A Shepherd Afield Pt. 01

"OH!OH!OH!FUCK!BEN!FUCK!FUCK!GOD!OH FUCK!!!" she cried and a tremor shook through her legs signalling the beginning of her release. Her eyes rolled back and her fingers flew in tight circles over her clit. Her whole body began to shake and tremble. The sounds she was making now were more squeals than words.

Ben's cock was tingling like mad! He was so fucking close to his orgasm but... it... just... wouldn't. He couldn't understand. This was the second time this had happened and he was so frustrated. Catherine's twitching was becoming more violent so he pulled his cock free and she arched her back one last time then dropped to the bed, completely spent.

Ben stepped off the bed and took a quick shower. He got dressed and knelt next to the bed.

"The kids, I have to get them..." Gabriella whispered.

"Shhh, I'll go pick them up. You rest. I'll be back shortly," Ben said and kissed her forehead. She smiled.

Catherine snuggled in next to her friend and Ben pulled the sheet up over them.

Once Ben got downstairs he texted Miriam and Daniel asking where they were and that he would be picking them up.

Seconds later Daniel replied with a text saying that he was at Rick's and the address came through next. Ben recognized it as Gwen's place. He replied that he was on his way.

Ben drove across town to Gwen's address and parked in front of her house. He went up and knocked on the front door. She answered the door with a wide smile and let him into the foyer.

"Hi Ben! What's up? I'm waiting on a call back for your new car. You may get a call tomorrow," she said.

"That's fine. I'm just here to pick up Daniel," he replied.

"Oh! I'll call him for you." She turned and yelled for the boy.

"Coming!" a voice replied from upstairs.

"Is that my baby you're driving?" Gwen said, looking around him.

"Yes and it's yours the moment I get the new one," he said with a smile.

"What's yours Mom?" Rick said as he and Daniel arrived.

Gwen pointed out to the curb and Rick cheered excitedly. Gwen's smile at Ben told him that this was part of the reason she wanted it. Rick's Mom was cool once more.

She gave him a hug and waved as Ben and Daniel pulled away from the curb.

"Do you know where your sister is tonight?" Ben asked. He'd checked but Miriam hadn't answered the text.

"She and Karlene were going to the mall," Daniel said, sending his own text to his sister.

Ben headed for the mall. It was almost closing time. He saw a tall dark skinned woman on the sidewalk arguing with a very angry, very big man with long greasy hair and an unkempt beard.

"That's Karlene's Mom!" Daniel said as they drove slowly past. Ben pulled into a spot that just opened across the road from the confrontation. They got out and walked over to see what was going on. People were standing around watching but no one was doing anything to help her. Two people had their phones out filming the confrontation.

"YOU'RE PAYING FOR THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR BITCH!" the man yelled.

"You backed into me! I'm not paying for your mistake!" she yelled back.

"I was going into the spot when you stole it, YOU BLACK CUNT! How the FUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO SEE YOU!"

"What's going on here?" Ben yelled, pushing his way past the onlookers.

The woman turned to face him with a desperate look and sagged with relief when she saw it was Ben.

"You mind your FUCKING BUSINESS!" the big man growled.

"She's my friend so this is my business," Ben scowled at him stepping close. He smelled... smelled... whisky?

Ben was breathing hard standing over a man lying on the ground. Ben's left hand had a death grip on the front of the man's denim jacket and his right... hurt and dripped something. He looked down at the man's face... the blood...

"BEN!"

He let go of the jacket, straightened up and stepped back from the unconscious man. There was a big knife on the ground next to him. Ben turned and blinked at Miriam who was being held back by... Michelle. Karlene was standing behind her mother looking at Ben with wide frightened eyes.

"Miriam... where were you? You didn't answer my texts. Your mom asked me to pick you and Daniel up," Ben said.

The girl pulled free from Michelle and walked over to Ben.

"Sorry, Ben. We went to a movie so our phones were off. We told Karlene's mom who came to pick us up."

She pulled a tissue from her pocket and covered Ben's knuckles and he hissed as they stung.

Flashing lights pulled up and police officers pushed through the ring of people to see a young woman holding a napkin over the hand of a large man and a second large man lying on the ground.

"What happened here?" one asked. The other one went to check on the man on the ground.

Michelle stepped forward and spoke with the officer to give her statement. Two more officers arrived and went to help the officer who was trying to cuff the man on the ground. He'd woken up and was seriously pissed. It took all three of them to hold him down as they tried to get the cuffs on him.

"KNIFE!"

Ben took three steps to get to the struggling group. He grabbed the man's hair and bounced his bloody face off the sidewalk once, hard. The man went limp so Ben stepped back.

The officers got the cuffs on and searched him. They found three more knives aside from the one they'd collected from the sidewalk.

"What happened to your hand, sir?" one of the officers asked Ben who just looked at his bloody knuckles.

"I caught it on video, officer," Daniel said holding up his phone.

Two of the police watched the video and afterwards looked at Ben with new respect. "He drew the knife before you hit him so it was clearly self defense. Thank you for the assist. You should get that hand looked at."

"Thank you officers," Ben said as they left with their prisoner.

Miriam came forward and took Ben's arm. "We should go home."

Michelle stepped up with Karlene still behind her. "Mr. Shepherd, thank you for coming to my rescue." She seemed like she wanted to say something else but the words wouldn't come.

"Please, call me Ben. I'm sorry it got out of hand like that." He looked over at the bloody spot on the sidewalk and his brow furrowed as he tried to remember.

"Have- have a good night," the woman forced out and hustled her daughter away to her car which was still blocked in by the car which hit hers. The police were arranging to have it towed.

Miriam and Daniel walked Ben back to his car and they got in. Ben winced as his knuckles stung when he used his hand but he had no choice. The kids shared a look.

They got back to the house and Ben sent the kids off to bed. He slipped into the master bedroom quietly and saw the two women were still sleeping peacefully so he let himself out and went home. He didn't want to have to answer questions about his hand. Questions he didn't know the answers to.

As he entered the front door Lucy was leaving the kitchen. She saw his bloody knuckles and gasped. She rushed to his side and led him down to the bathroom in the master. Tina cried out from the bed as they passed.

"Ben! What happened to your hand? Weren't you at Gabriella's?"

"Yeah but I had to pick up her kids from their friends places. I got Daniel but we couldn't find Miriam. We went to the mall and spotted Miriam's friend's mom being accosted by some goon. I- I think I beat him unconscious. The police cleared me though."

Lucy was being as careful as she could as she cleaned his knuckles but he'd cut the skin pretty badly. Once she was sure she'd cleaned the wounds she sprayed on some disinfectant and wrapped his hand in gauze. A little tape and he was done.

She undressed him and pulled him into bed between her and Tina who was giving him a worried look.

"I'm fine! It's just some cuts and bruises!" he assured her.

"No Ben, I am not worried about your hand. Do you remember the fight?" she asked quietly.

Ben frowned in annoyance. He closed his eyes but his mind took him back to the sidewalk, facing the large, angry... drunk.

He felt the softest caress on his lips and realized Tina had rolled onto her stomach and was leaning across his shoulder kissing him tenderly. His left hand went up into her luxurious hair and he took a firm grip. He kissed her deeply as a sudden need rushed through him. His tongue slid into her mouth and he stroked it against hers. She moaned in his mouth and squirmed her body against him. He released the grip on her hair and slid his hand down her back and squeezed her perfect round ass cheeks.

Ben jolted when he felt lips on his cock and a tongue running up the side. God, yes! He slipped his fingers down between Tina's legs and felt the soft wet lips of her hot pussy. Her moaning got louder and when he pushed two fingers deep inside her she pulled back from his kiss to cry out.

"Oh Ben, yes!"

He pumped his fingers in and out and felt her getting wetter and hotter. When Lucy took his cock into her throat his left hand spasmed, gripping Tina tightly and she cried out.

"YES! OH BEN! OH BEN!"

Lucy pulled her mouth off of Ben's cock. She couldn't get over how hard he'd become so quickly. She swung a leg over his torso and carefully knelt over him, trying hard not to bump Tina's leg. The moment Ben's cock rested against her opening he pulled her down on him, sinking his cock into her depths. She gasped as he forced her internal walls open wide with his thickness. She felt him throbbing with need so she began to lift and drop herself over him. He felt so incredibly good inside her.

Ben couldn't use his right hand without pain so he used his forearm to push against Lucy's hip to drive her down against him more and more demandingly.

Tina was getting closer and closer to her orgasm and slid her hand under herself to rub her clit. She needed Ben to touch her ass. She moved her lips to his ear and whispered to him and he moved his slick fingers up to rub them against her twitching rosebud. She whimpered and pressed back against them until they slipped inside. Tina's mouth opened and her eyes rolled back and he forced them deeper and deeper. Her release swept over her and she kissed him as she whimpered and shook.

Lucy was losing her mind. She'd never felt him this hard and deep before. The heat was intense and she felt him shaking with need. His passion was overwhelming her as she slammed down again and again on his cock.

Tina slumped down onto the bed next to Ben and felt the ebbing waves of her orgasm flare as he slowly drew his fingers out of her.

Lucy was there, she was there! She saw Tina had moved to the side so she dropped down over Ben and rubbed her large tits against his scars, feeling them rub and tug her stiff sensitive nipples. She moved her lips to his. Suddenly his injured hand was tangled in her long auburn hair. His kiss was hard and demanding, and he was driving his cock up into her from below, slapping his body against her clit rapidly. It was all too much and she was lost to her orgasm.

Ben's release was enormous. He drove himself deeply into the beautiful young woman's body one more time and surge after surge rushed through his body. He couldn't get enough of Lucy's mouth, her tits on his chest, and the walls of her trembling pussy milking his cum from his tight balls. It went on and on as endless jets of cum filled her warm insides and leaked out along his slowly softening shaft.

Whatever had been blocking Ben was gone and the dam had burst. His thoughts swirled around his head, then blanked out as he fell into a deep sleep with Lucy resting upon his chest.

Chapter 4

Ben was restricted to a supervisory role the next day at the job site. His hand had swollen up overnight and was stiff and sore this morning.

They'd woken in the morning in the same positions they'd fallen asleep the night before; Tina pressed up against his left side and Lucy stretched out across his body. It was only the throbbing in his hand that kept his cock from reawakening with the sexy woman on his chest.

Getting everyone up and ready for the day had been a difficult task with Tina's cast and Ben's hand out of commission. He'd been five minutes late and Jayden had ribbed him a little about his tardiness. Considering the young man's mood the night before Ben saw this teasing as an improvement.

Later in the morning he saw Jayden speaking with Hector and two of the crew. Jayden was smiling and acting out some fight scene in a movie or something. Ben smiled and went back to see how the foundation work was doing. He was very impressed with how quickly the team was working.

A bit later he was inside with Jayden and the two crew members from before watching them vent some frustration on the interior walls to prepare for the demolition of the top floor. Weakening certain places would allow the removal of the upper structures without damaging the basement. There wasn't a lot to be done but hey, it was fun.

When they'd finished one of the team looked over at Ben with a grin. "Hey Ben! I guess you got all your frustrations out on that guy's face last night!"

Ben's face showed his surprise and Jayden looked curiously back at him. "Didn't you see the amateur footage online?"

Once more Ben looked blankly at them and Jayden's grin went super wide. "Ah you have to see it!"

They left the house and Ben signalled to Dominic that they were all out. The excavator came back up to the front of the house and began to tear its way carefully through the roof to get to the interior walls. The operator was being cautious so as to not damage the floor and press into the basement.

Jayden asked Dominic if he could use the man's tablet to pull up the clip of the fight.

Ben looked on with a troubled expression. The young man found it and gestured excitedly for Dominic and Ben to see. The person who shot it had added some titles and sound effects. It began with the big guy yelling at Michelle and grabbing her arm. That must have been before Ben arrived. Then there was Ben pushing through the crowd and getting between Michelle and the man. She took some steps back and Ben saw Karlene and Miriam arrive. The camera went back to tightly focusing on Ben and the thug who continued to yell in Ben's face. Ben hadn't moved.

Then there was the knife. The thug had slipped his right arm back to slip the big knife from somewhere on his back. It was coming out quickly and aimed at Ben's side. But he'd barely got it moving when Ben's right fist was hammering into his nose. Blood and spit sprayed outwards. The impact wave rippled out from the thug's face and every muscle locked, stopping his stab. He rocked back slightly on his heels then Ben grabbed the denim jacket in his left and cocked his right. Slam! The second punch was harder than the first and the knife dropped from the thugs senseless fingers. The right arm pulled back one more time. The third punch broke bones and more blood sprayed out. The thug dropped like a puppet with cut strings but Ben eased his way down with his grip on the jacket. It looked almost like he was being gentle with the unconscious man... after beating him senseless.

The clip ended with Ben releasing the jacket and stepping back. The police were arriving and the cameraman wanted to make a getaway with his footage.

Dominic was looking at Ben with a happy smile. "You take the shining knight stuff seriously, don't you? Where did you learn to fight like that? Geezus!"

Jayden was also grinning like crazy and Ben felt really uncomfortable since he had no memory of the fight.

"I just don't like bullies," he said avoiding the second question.

Jayden wouldn't be put off though. "Man, you have to teach me that jackhammer punch! You stunned him with just one punch! Disarmed him with the second and took him out with the third! Incredible!"

Ben squirmed. "Yeah... fighting really isn't my thing."

Laughter erupted around him from the crew listening in. They'd all seen the video.

"Isn't there a house to renovate or dirt to sweep or something?" Ben said, scowling. He looked up to see Gabriella waving at him from her front step. Rescued!

Ben set off for Gabriella's leaving behind some laughing men and some who were just puzzled by his behavior.

As he got closer he saw the look of concern on her face and his step faltered a little but he pressed on. She guided him into the house and he saw Catherine, Trish, Rochelle, and Tina with her crutches.

He cast his gaze over the group and sighed. It was another intervention.

Gabriella was the group speaker. "Jayden brought Rochelle's attention to a story on the news this morning. We all watched it. It was about a man who stepped in to protect a woman and beat up her assailant. The assailant was recently released from prison and was on probation. Because he was carrying knives, had guns and drugs in his car's trunk, and had been drinking he's going back to serve the rest of his time and then some. So you won't be having any trouble from the police about the beating you gave him. I spoke with Miriam and Daniel and saw his video which clearly showed how you were reacting after the fight. You don't remember it do you?"

Ben's scowl deepened but he shook his head.

"You're still having the blackouts."

"Last night's was the first in a long time," he muttered.

"But they haven't stopped. They just need the right trigger to surface," Gabriella said gently.

He nodded.

"I spoke with Michelle this morning after I spoke with Miriam. She was badly frightened last night first by the man who crashed his car into hers then by your display of violence. I was able to calm her down and she asked me to pass along her thanks once more."

Ben nodded and saw Gabriella steeling herself for what she had to say next.

"We want you to go back to Dr. Granger- OR find someone else to help you!" Gabriella pressed on when he opened his mouth to argue. "We understand you were having a difficult time with Dr. Granger's sessions and we saw the effect they were having on you. When we last spoke with Dr. Granger she said that she was reaching a critical point in your treatment and believed you would begin to see an improvement once you got past that."

Gabriella reached over and touched Ben's hand. "You know we love you. You know we're only looking out for your health. Blackouts aren't healthy. The wedding was postponed while you were having sessions with Dr. Granger. Tina told us she doesn't want to get married until you're on the road to getting better. It's not getting better on its own. What are you willing to do?"

Ben couldn't argue against Gabriella's words. She was just telling the truth. He was trying desperately to avoid looking too deeply at his resistance as there was an awful truth there he just couldn't deal with. He didn't know how to get past this. He realized he was in a catch 22 scenario. To deny the women he loved hurt them which he couldn't take. To accept the sessions was to face that truth. His mind shied away once more.

Delay was his only avenue for maintaining his sanity.

"Time," he croaked through a throat gone tight with stress. "I- I just need some time." Beads of sweat ran down his forehead. Gabriella saw the panic in his eyes and patted his knee.

"Ok, Ben. We'll give you some time," she said and raised her hand to stop the others as they began to protest.

Ben immediately changed the subject. "Did you speak with your kids about moving to Milan?"

Gabriella was caught off guard by the question. "Uh, yes but I don't think I'll be going."

"What? Why?" he exclaimed.

Gabriella couldn't tell him that she couldn't leave him in this state but Ben read the answer from her hesitation. He leapt to his feet.

'NO! DON'T DO THIS! DON'T KILL YOUR DREAMS BECAUSE OF ME!" Suddenly breakfast was returning and Ben raced for the bathroom. He heaved over the bowl and lost the contents of his stomach.