"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too." We laid there quietly together until I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 19
Ben
I had woken up earlier then Lacey, as usual. I quietly tried to sneak out of bed and out into the living room area of the suite. I wrapped myself in one of the complimentary robes, and eyed the room service menu. They had waffles, excellent.
I placed an order for us, and tip toed quietly back to her. She laid on her stomach, her chocolate hair cascading around her shoulders. I didn't want to wake her yet; she looked so sweet and peaceful. I grabbed my phone from my jeans, and headed back to the living room, awaiting our breakfast. I flopped down on the couch, checking my emails.
Nothing exciting, other than Rhonda responding to my email about me not coming in today. Apparently, me actually taking a day off was surprising to my secretary. I said I'd still be available by email, of course.
I noticed I had a text from my dad. "Brunch is rescheduled for next Sunday. Let me know if you can make it. Love you."
I groaned. I hated even thinking about it. Should I just scrap the whole thing? Did I even want to tempt it? I sighed, typing a response. "Sounds good, we'll be there." It would have to happen eventually, might as well get it over with. Then we could go back to just seeing my family at holidays and special occasions.
I heard a knock at the door. I answered, allowing the freckled bellboy to roll in our breakfast, placing a tip in his hand. I snuck back into the bedroom, climbing in next to Lacey. I started kissing her back and up her neck. I heard a soft moan leave her mouth. I loved that sound. Her hand came up and rubbed her eyes.
"Good morning, beautiful," I whispered. I settled myself next to her, rubbing her back. Her skin was so warm and smooth under my hand.
She turned to face me, her eyes sleepy. "Good morning," she yawned. A sexy smile spread across her face. I loved seeing her first thing in the morning. She was so gorgeous, completely naked, no makeup.
I brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I ordered breakfast."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," I smiled.
"What is it?" she asked, propping her head in her hand.
I pressed my finger against the tip of her nose. "What do you think?"
"Pancakes?" She grinned at me.
"Come, and I'll show you." I sat up, reaching my hand out to her. She grabbed it as I pulled her up. She stood, naked in front of me; her body was so fucking hot. I stepped quickly into the bathroom, grabbing the other robe. "Here, otherwise our breakfast will get cold."
She took it, wrapping it around herself. We stepped into the living room, where our food was all set up. I lifted the lid to one of the platters.
"Waffles!" she cried. "How did you know?"
She giggled as I pulled her mouth to mine. "Naughty mocking girl, you."
She winked at me as she sat down. "This looks great, thank you," she smiled.
"You're welcome." I sat, biting down on a piece of bacon. "So, my dad texted me, asking if next weekend works for brunch?"
She smiled, trying to finish chewing the food in her mouth. "Well, I'm supposed to work at the hospital Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights, but I can probably switch with someone to get Saturday night off. I wouldn't want to be a total zombie meeting your parents."
I hated imposing on her schedule, especially for this. "You don't have to do that! We can find another time."
"No, I'm sure it won't be a problem! Plus, then that frees up our Saturday night together. Maybe we could go on another date?" she smiled.
"Are you asking me out?" I joked, taking a sip of my coffee.
She batted her lashes. "That depends."
"Depends on what?"
"Will you put out?"
I burst out laughing. "Oh, for you, I would put out."
She crossed her legs in front of her. "Well then, yes, will you go on a date with me?"
I rubbed my hand up her smooth calf, circling her knee. "Yes. Definitely yes." God, she looked fucking adorable in her oversized robe and the slightest hint of bed head.
"Well ok then, it's a date." She punctuated her sentence with the bite of her bacon.
I eyed her, my line of sight traveling up her legs and under her robe. I couldn't wait to have her again.
"All finished?" I asked, as she set her fork down.
She smiled, nodding her head yes. I scooped her up in my arms, swiftly carrying her back to the bedroom.
********
Lacey
I laid my arm over Ben's hard chest. "That was incredible," I breathed.
His thumb ran in circles over my cheek. "That felt so fucking good," he smiled. God, could I ever get enough of this man?
I nuzzled into his shoulder, breathing in his sexy scent. "I've loved our mini vacay." It had been fun, seeing him in a totally new environment. And I enjoyed sharing part of where I came from with him.
He chuckled. "Me too. It was fun to get away."
"Maybe next time we should plan it, so we actually have a change of clothes." In my mind, I pictured Hawaii or Mexico, to a romantic all inclusive. I would never want to leave.
He shifted up, kissing my forehead. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that."
I glanced up at him. "I don't mind wearing the same clothes, but the same underwear? No way."
"You'd rather go without?" he smirked. "I could get into that."
"No, I'd rather get some new," I laughed.
"Alright."
He reached back on the nightstand for his phone.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Putting Victoria's Secret in the GPS. Look, there's one right there, two blocks down."
I smiled, grabbing his phone. "Perfect. At least I'll have clean underwear. Now makeup on the other hand," I started.
"Oh hush it," he laughed. "You are gorgeous, with or without makeup."
I giggled, burying my face in his shoulder. "You have to say that. You're my boyfriend." I looked up, meeting his gaze. He literally made me melt.
"I mean it. You are beautiful when you're dressed up and you're beautiful when you dress down. The first time I ever saw you, you were in yoga pants. I knew then I was hooked."
I blushed. I remembered that moment too. Oh how I wish I could tell sad Lacey at the bar that it would all work out. You'll be dating that sexy stranger in no time! "Well thank you," I said, brushing a stray hair away.
He kissed the tip of my nose. "Let's get dressed, and get you some underwear."
We got ready and headed down the elevator to check out of the hotel. We walked the two blocks, hand in hand. The bright sun shone down on us. It was a beautiful warm day, for September.
Ben held the door to the store open for me. "Ladies first."
I sauntered in past him, heading right for the five for twenty-five bins. I needed to stock up anyway, I thought. I picked out some cute garments quickly, not wanting to dawdle. "All set," I said, walking over to him.
He smiled at me, his gorgeous sexy bright white smile. "Not just yet." His words made me hot. What was he thinking? "I think we should pick out something else."
"Oh yeah?" I asked. I watched his hand run over his stubbly chin. Ok, I could get into that.
He walked over to the lingerie. "What do you think?"
I surveyed the display. There were tight lacy corsets covering plastic mannequins, in a variety of colors. I was curious what he wanted to see me in. There was the virginal white set, and the sexy red one. I ran my hand over the hot pink version. This reminds me of Shannon, I thought, laughing to myself.
"You want me to wear something like this?" I asked, twisting my hair around my finger. His eyes darkened.
He stepped over to me, brushing my face with his hand, landing his lips on mine. "Yes. I would like that very much." I felt a flame ignite in my belly. I would wear a paper bag if it caused him to look at me like that.
"Which would you like me to wear?"
He
turned his head, surveying the options. His hand reached out, grabbing the pale blue one off the rack. Interesting choice, I thought. Kind of the perfect blend of sexy and sweet. I smiled, signaling my approval.
"Ok, now we're all set," he said, his lips curling in a seductive smile. I couldn't wait to wear it for him.
We walked up to the register; he insisted on paying. "You don't have to buy me underwear," I scolded.
"I know I don't have to do anything. I want to." His words were final.
I sighed, allowing him to hand over his card. I knew he had money, but I didn't ever want to take advantage of that. I had a sneaky feeling that was a big reason his ex had been with him in the first place. After paying, I snuck into a dressing room to put the new underwear on.
"Better?" he asked as I emerged.
I smiled. "Much."
He took my hand, and lead me out onto the street. I felt my phone buzz in my purse. I pulled it out to find a text from my coworker Leslie. "Sure I'll switch. Can you work tonight?"
I groaned. The last thing I wanted to do when we got home was go to work. But I really wanted to make the effort for Ben to meet his parents. "Yes, thanks so much," I replied.
"Ok, it's all set. I have Saturday night off, but that means I have to work tonight."
Ben's arm wrapped around my shoulders. "Well let's get you home then, so you can get some sleep before you have to go in." His lips pressed into my hair. I beamed. He was always thinking of me.
"I guess we'll have to save our purchase for another night then," I said slyly.
He swung his arm in front of him, snapping his fingers. "Damn."
We made our way back to the hotel and waited for the valet to bring up the car. Then we started on the long journey back.
Around an hour in, my stomach started to growl. It was one of those unbelievably loud and drawn out growls. "Hungry?" he asked, glancing sideways at me.
I giggled, rubbing my stomach. "Apparently."
"Let's stop and get something to eat then. Look up if there are any restaurants close."
I pulled out my phone, typing in "restaurants near me." I had no idea where we were. This was definitely Middle of Nowhere, Minnesota. "Two point two miles ahead is the Snack Shop. It looks like they have sandwiches and burgers and things like that," I said, eyeing the menu on their website.
"Sounds good to me," he smiled.
We drove a bit further and pulled off at the next exit. The Snack Shop was shortly thereafter, a cute little blue diner next to a park. I could see families having picnics and kids were running around, climbing on the playground. We pulled in to the gravelly parking lot, dust floating up as he turned off the car.
Inside, it looked a little dated, but clean. We stepped up to the counter to order. "Would you like to eat outside or inside?" asked a stout grouchy older man.
I looked at Ben. "Outside," he said, smiling.
"Alright, what do you want?" Geez, this man was so pleasant.
I gazed up at the menu on the wall. "I'll have a BLT with fries, and a diet coke," I responded.
"Make that two," said Ben.
"Alright, that'll be fourteen seventy five. Take this number out with you, make sure it's visible."
Ben paid quickly and we walked back outside, searching for a clearing in the grass. We made our way to a spot, laying our jackets on the ground. "Now we can have a real picnic," I said, sitting down. "Although I loved the living room picnic we had."
He smiled, holding my hand in his. "That was fun, wasn't it? It's hard to believe how much has changed since then."
"I know. That was the day your ex was moving her stuff out," I laughed. A.K.A. the start of the best time of my life.
He chuckled. "Yeah, you're right."
"So tell me, what were you thinking when you came down with the movie and pizza? I'm just curious." I looked up at him shyly. I could just remember the shock I felt, seeing his handsome face through the peephole.
He smiled, bringing his hand to his chin. "Well, I knew I liked you. A lot. I guess I was hoping for more to happen between us, especially when you came to the door in just a towel." My cheeks burned at the memory. "But to be honest, I'm glad things unfolded the way they did."
My heart tightened. So he had wanted me then. "Oh yeah? Why is that?"
"I didn't want you to feel like a rebound or anything like that. Obviously, you are so much more to me. I already fucking love you." His smile widened as he squeezed my hand. "What were you thinking?"
I looked down, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Um, well, I really wanted to have sex with you, but I couldn't tell if that's what you wanted too. So I guess I chickened out, and then fell asleep." I clasped my hand to my forehead. "Sorry about that," I laughed.
"You're forgiven," he grinned.
We were interrupted by a different man arriving with our food. We sat, eating quietly, watching the increasing number of kids running around.
"So, what are your thoughts on kids?" Ben asked. I nearly choked on my drink.
"Kids? What about them?" Holy shit. We were going to have this conversation.
"You know, do you want any? How many?" I could tell he was trying to be casual, and failing miserably.
I finished chewing my bite of sandwich. "Well, I definitely have always wanted kids. At least two. As many perks as there can be to being an only child, it was also a little lonely. I always wanted a brother or sister." I paused, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "What about you?" I had a brief flash of panic. What if he didn't want kids? Or what if he wanted twenty?
"Yeah, I definitely want kids too. I've always pictured two, but maybe because that's the way I grew up. But I want to be around and be there for them. I don't want to be one of those workaholic dads that's never really present, you know?" He brought his straw to his mouth, looking at me with raised eyebrows.
I couldn't control the enormous grin spreading across my face. "Yeah, I know what you mean." I felt like my heart was about to burst. Could he have said anything more perfect?
He smiled his usual heart-tugging smile as he collected our garbage and ran it over to the trash can. "Ready to go?" he asked, walking toward me. He reached out his hands. I grabbed them, pulling myself up off the ground. He surprised me as he pulled me all the way up to him, kissing me sweetly.
"Sure," I smiled.
I hated to end our impromptu getaway, but I knew I needed to sleep again before work. The rest of our drive was uneventful, with me dozing off now and again. I could always fall asleep in the car, but staying asleep was difficult with my head bobbing up and down. In between naps, I started recognizing landmarks. I knew we were getting close. I felt Ben's hands rub my arm. "Babe, we're home."
I opened my eyes, yawning, viewing the familiar garage. "Thanks for letting me nap," I said sleepily.
He rubbed his hand over my cheek, which was bright red from leaning up against the door. "You're welcome," he smiled. "Let's go upstairs."
I followed him reluctantly to the elevator. I had a slight twinge of disappointment when he hit the button for the twelfth floor. Why? You know you need to go home and sleep more before work, I told myself. But I really didn't want our time to end.
We made it to my door, and without question, Ben came in with me. That lifted my spirits somewhat. I glanced at the clock; it was already after four. I definitely needed more sleep.
I walked into the bedroom, changing out of my jeans, and snuggling under my blankets. Ben sat down next to me and kissed my forehead. "I'll miss you."
I smiled up at him. "I'll miss you too."
He bent down again, this time kissing my lips. I thought at first, it would be a quick kiss, but he didn't pull away. I felt my groin start tingling. I reached my hand around the back of his neck, pressing his mouth harder against mine. Looks like I won't be getting much sleep, I thought. At that moment, I couldn't have cared less, as he shifted himself above me, ready to be with me again.
Chapter 20
My entire week dragged b
y at a glacial pace. I had work at one job or the other each night, cutting any time to spend with Ben to just brief moments in passing. I saw him Tuesday morning for coffee before work for him (after work for me). He came in to Johnny's Wednesday night, but only had time for one quick drink. He had a few things to catch up on after playing hooky Monday. Then it was back to the hospital for me Thursday and Friday, back to back twelve hour shifts.
I was so ecstatic when Saturday morning finally came. I didn't have to worry about waking up and going back to work. All I had to look forward to was the date I had planned for us that night. I really hoped he would like what I had arranged.
I decided to go up to his floor instead of mine when I got home. I knew he'd still be asleep, so I figured I would just join him. That gave me so much more to look forward to, rather than coming home to my cold empty bed. I quietly unlocked the door, and tip toed to the bedroom. The room was dark, but I could hear his rhythmic breathing. I stripped out of my scrubs, and climbed in next to him, pressing myself to him. I heard his breathing change, as he wrapped his strong warm arms around me. Yep, this was where I belonged. I smiled into the darkness and drifted off to sleep.
********
Ben
I loved waking up to Lacey climbing in bed with me. Everything about it felt perfect. I wanted to tell her that's what I wanted every day, but I didn't want to push too fast. I laid there, with her in my arms, unable to go back to sleep. I would never tell her that, though, for fear of her not ever surprising me like that again.
After about an hour or so of trying in vain to fall asleep, I gently shifted my arms back, sliding off the bed. I took the blankets, pulling them up tighter around her, kissing her head. Time to get started with my day.
I made myself coffee, and decided to get some work done. I had plenty to keep me occupied while she slept. I padded into my home office, and fired up the computer. My phone buzzed on my desk. A text from my dad, saying, "Ten thirty tomorrow. Don't worry, I talked to your mother. It will go fine." I rolled my eyes. I'm sure it won't, I thought. I had increasing anxiety just thinking about it, I was this close to scrapping the whole thing. But Lacey had already changed her work schedule to be able to go tomorrow, so I didn't want to cancel. "Ok, see you then," I sent back.
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