Chapter 53
Melody
Melody gazed out the window as her taxi sped through Lakeview toward Ben’s home in Lincoln Park.
When she moved to Chicago last year, she didn’t even bother looking at real estate in Lincoln Park.
It was a picturesque neighborhood that appealed to her nature-loving heart with its manicured gardens, hidden lily pond, historic indoor botanical garden, and tons of lakefront green space, but it was far beyond her price range.
She did well for herself professionally, but she was no millionaire.
And one would have to be to live in this neighborhood.
It sure was a lovely area to come visit, though.
And, thanks to the speed and efficiency of the “L,” she was able to make it across town from her Wicker Park home in record time.
It was only on occasions like this, when she had a bunch of things to carry, that she opted to hail a cab rather than ride the rails.
In what felt like no time at all, the taxi was pulling up outside the grand edifice that Ben called home.
She didn’t know enough about architecture to say much about its design beyond the fact it stood out among its neighbors on account of the ivy-covered trellis climbing its gray stone facade.
There also appeared to be a solarium poking out from the back of the house, which wasn’t a feature she’d seen in many Chicago homes.
Ben’s home was a stately corner lot house, but there was a cozy quality to it that mitigated its grandeur. Maybe Ben’s hints about marriage were starting to sink in because Melody couldn’t help but think it looked like the type of place a family might live.
Initial inspection done, Melody unbuckled her seatbelt and paid her fare before collecting her things and thanking the driver.
She took in more subtle details about Ben’s home as she walked up the front path.
Natural stone pavers added beauty and character to the already stunning home.
The potted plants flanking the front steps enhanced the overall appeal.
Either Ben had employed a top-notch landscaping company, or he was one heck of a landscape gardener himself.
When Melody reached his front door, she needed to shift the bags she was carrying in order to ring the doorbell.
Ben didn’t keep her waiting. She’d barely pulled her hand back before the door was opened to reveal an image she knew she would never tire of.
If his damp hair was any indication, Ben was fresh out of the shower and clad in a yummy form-fitting shirt and the type of athletic pants she thought more suitable for lounging than actual athletics.
It was the perfect outfit for a comfortable night in, which was exactly what they were planning.
“Hi, beautiful,” Ben greeted in that heart-stopping voice of his. Or maybe she should call it a heart-accelerating voice since everything about him—his voice, his touch, his taste, his smell, and the way he looked at her with such undisguised yearning—sent her pulses racing.
“Hi,” Melody returned simply, a contented smile on her lips.
“Can I offer you a hand with those?” Ben asked, indicating the bags she was carrying.
“That would be great. Thank you,” she said as she walked through the door he was holding open for her before handing over the bags gratefully.
Not wanting to let the heat out, she quickly pulled the door closed behind her.
Before Ben had to ask, she enlightened him as to their contents. “I made us dinner,” she explained.
Ben’s eyes widened in surprise before a happy, grateful smile played at his lips and the corners of his eyes. “You didn’t have to do that, sweetheart. I figured we could just order some takeout.”
“We could have,” she acknowledged, “but I thought you might enjoy a home-cooked meal. I know the team caters a lot of food, but I don’t imagine it’s easy to eat the way you might prefer to while traveling.”
Ben pressed a soft kiss onto her lips. She reveled in their gentle pressure.
“You’re too good to me,” he said against her lips.
Melody thought back to the many kindnesses Ben had already lavished upon her over the past couple of months.
The thoughtful lunch he dropped off at The Winchester from Epi-cure-ian Foods.
The special dinner he’d planned for them at Le Délice Parisien with Chef Henri.
The daily check-ins. She could practically feel her heart expanding as she thought about all the ways, big and small, that he had already demonstrated he cared for her.
“I would like to think we’re good to each other,” she said as she snuggled into him as best she could while he was holding bags of food in his hands.
Ben juggled the bags around until he had a free arm to wrap around her shoulders. He pulled her in toward his chest before leaning down to kiss her temple. “That we are, sweetheart,” he stated simply.
Ben drew back and redistributed the bags between his hands. “Let’s get these into the kitchen, shall we?”
Melody slid off her shoes and shrugged off her coat before placing it on one of the hooks by the front door. “Lead the way,” she said with enthusiasm.
Ben led her down the hallway and into the kitchen.
They passed the living room on the left and the dining room on the right.
The space was sparsely furnished with only a few key pieces in each room, leaving her with the impression he had yet to find the time to fully make the house his own.
No great surprise there. He’d barely been in Chicago for a few months and his travel schedule was ridiculous.
Unless he wanted to hire a team of professional designers—and she rather suspected he wouldn’t—it was going to take some time to really settle in.
Still, there was no doubt the bones of the house were gorgeous.
“Your home is lovely,” she observed, putting her thoughts to words.
“Thank you,” Ben responded warmly.
“I haven’t really had a chance to decorate,” he added, confirming her suspicions, “but I fell in love with the house when I saw the listing.”
“Were you able to see it before you put in an offer?” she asked with curiosity. Events happened so quickly in the world of professional sports that such things weren’t always possible.
She was actually surprised he’d managed to land a house. Most guys stayed in hotels for the first few weeks to months. If not that, then a furnished short-term rental of some description.
Ben’s ears visibly pinkened. “I wasn’t, actually,” he admitted with a little bit of sheepishness coloring his tone. He paused briefly before admitting, “I asked my parents if they could come over and check it out for me in person. We FaceTimed as they walked around.”
Melody quirked a thoughtful brow. “Are you embarrassed that you asked your parents to help you buy a house?”
He laughed softly. “A little?”
Ben deposited the bags on his kitchen island before coming back to her and taking her hands in his. “I guess I don’t want you thinking of me as some mama’s boy.”
Melody was surprised. That was so far from how she saw him that it was laughable.
Because she could, Melody traced reverent hands up his chest, enjoying the prominent outline of his sculpted muscles.
“I actually think it’s sweet that you have such a great relationship with your parents.
” She gave her lower lip a gentle chew before adding, “Sexy, even.”
“Is that right?” Ben asked as he sought her eyes with his and traced delicious lines up and down her bare arms with his fingertips.
As so often seemed to be the case with her when in Ben’s presence, her smile couldn’t be held back. “It is,” she replied impishly. “I think it says a lot about a man when he has such a good relationship with his parents.”
Melody lifted herself up onto her tiptoes and laid another kiss on Ben’s lips.
He’d only been gone for a few short days, but it wasn’t the same as having him in front of her.
They’d texted often, but there was a delicious intimacy that could only be found in real-life interactions, and she’d missed it.
After treating her lips to everything they’d been missing over the past week, Ben drew back slowly and ran his fingers along the side of her face in that romantic way even the best authors struggled to fully describe.
“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you,” he said with a delicate sweep of his fingertips along her cheekbone, “but I’m infinitely grateful for whatever it was.”
Melody heaved a contented sigh. “I was thinking much the same thing about you,” she admitted.
“Where would you like to eat?” Ben asked as his thumb gently swept her jawline. “Dining room? Entertainment room? Solarium?”
“Ohhh. I would love to check out the solarium if there’s a good spot to eat in there,” she answered, extra eager to see that part of the house.
“There is,” Ben confirmed, moving to one of his cabinets and pulling down two vessels that were neither plate nor bowl, but somehow both. He deposited them on the island before grabbing a selection of flatware.
They made quick work of plating up their food—roasted chicken, baked sweet potatoes, and a braised red cabbage & apple dish—before Ben led the way into the solarium.
“It’s gorgeous in here,” Melody praised as she took a seat at the table.
The solarium wasn’t huge, but it was big enough to house a four-person table, a comfortable-looking couch, a coffee table, and at least a dozen plants in a variety of sizes. The floor-to-ceiling glass panels also revealed a beautifully landscaped backyard illuminated by outdoor light features.
“It’s probably my favorite room in the house,” Ben revealed.
Melody could sense his pride of ownership as his eyes swept over the room before he picked up his knife and fork and tucked into the meal she’d prepared.