Scandalous Behaviors

Summary: Ben Solo screwed up again. Now to avoid upsetting his politician mother's run for office, he's been exiled with his only friend. He never expected to enjoy living under the radar…

Living under the radar is how Rey Andor has managed to stay alive. Thanks to the kindness of the Damerons, she has a safe place to sleep at night. But what was meant to be a one-night stand has turned into something more…

All it takes is a single photograph of them together to bring the worst of their past out to play.

Chapter One

A knock on the apartment door caused her to lower the volume on the flat-screen taking up one wall in the living room. Rey Andor got up from the couch and walked across the wooden floors bare-footed toward the door, shaking her head.

"Did you forget your keys again? I swear, Ben—" She flipped the lock and opened the handle without bothering to use the peephole.

"Hello, bitch."

She froze with one hand on the knob. Her heart thudded in her chest as her body screamed at her to run. It clicked and her muscles moved as she tried to slam and relock the reinforced door. A booted foot was stuck between the door jam and the door.

"Miss me?" the man asked, his face curling into a twisted grin as he reached through the door. As he reached for her.

Rey screamed in frustration, shoving it hard before turning on her heel. She bolted past the kitchen and through the living room, her eyes focused on the master bedroom just down the hall.

"No, you don't, you little whore!"

He yanked on the rug, pulling it out from under her feet and she fell in a graceless heap against the coffee table, knocking over picture frames, a water glass, and some decorative knickknacks. She yelped as the wooden edge cracked against her ribs.

A fist closed on her hair and Rey screamed at the top of her lungs, "NOOO!"

This couldn't be happening. He couldn't have found her. Not here. Not now. Her life wasn't supposed to end like this.


Several Months Before

Even with one eye closed, she still managed to glare at the two men before her as one applied eyeshadow and eye liner and the other made faces at their creation. Rey Andor sighed heavily until a tsking sound made her straighten up.

"Are you done yet?" she asked, her hands playing with the hem of the top they'd talked her into.

She had a hard time resisting them. She always had. They asked so little of her and gave her so much. The least she could do was act as a doll for them to dress up and make up every now and then. It gave them so much joy.

"Almost. Other eye. I can see that glare, you know," Poe Dameron muttered, his steady hand around an eye pencil. "And you're getting scowl lines."

Rey resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If she smudged the make-up now, Poe would only start over. He was extraordinarily patient when it came to perfection. "You two really should think about adopting a little girl."

"Don't remind me…" Finn groaned from his position behind them, his arms crossed over his chest as he surveyed his partner's handiwork. "I keep bugging him, but this one wants to wait."

"Where would she sleep? I'm not throwing Rey out."

"Rey?" Finn asked with a pout.

"She could stay in my room. I don't mind. Besides, I'm still looking for my own place."

"No way. I know how much you make. You're staying put. I won't be able to sleep at night if you're staying in some roach-infested crackhouse." Poe tsked again as she shifted. "There, voilà! A beautiful woman."

"Can we go now?" Rey got up, grabbing her battered leather jacket—a handmedown from her best friends—and a bag. "It's almost midnight already."

"You need to learn to live a little. We hardly ever see you anymore. Always working at the restaurant. You barely leave any time for sleep."

"Don't remind me." She'd long ago lost count of when she slept more than five hours in a night.

"Hmm, I think that's it. Perfecto." Poe smiled at her as she stood at the door. "That jacket looks good on you."

"It's the nicest thing I own."

"It was made for you, sweetheart. Let's go or we're gonna be late," Finn said, tugging on his partner's wrist.


"Are you done yet?"

Ben Solo looked over his shoulder, his back to the bar, as he stared at the sour-faced ginger. "We've been here ten minutes. Chill, Hux. Honestly…"

"I liked the place you picked last week. This one… is a hellhole."

"You do know we're supposed to blend in. Rules and all that."

His companion sighed. "I swear, if it was anyone other than General Hardass herself, I wouldn't even give a damn…"

"Hey, I told you not to sign." He sipped at the beer in his hand.

"Someone had to keep an eye on you. It was this or you stayed in that clinic."

"Don't remind me."

"Now, just keep your dick in your pants and we'll be fine."

"Mhm."

A group entered, two men and a girl. The men looked like they belonged, but the girl played with the hem of her leather jacket, clearly nervous. Her body language screamed how uncomfortable she was both in the bar and in her clothes—a tight-fitted top showing a hint of skin around her midriff, dark jeans, and heeled boots. She looked fantastic.

He watched them move, one of the men ordering a round of beers for the group, the girl taking one. She seemed to relax as she drank.

"Hello? Ben? Are you listening? HELLO!" Hux waved a hand in his face.

"What?"

"Good, eyes on me. Stop trying to get laid."

"Look, you wanted company…"

"Do you ever not want to get laid?"

He shrugged, tuning him out again. The girl had taken her jacket off and he couldn't help but stare.


Alcohol buzzed in her veins. The throbbing, thumping bass only added to it. And it felt good. So good to be careless for once. To let her guard down.

Finn shook his head at his partner and moved closer as Poe went for refills.

"You good, peanut?"

"Yeah!"

He smiled at her. "I'm glad. It's good to see you happy. You should smile more."

She playfully smacked his arm. "Hey!"

He shrugged. "You should!"

Rey let out a laugh. "You're trouble, Dameron. Just you wait… when you least expect it…"

"You'll stick my wallet in the freezer again?"

"Worse. I'll hide your phone battery."

"You wouldn't!" Finn hissed.

"Wanna test me?"

"You're evil… Pure evil."

She just grinned at him.

"What'd I miss?" Poe asked, three beers clutched in his hands.

Rey took one. "Oh, just the usual. Harassing Finn."

"Oh? That's my job." Poe pecked his husband's cheek. "We need to find Rey a man. Get our little girl to spread her wings and fly far, far away…"

"I do not need a guy!"

"Sweetie, you're young. You should be out having fun, not hanging out with the two of us every night or working. We love you, but you should have other friends, too. Live a little."

"Make a few mistakes. How do you think I got this one, huh? I had to wreck my car just to get his attention!" Finn said fondly, smiling at Poe.

"Love you, my Finnamon. And really, that was above and beyond. Fire and just… woosh!"

The music drowned out the rest of their sweet barbs. She'd heard the story of their meeting hundreds of times in the three years she'd known them. It honestly belonged in a fairy tale or a romantic comedy.

Rey sipped at her cold beer, her eyes flicking around. Bars weren't really her scene. The noise and crowds could be a bit overwhelming to her. She only went maybe once a month when the boys dragged her out. The offer of free beer never hurt.

"Hi," a male voice called behind her.

Rey turned, beer to her lips, to see the chest of a man in a black t-shirt. She tilted her head up to find his face—wild, dark hair that curled a bit against his face and dark eyes. He looked like a mistake. A handsome one.

"Hi."

"You… you looked lonely."

"Oh, my friends…" She gestured over her shoulder toward Finn and Poe.

"Third wheel?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Friend dragged me out. He got some promotion at work or something… I don't really know."

"Not close?"

"Nah, just wasn't listening."

She nodded at him, trying not to shrink away. Fuck, he was a giant. Broad shoulders, lean physique, and tall as fuck. A catch, really.

"I'm Ben."

"Rey."

"Nice to meet you. Come here often?"

"Really? All the pick-up lines in the world and that's the one you chose?"

He shrugged. "Seemed the least cheesy."

"Sadly, I've heard worse."

"I bet. So your friends…"

"Married," she admitted. "To each other, not to me. I'm… I'm not married."

"Me either. Married. Engaged. Attached."

Rey took a long swallow of her drink, trying to calm her nerves. She never had been good at flirting. He was fairly smooth. Not too smooth, but confident. Not arrogant. Friendly. Someone she might actually like to get to know. If her life was different.

"Cool. So… your friend?"

"He'll be fine alone. Yours?"

She glanced toward the boys and Poe gave her a thumbs up. She tried not to roll her eyes. "Fine."

"Wanna grab a seat?"

"Sure."


She was beautiful and down to earth and her laugh, it sounded like angels. He lost track of time. Of their drinks. Nothing else mattered but Rey.

"Wanna get out of here?" she suggested, not long after they wound up in the men's room, lips swollen and her lipstick smeared. Her brown hair was mussed from his hands and he loved the feel of her small, firm breasts.

He nodded. "My place?"

She responded with a deep kiss.

Author's Notes:

This is definitely different than R&R but I've been working on it for several months and I thought what better time than Valentine's to kick it off?