Page 16 of Home to Me

“You have mustard on your mouth.”

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By the time Lauren and Sam pulled into the parking lot at Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures, Lauren had worked herself up into a self-righteous state of indignation. After they left Two Scoops, they stopped by Sam's house so that she could grab some papers she needed that afternoon, and then Lauren drove her back to Mountain Ridge because she needed to stop by and see Amanda about some investment properties she and Justin were thinking of purchasing.

The entire time that the two of them were in the car, Lauren did nothing but vent to Sam about the nerve of Ben Stevens.

“I mean, the way he just sat there with that self-satisfied little smile as he said”—she lowered her voice to mock his inflection—“‘Oh, and by the way, Lauren, you have mustard on your mouth.’ I mean, come on. That is a perfect example of how he is intentionally trying to get under my skin.”

Sam nodded her head and, although she was more focused on the screen in front of her, dryly intoned, “Yep.”

Lauren looked over at Sam as they pulled into their parking space. She still hadn't raised her head from her phone.

“Okay, Sam, we're here now. You can actually go flirt with him in person,” Lauren said, amusement tingeing her voice.

Sam looked up, as if from a trance, and saw where they were. “Oh, good!”

Lauren smiled. “Glad someone's happy.”

“Come on, Lauren,” Sam laughed. “You know you like Ben. I may not have a ton of experience with relationships, but even I could see that. Back there, all of that was foreplay. ”

Lauren crinkled her forehead. “No, it wasn’t. And I don’t like him. Ben drives me crazy.”

Sam shrugged. “There's a thin line between love and hate.”

“Well, that's a line that I definitely won't be crossing,” Lauren stated firmly.

Sam grinned broadly. “We'll see,” she said airily.

“We sure will,” Lauren said resolutely and with conviction.

As they got out of the car, Lauren was supremely annoyed to see that, a mere two cars over from the space where she and Sam parked, Ben was climbing out of his rental car.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

He spotted them over the tops of the vehicles that lay between them and smiled broadly just as Sam was hugging Lauren goodbye before she quickly strode off towards her office.

“I just can't shake you today,” he teased. “Tell the truth now. Are you following me, Lauren?”

Lauren's arched eyebrow reflected the coldness in her voice as she replied, “Hardly.”

“I don't know,” Ben persisted in his lighthearted banter. “It kind of seems like you are. Although, it's not like I could blame you. You wouldn't be the first woman to be so overwhelmed by my charms that you couldn't get enough.”

Although she was usually too reserved for such displays outside the company of the Fabulous Four, Lauren couldn't help herself—she rolled her eyes. Instead of doing what she knew she should do with this kind of foolishness, which was simply to ignore it and refuse to engage, she responded, “It would be somewhat difficult for me to be following you, considering that, at both places we've seen each other today, I arrived first. The more likely scenario is that you're following me,” she finished flatly.

“Oh, now why would I be doing that?” he continued in the same playful tone. “That would take all the fun out of wondering when and if I might randomly run into you and hoping that it would be soon.”

Lauren's eyes widened slightly. Beneath the light tone, she recognized the ring of sincerity. Was this true? Was he actually hoping that he might run into her?

Lauren knew logically that it was probably just a line. He was a charmer. A professional salesman and celebrity. There wasn’t a less sincere combination unless politician was added to that equation. Yet, somehow, for the first time in her life, her brain wasn’t running things. Her heart and hormones were definitely staging a mutiny.

“Oh, I...” she trailed off, feeling totally and completely off-balance, and then finished lamely with, “That's nice.”

Ben smiled a small, sweet, seductive smile. “It is nice,” he confirmed. “Seeing you is really nice.”

Ben's soft and flirtatious words put Lauren off her game more than any amount of his taunting or teasing ever could have. Verbal barbs she could handle. She could deflect and return those all day. But sexiness wrapped with sincerity? Coming from this man, the one she was trying to resist being attracted to at every turn? That just about undid her.

Lauren turned and started up towards the offices, deciding that simply leaving the situation was the only way she could gain the upper hand—or even remain steady on her feet for that matter. Her tactic was in vain, however, as Ben merely fell into step behind her.

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