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I’m staying at Ben’s house for the entire weekend, just me and him. From Saturday morning after he drops Laila off at Emily’s all the way until Sunday night. We’re even going to have Sunday dinner together, all four of us.
Every time I think about it, little flutters of happiness take flight in my chest. Tiny butterflies zipping around, filling me with joy. I love spending time with Ben any time, whether it’s a quick lunch in my office or a few hours after dinner. But the entire weekend with Ben, and no interruptions?
I’m so excited. We’re going to have a lazy afternoon, watching movies and snuggling. Then a romantic evening—Ben won’t tell me what he has planned, but I’m sure it’ll be great. And after that, or maybe even before…
Hopefully sex. Or if I’m honest about my feelings for Ben, making love.
I’ve been more than ready to take that last step in our relationship, but circumstances haven’t exactly made it easy. But I’m certain I want to, just as I’m certain about my growing feelings for him.
The way I feel about Ben is so much more than caring or affection. It’s more than I’ve felt for any man before. It’s all-encompassing. When I’m with him, when I even think about him, I feel full. Happy. Everything just feels right.
So, yeah. I think it’s safe to say I’m falling in love with him.
I feel like a teenager waiting to be picked up for her first date. My eyes keep darting over to my phone, just in case the security camera at my door went off, and I somehow didn’t notice it. I’ve had my bag packed since last night, and I’ve been sitting on my couch staring at the same page in my book for the last two hours.
Which should really prove how much I’m anticipating my weekend with Ben, because it’s a new release from my favorite author.
Well. One of them. I can’t choose just one. Can anyone?
Finally, finally, my phone buzzes with the long-awaited alert. Ben’s face shows up on the screen, grinning at me. I leap up from the couch, pausing to give Daisy one last pat on the head. “Be good,” I tell her sternly. “I left lots of extra food. Don’t make a mess.”
As soon as I open the door—it takes a minute, I have three different locks now—he pulls me into his arms. Before I can even say hello, he’s kissing me like he hasn’t seen me in weeks, instead of the twelve hours since I left his house last night.
When he finally pulls away, his gaze is both soft and hungry. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” I squeeze Ben hard, an ordinary hug not enough. Not when I feel this desperate need to be close to him. “I can’t wait for today.”
“Me neither.” He presses a kiss to my crown before pulling back to look at me. “Are you ready to go? Is Daisy all set?”
Daisy hears her name and glances over from her spot on the couch, her ears perked up with interest. Once she realizes I’m not going to give her any treats, she puts her head down and goes back to ignoring me. “Yes. She has plenty of extra food and water, and I gave her some extra attention this morning.”
Ben glances to the side of the door and spots my duffel bag on the floor. “Is this all you’re bringing?”
Nodding, I answer, “That’s it.”
I lean over to grab it, but Ben scoops it up quickly. Looping his free arm around my waist, he gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go, sweetheart. I have lots of things planned for today, and I can’t wait to get started.”
There’s a little glint in his eyes, a tiny quirk of his lips that makes me think he has more planned than he told me about. “Ben. What did you plan?”
He raises his eyebrows at me, his lips twitching. “You’ll see.”
“Ben,” I scold as he takes the keys and locks up behind us. “I hope you didn’t buy me anything else. You’ve gotten me too much already.”
“Not possible, Thea.” Finishing up with the last lock, Ben pockets the keys and wraps his arm around me again. “I love finding things that will make you happy.”
At his earnest expression, my heart does a little flip. “You make me happy, Ben. You don’t need to do anything else.”
It’s the absolute truth.
All the little gifts and surprises—the flowers, cute little stuffed animals, enough candy for an army, the signed copy of a book by one of my favorite authors—are all wonderful. But his expression when he gives them to me is the best part. That’s the part that really shows how much he cares about me. How much it means to him to make me happy.
Which is why I have my own surprise for him. It was an impulse buy last week when I was lying awake at three A.M. instead of sleeping. Not a gift, exactly, but something I really hope he’ll enjoy.
I might faint from nervousness giving it to him, but if he reacts how I’m hoping he will…
Well. If he doesn’t, I’ll have to move to Alaska to live in the bush. Surrounded by woods and wild animals and no other humans for miles.
I’m so wrapped up in my thoughts, I don’t realize we’re at Ben’s house until he’s pulling into the garage. Once he shuts off the car, he says, “So, I was thinking we would have brunch first. I bought a ton of food—I couldn’t decide what to make—but we can save the rest for tomorrow.”
