A Shepherd in France Ch. 01

"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.