“Best first date ever.” With one last kiss to his cheek, she slapped his ass to move him out the door.

Ben chuckled as he walked out onto the landing. “I’ll call you later, sunshine.”

“Looking forward to it.” Ben looked back to see her leaning against the door with a bright smile on her face, and he marveled once more at the fact that he was the one who had put it there.

Shifting his flannel to cover the front of his pants, he descended the stairs and moved out into the alley, smiling the whole time and on the drive home as he thought about Holly, what they had done together, and what she had told him. The enormity of the love and trust she had shown him wasn’t lost on Ben, but his anxiety was surprisingly quiet. It would always be there in a way, simmering beneath the surface, but it was more manageable now than it ever had been.Love, love, love.The words repeated again, and Ben knew that next time, he’d make sure they made their way to Holly.










CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Holly

Holly walked back intothe bakery from her latest meeting with Mackenzie Morrison with slumped shoulders and aching feet. Hours of walking through the aisles of Crate and Barrel as the bride asked her opinion on everything from dinner forks to bed linens had tested her patience more than she thought possible. Holly could admit she was going a little above and beyond the call of duty for this particular client because of the potential payoff in referrals, but even without all the extra effort she was putting in, helping plan this particular wedding was the very definition of the word challenging. What she needed was a little pick me up in the form of some sugar and a hug. Luckily for her, both were readily available in her family’s bakery.

Holly looked behind the counter and saw both her mother and father restocking cupcakes and cookies, or rather, they were restocking in between flirting and touching one another. She smiled at their affectionate nature and hoped that she and Ben would have that when they were older. Was she getting ahead of herself? Very much so, but Holly couldn’t help it. She loved Ben and she almost admitted as much last weekend when they had come back to her apartment and fooled around on the couch. Sex has been reserved for a man she had deep, lasting feelings for, and Ben was that man. Waiting had been hard, but so worth it because it was phenomenal, and she knew that was because of how much she cared for and trusted Ben. It certainly didn’t hurt that he was gorgeous, had a great body, and clearly knew how to use it, but all that wouldn’t have mattered if she hadn’t been comfortable enough with him to let go of her own inhibitions.

Holly had also let go of them enough to admit her lack of experience to him. She’d been so afraid that he would freak out and run in the opposite direction, but he thanked her for her bravery, cuddled with her, and called her that night to talk some more about how much her trust meant to him. It went much better than she had expected and she couldn’t wait to go even further the next time they were together. The thought of being with Ben brought a smile and blush to her cheeks, and her mom clocked it within seconds.

“Someone’s having a very good day.” Holly’s mom drew her into a hug. Thinking of Ben had lightened her mood, but the warm embrace from her mom helped alleviate her stress almost entirely. “It makes me feel good to see you like this, sweetie.”

“Like what?” Holly asked, playing dumb. Her parents knew that she was casually seeing someone, but didn’t have many details beyond that.

“Smitten,” her mom said with a big smile. “I haven’t met this boy yet, but you keep him because you have never looked more joyful.”

Ben was definitely not a boy, he was all man, but Holly kept that thought to herself. “He is pretty great,” she admitted sheepishly.

“He better be.” Her father’s voice boomed from the doorway to the back as he brought out a tray filled with cranberry orange muffins. “No daughter of mine is going to date anyone that is less than perfect.”

Her mom slapped her dad’s arm with a chuckle. “Like you were perfect before I got my hands on you.”

“You loved me just as I was.” Grabbing his wife, he dipped her backward and planted a loud kiss on her lips.

Holly chuckled and shook her head. Yup, she definitely hoped she and Ben could keep the love alive like her parents had after all these years. Her mom and dad were still kissing, and when a couple of their regulars started to clap and whistle, Holly finally reached over the counter to break them apart. “Okay, guys. That’s enough of that. We don’t want to scare off the customers.”

“They love it,” her dad said to her mom with a cheeky grin and a wink.

Holly laughed at their antics and was about to snag a cookie for the sugar rush she’d been after, but the bell above the door to the bakery ringing drew her attention away. Peering over her shoulder, she nearly squealed with excitement as she watched Ben stride into the bakery. He looked as good as ever in light jeans and a tan sweater, a messenger bag slung over one arm, but it was the determined look on his face that drew her in. When he finally spotted her turning toward him, his eyes lit up and his mouth pulled into a wide smile.