揥hat抯 the deal with that??he prods. 揧ou抳e mentioned it to Terri. Something about a proposal??
I never realized he was listening to my conversations quite so carefully. I could claim it was a joke, but this is probably a good time to make a few things between us crystal clear. 揟hat抯 where my future boyfriend will eventually propose. I saw it in a movie once.?I grin widely. 揗y non-lawyer boyfriend.?
He nods. 揜ight, right. Because you only date chefs.?
揘ot just chefs,?I reply. 揑抦 open to several occupations. Widowed veterinarian, owner of a Christmas tree farm, or proprietor of a bed and breakfast.?
His mouth twitches. 揂nd how exactly does this proposal unfold??
揧ou抮e ridiculing me and I don抰 care. One day when I抦 posting a video of my small but tasteful ring with the Northern Lights behind me and a children抯 choir performing, you抣l see how wrong you were.?
揂h, so now the Northern Lights happen to be behind you? I didn抰 realize you抎 even planned out the acts of God that will need to occur. Very thorough.?
I bite down on a smile as I shrug. 揙bviously, I抎 understand if that part didn抰 happen. I抎 be disappointed, but I抎 understand.?
揟hat抯 generous of you. What about the fact that you抎 hate Iceland? You get cold when the office is set below seventy-two.?
揑棓
揂nd no owner of a small bed-and-breakfast can just take off for a few weeks to go to Iceland.?
I set down my fork. 揂ny other dreams you抎 like to crush, Ben??
揥ell,?he says, 搚ou抎 have to share them with me first.?
I laugh, and then our eyes hold, and he抯 smiling, and lust hits me out of nowhere. Not the normal kind of lust, not even the normal kind of lust I feel for Ben, but the sort that makes me feel a little deranged, that has me wondering if he抎 follow me to the bathroom if I suggested it. Maybe that is sort of the normal lust I feel for Ben. I want him to pin me to his desk, just like he did the first time.
揕et抯 get out of here,?I say.
His gaze sharpens, grows predatory, in a second抯 time. I抳e never seen a man pay a check faster than he does ours.
His fingers twine with mine as we walk to the waiting car, and even that tiny bit of intimacy makes my breath catch. He climbs in beside me, and suddenly…we抮e alone. In a small, enclosed space. I cross my legs and his eyes go to my bare calves and then my heels. He swallows and I can barely stand not to lean over and press my lips to his neck.
We get back to the parking garage in record time. He reaches over the console toward me, pulling my mouth to his. 揑抳e wanted to do that all night,?he says.
揑 want you to do a lot more than that.?
揋od, yes,?he groans, resting his forehead against mine. 揧our place??
揢h棓 If he comes to my place, then I can抰 get him to leave. Suddenly he抯 staying the night, showering, leaving items behind. I pull back. 揕et抯 just go upstairs. It抯 closer.?
He studies my face. 揧ou only live a few blocks away.?
揧our office is twenty seconds away by elevator,?I argue.
I see a tiny flicker of disappointment in his eyes. 揥e aren抰 having sex in the office again.?
My jaw drops. 揥hy the hell not? What was the purpose of all this, then??
His hand reaches out to cradle my face. 揗aybe I just wanted to get to know you better,?he says. 揙r maybe I really wanted to poison you.?
揑 know which of those is more likely,?I mutter, rolling my eyes, 搒o it looks like I抦 heading to the ER. Thanks, Ben.?
He laughs, and then he gives me the sweetest, most tender smile. Not unlike the look he has on his face in Drew抯 wedding photos. 揑 want to be someone you trust enough to invite home, Gemma. And I抦 willing to wait for it.?
There抯 a small squeeze in my chest, and I can抰 tell if it抯 pleasure or terror.
揑抦 only falling for this whole dinner ruse once,?I say, unbuckling my seat belt.
He grins. 揑抣l have to come up with something new the next time.?
I climb out. 揟here won抰 be a next time.?
He waits until I抦 safely in my car and driving away before he texts:
Ben: Sure there won抰。
I smile like a fool the rest of the way home.
25
揑 can抰 believe he told me no,?I complain to Keeley.
She laughs. 揟hat抯 just the worst when a man expresses interest in who you are as a person. What a dick.?
揑 just don抰 get it. I mean, I know it抯 not going anywhere. He knows it抯 not going anywhere. The milk is very clearly free so no need to buy the cow. Why wouldn抰 he take the free milk??
揚lease stop talking about milk,?she says. I hear the beep of the vending machine梚t抯 seven in the morning and she抯 already buying junk food. 揑t makes me think of cervical mucus, or breast milk. Maybe he just couldn抰 perform again??