Eventually I say, “I’m pitching Richard Vane Monday. His new chain of couples-only retreats.”
Ben chuckles. “You’ll size up his business, find all the details no one—even him—sees, and show him exactly why he’s been lost without you.”
I warm at the praise.
I’m good at what I do, and my staff is, too. But sometimes when I’m trying something outside my comfort zone, like landing a huge client, it helps to hear it from another person I admire.
“Watch out. I’ve got your wing.”
“On it.” I focus on the game for a few minutes before things settle in and my awareness returns to the room. “I liked the picture of Jet. Was that at LAX?”
“On the BMW sailboat at the Oracle campus. You have no idea what I had to do to get him there.”
He’s been sending me pics of the ceramic dog on every trip since I got it for him.
“See how he’s grown on you? When I presented him to you as your MBA graduation gift, you weren’t impressed,” I say.
“You got him at a yard sale.”
“The best things come from yard sales. Besides, you said you wanted a private jet one day.”
“Uh-huh. And do you remember what you told me?” I bite my cheek and he continues. “You said, and I quote, ‘You don’t need a hunk of flying steel, you need something to teach you how to love. But it would be irresponsible of me to get you a real dog, so I got you this.’”
Ben curses at the screen as sudden fire comes in from an enemy. “I got hit. Keep going.”
His avatar falls to the ground, wounded. I know it’s not really Ben, but I hate the sight of him lying there. “I’ll heal you. Don’t move.”
“That’s not the plan. Just go.”
I take a hit on the screen. More fire comes in.
“D, just go.”
The exasperation in his tone doesn’t stop me. I’m determined to heal him, until...
I die, then we’re both toast.
“Why can’t you leave me?”
I set down the controller and turn toward him, leaning an elbow on the seat of the couch. “Because I can’t,” I say simply.
Ben sets down his controller and reaches for his glass, his strong arms flexing. He narrows his dark eyes at me over the rim as he takes a sip. “You’re too good for me,” he says when he’s done.
That’s not true. Not even close.
“Why did you miss your flight?” I ask, propping my head in my hand.
“There was a surprise call notifying me that I’m a finalist for a big venture award next month. It hasn’t been announced publicly, but Xavier’s on the awards committee. He wants to talk tomorrow morning.”
“It’s a big deal,” I say, reading between the lines. The senior partner at the prominent venture firm calls the big shots, but my friend is a rising star. His first few years at the company, the investments he backed had more than twice the returns of anyone else's.
“Rumor is Xavier is retiring in a couple of years. This award would be a big step toward being named his successor. Not only would I decide on deals, I’d get to influence the venture landscape in a whole new way.”
“That’s great, Benji.”
His eyes crinkle at the corners, a glint of satisfaction in them as he tugs on his hair. “It is.”
There’s no cockiness in it, though he’s more than capable of it. But when it’s the two of us, his walls come down. He’s worked hard to get where he is, and he deserves the rewards.
I’m so damned proud.
On impulse, I lean in and hug him.
With half a second’s hesitation, he draws me against him.
I might’ve initiated, but now it’s his strong body surrounding me. His heartbeat is a slow, steady rhythm against mine. The light stubble coming in along his jaw tickles my cheek.
I shut my eyes and breathe him in. “What did your mom say when you told her about the award?”
Ben stiffens against me, his shoulders tightening beneath my arms. “I haven’t.”
He pulls back the next second before rising to head for the kitchen.
Startled, I watch him go and turn over the brusque response.
He returns a moment later with the tequila bottle and pours another glass for each of us before he sits again. “I’ve been trying to reach her for three days, but she’s gone AWOL.”
His voice isn’t as crisp as it was before, and a ripple of worry runs through my stomach.
“What do you think happened?”
I know every line of his hard jaw, his firm lips that default to serious but curve in a heartbeat, the strong nose and dark brows. His eyes range from the color of good whisky to the color of earth.
Right now, they’re dark with emotion.
“I’m trying not to think,” he says.
My heart aches.
His mom was a soap star in LA who got her break when Ben and his brother were little. Ben’s dad was in and out of their lives, but when Ben’s dad finally took all his things and most of the family’s money and left when we were in college, it broke Ben’s mom. He was left picking up the pieces.
“We’ll find her,” I say.
Ben leans in, grabbing a piece of my hair and twisting it around his fingers. “I don't know what the fuck I'd do without you.”
I do. Ben would still be Ben, and I’d be the one left adrift.
The thought comes from nowhere.
I tuck my hair behind my ear, an excuse to pull away from the careless touch that has heat stirring between my thighs.
But he goes on before I can come up with a response.
“Nice dress. Is it cold in here?”
It takes me a second to realize his gaze has fallen to my chest. My nipples are sticking through the fabric.
“You flew home and showed up at my apartment so you could criticize my boobs?”
“I’ve been cooped up with a bunch of dudes for a week. There was no criticism.” The laughter in his voice doesn’t make it better. “I can return the favor.”
He’s lifting his T-shirt before I can protest.
“Why do men think the response to being caught checking out yours is showing you theirs? Keep it for your dating profile. I’m saving myself for Henry Cavill and…” My traitorous gaze locks on the grooves of his abs. “You’ve been working out.”
He tosses his head back and laughs, a warm sound that vibrates along my nerve endings. “I’m offended you just noticed. I was named the fourth sexiest bachelor in Manhattan this year. The associates at work made sure to bring me a print copy of the magazine.”
Let’s be clear—a ripped body does not make a perfect boyfriend, but it’s natural to stare a little longer.
When a man is already intelligent, protective, funny, confident and a little infuriating and he also possesses those hard planes and grooves... it’s downright unfair.
“I didn’t think you were coming tonight,” I say at last. “I was going to meet someone. A Wall Street guy I met at a charity event. Rena and Kendall were practically getting us a hotel room.”
Ben’s gaze sharpens as I reach for my glass. “I don’t want some loser touching you.”
I arch a brow. “This isn’t a veto you get with your partners. I’m not an investment.”