Page 11 of One Weekend in Perth

Clara turned to face him and found Ben watching her intently, a look she’d never seen before in his eyes. A look she didn’t know how to name because what she wanted to name it, seemed impossible to believe it could be true.

“Clarabelle,” he whispered as his hand cupped her cheek.

He didn’t say anything else, just the silly nickname he’d given her. A nickname she loved coming from him.

Her tongue darted out to moisten her suddenly dry lips, and she didn’t miss the way his gaze tracked the movement. Adrenaline pumped through her with not knowing what was going to happen next.

Did she want Ben to kiss her?

They kissed before and she’d acted like it hadn’t meant anything, but she had a full body tingle the minute his mouth touched hers. At the time, she hadn’t known how Ben felt, so she’d brushed it off as being okay. When he’d done the same, she was glad she hadn’t gushed about how amazing it was, and could they do it again?

Had he been doing the same as her? Giving the impression it meant nothing to him when in fact it meant more? Had she wasted all those years seeking something that made her feel the same way? The search was fruitless because no one got her the way Ben did. It had taken being with John to come to the conclusion that her heart would only belong to one person and that person was unreachable because he was engaged.

Only Ben wasn’t engaged now and he was beside her, his hand still on her cheek.

Did they want the same thing or was he thinking of how he could let her down gently?

Without conscious thought, she swayed toward him, and he did the same. Their gazes zeroed in on each other and her lips parted, waiting for the moment when she would finally kiss Ben again. Finally feel his mouth against hers. Finally be where she was always supposed to be but was too scared to admit to herself.

A loud banging on the door had them springing apart as if they were teenagers whose parents caught them necking.

“Did you order room service?” Ben asked as he stood.

“Nope. Although don’t they usually announce themselves after they knock?” She also stood and wiped her sweaty palms down her pant leg. “I’ll get it.”

It was her room after all, and she needed to get some sort of control over herself, and if answering the knock on her hotel room door helped with that, then that’s what she’d do. Clara was aware of Ben right behind her. She looked through the peephole, something she would’ve done even if Ben wasn’t with her.

Her shoulders relaxed when she saw who stood in the hallway. Somehow she wasn’t surprised that he’d tracked them down. What did surprise her was how long it had taken for him to do it. “It’s Reed,” she announced and opened the door.

Reed worked for a security company and was a former SAS soldier in the Australian Army. He had skills she couldn’t even imagine, so part of her expected him to turn up eventually.

“Reed? What are you doing here?” Ben leaned over her shoulder. All she had to do was turn her head and her lips would brush his cheek.

No, that couldn’t happen, especially not in front of Reed. She went to step back but stopped herself in time. If she moved, she’d find herself flush against Ben’s chest and, while it might be a place she wouldn’t mind being, she had no idea if Ben would appreciate it. Even if it had looked like he wanted to kiss her.

“I figured you might need this.” He held up a black duffel bag.

“Umm, why don’t you come in, Reed?” Ben surrounded her and she wasn’t sure she trusted herself not to do something totally inappropriate.

She heard Ben sigh, but the slight shift in the air around her told her he’d moved. Clara blew out a breath and stepped to the side so that Reed could pass her.

“You doing okay, Ben?” Reed asked as he set the bag on the floor.

“I’ve been better.”

Should she leave so the two of them could talk?

It didn’t matter that it was her hotel room, and if they wanted to talk, they should be the ones to leave, not her. Then again, if Ben needed her, she wanted to be there for him, even during a discussion with his brother.

Clara glanced at Ben; he looked fine, as if he could handle the conversation. It wasn’t as though Reed would chastise his brother for doing what he felt was right. She canted her head toward the door, signally that she’d go if he wanted her too. Ben shook his head—he wanted her to stay.

“What happened?” Clara asked when the silence stretched beyond comfortable. It was a question that Ben should’ve asked, but she wasn’t sure that he could. Or if he wanted to know the fallout. Although Fern’s screeching phone call had said she wasn’t happy about it–which Clara guessed she had a right to be–but it was because of her that Ben walked away.

Reed smiled wryly and clapped his brother on the shoulder. “It was a show, that’s for sure. Fern initially acted the aggrieved, devastated, heart-broken bride that one would expect, but then this burly guy came striding into the ceremony room and claimed her in front of everyone. Her parents could do nothing but stare in disbelief that their daughter had played them.”

“I wonder if this was before or after she called you?” Clara mused, wishing she’d been there to see it all unfold.

“After. When it became clear you were nowhere around, she cornered me, demanding answers. I told her I didn’t know where you were, even though I’d already spoken to Clara and knew you were together. I wasn’t going to tell her because that would’ve made things worse.”

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