Page 34 of Hush

She punched him again. “Of course you do,” she said, smiling.

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you enjoyed yourself,” he teased.

Elise felt a warm flush creep up her neck. “So I did,” she replied, settling into his arms. He caressed her back for a while. Elise blinked at the snowflakes falling outside his window, savoring his warmth just a little longer. Finally, Ben slid from under her, then reached for her hand.

Chapter 14

Ben

After driving the snowy streets to downtown, Ben circled the block for a parking spot. As a recent transplant from a sunnier climate, he was still getting used to winter driving conditions. That and not driving like a bat out of hell like everyone does in California. Traffic jams in Walla Walla were rare. When they happened, they were usually caused by livestock crossing the roads or too many grape harvest trucks clogging the intersections.

He tried to shift his mind to his date with Ashley, but it was stubbornly replaying Elise’s naked body arched against his hips on an endless loop. Ben groaned as he remembered her soft thighs in his hands while his mouth licked her delicious folds. The way she opened herself to him made ithot. It was like he was watching her discover a part of herself she didn’t know existed. He grinned, thinking of himself as her guide. Oh, did he have plans for her.

A parking spot opened as he turned the corner, and the reality of his imminent meeting with Ashley sharpened. After squeezing his Audi into the space, Ben caught his blanched reflection in the rearview mirror. Hastily, he stepped onto the street and set off, slipping a little in his loafers.

What could Ashley want? He had no illusions she might actually be able to spend an evening simply catching up. The thought had occurred to him that she might not actually show—just like she had so many times. When they had been together, he excused her easily—such was her hold on him. After everything fell apart, he had realized it was just one of the many ways she had manipulated him.

The main streetlights lit the snowy sidewalks with a bright glow, blocking out the heavy, gray sky above. Cars lumbered past, some with chains humming on their tires. Ben passed the movie theater, a drug store, and a shoe store showing snow boots and a sled in the window. Several people shuffled past with shopping bags on their arms, reminding Ben that he needed to tackle his own list. Gifts for his parents who had moved back to Ohio when he started college, gifts for his staff. A grin spread across his lips when he thought of buying gifts for Elise and Jaden. What would they like? He already pictured all the toys Jaden would go nuts for…and Elise? Well, he would enjoy thinking aboutthat.

Though not for the next several hours, he told himself as he pushed through the door of the restaurant.

Inside, the space felt warm, and a rich, yeasty scent wafted past his nostrils. He approached the hostess stand, then scanned the tables for Ashley’s thick blonde bob and deceptive eyes. Not seeing her, he made his way to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic. He recognized a few faces, probably from around town or the gym, but, thankfully, none of his patients or staff. One sip into his drink, he felt a hand on his shoulder that made him start.

“Goodness, did I scare you?” Ashley said, her voice one notch too loud.

Ben gritted his teeth.Yes, he wanted to say. “Fashionably late as usual?” he said instead.

She puffed out her lower lip in a pout. “All this snow. I’m not used to it.”

“How’s the skiing?” he asked, watching her flag down the bartender. Her blonde hair shone in the bar’s fancy lighting, the curled edge slipping over her shoulder. A mauvy shade of pink adorned her lips, and the thick mascara framing her sharp blue eyes made her stand out in this mostly casual space.

Ashley ordered a lemon drop and untied the sash of her long winter coat, the hood lined with gray faux fur. Ben offered no assistance.

“It’s harder than it looks,” Ashley replied with a shrug of her lips. “But I persevered.”

“I’m sure you did,” Ben replied, sipping his drink.

Ashley’s drink arrived and she brought it to her lips, sipping it daintily. But Ben knew Ashley had a special knack for holding her liquor. In fact, Ashley’s ability to hold onto everything—to be in total control—was almost otherworldly.

“Tell me why you decided to come all the way out here to learn to cross-country ski.”

She raised an eyebrow. “It’s the best skiing in the state.”

“Surely there are areas closer to Seattle?” he asked. Ashley had secured the one and only orthopedic surgeon position at the University of Washington Medical Center, Ben’s first choice before Ashley took it away.

“Not like this,” she said. “And my friend has a cabin here.”

How had he missed it? “Ah,” Ben said, putting it together. “Let me guess, this ‘friend’ is a fellow surgeon? Someone who can help you climb the ranks?”

Her eyes flashed with a warning. “Don’t go making accusations you can’t prove.”

Just like before. Ben set his drink down a little too forcefully on the bar and it made a sharpsmackon the shiny wood surface.

A young woman stepped close to them. “Your table is ready,” she said. Ben took his drink and followed the hostess to a table by the window, leaving Ashley to fend for herself.

Once they were settled, Ashley opened her menu. Ben snuck a peek at her, noticing her white blouse unbuttoned to just above her cleavage and her long fingers. She always complained about having to keep her nails short for her work, but, tonight, they were painted a shade of pink that matched her lips.

It was easy to see why he had fallen for her, and, if he didn’t hate her now, he would enjoy being in the company of someone so attractive. He’d noticed the way she’d turned several heads on the way to the table. Ashley certainly noticed it, too. But the only reason he was even here with her was that she held his future in her hands. There was no other way but to meet her and find out what she wanted.

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