A/N - Hi my Lovelies!  I'm sorry that this is a bit slower going than I wanted it to be.  Many of the later chappies are mostly written, so its just a matter of some tie-ins and we'll be movin' along quickly once again!  Thanks for all who have stuck with it, and continue to read when those little notifications pop up!   The story IS moving along, but our little stupidheads fell in love without even realizing it, and so they're still resisting....Don't worry though, eventually, they'll figure it out!  😝  And when they do, I promise it'll be hot!  It really won't be too much longer!  Anyhow, I hope you enjoy!  Please don't forget to vote and send me comments!  They really do keep me going!

__________________***********************____________________

She was dreaming..... she knew she was.  And it was a very nice dream indeed; her mind full of those hazy, happy, hopeful visions that were only possible in dreams.  They were swimming – her and Ben – diving down beneath the waves like they did before.  After one of her forays under water, she came up holding a green crystal, her eyes filled with wonder as Ben waded over to look at it too.  His eyes widened in shocked surprise before his face broke out in a triumphant smile.  This crystal was special – there was something about it that she didn't understand, but she could sense that it was the key to a puzzle that they needed to solve.

Suddenly, his dream-arms wrapped around her and pulled her close, leaning down to kiss her frantically.  She responded in kind, weaving her arms around his neck and kissing him back just as fervently, just as joyfully, her body pressed tightly to his. His hand wandered down to knead her ass and she moaned into his mouth, feeling his hardened length pressing firmly against the flesh of her stomach.  She wanted more.  She needed more.

Even though they were in the water, she was hot – too hot – the heat of his body radiating through her, making her sweat – making her pant.  Confusion flittered through her addled brain.  She pulled away slightly, looking up at her dream Ben, trying to puzzle it out.

Wait – if she was in the water, she wouldn't be this hot – would she?  Something wasn't right.

All of a sudden her foggy brain began to catch up with reality as she began to rouse towards wakefulness.  Cracking her eyes open, terror immediately flooded through her entire body.  She was lying very close to Ben, facing him, with one hand on his chest and the other high on his collarbone, almost wound around his neck.  She wasn't pressed up against him like she'd been in the dream, but they were still only inches apart.  Thankfully, his eyes were closed, but she began to panic as the ramifications of their position shot through her.

This was what she'd been afraid of when they'd gone to bed last night, she thought, recalling how stiff they'd both been.  After she'd changed into her sleepwear – a simple black tank and loose shorts – she'd nervously crawled into the big bed and tried to look nonchalant about it.  He was already settled between the sheets, lying on his back, similarly trying not to look uncomfortable – as they both kept as much distance as possible between each other.  But when she'd glanced at him, the look on his face made her burst out laughing.  "This is ridiculous!"  She'd exclaimed.  "Look at the two of us!  Can this get any more unnecessarily awkward?"

A shy smile had teased the corners of his lips, before he too had shaken his head and laughed softly.  "Yeah.  I guess we're both feeling weird – for no real reason."

"This thing is so huge, its almost like we're not even in the same bed!  I mean – look - I can stretch my entire arm out and still not touch you!"  She'd scoffed, wiggling her fingertips towards him.  "We're both being silly."

"I agree."  He'd smiled, his eyes softening.  "All good now?"

"Yes."  She'd chuckled, pausing for a moment, before rolling over onto her side to face him, quietly adding.  "I had fun today – and tonight."

"I did too."  He'd said softly.

"And....."  Her face became suddenly serious as she sucked in a deep breath.  "....that...that promise I wrested from you....you don't have to –"

Shaking his head, he'd replied.  "Rey.  We have a deal.  Sealed and everything."  He grinned, his teasing tone reminding her of his kiss, causing her to blush.  "You can't take it back."  He quipped lightly, before his face fell.  "Unless....you want to."  He added uncertainly.

"No.  I....I think it's a good thing."  She smiled.  "Who knows, maybe one day we won't be so nervous about sleeping in the same bed."

His eyes had darkened mischievously, his voice deeply resonant when he responded.  "Who said I'm nervous about it."

Sputtering out a flustered breath, she'd glanced at him again, narrowing her gaze.  "Well...I wasn't the only one...you looked like you were frozen over there...."  She would've said more, but had finally noticed the teasing glint in his eyes.  Huffing softly, she'd scrunched up her face in annoyance, chiding.  "You're just being a pest – aren't you!"

Something flitted across his face briefly before he smirked back at her.  "Sorry, you're remarkably easy to tease.  Sometimes I just can't resist."

"Honestly.  You'd think I'd know that by now.  Goodnight Ben."  She'd intoned deliberately, rolling her eyes and turning off her lamp.  "You lovable pain in the ass."

He'd laughed, before turning out his own light.  "Goodnight Rey."

Coming back to her current predicament, she desperately tried to think of where it had all gone wrong.  She'd fallen asleep all the way on the other side of that huge bed – far away from him.  Clearly, she'd shifted at some point during the night, because she was now firmly on his side of the bed.  Her brain grappled with what to do – how to gently release him and ease away without disturbing his sleep.  Fear lanced through her once again.  If he woke and found her like this, what would he do?

She didn't have longer to ponder, because suddenly his sleepy eyes blinked open to meet her wide-eyed, fearful visage.  He smiled sleepily at her for just a few heartbeats before his own expression changed, panic replacing the unbelievably adorable grin he'd just given her.  He instantly cursed, flipping over and out of the bed quickly, immediately stalking into the bathroom.

Rey lay there stunned.  She was fully aware that she'd inadvertently crossed the line while they'd slept, but his reaction upon waking stung.  Taking a deep breath, she blinked back the tears that suddenly threatened.

Rejection.  He'd been uncomfortable – likely upset with what happened.  It wasn't intentional, but after all that had transpired between them yesterday, she actually wasn't surprised that something like this had occurred.  Well, the message couldn't be any clearer than if he'd actually said something to her.  They were friends only.  He wasn't interested in more.  And why would he be?  Why should he be?

The thought hurt more than it should though, as she swallowed back the lump in her throat and the tears that burned her eyes.  She knew this – it wasn't anything new.  But sometimes – especially recently - the things he said, the way he acted, made her think that there was something more between them.  However, despite the fact that she probably knew him better than anyone else in the world did, she was clearly misreading his feelings – and his intent.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on how important he was to her – how much she needed him and loved having him in her life.  It wasn't his fault that she kept confusing things between them.  And now it seemed to be happening all the time.

She shuddered out a nervous exhale, realizing that she'd have to be very careful with him from this point forward, else she'd risk accidentally giving him her heart.  If that happened, she'd probably lose him – and she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to recover from it.  Everything else about their friendship – their relationship – was amazing.  She just needed to learn to stop letting her imagination run wild, because deep down, she was certain that it could only lead to heartbreak.

****

For the second time in as many days, Ben stood hunched over the bathroom counter, his arms spread wide, breathing deeply, trying to get his body under control.

When he'd woke to find her so close to him, all he could do was smile, happy that the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was her beautiful face.  That was, until he simultaneously realized that she was only inches away from him and that he was sporting morning wood.  Had she been even just a little closer, she'd have probably felt it brush against her thigh.  However, he'd noted the terrified look on her face and had immediately panicked, getting the hell out of that bed and out of the room as quickly as possible.  Thankfully, the bathroom was on his side of the room, so he only needed to roll himself over and walk the few paces through the door.  His back had been towards her, but he prayed that she hadn't noticed the huge tent in his sleep pants as he'd flipped over.

What the hell had happened?  Now that he could think a bit more clearly, he realized that she'd been touching him - her hands resting on his chest and collarbone, close to being wound around his neck.  He could still feel the remnants of their heat on his skin.  Holy fuck.  The thought made him twitch in his sleep pants.

Thinking back, he had a vague memory of dreaming that he was pressed up against her – grinding against her.  Fuck – had he actually done that?  She looked positively terrified when his eyes had opened.  Shit, shit shit shit shit.  Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!  He thought that he'd been making some slight progress with her, but if he'd done that and made her uncomfortable.....FUCK!!!  He slammed his palm against the counter.  No wonder she looked so afraid – he'd probably inadvertently taken advantage of her while she was sleeping.

He'd have to apologize.  But first, he needed some air – needed more time to think up what to say to her.  What does one say to their best friend – whom they're in love with - in this situation.

He sighed, trying to figure out what to do.  Maybe he could go for a run – clear his head.  That should help – as well as work to get rid of this raging sexual energy and pent-up frustration he was suddenly feeling.  To do that, he'd need to change though, which meant he'd have to go out there to get his shorts and a tee shirt.  Looking down at himself, he noted that he'd finally started to soften a little.  Splashing some cold water onto his face, he breathed deeply for a few minutes, finally getting to a point where he could come out of hiding.

Opening the door slowly, he crept out of the bathroom, noticing that Rey was still in bed, staring straight up at the ceiling.  Her eyes flicked to him briefly before shifting away again.  "Um.  I'm going to go for a quick run."  He told her, striding over to his luggage to find his clothes.  She nodded, but remained silent.

Fuck.  She was clearly upset.  He couldn't leave it like this – even while he went for a run.  Standing, he turned to face her.  "Rey – I'm so sorry....."

She shook her head, clearly trying to maintain a neutral expression, but failing miserably.  "No – it's not your fault Ben – you were right to react like that."

He momentarily lost his train of thought as his brain confusedly registered what she'd said.  What the fuck?  She seemed to be saying that he reacted to something that she did, rather than the other way around?  But wait – her hands had been touching him – so maybe she was thinking that he'd been angry about that?

"Rey – what are you talking about?"

Huffing out a breath, she finally sat up, the sheets falling to her waist to reveal the black tank top she'd slept in last night, the smooth skin of her shoulders momentarily distracting him.  "I.... clearly didn't stay on my side of the bed.....and.....and....for some reason, I...."  She blushed deeply in embarrassment.  "I guess I touched you...".

He closed his eyes and tried to suppress a relieved smile as he realized that she wasn't angry or upset with him.  Instead, she was angry with herself.  This was the second – or maybe the third time she'd done that, when things had gotten 'weird' between them.  Biting the inside of his cheek to firmly hold back the smile that threatened, he decided he'd happily tell her that she could run her hands over him any time she wanted – but she seemed so skittish that that would probably be too much for her to handle right now.

Thinking of what to say, he chose his words carefully.  "Rey, you have nothing to apologize for.  Remember, we've fallen asleep in closer quarters than this before.  I believe that you once slept on top of me.....and when we woke up...well...."  He reminded her, remembering her soft kiss that day they woke up together on his couch.  By the pink tinge on her cheeks, he knew she was remembering it too.  "Waking up like that didn't bother me.....I was just – surprised is all.  I was also a bit worried that you felt uncomfortable waking up so close to me."  He gave her a sheepish smile, adding a final little white lie to explain his hasty retreat.  "And I really had to pee."

"Oh!"  Her face crinkled and she began to laugh quietly.  "Um....I think we can add that to the category of 'too much information'.

His own face heated in chagrin.  Whatever works.....he thought in relief, giving her a slight shrug and a boyish grin.

Rolling her eyes once again, she shot back an amused exasperation.  "Go – run.  I might go for a walk on the beach while you're gone, and then we can get breakfast when you're done."

"You don't have to wait for me if you're hungry."

She narrowed her eyes at him.  "Of course I'll wait – I'd much prefer to eat with you.  And I can survive till then.  Although, I think I saw a smoothie bar on the beach.... So I might have one of those – and then have an actual breakfast with you."  She smirked.

"That sounds like a plan.  I should be back and showered in 45 minutes."

"Take your time."  She told him, hopping out of bed to grab her clothes.  "I'll change when you're done."

Watching him disappear into the bathroom, she couldn't help feeling happy and relieved that they seemed to be on stable footing once again.  He didn't appear to be angry or upset over her faux pas this morning.  She still felt like he was holding something back from her though - probably trying to make her feel better - but she no longer felt the sharp sting of his rejection as keenly.  It was still obvious to her that he wasn't really interested in her like that, but at least he hadn't outright rejected her, nor intended to be mean about it – that just wasn't him.  He was always such a gentleman.

Sighing deeply, she resolved to get over this sudden and inappropriate infatuation with him.  Their friendship was more important to her than anything else in her life.  She'd just have to learn to deal with her unexpectedly foolish heart – and focus on being the best friend he could ever have.

****

A couple of hours later, they were walking along the road that led to the mainland.  Rey's eyes widened in excitement, hearing cheerful music playing as the makeshift celebration came into view up ahead.  Their breakfast server had mentioned that a local festival was taking place off the resort property near the base of the bridge to the mainland and suggested that they check it out.  They'd both decided why not? and so headed there after finishing their meal.

As promised, Ben's morning run had been short; he'd been dressed and waiting for her 45 minutes later when she'd returned to the room after her walk along the beach.  They'd quickly headed to breakfast, and were now making their way towards the celebration along with several others from the various different nearby resorts, forming a steady stream of people walking in the direction of the music.

Glancing up at him walking beside her, her cheeks burned for a moment as she recalled her vivid dream and how she'd woken up with her hands on him.  She quickly pushed the thought from her mind before she could dwell on it, or before her imagination took it even farther.

Ben noticed the pink tinge to her cheeks as they'd walked to the festival.  He smirked, wondering if she was still focused on the events from earlier in the morning – or last night.  Good.  He thought – let her keep replaying it in her mind – whatever it was that prompted her to touch him.  Despite his earlier run, he certainly still hadn't shaken the thoughts of his own dream of her.

As they drew closer to the event, he watched her eyes light up at the colourful attire of the locals manning the stands and the gentle sounds of a steel pan band playing a melodic tune.  She grasped his arm.  This looks so – cool!"  She exclaimed.

They stopped to watch the pan band play, her hips unconsciously swaying to the music.  Several brightly dressed performers were coaxing some of the bystanders from the crowd out into the open space to dance in front of the band.  One approached Rey and held out his hand cordially.  "Come, my Lady.  Dance with me!"  He crooned.  She glanced at Ben first, who shrugged at her with an amused grin, before placing her hand in the man's, letting herself be pulled out for a casual calypso.

Ben watched as she laughed and beamed at her erstwhile partner, who gently guided her through the smoothly swaying steps.  He could see the man lean closer to say something to her, and she threw her head back and laughed joyously.  Her partner glanced over at Ben, giving him a knowing smirk before leaning down to utter something to Rey once more.  Her eyes met his briefly before looking away, biting her lip and shaking her head.

Rey was enjoying herself immensely, letting the feeling of freedom wash over her as she moved her feet and swayed her hips to the soft rhythm of the song, reveling in the moment more than she thought she would.  Her partner smiled encouragingly, showing her with his own steps how she should move.  "You move like a natural Bahamian!"  He exclaimed, causing her to laugh uproariously.  After a couple of minutes, he leaned closer.  "Let's get your man out here – he looks like he wants to be the one dancing with you."  Glancing at Ben briefly, she shook her head, trying to correct him.  After a few more steps however, she decided that Ben needed to have some fun too.  Suddenly, she found herself in front of him once again, and couldn't help the mischievous feeling that took over.

Smiling broadly, she held out her hand and playfully crooked her finger at him – trying to coax him into the space where she'd been dancing with the performer a moment before.   A look of sheer panic crossed his face and he shook his head frantically.  She didn't give up though, continuing to beckon him with a playful sulk before he rolled his eyes and eventually gave in, timidly placing his hand in hers and hesitantly following.  Mimicking her lead, he began to awkwardly sway to the music as she held his hands.  After a few minutes he relaxed, starting to feel more comfortable and began getting the hang of it, grinning at her like an idiot.

She grinned back at him, clearly having fun, before suddenly shifting closer to put her arms around his neck.  His breath hitched and caught in his throat at her unexpected action.  Her smile was beatific as she softly continued to sway to the music.  His hands slid down to grasp her hips and he knew he was lost – his mind going completely blank, lost in the moment, the music and in the feeling of her all around him.  Their eyes were locked on one another's as they continued dancing together, both realizing that it just seemed so natural – their movements instinctively complementary, as if each knew what the other would do next.

As the song came to an end he unwound one of her hands from his neck to grasp it in his own, the other securely positioned higher up the center of her back before gallantly dipping her – both of them bursting out in laughter as he did it.  He raised her back to her feet, both of them still staring at each other – smiling happily – once again becoming lost in the other's eyes.  Her arm was still wound around his neck, the other held in his own hand, when Ben's head instinctively started to lower toward hers.  Before Rey's brain could comprehend what was happening, they were interrupted by the voice of an elderly lady.  "A flower for your lovely girl?"  They both glanced towards her in momentary confusion, before Rey's senses returned and she unwound her arm from him and took a step back.

Ben had to shake his head to clear it, and focus on the question that was asked.  Holy shit, he'd been about to kiss her!  And he hadn't even thought about it beforehand.  He'd been staring into her eyes and it just seemed to be the most natural thing in the world.  What would've happened if the flower seller hadn't interrupted them?  Would she have welcomed his kiss?  Or would it have made her uncomfortable?  He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, turning to give the flower seller a banal smile.

Rey's heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.  Was she imagining things, or had he been about to kiss her?  It certainly seemed that way.  Again, maybe she was misreading things.... But this time, she didn't think so.  However, the moment was now lost, as she silently continued to take deep breaths to calm herself.

Ben did buy a flower from the old woman, presenting it to her on a flourish, bowing with a reverent 'My Lady' as the elderly woman looked on with a knowing smile.  Rey blushed and thanked him with a grin, tipping her head to inhale the exotic scent.  When the flower seller moved on, she whispered.  "That was a nice thing to do – buying a flower from her."

Ben stared at her silently for a few seconds before shrugging.  "It was nothing really.  And I wanted to buy it – for you."  Leaning closer, he mumbled quietly.  "Thank you for dragging me into that dance.  That's not something I would normally do – but I enjoyed it – with you.  Very much."

She grinned back at him, her face flushing a little as she recalled the intimacy of the dance.  "I did too.  I just want to experience as much as we can while we're here."  Her smirk became devious.  "So, I'm really glad you let me 'drag' you."

He rolled his eyes at her.  "Are you hungry?  The food here should be pretty safe."

"Not really.  But if I see something that looks interesting, I may want a taste."  She grinned.  "I love trying new foods."

"Shocking."  He deadpanned, causing her to elbow him in the ribs.

Extending his arm to indicate that she should lead the way, they made their way away from the makeshift festival square towards the impromptu food stands, where she was fascinated by the many different local delicacies.

Ben had just watched and shook his head as her eyes lit up upon spying the various foods; he was simply unable to resist buying them for her, watching her enjoy the new flavours and textures.  When he asked for a taste of one, her eyes narrowed suspiciously, before holding out the small stick of grilled meat, pretending to only begrudgingly share a morsel with him.

After he'd taken a bite from it, she made a big production out of possessively snatching the stick back and out of his reach.  His own eyes widened, grinning back at her, turning her food possessiveness into a 'keep away' game to see if he could steal bites while she was distracted with a new tasty dish she'd noticed.  Every time he did, she playfully threatened that he was going to lose an appendage – or end up with several bruises - if he kept trying to eat her food.

He was undeterred however, and kept finding creative ways to sneak bites from whatever she was holding, continuing to teasingly pester her.  She eventually caught onto his strategies, and for the most part was able to keep her precious snacks away from his mouth.  At one point though, he wrapped his arms around her to immobilize her arms while leaning over with a deviously playful smirk, his eyes never leaving hers as he stole another bite of the meat pastry she was holding.  The look in his eyes caused her heart to skip and begin racing.  She almost let go of the small meat pie, as heat flared within her, suddenly wanting nothing more than to lean up and capture his lips with her own.  Breathe Kenobi!  She told herself...

Overall, it was a fun morning that they'd both enjoyed – laughing through most of it – just happily absorbing everything around them - together.  Eventually they were both full, and having explored all of the small festival, decided to head back to the resort for the rest of the day.

****

They spent the remainder of the afternoon at the beach, swimming, lounging around, and drinking ice cold cocktails from the beachfront bar.  They also took advantage of all the "water toys" that Rey had mentioned while they were on the plane.

They'd tried snorkeling, but found that there weren't many interesting things to see, so decided to leave it for their catamaran ride tomorrow, where they'd likely be brought to a reef to explore.  Rey was excited - looking forward to it immensely, wanting to see the different fish and coral species up close.

Surprisingly, they had the most fun sea kayaking.  Digging through the small pile of the plastic boats, they noticed a longer one – clearly meant for two – that Ben was able to use as a single rider.  They dragged both boats to the water, and the two of them paddled around for almost an hour.

At first, they just explored around the breakwall, bobbing along in the waves, quietly looking for any interesting fish that may have been lurking there.  However, when Rey accidentally splashed Ben with her paddle, completely soaking his hair and face, he gave her an outraged but determined look, causing her to shriek and paddle away frantically, with him barreling after her.  They ended up chasing each other around, engaging in fierce mock battles, trying to splash and unseat each other as they twisted and turned in the water.

Rey didn't think she'd ever laughed so hard and had so much fun in almost her entire life!  They were both extremely competitive, neither wanting to admit defeat at the hands of the other, and so they both ultimately resorted to more unfair tactics.  She eventually managed to tip Ben's boat over when she forced him to suddenly turn into an exceptionally large wave to avoid a mammoth splash she'd delivered – while at the same time reaching over to grab his arm to further unbalance him.  At that, she gave an exuberant shout, triumphantly declaring herself the winner, raising her paddle in the air in victory, then paddling away frantically before Ben could recover enough to tip her over in retribution.

After returning the boats, they collapsed onto their chaises, still laughing over their antics.  They lay there for awhile, just relaxing and drying off in the sun, before deciding that they'd had enough sun and sand, and headed back to their room.  Since it was still too early for dinner, they thought they'd grab some cocktails and hang out in one of the bars for an hour or so, after they'd showered and changed.

Since Ben showered first, Rey suggested that he head to the bar without her, promising to meet him there in 20 minutes; that way he wouldn't have to wait for her.  He'd originally balked, but she managed to convince him that there was no need for him to sit around in their room, instead coaxing him to go on ahead, grab a table and order a couple of drinks for them.  He begrudgingly agreed after she swore that she wouldn't be too long, and really didn't mind him going on ahead without her.

She should've thought that through a bit more – should've known that it was a stupid idea.  When she got to the bar not too much later, she was a bit taken aback to see Ben sitting at a table with a very pretty woman.  The woman had short, blonde hair and was holding a fruity looking drink, coquettishly chatting with him.

Upon seeing that, Rey sighed and her blood began to boil.  Again?  She thought, taking a few steps towards the table to 'rescue' him, before stopping in her tracks.  What if he didn't want to be 'rescued'?  He was single now.  Technically, he didn't need 'rescuing' anymore.

The breath left her chest in a quick huff before feeling like her throat was closing up.  He was moving on from Kay - talking to a woman.  And Rey had been about to interrupt him.  She couldn't help the sudden flare of hot jealousy that stabbed at her, watching the woman chat with him.  He didn't look uncomfortable; in fact, he looked very relaxed, with one leg propped over his knee.

Blinking back the unexpected sheen of moisture from her eyes, she quickly turned and left the bar, not wanting to interfere.  However, she'd barely reached the entrance when she felt someone grasp her arm.

"Rey – where are you going?  Didn't you see me in there?"  He asked, chuckling slightly.

Turning to look at him, she bit her lip nervously.  "I saw you."  She said quietly.

His brows drew together in confusion.  "You did?  Then why did you leave?  Is everything all right?"

She looked down at the ground before raising her head to meet his eyes.  "I didn't want to interrupt."  She told him softly.

"Interrupt?"  He asked, before his eyes flared wide and then narrowed in irritation.  "Rey – are you kidding me?"

"No – I'm not.  You looked like you were enjoying yourself with her.  And you're single now – so I didn't think you'd want me to rescue you."

He huffed out an exasperated breath.  "Rey – I was waiting for you!  Passing the time.  She came over and sat down – uninvited – and I just didn't chase her away.  I was barely paying attention to her!"  Frustration was evident in his voice and body language, with his arms flailing around at her.  "I wouldn't be – flirting – with another woman while here with you."

"But why not, Ben?  After everything with Kay, you deserve to meet someone new – and she was....really very pretty."  She stuttered.  "Why not... do that while you're here – on a tropical vacation?  It's the perfect setting for something like....that."

His eyes narrowed dangerously and his tone was ominous when he asked.  "Are you suggesting that I hook up with her?"

"No!"  She replied emphatically.  "Well,..... maybe?"  When his eyes glittered maliciously, she added quickly.  "I don't know!  I just – don't want to stop you from doing something like that – if that's what you want."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his raging temper.  She was actually suggesting he pursue another woman!  Other than being angry that she would dare to even suggest it, he was hurt – immensely – that she would try to push him towards someone else.  Had he misread her entirely?

Looking down into her eyes, he could see a flash of something there – but it was gone in an instant and she quickly glanced away.  He couldn't keep the snideness and anger from his voice when he replied.  "So, you're telling me that you'd be okay if I hooked up with someone while I'm here on vacation with you?"  He took another deep breath and leaned closer to her.  "I want you to think about that very carefully before you answer."  He growled.

"I.......I......"  Her eyes were wide as they fleetingly met his before looking away.

"What would make you think that I would want that??  Have I ever given any indication that I'm – I'm....looking for...a quick fuck??!!"

She was silent in the face of his inexplicable anger, her eyes round and a little bit frightened as she gazed up at him, her voice having completely deserted her.

He shook his head and tried to calm himself down, breathing heavily.  "Fuck!"  He cursed harshly, before looking at her once again, realizing that he was probably scaring her.  Taking a deep breath and clenching his fists repeatedly to further calm himself, he closed his eyes before speaking again.  "Sometimes, Rey.....I..."  He stopped himself, shaking his head once again before turning away from her and walking off, heading outside, away from the bar.

"Ben!"  She cried anxiously, chasing after him.  "Wait!  I'm sorry!  Please!"  When he didn't stop, she called after him.  "Where are you going?"

Hesitating, he turned back to her.  "I need a few minutes alone."  He replied – anger still lacing his voice - before stalking away.

Rey stood there, watching him leave with her heart in her throat.  What had she done?  He was clearly very angry with her – angry at her suggestion that he should continue with – whatever had been happening – with that woman.  She sighed heavily, feeling like an idiot.

She had no idea what had possessed her to say those things to him.  Once he'd made it clear that he'd been waiting for her – passing the time, he'd said – she should've just smiled and went back into the bar with him.  But no, her mind had still been a bit frozen, admittedly running wild by the thought of him with someone else – and when she'd opened her mouth, it had all just come tumbling out.

It really hadn't been the smartest idea.  She hadn't meant to suggest that he..... have some sort of assignation with her, she'd only wanted him to have the opportunity to get to know someone.....

But oh how that had hurt her heart – watching him with that woman.  It had only been a few seconds, but it felt like something inside of her had started to shrivel and die.

However, his angry reaction to her suggestion had seemed to be somewhat extreme.  He could've just rolled his eyes and shrugged it off, but instead, lost his temper with her – to the point where, for just a minute, she was a little bit frightened of him.  The feeling had passed in an instant though, replaced with chagrin over her foolishness.

Sighing again, she decided to give him the space he'd asked for, and headed to the bar to have a drink. Hopefully it would help settle her rioting emotions.

She kept watching for him the entire time she was at the bar, but to no avail.  Finishing her drink, she waited a few minutes more before deciding that it was time to search for him.  Heading back to the room first, she hoped to find him there, wanting to try to apologize and salvage the rest of their evening.  If not, she'd keep hunting for him all over the resort.  Hopefully he hadn't changed his mind and decided to hook up with that woman after all.......

****

He looked up when he heard the door open, his emotions finally a bit steadier, having calmed down considerably since he'd left her.  He'd been sitting there for the past 15 minutes, after wandering around aimlessly for a little while, muttering to himself and clenching his fists over and over again.  Finally, he gave up, deciding to come back to the room, not wanting anyone else to see him work through his anger and hurt.

He couldn't believe that she'd encouraged him to meet someone here.  She'd practically even suggested that he hook up with that woman!  His heart had stuttered over that one – disbelief and hurt washing through him – making him sick to his stomach – and causing him to lose his temper with her.  He'd been so angry with her – almost unable to think clearly.  His emotions had just suddenly bubbled over, to the point where he thought he probably even scared her a bit.  He'd have to apologize for that; but he would not apologize for his honest reaction to her ludicrous idea.

He wanted her so badly.  Due to their constant proximity over the past few days, he'd repeatedly had to keep his emotions and desire in check, with no real outlet or way to deal with it.  After all that, her pointed suggestion that he pursue someone else had simply caused all his frustration to boil over.

He'd cooled down now though – the shock having finally worn off.  He was still a little wounded that she'd even think of that – the idea telling him that despite her recent reactions to him, she still really didn't see him as more than a friend.  Or that she was still too afraid to admit it.  The thought caused a sharp stab to his heart.

Patience.  He needed to be patient, to give her whatever time she needed.  And he knew that, deep down, she really just wanted him to be happy.  That was Rey though. However, she mistakenly believed that he needed to meet another woman for that to happen. Somehow, he'd just have to show her that she was wrong.

His gaze was fixed on hers, watching her walk into the room, waiting for her to say something.  He had no intention of being the first one to break the silence.  It didn't take very long before she began to fidget, wringing her hands as she looked at him nervously.

"I'm sorry Ben."  She said sincerely.  "So very, very sorry."

He sighed softly, running his hand through his hair.  "I know."

"No – really – I shouldn't have done that.  Shouldn't have gone there – shouldn't have pushed.  You'll....meet someone when you're ready."

He sighed again.  She still didn't seem to have let it go.  How could he subtly make her see?  "Rey – don't worry about my love life.  It'll all work out."  He smirked.  "And if it doesn't – well, I'm holding you to your proposal."

She blushed and looked away.  "At some point though, you should think about it – about actively....dating."

He shook his head.  "I'm just not interested in meeting anyone right now, Rey.  My life is full – my family, my business, you. I have everything that I want.  I don't need anything more."

"But Ben –"

"Rey – stop.  Please, just stop, before you say something that you'll regret for many years to come."

She looked at him in confusion, wanting to continue, but unsure of what to say.  "Okay.  But one day –"

He stopped her again by holding up his hand and pointedly cocking an eyebrow at her.  She let out an exasperated huff.  "Fine."  Walking over to the bed, she sat down next to him.  "Am I forgiven for being an idiot?"

Laughing, he slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a slight hug.  "Always so direct."  Looking down at her, he continued.  "There's nothing to forgive."  He sighed, squeezing her shoulder a little harder.  His voice was mellow and deep when he spoke again.  "I know you just want me to be happy – so how can I be mad at that?"  He asked, placing a brief kiss into her hair.  "Thank you for caring."

She smiled gratefully, snuggling into him just a little bit before replying softly.  "I'll always care.  It's why I sometimes say stupid stuff."

"Me too."  He chuckled.

They stayed that way for a few minutes before Ben finally asked.  "Are you hungry?"

She nodded.  "Yes.  We should go, or we'll miss our dinner reservation."

His chortle rumbled through his chest at her words.  "Then we'd better get going.  I'd hate to see what happens to you if we have to scrounge somewhere for food."

"Don't worry – if we miss it, there's always the buffet."

"Touche."  He laughed as he stood and grasped her hand, tugging her out the door.