The Bottom Line

by Sandy James

  Ben loved her scent. Light. Utterly feminine. He tightened his embrace, wanting to press her against him so he could savor the feel of her in his arms.

  “I—I didn’t think you’d ask me to dance.” Her voice was hushed.

  “Why?”

  “Because of Juliana. She’s so much more…”

  “You mean the redhead?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s so much more what?”

  “Pretty.”

  Giving her a squeeze, he rubbed his chin on the top of her head. She was a little bit of a thing. Couldn’t be more than a couple inches over five feet. Delicate. Feminine. “Are you fishing for a compliment?”

  She bumped his chin when she tilted her head back to glare at him. “No! I wasn’t… I mean…”

  Ben flashed her a grin. “I was teasing. But you’re prettier. Besides… I know you. I don’t know anything about her.”

  “It’s a mixer. You’re not supposed to know anyone here.”

  “I don’t like mixing much.”

  “Then why did you come?” She’d stopped dancing, so he did the same. Her eyes kept searching his, making him wish he knew what she was looking for so he could try to be that man.

  “I came because Robert told me you’d be here.”

  “How did he know?”

  The conspiracy wasn’t supposed to be a secret, so he spilled. “Because your friend called and told him.”

  Mallory leveled a frown at Juliana. “Figures.”

  With a finger under her chin, Ben coaxed her to look at back at him. “What’s it matter? I’d been trying to work up the courage to ask you out anyway. I just figured I’d wait ’til I wasn’t working for you anymore.”

  “Really?”

  He held tight to his frustration and nodded.

  Was she pleased that he’d gone out of his way to spend time with her? Not that he didn’t see her every weekday evening. But this was… different. They weren’t trying to talk around the buzz of his saw or the pounding of his hammer.

  “The song’s about over. Want to go get a drink and sit and talk?”

  Her hesitation hurt his ego, as did her taking a step back.

  “C’mon, Mallory. What do you have to lose? Get to know me, and if I’m not a nice guy, I’ll go back to being just your contractor. Deal?” Ben held out his hand.

  Her eyes found his. There was a sadness there that tore at his heart before a slow smile curved her lips. Then she gave him a nod and put her hand in his. “Deal.”

  Chapter Five

  A vibrant Ben wasn’t at all what Mallory had expected.

  Since she’d been the one to chitchat with him as he worked she’d believed he was a quiet, restrained guy. She hadn’t formed too many conclusions on what he was like on a more personal level because he hadn’t opened up. Now, as they talked, she tried to learn all she could about Ben Carpenter.

  While he drank another beer and she sipped a fresh white wine, they bantered much like she’d enjoyed the first day they’d met. Things between them were easy and fun, something she hadn’t enjoyed with a man since… well, ever.

  She’d always kept her guard up around guys, suspicious of their true motivation when they showed an interest in her. Sure, that smacked of a self-esteem problem, but she blamed a chubby childhood for that flaw. Perhaps she could someday think of herself without picturing the girl her aunts often claimed had too pretty a face to hide under all her baby fat.

  On the other hand, the trials life threw her way had toughened her, made her look at herself with a new set of eyes—eyes that appreciated her finer qualities. She had a good heart. She was faithful to those she loved. And she had a passion for life. There was substance to her that many shallow women lacked. Perhaps her new inner strength was what attracted a guy like Ben Carpenter.

  Mallory relaxed, enjoying the conversation until he abruptly turned the mood serious. “When was your divorce final?”

  Her temper spiked at the notion someone was talking behind her back. “Who said I was divorced?”

  He shrugged.

  “How do you know I’m divorced? Robert told you, didn’t he?”

  “Actually, I figured it out on my own first. He just confirmed it.”

  “How could you figure it out?”

  Ben’s smile helped her anger ease. “Well… first clue—the DIY projects at your house. Women don’t do those too often. From what I’ve seen, when they do start them, they also finish them.”

  “That wouldn’t be enough to tell you I’m divorced.”

  “Clue two, the tan line on your ring finger.”

  Mallory whipped her hand up and looked at it, really looked. The white line left behind after she’d removed her wedding ring was now as bright as a flashlight shone in her eyes.

  Her prickliness evaporated. She’d been so private about all the changes in her life, and the notion that she was nothing but fodder for gossip had fired her blood. She didn’t want sympathy or pity from anyone, especially Ben.

  “Clue three… you mentioned a guy named Jay who’s conveniently not around.”

  I’m a fool. “Oh…”

  “For how long?”

  “Six months.”

  “So I’m your first date?”

  “This isn’t a date, Ben. It’s a chat with my contractor.”

  “Why’d he leave?”

  Lord, the man asked the most brazen questions. “How do you know I didn’t leave him?”

  “Because you’re not the type of woman who’d walk out on a marriage.”

  They’d known each other for so short a time, how could he possibly have formed any conclusions about her?

  At least this conclusion is good.

  “Fine,” Mallory said with a curt nod. “He walked out and I’m really glad he did. You know those vows you take? The ones that are supposed to be for a lifetime? Well, Jay thought that he was in for nothing but richer and health, and instead he got poorer and—” She shrugged.

  Ben quirked an eyebrow.

  She waved his unasked question away. “Let it go.”

  “For now.”

  While she wanted to say “forever,” she followed her own advice. “So let’s turn the inquisition around and focus on you.”

  “Fine. What do you want to know?”

  “What happened to your marriage? All I know is you’re divorced and that you’ve got custody of your daughter.” She’d learned that much from the times they’d talked while she’d helped him out. Her favorite thing so far had been to stand on the new laminate flooring so it wouldn’t move whenever he had to tap in a stubborn board. He’d teased her that she didn’t weigh enough to keep it in place. She’d countered by picking up her cat, smiling at him, and saying Rascal was enough added weight.

  “I’m divorced because Theresa’s a selfish woman who doesn’t even care about her own daughter.”

  “Amber, right?”

  “Yeah. Amber. She just turned thirteen.”

  “Fun age.”

  “Not from what I’ve seen.”

  “I was kidding. I wouldn’t teach middle school for a million dollars a year.”

  Ben’s mouth thinned to a line. “Are all girls that age so… so emotional?”

  Mallory let a laugh spill out. “Mister, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Super. Just what I wanted to hear.”

  “Give it four or so years. She should become human again—right before you send her off to college.”

  “Parents?”

  He’d switched gears so fast he’d lost her. “Pardon?”

  “Your parents. Where do they live?”

  The sadness was still there. Probably always would be. As was the fear. “Mom died a few years back.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, well… so was I.”

  “She must’ve been young.”

  “Fifty-five. Breast cancer doesn’t care about a woman’s age.” She gave her head a shake to erase the memo
ry. “Dad sold the house and moved to a retirement community in Florida. He loves it down there. Says he can reach just about anywhere he wants to go with his golf cart.” Since she wasn’t up to twenty questions about her life, she fired one at him instead. “Where do your parents live?”

  “Chicago. They’ve been in the same house for the whole forty years they’ve been married. Raised two boys and more dogs and cats than I can remember.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Like a marriage should be.

  The conversation strayed into idle musings until another slow song popped up. Most of the other people at the mixer headed toward the bar with the exception of four couples who’d obviously discovered they felt an attraction. They stayed to dance, and she envied them. The newness. The excitement. The fun of discovering each little new thing about a person.

  Then she realized that was exactly what she was doing with Ben.

  How had she let him in so easily? The walls around her heart she’d built after Jay left—the walls that made her strong enough to face everything on her own—had budged. They weren’t down, but there were already cracks and breaks she wasn’t sure she could plug.

  Ben stood, holding out his hand. “Let’s dance, boss.”

  “I told you, I’m not your boss.”

  “All right, then… Mallory.” His warm baritone washed over her like the brightest of sunbeams. “Dance with me, pretty lady.”

  Her eyes found Juliana. She was deep in conversation with a bald guy who had the best biceps Mallory had ever seen.

  You go, Jules.

  Mallory took his hand. “Fine. One more song. Then I need to go.”

  Ben checked his watch. “So early?”

  “I’m really tired. Okay?”

  “Whatever the lady wants.”

  This time, she went easily into his arms. Why fight the attraction? Nothing was going to come of it, so she might as well borrow as many tender moments as she could before Ben disappeared from her life. There were weeks of work left on her home, which meant she could get to know him better without having to date him. It also meant that if they didn’t click, she’d be stuck seeing him every day for quite a while.

  Was she making a big mistake?

  She didn’t think so once he wrapped his arms around her. His warmth was as wonderful as a fluffy blanket straight from the dryer. His shirt was soft against her cheek when she found the courage to lay it against his chest. When his chin dropped to rest on her head, she sighed in contentment.

  “See,” he said, the word rumbling in his chest. “This isn’t so scary, is it?”

  “No,” she replied. “It’s not.”

  The song ended, and while she simply wanted to stay in his embrace, the time for fantasizing had ended. This wasn’t a grand ball, and she sure wasn’t Cinderella.

  * * *

  When Mallory stepped out of his arms, she might as well have moved a mile back. The distance was chilling, as was the way she suddenly masked the emotions she was feeling.

  Ben had felt a connection. Their conversation had been easy, and the way their offbeat senses of humor complemented each other made him believe they might be good together.

  Then she’d stepped back and raised that firewall of hers so quickly he couldn’t even fight it.

  “I need to go.” She tried to walk toward her friend.

  His hand snaked around her upper arm. “Wait. What’s wrong?”

  Her responding yawn was as phony as the ones Amber gave him when she wanted to skip school and faked exhaustion. “I told you, I’m tired. Need to catch up on my sleep on the weekends.”

  He glanced over to Juliana and saw she was engrossed with a man. “If you came with your friend, you’re out of luck. She’s gonna be busy for a while. Maybe I could drive you home? You won’t even have to give me directions.”

  She didn’t rise to his teasing this time, which made him even more convinced he’d done something wrong. The problem was he didn’t have a clue what it was.

  “No, thanks. I drove myself.”

  “Then let me walk you to your car.”

  “You don’t have to do that. This is a mixer, remember?” She shooed him away with the back of her hand. “Go mix.”

  “I’ve mixed with the only woman I care to mix with.”

  At least Mallory smiled. “That sounded kinda dirty.”

  A small crack in the wall. He’d try his best to crawl through. “Only kinda dirty? I’ll have to try harder next time.”

  Reaching for her hand, he hoped she’d let him lead her to the dark parking lot—the perfect place for a test kiss.

  He’d always believed in finding out if there was any chemistry before taking the next step with a woman. This time, he’d reversed the order, getting to know Mallory before checking to see if they were compatible physically. Since they’d clicked, Ben was dying of curiosity to see if that connection extended to the physical.

  “C’mon, Mallory. Let me walk you to your car. It’s dark out there. I need to know you’re safe.”

  “Fine.” Her gaze found her friend. “Juliana’s obviously not ready to go.”

  “Obviously,” he drawled.

  “You don’t have to bother, you know.”

  “No bother.” He swept his hand toward the door. “Lead the way.”

  Her SUV was about as far away from his truck as she could’ve parked.

  Mallory stood at the driver’s door and gave him a hesitant smile. “I should go.”

  “I had fun, Mallory.”

  “Me, too.”

  Her face lifted when she smiled at him. The moonlight bathed her skin, making her glow. The crickets’ song broke the silence that had descended upon them.

  The perfect scene for a first kiss.

  Leaning in, Ben gave her time to pull away if she didn’t welcome his attention. Her eyes widened then her lids lowered to half-mast. He was smiling when his mouth found hers.

  The softness of her lips against his was painfully sweet. Moving slowly, he put his hands to her waist and pulled her closer, close enough her body pressed against his.

  She tasted sweet, like wine, and he wanted more. Tickling the seam of her lips, he took quick advantage when she opened to his tongue.

  Chemistry.

  He’d wanted to know if they had any. The first brush of her tongue across his told him everything he needed to know.

  They had enough chemistry to blow up a laboratory.

  Mallory rose on tiptoes, so he held her closer, wrapping his arms around her, and finally lifting until her feet dangled. He wanted to devour her, to drink in all her sweetness. Her response was heated, frantic. She looped her arms around his neck and laced her fingers through his hair, tugging as though she couldn’t get enough of him.

  They were playing with fire, one that could quickly flare out of control if he didn’t call a stop to it. But… damn. He loved kissing her.

  He turned, leaning his back against her Escape while he ravaged her mouth. She shifted, rubbing against his erection. He groaned, hugging her tighter. Everything inside him screamed to take her home, to beg her to let him make love to her.

  Ben finally found the strength to drag his mouth away, and he let Mallory slide down his body. She stopped when her small feet were on top of his. She weighed next to nothing.

  He had to smile at her bemused expression. The woman looked thoroughly kissed.

  He had to stop this now or he wasn’t sure he’d be able to regain any control.

  “I—I should go,” Mallory whispered.

  “Yeah.” If he tried to say anything more, he’d probably sound like a blabbering fool.

  “See you Monday?”

  Ben nodded while she chirped off her alarm. He opened her door and waited until she slid behind the wheel.

  “Okay, then. Bye.”

  He couldn’t help himself and leaned back in to brush one more kiss over her lips. Then he closed her door.

  As she drove away, he noticed the magnetic pink ribbon—the one
for breast cancer awareness he’d seen on lots of other cars. After hearing about her mother, he understood its significance.

  He went to his truck, ready to leave. There was no sense in going back inside since the woman he wanted to spend time with was on her way home.

  At least Monday was only two days away…

  Chapter Six

  Mallory opened her thermal lunch sack and pulled out her salad and packet of dressing.

  Juliana eyed the items and then glanced down at her rather smushed peanut butter sandwich. “Wanna switch?”

  “Nope. You know how much I love my Caesar salads.” Setting her fork and napkin on the table, she reached in for the most important part of her lunch. “Ah… caffeine. How I need you.”

  The Diet Cherry Coke didn’t reply to her compliment.

  “I thought you were giving that stuff up,” Bethany said as she plopped down in an empty chair. “Weren’t you supposed to be eating healthier?”

  “I’m having a salad,” Mallory replied. “That’s healthy enough. Don’t you dare ask me to give up the only thing that keeps me moving during the day.” She popped the tab and then took a long swig. The refreshing cherry-cola taste filled her mouth.

  Juliana gave her a mock toast with her Diet Coke. “Me, too.”

  “Me, three.” Danielle shut the door to the private lunchroom and pulled out the last chair at the round table. “Two cups of coffee at breakfast, and I’m barely functioning.” She fished a Diet Coke out of her bag. “Without this, I’d fall asleep at my desk by the end of the next period.”

  The women ate in companionable silence, but Juliana would turn inquisitor once she was able to talk. For several minutes of reprieve, Jules was occupied with chewing through a peanut butter sandwich that appeared to be pretty heavy on the peanut butter. But her eyes were full of questions, and Mallory ate her salad, waiting for queries about Ben.

  Danielle beat Juliana to the punch. “So… Mallory. Heard you hooked up with a cute guy at the mixer this weekend.”