A Shepherd in France Ch. 02

Once the next one arrived they were ushered into the large car and moved to the back of it by the windows. This would give them the best view of the valley as they climbed. Daniel got up by the glass to take photos. Ben noticed Sophia was looking at her feet and he asked her again if she was ok. She nodded without looking at him. He glanced over at Rachel and she looked concerned.

Sophia squeaked when the car began to move but clamped down on her fear.

The car began to move quicker and settled into a steady pace which would take them to the top in twenty minutes. The car swayed gently as they passed the support columns and Sophia squeaked each time. The valley dropped away below them and the view was spectacular! Daniel was excitedly describing the heights and Ben caught a shudder passing through Sophia's frame.

Catherine leaned closer to her daughter and whispered something to her. Sophia shook her head tightly and continued to tremble with her eyes closed. Cat looked at Ben with a worried look.

Ben stepped closer to Sophia and suddenly she was clinging to his chest. His jacket and fleece were open and her hands were inside both and digging into his back. He glanced at Catherine in surprise and she gave him a nod after a pause. He wrapped his arms around the young woman and held her tightly.

Sophia's trembling began to slow and she tucked her face into his neck. Ben felt her breath on his skin and her soft lips pressed against him. Then he became conscious of her ever so slowly grinding against him. He cast Catherine another concerned look and she gave him a sympathetic smile and nod. She mouthed 'distract her' to him and he gently nodded.

Catherine leaned in and whispered in Gabriella's ear. She looked over at Sophia in sympathy then nodded to her friend. She positioned herself at Ben's back between him and her kids who only had eyes for the view out the window anyway. Catherine, Rachel and Megan took positions facing outwards at Sophia's back.

He was starting to get hard as she ground her pelvis against him. He felt her hot breath gusting out against his skin in little bursts as she began to pant quietly.

"Shhh... slow down, make it last," he whispered to her as he moved his hands down to her hips and controlled her movements.

Sophia made a noise somewhere between a moan and squeak when she felt his strong hands gripping her body. She listened to his advice and let him set the pace. That was hard to do as she was getting close to a release.

The car went past another support pillar and made its bumping noises and swayed. Sophia clung tighter to Ben.

"That was the last support pillar! From this point to the top we are completely supported by the connection at the top!" Daniel blurted excitedly to his mother.

Ben felt Sophia lock up so he tilted his face down to whisper to her that they would be alright. Suddenly her mouth was on his kissing him desperately. Once more he slowed her down. They still had a ways to go. He gently and sensually caressed her lips with his and felt her body relaxing. Her kisses lost their desperate intensity and became slow but passionate. She ground against him harder and gasped into his mouth as she felt the bulge of his thick hard cock pressing against her mound. Ben's hands moved once more and gripped her ass. He controlled her motions, slowing them but keeping the pressure on.

Ben paid close attention to her responses to keep her distracted as the car smoothly made its slow approach up to the terminus at the top. Each time she began to tense up he'd gently push her back to let the pressure wane. Then he'd begin again. Slowly.

Sophia was going insane. She'd never felt like this before. Ben had taken her to the edge so many times only to back away that she couldn't take any more. The incredible build-up had been stretched out to almost fifteen minutes and she was beginning to shake with the need for release. Her kisses became desperate once more. Ben realized he couldn't make her wait any longer and a quick glance up confirmed he didn't need to. He kissed her deeply and ground her hard against him as he squeezed her ass in his big hands. Her orgasm was immediate and explosive and he was only partially successful in muffling her cries. She pulled back from his kiss and buried her face in his shoulder as her nerves erupted again and again when he rocked her body tightly against his.

The car gently bumped against the terminus as it came to a stop. Ben slid his hands up to her back to continue to support her as her legs had turned to jelly. The other passengers slowly disembarked and he waited for her to get her equilibrium back. Once she nodded he carefully walked her off the car with Gabriella and her kids close behind. With the firm floor of the building under her feet Sophia felt less shaky. Ben kept his arm around her and walked her along with the group until they exited out onto an open terrace. They found themselves standing in a mist which suddenly cleared and there was the peak of Mont Blanc before them. Sophia whipped her head around and saw the retreating cloud they had been standing in moments before.

"Oh my god! We're standing in the sky!" she gasped in awe.

Ben smiled at her as she'd summed up his own impression. The view was incredible! They could see to the horizon and the mountain continued to rise up in front of them. They walked over to the railing and looked down at the glacier. Sophia didn't seem to be having any issues with the height.

There was a distant crack and boom and the group looked at each other.

"What was that?" Catherine asked.

"The glacier," Daniel said.

They all looked at him.

"It's really big, it's moving slowly, and it's made of ice. Sometimes it cracks and makes those noises," he explained.

They all looked back at the glacier. The idea that the enormous field of ice clinging to the side of the mountain was moving was a little unsettling.

The group split up to explore the different levels and take in the views.

Sophia looked up at Ben with a shy smile. "Thank you for distracting me from the cable car ride."

He smiled tenderly at her. "You seem a little better with heights up here which is surprising."

"We're standing in a building which is built into the mountain so we're on a solid base. We may be very high but it's like we're still standing on the ground. I don't feel it moving at all unlike the walkway over the gorge or the cable car." She shuddered and closed her eyes.

When she reopened her eyes they were a little troubled. "How am I going to get back down?"

"We don't have to think about that now. Let's just enjoy the view while we are here. Do you find the air a little thin?" Ben asked as he found himself taking deeper and deeper breaths.

"Yes, it is," she smiled as she caught him distracting her again. They joined Catherine and her sisters on one of the upper terraces. Rachel was fidgeting and staring at her older sister so the two of them casually broke away to check out a different view. Megan went in a different direction leaving Ben with Catherine.

"Thank you, Ben. I was really worried she was going to have a panic attack," Cat said to him quietly.

"Has she always had a fear of falling?" he asked.

"Since she was a little girl. She and Rachel were climbing the trees behind the house and she fell. The wind picked up and the tree started to sway and she lost her grip. She broke her arm and the fall scared her terribly. It's been years since we've been in a situations where she's been exposed to those feelings of uncontrolled movement. Except for flying but she takes tranquilizers to keep her calm. She doesn't have any on her. Are you ok with distracting her on the way back down if the need arises?" Catherine asked with a coy smile.

"It's a little public to be doing that but if there's no other option," he shrugged with a frown. They moved off to find a better view.

Rachel was so envious of Sophia. She didn't begrudge her the opportunity to get close to Ben like she had and understood the circumstances that led to it were less than optimal. She'd carried the guilt of Sophia's accident since she'd challenged her to a climbing race when they were just kids. While she hadn't pushed her sister out of the tree she still felt responsible for it and Sophia's subsequent fears. She hadn't even thought that the cable car ride might be frightening for her. When she heard Sophia having trouble breathing she drew her mother's attention to it immediately. Thank god Ben was there for her. He was the one thing solid enough to take her mind away from the fact that they were in a box dangling from a wire going up the side of a mountain.

"Are you ok?" she asked her sister.

Sophia nodded and looked down. "I feel better now that we are on the mountain itself."

"Good! So?"

Sophia looked at her and paused as she connected the dots in her scattered mind. "OH! It started off just as a panicked attempt to feel safe and being in his big arms is amazingly calming. But when we bumped past that last support, I lost it. I kissed him and started grinding on him in a panic trying to get my mind off the drop. He took control immediately and slowed it down, stretched it out. Oh my god! It was so intense! He kept me on the edge for the entire trip up to the summit! I thought I'd go out of my mind! Just when I couldn't take it any longer he took me forcefully and..." Sophia's eyes glazed over as she relived the moment. She lost her words for a bit then noticed Rachel's wide eyes. "It's never felt that good before. It went on and on and I was floating out of my body. I can't imagine how much better it must be to actually have sex with him!"

"Oh my god!" Rachel gasped.

"I wasn't too loud was I?" Sophia glanced around embarrassed but she hadn't paid any attention to the other passengers in the car so she couldn't recognize anyone.

"Well, there were some sounds that leaked out but most people weren't paying attention what with the incredible scenery. Listen are you going to be ok going back down?" Rachel said.

Sophia shook her head frantically and looked up at the mountain to distract herself. "I'm not thinking of that right now!"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it. Ben will be there for you, you know that, right?" Rachel asked.

Sophia's expression relaxed and softened. She smiled dreamily at her sister and nodded.

Rachel snorted. "Now I wish I'd fallen out of that stupid tree."

Ben and Catherine found Gabriella and her kids on the highest terrace. "Have you guys gotten your fill of walking in the clouds?" he asked.

Gabriella smiled and got nods from her kids.

"What's our next stop again?" he asked.

"Saint Pierre d'Albigny, a little mountainside village an hour's drive from here. We're staying at a B&B in a renovated chateau owned by my cousins, Stephanie and Alexis Murino and Alexis' wife Béatrice Renard. I attended their wedding six years ago and back then they were just talking about buying a place and setting up a business, catering to artists mostly. Stephanie is an amazing sculptor and Béatrice paints beautifully. Alexis is the business mind. I can't wait to see them again!" She grinned at her friends.

"Let's go then!" Ben grinned.

Daniel and Miriam led the way with Catherine right behind them keeping an eye out for her daughters. Ben felt a hand on his arm and saw Gabriella looking up at him.

"Sophia's going to have trouble getting back on that cable car. Can you take care of her again?" she asked.

"Maybe if I carried her she wouldn't feel the movement of the car and that might lessen her anxiety," he suggested.

"It's worth a try but can you hold her up for twenty minutes?" she asked.

"No, probably not. I'll suggest to her that I carry her on and we'll see how it goes," he admitted.

The group gathered once more and Ben gave Sophia his suggestion and she nodded nervously. They got in line and she clung to his arm as they waited. As they approached the empty car Ben scooped her into his arms and carried her forward. The operator held up his hand to stop them and said something in French but Ben glared at the man causing the scar to stand out in stark relief. The operator had a sudden change of heart and let them pass.

"This scar comes in handy sometimes," he whispered playfully to Sophia who grinned up at him.

"When we get moving I'm going to set you on my feet, like how you teach someone how to move their feet when they dance. Not that you need any lessons on how to dance!" he corrected with an exaggerated expression and she grinned at him again. "We'll dance a slow number all the way, alright?"

"That sounds wonderful!" she whispered to him. "Rachel, can you slip my shoes off?" she asked.

Rachel's eyes widened then she took her shoes.

The doors closed with a thump and Sophia tensed and squeaked when the car began to descend. When she nodded he moved her in his arms to set her down on his feet. She unzipped his jacket and fleece to slip her arms inside and around his back as she squeezed herself against him. She was trembling once more so he began to hum a tune as he swayed with her in his arms. She looked up and smiled when she recognized the tune. 'Only You' by the Platters. She snuggled into his arms and listened to him hum to her as they danced slowly. Catherine and Gabriella picked up the tune and began to hum along with him. Soon Megan and Rachel joined in and Gabriella's kids were grinning madly as Ben began to sing the words as the rest provided the musical accompaniment. Sophia was blushing madly and squeezed her face against his chest as Ben's singing became just a little more exaggerated. He wasn't half bad but he wasn't great either. As he reached the end of the song he glanced over at Gabriella and caught her attention. She stopped the others and Ben immediately segued into 'Teach Me Tonight'. Catherine and Gabriella began to laugh then they immediately started humming the tune for Ben. Megan and Rachel weren't familiar with this song so they could only grin and watch their sister dancing in Ben's arms. They saw the flush on Sophia's cheeks and they grinned harder.

Ben segued in 'Unforgettable' making Gabriella and Catherine clap and grin as his deep voice was a fair approximation of Nat King Cole's, though he wasn't quite as smooth.

When the car bumped to a stop at the ground terminus Sophia pulled back in surprise and saw they were down. She looked up at Ben with grateful tears in her eyes and kissed him.

"Thank you Ben!"

The other passengers were clapping and Rachel helped Sophia get her shoes on as Ben bowed to his fans. They left the cable car and terminus and made their way back to their cars.

"I didn't know you were such a crooner Ben!" Gabriella teased.

"I typically only sing in the shower but today I felt inspired by my muse," he grinned as he looked over at Sophia who blushed again but smiled back at him.

Chapter 11

The drive to Saint Pierre d'Albigny was beautiful and soon they were driving up the mountainside past lovely homes with breathtaking views of the valley below and the Alps beyond.

Gabriella was reading off directions and Ben guided the fish tank nimbly through the narrow roads until they made a final left and rolled into a wide gravel parking lot. Ben noticed the sign for the chateau was resting on the ground under the signpost where it should have been hanging. Two other cars were in the lot and the building was huge. He grinned at Gabriella and shut off the car. They stepped outside and heard angry yelling. One of the voices was deep, guttural and Ben couldn't tell what he was saying but it sounded nasty. Two other voices were female and both were angry but there was an undercurrent of fear.

"That sounds like Alexis and Béatrice. I don't recognize the male voice but he's making threats." Gabriella said looking at Ben.

He took off at a run and went around the side of the house to the front where he saw a large heavyset man with a large walking stick advancing on two women holding gardening clippers.

"HEY, FAT MAN! BACK OFF!" Ben yelled and the three froze.

The man's sunken eyes narrowed as he took in Ben's size and the nasty scar crossing his face. He snorted and turned to hobble away, as quickly as he could. He leaned heavily on the stick and once he reached the bottom of the property he went through the gate but left it open. The two women turned to Ben cautiously.

"Hi, I'm Ben Shepherd. Your Cousin Gabriella's neighbor?" he said with a smile. Their faces lit up with smiles and they relaxed.

Just then Gabriella turned the corner of the building and came rushing over to hug her cousin and her wife. "Are you two alright?" she asked. "We heard the yelling when we got here."

"It was that pig Arsene Dumond! He lives in the property down the hill and he is an evil man!" Béatrice snapped looking down the hill. She had a beautiful accent even though her words were sharp. Ben was entranced by how dark her skin was. She was almost ebony. She was maybe 5' 5" and if she topped 115 pounds he'd be amazed, she was so slim! She had a very expressive face, beautiful full lips and she wore her hair very short. He looked to Alexis as Gabriella did the introductions. Alexis had one of those faces that seemed to be meant for serene smiles. Long sandy blond hair currently tied back in a ponytail. Pale blue eyes and a light dusting of freckles across her slim nose. A wide mouth that seemed to have a quirk of a smile on it. She was at least three inches taller than her partner and had a stockier build with wider shoulders and hips. Her button down plaid shirt was having some trouble containing her heavy breasts.

"Ben, this is my cousin Alexis Murino and her beautiful wife Béatrice Renard."

"This is why Gabriella is my favorite of your cousins!" Béatrice gushed with a huge smile and hugged Gabriella.

Ben leaned forward and pressed his cheek to Alexis's and Béatrice's as he shook their hands.

Miriam and Daniel had been waiting by the entrance to the parking lot to flag down Catherine should she not notice the sign that was on the ground. Once Catherine was in the lot the kids came racing around the corner to see their aunt.

"Auntie Alexis!" Miriam squealed as she ran up to her and was enveloped in a hug. Daniel got one too and pulled back to stare at Béatrice. "Gosh, you're pretty!" he blurted and his face went red as he realized he'd said it out loud. Chuckles went through the group and Béatrice turned to Alexis.

"This is another reason why Gabriella is my favorite of your cousins!" she laughed and hugged Daniel much to his secret delight. She gave Miriam a hug as well and the young woman grinned widely.

Catherine and her daughters made their way around the corner of the house and introductions were made, cheeks kissed, and hands were shook.

Gabriella looked over to a lovely gazebo and noticed it was empty. She looked at Alexis. "Where is Stephanie? She's not in her favorite spot," she said with a smile which fell away when she saw a pained looked cross the faces of her cousin and her wife.

"Stephanie is in her room. She rarely comes out any more and she's been like this for over a month. It's terrible! She's lost her interest in her art!" Alexis said and looked to Béatrice who nodded. "She won't tell us what happened but we think Arsene may have molested her when she was outside by herself." Gabriella cried out in shock and dismay.

Ben's head snapped back and his eyes went cold. He started for the gate at the bottom of the property but stopped when Catherine and her daughters rushed forward and grabbed his arms. Catherine got in front of him and pulled his head down so he was looking in her eyes.

"Ben, it's ok. Come back to us. We'll take care of it. You just come back," she said softly. Rachel and Sophia leaned their faces against his arms and they clung to him and Megan hugged his back. Ben's eyes softened and he looked at the women surrounding him. "What..." he said quietly.