by Susan Hayes
“I like that you’re a gentleman. But after you very nearly growled at Officer Chapman for flirting with me, I thought it might be time we actually went out, Ben.” She used his given name for the first time and he inwardly cheered.
“He shouldn’t have been flirting with you while he was working your case.”
“And you shouldn’t be here at all. You weren’t sent to investigate this case,” she pointed out with a wink that had his blood heating.
“No comment,” he muttered and changed the subject. “So, when and where are we going for dinner? Tomorrow’s the last day of my shift which means I’m actually free this weekend.”
“What about Friday night?”
“Perfect. How about we lock this place up and figure out the rest of the details while Chase and I walk you to your car?”
“I didn’t drive,” she confessed, her lower lip vanishing between her teeth.
“You walked here? At this time of night?” Ben’s blood pressure jumped several points in less than a second. The neighborhood was not that safe.
“I walk here a lot. I only live a few blocks over.” She waved toward the street.
“Well, you’re not walking tonight. I’m driving you home. Promise me, no more walking around this part of town in the middle of the night.”
“After what happened tonight? I’m going to be much more careful.”
“Good, I’ll sleep better now.”
She tipped her head back to look up at him. “You’d lose sleep over me?”
Ben found himself falling into the gray-blue depths of her eyes. Before he could over-think things, he gave into temptation, cupping her cheek in his hand as he leaned in to brush a gentle kiss to her mouth. She tasted even better than she had in his daydreams. “I’ve already lost sleep thinking about you.”
Kelly made a tiny noise of surprise as his lips met hers, but then her hand came up to rest on his chest and he wished that he wasn’t wearing Kevlar so he could enjoy the feel of her hand on his body. He kept the kiss brief, but even that single taste of her lips left him craving more.
He lifted his head just enough to give her space and watched as she blushed, the pink glow climbing her cheeks. He was still near enough to feel her skin heat as she whispered, “Thank you. I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in a long time.”
Before Ben could kiss her again, Chase decided he was feeling left out of things. He uttered a low, pathetic whine that had both of them laughing. Kelly stepped back, leaning down to scratch between Chase’s ears. “Let’s go find you some treats, boy. Then you and your master can take me home.”
Chapter Two
Friday had been blessedly quiet and Kelly even managed to slip out a few minutes early. More to the point, Chris had very nearly shoved her out the door and threatened to change the locks if she so much as set foot back in the clinic before Monday afternoon.
When Chris learned the place had been robbed and Kelly attacked, he’d been horrified. Panic alarms were going to be installed by the end of next week, and they both agreed that they were busy enough they needed to hire at least one other vet to share the workload, as well as more staff in general. Chris didn’t want anyone alone in the office at night, and Kelly was in full agreement. These were all things that had been on their list to deal with eventually, but the break-in made it clear that it was time to start making some changes.
Kelly checked her reflection and gave herself thumbs-up. She had ditched her usual jeans and a ponytail for a flirty blue summer dress and strappy heels. Even her hair was behaving for once, spilling down to her shoulders in glossy curls. Ben had only ever seen her at work, and tonight she was looking forward to showing him the person she was underneath the white coat. They both had jobs that came with expectations when it came to the way they portrayed themselves to others, and Kelly wanted to know who Ben was when he wasn’t on duty.
She also wanted to get her hands on his sexy body and find out if her late-night fantasies about her hazel-eyed hottie stacked up to the real thing, but she wasn’t admitting to that out loud. The one sweet kiss he’d given her that night had fueled her fantasies and confirmed they definitely had chemistry. Tonight Kelly hoped to find out if they had more in common than just a spark.
Her musings were cut short when her phone chirped, announcing she had a text. It was from her sister, Jenny. Knowing that Jenny would be thrilled to hear that her older sister was finally getting a social life, Kelly texted back with the news she was about to head out on a date with a cutie she’d met at work. Five texts in a row came blasting back as Jenny squealed, cheered, wished her luck, and reminded her that she’d want all the details later. The last text just asked if Kelly had any condoms that didn’t predate the invention of the Internet.
Brat.
If things worked out, Kelly would eventually have to mention what Ben did for a living, but that was a conversation for another day. Jenny had only been off the streets six months, and it would be a long time before she learned to trust the system again, or anyone who worked for it.
Kelly sighed. It wasn’t the system that had let Jenny down, it was her. She should have come home sooner. Maybe then she could have found a way to protect Jenny from the mistakes she was making. After their parents died, Kelly had thrown herself into her work to the exclusion of everything and everyone else. Jenny had made another choice. She’d turned to drugs.
Kelly derailed her thoughts before they got maudlin. Five minutes before being picked up for her first date in almost a year was no time to start thinking about Jenny or their parents. What was done was done, and tonight was about fun, flirting, and getting back out into the world.
She’d given her small apartment a good once-over to make sure it looked presentable, not that it took much. Kelly had taken the first place she could find that fit her needs and her price range, but in the time she’d been here, it had never really felt like a home. It was where she slept and ate, but there was no personality in the drab white walls and simple furnishings. The furniture was well worn and terribly practical, but she didn’t have the funds to replace anything.
Money was tight these days and Kelly knew it would be a year or more before the situation changed. She couldn’t afford to move, though it was something she considered from time to time. The inheritance and insurance benefit from her parents’ death had covered her student loans, and what was left had been just enough to allow her to buy into the clinic. Now most of what she made went to pay for things Kelly never imagined she’d have to afford, like Jenny’s rehab.
A nicer place to live just wasn’t in the cards for now. And it was nice and close to work.
When he knocked on her door at one minute to six, Kelly did a three-second victory dance before sedately walking over to the door and checking the peephole. Ben was standing outside the door, holding a bouquet of red roses.
Holy shit. The man had brought her flowers.
She unhooked the security chain and opened the door. “Hi, Ben.”
“Hi…wow.” His eyes widened as he took in her appearance.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“You should. I mean. It was. I…wow.” Ben offered her the flowers with a lopsided grin as he realized he was babbling. “You look amazing, Kelly. And these are for you.”
“Thank you.” She took the flowers and gestured for him to come in. “I’ll just be a minute. I’ll put these in water and then we can go. Oh, and how’s Chase? Did he sulk when you left him at home alone?” She headed for the tiny kitchen and rummaged around until she came up with a vase big enough to hold the mass of blooms. They were really beautiful, and she needed the space to get her head together after seeing Ben all dressed up for her. The man really was sex on a stick. Her entire body was humming with longing already and they hadn’t even left her apartment yet.
“Chase was definitely sulking when I left, but I promised him the leftovers so I figure he’ll forgive me eventually. He’s like every
other male I know, highly bribable. Are you going to tell me where we’re going for dinner yet?” he asked from the other room.
“As Chase’s vet, I’m not thrilled to hear he’s bribed with people food! And the restaurant was Chris’s suggestion. He’s been raving about the cheeseburgers at this place for months, and I keep meaning to go and then never get around to it. You game for burgers and beers?” she asked and poked her head around to see how he felt about her suggestion.
“Your idea of a fun night out is burgers and beers? Be still, my heart.” He slapped a hand over his broad chest and grinned. “I like the way you think, Dr. Towers.”
She rejoined him in the main room and snagged her purse off the coffee table as she went by. “And I like the way you look out of uniform, Officer Wilde.”
He looked damn good tonight. He was wearing dark slacks and a short-sleeved dress shirt with just a hint of green in the pinstripes. That bit of color brought out the green in his hazel eyes. She couldn’t be sure because he kept it so short, but it looked liked he had even gotten his hair freshly cut. There was something very sexy about having a man go out of his way to look good, especially when she was the one he was trying to impress.
He offered her his arm and she took it, resting her hand on the top of one well-muscled forearm. “You’re going to need to give me the name of this restaurant we’re going to.”
“Oh, right. It’s called Leo’s. I think it’s a bar and grill-type place.”
Ben went still and pivoted on his heel so that he was staring down at her with an expression that was two parts humor and one part shock. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Kelly didn’t understand his reaction. “No. Do you know the place? I know it’s not downtown. I’m not actually sure how Chris found out about it. We could go somewhere else if you’d rather.”
“Oh, I know it well.” Ben started to laugh and Kelly just watched, perplexed as he kept laughing until there were tears in his eyes.
“Is there some reason we shouldn’t go there?”
“Well, that really depends on you, baby. The food is fantastic, but I’m not sure our first date is the right time for you to meet my entire family.”
“Why would they all be at the same place for dinner? Is there a family function I’m keeping you from?” Kelly didn’t like the idea that she had pulled Ben away from family to go out with her. She knew too well how precious those times could be.
“Nothing like that, no. You just happened to pick the one place in all of Chicago that’s run by my family. Dad owns it and my brother, Jared, manages the place. Most Friday nights at least half my brothers are there too, scoring a free meal.”
“Well, shit,” Kelly cursed and then burst out laughing. She couldn’t even begin to calculate the odds of her picking a place Ben’s family actually owned.
“I have a suggestion,” he said, as he wrapped one arm around her waist and drew her in close enough she had to tip her head back to look at him.
Kelly’s heart started beating faster as she found herself pressed against the solid mass of Ben’s chest, staring into the heated depths of his eyes. “And what might that be?”
“I call in an order for pickup. We grab dinner and make our escape before the family descends on us like a cloud of locusts looking for juicy tidbits.”
Kelly sensed where Ben was going with his plan and decided her sister had a point. She’d been playing it safe far too long. For once she was going to take what she wanted, no regrets.
“Mhmm. There’s just one flaw with this plan of yours. Once we hightail out of there with the burgers, where are we going to eat them?”
“I know this out-of-the-way place. Nothing fancy, but the security is second to none, and he works for cheeseburgers. Sound good?”
“You feed Chase cheeseburgers?”
“It’s a guy thing. And you haven’t answered my question.”
Kelly reached between them, catching her fingers on the collar of his shirt and tugging his head down so that she could brush her lips over his. “I like your plan.”
“And I like you,” he murmured as his hand fisted in her hair and his mouth took hers in a sensual kiss that had her pulse racing and her entire being sizzling with instant heat.
****
This is absolutely the best first date I’ve ever had.
That was the last thought to pass through Ben’s mind before he stopped thinking about anything other than the fact he finally had Kelly in his arms. Her soft curves molded to his body like they’d been made to fit together, two pieces of a puzzle that had taken months to complete. He speared his fingers into her hair, tangling her chestnut curls around his fingers and holding her firmly in place as he finally kissed her the way he’d always wanted to.
She tasted of cinnamon, a sweet, subtle heat that teased his senses. He wanted more. Hell, he wanted everything. He wanted to know her taste, her scent, and the feel of her bare skin under his hands. Kelly parted her lips and moaned, the soft noise vibrating across his tongue. Would she make those same tiny sounds of pleasure when he was buried inside of her? Ben hoped he’d know the answer to that question very soon.
The tip of her tongue flicked against his lips and he growled in response, pushing their kiss deeper. Tongues tangled, breath mingled as they stroked and touched each other, rubbing their bodies together until he could swear the air was shimmering with the heat between them.
“Dinner,” she murmured the single word against his lips.
“Huh? Oh, right. Dinner. I was going to call in a pickup order.”
“Mhmm,” she hummed in agreement, and the vibration buzzed against his lips, sending another rush of blood to his already aching dick. Her pretty gray-blue eyes fluttered open and he felt a hint of smug satisfaction when he saw the passion burning in their depths. He’d started that fire and put that dreamy smile on her kiss-swollen lips. Not Chapman or one of his own Lothario siblings.
Oh shit. His brothers. If they so much as looked at Kelly too long he would to have to tear their heads off just on principle. This was going to take a little preparation, or his first date with Kelly was going to end up with at least one of his siblings bleeding. She was far too beautiful for it to go down any other way. His brothers weren’t going to be able to resist.
“I should probably warn you, my brothers are going to take one look at you and consider it their sworn duty to convince you that you’re with the wrong Wilde.”
“Just how many brothers will I be saying ‘no’ to on the way to pay for dinner?”
“At least two. Three is more likely and there’s some chance of all four being there.”
Kelly’s eyes widened. “Your mother raised five boys? Has she been nominated for sainthood yet?”
Ben reluctantly stepped back and released her from his arms. It pleased him to note that she didn’t go very far, taking only a single step so she had room to straighten her dress and shake out her hair. “Not yet, no. What about you?”
“I’m definitely not up for sainthood. As for my family, my parents were killed in a car crash a few years ago, so now it’s just me and my sister, Jenny.”
“I’m sorry.” Ben slid an arm around her again and drew her close for a gentle hug.
“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known. My sister took it pretty badly, but she’s getting her life back on track now. We watch out for each other, you know how it is.”
“I do. You may want to smack them upside the head sometimes, but they’re family.”
“Exactly. And for the record, I don’t need to meet your brothers to know I’m with the right Wilde.”
“Please feel free to tell them that when the flirting starts.” Ben hoped she did just that. He’d enjoy watching their faces as she shut them down and walked out of there with him tonight, probably more than he should.
“Ben?” Something in Kelly’s tone made his chest tighten, and when he met her eyes there was nothing but sincerity in her gaze. “I mean it. I’m not the kind of perso
n who is always wondering if the grass is greener down the road a ways. I know it’ll probably make me sound pathetic, but this is the first date I’ve had since I moved back to Chicago.”
“Then the men in this town are morons, myself included. And since we’re being honest, I’m not exactly a social whirlwind these days either. I’m just sorry it took me so long to ask you out.”
She laughed and placed her index finger squarely on his chest. “Funny. I thought I asked you out.”
“Yes, you did. But I think I should get credit for coming up with a backup plan when you picked Leo’s for dinner.”
“Fair enough. So, what do you recommend we order? I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
“Double bacon cheeseburgers and fries? I’ll provide the beer.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Then just let me make a call.” He unwound his arm from Kelly’s waist and pulled out his phone, hitting speed dial. Jared was going to bitch about family not getting special treatment, but Ben knew he’d come through in the end.
Chapter Three
Kelly took Ben’s hand as he helped her down from the passenger seat of his Jeep and into the sweltering heat of the city street. Instead of letting go, he threaded the fingers of his hand between hers, giving it a light squeeze. It felt right, and Kelly squeezed back before falling in beside him as they headed up the road toward their destination. She spent the short walk trying to stay calm, but her heart was racing and she felt as if her feet weren’t touching the ground.
Being around Ben always made her a little light-headed, but tonight, knowing that she was going back to his place with him, she was nearly dancing on air.
The sound of laughter and music flowed around them as Ben opened the door to Leo’s. It was a loud and boisterous place, with dark wood paneling and brass fixtures, just like so many other local pubs she’d been in. he differences. took her a little while to notice. The wood was polished to a subtle shine, every one of the staff were smiling, and the air was not tainted by the usual blend of stale beer and grease that often accompanied this type of place. Instead, the savory aroma of grilling beef filled her nose and made her mouth water. If the food tasted half as good as it smelled, she was going to be very happy.
