90 Days (Prairie Town Book 2) (10 page)

     If only it was actually a date…

     “Yeah, yeah.  You’re just keeping it to yourself.  I can respect that.” Jeb nodded and glanced down at his watch. “Shit.  I have to go.”

     “Where are you going?” Callum asked.

     “Uh…” Jeb glanced back and forth between the two of them, as if he was trying to come up with a reply, and then he shrugged.  “Just got some stuff to do, man.  I’ll call you later.  Try to think of something you guys want to do tonight, okay?”

     “Okay…” Callum seemed suspicious, but after Jeb left the room, he must have brushed it off because he was already pulling his phone out. Benji assumed he was texting Lydia.

     “Well, I guess that’s that, huh?” He asked, attempting to make conversation.

     “Huh?” Callum glanced up from his phone and blinked.  “Oh, yeah.  I’m probably going to head out, too.  I think Lydia wanted to sample some cupcakes today.”

     “Cupcakes.” Benji groaned as his stomach growled.  “Sample some for me.”

     “Sure.  Maybe I can bring one back for you?”

     “Nah, man.  That’s fine.  I’ll pick something up on the way home.”

   
And maybe I can convince Laney to have lunch with me.

     His pulse quickened at the thought.  Would she?

     “All right. Well, I’m out of here then.  See you tonight?”

     “Yeah.  Sounds great.  Have fun with Lydia.”

     “I will.  I always do.” Callum grinned and it was easy to see how sincere he was about that statement.

     Again, Benji was grateful his best friend had found someone who loved her so much.

    
One day,
he affirmed as he gathered his things and followed Callum out. 
One day.

     After stopping at the local diner and getting two orders of French fries and two cheeseburgers, he pulled into the parking lot of the complex and got out.  Gripping the bag filled with deliciousness in one hand and his gym bag in the other, he made his way inside and took the stairs, all the while thinking about Laney.

     He couldn’t get her out of his mind.  Even though he hadn’t seen her too much since his arrival in Prairie Town, he still clung to the hope that things would work out between them.

     And even though Jeb and Callum had no idea how he felt about her, Lydia knew all too well—she had for a while—and she had asked him to take things slow.

     This was slow, right?  Bringing her some lunch was nothing more than a friendly gesture.  Checking in on a friend wasn’t anything bad, was it?

     “Nope.” He muttered beneath his breath, carefully lifting the strap of his gym bag onto his shoulder before knocking on her door.

     Listening closely, he heard someone walking in the apartment and he licked his lips, reminding his body to remain calm.

   
Don’t make a fool of yourself.  Just be cool.

     But that was easier said than done when the door opened up and Laney appeared, wearing nothing but a pink towel around her body with damp curls framing her perfect face.  Steam was still rising from her skin.  Had she literally just gotten out of the shower?

   
Oh, fuck.
  Whatever greeting he’d rehearsed on the way up was quickly forgotten, the words lodged in his throat as he stared at her like a deer caught in headlights.

     “Hi, Benji.” She said in that ever so sweet voice of hers.  “Have you been standing here for long?  I was in the shower.”

     “N-no.” He finally managed to say.  “I just got here.  I um…God, I’m sorry, Laney.  I thought you might like some lunch, but I should have called ahead.  I wasn’t thinking.”

     Hell, he still wasn’t thinking.  He was far from thinking as his eyes wandered over the soft pink fabric covering her breasts, zeroing in on her cleavage.  Dirty and totally inappropriate thoughts flooded his mind as he bit his tongue and swallowed hard.

     His mouth practically watered for just one taste of her skin.

     “Would you like to come in?”

    
Yes.

     Oh, he wanted to come in all right.  He wanted to rip that towel off her body and put his mouth everywhere.  He wanted to hear her moan as he put his tongue ring to good use.  He wanted to hear her beg as he kept going even when she became too sensitive.  He wanted to—

     “Benji?  Did you hear me?”

     His eyes snapped back up to her face and the blush on her cheeks said she’d definitely caught him looking—gawking was more like it.  He was being an absolute pig and he knew it.

   
Sorry, not sorry.

     Okay, he was a little sorry, but holy shit.  How could a man not stare when the epitome of perfection was placed before him?

     “Yes.  Please.  Thank you.” He cleared his throat and stepped inside, eyes wandering everywhere but back to her.  The last thing he needed to do was make her feel uncomfortable.

    
I’m an asshole.

     “Ags isn’t hungry?” She asked as she closed the door and moved into the kitchen.  Clutching the towel around herself with one hand, she opened the fridge door and pulled out a pitcher of lemonade, glancing at him.

     “Ags is at work.”

     “Oh, right.  And how is the job working out?”

     “Tula is a great employer.  Ags appreciates the hours—and the money.  I’m glad she gave her…uh, him a chance.”

     Agnes was back, at least for a little while.  Benji didn’t mind as long as his friend was okay.  That’s all that mattered to him, really.  Knowing his friends were content was one of the most important things that determined whether his days would be good or bad.  And he felt the same way about Laney now.  

     “Ah.  Agnes.” Laney smiled, pouring them each a glass.  “I thought about seeing if he was available for a massage last night, but then I realized I was being ridiculous.  If anybody needs a good rubdown these days, it’s probably Lydia.  She’s freaking out about the wedding.”

     “I know she is.  Why didn’t you call? Agnes wouldn’t have minded.”

     He really wanted to ask what had her so worked up.  Hell, he wanted to know everything.  Yes, she was beautiful and he wanted to do wicked things to her, but he also wanted her to be okay.  If there was anything he could do to help her, he wanted to.

     “I don’t like bothering people.” She replied sheepishly, nodding towards the table.  “Come sit.  Let’s see what you’ve got.”

     “Cheeseburgers and fries.  I don’t know if you even like that kind of thing, but—”

     “Are you kidding? I love cheeseburgers.” She smiled.  A real, genuine smile and that gave Benji hope.  If she was still capable of smiling, then there was a chance she’d be okay.

     Then again, he knew from past experience that people could fake smiles and still be falling apart on the inside.

    
I’ll glue her back together.
 

     “Are you excited about starting your new job?”

     “Oh, yeah.” He nodded enthusiastically.

     Tula had really come through for both he and Ags when she heard they were looking for jobs before they could move to Prairie Town.  Ags was now her personal masseuse and Benji, well, he would get the privilege of being the first employee at her brand spanking new book store,
Bookleberry Finn’s
, opening smack dab in the middle of Prairie Town.

     “That’s wonderful.  Truly, it is. I can’t wait to see what she puts in there.  It’s for the lesser-known authors, right?  Indies, I think?”

     “Yeah. I reckon that’s how she started out before getting picked up by a big name publisher.  She said it’s her way of giving back.”

     “That’s awesome.  I love to read.” Laney gave him a warm smile and then gasped. “I should probably put on some clothes.” She laughed as he set down and began sorting through the food.  “I almost forgot I was naked under here.”

     Benji honestly didn’t mind the fact. 

     At all.

     “Sure.” He smiled, forcing his eyes to remain on her face.  “I’ll just wait right here.”

     “Okay.” She bit her lip and blushed.  “I’ll hurry back.  Promise.”

    
And I’ll behave.  Promise.
  He thought, watching as she rushed into her bedroom.

    “Oh, God.” He groaned under his breath when her door closed.  “Please don’t let me fuck this up.”

----------

Laney

     “Oh, God.” She whispered as she shut her door and leaned against it.  Clutching the towel tightly between her hands, she allowed a breath of relief to escape her lungs and closed her eyes.

     What kind of idiot forgot they were wearing a towel?

    
The kind who loses the ability to think when they’re in the presence of a smoking hot guy.

     The visit from Benji was totally unexpected.  Lydia had only been gone for a few minutes—out with Callum to do wedding stuff again—and Laney had seized the opportunity to take a shower, sing loudly while taking said shower, and was looking forward to running about in nothing more than her birthday suit when the knock sounded.

     The fact he looked so devastatingly handsome in a vest definitely did not help matters.

     “Shit.”

     Quickly rummaging through her clean clothes to find something decent to wear, she wondered briefly about what could possibly happen while they were alone.

     Her mind wandered to dark, erotic places.

    
No!  I will not think about such things.  He’s just being nice.

     It really was sweet of him to bring her food, but a part of her wondered if Lydia had put him up to it.  She appreciated her sister’s efforts to cheer her up more than she’d ever know, but she didn’t want sympathy.

    
But what if he really just wants to have lunch with me?

     Oh, now that was an exciting thought.  Butterflies filled her stomach and she glanced at herself in the mirror.  Yep, her cheeks were still red.  Why did she always have to act like a schoolgirl around him?

     “Get it together, McIntosh.” She scowled, quickly getting dressed.  “It’s just lunch.  That’s it.  Nothing more.”

     And that’s exactly what she kept telling herself while they were eating.  It was difficult to keep from staring at him.  Benji was a really attractive guy with beautiful big blue eyes and an irresistible dimple on his left cheek that popped up every time he smiled.  His face was ridiculous in the best way possible.

     It was
really
hard not to stare.

     “So, how are things at work?” He asked as he crumpled up the wrapper from his burger and tossed it into the trashcan a few feet away.

     “Honestly? I hate it.”

     “Really?  I thought you liked your job at the bank.”

     “I do.” She sighed. “It’s just…it’s complicated.  I guess I don’t
really
hate it, I just really don’t like it right now.”

     “I get what you mean.  I was pretty bipolar about my job, too.”

     She stiffened when he said the word ‘bipolar’ and her eyes widened slightly.  Surely he hadn’t meant it the way she was taking it.  Her brain was being stupid.  Ugh.

     But Benji must’ve realized his mistake and her paranoia over people discovering the real her worsened when he stumbled over a quick apology.

     “Laney, I’m sorry.  That was a terrible word choice.  I just meant there were times when I hated my job and other times when I really loved it.”

     “It’s fine, really.” She tried to laugh it off as she tucked some semi-damp hair behind her ear.  “I think everybody can be bipolar about work.  It’s no big deal.”

     “It’s a big deal to me.” He said quietly, sliding his hand across the table and resting it atop hers.

     The warmth of his fingers touching her knuckles caused little sparks of energy to jolt straight up her arm.  Her heart wanted to explode; her stomach flooded with butterflies.

     Damn it!

     “Laney?”

     Slowly, very slowly, she gazed at him and the intensity of his gaze made her want to melt right then and there.  She wasn’t sure a guy had ever looked at her like that before.

     “I really am sorry.  Whatever you’re thinking… it’s not true, okay?”

     What was she thinking, exactly?

     Her mind was always a whirlwind of thoughts and it rarely slowed down.  She supposed that’s why it was so hard to fall asleep at night; too many thoughts.  Too many what-ifs.  Too many regrets, and too many worries. 

     At that very moment in time, however, she was only thinking about how badly she wanted to kiss him.  Having feelings for her sister’s best friend had been confusing her for months and secretly thrilling her simultaneously.

     Benji was the leading man in all of her fantasies.

     She wasn’t supposed to like him.

     But she did. God, she did.

    
I don’t even deserve somebody like him.

     “Laney?”

     His voice brought her back to reality and she realized he was closer.  When had he moved closer?  She hadn’t even heard his chair scoot across the floor, yet here he was, right beside her.  The delicious scent of his cologne invaded her nostrils and it frazzled her senses.