Page 47 of Stick Side
“I couldn’t even begin to guess,” Melody admitted, “but I kind of doubt it?”
Ben settled for a shrug and a return of the easy, sexy smile she was becoming so fond of. “As I said before,” he reaffirmed, “you’re perfect. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t think it was true.”
Melody’s lips quirked higher, but she couldn’t help but raise a challenging eyebrow. She could agree that she looked nice, but perfect was mighty high praise. “I’ll just grab a coat then, shall I?”
“I don’t think you’ll need it,” Ben responded, “but it couldn’t hurt. Mine’s in the car.”
Melody pulled her peacoat off a hook by the front door. She shrugged it on before slipping into a pair of cute, but comfortable, ballet flats and bending down to collect her purse.
“All set?” Ben asked.
“All set,” she affirmed as she dug her keys out of her handbag.
She pulled open the front door and gestured for Ben to precede her through the doorway. He stepped back a bit so as not to crowd her while she locked up.
Once her keys were safely back in her purse, he lightly touched her back and guided her to the elevator. She couldn’t seem to help herself from swaying her body ever so slightly into his.
“Let the adventure begin,” Ben proclaimed.
If the rest of the evening was even half as pleasant as the comforting weight of his large hand on the small of her back, she felt confident she was in for one of the best nights she’d had in a long while.
“Let the adventure begin,” she echoed happily.
Chapter 21
Ben
Benhadtoexertconsiderable effort to keep his hands on the steering wheel and his eyes focused on the road as he drove his Lexus through the heavy traffic of downtown Chicago. Despite his determination to maintain his pristine, accident-free driving record, he doubted anything in the world could have deterred him from sneaking the occasional glance at the stunning woman sitting in his passenger seat.
Melody had taken his breath away when she’d opened her door. She was sexy as hell in her stretchy turquoise wrap dress and black leggings, but it was the coy smile and undisguised interest in her eyes that had really done him in. She was seduction and innocence interwoven into an utterly irresistible package.
Every moment he spent with her reinforced his conviction that she was the woman for him. He just had to convince her that he could be as perfect for her as he knew in his bones she was for him.
He squirmed in his seat—he hoped imperceptibly—as they drew closer to their destination. He’d taken care to plan anevening he thought he and Melody would both enjoy, but he wouldn’t sit comfortably—literally or figuratively—until he knew he’d guessed right.
“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me where we’re going?” Melody wheedled. Her voice was playful, and he was pretty sure he heard an undertone of excitement. He certainly hoped she was excited. He knew he was. But then, he would probably be excited about any opportunity to spend time with her.
It had been pure joy to watch Melody’s face open up with uncontrived delight when he’d presented her with the flowers. One would think he’d gifted her with the Hope Diamond with the way her face had lit up. It was incredible to him that such a small thing could bring her so much pleasure.
While he hoped to do better with tonight’s surprise events, he would count himself ahead if he could maintain that level of pleasure over the course of the evening.
“Are you feeling impatient, doctor?” Ben teased as he signaled right and turned onto the street that housed their destination.
“I don’t know,” she said with that shy, alluring smile of hers. “Curious and eager, maybe.”
“I like curious and eager,” Ben noted. Without taking his eyes off the road, he reached his hand over top of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze before returning it to the wheel and turning into a nearly empty parking lot.
“And here we are, my curious one,” he revealed as he parked the car.
Melody unfastened her seatbelt and leaned forward to read the signage in front of her. “Le Délice Parisien,” she read.
He was happy he was looking at her because it would have been a shame to miss seeing the eagerness lighting her face. “Is this a French restaurant?”
He smiled secretively. “Let’s step out and see,” he said as they both reached for their respective door handles.
“I’m ready to investigate!” she affirmed before opening her door and stepping out of the car. Her keen, tinkling laugh warmed him more effectively than the sun.
The door to the restaurant was on his side of the car, so he waited on the sidewalk as Melody came to him. He loved the adorable way her head cocked from side to side as she took in this new environment.
