Chapter Ten
Ben finally lifted his head from that kiss and smiled at her. “We’ve got so much catching up to do.” A rush of desire coursed through his veins as she ran her hand down his back with a wicked smile.
“Oh, we do. But I don’t think we should get to that just yet.”
Ben laughed. “I didn’t even mean that—yet.”
Charlotte looked a little embarrassed, but she didn’t stop running her fingers up and down his spine. “Good, because I think we should wait before we go there. I thought about that a lot. I’d like us to earn our way back to that place as a new couple.”
Ben nodded slowly. “I’d be lying if I said that all my fantasies about our first day back together didn’t include some time in bed. But I think you’re right.” He closed his hand around the back of her neck, circling his thumb in her hair in a move that always used to turn her on.
“Oh, that’s cruel. You know I want to drag you straight to bed whenever you do that.”
Ben laughed. “Straight to bed or straight to the floor or straight to the backseat of the car—wherever was closest, right?”
She laughed with him. “Exactly, and now you’re agreeing that we should wait and yet you’re doing that to me.”
“You know I’ve always enjoyed the anticipation. And besides, I had to see if you’d still react the same way.”
“It still has the same effect on me.” She smiled. “I’m not dragging you into bed or even onto the floor because we just agreed we should wait.”
“Well, I’m not going to wait forever. If we’re going to do this right and get to know each other as new people—as a new couple—I’d like for us to get started straight away. So what do you say, will you have dinner with me tonight?”
“I’d love to.”
“Do you want to come to my place?”
Charlotte laughed. “And how long do you think we’d end up waiting if I do that?”
Ben gave her rueful smile. “Not long, but I want you all to myself. You know full well what it will be like if we have dinner at the resort. We won’t get a single moment to ourselves.” He thought about it for a moment. “We could go to Giuseppe’s?”
“That’d be nice. We’d get to go out on a proper first date.” She gave him the wicked smile again. “We can’t exactly get up to anything inappropriate at Giuseppe’s and we won’t have to talk to a million people.”
Ben smiled. “Maybe I can show you my apartment. We’ll have to pass it when I bring you home.”
She laughed. “I don’t think that would be very appropriate for a first date.”
Ben shrugged. “Not even if I can be a gentleman the whole time?” His phone rang in his pocket and he reached for it automatically. He wished he hadn’t when he saw the name on the screen. He wanted to ignore it, but he knew he probably shouldn’t.
“Don’t worry,” said Charlotte. “Take it, I’m sure it’s work. I don’t expect you to ignore it.”
Ben hesitated, he really didn’t want to answer.
“Go on!” Charlotte smiled as she got up from the sofa. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He stared at his phone a moment longer. He really didn’t want to answer, but he did. “Hey, what’s the problem?”
“Ben, I’m so sorry. I hate to disturb you, but is there any way you can come over here?”
“What’s the problem?” Why was it that Angel had just told him this morning she was going to stay out of his way, and now she was calling asking for him to go over to Four Mile?
“It’s the reservation system. Remember you showed me what to do when the system freezes? Well, it’s not working. I’m so sorry.”
Ben sighed. The software in the new reservation system was glitchy to say the least. Irritated as he was, it really wasn’t Angel’s fault. “How many times have you tried it?” He looked up as Charlie came back into the room. He really didn’t want to leave her just yet.
“Three,” said Angel.
Charlotte smiled. “Let me guess, it’s work, right?”
Ben nodded and rolled his eyes.
“You’d better go sort it out then, hadn’t you?”
He nodded again, disappointment settling in the pit of his stomach. He so did not want to go. “I’ll be right over,” he told Angel. He ended the call and looked at Charlotte. “I’m sorry. Hopefully it won’t take too long.”
She smiled. “You take as long as you need. I’m sure you need to get back to work anyway. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” She smiled again. “I’m here for good now. I’ll see you tonight. What time at Giuseppe’s?”
“How about seven? But not at Giuseppe’s, I’ll pick you up.”
“Like a real first date?”
“Like a real first date.” Ben liked the sound of that.
She walked him to the door. “I hate to ask, but was that Angel on the phone?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah. Please let’s not start that again?”
“Okay, but only because you already know how I feel. If you want to …”
Ben held up a hand. “I don’t.” He slid his arm around her waist and drew her closer. “I’ll see you later. What are you going to do?”
“Oh, you know, just get started on a life. Catch up with friends, try to find a job, just little things like that.” She laughed.
“Okay, well good luck with that and if you need any—”
This time it was Charlotte who held up a hand to stop him. “I’m a big girl, Ben. I’ll figure it out. And like I said, I want to come back on an equal footing with you, as an independent person, not as a burden to you.”
“You could never be that. But I do understand what you mean.”
“Good. You’d better get going.”
He hugged her to him and dropped a kiss on her lips, still struggling to believe that she was even here. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“I look forward to it.”
~ ~ ~
Charlotte watched as he pulled away. She wished he didn’t have to go, but she knew how important his work was to him.
It always had been and no doubt always would be.
She understood that much better now than she had when they were kids.
When they were kids, she’d always felt it shouldn’t be his responsibility yet.
She felt differently now, not just because he was older and it obviously was his responsibility, but also because she understood him much better now.
She raised her eyebrows; was that true, and if so, how could it be?
She hadn’t been around him for years, so how could she understand him better?
She gave a rueful smile as she went back inside.
Perhaps it was because she was as grown-up now as Ben had been when he was seventeen.
She wandered around the house thinking about everything they discussed.
When he first arrived, she’d been so determined that she didn’t want to interfere in whatever was going on between him and Angel.
She didn’t want him to be with her out of some sense of obligation.
She wanted him to feel free to choose. He had chosen.
She smiled—he’d chosen her. Her smile faded a little.
He’d chosen her and then Angel had called.
No, that wasn’t fair. He hadn’t left to go and see Angel; he left because work needed him.
An uneasy shiver ran down her spine. Work always came first for Ben.
And Angel was a part of his work. No! She had to get a grip.
She tried to make him explore whatever feelings he might have for Angel, and he’d flatly refused.
He refused because he wanted to be with her because the two of them had wanted to be together since they were ten years old.
She had to believe in that; she had to believe in them.
It was right that they should take things slowly, but she shouldn’t go to the extreme of pushing him away.
Ben had gone back to work. He was getting on with his day, and she needed to do the same.
She needed to make a start on all the things she’d told him she was going to.
Make a start on her life here. She didn’t know yet what she was going to do about work, but she could get to that on Monday.
She did know that she wanted to start catching up with old friends though.
She needed to call Emma. She would’ve heard if the baby had been born already but it must be due anytime now.
And Michael, too, his girlfriend, Megan, must be about ready to have their baby.
And at some point, she’d have to pop next door to say hi to April.
It made her smile to think she was living next door to the girl who’d helped her through that night in Vegas.
She picked up her phone. First of all, she wanted to check in with Missy.
~ ~ ~
Ben pulled up in front of the lodge at Four Mile.
He turned off the ignition and sat for a moment gathering his thoughts.
If Angel hadn’t called, he no doubt would still be at Charlotte’s place right now.
Even that was a lot to take in—the fact Charlotte now had a place here.
Wow! It was finally happening. He shook his head.
It was strange after all the conversations he’d had this week, now Charlotte really was here, and Angel was the one to call him away from her.
He rubbed his hands over his face and then took a deep breath and got out of the car. Even Charlotte had thought that there might be, and possibly should be, something going on between him and Angel.
“Hey!” There she was, standing outside the reception waiting for him.
He smiled. She was undoubtedly a good-looking woman. She was great to work with, easy-going, efficient, and if he was honest, a lot of fun. The only thing going against her was the fact that she wasn’t Charlotte.
He ran up the steps and greeted her with a smile. “Hi. Let’s get this system reset, shall we?”
She nodded. “I’m sorry I had to drag you over here, especially after saying this morning that I’d leave you alone.”
“It can’t be helped. And I really don’t think we should have to avoid each other.”
“You don’t?”
Ben shook his head. She looked a little too eager for him to be comfortable. “No.” Even as he said it, he knew he wasn’t being entirely honest. They shouldn’t have to avoid each other, but he had a feeling he was going to be avoiding her anyway.