Page 67 of Home to Me

I am thrilled, she insisted to herself.

Yet? A tiny part of her was freaking out a bit.

Commitment. And it was all happening so fast!

She took a deep breath as Ben took a left off of Sunset and the SUV started to climb the hills above Chateau Marmont. She made up her mind to just enjoy this night with him.

Come on—a gorgeous guy taking her to his house and cooking dinner for her? What's not to love about that?

When they pulled into Ben's driveway, he moved around to open her door for her, helping her to step carefully down.

“Watch the pavement. It’s a little uneven,” he warned. “The streets up here are so twisty and steep and settling that it's hard to keep things perfectly smooth. I don't want you to twist your ankle.”

Lauren smiled her thanks then chuckled, “Yeah, that would be really great for shooting tomorrow, wouldn't it? You striding confidently through frame and me hobbling after you as fast as I can on crutches.”

Ben shook his head. “Nah, that would never happen. I'd carry you.”

Lauren felt warmth lighting her up from within.

As they walked inside, Lauren was surprised and impressed. “Wow! This place is amazing!” she gushed.

“You don't need to sound so surprised,” he teased, walking with her and watching her reactions as she wandered around the spacious, contemporary rooms.

“You must’ve gutted the place when you bought it...or a previous owner did it,” she observed, “There's no other way you would’ve achieved this open floor plan.”

“Guilty as charged,” he admitted.

“I love it,” she said. “It's contemporary without being cold. To be honest, I think I was expecting a bachelor pad. You know, cardboard cutouts of beer models and a foosball table.”

“Lauren,” he said, feigning shock, “it's like we've never even met.”

“I know,” she laughed. “What was I thinking? You dress better than any gay man I've ever known.”

Ben chuckled. “Yeah, I'd tell you that's the best compliment anyone's ever given me, but I'd be lying if I pretended you were the first person who's ever told me that.”

“Not surprised.”

“So how about steaks for dinner? Does that sound good?”

Lauren's stomach growled in response.

Ben said, “I'll take that as a yes.”

“Oh, God. How embarrassing. I just realized though—I haven't eaten a thing all day.”

“I'd better get started, then. You go ahead and keep looking around if you like.”

Lauren looked torn. “If you need any help...” she offered halfheartedly.

Ben laughed. “Not at all. I'm an agent, too. I recognize a case of real estate lust when I see it. You're dying to explore my square footage, woman. Admit it.”

“All right, I’ve been caught,” Lauren said, laughing. “I admit it. I get inside a new house and all I can think about is going through every room and calculating the resale value. Is that an occupational hazard or is it an inherent trait that made me want to become an agent?”

Ben shook his head. “It's the classic chicken or the egg. Well, explore away, baby. My home is your castle.”

As Lauren slowly made her way through Ben's home, her attention was gradually turned from the impressive modern remodel and the expansive city views, to the wealth of photos of his mother and sister he had displayed artfully throughout the house.

With Ben's exquisite taste, his walls were certainly never going to resemble a suburban mom's refrigerator door with snapshots slapped up willy-nilly, creating unintentional collages by virtue of their very number. That wasn't his style. No, these were carefully selected, artful shots that represented all of the eras of his family, even including some photos of his mom as a young woman.

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