“Fine. I left the bike in the street.” He glanced toward his house behind him. “My parents are going to kill me.” Now he looked genuinely devastated.
“I’ll replace the bike,” Olivia offered. “I can go buy a new one right now and have it back to you before they realize this one’s trashed.” It was her fault. Partially at least, as she’d been lost in Ben Westmore’s gaze and not paying attention.
The kid’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
She nodded. “Of course.” At that moment, she’d offer to send the kid and his family to Disneyland for punitive damages, she was so relieved that the kid hadn’t been hurt.
The boy turned toward Ben. “Will you sign the frame for me?”
Ben laughed. “Sure, kid. But no more lying, and take better care of your stuff.” He playfully punched the boy’s shoulder and something in the pit of her stomach turned. In that moment all of her preconceived notions about Ben vanished, leaving her with only a terrifying thought.
Ben Westmore might possibly make a fantastic father, and combined with the knowledge that at one time he’d been ready to settle down and commit to one woman, she knew her heart was in trouble.
Chapter 17
Two hours later—bike replaced, too much Chinese food consumed, and Ben back behind the wheel—he turned into a visitor parking spot in front of her building. “There. I promised you an epic date. Did I deliver?” he asked, putting the vehicle—which had suffered zero damage in the incident—in park.
She laughed. “I can honestly say I’ve never been on a date even somewhat close to this one. I’d say take it as a win.”
Removing his seatbelt, he turned to face her. “I had a great time tonight.” Never in a million years would picking out baby books and replacing a kid’s bike be on his list of things he’d find enjoyable, but with Olivia, every moment was fun. A concept he’d forgotten existed. Usually fun with a woman meant trying to set a new record in getting her naked, but while he wouldn’t be opposed to getting Olivia naked, it wasn’t his only priority. Being around her made him happy.
He hadn’t even felt weird talking about Janelle. Sharing that part of himself—a part he usually kept hidden—had felt right. For some reason, he’d wanted her to know that there was more to him than what the media saw. He wanted her to trust him, to trust that he wasn’t just wasting her time or playing her. Though where they went from here—when she was pregnant—he honestly didn’t know.
“Well, if you thought that was fun, maybe next time we can go nursery furniture shopping or something,” she said.
It was meant as a joke, one that normally would have sent him tearing out of her driveway before she’d shut the passenger side door, but the idea of being there for her in those important moments of her pregnancy, of being someone she could rely on, didn’t freak him out. Which, in itself, should have freaked him out. “Deal,” he said instead.
Her expression was one he’d seen many times before he was about to get laid.
His dick, which had been on standby all evening, woke up, but his mind for once screamed Proceed with caution! This wasn’t just a normal date with a normal woman. She wasn’t someone he’d hooked up with for an evening. She was someone he respected, someone who, despite the circumstances, he liked…a lot. Hurting Olivia was the last thing he wanted to do. “Well, let me know whenever you need someone to carry the heavy boxes,” he said. This had to be an all-time first—he wasn’t actively trying to get her into bed. Not that he didn’t want to.
All evening, whenever their bodies touched, there was a spark of electricity that threatened to set him on fire. Every time she’d looked at him with those big dark eyes, he’d found himself losing his train of thought. He certainly hadn’t been on his game that evening, and yet it was probably the most satisfying date he’d ever been on. Even if his dick wasn’t getting satisfied.
Across from him, Olivia seemed to be having her own internal struggle. “Do you want to come in?” she asked finally, nervously.
There was the invite. Shit.
He ran the play over in his mind. If he gave in to the begging in the lower half of his body and followed her inside, in less than three minutes they would be naked. And not too long after, they’d both be fighting with their conscience, things would be awkward as hell between them, and then everything would be a whole lot more complicated.
He had to do the right thing this time. Even if it wasn’t what he wanted to do.
He sighed. “I should go. I have a game tomorrow night and practice early tomorrow morning.”
The disappointment in her eyes almost made him change his mind. “Right. Of course.”
Damn. “Believe me, it’s not that I don’t want to,” he said.
She nodded quickly. “No, you’re right. It was a bad idea anyway.”
God, did she have to be so beautiful, so smart, so sexy? Maybe now wasn’t the time to be turning over a new leaf. After all, she wasn’t looking for something more from him. Hell, twelve hours ago, she’d wanted nothing to do with him, and after that evening…who knew what would happen? Assuming that taking advantage of something they clearly both wanted would be hurting her was actually pretty egotistical.
Or was he rationalizing?
He reached over the center console and pulled her into the space next to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Yes, it would be a bad idea, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.” His gaze burned into hers, and any shred of resolve disappeared seeing the same look of desire in her eyes that he knew was reflected in his.
“No, Ben. You were right…”
He placed a finger to her lips. “No. You’re right—things are already messed up, what’s one more complication?”
“I didn’t say that,” she said, but he noticed she remained in his arms.
“Okay, I did,” he said, hitting the button to drop his seat backward, as he scooped her up and brought her down on top of him.
Her eyes widened when her legs landed on either side of him. “What are you doing?”
“Exactly what you want me to do,” he whispered at the base of her neck, watching as goose bumps rippled the smooth skin there.
“So, this is for me?” she asked, pushing her body closer and sliding her hands beneath his shirt. Her breasts pressed against his chest had him swallowing hard as he gripped her waist. Her top position gave her control—control he wasn’t ready to give up. Yet.
“It might be a little bit for me,” he said feeling himself grow thick in his jeans. His erection was betraying his false sense of bravado, and the knowing look in her beautiful eyes told him she was seeing right through it. “Okay, a lot for me…mostly for me,” he said, sitting up and flipping them so he was on top.
He lifted her sweater and pulled it over her head, revealing a fitted red tank. All evening, brief glimpses of the lacy part peeking over the top of the v-neck at her chest had nearly driven him mad. This up-close look had been worth the wait. The thin, silky fabric clung to her shape and rose a little to reveal her stomach. He traced a finger along her soft skin. “You have the sexiest body…”
She wiggled beneath him, reaching for the shirt to pull it down, but he stopped her hands. “No. Don’t cover up.” In fact, he wanted to see more. He wanted to see everything.
He tossed her sweater into the back of the Hummer, then lifted the tank top higher.
She sighed, reluctantly lifting her arms to allow him to remove the shirt. “As much as I hate my stomach now, it’s only going to get worse,” she said.
“It’s perfect.”
She scoffed. “I’m allergic to exercise. Believe me, it’s far from perfect.”
He lowered his head to her collarbone, breathing in the jasmine-scented skin. The smell had teased him all night, and he couldn’t wait to find out if she smelled this sweet everywhere. He kissed the base of her neck, leaving a trail of kisses over her shoulder, across her chest. He watched it rise and fall beneath his lips as her breathing became more and more la
bored.
He loved that a few kisses were having this effect on her. He wanted to make her feel like the only woman to ever steal his concentration, because that was the truth. “So delicious,” he muttered before sliding his tongue along the edge of her bra, then moving down the line between her abs to her belly button, feeling tiny goose bumps form on her flesh below his lips. “You taste perfect,” he said, raising his hands to cover her breasts, massaging gently through the lacy bra. She filled his hands easily and he hardened even more with the anticipation of what was beneath the fabric.
Her breathing grew heavy as she ran her hands through his hair. “Ben, that feels incredible.”
He was just getting started. He reached for the button on her jeans, but she stopped him again.
“Not fair. I’m half undressed already. Take something off,” she said.
Fair enough. He reached for the hem of his sweater and, grabbing the sweater and his undershirt, removed both, exposing a body he was proud of. “Better?”
She wrinkled her nose. “It’s okay, I guess.”
He grinned. “Okay you guess?” He flexed his biceps and tightened his stomach muscles.
“Fine. You’re sickeningly perfect,” she said, sliding her hands along his oblique muscles. A tingle chased down his spine as she found his one and only ticklish spot below his belly button. Her touch drove him mad, and his thighs gripped her hips tighter as she reached for the button on his jeans.
She hesitated, but if she was waiting for him to stop her, she’d be waiting a long time. He’d wanted her since the moment those mesmerizing dark eyes had shot daggers at him in her office parking lot. And his attraction had only increased. “Don’t stop now,” he said, making sure to infuse a note of challenge into his voice, knowing she would never back down from one.
She popped the button free and searched for a zipper, then shot him a look when she didn’t find one. “A button fly? Seriously? You couldn’t make this more difficult?” she asked, yanking open the first two in one quick pull.
He laughed. “I wasn’t really expecting you to put out on the first date.” He took over when she struggled with the bottom ones, made tighter by his ever-increasing hard-on.
She narrowed her eyes at him.
Shit. Good one, Westmore. Do you want to go home with blue balls?
But then she shrugged. “I figure I’m pregnant anyway. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Just the word pregnant should have killed his erection, but it didn’t. It didn’t matter that this situation was complicated as hell because he knew this wasn’t just about sex. Not this time. This time was different. He was attracted to her body, her mind, her heart…every part of her that she’d let him see so far. And he wanted to continue pulling back the layers, discovering more…even though it terrified him that he might just discover all of the things he wouldn’t be able to walk away from.
For the first time, walking away wasn’t his intention.
The sound of tapping on the window followed by an insanely bright beam of light made them both jump.
“Shit. Police,” he said, reaching for their clothes.
Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. Quick, put your thing away,” she said.
Glancing down, he saw that he was poking through the folds of his underwear. He tucked himself inside and clasped the top button on the jeans.
“Police. Roll down the window please,” a voice called from outside.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Olivia said trying to cover herself with one arm as she struggled to right her inside-out tank top. “Can he see us?” she hissed.
“Don’t worry. Tinted windows—as dark as factory possible.” Which no doubt would earn him at least one ticket from the cops right now.
She stopped shielding herself and his dick twitched again at the sight of her beautiful full breasts spilling over the top of her red lace bra. He hoped the police wouldn’t ask him to get out of the car, because they’d probably think he had a concealed weapon in his pants.
Yanking his shirt over his head, he climbed off of her, allowing her to scramble back over to the passenger seat as another tap, tap, tap came on the window. “Open up please.”
He glanced at her quickly, saw she was wearing an inside-out tank top, but at least she was decent, and he rolled down the windows. “Hi. Problem, officer?”
The beam of light shone directly at his face, making him squint.
“You’re double parked,” the officer said.
He glanced outside. It was almost midnight and there were no other vehicles parked in the visitor spaces outside her building. “Sorry, sir. I’ll move right away.”
The officer looked past him to Olivia. “You okay, miss?”
“Fine,” she croaked, sounding anything but. The look on her face could easily be construed as Help, I’m being held against my will.
Ben shot her a look that said Pull it together before I get arrested before turning his attention back to the cop. “I was dropping her home after a date,” he said quickly.
“Is that right, miss?” the cop asked, shining the light in his face again.
She nodded. “Yes.”
At least that sounded a little more convincing.
“Well, why don’t I wait to see that you get in safely?” the guy said.
“Really?” Ben frowned. They were kind of in the middle of something. The date hadn’t quite ended yet. He waited for Olivia to tell the cop to take a hike, but she gathered her things quickly.
“Yeah, okay…thanks, officer,” she said, stretching to reach her sweater in the back, giving both men a great view down her top.
Ben glared at the officer, and the man averted his eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready to call it a night?” he asked Olivia. Maybe she’d invite him in again. In hindsight, accepting her invitation to go inside, instead of this spontaneous hookup, might have been the better plan.
She looked past him at the officer, then nodded. “Yeah. Um…thank you for the date.”
All that lead up, then wham! Shot down. His disappointment had to show on his face, but the untimely interruption had only slightly deflated his enthusiasm. It would take a simple touch from her, a silent look to get him rock hard again. He nodded. “Okay. I’ll walk you to the door.” He really didn’t want to see her go. The night had gone too fast, and he was already looking forward to the next time he could see her, which with the finals starting would be longer than he liked.
“Not necessary, sir. I’ll see that the lady gets inside,” the officer said, and it sounded more like a warning to stay in the vehicle.
He turned to Olivia. “Are you sure you’re okay with that?” He wasn’t about to piss off a cop, but neither was he going to let the guy make her uncomfortable.
“It’s fine,” she said.
“Okay. Well, I’ll also wait to see that you get in safely.”
“Bye,” she said awkwardly, the look in her eyes letting him know that she was just as disappointed to let the night end…but also maybe a little relieved.
The relief made his heart plummet.
“Bye,” he mumbled as she climbed down from the Hummer and shut the door.
He watched as the officer walked her to the front door. Once she’d disappeared inside and the door closed behind her, he put the vehicle in reverse.
Then hit the brake as the cop flagged him down.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath as the guy approached the window, ticket book in hand. “Yes, officer?”
“These window tints are illegal. I need to ticket you.”
“You ruined my date. Call it even?” he asked only half joking.
The cop continued to write the ticket. “Afraid not, Mr. Westmore. You see, I’m a Boston Bruins fan.”
Right.
Chapter 18
A two-hundred-dollar fine.
Olivia laughed as she replied. So worth not having that creepy dude seeing me in a compromising position.
She still couldn’t believe she’
d been in a compromising position. She hadn’t been thinking straight…or at all yesterday. Agreeing to the date could be rationalized by the fact that she’d needed him out of her office. Going on the date? That was a little tougher to explain. The only thing she could come up with was the fact he’d looked better than the model on the latest issue of GQ, and the moment she’d answered her door and let him in, common sense had walked out. But then letting him get as far as he had…with no intention of stopping him…Her cheeks flamed at the memory, and she jumped as her phone chimed again.
There would be no fine too costly to protect your virtue, my lady.
She smiled. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. Should she reply? Tell him that she’d had a great night? To what end? They hadn’t made plans to see one another again.
She put the phone in a drawer and closed it.
She bit her lip, wondering if he did want to see her again. She doubted Ben Westmore did second dates. She’d also doubted he’d be texting her that day, yet less than twelve hours after dropping her off he was contacting her.
Which shouldn’t make her feel as happy and excited as it did.
Shaking her head, she signed into her computer and opened her email. Sixty-eight emails. Forty-two of them marked urgent. Good. That should keep her busy and her mind occupied. She opened the first one from the opposing counsel on a case file she’d started the day before. The man’s client was asking for an extension to get his income tax forms submitted…
Her gaze drifted from the screen to the desk drawer. Ben said he was playing tonight anyway, didn’t he? Opening a new search engine, the team’s website confirmed there was a home game starting at seven.
Good. So even if she’d wanted to invite him to her place that evening, he was busy. Saved from the embarrassment of getting shut down.
Maybe This Love Page 16