Flawlessly Executed (Dark Horse Guardians Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

his mind in an instant. Their first kiss after a basketball game, standing underneath a bright porch light with Abby’s parents glaring from the window. Ben drew her close to him and kissed her, slowly and tentatively the first time. But after that he would turn off the porch light and push her against the side of the house French kissing her sometimes for twenty minutes before her parents would flick the light on. On those occasions her father would open the door beckoning Abby to come inside and the door would be closed in Ben’s face.
    Ben remembered one night in particular; he took Abby on a motorcycle ride after a football game, the first one of the season. It was when he had the 1940’s Indian Chief and the restoration was finally completed. She had never ridden a motorcycle before, but he brought a helmet and goggles for her and he remembered the instant thrill he felt when she wrapped her arms around him. The ride was wild and he was filled with testosterone and anticipation.
    The bike ride ended up in a remote area near a river bank on a warm autumn evening and he took a blanket out of the saddle bag. Making love to Abby took hours because it was his first time and hers. The memory of that night was something beautiful that he cherished. Even though her parents grounded Abby for a month, the wild evening was worth it to him.
    From that moment on they were inseparable until Ross Barnaby stepped into the picture. A student at West Point and from a wealthy family, Abby’s parents encouraged her to date him toward the end of her sophomore year. They didn’t like the Indian motorcycle boyfriend; they preferred the safety of Ross Barnaby, the West Point plebe.
    Ben recalled the weekend she left with her parents to go to Boothbay Harbor. He felt jealousy, rage and depression. He had never felt so helpless in his life. But there was nothing he could do. The Barnaby Family had a summer residence there and Ross was conveniently visiting. It just so happened that Abby ended up with Ross that weekend and the smug bastard encouraged her to drop her current boyfriend, and she did…just like that.
    Even though he wasn’t her boyfriend any longer, Ben still kept tabs on her. Abby traveled to visit Ross at West Point and attended homecoming. When she returned she was wearing an enormous diamond engagement ring. Ross played football and was athletically gifted. Abby married him in her freshman year of college. The last information Ben had was that Ross had made a career with the secret service. That was thirteen years ago. He had no idea where Abby was now or what her life was like.
    Ben hesitated before dialing the phone number scrawled on the note. If he heard Abby’s voice, he wondered what his reaction would be after all these years. He was now married and madly in love with Lara. His wife meant the world to him and he couldn’t imagine ever wanting another woman as much as he wanted her. Yet, still, it was Abby . He wanted more than ever to know what happened to her. What was she doing now with her life? He finally dredged up the courage to dial the number.
    The phone rang and he heard her familiar voice, “Hello.” That’s all she had to say; he knew it was Abby. He sucked in a deep breath and started, “Abby? It’s Ben Keegan. I got your message. How are you?”
    For a moment it seemed as if Abby was stunned he’d called her back. “I’m good, Ben. How are you?” she was starting with formalities. “I know you attended the Naval Academy, but lost track of you after that…what are you doing now…teaching?”
    Ben answered, “I spent a few years in the Navy, Special Warfare, and then started a security company. Yeah, I teach a couple of classes at the university. And, you? Are you still married to Ross?” He chastised himself for being so bold, but he had to know the answer. There was a pause at the other end, as if Abby was contemplating her reply.
    With a note of finality she said, “No. Ross and I