From Fling to Wedding Ring

by Karin Baine

  Any of her actions tonight could’ve been seen as presumptuous, but it was always at the forefront of her mind that if she were in Ben’s shoes, she’d appreciate any form of help. She took three matching mugs from the cupboard and set out a plate of chocolate biscuits she’d found, grateful someone in the house had a sweet tooth. It had been impossible for her to eat very much today when her appetite had done a vanishing act in advance of their supposed dance rehearsal and now she was paying the price. She was munching on the biscuits trying to appease her grumbling stomach when Ben walked into the kitchen.

  She choked down a mouthful of crumbs as she was caught helping herself. ‘Sorry. I didn’t have any dinner before I came out tonight.’

  ‘You should’ve said and I would’ve ordered us a takeaway.’ The way Ben devoured several of the digestives as though he’d inhaled them suggested he hadn’t taken time for dinner either.

  ‘This will keep me going until bedtime anyway.’ She slid a mug of tea along the worktop towards him before taking one for herself. ‘There’s a cup for Hugh, too, if he’s coming out.’

  Ben shook his head. ‘He’s fast asleep already. Tucked up under the blankets like a baby. I think all the excitement and fresh air tired him out. Thanks for your help and for playing along with the whole Ellen business. That was my grandmother he mistook you for. Sometimes he forgets she’s not with us any more.’

  ‘I guessed as much. Does it happen often?’

  ‘This is the first time he’s wandered off but the memory lapses are becoming more common. I’m probably going to have to get some sort of live-in carer from now on. I can’t afford to take any chances of him doing that again, especially when I’m on night shift. I want to keep him out of a care home as long as possible. Without his support when I was young, I could easily have ended up in foster care or a juvenile detention centre the way I was going.’

  ‘I know it’s not easy. Do you have a relative who could help out? It’s a lot to take on all by yourself.’ There was another nod to the fact his childhood had been every bit as dysfunctional as hers but she didn’t want to pry into what had happened. She was sure he wouldn’t want to go into detail about it any more than she would about her childhood. What mattered now was the great person he’d become in wanting to do right by his grandfather. With any luck he had a brother tucked away somewhere who would step up the way Talia had.

  The option obvious to an outsider would be to find a retirement home that could take care of Hugh full time but Mollie knew handing over responsibility wasn’t as easy as signing a few papers. If so, she would’ve moved out of home and left her mother and sister to fend for themselves a long time ago.

  Mollie had been almost institutionalised by the demands of caring for her mother and it was likely the same for Ben. He probably couldn’t imagine anyone else taking care of his grandfather and showing the same care and affection as family when she was even having trouble handing over the reins to her own sister.

  ‘I’m an only child, so no brothers or sisters to call on for help, I’m afraid. Not much in the way of family at all except for my parents and they, uh, travel a lot. They would rather see him go into a home than tie themselves down with the commitment of looking after him. It’s fine, though. I’ve got Amy. She’s a good friend. What about you? Any family?’ Ben asked, apparently reluctant to share any more about his circumstances.

  ‘I have a twin sister, Talia. She’s a nurse, too, just started at the hospital in the emergency department.’ She was on edge as he studied her face, probably trying to figure out a family resemblance to someone he might have been acquainted with in the department. The rain and exertions of the evening had most likely removed all traces of her make-up and left her completely exposed without her usual carefully perfected exterior.

  ‘Non-identical,’ she pointed out as she turned away to rinse her cup in the sink.

  ‘It would be difficult to imagine there could be two of you out there.’ Ben came towards her to place his empty cup in the sink.

  ‘Is that a good thing or a bad thing?’ Her voice became a breathy acceptance of him encroaching into her personal space as he reached around her to turn the tap on.

  ‘Oh, I don’t think the world is ready for two Mollie Forresters. Not when the one we already have is so amazing.’

  It was no wonder he never seemed to have trouble finding a date when he had that way of melting a girl’s common sense. Even though she was standing here looking like a drowned rat, he was saying all the right things and looking at her as though she really were the most beautiful woman in the world. It was a shame it was certainly a well-rehearsed routine.

  Mollie cleared her throat and her mind as he stepped back from her again. ‘I’m nothing special. Talia is the force to be reckoned with.’ She managed to stop herself from adding that Talia was the pretty one, the fun one and the sister men always preferred because that would’ve sounded like an attempt to garner sympathy even though every word of it was true. It wouldn’t be long before he ran into her and realised it for himself anyway.

  ‘Ah, but does she have your incredible sense of rhythm?’ He held out his hand and beckoned her towards him.

  ‘I would say Talia’s dance style leans more towards street than ballroom.’ Her sister did everything with such gleeful abandon she couldn’t imagine her taking to the discipline and elegance of old-fashioned dance, whereas the rules and routine were easier for Mollie to get a handle on than the idea of performing for an audience. That said everything about the differences in personalities between her and her sister. One wild and free, with the other unwilling to stray too far from convention.

  ‘She doesn’t know what she’s missing then, does she?’ He stepped forward and Mollie had no hesitation in taking his hand and letting him whirl her into position. Although her heart still raced at his touch, the palpitations came more from the thrill of being so close to him than the anxiety of her inexperience. As they immediately moved into the box step they’d rehearsed earlier she found herself eager to learn more about the dance, and the new feelings this man had inspired in such a short space of time.

  After seeing him in action tonight both as a dance partner and as an anxious grandson looking out for his family, she trusted him to lead her into the next stage. That belief in him was a bigger step for her than any new waltz move.

  ‘Definitely not.’ And Mollie wouldn’t be able to tell her about this time as they laughed and twirled around the kitchen floor to the dance track playing only in their heads. Talia would either find it lame or read way too much into it and Mollie wanted to preserve the special moment like this in her head for ever.

  When he was spinning her around and carrying them towards the living room there was no chance for thoughts of her mother or sister to settle in her head, with only room for thoughts of her next step.

  Unfortunately, she made the mistake of looking into his eyes instead of where she was going. He was so focused on her face, as though the sight of her alone was enough to spur his movement, Mollie was thrown off her count. In her panic to make sense of it she stepped back when she should’ve put her foot forward, compromising their once solid frame.

  Mollie took a blow to the backs of her knees as she blindly walked back into the furniture, knocking the air from her lungs as she toppled onto the unseen sofa, bringing Ben down with her. Now there was no escaping that penetrating blue stare when his eyes were only millimetres from hers and his lips a fraction away. There was no mad scramble to untangle from each other, as though lying sprawled here on top of one another was perfectly acceptable. She wasn’t sure whose heart she could hear pounding in her ears when his breathing was every bit as heavy as hers.

  There was no reason to fight the kiss when it came so naturally, as though part of the dance, and she continued to follow his lead. He leaned closer, she closed her eyes, and, for the few sweet seconds his lips were on hers, let herse
lf believe she was desirable. Wanted.

  That was before she remembered who and what she was beneath the camouflage and what the next step could lead to when it wasn’t part of the assigned routine. The time for him to find out for himself would come soon enough without inviting ridicule or revulsion. She’d heard all the comments before but that didn’t make them any less painful.

  With her hands on his chest she levered enough pressure to break the seal between their mouths even though her body was crying out for more of his attention.

  ‘I should probably go.’ Her voice was husky with the desire that wouldn’t abate simply because her brain had interrupted that primal response to the sexual chemistry they’d somehow managed to create. She’d heard it said before the close contact required for a believable connection between dance partners often lead to explosive, if short-lived and ill-advised, affairs and now she was finding out first-hand how easy it was to get carried away. Even though beautiful blondes like her sister were supposed to be much more his type.

  She was probably little more than convenient to a man like Ben. It wasn’t his fault he wasn’t aware she was that lesser known species of thirty-one-year-old virgin.

  * * *

  The second the kissing stopped and the talking started, it hit home for Ben that he’d stuffed up on a multitude of levels. There were so many things wrong with this scenario he didn’t know where to start backing away from it but that didn’t mean he hadn’t enjoyed acting on impulse with Mollie. According to certain body parts beginning to stir, he’d enjoyed it a bit too much.

  It was a natural reaction, especially when there was a beautiful woman kissing him back, but Mollie had since made it clear a line had been crossed and she regretted it. If Ben had been thinking logically himself he would never have given into desire. Instead, he’d let himself get caught up in the exhilaration of that simmering attraction. Just because his pulse had gone into overdrive at having her warm body pressed so intimately against his, it didn’t mean he’d had to act on it. He’d spent the months since Penny had left resisting temptation and he didn’t know what made Mollie the exception.

  He wondered if it was down to the incredible compassion she’d shown towards his grandfather, which made him see her in a different light from the other women he’d spent time with lately. Although he should be used to the tribulations of caring for someone with dementia, tonight had been a particularly trying time. It marked another milestone in his grandfather’s declining mental health, which was leading them both ever closer towards that dark alley from which they could never return.

  The only glimmer of light in the shadows had been Mollie, so calm and understanding he’d found strength in having her by his side tonight.

  Not to mention that every time he danced with her he was transported to another place, another time, where romance was alive and kicking and not merely a one-way ticket to heartache. He’d never had to worry about keeping his emotions in check any time he’d danced in the past, and this pairing had totally backfired on him in terms of keeping that distance he’d wanted to maintain between this competition and his personal life. One lesson in and he’d already kissed her as well as led her right into the middle of his chaotic home life. He mightn’t even have made that move if not for seeing that same desire reflected in her eyes.

  Now that he’d surrendered once to that sweet indulgence it was going to be a test not to do it again, but her decision to leave was probably for the best. They were colleagues who would still have to see each other long after this thing would burn itself out, and getting involved with anyone right now was a bad idea when all his time and energy were devoted elsewhere.

  ‘If you’re sure.’ Despite his own reservations that continuing this was madness, she’d been kissing him back; all those anxieties buzzing in his head like a swarm of angry wasps were finally quietened.

  ‘I should really get home...’ Mollie shifted herself from underneath him and got to her feet.

  Ben didn’t want to prolong her obvious discomfort any longer than necessary. Hopefully with a little space she’d eventually forgive him and they could get back to simply being dance partners. ‘Sure. Sorry.’

  ‘It’s okay. We’ve had a trying night and I think our judgement is a little off kilter. I think we should stick to the dancing from now on.’ She straightened her clothes and patted her hair into place so there was no trace of evidence left behind that she’d done anything other than bust a few dance moves tonight before she walked out of the door.

  On this occasion it was easier to believe those ice queen rumours, when she was able to remain so cool about what they’d done and he felt as though a tornado had just ripped through his life and thrown it into even more chaos than ever.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘I DIDN’T HEAR you come in last night.’ Talia sidled up to Mollie as she waited for the kettle to boil. She couldn’t function the rest of the day if she didn’t have her first morning cup of tea. Unfortunately that meant she was easy prey for nosey sisters until then.

  ‘Didn’t you? I was pretty tired so I just went straight to bed. I didn’t know you were waiting up.’ Mollie added an extra cup as she made the tea, realising the last time she’d done this was for Ben. That had been prekiss. Before he’d set her body on fire and turned her whole world upside down.

  He’d had no business putting his lips anywhere near hers and she’d had no business responding as though passionate affairs were a frequent occurrence for her. She was never going to follow up one sofa-bound clinch with anything other than paranoia over her scars and how he would react to them. Apart from the glaringly obvious differences in their attitudes to relationships, she was serious about finally getting the space to live her own life and that certainly wasn’t going to be enhanced by getting involved with another carer. If anything last night should’ve shown her a glimpse into her future if she didn’t escape that prison she’d built for herself here with her mother.

  ‘I thought maybe you’d stopped over somewhere for the night...’

  Mollie could see Talia’s smirk out of the corner of her eye but held her resolve and fought the blushes threatening to redden her cheeks. For the first time she understood her mother’s predilection for falling in lust so easily and confusing it with something more powerful. There had been no rational thinking involved when Ben had fastened his mouth onto hers, only primal response.

  ‘What kind of dance lesson lasts all night? Wait, don’t answer that.’

  This time Mollie did blush as even more carnal images of what could’ve happened during the course of the night on that sofa popped into her head.

  Talia snorted and spilled some of her tea as she carried it over to the kitchen table.

  Mollie joined her and although she would have liked to have someone to confide in about what had happened, she’d spent so many years dealing with things on her own it was difficult to suddenly start sharing her innermost secrets. It was going to take a while to strengthen that sisterly bond again and in the meantime she’d remain selective about the information she shared. Particularly because she hadn’t figured out what to make of what had happened between her and Ben herself, or how to proceed.

  ‘I didn’t realise how...intimate this dancing lark would be. I mean, I knew we’d have to get up close physically but I found it all a bit overwhelming, to be honest.’

  That small admission was apparently sufficient to throw Talia off the scent of anything juicier as she turned her attentions towards the box of cereal sitting opened on the table and helped herself to a handful of dry golden flakes. ‘It’s bound to be a bit awkward at first. Did you enjoy it, though? Eventually?’

  Mollie tried to remain focused on the waltzing aspect of their evening and there was no question that she’d got into the swing of things before everything had become so surreal and confusing. Every step she’d taken with Ben in that stuffy room had been a rele
ase away from the stresses in her life. Right before she’d added one more significant one.

  ‘It wasn’t as bad as I imagined. Ben’s a good teacher.’

  ‘Ooh. Ben, is it?’

  ‘Very mature.’ Mollie sniffed as they descended into childish teasing.

  ‘I’ll bet dancing isn’t the only thing he’s good at. It’s all about the hips...’ Talia shovelled another handful of flakes into her mouth, oblivious to Mollie almost choking on her tea.

  It wasn’t as if she hadn’t thought the same thing, having felt his passion for more than just the quickstep. ‘He got called away to a family emergency so we had to end the rehearsal early.’

  She could’ve elaborated on the heartbreaking details of the family circumstances that had diverted their energies away from the competition, but that would have been a betrayal against Ben. He’d been reluctant enough to accept her help on the matter, a proud man wishing to keep knowledge of his grandfather’s health to a minimum. It was a privilege that he’d granted her access to his circle of trust and she would respect the honour afforded her. After all, she wouldn’t want details of her troubled personal matters tossed around in conversation for entertainment either.

  ‘That’s a shame. I was hoping this was the start of a beautiful friendship. Or, you know, a sultry affair.’ Talia teased her with a flirty wink and made Mollie even less inclined to fuel her fantasies by revealing that kiss to her when she wasn’t sure it meant anything other than they’d got carried away in the moment.

  ‘What is the fascination with trying to get me hooked up with someone? Are you on commission with a lonely hearts club somewhere for every sad singleton you get signed up?’

  ‘Is it so wrong for me to want you to be happy?’ The playful sister immediately transformed into the pouting teenage version.

  ‘Of course not, but I don’t need a man in my life to make me happy. I’ll be quite content with a little flat of my own and control of the TV remote. You’ll be pleased to know I have a viewing appointment later for a flat closer to the hospital.’