“You cheated!” Anthony argues, slamming his hand against the steering wheel, though his amusement cracks through his icy exterior as he laughs. “I didn’t exactly expect you to bribe the guy with a six-ounce filet of salmon!”
“Worth it!” Sway quips, shamelessly bragging about her success as we pull up to the hotel. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with us? I feel bad leaving you here––”
“Sway, let them enjoy their vacation,” Anthony admonishes. “We’ll see plenty of them over the weekend, and they’ll still be able to have some alone time to do whatever they want. Besides, do you honestly think they’d want to stay with us on their first vacation together? Call me crazy, but if it were us, I’d want a little privacy.”
Sway covers her open mouth as soon as she pieces together what Anthony is eluding.
“Oh my gosh, I didn’t even think about––”
“I appreciate the offer, Sway,” I tell her. Please stop talking. “That’s really sweet of you.”
“Anytime. Seriously. With everything you’re doing for us, I guess I just feel like I’ll always be in your debt, but I can definitely see the appeal of a little”—she coughs—“alone time.”
My face heats up as an awkward laugh bubbles out of me. “Umm…I’m not even going to address that last part.” I peek over at Ben to find him grinning from ear to ear. Covering my cheeks, I scramble to change the subject. “As for the whole debt thing, I’ve already told you that I didn’t sign up for this to get anything out of it. I did it because I knew there were good people out there who deserved the chance to be amazing parents, and you two definitely fit the bill.”
“And I think you’re one of the most generous people I’ve ever met, but I’ll leave it at that,” Sway announces. “We’ll pick you up tomorrow night around six for dinner. Does that sound okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Pulling up to the front of the hotel, Anthony puts Taffy in park then turns in his seat. “We figured you guys could do whatever you want tomorrow during the day, whether it’s sightseeing, or just hanging out at the hotel, or even coming to our place early. Then I’ll smoke some ribs, and we’ll eat dinner.”
“Sounds great. Thanks for being so accommodating,” I tell him.
“Anytime. Let me help you with your bags.”
“I’ve got it,” Ben interjects. “Thanks, though. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
The bags are placed on the curb in record time before Ben insists on carrying both of them to our room after we’ve checked in.
Once we unlock the door and step inside, I catch myself staring at the giant king-sized bed in the center of the room.
We haven’t had sex since the incident, and we sure as hell haven’t talked about it either. It’s been killing me.
I want Ben. I want him bad. Especially after his comments on the plane. I was even tempted to squeeze into the damn sardine-sized bathroom to give it a go, but my insecurities took over.
They always take over.
As if he can read my thoughts, Ben presses his hand against my lower back and guides me inside the rest of the way before letting the door close behind us. His thumb casually rubs back and forth against my lacy top, but I doubt he has any idea how much it turns me on. Such a simple touch. Yet I’m close to combusting.
A lot of things have brought me close to combusting lately.
Damn sexual tension.
“I’m going to call Krista. She told me to let her know when we got here.”
“Okay. I’m going to hop in the shower.”
His mouth quirks up in the corner as he scans me up and down. “Shower, huh?”
“Yes. Is that a problem, sir?”
“Of course not. But I’m going to have to insist you leave your change of clothes in here.”
“Is that right?”
“Mmmhmm,” he hums, the low rumble doing strange things to my chest. “Oh. And did you send me the pictures yet?”
“Why, whatever are you talking about?” I quip though I know exactly what he’s talking about.
Prowling toward me, he pulls me into a heated kiss, sliding his tongue into my mouth while simultaneously weaving his fingers through my hair and tilting my head back to the angle he prefers.
I moan softly against him. Helpless.
When he pulls away from me, we’re both panting before he whispers, “I’m taking this at your pace because I know I screwed up. But just know that I’m ready for the next step whenever you are, and I promise I won’t break your trust again.”
He places another kiss against my mouth, then smacks my ass and retrieves his phone from the right pocket of his jeans, clearly dismissing me. I’d be offended if I didn’t notice the tent in the front of his pants. My teeth dig into my lower lip to contain my triumph as the evidence strokes my crippled ego.
Apparently, I do have that effect on him.
“I’ll uh…I’ll be out in a few,” I call out as he sits on the edge of the bed.
“Take your time,” he grunts in a pained voice.
Laughing, I blow him a kiss. “Soon, okay?”
There’s something in his expression that makes me sober. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it screams honesty. And patience. And an overall acceptance that has my heart pitter-pattering louder and louder every single second that I’m locked in his gaze.
“No pressure, Marce,” he murmurs. “Like I said. Take your time.”
We aren’t talking about a simple shower anymore. I know it, and so does he.
We’re talking about my insecurities, and how he practically drenched them in fertilizer the last time we slept together, creating a giant mess of self-doubt. Now we’re…we’re an official couple with a label and everything.
And here he is, trying to weed out each and every one of those insecurities. The only thing standing between him and my issues is…me.
I swallow down the golf-ball-sized lump in my throat and reiterate, “Soon. I promise. Tell Krista hi for me.”
“I will. And, Marce?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m serious. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
And my heart melts a little more.
23
Marcy
The next morning, I let Ben sleep in and sneak out of bed to get ready. My hair hangs loosely around my shoulders in natural waves after I wash my face and start applying some eyeliner in the bathroom. I move a little closer to the mirror to get the perfect line, but my stomach bumps into the counter, making me oomph in protest.
Damn giant belly.
I try again and stand on my tiptoes.
Success!
Through the reflection, I catch Ben leaning against the bathroom doorjamb with the softest of smiles painted on his handsome face. I fell asleep in his arms last night. No sex. Just snuggles. It felt nice to be appreciated without putting out first. It felt nice to be appreciated—period. It’s moments like those that really do me in. The ones that don’t feel forced. The ones that feel as natural as breathing.
They give me hope that I’m not the only one falling.