by Audra North
He wasn’t sure how much time passed, with the both of them slumped and panting, but when he finally came back to himself, she was pulling away, smoothing her skirt back down over her thighs and patting at her hair.
He straightened and pushed his damp shirt hem back into his pants, setting himself to rights too.
Well. You wanted to loosen her up with sex. Step one, check. Now what?
“Nina,” he breathed, trying not to sound too blown. He didn’t want her to think his invitation was some kind of afterthought or obligation in response to what they’d just done. “I’ve got to go back to the station and change. It’s a five-minute walk. I can be back here in fifteen. Do you think—?”
But before he could ask her whether she wanted to come over again, she interrupted him. “Do you want to have dinner with me tonight?”
Chapter Ten
Ben was looking at her like she’d sprouted another head.
Considering how she’d been playing him hot and cold these past couple of days, she certainly felt like she had two brains, each wanting completely opposite things and not bothering to communicate with one another.
But before she could take back the offer and blame her invitation on temporary psychosis, he nodded. “Yeah. God. Yeah. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes to pick you up.”
She didn’t even have time to reply before he pressed a quick kiss on her lips and went racing down the stairs. She heard the exit door open and the sound of footsteps running across the lobby, then there was only silence again.
She couldn’t believe she’d asked him to dinner. What happened to not getting involved?
But that had been exactly why she’d suggested it. Things were getting too serious, too fast. She’d wanted to cling to him just now, for God’s sake, after he’d made her come. She wasn’t sure whether she’d be able to keep him away at all if they had sex again. Last night and today it had been too good. Brought them too close.
She needed to have dinner with him, because what if they really weren’t compatible outside of bed? What if the brief moments they’d shared so far had been the extent of what they really had in common?
If they sat down and had an actual date, and it was boring, it might help break her of the rather distracting habit of thinking about him every waking moment.
Or it might bind you even more tightly to him. And then what will you do? Will you be able to walk away when the time comes?
After all, he seemed to have thought of her often these past three years too. Words exchanged through a curtain in a hospital room should never have taken on so much significance in both of their lives.
And yet…they had. She’d be an idiot if she said they didn’t matter.
She sighed and picked up her bag from the floor, then descended the stairs to the empty lobby. Only a few minutes had passed, but she found herself scanning the windows in the front of the building, searching for Ben.
She checked her watch. Ten to six.
Was this a bad idea? Yes. No. Yes.
“I have no idea,” she muttered to herself.
“No idea about what?”
She whirled around to see Katie and Beatrice walking toward her. She’d been so focused on Ben she hadn’t realized anyone had come down in the elevator. And now the younger women probably thought she was crazy, talking to herself.
“Just thinking about my assignment,” she lied, waving her hand in front of her as though to say it didn’t matter.
Katie scanned the lobby. “Did you see Officer Crewes leave yet?”
Nina tried not to blush. “Yeah, he headed out a few minutes ago.” She debated whether to tell them he was going to be back any minute now, but decided against it. If he happened to show up while they were still here, it still wasn’t anyone else’s business but hers and Ben’s.
Speak of the devil.
She saw him run past the windows and step into the revolving door, pushing it with enough force to cause a small wind to stir in the lobby, and at the sight of him she bit back a sigh. He looked good enough to eat. He’d changed into a heavy cable-knit moss-colored sweater and dark jeans, and he carried a black jacket over one arm.
She heard Katie gasp, and then Beatrice mumbled, “I already know how this is going to play out, Katie. We may as well go now so we can have a few extra minutes to drink ourselves stupid.”
Nina grinned. She liked Beatrice. The photographer was a little reserved, but once she loosened up she could be pretty funny and was genuinely nice to boot.
Ben approached the three women. “Hi, ladies.”
Katie sighed.
Beatrice yanked on Katie’s arm and pulled her toward the front doors. “Good to see you again, Officer Crewes. Sorry to be rude, but we’re in a hurry. Come on, Katie.”
The girls shoved themselves together into one of the revolving door compartments and began pushing their way out, but not before Nina heard Katie protest, “But I wanted to stand there and stare at him some more!”
This time, Nina and Ben both laughed.
“Looks like you’ve got a fan club.” She stood completely still, looking up at him.
He grinned. “As much as I like the idea of a whole club cheering me on, I’m really only interested in making one particular woman scream my name.”
She was tempted to suggest they skip dinner after all and get straight to more sex, but she managed to hold back. She needed to know whether the fantasy of him through the years had been played up to the point of impossibility.
He took her bag from her shoulder, slinging it on to his own, then moved to stand next to her and offered her his arm. “Ready?”
She giggled at the sight of this big, tough man toting a cherry-red laptop bag. She placed her hand through the crook of his arm and squeezed his biceps. Wow, he feels good.
They headed out of the building and he guided her up the street. “Italian okay?”
She nodded. “I love Italian. I’m part Italian, in fact. On my mom’s side.”
They turned at the top of the street and he pulled her a bit closer to avoid another pedestrian. She loved the feel of his body next to hers.
“Are you really?” He looked down at her. “You don’t look particularly Italian.”
She nodded. “It’s true. But it was only my great-grandparents who were from Italy, so I have a lot of other things in my ancestry, as well. I do know how to make an amazing homemade Bolognese, though.”
He used his free hand to clutch at his heart in mock surprise. “You know how to shoot and cook? You’re killing me, woman,” he teased. “But I heard your mom is from South America. Is that right?”
At the mention of her mother, she briefly stumbled, but he pulled her up, keeping her steady with his arm. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. Yes, my mom is from Argentina. Was, I mean. She died.”
“I heard,” he said, his voice full of sympathy.
He had?
So he knew a lot more about her already than she knew about him.
She nodded. “It’s all right. It’s been a long time. She and my dad met and got married when he was stationed down there for a year. But I have to admit, I’m surprised you know so much about me, seeing as I only met you face-to-face yesterday.”
She felt his muscle flex under her arm at those words, but couldn’t figure out whether it had been involuntary or something she said. They turned again, and she could see a sign ahead for Trattoria Due Figli.
“Actually, one of the guys I work with, who was at the bar last night, told me. I guess his sister went to school with you, and your dads grew up together. Small world.”
She scanned her memory of the guys at the bar, trying to figure out which one he was talking about, but came up with nothing. Then again, she hadn’t paid much attention to the other guys la
st night. She had been so focused on Ben.
Hearing he had been talking with his friends about her, and about her dad, should have made her upset, or at least uncomfortable. But all she felt was a sort of giddy pride.
You’re trying to get to know this guy so you can be sure he’s not right for you, remember?
“I didn’t recognize anyone last night. Who was this guy’s sister?”
They reached the restaurant and he pulled the door open for her. “Kelly Davis,” he replied as she walked past.
Kelly. Of course. Her dad had been a police officer. She had gotten pregnant and dropped out of high school in their junior year. Nina remembered Kelly as being impossibly gorgeous, with long black hair that shimmered in the sun and flipped around her toned, lean body during her cheer practices. Kelly’s boyfriend had been on the football team, and they’d been the perfect, most popular couple. Nina would sometimes cover the football team and cheerleaders for the school newspaper and she used to secretly sigh over how romantic they were together.
It had been shocking for the entire student body when Kelly had gotten pregnant and kept the baby. Her boyfriend, whose name Nina couldn’t remember anymore, had dumped Kelly within weeks and started dating a new girl.
Nina looked up at Ben as the door closed behind them and a short, stocky bald man with a thick black moustache came forward to seat the pair.
“How is she?” she asked, just before the man shouted out in a strong Italian accent, “Officer Ben, it is an honor!” The small man grabbed Ben in a hug and gave him a kiss on each cheek, then stepped back and clapped his hands on Ben’s upper arms.
She tried not to laugh at this boisterous little man, but the mirth bubbled out. He turned to her, his dark eyes twinkling, and asked, “And who is this bella donna?”
“She’s mine, Carlo.” Ben laughed. “And her name is Nina.”
Carlo kissed his fingertips in a stereotypical passionate Italian way, but he did it so naturally she couldn’t help but be charmed.
“What, I don’t get kisses?” she teased.
Carlo grinned and looked at Ben, who nodded, then Carlo grabbed her face and smacked two loud kisses on her cheeks. Carlo smelled of heavy cologne, but she liked it. The strong, musky scent suited him. And she found it cute that Carlo had nonverbally asked Ben’s permission to touch her. As though she belonged to him.
It felt…nice.
Who was she kidding? It felt amazing. She’d grown so accustomed to not getting too attached, first because of her father’s risky job and later because she was always on the move. To belong to someone, even for the span of a few hours, was surprisingly…comforting.
Carlo put his hand to his chest as he moved away. “Now I can die a happy man. But first, I will seat you.”
Nina and Ben both chuckled and followed Carlo to a table in the corner of the restaurant. Even at this relatively early hour, the place was bustling with diners, most of them in suits. But the corner table was more secluded, the overhead lighting dimmer here.
Carlo held her chair, and after they were both seated, he handed them their menus with a flourish.
“Enjoy your meal.” He bowed himself away, and she turned to Ben with a smile.
“He’s a character.”
Ben nodded. “And it’s not even an act. He’s like that all the time. Davis is friends with his two sons—the restaurant is named in honor of them—and I’ve been over to Carlo’s house on occasion. That’s his normal personality.”
A waiter appeared, filling their water glasses and rattling off the night’s specials. Neither of them had even opened their menus, but she didn’t feel in any rush to order. After last night, she’d asked the helper to stay with Dad again tonight, realizing it was going to be much more difficult than she thought if she had to care for him completely alone. She’d have to look into someone who could take the second shift on a regular basis.
She didn’t realize she was frowning, thinking about her dad’s situation, until Ben reached over and took her hand. “Hey.” He massaged her fingers. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Sorry, my mind wandered.”
“I’ll try to channel Carlo and be more entertaining.”
He was smiling, but she still grimaced. “I’m sorry. It’s not you. I—” She took a deep breath. May as well tell him, if you’re trying to poke at all the weak points tonight. “Did Davis tell you why I came back to Greenbriar?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think he even knows. All he told me was your dad was Army Military Police and finally decided to retire.”
She nodded. “That’s true, sort of. My dad did retire, but not voluntarily.”
He raised an eyebrow, and she hastened to clarify. “No, he didn’t do anything wrong. He retired when they discharged him because he was no longer mentally sound. He was struck by flying debris after an explosion hit a convoy he was traveling in while stationed in Afghanistan. It did something to his head, and he lost a lot of memory and basic function.”
She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. “He was in the hospital for a couple of weeks and slowly regained all of his motor function, but his memory still hasn’t caught up. It took those two weeks for them to locate me in Venezuela, where I was working on a documentary about life under the rule of Hugo Chavez.”
She looked at Ben, who was listening patiently, his brow furrowed. “They sent him home because he couldn’t do his job anymore. He doesn’t have a good relationship with any of his family, even though they still live around here, and I am his daughter. So I handed over the documentary to a friend of mine and came back to take care of him until hopefully his memory returns and he can live on his own.” She dropped her gaze to her hand, still nestled in Ben’s. “But he doesn’t even know who I am.”
She grew quiet, watching Ben’s thumb stroke over her fingers. After a while, he tugged her hand gently, and she looked up into his eyes.
“Nina…I’m not sure what to say, except to tell you I’m pretty certain there’s at least a part of him that knows you. Take it from someone who has thought of you constantly for the past three years after merely hearing your voice. You’re impossible to forget.”
Chapter Eleven
Ben wasn’t sure what had made Nina want to have dinner with him, but he wasn’t going to complain. He was pretty sure there was something more than hunger behind it, though he knew from negotiating all kinds of delicate situations that it would do more harm to come right out and ask her.
But he’d paid attention while they talked, watching her face and body as she spoke, listening to the words she chose, and trying to understand what was behind this seemingly abrupt change of heart.
Because he didn’t believe she had all of a sudden decided to try her hand at a relationship with him. He already knew she was too strong-willed to simply give in.
He could tell she recognized there was something special between them, though. On the walk over, when she had referred to their first face-to-face meeting, emphasizing those words, he also heard what she hadn’t said. That their meeting in the hospital counted for something with her. It had meant something.
He hoped so, anyway. He hoped he wasn’t reading too much into it simply because he wanted her so badly. He was having a hard time not thinking about what she was wearing—and not wearing—under her skirt, and it was possible the lust fog in his brain was obscuring his reality.
And then, when she’d told him about her dad, he’d been overwhelmed for her. He had a lot of questions, but she’d changed the subject right away and he’d let it go.
They talked for more than two hours. She told him how she had gotten into reporting, and how the world opened up when she started traveling, and he shared how he had moved out here from California, but his parents, brother and sister were still on the other coast, and life out here had been lonely.
By the time the check a
rrived, he was shocked to realize it was after eight o’clock, and the restaurant’s usual post-corporate crowd had thinned considerably.
He saw her hand reach for the bill, but he placed his over hers as she moved to pick up the piece of paper. He heard her gasp quietly, the sound of arousal shooting through him in an instant. He was suddenly very aware of how small and delicate her hand felt under his, and the heat between their skin was intoxicating.
He wanted her again. Still. Always. After an evening of getting to know her better, he wanted her more than before, if such a thing was even possible.
“I’m the one who invited you out tonight, Ben. It’s only fair I should pay.”
Ha. No way was he going to let a woman buy him dinner—whether they ended up back at his place again or not. He had to break her of this habit: first the offer of a drink last night, now dinner. He got that she was independent, and that was a part of her he respected a great deal. But…no.
He raised a brow, his hand still covering hers. “Why did you suggest I take you out for dinner?”
She blushed, probably reacting to his words. He knew she hadn’t been angling for him to buy her meal, but he disliked the idea she’d felt obligated to pick up the check, simply because she’d made a suggestion he’d benefitted from.
And he had benefitted. He’d enjoyed their time together. It beat hanging out with the same guys every night, or going home to a lonely apartment and a makeshift dinner. And it meant getting to know her better.
She slid her hand away from his. “Very well, I concede. Thank you for treating me to dinner.”
He placed the bill next to him and pulled out some cash from his wallet, looking away from her for a mere second as he counted it out and left it in the tray.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he said casually. He was smiling, trying not to make her tense up, but he wasn’t going to let this one go like when she’d been talking about her father.
