Page 45 of Stick Side
Determined not to overthink things, she focused on taking deep, steadying breaths. She fussed around with her hair, playing with a few easy styles, before electing to pull it back into a simple high ponytail. Ben hadn’t told her where they were going tonight, so she decided to opt for a practical style. If they were doing anything beyond sitting down for dinner, it would be nice to have her hair away from her face.
It was obvious to her that Ben had been probing for weeks to figure out what kind of date she might enjoy. Under the guise of getting to know her better, he’d made full use of the random question asking that had begun at the speed dating event. By means of his seemingly innocent questions, he’d uncovered that she liked surprises, but nothing on a major scale. He also knew that, while she liked to try new things, she was a little risk averse. As such, even if it weren’t prohibited under his contract with the Challengers—which it most definitely was—she felt confident he wouldn’t try take her bungee jumping off a cliff face or anything of the like. Any surprises he might have in mind would be on a smaller, safer scale. Fun, but nothing likely to result in life-altering injury.
Ben’s obvious care in striving to determine what she might enjoy helped her to relax and shake off her nerves. She might not know exactly what to expect this evening, but she felt pretty good about whatever events he had planned.
Excitement rose within her. There was something tremendously flattering about knowing that Ben—a professional hockey player who, no doubt, had hordes of women fighting for his romantic attentions—had cared enough to learn what she liked so he could surprise her with an experience they could both enjoy. The man certainly knew how to make her feel special.
Melody’s heartbeat sped up as she heard a knock at the door. She glanced over at the clock and noted that it was 6:00 p.m.sharp. He was perfectly on time. She couldn’t help but hope it was a sign that he was as eager to see her as she was to see him.
Giving her reflection a final perusal, she crossed to the front door. She took one last fortifying breath before turning the lock and reaching for the door handle.
Her breath caught as she swung her front door open to reveal the man who had been occupying her thoughts. Ben was just as gorgeous as ever in gray wool trousers and a white button-down shirt. Simple, but timeless. While she couldn’t be certain, the clean lines made her wonder if it had been recently pressed. He’d tucked his shirttails into pants that had the type of designer waistband that didn’t require a belt to look polished. On his feet, he wore dark brown loafers that looked well made, but not fresh out of the box. It was a tailored, but understated, look that suited him perfectly.
“Hey, stranger,” she greeted. Her voice came out sounding so breathy she barely recognized it as her own.
His lips parted subtly as his eyes swept over her face and form. Warmth suffused her chest at the clear admiration in his gaze. “Hi, beautiful.” The honeyed timber of his voice moved through her, spreading heat from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
“These are for you,” Ben said as he extended one of his arms to present her with a stunning bouquet of flowers in shades ofrusty orange, rich red, rustic brown, and deep purple. “I thought I’d try to find an arrangement even half as beautiful as you are, but looking at you now, I don’t think there’s anything in the world up to that particular challenge.”
Under normal circumstances, she would have been tempted to dismiss his remark as an empty platitude, but there was something about the way he delivered the words that made her believe him.
She bit down on her bottom lip and flicked her eyes up to his. Electricity shot through her as their eyes connected. In the depth of his hazel eyes, she could read appreciation, but also something more heated and untamed.
Unsure how to handle the intensity in his regard, she took the coward’s way out and dropped her gaze to the flowers. She tried to keep her hands from shaking as she reached for the bouquet.
Once she had a solid hold on the flowers, she gently brushed the petals of a particularly soft-looking bloom with her fingertips. “They’re gorgeous. Thank you.”
She brought the bouquet up to her nose and inhaled deeply. It smelled like the perfect autumn day, sweet and rounded with hints of something rich and earthy.
She glanced up in time to see Ben hook his thumbs into the pockets of his trousers. The gesture was boyish, but also incredibly masculine. She couldn’t help but appreciate the way his stance highlighted the delicious breadth of his shoulders and the perfect panty-melting “V” of his torso. There was no doubt about it. The man was a heart-stopper.
“My sister told me every flower has a meaning,” Ben explained in a pleasant, even tone that suggested he hadn’t caught her ogling him. “I don’t know anything about that, so please don’t read anything into it if I accidentally included a flower that sends an undesirable message. I just looked through the arrangements and picked one I thought you would like.” His expression held a hint of bashfulness that she found utterly endearing.
She felt her lips turn up into a soft smile. “I’m not a big flower connoisseur, but I have heard of this. I think flower selection was a big deal during the Victorian era, when gentlemen sought to convey their sentiments through flowers rather than clear and direct spoken words.”
As she spoke, she continued to lazily brush her fingertips over the blossoms. Every time her fingers made contact with a newone, she couldn’t help but wonder at its supposed meaning. What message might the bouquet unintentionally convey?
“I imagine ladies spent hours dissecting the possible hidden meaning of the blooms their suitors had selected for them,” Melody observed, voicing her thoughts aloud.
Ben inched closer. “Is that what I am then? Your suitor?” His voice had taken on a husky undertone that she couldn’t help but like.
Melody pulled her bottom lip back between her teeth and chewed it gently. She shyly flicked her eyes between his inquisitive expression and the bouquet she had unconsciously pulled up against her chest. “Do you want to be?” she asked as she lifted her eyes back to his. She felt her cheeks heating, the traitors.
“I’ve missed these,” he said as he took another step closer and lifted a hand in the direction of her no doubt glowing cheekbones. His movements were slow, giving her ample time to back away if she wanted to. She didn’t. As it was, she practically sighed when his thumb finally made contact with her skin. Not for the first time, she wondered if Ben had any clue how strongly he affected her. She was so attracted to him that her reactions to his words and physical presence bordered on embarrassing.
“Hey,” Ben said as he gently hooked his index finger under her chin. He exerted a little pressure that tipped her head back, forcing her to look at him. “Melody . . .” His gaze was warm and searching. “In the event there’s any doubt in your mind, I do want to be your suitor.” His lips quirked adorably. “Or whatever today’s modern-day equivalent is.” His earnest eyes searched hers. “Okay?”
“Okay,” she affirmed. There went her voice again, getting all breathy.
Thanks to all their texting, she felt like she’d gotten to know him quite well over the past couple of weeks. And yet, she wasn’tused to his physical proximity. She’d spent enough time around Ben to know that her attraction to him was undeniable, but it was hard to reconcile the man she’d gotten to know via text with the one standing in front of her. He felt like the Ben she’d gotten to know, but also somehow not.
How many of the pieces of his life and personality had she properly put together? Did she really know him as well as she thought she did, or had she constructed him into the image she most wanted? So much of human communication was nonverbal. What nuances might she have missed from not having been able to observe his body language or take note of his tone of voice?
Part of her wanted to step forward, close the gap between them, loop her arms around his neck, and touch her lips to his. She wanted to lose herself in this attraction she felt for him, but she was conscious of not wanting to fall for a mirage. She was half gone on him already, but she wanted to make sure the man she thought she knew was the real deal.
Determined not to manufacture problems that might not exist, she shook off her worries and returned her attention to the present. “I should probably put these in water. Would you like to come in for a minute?”
Ben gently brushed her jaw with his thumb in a subtle caress before pulling his hand away from her face. She smiled shyly as she took a step back and motioned him into her apartment before heading to the kitchen.
