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Ari smiles at me, her features softening. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Thea.” She pauses. “Why can’t you fall for him? Is it because he has a daughter?”
“Of course not!” It comes out louder than I intended. Flushing, I glance around the coffee shop, hoping no one heard me.
More quietly, I continue, “No. Laila is great. If things work out with Ben… Well. I wouldn’t mind having a step-daughter. It’s not that. It’s just… I know he went through a bad time with his ex. He hasn’t told me the details, but I mean, she just left Ben and Laila and hasn’t been back since. It’s horrible.”
Ari nods. “I know.”
“So I’m worried that he’ll decide he doesn’t want to take the risk again. Maybe he already knows he doesn’t really want anything serious. What if we keep seeing each other and I fall for him and then he dumps me?”
“Thea.” Ari scoots her chair around the small circular table, an admirable feat considering her big belly. Once she’s next to me, she loops her arm around my shoulders. “You’re worrying too much. And trust me, I understand. But I think you’re creating problems that aren’t there.”
“But—”
“No.” Her voice is firm. “If you’re worried, talk to Ben. Not about everything,” she adds when I open my mouth to argue. “You don’t need to talk long-term yet. But at least find out where he stands with dating. Once you know for sure, you’ll feel better. And I really don’t think you need to worry. From what I’ve heard, Ben is really into you. He’s not going anywhere.”
After a few moments, the tension seeps out of me. “He is really sweet to me. And he wants to play trivia every Wednesday. Plus, he mentioned going to his mom’s for dinner soon.”
“See? It’s just like I said.” My wonderful best friend gives me a reassuring squeeze. “When are you seeing Ben again?”
“Today.” I smile at the thought of it. “We’re meeting for lunch while Laila is over at a friend’s house.”
“Didn’t you just see Ben last night?”
“Yes.”
“Mmhmm.” Her eyes glint with humor. “And you’re worried. Honestly.”
“Stop.” I shake my head at her, my smile widening. “You’re married. You don’t have to worry about this stuff anymore.”
“True.” After a pause, she continues. “I have an idea. Let’s do some shopping before you meet Ben for lunch. There’s that new store down the street; it had some cute stuff in the windows. You can find some new things to wear on your dates.”
I can never say no to shopping. “And maybe I can buy a little something for Ben. And there’s a new book I was thinking of getting for Laila.”
“Perfect. What time are you meeting Ben?”
“Noon.” I glance at my watch. “So I have two hours.”
Ari grabs her purse off the back of her chair and hoists herself out of it. “Plenty of time to buy some cute slash sexy stuff, even with a pregnant woman slowing you down.”
Thank goodness for best friends. I jump up and give her a quick hug. “What would I do without you?”
I ended up wearing one of the new outfits I found with Ari, and I’m glad I did.
It’s a flowy wrap dress in this sunshiny gold color that almost makes me look tan and complements the coppery tones of my hair. The neckline reveals a hint of cleavage, not exactly sexy, but as Ari put it, “It’ll make him think about what he’s not seeing.”
I don’t know if that’s the case, but it seems safe to say Ben liked the dress. As soon as he saw me outside the restaurant, his gaze went all dark and intense, and he just stared at me in silence for a second. Then he swept me into his arms and kissed me until we were both gasping for breath.
Once we came up for air, he stroked my hair and said roughly, “You look incredible, Thea.”
His arousal prodded at my belly, sending a rush of heat to my core. And I was tempted to suggest we forgo lunch and head back to my apartment or his house instead. I could lift my skirt over my hips and straddle his lap, notch his hard length to my center, unbutton his pants and slip my panties aside—
In my thirty-three years, I’ve never felt this kind of desire before.
But we had plans for lunch and I was going to follow Ari’s advice and ask Ben where he stands with everything. Skipping that and moving straight to sex would have been very enjoyable, but definitely wouldn’t ease my worries.
But then I kept chickening out all through lunch and now we’re heading back to the parking lot and I have no more answers than when I started. Anxiety is building inside me, flutters of nervousness and anticipation—and the longer I go without asking, the harder it gets.
“Thea?” Ben gently tugs on my hand, pulling me to a stop. His eyes are concerned as they look down at me. “Are you alright?”
