Page 22 of Planning on Happily Ever After

As his eyes traveled across the screen, Ben’s breath caught in his throat, his eyes welling up slightly. No one had ever said anything like that to him, for all he knew, no one had ever eventhoughtthat about him. That she saw something in him that no one else had, thathenever had was frightening, but it was also wonderful. What else did she see? What else was he capable of?

Holly: Was that too much?

Ben blinked away the moisture in his eyes and rewarded her bravery with a little of his own.

Ben: It was the perfect amount, and I feel the same way.

By no means did Ben think he was as eloquent as Holly or that his words would affect her nearly as much as it had him, but the fact that he’d been so completely honest meant a lot, and he had the feeling Holly already knew that.

Holly: Thank you for that. Goodnight, Ben.

Ben: Sweet dreams, Holly.

The phone stayed in his hand like a comfort item as he scrolled up and down, reading their conversation repeatedly until his eyes began to droop and he finally fell off into a series of very sweet dreams of his own.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Holly

Holly breezed throughthe crowded streets of downtown Sunset Cove, excitement about seeing Ben propelling her forward as her unfortunate choice of footwear tried to hold her back. The nude, peep toe heels weren’t exactly conducive to speed walking, but they went with her beige jumpsuit so perfectly that she didn’t want to ruin the look she was going for with sneakers. Holly may have also spent a little more time in front of the mirror before she left to meet Ben, but when she had glanced at her reflection and seen how nicely put together she looked, she decided it was worth it. While the weekend meeting was more conducive to a casual look, Holly always liked to look the part of a successful wedding planner, and today was no exception. As comfortable as she was around Ben, she wasn’t quite ready to let him see her in yoga pants and a ratty t-shirt just yet.

After the initial text the night of their food tasting, they’d continued to message one another over the last week. The topics were always light, but it was nice to share her day with someone, and even though they weren’t spilling their deepest, darkest secrets just yet, Holly felt like she was really getting to know him. Anyone who thought Ben was nothing but gruffness and stoicism was missing out on the sweet, caring man beneath all that.

Ben always asked her about her day first and listened intently without trying to offer solutions unless she asked, and he praised her ability to multitask and remain cheerful in the face of her more demanding client. Holly reciprocated, loving the tidbits he would give her about his job and how he had been reticent to socialize with his coworkers in the past, but he had gone to two virtual happy hour gatherings with them and marveled at how he hadn’t offended anyone yet.

The texting was good, but Ben going one step further and calling her one evening before bed had been even better. The low rumbling sounds of his voice was a welcome change from the frenzied speech of her biggest client she’d been exposed to during the day, and eventually the soothing sounds coming from the other end of the phone lulled her into a deep sleep filled with sweet images of her and Ben. Holly had been embarrassed that she’d fallen asleep on him, but the text she saw waiting on her phone the next morning made her feel a million times better.

Ben: Good to know I have the magic touch when it comes to helping you relax. ;)

The words not only erased any shame she felt, but it had her thinking of other ways in which he might have the magic touch. Every night he wished her sweet dreams, and they were, but they often took a steamier turn, and Holly was nervous for the time when things between them became more than hand holding and accidental kisses.

She shook her head as she relived the cringe-worthy moment when she’d gone for Ben’s lips and he had intended to kiss her cheek. Luckily, he hadn’t seemed too bothered by it, and he had actually mentioned looking forward to doing it again. The thought of more kissing was as exhilarating as it was frightening. When Holly had confessed to Ben that she hadn’t made it past date two with anyone, she wasn’t sure whether or not he had read between the lines and figured out she was a virgin.

That would be an interesting conversation if they ever took things that far, but Holly was focusing her energy on their agreement to take things slowly which would give her plenty of time to work up the courage to admit that she was beyond inexperienced when it came to sex. Though she wouldn’t mind having Ben for a training partner. In fact, she had thought about Ben the last few times she had played with her battery-operated boyfriend.

Luckily the cold air and icy wind whipped past her and cooled the flame of desire her thoughts of Ben had lit, but it also had the awful side effect of freezing her skin as she continued toward Giovanni’s. Holly cursed herself for not wearing more than a light blazer, having forgone an overcoat in the name of fashion. She was definitely paying the price for that now, the air coming off the ocean still bitterly cold and causing her to shiver almost violently. Finally, the storefront came into view and Holly practically jogged toward the entrance, eager to both see Ben and defrost her extremities. Throwing open the glass door to the shop, she stepped inside, enjoying the central heating as it pumped through the air, warming her skin as she rubbed her hands together.

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