Chapter 41 Sarah
SARAH
‘Thanks,’ I said, my cheeks heating at Ben’s compliment.
I was happy with how I looked today. Debbie decided against having bridesmaids. Probably because she knew it’d get messy if Esme and I had to spend time together. That meant I’d been able to choose my own outfit and as hard as it was to toot my own horn, I thought I’d scrubbed up well.
But hearing Ben say that I looked like a vision did all sorts of crazy stuff to my body.
My pulse raced, my heart thudded and my pussy tingled.
God. If I didn’t spend an hour and a half getting ready and didn’t have my brother’s wedding to go to, I swear I’d ask Ben to fuck me, right here, right now. To hell with the consequences.
I didn’t even have the words to describe how incredible Ben looked.
He was wearing a light blue linen suit with a white open-neck shirt. His hair was still damp from the shower, so it was wavy on top, and those eyes… that mouth and now his dimple was showing.
Lord have mercy.
I couldn’t take it.
It should be illegal for any man to look this good.
‘You look…’ I paused, searching for an adjective that wouldn’t reveal how much I wanted him right now.
‘Is the suit too casual?’ he asked. ‘I have another pair of trousers I can…’
‘No, Ben. You don’t need to change. You look hot, okay?’ I blew out a frustrated breath. I couldn’t hide it anymore. ‘If you looked any hotter, you’d set the hotel on fire and then they’d have to cancel the wedding, which my brother would not be happy about!’
A satisfied grin spread across his face.
‘Thanks. I appreciate that. But if anyone will be setting fires with their hotness, it’ll be you.’
OMG.
Ben likes me.
I wasn’t the best at reading the signs, but as he scanned me from head to toe, then back up again, I knew he was undressing me with his eyes.
And when I started doing the same to him and my gaze stopped between his legs, I saw the outline of his dick.
He was hard.
Ben wanted me just as much as I wanted him.
Fuck.
Our eyes locked and electricity crackled through the air.
I bit my lip as I seriously contemplated whether or not we had time to shag and get this sexual tension out of our systems.
The way I was feeling about him right now, he’d only have to touch me once and I’d come on the spot, I was sure of it.
Usually I liked sex to last, but I’d be happy even if it was over in a few minutes. I just needed to feel him inside me. I wanted to taste him, I wanted to…
‘Sarah?’ I heard a knock at the door and almost jumped out of my skin. ‘You in there? The wedding’s starting in twenty minutes. We need to take our seats.’
‘Shit,’ I mumbled. ‘That’s my mum. We should go.’
‘Sure,’ Ben said as we stepped out of the room.
The wedding was gorgeous. If I was ever lucky enough to get hitched, that was exactly how I wanted to do it. Something fairly low-key.
Adrian and Debbie had got married on the beach in front of a gorgeous flower arch with guests seated on wooden benches lined with colourful cushions and decorated with flowers.
There were round tables laid out on the beach with white tablecloths and gold plates and cutlery. After the speeches, we’d all tucked into a delicious three-course meal whilst the DJ played soft music in the background.
Once we’d eaten, the mingling continued.
Ben, of course, was brilliant. Although we’d seen Trent and Esme from a distance (as predicted, she’d worn a white dress—what a cow), thankfully we’d managed to successfully avoid speaking to them.
And Ben had got on so well with Adrian and Debbie that they’d even invited him to be in some of the family photos.
At first, it was kind of awkward because Ben and I knew it wasn’t real. But then I’d encouraged it because although I knew nothing romantic would ever happen between us, I now considered Ben a real friend.
Yeah, we’d only known each other for around five weeks, but we’d already spent a lot of time together.
And most importantly, he’d shown up for me.
He’d proved himself to be a true friend through his actions.
So whatever happened, wherever he moved to next, I knew that I’d always look back on those photos fondly and remember how he’d helped me out.
‘I’m going to the loo,’ I said. ‘You gonna be okay on your own?’
‘Sure. Everyone already feels like family. I’ll be fine.’
‘Great. I’ll grab you a beer on the way back.’
As I headed to the ladies’, my shoulders relaxed. We’d really pulled this off. And most importantly, we’d done it without stuff getting complicated.
I’d been thinking about it and actually, as much as I’d wanted him earlier, it was good that we got interrupted and nothing happened between us. It’d get too messy. I was still on probation and I didn’t want to throw away my dream career, just for a two-minute fuck.
It didn’t matter how gorgeous Ben was, it wasn’t worth the risk. We were much better off as friends.
We’d managed to achieve our objectives without crossing any lines. No kissing, no complications.
Tomorrow we’d be able to fly to England, then go back to work on Monday without any awkwardness. It was perfect.
One more night and we’d be home free.
Easy-peasy.