by Toni Aleo
Because it did.
Their conversations were awesome, and she was having so much fun talking to him. They liked so many of the same things, and while he was a big nerd, she was starting to think she might be one too. She loved all the same movies, she loved hockey, and she loved crossword puzzles. Like him. They just clicked, but something was still holding her back.
And it scared her.
She finally found someone she liked and who got her. She could complain about the shop, her job, anything, and he would listen. She didn’t talk about Rick because she just didn’t like to talk about him, but she was sure Benji would listen. The big thing was Angie, though.
“I just worry about Angie. I don’t want to bring anyone around her and have her get her heart broken. There is only so much Ben & Jerry’s, and I’m not fighting my kid for it.”
Benji smiled, moving his hand through his hair, pushing it to the side. “Let’s get one thing straight. No matter what happens between you and me, I will always care about that little girl. I can promise you that. She and I were friends before you and me.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “I know, but it’s just different. I’m guessing you haven’t dated anyone with a kid before which is why you don’t really get it.”
Something flashed in his eyes and he shrugged. “I get it, Lucy, I do.”
“So you’ve dated someone with a kid?”
But he shook his head, his lips pressing together. “Not really, but then I really don’t date.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’ve tried, but no one has really stuck.”
This was the first time they had really talked about their pasts. Well, his past. Her past pretty much involved Rick and only Rick. Biting her lip, she looked up and shrugged. “I haven’t been with anyone since Rick.”
“Yeah, so we are both trying to navigate through this. It has to mean something that neither of us has found anyone who matters until now.”
She grinned. “Who said you matter?” she teased and he grinned.
“You know I do.”
“Maybe.”
He rolled his eyes. “The thing is, I don’t want to do any navigating with anyone but you, and I will respect what you want. I will. Just stop throwing that kid card up at me and stop saying this won’t work. Give it a chance.”
She swallowed hard as she moved her hands down the front of her skirt. “What is this?” she asked, and as soon as she said it, she wondered why it mattered. Why did it need to be labeled?
Looking up at him, she was breathless as his lips curved. “Something spectacular. Just give it a chance, okay?”
Lucy smiled as she nodded. “Okay.”
“Good,” he said, letting out a long breath. “We good?”
She met his gaze and couldn’t help but grin. He looked so delicious and sexy, and while it bothered her that he had a way with her, she actually appreciated it. It felt good that he respected her but was quick to put her in her place. Lord knows she was a little bit of a bitch. Okay, maybe a lot of one, but with him, it was different. She didn’t feel as bitchy.
“Yeah, and I’m thinking that, next week, when we go on our date, I want you to take me back to your house.”
His eyes widened. “For what?”
She giggled. “You know what.”
“The sex?” he said so seriously, his face made of stone, and Lucy couldn’t handle it.
He was a nut.
Giggling uncontrollably, she leaned back, her stomach hurting as he watched her with a grin. Catching her breath, she sputtered with laughter. “Yes, Benji, the sex.”
He nodded, a smug look on his face. “I like the way you think, Sinclair.”
“Well, be ready because I’d take you now if I could,” she admitted, her body catching on fire for his. It had been six days too long, and while it should worry her that she was craving him like a smoker craved a cigarette, she couldn’t help it.
She wanted Benji Paxton.
Bad.
As his eyes darkened, a sexy little grin graced his lips. “Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea how much I want you,” he said roughly. “It’s so hard being on the other end of this phone, gazing into those eyes and staring at those sexy lips. I just want to feel you.”
“Me too,” she admitted, breathless. “God, stop. I’ve got errands to run. Can’t do it all hot and bothered.”
He scoffed. “If I can play hockey all hot and bothered, you can do errands.”
She giggled at that. “Oh, that reminds me why I called,” she said and his grin dropped.
“Aw, man, we aren’t gonna talk about the sex anymore?”
“Focus, Paxton,” she laughed and his eyes brightened. “I’m gonna run by your house and check out the in-law spot, if that’s still okay.”
“Yeah, of course. You can also go inside and stay there until I get there,” he said with a waggle of his brows and she rolled her eyes.
“Anyway—”
“No, you know what I need you to do?”
“I’m afraid to ask,” she said as the front door opened and Rayne threw her hands up. “Shit, hurry, Rayne’s coming.”
“Who’s Rayne?”
“My assistant.”
“Oh, okay, well, do me a favor?”
“Benji, I will not be naked in your bed when you get home,” she said dryly and he laughed.
“So unfair. So selfish,” he accused playfully and she grinned. “No, after we hang up, listen to the song ‘Kiss Me Thru the Phone.’”
“By Soulja Boy?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you a closet rapper?”
“You know it,” he said, moving his thumb along his lips like he was cool.
“Dork.”
“Hush, do it.”
Exhaling a breath as Rayne opened the door to get in, she agreed, “Okay.”
“And if you want to be naked in my bed when I get home tonight, you know where the key is. I should get in at three.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” she said, ignoring Rayne’s shocked expression. “I gotta go.”
“Why, don’t want Rayne to hear us talking about banging each other all night long?”
“Good Lord, bye,” she said, hitting end as her face burned.
“Well, goodness, who did that sexy voice belong to?” Rayne asked as Lucy grabbed her phone.
“No one,” she answered simply, clicking on her Spotify to find the song. She remembered it, but she wanted to listen to it again. Before she could click on it, though, a text message came through.
Benji: I miss you, call me later?
Her heart fluttered as she typed back quickly.
Lucy: I will. Sorry for hanging up on you.
Benji: No, you’re not, but that’s fine. You can make it up to me by being butt-ass naked when I get home.
Lucy: Bye, Benji.
Benji: Bye, sweetheart.
Laying her phone in her lap after hitting play, she looked over at Rayne. “Let’s go.”
“Wow, you’re smiling, like, so hard. It’s so cute!” she cheered and Lucy rolled her eyes.
“Shut up,” she said, pulling out of the driveway.
“I can take a hint, but it’s nice,” she sang, but Lucy ignored her, hitting play and heading toward Benji’s house. It was nice, it felt good, but she wasn’t ready to talk about Benji like that. Not until she was sure. In the back of her mind, she knew she was sure; this had the potential to work. But she didn’t want to get ahead of herself. No reason to get excited about something that would probably fail.
Nothing ever worked out for her. Why would this?
As the song played, her smile didn’t drop. It was silly and crazy, but the song fit them. It was disgustingly cute. When the song was over, though, Rayne and Lucy talked about some clients and how everyone was really understanding about her current situation.
“I mean, the work isn’t suffering. We are still kicking ass,” Lucy said and Rayne nodded.
“Yeah, which everyone se
es. But those applicants really want to be interviewed.”
“Yeah, I know. Let’s get a place first,” she said simply, turning onto Benji’s street.
Rayne made a face before looking over at Lucy. “I thought we were checking out a potential office building.”
“We are.”
“Um, this is a neighborhood. Wait, this is Benji Paxton’s road.”
The downside to having a good assistant was that she forgot nothing. Nodding, Lucy pulled into the driveway and shut the car off. “Yeah, he has an in-law suite that he thinks can work as an office for us. And I was thinking, since I’m designing this whole house, it could work. I can use his house as a model. Not sure on the latter, haven’t asked him, but yeah, that’s my plan. Let’s check it out.”
Rayne didn’t move, though, her lips curving. “So you guys talked about something more than his design? Because how would he know we need an office space?”
Lucy made a face. “Everyone knows, Rayne, come on.”
“No, you like him! Your face is red. Was he the one on the phone? Is he your boyfriend? Finally!” Ignoring her, Lucy got out of the car and went to the bush to get the key. “He told you where the secret key is? Wow, is this more serious than I thought?”
“Hush,” Lucy demanded as she headed behind the house. Then her eyes widened. The backyard was huge, with an in-ground pool and a pool house. And then in the very back was the guesthouse. “Man, it’s bigger than I assumed.”
“That’s not a suite. That’s a minimansion,” Rayne said as they walked down the walkway to it. “It’s cute. Like a mini version of the house.”
“Yeah,” Lucy agreed as they reached the guesthouse, or minimansion like Rayne had said. The brick was white like the rest of the house, it had big windows, and she was pretty sure it was bigger than her old shop.
“I think it’s great. He sounded really nice on the phone,” Rayne said as she unlocked the door. “And it’s obvious he likes you if he is offering his guesthouse to you.”
“I’ll be paying him,” she said as she pushed the door open. Her eyes widened at the size of the suite. Benji wasn’t playing; it was huge and no wonder he thought it could work. He was right.
“That’s probably ’cause he knows it’s the only way you’ll agree to take his help.”
Lucy turned to her. She may be right, but Lucy didn’t want to hear that. “Do you like your job?”
Rayne giggled, her brown eyes flashing with humor. “You wouldn’t fire me. You need me. This is a great space.”
And it was. It was a big, open floor plan with a little cooking area, one main room, another room with a door, and a bathroom. The in-law who got to stay here was one spoiled in-law, in her opinion. Looking around, Lucy bit the inside of her lip.
Shit, this could really work, and it was cute.
But should she do it? She hadn’t known Benji long, but she knew he wouldn’t screw her. He also said they could do a contact, which was good. She’d want one, but was this mixing business with pleasure ? What the hell was she thinking? She was sleeping with him and he was her client. She had already crossed that line.
She was so damned professional.
Not.
“What do you think?” she said to Rayne, but when she glanced at Rayne, she was taking pictures with her phone.
“Oh, I was taking pictures so I can figure out how to put my desk.”
Lucy gave her a dry look. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“You haven’t?” she asked, a deadpan expression on her face. “You know this is the right fit for us. It’s great. Parking might be an issue, but maybe we can put in a bigger driveway?”
Lucy looked away and then looked at her phone. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, I’ll take pictures for you to design later,” Rayne said, so confidently that it made Lucy roll her eyes.
But she did love the place.
Walking outside, she dialed Benji’s number.
“So what do you think?”
She smiled. “I kinda love it.”
“Kinda?”
“I’m just nervous to commit.”
“Sounds like you,” he teased and she pursed her lips, glaring at the bushes.
“How much do you want a month?”
“How much can you afford?”
“My rent at my other place was fifteen hundred, but that included the upstairs apartment.”
He made a clicking noise as he thought, and then said, “Okay, so what, like, six hundred?”
She gasped. “Six hundred? That’s too low!”
“No way, I’m only worried about covering my utilities.”
“That’s with utilities? Are you crazy?”
He scoffed. “About you? Yeah.”
“Benji,” she sighed as her heart went wild in her chest. “Focus.”
“Fine. Six hundred is my final price, take it or leave it.”
She hesitated. “How do you feel about expanding the driveway? I’ll pay for that, of course.”
“There is a driveway on the other side that they used for their business,” he said, and she looked up to see that, in fact, connected to the little walkway was a long driveway. She hadn’t noticed it, probably because she came from the other way and hadn’t had to go that far.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, so it’s pretty much set up,” he said simply. “You could move in tomorrow and you’ll be fine.”
“What’s the deposit?”
“Good Lord, Lucy. Are you looking for something to make you not do this?” She paused as he laughed. “Just say yes and be good, babe.”
“I just don’t know if I want to mix business with pleasure. It makes me nervous.”
“Um, we slept with each other a week ago and I still want you to design my house, so we’re past that,” he said and she closed her eyes. “And I still very much want to sleep with you again.”
Ignoring the last sentence, she bit into her lip. “I thought that too.”
“Yeah, I just want to help out any way I can. Let me, please?”
She looked around, her gut telling her this was good as she tapped her foot. She’d be stupid not to take it. It was perfect for her. Almost like it was made for her. “And I can paint and design it any way I want?”
“Yeah, do whatever you want. I don’t need it. I had no clue what I was going to do with it, anyway. ”
She sucked in a deep breath. “Can you get a contract drawn up?”
“I already did,” he said, clearing his throat at her intake of breath. “I’ll have my lawyer get with you, and we can get the ball rolling. But like I said, you can move in this weekend if you want.”
God, why was this so hard for her? Why couldn’t she just accept what he had done and be good with it? She had never been good at accepting help, and now was no different.
“Are you sure?”
He scoffed and she could hear the smile in his voice. “Knowing that you are working behind my house daily? Yeah, I’m sure. At least this way I know you’ll be safe and you’ll be good.”
Geez, he was sweet. “But being so close, I might need you for some lifting,” she teased and he chuckled.
“If lifting you against the wall as I pound into you is one of these ‘lifting’ requests, then, sweetheart, sign me up,” he said, his voice dropping a few octaves.
“You dirty, dirty man,” she accused breathlessly as she looked up at the sky. His laughter ran down her spine as she shook her head.
What in the hell was she doing?
She was doing what she had to. This could blow up in her face, but then, maybe it could work. She had to get the ball rolling. She had to get her business back up so she could find a permanent place to stay for her and Angie. So even though she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, she had to follow her gut. And it was telling her to say yes.
“Okay, have your lawyer get with me.”
“Will do, but is it okay if I give him your number?”
She rolled her
eyes. “Yes, dork. What am I going to do with you?”
“I have a few ideas,” he suggested, his voice so low and rough she felt it between her legs.
“I’m sure. Okay, let me let you go.”
“Do I have to?”
“Yes, gosh, you drive me crazy.”
“Good, crazy is good,” he decided and she smiled.
Biting the inside of her cheek, she sucked in a breath. “Thanks, Benji.”
“Always, babe. Anything you need, I got you.”
And for the first time since her divorce, Lucy trusted someone.
She trusted Benji.
She just hoped it didn’t blow up in her face like everything else always did.
It was one o’clock in the morning when Jayden came through the back door, his brow rising when he saw Lucy at the kitchen table, working.
Matching her brother’s expression, she said, “Hey, you’re home early.”
“Yeah, we took off earlier than we thought. I think everyone was ready to be home,” he said, dropping his suitcase by the table and then leaning over to kiss her head. “How’d you know when I was coming home?”
She paused. “Baylor told me,” she lied and he smirked as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
“Sure.”
“Sure? What’s that mean?”
He shook his head. “Nothing at all.”
Oh, he was such a liar, but she ignored that, clearing her throat. “Well, I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but you can shut it.”
Okay, she tried to ignore it.
He chuckled. “What would I need to insinuate, Lucy? Got something to tell me?”
She glared. “Nothing at all, why?”
His gaze was knowing as he grinned. “Oh, just making sure. You look like you want to share something.”
“Shut up.”
He scoffed as he leaned against the doorjamb. “Why are you working so late?”
“’Cause it’s what I do. Gotta make money to find Angie and me a good place to live.”
He nodded. “So, it’s final, you can’t go back to your shop?”
She exhaled sadly. A part of her had thought maybe, just maybe, she would be able to go back. But nope, that wasn’t her luck. “Yeah, they cut me my checks today, and I’m gonna store my crap in my warehouse until I find something.”