Page 23 of Cups of You

Benjamin huffed out a breath as he eased the car to a stop. “Yeah, thanks. Try not to drink too much of that bottle.”

“I will do no such thing. This bottle is my only love tonight and our affair will run its course.”

Benjamin shook his head amused as always at his brother’s antics. He gathered the muffins from the back seat and walked up to the door. Each step forward had his heart thumping harder, but he pushed through even managing to paste a normal feeling smile on his face.

The door opened and once again Amber stood there in front of him. In the waning light of the sun, she looked soft in her oversized sweater and leggings. Her thick hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders like a pillow soft halo around her face. Brown eyes widened as they fell on the containers in his hands.

“Holy shit, Ben. I thought we would be tasting one or two muffins not going into a sugar coma.”

Right on time, Benjamin felt his cheeks heat, but he pushed through determined not to sound like a bumbling fool for once.

“Well, I figure muffins are kind of like chips. You can’t stop at just one.” Amber raised an eyebrow in response, but she stepped back letting him in the house. “It smells amazing in here.”

The faint scent of food curled around him growing thicker and headier as he moved towards the kitchen.

“Thank you. I don’t cook often, or at least, I didn’t in Chicago. I never had much time, so I ended up ordering out most days. It’s been nice to be able to pick it back up.” Amber waved him into the kitchen and followed. “Hopefully, it all tastes as good as it smells.”

“I’m sure it will,” Benjamin insisted.

Jackie was already seated at the round wooden dining table she and Benjamin had eaten at together more than once. Her kitchen was filled with small knickknacks that reminded him of the ones his mother and grandmother often collected.

When his focus fell on the table itself, he widened his eyes at the amount of food prepared. “Seems I’m not the only one who overdid it.”

“I got a bit carried away.”

“You should have seen her, Bennie. If not for her cussin up a storm, I would have offered to help,” Jackie said gesturing at the table.

“You didn’t have to make so much just for me.”

“Well, good thing I didn’t make it for you.” Benjamin saw Amber scowl as she walked to the table. He put the muffins on the bar counter chastised by her response to his assumption.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you made food just for me.”

“Oh poo,” Jackie replied. “She definitely didn’t make this for me. We’ve been eating sandwiches for two days.”

“Auntie!”

“It’s okay Ms. Jay. I shouldn’t have assumed.” He sat down beside her and startled slightly when he realized that put him right across the table from Amber. It was going to be hard not to stare at her especially when he wasn’t busy with things he had to do.

“Jesus,” Amber huffed out when she sat down. “You and the fucking puppy eyes.”

“Amber!”

Benjamin blinked slowly as he tried to keep up. His eyes had never been compared to a dog’s before. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that, so he went with his default. “Sorry?”

That didn’t seem to be the right answer because Amber’s scowl deepened. “Ugh. Always so damn polite.” At Ms. Jay’s hiss, she pushed back. “What? He is.”

“That’s because he has manners, unlike some people.”

“No one is that damn nice auntie.”

“Well clearly at least one person is.”

Benjamin was getting whiplash from trying to keep up with the two of them. It was hard to figure out where to jump in, but he knew he needed to say something. “Are we still talking about me?”

Brown eyes pinned him in his chair and Benjamin wasn’t sure if it was fear he was feeling or excitement at having Amber’s whole attention. Her intensity was sometimes overwhelming though he was quickly finding he enjoyed it. He never thought that he had an addictive personality, but the sensations that washed over him in Amber’s presence were growing more enticing with each interaction.

“Seriously?”

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