picked up with Sophia at the pharmacy before they went out to dinner.

"Are you going to tell mom?" Rachel asked as she handed them to Gabriella.

"Rachel, she already knows! We talked about it and we were going to speak to you both at breakfast tomorrow. We need you two to be sensitive to Ben's state of mind. If he's not comfortable moving to that kind of relationship with you then that's his decision and it's final. No pushing after that. No jealousy or drama is allowed. You need to also be aware, and this is critical, he's not someone who has sex without an emotional context. If you're looking to have a quickie and drop him, look elsewhere. Is that understood?"

Rachel was nodding and looking at Gabriella with wide eyes. She was sure they were going to be shut down cold.

"Thanks for these! I'll replace the box tomorrow!" Gabriella said and quickly moved to Ben's door and ducked inside.

Rachel went back to bed and lay staring at the ceiling.

"Gabriella is an amazing woman isn't she." Tina said in the darkness.

"She's... given me something to think about." Rachel said.

"Yes, she does that. Goodnight!"

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open as she woke next to the big man in his enormous bed. She could hear him breathing slowly so she knew he was still asleep. Considering the amount of energy he'd used the night before she wasn't at all surprised.

God, she felt good from the top of her scalp down to the underside of her toes. 'Thoroughly fucked' as Cat would say. She stifled a chuckle and looked over at Ben sleeping blissfully.

He'd been an animal last night! The moment she stepped into his room he'd grabbed her and carried her to the bed over his shoulder, his right hand gripping her ass, hard. She saw he was completely naked. He dropped her gently on the bed and immediately flipped her onto her stomach to unzip her dress. He pulled her up and stripped the dress from her all the while holding her eyes with his. God! The hunger in his eyes sent a thrill through her body.

No sooner than he had her naked his mouth was on hers, his kisses passionate and strong. She felt herself floating as his lips moved down her neck and across her chest to her nipples. He teased and suckled until she thought she'd go mad. Then he moved lower and her breathing got faster with anticipation. The nibbling, caressing kisses on her thighs drove her desire higher and higher so when his mouth finally met her wet pussy the intensity made her white out for a few seconds.

Ben lavished attention on her opening with his tongue and fingers and brought her to several gentle orgasms. Once again her mind was floating away from her body in a blissful haze. When his thick cock began to slide into her pussy she moaned loudly because he felt so good spreading her wide and going so deep. She jolted then as she remembered the condom she wanted him to wear.

She frantically looked down and she saw an open wrapper on the sheets. He'd found them where she'd dropped them on the bed and put one on. He smiled at her beaming face then began to drive his cock into her, bouncing her against the mattress. Her eyes rolled back as her body began a slow build up to a truly colossal release. She could feel the energy transferring from him to every cell of her body, growing, swelling, tingling and trembling with potential. Her breathing was reduced to panting as every system in her body was directed to that incredible pressure in her core. Ben's thrusts became faster and more urgent as he approached his own orgasm. She began to whimper with need as her clit took surge after surge when their bodies collided together. His cock was filling her so completely and she loved every second. She was so close!

Then he growled deep in his chest and ground himself against her as he peaked. The extra stimulation was just what she needed and she tipped over her own edge into waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She clung to Ben with all her might as she felt her mind fill with light. She was embarrassed to recall that she'd screamed when the damn burst on that orgasm.

When the room came back to her Ben was lying on his back with her cuddled against his side. She looked down and saw he'd removed the condom and his cock was in its semi-erect state. She reached down and touched it. Hot. Powerful. Hard again. She smiled up at him then slipped lower on the bed until she was within licking distance to it. She looked up at his face again and saw the hunger in his eyes once more. It was primal!

She moved forward and ran her tongue along his length. Ben sucked in his breath through his teeth. She bathed his cock with her tongue then suddenly swooped over him and took him deep into her mouth. Ben cried out and slipped his fingers into her hair. He didn't direct her efforts. He just liked the feel of her hair in his hands and to feel the motion of her head as she made long slow strokes, taking him a little deeper each time. He almost reached the back of her throat but her gag reflex kicked in and she pulled him from her mouth. She'd gotten more of him in than last time so she was proud of that achievement.

She peeled another condom open and carefully rolled it over his cock. She was glad Rachel had thought to buy the extra-large ones as it was a snug fit. She threw a leg over Ben's legs and rubbed her wet pussy along his hard shaft, adding her slickness to him.

Then she moved up and held his cock up to her opening and pushed down. She was still very wet so he slid inside slowly but smoothly. So fucking big!

Ben reached up and took her breasts in his hands and gave them a squeeze, running his thumbs over her nipples. In reaction, Gabriella leaned into his hands and he gently brought her down to lie on his chest. His cock was still buried deep in her pussy and he moved his hands down to caress her ass.

"Oh god Ben! You feel so good!" she moaned before he kissed her deeply. Her head was spinning with all the sensations. His mouth caressing hers, their tongues intertwining, her breasts pressing against his chest, his hands squeezing her ass cheeks, and most wonderful of all, his thick, hard cock filling her up so deliciously. She felt the heat of him reaching so deep inside of her.

Ben pulled back from the kiss and he began to rock her up and down his chest. This caused her nipples to drag across his chest and his scars rubbed them in a very stimulating way.

The motion also slid his cock in and out of her and rubbed her clit against his pelvis. There was almost too much stimulation but she couldn't stop him as it felt so good!

Her hips began to move on their own in little circles as she rocked up and down. Ben began the thrust a little more strongly and soon she was almost bouncing on his cock as he increased his speed. How Ben could maintain the pace for so long amazed her as it went on and on. She lost muscle coordination and dropped to his chest as her orgasm took her. She felt Ben stiffen under her and drive himself deep one last time as he peaked as well.

He kissed her forehead after they caught their breath. "I love you, Gabriella." he said softly.

She lifted her face to look at him. "I love you too, Ben." She was too exhausted to move so she fell asleep on his chest. The fact that she was now beside him under the sheets meant Ben had taken care of her again. He was such a good man!

Ben turned over onto his side facing her and his eyes blinked open. A smile crept onto his lips.

"Good morning Gabriella," he whispered, his voice rough with sleep.

"Good morning Ben," she whispered back to him.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Early still I think," she looked around for a clock and spotted one. "Oh, it's only 6:15AM."

"The hotel has a gym doesn't it? I'd like to get a workout in." he said. "Would you care to join me?"

She chuckled at his eager look. "No thank you, I had my workout last night! You beast!" She grinned at him and playfully slapped his arm lightly.

He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss then slipped out of bed. She admired his naked body as he walked over to the bureau to get his workout clothes. He went into the bathroom and a few minutes later he came out dressed for the gym. "I'll be back in an hour." Gabriella waved at him from the comfort of the bed.

He took the elevator down to the lower level where the gym was located and let himself in with his room key. There were only a few other people using the equipment at this time so he was able to grab a bottle of water and a towel and head straight for the dual stack functional trainers in the corner. He adjusted the machine for a warm up and ran through his sets with the lighter weights to limber himself up. When he was ready he added the extra plates and moved through the sets once more and felt his muscles strain at the load. Soon he had a good burn going. He felt good and his routine was soon over. He drank his water and wiped off his face with the towel and spotted a brunette woman in tight spandex watching him from her seat on an incline bench. He took in the luxurious mahogany hair pulled back in a ponytail and the dark intense eyes and recognized her. Margaux De la Cruz.

He wiped down the machine and walked over to the woman.

"Hello! You're a guest here too? I thought you said you had an apartment in Paris." he asked.

She didn't appear to be too happy to see him. "Yes, after our last encounter I- I decided I needed a fresh start. So I'm redecorating the apartment. I'm having it repainted and I can't be there due to the fumes."

She seemed a little shaken.

"I'm truly sorry if I've upset you. I never meant to," he apologized.

"No, you did nothing but open my eyes to the lie I was living. The boys were parasites I gladly accepted in my vanity. You were right. I can do much better." She smiled at Ben and he returned it.

"Would you like to join us for breakfast? The gang usually gathers at 8AM in the restaurant," he offered.

She looked at him assessing his intent. She saw only the honest desire to be friendly. "Yes, I think I would like to meet these women who have conquered their insecurities."

Ben smiled and nodded. "See you at 8 then."

He went back to his room and met Gabriella coming out. "Leaving so soon? I was hoping we could freshen up together."

She smiled at him and gave him a sweet kiss. "We are visiting the museums and art galleries today. I want to ensure I have enough energy to last the day. I'll see you downstairs at breakfast."

"Ah, about breakfast. I invited a guest to join us. Do you recall the woman I mentioned Catherine's girls, Lucy and I met when we went clubbing? Her name is Margaux De la Cruz. She's our age and has just undergone a re-evaluation of her life and looks a little shaken up. I asked her to join us. She said she was interested in meeting the women who've 'conquered their insecurities'."

Gabriella shook her head with a grin at Ben. What had he done to that poor woman? "Ok. I'll meet her as well."

"Thanks! Sure you don't want to join me?" he bounced his eyebrows at her and she laughed quietly and headed for her own room to get ready.

Ben went inside to take his shower and get dressed. He recalled that Tina had asked him to book her a ticket home so he opened up his notebook and logged into the airline website. He saw there was availability in first class for several seats so he booked one for Tina and booked the one next to her as well just in case she needed him.

He was looking forward to seeing the Louvre and the art museums. He knew Daniel was super excited about it and he looked forward to seeing the boy's enthusiasm. When he was ready he walked over to check on Tina and met Rachel coming out of their room.

"Good morning, Rachel!" he said in greeting.

"Morning, Ben!" she smiled up at him.

"How is Tina doing?" he asked.

"She's in the washroom right now. Mornings aren't so good for her yet. She has more energy later in the day. She's not very talkative when she's like this. Maybe you should wait until later," she suggested.

Ben looked troubled but nodded.

"She's ok. It's morning sickness. She'll get better soon." Rachel said placing her hand on his arm. She felt him relax a little. "Let's go get some breakfast. I'll bring something back for Tina."

They took the elevator down to the lobby and he didn't notice that Rachel's hand was on his arm. She'd looped her arm through his and he'd unconsciously placed his other hand over hers. He led her into the restaurant and spotted Catherine already at their table with Sophia who had a grin on her face for some reason.

"Good morning, Catherine, Sophia!" he said with a smile.

Before Rachel would release his arm she tilted her face up and he kissed her soft lips. She sat across from her older sister with a rosy glow on her cheeks. Ben walked around the table and Sophia tilted her face back in his direction so he paused at her chair and kissed her as well. Then he managed to get to Catherine who was looking a little put out by her daughters. That disappeared when his mouth met hers. He caressed her lips and sucked at her plump lower one and she felt a tingle shoot through her body. Finally she pushed him back gently as her face flushed. She glanced at her daughters who were grinning at her.

"Damn he's a good kisser!" she whispered to them.

Ben pulled the chair next to Catherine out and sat. He was at the center of the table with five empty seats across from him and two to his right.

Megan and Lucy arrived and came over to his side of the table to get a morning kiss. Megan took hers on her cheek but Lucy's kiss included some tongue. Ben had to gently disengage the woman as his pants were becoming uncomfortably tight. Megan sat next to Rachel across from her mother. Lucy made to take the chair across from Ben but he spoke up.

"Let's leave that chair empty as we'll be having a guest for breakfast. Margaux De la Cruz, the woman we met at the dance club, is staying at the hotel while her apartment is being painted and I invited her to join us. She mentioned that she wanted to meet Catherine and Gabriella."

Just then Gabriella arrived with Miriam and Daniel and at their back was Margaux.

Ben waved and Gabriella looked behind herself to smile at the woman. They greeted each other and the new arrivals went to the table. Margaux sat across from Ben, Daniel sat next to Lucy, Gabriella sat next to Ben after getting a kiss and Miriam sat next to her.

Ben made introductions and everyone smiled at their guest.

"Tina would have joined us but she's not well," he said and she nodded.

"I see where your daughters got their beauty!" Margaux said to Catherine who smiled brilliantly. Their guest turned to Gabriella. "And yours as well!" Miriam was delighted to be included considering how exotic and lovely Margaux was.

"Aside from myself this table has an overabundance of beauty," Ben said looking around himself. "And handsomeness!" he clarified at Daniel's annoyed look. That drew chuckles.

The waiters arrived to save Ben and everyone spent some time looking at the menus.

"Breakfast is on me as you are my guest." Ben said to Margaux who smiled and nodded politely.

They placed their orders and coffee was served.

Ben could see Margaux wished to ask something but was intimidated by the presence of the kids. He saw the order of dry toast Rachel ordered for Tina at her elbow.

"Daniel, could I ask a favor? Could you bring some toast up to Tina. It's by Rachel. Borrow her key and just leave the toast on the table next to her bed if Tina's sleeping."

The boy nodded and walked over to Rachel to get the room key and plate of toast. He walked out of the restaurant on his mission.

Margaux glanced over at Miriam but Ben nodded. She cleared her throat. "Gabriella. I understand that you are with Ben as is Catherine and Tina and another woman whose name eludes me. I don't know how this is possible without jealousy. Knowing he is having sex with all of these other women? Does that not make you feel jealous? I can't imagine it!"

Gabriella nodded. "There are definitely men that I couldn't do this with. Men who lust for me but don't respect me, who don't want to be part of my life unless they can control it. These are men I couldn't trust. But there isn't a dishonest or manipulative bone in Ben's body. I'm safe in putting my heart in his hands because he'd never hurt me. He loves me. Completely. He loves Catherine and Tina and Trish. Completely. There is no competition. We may share his time but his love isn't divided amongst us. We all get all of his love."

Margaux looked at Gabriella. "What about marriage?"

"I was married. I got two wonderful children from that marriage but my husband lost interest in me. It was a very lonely marriage. With Ben I have a partner who is interested in my life and supportive of me. I don't need to be married to him. Don't get me wrong, marriage can be wonderful and it has its benefits, but I just don't need it at this stage of my life. I love my life. I love my kids. I love Ben. I have a very strong circle of friends. It's more than enough." Gabriella smiled at Catherine.

Margaux turned to her next. "You feel the same way?"

"When Gabriella was first with Ben I didn't take it well as I was in love with him too. But she opened my eyes to the fact that Ben was capable of loving unconditionally and completely and she loved me enough to share his time with me. I love Ben very deeply. I know he loves me. My marriage gave me my wonderful girls and a husband who didn't respect me. He didn't even love me at the end. I agree with Gabriella. That loneliness was horrible. With Ben I no longer have to feel that. Because of him I'm sure there are men out there that are worthy of loving. Maybe they might not understand a non-monogamous relationship but would be wonderful in a one on one relationship. But like Gabriella said, I love my life, my kids, my friends and Ben and it's all I need."

Margaux contemplated their words as Daniel returned. He looked at his sister whose eyes were sparkling with excitement. She had been included in the adult's conversation!

"The trick is finding someone you can trust," Margaux said, almost to herself.

"From the outset there has to be an understanding that complete honesty is mandatory. Sometimes it means you hear stuff that isn't nice but there is no second guessing. Honesty is the ONLY policy and you have to keep the lines of communication open," Ben explained. Daniel gave Ben the thumbs up for his words and he returned it.

The food arrived and everyone tucked into their meal. Everyone except Margaux who picked at hers, clearly conflicted about something.

As they finished their meals the members of the group went back up to their rooms to get ready for heading out. Ben charged the meal to the room then there was only him, Catherine, Gabriella and Margaux.

"What's wrong Margaux?" Gabriella asked.

Dark brown eyes lifted to look at her through thick lashes holding back tears. "You have managed to conquer something I have battled my entire life. Jealousy is a curse in my family. My mother was Spanish and my father was French. He was so good looking. Many women were drawn to him and my mother seethed with jealousy. He loved her dearly and was faithful to her for years until he could take her poison no longer and left us. Her poison infected me. Who could love someone so riddled with fear and loathing? I'm destined to be alone!" she said quietly and tears dripped from lash to cheek. Ben made to get up but Catherine put a hand on his arm as Gabriella got up from her chair and moved to the woman's side. She took Margaux's hands and looked into her eyes.

"You're beautiful, successful, intelligent, and strong! You know your enemy so you can work to eliminate the jealousy in your heart. It's just fear and it can be beaten. We're proof!" she said to the Spanish beauty.

"Because you have found a man worthy of you! The men I meet are only interested in my looks and my money. The other two attributes frighten them off. My ex-husband told me my mind was my worst asset."

"Only a man of weak character would be frightened by a woman's intelligence." Ben growled.

"Where are the men of strong character?" she snapped.

"They exist!" Catherine said.

"You can say that because you've found yours. I need to find mine. I know intimately the terrible loneliness you both spoke of. The last years of my marriage were cold and when I caught him with his assistant I finally ended it. I found my own young playthings and for a time I convinced myself I was happy and content. Then you showed up and destroyed my illusions." She looked at Ben with rage and sorrow on her face.

He knew it was self-pity but Ben couldn't hold himself back any longer seeing her pain. He surged to his feet tugging free of Catherine's hand. He walked around to Margaux's side and looked down at her. Gabriella looked at him with a concerned expression. She knew well his compulsion to rescue a damsel in distress but this one could damage him in her unstable state.

Ben caught himself when he saw Gabriella's expression. He knew himself too. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he knelt down next to Margaux's chair.

"I- I'm sorry about the pain you are feeling now. I think you had to go through that to get clear of the lies you were living with. They weren't healthy for you. Now that you are free of them you should feel good about yourself. Hold your head high. Gabriella was right. You are beautiful and successful but you have to rely on your best attributes, your intelligence and strength to get you to a place where you love yourself. Only then can you defeat your jealousy. Once you are comfortable with yourself then you can open yourself to others. If you made bad choices in the past learn from them but remember what I said about honesty. The most important person you must be honest with is yourself. Take ownership of the things you did, no matter how small they may be, which contributed to the dissolution of your marriage. This will help you heal and move forward with a better chance of building a healthy relationship in the future. You have so much to offer. You will find the right person for you."

Gabriella and Catherine were looking at him with love in their eyes.

Margaux nodded shakily to Ben. She looked at the two women with tears in her eyes. "I see what you see in him. You are very fortunate. Maybe one day I will be as fortunate." She stood suddenly and strode away quickly.

Ben stood and watched her leave with a knot in his chest. He knew she had to get through the pain on her own but it was still hard to watch.

Catherine came around the table and hugged him as Gabriella hugged him from his other side.

"Let's go see some sights," he said quietly.

Chapter 6

Daniel's enthusiasm and delight in the Louvre brought Ben's mood back from the dark place Margaux's pain had taken it. He and the boy rushed from room to room examining the amazing works of art and historical artifacts. Daniel took pictures and made notes on his phone as he was working on a project for school and Ben helped him find the pieces he needed to document for his report.

Gabriella's cheeks were hurting from grinning at their excitement. Miriam walked with her mother and exchanged smiles as they saw the two 'boys' at play.

Cat was grinning at Gabriella's happiness. She and her daughters were attracting as much attention as the displays. The four tall blond beauties walking in a group through the museum might as well have been a moving art exhibit as tourists asked them to pause for photos frequently. Megan was starting to get annoyed by the attention so she and Lucy broke off from the group and agreed to meet up again at the main entrance in an hour.

Sophia and Rachel drew their mother out into a main hallway to review the museum's floorplan to see where they'd been and where they had yet to go.

"It is true! There is more beauty moving through the museum than hangs on its walls!" a voice said behind Catherine.

She turned as did Sophia and Rachel to see a short, slim man in an immaculate suit. She immediately flashed to an image of her husband as this man had the same complexion and build. He had sharp but attractive features, dark eyes and a well-trimmed beard and hair.

Catherine smiled and the man stepped closer. "I am Rachid Shakir and the treasures of this establishment have paled now that I have witnessed your glory."

Sophia and Rachel snorted and began to laugh. Catherine blushed in embarrassment. She thought the man's declarations were a little grandiose, ok, over the top, but laughing at him was a little much... but she couldn't keep an amused smile from her own lips.

Rachid looked at the women in surprise. He hadn't expected this reaction at all. He was highly offended!

"That is very kind of you to say. Thank you! I hope they haven't paled so much that you don't enjoy the rest of your visit." Catherine offered as she moved to lead her daughters away.

Rachid wasn't used to being dismissed. He didn't like it. Especially from a woman. He reached out and roughly grabbed the wrist of the woman who'd spoken then hissed with surprise as she broke his grip and pushed him back. The smile in her eyes was gone and in its place was a fierce anger.

"Don't EVER touch me again!" she growled menacingly and all three women glared at him.

His bodyguard Omar was immediately at his side and the women stepped back.

Ben and Daniel were walking past on their way to the next room and the confrontation caught his attention. He looked over at Catherine and picked up the signal for help. His eyes went cold.

"You gentlemen need some assistance?" he asked from behind them.

Omar glanced over his shoulder and saw the scar which was standing out in stark contrast on Ben's grim expression. An odd expression of recognition flashed over the man's face. He spun in place and threw a punch. Ben stepped aside and connected with his own jab to the bodyguard's temple as the man swung by. He went down in a crumpled heap. Ben looked back at the smaller man just as he prepared to slash at Ben with a small wicked looking blade. He jumped back to avoid the swing and Sophia nailed Rachid in the side of the head with her heel from her sweeping kick.

Guards rushed into the hall followed by a familiar face. Detective Chanel Babineaux had a look of savage glee on her face as she took in the two bodies lying at Kirion's feet. She looked up into his eyes which were just now showing recognition.

"Detective Babineaux? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Catching you breaking the law!" she growled.

"What the hell are you talking about? We were accosted by these men! Ben merely defended himself against that big goon and my daughter took down the little guy with the knife!" Catherine yelled in the face of Chanel who staggered back with a frozen look. She turned and fled as they watched in confusion.

"What the hell?" Catherine exclaimed and looked back at Ben whose eyes were wide with surprise.

One of the guards was listening to an earpiece. Apparently getting an update from the security office who reviewed the event from the recordings. They led Ben, Catherine, Sophia and Rachel to the office where they waited for the police. The bodyguard and his employer were moved to separate rooms. The police arrived quickly and immediately went to interrogate the short man and his body guard but they couldn't be found. The police were very upset about this and much shouting ensued between them and museum security. Not long after that Ben and his group were released.

They met back up with the rest of their party and decided lunch would be a good way to unwind. They found a small restaurant Gabriella knew of and she managed to get a long table against the wall with a bench seat. Ben slid in until he was at the center of the table and Gabriella slid in on one side and Catherine slid in on his other.

"I'm so sorry Ben. That escalated so quickly!" Cat gushed.

He took her right hand and kissed the back of it. Then he saw the bruises and welts on her wrist. His eyes went cold and flat again.

Catherine and Gabriella exchanged worried looks.

"Ben, come back to us." Gabriella whispered into his ear and he blinked and turned to face her.

"Sorry, what did you say?" he asked.

She shook her head and gave him a kiss. He smiled at her.

They ordered lunch and talked about what they'd seen in the museum. Ben and Daniel were gushing about some of the exhibits and Daniel showed off some of the pictures he took.

In the afternoon they visited the Musée d'Orsay to view the classics then the National Museum of Modern Art for a taste of art's more modern flavor. They cabbed it over to finish the day with a visit to the National Museum of Natural History to take in the splendor of nature. They all agreed that stuffing that much culture into one day may have been over reaching but they'd thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Exhausted they cabbed back to the hotel and retired to their rooms for a short snooze to recharge.

Chanel was back at her table under the umbrella in the sidewalk café across from the Imperial Suites hotel. She clasped her hands together to still their trembling. After the disaster in the Louvre she'd walked for hours trying to get her head straight.

The woman who looked and even sounded like her Isabelle wasn't Isabelle no matter how close the resemblance. She had to get that through her head. She wouldn't be able to catch Kirion if she ran away every time the woman appeared at his side.

She looked around again as she felt eyes on her. She'd felt it off and on all day. Considering her melt down earlier it wasn't surprising her nerves were on edge.

Chanel looked at the hotel once more. She'd seen Kirion and his party returning to the hotel and now she waited for him to come out to play. Night was when the butcher was most active. She'd catch him tonight.

There was a knock on Ben's door and he answered it wearing only his socks and dress pants. His hair was still wet from the shower as he'd slept through his alarm and was scrambling to get ready.

Catherine was in the hallway wearing a daringly short, strapless gold dress which shimmered even in the subdued lighting of the hall.

Ben stood there looking at Catherine until he finally was able to speak. "My god you're lovely!"

Catherine beamed him a brilliant smile and pushed him into his room.

"Finish getting dressed. Our dinner reservations are for 9 so we don't have much time to get there," she said admiring his powerful torso. She was looking forward to seeing more of that tonight!

Ben went back into his bedroom and moments later returned with his dress shirt on. The evening was very warm and Catherine had informed him a tie was not needed for this particular establishment so he was ready. He slipped on his shoes and followed Catherine out and down to the lobby. They went outside and caught a taxi which drove them along the Seine until they reached their destination. It was close to the Eiffel tower so they planned to visit after dinner.

The rooftop restaurant was romantically lit and had a lovely view of the Seine and the city beyond. Once more Ben was captured by the beauty of his dining companion who was soaking in his attention.

"That dress looks incredible on you!" Ben exclaimed.

"Later you can see how it looks off of me," she teased and his grin widened.

"A year ago if someone had told me I would be sitting in a rooftop restaurant in Paris dining with such a beautiful woman I would have laughed in their face. It still feels like a dream!" Ben said with wonder in his voice.

"It feels like that to me as well, Ben!" she said and reached across the table to hold his hand.

The meal was delicious and the wine Cat had made her a little giddy so afterwards they walked arm in arm over to the Eiffel tower to get some fresh air. Ben bought tickets then they got in line and eventually made their way up to the top level.

Cat walked up to the edge and looked out at the city which was spread out before her. She felt Ben press against her back and his big arms went around her. She felt so safe and loved. She'd never felt this way with Ashraf. It had been exciting in the early years until she'd come to realize she was more of a possession to him than a partner. With Ben, she felt like an equal. Her mind went back to earlier that day when she'd been confronted by that bodyguard. Ben had looked to her to see if she wanted help instead of assuming she did and had responded immediately when she'd looked to him for it. No questions asked. Completely in sync.

She hugged his arms tighter against her body and he kissed her cheek.

She turned in his arms and captured his lips with hers. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and he caressed it with his. She felt him respond as a pressure began to press against her leg. She rubbed herself against him and he gasped. He pulled back and looked at her with a hot look in his eyes.

"You'd better stop that or they are going to arrest us for having sex on the top deck of their tower!" he growled quietly to her.

"Let's go back to the hotel!" she gasped.

He nodded and led her back to the elevators. It took some time as there was still a crowd but eventually they were back on the ground. Cat had kept Ben stiff by rubbing her ass against his groin in the elevators and while they waited in line. He'd almost hoisted her over his shoulder to take the stairs down from the second floor but she'd promised to stop teasing him. A promise which lasted until they got into the elevator.

To teach Catherine a lesson Ben didn't walk her towards the taxi stand as she wanted but instead aimed in the direction of the beautiful park behind the tower. It was dimly lit and well suited for a romantic stroll. She took his arm and they set off.

Chanel caught sight of her quarry as they exited from the tower's elevators. It looked like the woman wanted to go to the taxi but Kirion was dragging her towards the dark park.

This was it! He was going to drag her into the darkness and kill her. The monster wouldn't win this time though. Chanel was going to be there this time.

She stepped through the crowd and crossed to the dim path following the seemingly happy couple.

Fifty feet behind her a shadow followed.

"I'm sorry Ben! I didn't mean to tease you so much!" Catherine whimpered.

"Oh, I think you were having too much fun to stop," he replied.

She pouted and looked up at him. God, she was so horny! While she was teasing Ben the feel of his thick cock against her ass supercharged her own desire.

He stopped on the path and pulled her against his chest and kissed her deeply. Her lips were so soft and warm and her tongue felt so good in his mouth. She felt him surge in his pants and she moaned with need.

There was a brief scream which was cut off and Ben's head snapped up. He let go of Catherine. "Go!" was all she said and he was off.

Chanel was walking up the darker side of the path keeping Kirion in her sights when she felt the attacker behind her. She threw herself to the side with a scream but a foot caught her in the stomach and the wind left her lungs. She yanked her gun out but it was slapped away and spun off up the path into the darkness.

She jumped back as best she could with no breath in her lungs and a knife plunged into her chest up near her right shoulder then a fist caught her on the cheekbone knocking her flat onto her back. Her head hit the ground hard and stars exploded in her vision. When they cleared she looked up and finally saw her assailant. A beam of street light cut across his face. Dark curly short hair, dark complexion, square face with dark eyes, a crooked nose, thin cruel lips now turned up in a sneering grin. A big man but not as big as the man she'd followed.

Then she saw the scar.

It crossed both cheeks bisecting his nose. Not as straight as the one on the man she'd been following.

"Kirion," she wheezed quietly, eyes wide with shock.

"I hear you've been looking for me, Babineaux," he growled.

"How did-"

"I pay attention to those who hunt me. Besides that cunt Isabelle called out your name as I gutted her."

Chanel snarled and struggled to get back up but he kicked her in the chest and she went down hard again. She was looking at the stars as a streak flew over her body. There was a loud grunt and the sound of thumps, skin striking skin and hisses of pain. She tilted her head up and saw the man she'd been following fighting with Kirion. They seemed evenly matched but Kirion had a knife and had scored a number of slashes on his opponent's arms and one on his chin.

Kirions left eye was swollen shut and his nose was smashed flat and bleeding but that deadly knife kept flashing this way and that and the man was struggling to avoid it.

Then he stepped on a discarded wine bottle and fell backwards, going down with a thump.

Before Kirion could take advantage there was a loud noise.

BANG!BANG!BANG!

Three rapid shots rang out.

Kirion staggered back and dropped the knife. He was looking up the path and his eyes went wide as his mouth dropped opened like he was trying to say something. Then the life faded in his eyes and he fell, dead before he hit the ground.

Chanel looked over her shoulder and the blond woman was walking towards her carrying her gun. She handed it back to Chanel then hustled over to the big man who was just now sitting up.

"Are you ok?" she asked him. He nodded then looked over at Chanel. "You ok?" he asked.

Chanel was stunned. He sounded genuinely concerned. "Yes, uh, he stabbed me but it's not bleeding too much. Listen, when the police get here, tell them I shot Kirion Rapava. It will prevent a lot of legal headaches if it was me and not a civilian." The woman nodded. Chanel wiped her gun down and put it back in her holster.

"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" the man said to the blond.

"My dad. He was a sergeant in the army and made sure mom and I knew how to use a gun, just in case."

Lights began to flash and sirens approached. Soon they were surrounded by police. Ambulances were called and they were whisked off to the hospital under police guard. The doctors stitched the larger gashes closed and taped the smaller ones. All told Ben had eight more small scars including the one on his chin. Nothing major but they gave him something for the pain and it made Ben very woozy. They moved him to a bed in a semi private room for the night as the hospital was busy.

They were met in the room by Inspector Boucher.

"Mr. Shepherd! You have a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time!" he joked. "Good evening Catherine. That is a most lovely dress!"

"Good evening, Inspector! Thank you!" she said.

"Please, call me Antoine. Now I understand our Detective Babineaux has you to thank for her life," he said.

"As we have her to thank for ours. Kirion Rapava was going to kill Ben when he fell during the fight but she stopped him." Catherine said.

"There is still a question of why the detective was there," he said.

"She believed Ben was Rapava and couldn't be convinced otherwise. She must have been following us all week." Cat replied.

"And Rapava was following her. She was damned lucky. The wound she received just missed a major artery. She'll be coming out of surgery soon. It's been a very busy night. Please enjoy the rest of your stay in Paris. Hopefully it will be less eventful." He smiled and left them.

"Catherine, you saved my life tonight! Detective Babineaux may be getting the credit for it but we both know it was you. I don't know how to express my gratitude for that!" Ben said with a serious expression on his face. His words were slightly slurred but his sincerity was clear.

She smiled down at the man. She leaned over him and they kissed tenderly and her toes tingled. From her dad's training she knew her reaction to the shooting would set in later. She'd call him when she got back to the hotel then call on Gabriella to talk it out. She didn't want Ben to worry about it so she deflected.

"This wasn't exactly the bed I was hoping to get you in tonight," Cat teased Ben who smiled sleepily.

The door opened and a gurney was wheeled into the room and placed next to the empty bed beside Ben's. The orderlies moved the patient over onto the bed and pulled the sheets over her. The nurse confirmed her IV was still connected and working then left in a rush.

It was the detective. "They put her in here with me?" Ben asked groggily.

"The Inspector said the hospital was very busy. You wouldn't put a police officer in a ward as there may be criminals there that might recognize her." Catherine explained.

"You watch too many cop dramas on TV," he mumbled.

"Why don't you catch some sleep? I'll come back in the morning to pick you up," she suggested.

"I love you Catherine," he said with a smile.

"I love you too Ben."

And he was out.

Chapter 7

Chanel lay in bed watching the scarred man sleeping. She had been surprised to wake up in the same room as him but there he lay, softly breathing.

She had been so sure he was Kirion. In her need for revenge against the man who'd taken her Isabelle she'd blinded herself to the truth. He was a good man. He'd saved her life the night before. Attacked a man with a knife armed only with his bare hands. While he'd inflicted injuries to Kirion he'd taken damage from that attack too. He'd pushed his sheets down to his waist and tugged the hospital gown off during the night and she saw the bandages on his arms, chest and face. She counted five she could see.

The woman. She was a crack shot. Put three into Kirion's cold heart from quite a distance in the dark. Another surprise and a major difference from her Isabelle who'd refused to touch a gun. She knew the woman wasn't her lover but she missed her so much.

"Good morning."

Chanel jumped at the sound and looked over at the man again. His eyes were open and looking in her direction.

"Good morning," she returned. "I owe you an apology. Perhaps many."

"Accepted. Let's move on. My name is Ben. How are you feeling?"

She smiled at him. He made it seem so easy. "Hello Ben. I'm Chanel. I'm sore but good. I believe we will get to leave today."

"Great! I hate hospitals. They give me the willies!"

"Willies? What is that?" she asked.

"Nervous shivers."

"Ah! I agree."

"Can I ask you a question?" Ben said.

She looked at him closely. "Yes."

"Why does looking at Catherine upset you so much? Does she remind you of someone?"

She froze and looked suspiciously at him but saw only honest interest and concern. She glanced towards the door.

"She looks like someone I... used to know. Someone Kirion killed."

"Someone you loved," he guessed.

Once more she looked suspiciously at him.

"Everyone is free to love who they wish. I bear no ill intentions to anyone. Sexual orientation is a private and personal matter and is no concern of mine. That said, your behavior has been rather erratic lately and I say again, you carry a weapon. Those two things are a bad combination. I think it would be a helpful thing for you to take some time to straighten out those issues before you go back to work."

She looked down as she could not argue with his words. "Yes, I do have some time coming. A vacation might be a good idea."

"Talk to someone. I've found group therapy to be an excellent release. And go spend some time on a beach. Relax." He smiled at her and she returned it.

The nurse came in and removed Chanel's IV and taped a bandage over the spot. She eyed Ben's bare chest as she checked his bandages and saw he was good. She nodded and left.

Catherine poked her head in the door. "Good morning, Ben. Good morning, Detective Babineaux."

"Please, call me Chanel. And I want to apologize-"

"Think no more of it! All is forgiven!" Catherine held up her hands to stop Chanel from continuing. She grinned at the detective. "Though you did cost me a night of mind blowing sex!"

"Catherine!" Ben gasped.

She smiled mischievously.

Chanel blushed and looked a little pained.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Cat asked seeing Chanel's look.

"You bear a strong resemblance to someone Chanel was in love with and who Kirion killed." Ben replied.

"Please don't repeat that outside of this room. It would be bad for me if they found out I was in a relationship with one of his victims." Chanel blurted.

"OH! I'm sorry!" Cat expressed.

"Chanel has indicated that she's going to take some time off to work on those issues. Right?" he said looking at the detective.

"Yes! And go to the beach."

"Good choice. We're going to finish out two weeks in Cannes relaxing on the beach. I can't wait! I got a new bikini too!"

Both Ben and Chanel got thoughtful looks on their faces as they contemplated that image. Then they glanced at each other and caught their similar expressions. Ben started to laugh and Chanel's embarrassment at getting caught vanished with Ben's accepting attitude.

The doctor came in and Ben signed his release form. Catherine gave him some clean clothes she brought from the hotel and Ben went into the washroom to change.

Catherine walked over to Chanel. "Are you going to be alright?"

Chanel nodded but tears pooled in her eyelashes. "I miss her so much!"

"The man who took her from you is dead. It's time for you to move on! She wouldn't want you to be unhappy would she?" Cat asked.

"No, Isabelle would be very angry with me for how I'm acting." Chanel admitted with a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry I remind you so much of Isabelle but I'm not her. I'm Catherine McGovern. It will help if you say my name."

"Hello Catherine McGovern."

"Hello Chanel Babineaux. I hope you find peace and happiness soon."

"Thank you!"

Catherine heard Ben come out and she walked to his side.

"Take care of yourself Chanel," Ben said.

"Good bye!"

When they reached the hotel Ben went up to his room and removed the bandages. He took a careful shower and got himself clean. He put a few bandages over the larger wounds which might seep and then headed over to Tina's room. No one answered the knock so he used his key to go in. The room was empty.

He went downstairs to breakfast and the whole gang was there. Everyone but Catherine and Daniel jumped to their feet to give him a kiss. Catherine had gotten several on the way to the hotel. He told them to go easy as he didn't want to tear any stitches.

Gabriella showed some restraint but Tina and Lucy showed less as they were just a little panicked about his getting hurt. Miriam gave him a peck on the lips and skipped back to her chair blushing.

Megan could do no less than Miriam and surprised Ben with a chaste kiss on the lips. "I'm glad you're ok Ben!" she whispered as she held his eyes with hers. He saw she'd been shaken by the event.

Sophia and Rachel gave him kisses while they gently pressed their bodies to his. He was beginning to show a reaction so he quickly moved to his chair between Gabriella and Tina. Catherine sat across from him.

They had their breakfast and conversation returned to normal. He was really pleased to see Tina up and about. She still claimed to feel drained but her nausea was under control this morning. She stuck to toast but snuck some scrambled eggs from Ben's plate with much giggling while he made exaggerated growls of dismay at losing his food. Daniel and Miriam thought it was hilarious.

The plan for the day was to visit the Palace of Versailles. They'd take a train out and back and spend the day seeing the buildings and exploring the grounds. Tina felt up to going and Lucy promised to stick close to her to make sure she was ok.

Once everyone was ready they made their way to the train station. Soon they were riding the rails out to the Palace. The mood was light and Tina rested against Ben's side. Lucy sat across from Ben and watched them with a sweet smile.

Daniel sat next to Lucy by the window and took pictures. Ben was really impressed with the eye the boy was developing. His photos were improving in quality and the subject matter he was capturing showed his keen observation of the world around him. Ben told him so and watched the boy's confidence grow.

The line to enter the palace was fairly long even though they had managed to arrive early. Lucy found some shade for Tina to sit in and Ben bought their tickets. Then he got into the line for ticket holders. Once he was almost at the entrance his party joined him and he handed out the tickets. Everyone picked up their headsets as they entered.

Daniel listened with rapt attention as they moved through the rooms and everyone absorbed the beautiful paintings and luxurious appointments in each room. Ben kept an eye on Tina to see if her energy levels were flagging.

The Hall of Mirrors took their breath away and Sophia grabbed Ben for an impromptu ballroom dance. She took his hand and led him to the open space in the middle of the hall and curtsied to him. Ben bowed deeply and the crowd pulled back to watch the performance. He held his hand out to her with a flourish and she placed hers in it with a gentle touch.

Soon they began to move together, slowly at first. Ben surprised Sophia by knowing the steps and their speed increased until the two were sweeping around the large open space with a grace and elegance that made their audience catch their breath.

Other tourists were gathering to watch what appeared to be a re-enactment of a dance from a formal ball. There was a coy smile on Sophia's face and Ben held her eyes with a slight smile of his own as they moved through the steps without flaw. Too soon the dance reached its end with Ben bowing over Sophia's hand which he held to his lips. The gathered crowd burst into applause and Daniel was grinning broadly as he'd filmed the entire dance. Ben and Sophia seemed to finally notice they had an audience so they bowed to the tourists and made their way back to their party.

"Where did you learn to dance like that Ben?" Catherine exclaimed.

Ben stopped and thought about it with a puzzled frown on his face. "Uh... I- I'm not sure. The steps just came to me. Like muscle memory. Somebody must have taught me when I was a kid. My body just knew the steps. Huh." He turned to Sophia who was still breathing fast from the dance and bowed deeply to her again. "My thanks for the honor of the dance with so lovely a partner."

Sophia blushed and curtsied. She caught Daniel's eye and the two reviewed the footage. She complimented him on his excellent camera work and asked him for a copy of the movie. He beamed with pride and nodded. Catherine, Rachel, and Megan gathered around Sophia and they moved along to the next room while they asked what it had felt like to dance like that in the beautiful room. She gushed that it felt like a dream or something from the movies.

Lucy was staring at Ben like he'd just performed some magic. Tina leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Ben's an excellent dancer. He took me dancing and the night was so much fun. It was perfect! He's going to take me dancing again when we get home. I will hold him to that promise." She smiled fondly at Ben.

They finished the tour of the building and dropped off the audio guides. It was approaching noon so they made their way to a restaurant to grab a quick bite.

As they ate they discussed how people wanted to tour the gardens. They could rent bicycles for a self-guided tour, take a Segway guided tour, or just walk. Catherine and her daughters decided to try the Segways and Gabriella and her kids chose to rent bikes. Ben opted to remain in the shade with Tina and Lucy and eat ice cream. The party split up and promised to meet up in a couple of hours. Ben found a bench under a tree and sat with Tina. He gave Lucy some money to go into the snack bar to get some ice cream for them.

When they were alone Ben turned to Tina. She smiled up at him and he felt something tingle in his heart.

"We haven't really had a moment to ourselves to discuss the significance of what's happening within you have we." She shook her head. "I want you to know I'm completely in awe of you at this moment. Something that should have been impossible and you made it happen. Granted it was an accident, it's still a miracle in my book. I would have understood if you hadn't wanted to have another baby."

"I want to have your baby, Ben!" Tina gushed. Ben pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Passersby paused to see the passionate embrace of the two on the bench and a few even stopped to boldly take a picture.

When they pulled back from the kiss, Tina was panting. She clung to his arms and tried to catch her breath. She looked at him with need in her eyes but there really wasn't anything they could do in the crowded gardens.

"Sorry," he said.

She just nodded and rested back on the bench.

Lucy arrived with their ice cream and noted their flushed faces and Tina's plumped lips. She smiled to herself as she looked around at the people glancing over at the couple on the bench. She felt the sexual tension radiating from Ben and Tina. Ice cream would have to suffice... until they got back to the hotel at least. The cool treat was a welcome distraction.

Ben moved to the center of the bench and Lucy moved to his other side so both women could lean against his chest and snooze. A warm, gentle breeze blew up the hill carrying the scents of the garden below. Ben watched the people go by and many would smile and nod as they saw the two young women sleeping so contentedly against his sides.

The time slipped by and Ben began to doze himself. Then he heard Gabriella's voice as she spoke to her daughter while they climbed up to the bench. Daniel walked over to show him the picture he'd taken of Ben dozing with the two ladies. It was a very sweet image and he told him so. He kissed the tops of the ladies heads and they woke up and stretched. They headed off to the restroom and Gabriella sank to the bench next to Ben and he kissed her head too.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

"Yes, it was gorgeous and seeing it by bicycle was wonderful! The grounds are HUGE! We saw so much but there was so much more to see!"

"I saw a bunny!" Miriam blurted. "It was so sweet!"

They saw Catherine and her daughters walking up towards them being trailed by four young men, probably in their twenties. The men were talking non-stop but Ben couldn't understand them. It sounded... Italian?

"Oh, oh. Looks like Catherine and the girls have some cling-ons." Gabriella said.

"Intervention required?" he asked her.

"Yeah, they look tired. I've got this one." She got up and walked towards Cat. Then she started to speak Italian and the men shut up as their heads swung in her direction. They looked at Ben and they didn't look happy. He gave them a scowl. Two immediately turned and walked away. A third seemed torn then blushed and left. The last one tried to yell back but Gabriella verbally spanked him until he turned away and hustled to catch up with his friends.

Ben grinned as Gabriella turned back with the four blonds and walked back to the bench. Ben stood and let Gabriella, Catherine, Sophia and Rachel take the bench. Megan sat on the grass and leaned back against the tree.

"What happened? Why do you look so exhausted? Is riding a Segway that tiring?" Ben asked.

"No, it does take stamina but the really tiring part was those four bozos latched onto us at the beginning and talked shit at us for the entire two hours. No matter what we said they wouldn't shut up. We knew they were being rude but we didn't know what they were saying and ignoring them didn't work either." Catherine explained. She turned to Gabriella. "What did you say to them to make them leave so quickly?"

"I just explained that there was no way their little tiny penises could bring satisfaction to a woman and Ben here had everything a woman required and if they didn't piss off like the little children they were he'd pop their ass cherries."

Everyone stopped and looked at her. Ben's jaw dropped.

"It sounded much more poetic in Italian," she mumbled.

Ben roared with laughter and Catherine laughed so hard she had trouble breathing. Tina and Lucy returned and Megan brought them up to speed. Soon everyone was laughing and Ben hugged Gabriella to his chest and kissed her forehead. Her blush was enchanting!

"Who knew Gabriella had the tongue of an Italian sailor!" Ben smiled.

The others quickly took their turns at the restroom then they headed back to the train station. They spotted the four Romeos on the train so there was a shuffling of seating arrangements which left Ben sitting by the window, Megan sitting next to him, Sophia sitting opposite Ben and Rachel sitting next to her. At Sophia's back was her mother and Gabriella sat next to her keeping an eye on the boys.

Sophia winced as she undid her boots.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked.

"I picked the wrong footwear for the activities we did today. My feet are aching!" she whimpered.

Ben patted his thighs. "Bring them here!"

Sophia looked up hopefully. "Really?" He just gave her a look and she quickly lifted her feet to rest them on his legs before he changed his mind.

He started at her toes and gave each one a gentle tug and squeeze to release any pooling blood. He had to get the circulation going. He stroked and squeezed but moved the pressure from her toes towards her legs to move the blood back towards her core to be refreshed. He worked his thumbs into her soles and felt the muscles becoming more pliable as they relaxed. Once he reached her ankles he moved his massage up her legs to the knee. Then he stopped.

Sophia was biting her lip and looking at him a little oddly.

"Does that feel better?" he asked.

She nodded quickly, not trusting her voice. Her feet felt fantastic but when his hands had begun to move up her legs the pleasure turned into a different kind of bliss.

"My feet are tired too." Rachel peeped.

Ben smiled and switched places with Megan. Soon Rachel's feet were on his legs and he began the massage. Rachel was more vocal than Sophia who'd managed to restrain herself to the occasional quiet moan and coo.

"Omigod! Ben! Your hands are wonderful!" she groaned as he worked her soles. Catherine and Gabriella looked over the seat with amused smiles. Mostly because of Ben's blush. By the time he'd almost reached her knees Rachel was squirming on the seat so badly he looked at her in exasperation and stopped. "Wha- No!" she yelped as her eyes snapped open. She became aware of her surroundings again. She saw Sophia barely supressing her laughter and Megan staring at her wide eyed. "Uh... sorry! Oh my god Ben! Your hands feel so good!"

"How are your feet?" he asked.

"My feet? Oh! Right! Much better, yes," she stumbled.

Sophia snorted and looked out the window.

Ben looked at Megan.

"I'm good." was all she said.

"Switch with your sister. I don't bite," he said. Megan and Rachel swapped chairs and Megan timidly put her feet up on Ben's legs. "Relax," he said calmly and she rested back against her seat.

Ben went to work on her feet and her eyes closed in bliss. He felt the tension in her muscles go from trembling and taut to loose and elastic in no time. She soon had a happy smile on her face. When he patted her knees to let her know he was finished she opened her eyes slowly. "Thank you Ben! That was lovely! And thank you for just giving me a regular massage."

"You're welcome. And I gave three identical massages." Megan stared at him and he just shrugged. She scowled at her older sisters and they blushed.

"Better put your shoes back on we're here," Ben said as they began to pull into their station. Once they were back up at street level they found a taxi stand and piled into three to get the group to Pont de l'Archevêché, the bridge where lovers attached locks to signify their unending love, throwing the keys into the Seine. It was a short walk from there to Notre Dame Cathedral. Everyone was a little too pooped to feel up to doing the tour but sitting quietly inside the building while Daniel scurried about taking pictures was a plan they could all appreciate. The stained glass was beautiful and a choir was practicing at the front and the sound of their harmonious voices flowed throughout the vaulted space.

When Daniel returned his smile said it all. He was having a blast! He sat next to Ben and recited the history he'd memorized regarding the cathedral.

Gabriella gathered a consensus from the party and it was unanimous. Everyone was famished. Gabriella knew of a Lebanese restaurant close to the cathedral so the group would walk over to it for dinner. She stepped outside to call and make a reservation.

It was Tina's date night but she was feeling a little wiped out so she asked Ben if it would be ok if they could just go back to the hotel, get room service and call it a night. He smiled and took her hand to help her stand. The group left the cathedral and met Gabriella. Ben and Tina said their goodnights which meant a lot of kisses for Ben.

Sophia was last and thanked Ben for the wonderful dance and the foot massage. She gave him a tender kiss that made his scalp tingle.

Ben and Tina found a taxi and went back to the hotel as the rest of the party made their way to the restaurant.

When they got to Ben's room Tina sat on the sofa and leaned her head back. The day had really taken a lot out of her.

Ben sunk to his knees before Tina and took her hands in his.

"Tina, I want you to eat a solid meal. You barely touched your lunch. Please tell me what you'd like to eat and we'll order it. Anything you want," he said.

Tina smiled at him. "I am sorry to cause you distress, Ben. I will be fine. Order what you like."

"Tina. Listen to me. I want you to tell me what kind of food you would be most comfortable eating now. Something that will give you strength and comfort," he said sternly.

"...Korean food. I have such a craving for Yukgaejang. And Galbijjim. And Kkang Pung Ki, extra spicy!" she blurted. Thinking of Ben she selected something safer for him. "Oh! And some Tangsuyuk with pork."

"Then that is what you shall have!" Ben exclaimed.

He dialed the concierge and explained his requirements, though he had Tina spell the names of the dishes for him, and was assured there was an excellent restaurant that would deliver this food within the hour. He thanked the man and hung up. He spent the hour massaging Tina's feet and legs as she rested back on the sofa feeling like she was floating up into the clouds.

There was a knock on the door and Ben answered it. The food had been delivered, unpacked and placed in the hotel's flatware. Domes were in place to keep the food warm. The room-service waiter rolled a table into Ben's suite and asked if they would like to eat on the balcony. Ben looked at Tina who nodded quickly with a grin. The table was set and food transferred to it. With instructions to leave it outside the door the man left.

Ben held Tina's chair for her and took his own chair. They held up their water glasses to make a toast.

"To you Tina, for bringing so much happiness into my life! I love you!"

Tina's eyes were glistening with unshed tears as she gave Ben one of her brilliant smiles. "I love you too Ben!"

He lifted the domes from the table and the savory scents wafted up to them. Ben pulled back as one of the dishes hinted at a strong spiciness. His eyes widened. "Wow! Which of these dishes is spicy?"

She looked at him with a worried expression. "Most of them."

He lifted the napkin off of a basket on the table and saw it was filled with white dinner rolls. "That's probably why the room-service staff supplied the rolls," he said with a grin.

Tina started with the Yukgaejang which Ben discovered was a spicy soup with beef and vegetables. He tried some as well and while it was a little spicy for him he did find it to be delicious!

The Galbijjim was a short rib dish and Ben liked this more as it wasn't as spicy.

He watched Tina's face as she ate and saw the happiness in her eyes as the familiar flavors brought her good memories of her childhood. It filled him with joy to see her coming back to life.

The Tangsuyuk with pork was a sweet and sour dish and immediately familiar to Ben so he enjoyed that.

He saw her hoarding one of the dishes and an impish smile crept onto his lips. To retaliate for her stealing his eggs at breakfast he forked a big piece of the pork dish from Tina's plate when she had her mouth full. He popped it into his mouth and chewed it grinning at her as she frantically waved at him but it was too late. When the spice exploded across his tongue he realized the dish she was hiding from him was her extra spicy Kkang Pung Ki chicken. Compared to Tina he was a novice to spicy foods. He slapped his napkin to his mouth and expelled the incendiary device into it then immediately tore a dinner roll in half and jammed it into his mouth.

His eyes were watering and his breath came in big gulps. She looked at him with concern but he just waved her back as the second half of the roll went into his mouth to absorb the spices on his tongue.

He drank some water and wiped at his eyes with a chagrined look on his face.

"It is too spicy for you! Why did you do that?" Tina scolded him, concern written all over her face.

"I- I was trying to- to get you back for sneaking the eggs off my plate this morning. I thought I was stealing some of the pork."

Tina's eyes went wide and she began to laugh. She held her hand in front of her face as she laughed. Ben thought she looked beautiful and just sat there watching her laugh as he dabbed the tears from his eyes.

"I hope you learned your lesson!" she smiled as she finally caught her breath. She raised an eyebrow and popped some of the spicy chicken into her mouth. He pretended to bow to her and she gave him a satisfied smile.

They looked out over the city as they ate the delicious meal, admiring the shimmering lights below and spreading out as far as they could see. They didn't feel the need to speak. It was just as it was in their home. Ben was so comfortable with Tina. She seemed to be equally comfortable with him. They connected so well. He felt her love for him almost tangibly as she gazed at him across the table. And now she was carrying his child. He pushed back and tears started to slowly roll down his cheeks. His emotions were suddenly too much for him to contain.

Tina stood and came around the table to sit on his lap. She took his face in her hands and wiped his tears away.

"Why are you crying?" she asked gently.

"I'm not sure. I just- I just never expected to ever be this happy. I never thought I deserved this much happiness. I still don't," he said quietly.

"Yet I can think of no one who deserves it more than you!" she replied just as gently.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to the nape of her neck. She hugged him and ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. After a time he pulled back and they kissed tenderly until he pulled back abruptly.

"Spicy kiss!" he yelped and stuffed a bun in his mouth. She laughed and swatted his shoulder playfully.

She went back to her chair and they continued their meal in a contented silence. Afterwards Ben pushed the table out into the hall and called down to let them know and to thank them.

They brushed their teeth together then undressed until they stood naked before each other. He thought she looked absolutely beautiful. She was embarrassed by the slight bulge of her stomach as she'd eaten so much.

"Tina, your tummy is going to get much larger than it is tonight and you will look every bit as gorgeous then as you are right now!" Ben said with a smile. Tina tilted her head back for a kiss and he gave her one.

He could tell she was sleepy but he knew she would let him do anything he pleased to her so he swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. He set her down and climbed in on his side. Then he pulled the sheets up and pulled her up to cuddle next to him. She sighed contentedly and he shut the light.

It was everything he needed.

Chapter 8

Ben woke to the feel of lips gently kissing his and he smiled. He opened his eyes and Tina was looking into his eyes with the glow of joy on her face.

"Good morning beautiful!" he rumbled.

"Good morning Ben! I'm going to go back to my room to get ready. Meet you downstairs?"

"OK," he agreed.

"You should get up too. We slept in a little," she smiled.

"You're feeling better?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Not 100% yet but the nausea isn't too bad this morning. Last night's meal really helped. Thank you!"

He kissed her again and she slipped from his bed and left the room.

Ben would have liked to have worked out but sleeping in killed that idea. He rolled out of bed and walked to the sliding doors of his bedroom and looked out into the luxurious space beyond. He smiled and shook his head as this much luxury really wasn't him. He lifted his arms above his head and stretched out all the muscle kinks as he yawned.

"Now that's a nice sight to wake up to!"

Ben's eyes snapped open and there was Gabriella and Catherine standing in the entrance to his living room admiring the view of his naked body. He didn't bother covering himself up. Instead he walked slowly over to them and, one at a time, pulled them against his body for a sensual kiss.

"A really nice way to start the day!" Gabriella said.

Catherine was reaching for his cock and Gabriella gently slapped her hand back. Cat pouted.

"Ben, go put on a robe. We need to talk to you... without the distraction."

Ben turned and went back to his bedroom and returned wearing the robe. The ladies were seated on the couch and had pulled a chair in front of it. He assumed they wanted him to sit there so he did.

"Tuck the robe closed," Gabriella said biting her lip and Catherine whined in protest.

Once he was decent Gabriella leaned forward. "Cat and I had a long talk this morning about Tina's situation."

Ben frowned. "If this is going to be about Tina shouldn't she be here?"

"Bear with me Ben, you'll understand in a second," she responded.

He nodded and leaned back.

"You know we both love you and nothing I'm going to say changes that fact. I hope you understand that I'm not asking you to change how you feel about us or how we are together." Gabriella said and Ben's expression began to show worry.

"Tina is having a child. Your child. For that reason alone what we are about to suggest makes complete sense. The facts that she's young, already has a child and is having a second child, and is hoping to go to College, all support our idea."

"OK, you are making me very nervous. Please just say it!" Ben gasped.

"We think you and Tina should get married." Catherine blurted.

Ben's eyes widened in surprise. "WHAT?!?"

"There are a lot of legal benefits for Tina to be married before she has your child. Most will benefit the child as well. This doesn't mean we want to change our relationship with you. We aren't giving you up. Far from it! This is purely to give Tina support for her and your baby. We want you to think about it. It does mean a more permanent relationship between you and Tina but I think you will agree that's not such a bad idea. You two get along really well. She's a good match for your lifestyle. She's perfect in fact! Again, think about it. Get washed up and we will see you downstairs at breakfast." Gabriella said as she stood and gave Ben a peck on the lips. Catherine did too and they left together.

Ben sat on the couch, stunned. He stood and went to take his shower. Under the spray he let the idea sink into his brain. He understood what Gabriella was saying about Tina's status as an unwed mother and how this would help his child. There was no real question in that. He also agreed that Tina was a good fit for his lifestyle. As Gabriella said, she was a perfect fit.

The dilemma that was tormenting him was how this might impact his relationship with Gabriella and Catherine. He loved them and he didn't want them to think they weren't important to him. While the marriage was more for the child than Tina, as Gabriella said it would change his relationship with Tina. It would be permanent. He felt a huge sense of relief wash over him and blinked his eyes open under the spray. He hadn't realized how much he was dreading her moving on.

He shut off the water and dried himself off. He dressed and headed down to the restaurant.

Everyone was already seated and plates were being delivered. He took his seat between Gabriella and Catherine and smiled at Tina's sweet face across from him. The idea that she could be his wife rushed over him and he dropped his napkin. He leaned over and bonked heads with Catherine who was already leaning over to pick it up.

"Ouch!" she yelped.

"Ow! Sorry Catherine!" he said.

"Silly man!" she scolded him with a grin rubbing her head. "Kiss it better!" She tilted her face up to him expecting the kiss on her lips instead of the top of her head. He smiled and delivered the kiss. She pulled away with a happy smile. "Worth the bump," she teased.

Tina was giggling and Ben knocked his fork off the table as he watched her. He immediately bopped Gabriella on the head with his forehead as she bent to get the fork.

"Ow! Ben!" she cried.

"Sorry, I don't know why I'm so klutzy today." Ben said, his face red with embarrassment. Tina was laughing hard with her hand in front of her face. Her face was a little pink from laughing and he was dazzled again by her beauty. Her eyes twinkled with delight at his admiring gaze. He looked at Gabriella and she tilted her face up to him as well. He gave her the kiss and she smiled dreamily and sighed.

"What's on the itinerary today?" he asked.

"Today is a free day. If people want to go back to the museums to see more or they want to shop they can do that. We all meet at 7PM at the base of the Eiffel tower to go up for a last look at the city. I've booked a group package for that so we skip the queue. Then we have tickets for a night cruise on the Seine. Afterwards we will have a late dinner at a lovely French restaurant I've booked for us then we head back to the hotel." Gabriella explained.

"Who is doing what?" he asked.

"We all want to go shopping... except Daniel." Gabriella answered.

"Oh good! I have someone to go back to the Louvre with." Ben smiled and Daniel's face lit up with a smile.

Ben ordered his food and the group began to slip away as they headed out to do some power shopping. Gabriella had given them instructions on where the really trendy spots were and Ben reminded them to keep the receipts for him.

There was another round of morning kisses as the ladies left and they were getting more sensual each time. Ben had to struggle to hide his reaction when Sophia's tongue gently stroked his bottom lip.

He finished his breakfast and he and Daniel headed over to the subway station. Daniel had asked if they could do a little exploring of Paris' underground. That reminded Ben of something so he did a search on his phone and told the young man he could do one better. He led them to Les Catacombes, a tour of the hidden world below Paris which was both cool and spooky. The room of bones gave Ben a serious case of the willies but fascinated Daniel. When they were done they took the subway again eventually ending up at the Louvre. They spent the day completing Daniel's project and had lunch in one of the cafeterias. They finished up and Ben told Daniel he had one more errand to run which didn't take too long then they headed off to meet the others.

Once more they went down into the Paris underground to ride the trains to get them as close to the Eiffel tower as they could. They walked the remaining distance and saw the others were waiting for them. Daniel gave his Mom a big hug and told her about the amazing day he and Ben had. They made their way to the elevators and explored the second level. Daniel quietly made his way around the group whispering into the ears of everyone except Gabriella, Catherine, and Tina. When they reached the top the three women found themselves encircled by the others who had happy but puzzled expressions on their faces. Some of the other tourists were watching the goings on but Ben ignored them and faced Gabriella first.

"Gabriella, first off I want to thank you for welcoming us on your family vacation. So far it has been absolutely amazing!" he began.

There was a round of applause for Gabriella and Catherine hugged her.

"More importantly I personally want to thank you for showing me how I could open my heart to love again. You know how tormented I was but it was your love and your wisdom that made all of this possible. I can't begin to tell you how important you are to me and how much I love you. As a gesture of my undying love and my gratitude for allowing me to share your life please accept this." Ben held forward a small green leather box.

Gabriella was smiling with love in her eyes but when the box came out she froze and her hand went to her mouth.

Ben opened the box and she gasped. Inside was a ring with a large rectangular emerald framed by diamonds. The top of the band was lined with smaller diamonds. Gabriella's eyes went wide and she began to tremble. Ben took the ring from the box and reached for her left hand.

"Oh Ben! Oh my god!" she whimpered.

He took her hand and slid the ring on her finger. It was just a little loose but they could get it resized when they got home.

Gabriella was crying and staring at the beautiful ring on her finger.

"Daniel said you liked emeralds and I tried to find one as brilliant as your eyes but that's an impossible task. The beauty of this will always pale next to yours." Ben said and Gabriella leapt into his arms. She kissed him fiercely and he kissed her in return.

When he was able to pry her from his chest he turned to Catherine whose eyes grew wider and wider as he looked into them.

"Catherine, you take my breath away. To fall in love with one beauty was something I never expected to happen in my life, but it did," he said gesturing to Gabriella. "But finding myself in love to two was both a miracle and, at the time, an emotional disaster for me. Gabriella showed me the way but you helped make it real for me by sharing your love with me. You surprise me, challenge me, excite me, and your energy knows no bounds. Yet words fail to describe how important you've become to me and I'm eternally grateful for your love." He pulled a small blue velvet box from his pocket. "As a gesture of my undying love and my gratitude for allowing me to share your life please accept this." Ben held forward the box.

Catherine's eyes were brimming with tears as he opened the box and her jaw dropped as she took in the brilliance of the large oval sapphire encircled by diamonds. It was similar to Gabriella's ring in that it also had smaller diamonds on the top of the band.

Ben took the ring from the box and took Catherine's trembling left hand in his and slid the ring onto her ring finger. Again, just a little too loose but it wouldn't fall off. Tears dropped from her cheeks to the back of her hand as she looked down at the work of art on her finger. Ashraf had considered jewellery a waste of money and Catherine had never purchased anything nice for herself so this was a treasure beyond measure.

"The blue of the sapphire isn't as bright and sparkling as your eyes but no stone could contain the life that shines from you." Ben said with a smile.

She looked over at Gabriella as she knew her husband had shared Ashraf's attitude regarding jewels and gifts in general. Gabriella looked a little shell shocked as she took in the ring on her finger.

Catherine put her arms around Ben and kissed him deeply. Before it went on too long Ben gently pushed back and she stepped over to stand beside Gabriella. The two had figured out what this was going to be but Tina still had no idea.

When Ben turned to Tina she yelped. She'd been so wound up when she noticed she was in the inner circle with Gabriella and Catherine she didn't know what to do with herself. The group around her laughed in delight at her surprised outburst. Ben's smile was wider than everyone else's.

"Tina, our relationship has undergone more ups and downs than with Gabriella and Catherine and that has all been due to my pig headedness. I was locked into my concepts of who we should and shouldn't be with. It was Gabriella who showed me how much of an ass I was being with you. While you always offered me unconditional love I kept pushing it away, not understanding how precious it is. When I finally did realize how much I needed you, against all odds you were still there for me, after all I had put you through. This proved to me how strong your love really was. I know that even after I came to my senses I put conditions on our relationship." Ben frowned and looked down. Once he got control of himself again he looked into her wide eyes. "It wasn't long after you were living with me that I came to realize how important you had become to me, how much I needed your grace, how your beauty dazzles me, and how much I would miss you when you left. You have become critical to my happiness and if that wasn't enough you're carrying my child. I can't let you go and I won't."

Ben got down on one knee and the group screamed with excitement. He pulled a black velvet box from his pocket and held it up to Tina who had both hands in front of her mouth. He opened the box and inside was a large round cut diamond resting in a bed of smaller diamonds. The band also had diamonds on the top like the other two rings.

"Tina, will you marry me?"

More squeals of joy from the group. Tina looked to Gabriella and Catherine who were both nodding and smiling. She looked back to Ben with wide eyes and nodded rapidly not trusting her voice. He took the ring from the box and slid it onto her ring finger. It was definitely too big for her small finger. She sat on Ben's leg and kissed him as she clung to him. Ben took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly.

"You will?" he whispered into her ear when he hugged her.

"Yes! Oh yes! Ben, is this real? This feels like a dream!" she whispered back. He felt her body trembling.

"It does to me as well but it's real! Just to be clear, Gabriella and Catherine will remain an important part of my life." Ben said with a worried look.

"Ben! I don't want you to change who you are! I am honored to become your wife. I love Gabriella, Catherine, and Trish too," she said and kissed him again.

He helped her stand and suddenly he was being hugged from all sides. More happy tears were shed and he was kissed quite a bit. The tourists who had been watching were completely lost and their confusion showed. Ben caught a few scowls aimed in his direction.

Gabriella looked at her watch and motioned for everyone to head for the elevator. They had a cruise to take!

All the way down Ben held Tina's hand. She had him put the ring back into the box so she wouldn't lose it. Daniel was showing the video he'd taken of Ben's speeches and there was much cooing and giggles from the ladies. When they reached the ground the group made their way to the taxi stand and divided up to go to where the boat tours began. Tina reached out and took Lucy's hand. She pulled her over to stand before Ben as they would share a cab.

Lucy looked at Tina's expression of bliss. This was the happiest she'd seen the small woman.

"As we discussed, you must decide if you will follow Ben's plan for you. They leave Paris tomorrow. I will fly home tomorrow." Tina said to Lucy.

"I want to go home, to the States but I don't have a home to go back to." Lucy said.

"Yes, you do. You have a home with us." Ben said.

They got into the back seat of the taxi and Ben gave the address.

"What do I have to offer? I'm a burden on you." Lucy frowned.

"You are NOT a burden! You are a delightful woman with potential. I like to invest in people with potential. I'd like to invest in you!" Ben had a thought. "I'd like to send you home with Tina tomorrow to ensure she gets there safe and sound. Could you do that for me? I've already booked the seat."

She looked at Ben with tears welling in her eyes again. "What have I done in my life to deserve so much kindness from people who were strangers to me less than a week ago?"

"Is that a yes?" Ben asked.

"YES!" she gasped and Tina laughed. Ben gave her a kiss and a hug and Tina held her hand.

They joined the others and found their way onto the boat. They took their seats on the upper deck. Paris at night is glorious. Something about cruising on the Seine surrounded by his loved ones gave Ben a feeling of peace he'd never felt before. Tina leaned against his arm trembling with joy and he kissed her fingers.

They passed the Eiffel tower which would always be a special place for Ben. The lights on it were spectacular! There was much oooing and aahing from everyone aboard. The buildings they'd visited during the day, like the Musée d'Orsay and Notre Dame, were lit up beautifully and Daniel got some terrific pictures. Once they'd swung around the small island Notre Dame stood upon they returned to the dock and disembarked.

Once more they split up to take taxis to the restaurant where they were led to a beautiful table in a courtyard lit up with strings of gentle lights. It looked like an enchanted forest grove with pixies hiding in the trees. Ben sat between Gabriella and Catherine and across from Tina once more feeling like he was surrounded by their love. He turned to Gabriella.

"Lucy will be flying home with Tina tomorrow. We will drop them at the airport?" he asked.

"Ah! That's wonderful! Yes, we pick up the cars there. She's going to stay with you?" she asked.

"Yes, I've got a spare room... for now," he replied as he realized he also had a baby coming. He might have to consider expanding the house to add more space and another bedroom. His mind started ticking over the adjustments to the floor plan. As he'd built out his workshop under the back yard he already had a foundation he could extend the house out onto.

"Oh! We've lost him to his renovation bug!" Gabriella teased.

He blinked and smiled guiltily.

Wine was served with dinner though Ben, Tina, and Daniel drank water. Once more Miriam was allowed one glass of wine much to her delight. Toasts were raised and there was a lot of laughter during their meal. They all agreed that Paris had been a huge success.

Gabriella explained that she had arranged to have their purchases shipped home under her import company's account which would expedite the delivery and reduce the amount of stuff they had to carry with them on the rest of the trip. This had been done after their shopping excursion today.

She gave a brief outline of what the next few days would contain and there was much excited chatter.

Tina and a few others looked like they were nodding off so Ben paid their bill and the party made their way back to the hotel. Tina was feeling a little rough with all the excitement of the day so she gave Ben a tender kiss and headed off to her room. Miriam and Megan were back to cheek kisses and Daniel said his goodnights and went to his room to do his final packing at his mother's insistence.

Gabriella hugged Ben tight and kissed him sweetly. She rested her hand on his chest and looked at the ring once more. "Ben, this is so beautiful! I've never had anything so lovely in my life. Thank you!"

"I couldn't propose to Tina without you knowing how much I love you as well. I hope you know that!" he said earnestly.

"I know Ben. And I love you too. That won't change!" she replied. She kissed him once more and went to her room.

Catherine grabbed him around his chest and grinned up at him. "Thank you for the ring Ben! It's the nicest gift I've ever received!"

"I wanted to do something to show you that I may be proposing to Tina but that doesn't mean I don't love you. This stuff sometimes gets confusing to me but what's always clear is how I feel about you!" Ben said.

She kissed him deeply and he felt his body responding. "Hey, remember what we said about goodnight kisses," he growled gently.

"Yeah, well you owe me," she grinned as she went to her door.

Sophia was next. "You did a truly beautiful thing tonight Ben. I've never seen Tina so happy. I've never seen my mom this happy or Gabriella. I hope one day I'll find someone that will make me as happy. You are a special man!"

She kissed him and this time it was just a sweet kiss of appreciation and he smiled at her as she walked back to her room.

Rachel looked up at him with an odd look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I want to kiss you so badly but I don't want to detract from how amazingly sweet this night was," she groaned.

He could see she was a little excited through the thin blouse she wore. He grinned. "Good night, Rachel," he said and kissed her gently and sensually. She melted against his body and he pulled back from the kiss.

"Oh my god are you good at that!" she moaned.

"I get a lot of practise," he said with an embarrassed smile.

"Good night!" she said and floated away to her room.

Lucy was standing by his door with a hopeful look. He walked over and looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

"As this is the last night I'll see you for a while I was wondering if I might share your bed," she asked timidly.

"I hope you don't think I expect this of you," he said. "My offer to take you into my home has NO strings attached!"

"Oh, I know!" she said nodding quickly, worried she'd offended him.

He nodded then opened his door. She proceeded him into the living room. "What will I do when I get to your home?" she asked.

"You told me you missed your opportunity to get some 'skills to build a life on'. Any idea what those skills might be?" he replied.

Lucy looked at him and blinked. "I- I was going to get into audio engineering."

"Is that still interesting to you?"

"Yes."

"Then you should follow that dream," he replied.

"Did you miss the fact that I've spent my inheritance?" she asked.

"I said I'd like to invest in you. What did you think that meant?" he asked in return.

Lucy stood staring at Ben uncomprehendingly. "Why?" she said in the faintest voice.

Ben sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. "Come here," he said.

Lucy sat meekly beside him and he took her hand.

"When I was five my parents were killed by a drunk driver and I was placed in the foster care system. I moved from home to home and met a lot of other kids. Some had it far worse than me. I made it through that experience and I made something of myself. I did what I loved and it paid off. I still do what I love and it's still paying off. What I was missing was a family. I tried to make one of my own and it failed horribly. Gabriella, Catherine, Trish, and Tina saved me and Tina is giving me a family. I can't tell you how incredible it feels to have come from where I was to where I am now. I want others to have that opportunity but only those who deserve it. There were a lot of bad people I met in those early years. I wouldn't cross the street to help them today but I can help you. Let me help you get back the life you dreamed you'd have. I can open the door but you'll have to step through and work hard to make it happen. It's not charity. It's an investment in making the world a better place by giving it people who are living up to their potential."

Lucy was teary eyed and Ben pulled her into a hug. "What do you say?"

"Yes please," she said against his chest.

"That's one smart decision down. It's a great start!" he whispered to her. "It's late and you have a flight to be on tomorrow. Let's get some sleep. Get started and I'll be right there."

Lucy stood and walked into the bedroom. He heard the bathroom sink running so he pulled out the notebook, logged in and connected to the airline website. He needed to modify his reservation to have Lucy's name and passport. He called out. "Lucy? I need your passport."

She came running back into the room. "Sorry I didn't hear you."

"I need your passport for the ticket change," he said.

"Ah, give me a sec," she replied. She grabbed her room key and left. A few minutes later there was a knock so Ben answered the door. Lucy was there with her new shiny suitcase on wheels and her old dirty backpack. He let her in and she rummaged through the backpack to pull out the passport which she handed to Ben.

He confirmed it was still valid and entered the details into the web page. A few clicks later she was set. He shut down the computer and passed her the passport to put it away again.

Ben brushed his teeth and got undressed and when he walked to the bed Lucy was already under the sheets waiting with a timid smile.

He slipped in next to her and discovered she was naked too. Ben set his alarm for an hour and a half earlier as they had a full day tomorrow and would need to get moving earlier. He shut the light and pulled her against him, relaxing as he felt her soft skin. She made a purring sound and cuddled a little closer. Sleep pulled them under quickly.

Ben woke with the most amazing sensation of his cock being gripped by hot velvet. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked down to see Lucy's back as she sank down on his morning erection. Two empty packets of lube lay discarded on the sheets. She took him all the way to the base and was gently rocking to get accustomed to the large intruder. She was trying to be quiet but a series of whispered moans, mews, and yips were leaking from her lips as she was overwhelmed by the intensity of it.

He grinned and waited to see what she would do next. She was trying to gently raise herself up on his cock but her leverage was bad and her legs had lost coordination with him buried so deeply inside her. She wobbled a little and it looked like she might fall off so he reached forward and braced her with his hands on her sides. She jumped at the feel of his hands on her then she looked over her shoulder to see what his expression was. When she saw his smile she relaxed so he gently pulled her back to rest on his chest. He slid his hands around to cup her tits and played with the rings through her nipples. She gasped and squirmed and he began to rock his hips slowly. This pumped about two inches of his cock in and out of her pussy which brought a low moan from her lips.

"Fuck, you're so big!" she groaned.

"Is that bad?"

"What? No, it's just scrambling my brains! AH!" she gasped as he suddenly thrust up into her.

"You keep your brains down there?" he teased.

"No! Ah! Fuck! I can't think straight!"

Ben squeezed her large tits and sped up his rocking until he was driving four inches in and out of her wet pussy.

"OH! OH! FUCK! OH! YES! YES! FUCK!" she yelped with each thrust.

He slid a hand down to rub her clit in gentle circles and she arched her back and cried out. "FFFFFUUUUUCCCCKKK! OOHHHHHHH! FFFFUUUUUCCCKKKK!!!"

Ben moved his other hand down to her hip and used alternating hands to push and pull her on his cock. The pulling rubbed her clit and the push rubbed her ass against his pelvis.

"OH BEN! OH BEN! OH BEN! I'M GONNA CUM! CUM! I- I'M CUMMIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!" she squealed as her body thrashed above his. When she was almost all the way through her orgasm he suddenly rolled over and she found herself under him. He didn't crush her but she was pinned to the mattress. Ben was able to really thrust now and started to pound his thick cock into her, slamming his pelvis into her ass with wet slapping noises. The orgasm she had been enjoying the embers of suddenly flared again and she just had to hold on for dear life as his thrusts took her up level after level. He was in control and overwhelming her and it was heaven.

Ben growled as his orgasm arrived and he drove himself deep one last time and rocked against her. She felt him gushing into her and marvelled at the heat of it. She dropped her face to the mattress and gasped for breath.

Once he'd caught his breath Ben slowly pulled out and dropped down next to Lucy. She looked over at him with a smile. "Holy Hell Ben! That was intense!"

They jumped as his alarm went off.

He grinned back at her. "We should get cleaned up. It's almost time for breakfast."

He rolled out of bed and she gasped. "You're still hard!"

He looked down. "Yeah, that happens," he said as he walked into the bathroom. She heard the shower start up so she got out of bed and went in to sit on the toilet. She watched him standing in the cascade of water and admired the power of his muscles. She felt a tingle running through her body as he raised his big arms to rub the shampoo into his hair.

Once she was done she put the lid down and stepped into the shower behind him and took the soap from his hands. She washed his back and his powerful ass. She worked her way down his legs until she was kneeling at his feet and got him to turn around when she was done to wash the suds away. His cock bobbed before her face. She handed him the soap, rinsed her hands and took a grip on the thick appendage. Ben moaned when she ran her tongue over the head. She suddenly moved forward and took his cock deep into her throat.

"AH! FUCK! LUCY! GEEZUS!"

She pulled back so just the head was in her mouth and looked up at him, enjoying his dazed look. She felt powerful when she had this effect on him. She surged forward again and began to pump his cock into her throat in long fast strokes. Ben cried out again and braced himself against the walls of the shower as his knees shook. She felt a rush at the control she had over him. She bobbed faster. This technique had been so effective before and it was just as effective now. She managed to count to just fifteen strokes before she felt him tensing up.

"LUCY! GOD, I'M CUMMING! FUCK!" Ben yelled as his orgasm raced out of control.

She caught the cum in her mouth and stroked him with her hands to milk it all out. He shuddered through the intense sensations and finally leaned back against the shower wall.

"Holy Hell indeed," he gasped weakly. He closed his eyes and rested.

Lucy swallowed some but let the rest of his cum spill out of her mouth and drip down the drain. It was a little too salty for breakfast. She stood and stepped into the spray and rinsed her mouth. She wet her hair and felt Ben rubbing shampoo into her long strands of hair. His big hands were so gentle as he ran them through her hair getting the suds from the root to the ends. Then he rinsed her hair and started over with the conditioner. She felt completely pampered. Once they were both clean he shut the water and toweled her dry. She giggled at the luxury of being lavished with this attention which made Ben smile. He dried himself as she brushed her hair out. He went into the bedroom and set his clothes out. Everything else went into his suitcase. He dressed and was ready for breakfast.

Lucy walked out of the bathroom naked and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her until she was clinging to him. He pulled back and she looked up at him with glassy eyes and plumped lips. Her breath was coming out in gasps.

"What- What was that?!?" she sighed.

"I'm just glad you're going home with Tina and you're staying with us," he said.

She grinned. "It will be quite the homecoming after your vacation!" She slipped her bra and panties on and pulled on a pretty skirt and a lovely blouse she'd bought here in Paris. She looked lovely and the blouse did wonderful things with her generous tits.

"I don't think we have time for another tumble in the sheets," she said as she caught the heat in his gaze.

"Right. Breakfast! Let's go."

There was a knock on Tina's door and she looked up from her suitcase. She was feeling a little worn out this morning. Getting up so much earlier for the flight hadn't helped. Too much excitement the night before as well. Rachel had already gone downstairs but Tina still had a few things to pack. She answered the door and saw it was Gabriella and Catherine.

"Good morning Tina! May we come in for a moment?" Gabriella asked.

"Of course!" Tina walked back into her room followed by the two women. She saw they were both wearing their new rings. "Your rings are so lovely!" she said.

Both women immediately smiled and looked at them again. They hadn't gotten used to seeing the rings on their hands so each time they looked was a pleasant surprise.

"Yes, Ben really hit one out of the park last night. A real surprise for everyone!" Gabriella agreed.

"Oh! Was the proposal a surprise to you as well? You seemed to know last night." Tina looked at them in surprise. "I did not ask Ben to marry me! I would never do anything to jeopardize your relationships with Ben!" Tina said nervously.

"Tina, it's alright! We knew about the proposal. We were the ones who suggested he should do it." Catherine said.

Tina looked at them in surprise.

"If it had been any other woman we would not have agreed to the idea. We love Ben so much and we know you do as well. Ben needs a family and you can give that to him. We wanted you to hear directly from us that we were onboard with the idea. We love you Tina." Gabriella said.

Tina rushed forward and hugged Gabriella then Catherine. "Ben has a family in all of us. I will give him a child but he has already made his family in bringing us together. I will forever be grateful to him for that!" she said.

Gabriella smiled and Catherine wiped a tear from her eye.

"We're going to miss you for the rest of the trip but we want you to take care of yourself when you get back. Go see your doctor!" Catherine said and Tina nodded happily.

"Are you ready for breakfast?" Gabriella asked.

Tina looked at her packing and decided she could finish after breakfast with her family. She nodded and smiled happily.

When Ben and Lucy got to the restaurant the group was almost complete but Gabriella, Catherine and Tina were still upstairs. Ben made his way around the table giving good morning kisses.

Gabriella walked in with the other two and each got a kiss from Ben before sitting. He admired their rings and looked to Tina who lifted her necklace to show she was wearing it the safest method she had at the moment.

After they ordered breakfast Gabriella got everyone's attention.

"It's a little family tradition of ours to list our three favorite experiences from a vacation. As some members of our party are leaving us today and we are moving on from Paris I thought it might be nice for us to share what our top three experiences in Paris were. Catherine, would you like to lead us off?"

Catherine nodded and grinned at her friend. "I'll begin with my number three which was my date night with Ben. While it didn't end as I'd hoped it would," she gave Ben a scorching look making him blush, "it was a magical night none-the-less. Next was the first day of shopping with my family. My number one was last night at the Eiffel tower."

"No fair!" Gabriella cried with a laugh. "That's my number one as well!"

"Mine too!" Tina piped in.

Most of the ladies were laughing and nodding so by general consensus everyone agreed that it was their number one so they only had to give two others. Everyone looked at Sophia who was next. She smiled and thought for a second.

"My third was the first day of shopping but my second had to be that beautiful dance with Ben in the Palace of Versailles!" Dreamy smiles erupted around the table and Ben smiled as he recalled the grace Sophia moved with.

Rachel was staring at Ben's mouth again and he blushed nervously, worried that she might say something about the kiss. Instead she mumbled about the shopping and the spa day instead but her sister just looked at her knowingly.

Megan said the shopping day and meeting Lucy who made an 'Awww' sound and reached around Tina to hold Megan's hand.

Then it was Tina's turn. She looked at Ben with twinkling eyes. "My number one was Ben's proposal. My number two was discovering I was carrying his child. My number three was discovering just how much Gabriella and Catherine love me." Both women reached across the table to hold Tina's hands.

Ben dabbed his eyes with his napkin as he struggled to control is emotions.

Lucy looked around the table as it was her turn. "My number three was being brought into your group. Never have I met such warm and generous hearts. I was a stranger but you made me feel like family right from the start. Megan, I'll always be grateful you found me and made it possible for me to find you again." Megan smiled at her with tears welling in her eyes. "My number two was finding a kindred heart in Tina. I've struggled for so long with my nature and to find someone who not only understood what I was going through but could show me how to be happy again..." She leaned over and gave Tina a kiss on the cheek causing the woman to blush and smile shyly. "My number one was meeting Ben who not only saved my life by getting me away from Cecil, he gave me a place in his home and his heart and gave me a future I was sure I'd squandered." Ben squirmed under her admiring eyes and Gabriella held his hand to distract him.

Daniel had been practically vibrating with urgency to take his turn. "Number three: taking all these pictures and movies. Number two: the Palace of Versailles. Riding bikes in the garden was awesome! Number one: my day with Ben seeing the catacombs and the Louvre. And shopping for the rings! It was really fun!"

Ben grinned at the young man and reached across the table to bump fists with him. Gabriella looked on with pride.

Miriam blushed as everyone looked her way. "I loved the shopping day with the whole gang. I loved being included and treated like one of the adults. And Ben's ring ceremony was beautiful."

Gabriella leaned over and kissed her daughter's temple.

Before she got to speak breakfast arrived. "I guess we're off the hook!" Ben quipped and was unanimously informed that wasn't the case.

Once the waiters left Gabriella looked around the table with a happy smile. "My number three was my wonderful date night with Ben which did end as I hoped." She smiled over at Catherine who grinned back at her and the table went 'Woo!' causing Ben to blush and squirm. "My number two was discovering Tina was going to have Ben's baby. That is such an amazing miracle!" Tina's smile beamed across the table. Gabriella held Ben's hand again. "My number one was sharing this amazing time in Paris with Ben who continues to surprise me beyond expectations." He kissed her hand and she felt butterflies in her stomach as he gazed into her eyes.

Ben leaned back and looked at the happy, loving faces and realized once more how incredibly fortunate he was to have so many friends. It wasn't that long ago when he thought he'd be living the life of a hermit, the crazy old man who kept to himself and worked in his basement. His neighbors had saved him from that fate. The women he loved had saved him.

"I can't define three things that stood out as best as each experience shines so brightly in my mind in different and unique ways... much like each of you does in my life. Each is special and treasured. My amazing day with Daniel exploring the dark and spooky places under Paris is as wonderful to me as dancing with the beautiful and graceful Sophia in the Palace of Versailles! Discovering I was going to be a father with Tina was mind blowing, almost literally, and ranks up there with affirming my love for you three atop the Eiffel tower. I have been blessed so much to have met and been accepted by so many wonderful people. Thank you for taking me in and saving me."

Gabriella and Catherine each grabbed a hand and held it to their lips. Tina looked like she might crawl over the table but Ben mouthed an 'I love you' and she smile brilliantly at him with tears in her eyes.

They gathered their wits and ate their breakfasts as they had to get the day moving. There was a plane to catch.

They'd had some amazing adventures in Paris but it wasn't the end of their vacation. They were just moving on to part two.