Just Me
Page 16
After watching her sleep for longer than expected, Ben tiptoed out of the room, making his way to the kitchen as Katherine slept alone in his room. It was a first, having never had a woman spend the night in his bachelor pad.
Opening the refrigerator, he wondered what Katherine would want, and then decided to give her a bit of a feast. She had earned a good breakfast, and because it was the only meal he could cook, Ben decided to showcase all of his skills.
After half an hour of dicing and cooking, Ben prepared the wooden breakfast tray with two large plates. One held three fluffy pancakes while the other had scrambled eggs and bacon. A white mug filled with breakfast tea and a glass of orange juice balanced each end of the tray, with a small glass vase in the middle holding a single rose.
Ben smirked to himself, thinking how Rachel would be proud of him. He knew Katherine would love it, and for the first time could understand why he was known to be romantic. Chuckling to himself, Ben carried the tray up the stairs, happy to see that Katherine was still asleep.
Watching her sleep, Ben shook his head as he thought of how much he was willing to give up just to watch her. She was peace. Everything about his life that he didn’t like disappeared when she was around. Katherine brought perspective, helping him easily prioritize his life without regrets. There was nothing more that he wanted than to be with her, and watching her sleep in his bed, he knew he wanted to wake up to her every day.
“Are you watching me?” Katherine stretched as she woke up, rubbing the knuckles of her fingers into the corner of her eyes like an infant child.
“Trying to wake you up,” Ben corrected her, leaning down to brush the stray hairs from her face before kissing her forehead. She was beautiful, and even more innocent than usual as she gathered her senses in the confusion that accompanies mornings.
“Wake me up?” she repeated.
“Yes. I came bearing gifts,” Ben smiled, extending the tray of food he had so cleverly prepared.
“Oh my God!” Katherine shrieked, as her hand flew to her mouth. “You even added a flower,” she remarked, in a soft whisper as she took in every detail. “Thank you.”
She leaned over and pulled Ben’s face to hers, pressing her lips to his cheek before kissing his lips. Pride swirled in Ben, feeling like the richest man in the world as Katherine smiled at him. She had a way with making him feel like the luckiest man in the world. She was special, and she made him feel that way too.
“I hope it tastes as good as it looks,” Ben chuckled, settling on the bed next to her.
“We have to split this,” she frowned, looking at Ben.
“No, that’s just for you,” he insisted. It hadn’t dawned on him to make two plates, but he didn’t intend for them to split the meal.
“Ben, I can’t eat three pancakes and look good in that gown,” Katherine rolled her eyes with a childish grin.
Suddenly, he remembered that he would be escorting her to the charity event, a first for him. After their night together, he never wanted to leave this house, spending every second trapped in a bedroom with Katherine if possible.
“We have to get your gown,” he remembered allowed.
“Oh no! You left your car over there.” Katherine seemed to remember as well.
“One of my cars,” Ben corrected her.
“So, tell me what I should expect at the charity event,” Katherine paused, thinking to herself. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to something this fancy.”
Ben smiled, watching her blush. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be the most beautiful woman in the entire room. She was flawless, and owned every room she entered. Ben had seen the way men looked at her in public, and he knew why.
In business, Ben was known for closing deals. When he saw something he wanted, he acted, aggressively. It had made him a billionaire, so he planned to use the same strategy in his personal life. Katherine was everything he had ever wanted. Tired of the games of dating, he just wanted honesty and openness.
What they had was perfect, and he wanted more of it.
“You’re going to fit in like a glove. Don’t worry about it.” Ben reassured her, watching her brighten. She had no idea how beautiful she was, and he was reminded every time he complimented her.
“Will you get to stay with me all night?” she wondered, cutting a small piece of the pancakes before pouring the syrup onto the small slice.
“I’m going to have you on my arm everywhere I go.” Ben declared with an obvious stare. He was looking forward to introducing her to friends and colleagues, especially his good friends Will and Rachel.
“Should I know something about the charity?” she asked, concern written all over her face.
Ben had to bite back his life thinking of how sweet she was to be worried about the charity. He liked to find causes he cared about, but more than the cause, he trusted his friend Will to bring the best and most impactful organizations to his attention. Whenever he went, he learned about the charity the night of, and seeing Katherine want to be informed beforehand was indicative of her good nature.
“You’ll learn about it tonight. Trust me, the only thing you need to worry about is whether you can keep up with me on the dance floor. I love to dance,” he looked to her with childish excitement.
“Oh, I can handle it,” Katherine promised, and the two laughed as she took turns feeding Ben and herself bites of pancakes drenched in maple syrup.
Ben couldn’t stop staring at her, in disbelief that it was all happening. His house had never felt right, surrounded by all the things he always wanted, but with no one to share it with. Katherine helped him see a life he thought impossible for himself. She was the fresh start he needed in his personal life.
Everyone always praised Ben for his successful professional career. His business had been thriving since he launched it from his dorm room, but no one ever talked about how lonely it was to be so rich at such a young age. Everyone had a motive and women were either only interested in the money or not interested in him because of the money. There was no balance.
“What time is the event tonight?” Katherine asked, scratching her hair as she looked around the room aimlessly. She looked like an innocent child, her cheeks bright as her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with excitement
“I think the dinner starts at eight,” Ben answered, glancing at his watch.
“I need to get home soon if you want to be on time,” Katherine said, biting her bottom lip before reaching for the last slice of bacon.
Glancing at his watch, Ben tried to think of a way to extend their time together so that he could feel more of her, but Katherine was too excited about their evening together and he didn’t want to cloud her mind with sex. She was on a high in bed, and he liked to reserve that carefree look for himself as long as he could.
Since her clothes were still damp from the rain, Katherine dressed in an oversized sweat suit from Ben’s closet. The dark fabric hung from her body, but she still looked stylish in his clothes. Together, they walked through Ben’s house as he watched her reaction in the daytime. She glanced at the high ceilings on their way out the back door that connected to the six-car garage.
Ben led the way to a silver Mercedes Benz G-Wagon before opening the passenger door and holding it open for Katherine. She climbed inside using his hand and buckled into the seatbelt as Ben walked to the driver’s side.
“My dress is still in your trunk.” Katherine reminded him.
“Right. We’ll go and get that first,” Ben nodded, thinking of his options.
“Are you going to leave your car over here again?” Katherine asked as she watched him maneuver through the city.
“I think I’ll just have Carter get it,” Ben thought aloud.
“Who’s Carter?” Katherine asked.
“He’s my driver,” Ben answered, as he drove through a busy intersection. He could see she was taken aback by the fact that he had a driver, and he secretly hoped his lifestyle didn’t intimidate her.
“Carter,” a deep voice announced. Katherine sat up in her seat, glancing at Ben as he drove the SUV through her neighborhood.
“It’s Ben. I need you to come by and pick up the Audi,” Ben spoke flatly, unlike the fun tone he used with Katherine. He was back into business mode, and Katherine listened closely, curious about the businessman she had just learned of Ben to be.
“No problem, sir. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks.”
Ben ended the call, turning down the street of the restaurant, his red Audi still parked on the corner where he’d left it on the previous night. He watched as Katherine perked up in her seat before pulling to the side of the road. Quickly, he hopped out, pressing a key fob until the trunk flew open. Reaching into the trunk, Ben grabbed the gift bag and jogged back to the Mercedes.
Clapping her hands together, Katherine gleefully celebrated as he returned to the car, taking the gift bag from him instantly. She was excited to try on her new gown and spend the night on the town with Ben.
Remembering the way from their walk, Ben drove to Katherine’s building without any further direction. As always, he hopped out of the car before walking around to her side and escorting her to the door. She acted like it was old fashioned, but Ben knew she really liked it. Every woman wanted to be treated like they were special, and he liked the way she smiled whenever he did it.
She was overjoyed as she carried the gift bag to her front door. Ben couldn’t have asked for a better first night together, so he wanted nothing more than extra time as he inched toward her door, wrapping his arms around her before peppering kisses down her neck.
“What time should I be ready?” Katherine asked as Ben held her close.
“I’ll call you before I leave, but I’m thinking around seven. I can’t wait to see you in that gown,” he told her, thinking of the soft fabric of the dress.
“I’ll see you then,” she pushed onto her toes to press her lips to his before walking to her apartment, leaving him on the sidewalk, watching her walk away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Katherine
HER PHONE VIBRATED on the small table beside the bathtub and Katherine reached around to answer.
“Hello?”
“I need your address, sweetheart,” his voice felt warm across the phone. Katherine’s body reacted to just his voice, curving in the bath as she spoke the digits without hesitation.
“Six-six-seven,” she called out before telling him she would call after her bath.
“Next time, you’re taking one with me,” he teased, and Katherine thought how much she would love to take a bath with Ben.
Soaking in her deep bath, she tried to make sense of her life after everything had seemed to flip upside down in the matter of two days. Ben had swept her off her feet, dropping her back at her apartment with just enough time to be whisked off her feet once again. It was fabulous and unbelievable all at the same time.
Glancing at the clock resting on the wall of her bathroom, she decided it was time to get out of the tub. Talia had agreed to help her with her hair and make-up and would be arriving soon.
Reaching for her big white bath towel, Katherine draped herself in the thick fabric before stepping on the cool floor. Tip toeing across the floor, she had just made her way into the bedroom when she heard the doorbell. Talia must have been earlier than she expected, so she hopped to the front door quickly, opening the door before glancing through the peephole.
“Delivery for Katherine Marshall,” the man announced, extending a medium sized cardboard box with a clipboard on top of the package.
Katherine quickly signed, pushing the clipboard back before taking the box under her arm. It was from Ben, she could see that from the paperwork she signed. It dawned on her that Ben was the first person she had ever given her address to, and it felt like a relief to no longer be hiding from everyone she met.
The first thing he had done was send her things, which made her think that giving out her address wasn’t so bad after all. Closing the door behind her, Katherine moved to the table in the foyer to open the package.
Inside the box was a pair of stiletto heels to match the gown Ben had gifted her with the night before, and a matching purse. Giddy like a child, she danced around the room with excitement until the sound of the doorbell interrupted her celebration.
Wondering what else Ben could have possibly had sent to her, she peeked through the peep hole to see Talia’s red hair. Eager to tell her friend all about her night, Katherine swung the door open, inviting her inside.
“I need to know what’s going on!” Talia yelled before wrapping her arms around Katherine in a tight hug.
“What do you mean?” I have no idea what you’re talking about.
“Yesterday, Ben came to the bakery after you left. He said he needed to give you something, so I gave him your number. But then you call me today saying you’ve just gotten back from his place! What is going on?!” she yelled, as Katherine giggled like a teenager, falling to the couch with amusement.
“You’ll never guess what he had to give me,” Katherine shook her head, leading Talia to her bedroom, where the beautiful gown hung from her the bedroom door.
“Oh my God! Katherine! He gave that to you?” Talia’s hand went to her heart as she stepped back, looking the gown up and down.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Katherine stared proudly.
“I mean, he’s a bagillionaire, so I expected him to send over some nice stuff, but this is even better than I expected,” she said.
“Wait. You knew he was rich?” Katherine asked Talia.
“Of course. He has that whole doggy empire thing,” she shrugged like it was common knowledge.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she shrieked, still shocked that she had no idea about Ben’s success.
“It’s an advantage to being new here. I didn’t want to ruin it. If you knew who he was, you might not have liked him. And hell, he might not have liked you. It was perfect the way it happened, but you must have been shocked to see his place. My friend said he has like a twelve-car garage!”
“It’s only a six-car garage,” Katherine corrected her with a smile, and the two girls fell out laughing. It was a fairy tale, and they both knew it.
“I only wish he had turned my way that day he walked in the bakery, but it was clear who he wanted from the moment he set eyes on you,” Talia remembered.
“I didn’t even notice him!” Katherine shook her head thinking back to that fateful day.
“And maybe that’s what he liked about you. Ya know, besides your gorgeous face and perfect body,” Talia teased.
“Oh, shut up! Are you going to make me pretty for the charity event or what?” she asked.
“Let’s get you in some clothes,” Talia noted, pointing to the large towel covering Katherine’s body. After showing her the shoes and dress she would be wearing, Talia and Katherine decided on pulling her hair back into a chignon for the evening.
“Why don’t you wear your natural blonde hair?” Talia asked.
“To blend in,” Katherine answered.
There was a long silence between them, and Katherine knew Talia was putting the dots together to understand she dyed her hair to maintain some sort of separation from Tim. It was a dark cloud constantly following her, but with Ben she had found a way to leave it behind her and find a new sense of freedom. She had a fresh start and it felt amazing.
Just as Talia finished up Katherine’s make-up, her phone began to vibrate. She glanced at her phone as a smile spread across her face reading his name.
“Hi,” she answered, leaning into the phone as if it were attached to him.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice strong and commanding.
“Just about,” Kather
ine smiled, glancing at herself in the mirror. Talia was a wiz with her make-up brushes, and had created a beautiful smoky eye that complimented her dress well. With her hair pulled back, her shoulders were accentuated, and her neck appeared longer.
Never in her life had Katherine felt more beautiful. She was so excited to see Ben, she rushed off the phone to finish getting ready. Talia helped zip her into her gown before applying the last-minute touches to her make-up as Ben knocked on the front door.
It was the first time she had invited a man to her home in the two years she had been on her own. It was a new level of comfort as she opened the door, welcoming Ben, who was absolutely stunning in his black tuxedo. With his face freshly shaven for the first time, Katherine was even more smitten with the clean-cut version of the man of her dreams.
“Are you ready?” he asked, extending his elbow to escort her to the car. Followed out by Talia, Katherine locked her front door before climbing in the back of the waiting limo with Ben.
“You look amazing,” he smiled, as he settled into the backseat.
“I was going to say the same thing about you,” Katherine leaned over to kiss him as they finally greeted each other in private. With the partition closed, the driver couldn’t see into the back of the car, and Katherine decided to take advantage of the seclusion.
After hours away from Ben, which felt like days, she wanted to touch and taste him, but he stopped her before she could climb into his lap.
“I got something for you,” he explained, reaching into his suit jacket before retrieving a thin Tiffany blue jewelry box wrapped in white ribbon.
“Ben! You’re spoiling me!” Katherine gasped, opening the box to reveal a flawless diamond neckless.
“You deserve to be spoiled. Now let me put it on you,” Ben turned her with a twist to her hips before pulling the cool diamonds against her skin and clasping the metal behind her neck.
His hands lingered on her skin longer than necessary, and Katherine knew he had missed her as much as she did him. She could feel his lips caressing against the soft skin behind her ear. He was inhaling deeply as he breathed in her scent, the thought arousing her.