Page 14 of Falling for the Forbidden
I’ve no idea how much time’s passed when I eventually stand in front of the mirror and remove what’s left of today’s make-up. My usually light blue eyes seem to have much more grey in them as I stare at myself. I might be trying to put Ben and this thing between us to the back of my mind, but I’d be kidding myself if I thought I was being successful.
I’m lost in my own head as I walk from the ensuite wrapped in only a towel. I’m not expecting to have company, so a little squeal passes my lips when I find Ben sat on the edge of my bed, waiting for me. His hair’s still damp from his own shower and he’s wearing a dark pair of slim-fit jeans with a white t-shirt that looks like it’s been painted on his skin.
I freeze just inside the room and my stomach knots. His eyes widen and I watch them darken as he runs them leisurely around my almost bare, and still slightly wet, body.
“Well, my day’s sure looking up.”
Pulling the towel around me tighter, I walk over to my dresser.
“What’s up?”
“Plenty,” he says after clearing his throat. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Yeah, I’m good. Why?” I can only assume he’s asking about what happened last night.
“No reason.” He’s lying. I can see it in his eyes. “You hungry?”
“I am.”
“Have dinner with me?”
“Uh…sure. Can you cook?”
“I wasn’t thinking of that kind of dinner.” I swear I see a little colour rise to his cheeks, but I must be mistaken because there’s no way the brooding, cocky man stood in front of me gets embarrassed. Ever.
“You mean, go out?”Like a date?I want to ask, but I manage to keep the question in. I could be interpreting this so incredibly wrong, which would mean asking my stepbrother if he wants to take me out on a date is a very bad idea.
“Yeah. As much as I hate to suggest it, get dressed and we’ll go.” His eyes run the length of me once again and tingles follow their movement around my body. Biting down on my bottom lip, I refrain from suggesting getting takeout and not leaving this room. There’s no way I should be having these thoughts, and he definitely shouldn’t be looking at me like he is right now.
I start to think he’s not going to leave, but after another lap around my body, he gets himself up and walks to the door. “I’ll wait in the car,” he says over his shoulder before pulling it closed behind him.
* * *
“What waswrong with waiting in the house?” I ask when I fall down onto his passenger seat a little over thirty minutes later. I tried to be as fast as I could, but there was no way I was going out with him looking like he does, and me with wet hair and no make-up.
“You’ve probably noticed that it isn’t my favourite place to be,” he says, casting a glance towards the mini-mansion we both call home before looking over at me. “And your dad’s d—Whoa.” His lips curl up in sexy smile and his eyes darken as he takes me in.
I had no idea where we were going, and I wasn’t given a lot of time to make a decision about what to wear. In the end, I slid my favourite white skirt up my legs, teamed it with a black and white striped vest and a pair of wedges. My blonde hair is loosely hanging around my shoulders and my make-up is light. I thought I looked okay when I gave myself a once-over in the mirror before I left the room, but seeing the look on Ben’s face makes me feel like a million dollars.
“You look…” He trails off and I watch the muscles in his neck ripple as he swallows. “Incredible.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, suddenly feeling nervous about our impending evening together. When his eyes come back up to mine, something sparks between us and my skin tingles with awareness.
“I shouldn’t be doing this,” he says, but it seems to be more to himself than me.
“We’re just going for dinner.”
His dark stare turns my way, and a shiver runs down my spine. “Just dinner,” he repeats. “But what about all the other things I want to do?”
My mouth waters as thoughts of what he could be suggesting run through my head.
“Shit.” His sudden outburst has me flinching before I reach for the seatbelt and strap myself in as Ben slams his foot to the floor and speeds away from the house.
“What the hell was that?” I ask, seeing Dad’s car turn into the driveway after us.
“It’s probably best he doesn’t see us together.”
“What? Why?”
