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She smiled and helped him, tugging slightly until it was straight. The small, kind gesture made his throat tighten and his pants shrink. “You’re welcome. Turns out, once you relax, you’re actually a cool guy.”
“Because I was with you,” he said, forcing himself to stand still as she smoothed his jacket, even though every instinct within him screamed that he should grab her, kiss her, and show her why their relationship would be so much more enjoyable if they let loose a little bit more, this time without those strict rules of hers. “I had fun.”
“Me, too,” she said softly. So softly he almost missed it. “Benjamin.”
They fell silent, staring, almost as if they measured one another. The tension between them was impossible to ignore. Heart pounding, he reached out and ran his thumb over the curve of her chin, getting another hit of the drug that was Maggie Donovan. She shivered, gripping his jacket with a sigh. “You’re so fucking unique and beautiful that I’m not even sure what to say to you half the damn time.”
His words seemed to yank her from some sort of trance—the same trance he’d been stuck in. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud…but even so, it was true. She was gorgeous, inside and out.
In his world, that was as rare as the Hope Diamond.
“You can say whatever you want, Benjamin.” Stepping back, she tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a shy smile. “I’ll see you at the office Monday?”
“Yes. Of course.” He shoved his trembling hands into his pockets and inclined his head. “I’ll leave once I see you turn the light on, so I know you’re safely inside.”
She nodded and headed up the stairs, her hips swinging naturally. As soon as the light turned on, she pushed the curtain aside and waved at him. He nodded back, and slid inside his town car. After he closed the door, the driver pulled away.
No sooner had he cleared the curb, than his phone rang. When he saw who it was, he stiffened. He’d called his brother that morning, but hadn’t gotten a hold of him. Apparently that was changing now. “Andrew. Thanks for calling me back.”
“No problem,” his brother’s deep voice said through the line. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. What makes you think something’s wrong?”
Andrew paused. “Well, you called me.”
“Yeah?”
“You never call unless something’s wrong.”
While true, it still hurt to hear. When had he become such a recluse that he forgot to pick up the damn phone and call his brother? “That’s not true. I called you last week.”
“For my birthday?” Andrew laughed. “Yeah, that doesn’t count, Ben.”
Benjamin winced, because he was right. “Sorry. Life’s been busy.”
“I hear you’ve been working constantly.” He paused. “I also heard you have a new woman in the picture. One Mother doesn’t approve of.”
“Big shocker there.”
Andrew laughed. “Who is she?”
“My lead researcher. We’re…” He hesitated because he’d never lied to his brother before. “We’re engaged, actually.”
“Whoa! Another one bites the dust, huh?”
He rubbed his scalp. “Yeah. Something like that.”
“That’s great.” Andrew exclaimed. Thing was, he actually sounded sincere. “When do I get to meet her?”
“She’ll be at the mayor’s dinner with me.”
“Excellent.” Andrew sighed. “Confirmed bachelor, Benjamin Gale the third, finally taken down by a woman. I can see the headlines now.”
“Yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m dreading them already.”
Andrew laughed. “I’m not.”
Benjamin took a second and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Hey, did Mother tell you about the motion she wants to put forward?”
