Page 109 of Stick Side
“Where would you like to eat?” Ben asked as his thumb gently swept her jawline. “Dining room? Entertainment room? Solarium?”
“Ohhh. I would love to check out the solarium if there’s a good spot to eat in there,” she answered, extra eager to see that part of the house.
“There is,” Ben confirmed, moving to one of his cabinets and pulling down two vessels that were neither plate nor bowl, but somehow both. He deposited them on the island before grabbing a selection of flatware.
They made quick work of plating up their food—roasted chicken, baked sweet potatoes, and a braised red cabbage & apple dish—before Ben led the way into the solarium.
“It’s gorgeous in here,” Melody praised as she took a seat at the table.
The solarium wasn’t huge, but it was big enough to house a four-person table, a comfortable-looking couch, a coffee table, and at least a dozen plants in a variety of sizes. The floor-to-ceiling glass panels also revealed a beautifully landscaped backyard illuminated by outdoor light features.
“It’s probably my favorite room in the house,” Ben revealed.
Melody could sense his pride of ownership as his eyes swept over the room before he picked up his knife and fork and tucked into the meal she’d prepared.
Ben moaned audibly as he chewed his food. “Honestly, if I didn’t know any better, I might wonder what sort of chemical flavor enhancers you were spiking your food with to make it taste so good,” he said before loading his fork with another bite.
Melody felt a rush of warmth at his praise. She hadn’t made them dinner in order to receive it, but it still felt good when it came. “Honestly,” she explained, “it’s just fresh, whole food ingredients, prepared with time and some consideration of their unique flavor profiles.”
“And spices,” she thought to add. “Herbs and spices are our friends. They’re often what add that extra something.”
Ben leaned back in his chair as if he had all the time in the world. “I could get used to nights like this, you know.” As he spoke, his warm, hazel eyes caressed hers from across the table. “Good food. Good company. Time to sit back and enjoy the moment. I don’t think life gets much better than this.”
“The light pollution makes it hard to see the stars, even on a good night,” he continued, “but this room still makes me feel closer to nature, which is something I often find myself craving after growing up on the farm.”
Melody canted her head in thought. “With your background, I imagine you might find even more comfort in nature than the average person,” she observed. “Spend enough time in nature and I could see how it would become part of the fabric of our very being.”
Ben smiled in a way that made her suspect she’d done a good job of describing his feelings on the matter.
“Oh,” Ben voiced, as if only now remembering a key detail. “I forgot to mention it, but you’ll find a fresh box of organic dark chocolate in the kitchen pantry with your name on it. You know, so that life can really be as good as it gets,” Ben teased with a flirty wink.
Melody couldn’t help but trill with happy laughter. “That does make life better. Thank you.”
“A full box, though?” she teased. “Even I can’t get through that in a day. I guess that means you’re thinking I might be back more than once or twice?”
Ben captured her gaze and answered with what she couldn’t help but feel was utmost sincerity. “It does,” he said simply. “I’m hoping you’ll be here a lot.”
She was just rising out of her seat to convey her appreciation with a kiss when her phone started beeping with incoming text messages.
“Oh jeez. Sorry about that,” Melody said as she reached into her pocket with every intention of silencing her phone.
She winced when more texts came in.
“Wow,” Ben said, “you might want to check that. By the sounds of it, it would seem someone is very eager to get in touch with you.”
“I’ll just make sure it’s nothing serious,” Melody explained as she pulled out her phone and glanced down at the screen.
Ben must have seen something in her expression because she could hear the concern in his voice when he asked, “Is everything okay?”
She could feel her brows pulling into a thoughtful frown. “I think so,” she said slowly. “It’s Nolan.”
“Nolan?” Ben asked, clearly not recognizing the name.
“Nolan Rogers,” she explained. “Captain Thom’s grandson.”
Ben furrowed his brows. “I don’t know how I feel about Captain Thom giving your number out to some strange man,” he admitted. “Even if he is his grandson.”
Melody hesitated for only the barest of seconds before answering. “He didn’t,” she said. “I don’t actually think Captain Thom has my personal number.”
