Her brow popped. “Didn’t I make that clear?” She pushed on my chest. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“I won’t. And yes, to both another lunch before I go, and when I get back, but I have another proposal.” I cupped the side of her neck, my finger slipping beneath her hair. “Why don’t you come to LA with me? I fly out Thursday, but you could come Friday after work, and we’ll return Sunday morning.”
Her mouth parted in anO. “I would love that, but Katty…”
“Aunt Barb and Kylie have her covered.” I tugged her closer, so we were chest to chest. “I have an afternoon game, so we’ll have all Saturday night to celebrate your birthday right.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “You planned this for me with Aunt Barb—a birthday trip?”
“Yeah, baby. I got on the phone with Aunt Barb and sorted it. It was scary, but I conquered my fears. That’s how much this means to me. Let me celebrate you in style.”
She nodded vigorously. “Yes. Yes, Ben. I would love to go to LA with you.”
Her whole face lit up. For a second, I forgot my own name. Or how to speak. Or that gravity existed. “We’re gonna have so much fun,” I murmured, my thumb brushing her jaw, trying to play it cool when, internally, I was a fireworks display and cardiac event rolled into one.
I wanted to kiss her and devour her all over again. But she had work, and I had restraint. Barely. Like…speck of dust on a window thin.
“Come on, Mazzy-mazz.” I brushed a kiss to her temple. Anything more would’ve been a disaster for us both. “Let’s get you back before Miranda hunts me for sport.”
She laughed as she slid off my lap, straightening her dress. “See you tonight?”
“With bells on.”
She planted a lightning-fast kiss on my cheek and headed out the door with a little wave.
I shut it behind her, leaned my forehead against the wood, and let out a breath that had been stuck in my lungs since she’d climbed into my lap.
I was in trouble.
Real trouble.
The thing about me, though: I’d never seen trouble I didn’t want to dive right into. Mazzy Belle was no exception.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Mazzy
I’dneverbeenawayfrom Katty overnight. I worried she’d have trouble with me leaving, but I should have known better than that. She and Kylie basically shoved me out the door without a backward glance from Katty while I drove away.
I, on the other hand, had to work a little to get to her level of unbothered. By the time I’d found myself in first class with a glass of champagne, I was there. I should have used the flight to study, but decided to relax instead. It wasn’t a long flight. Plus, it was my birthday weekend. If I’d ever deserved a break, it was now.
A driver was waiting for me at the airport in LA. Ben had wanted to be there but had a meeting with his agent. Even if hehadn’t, traffic was too much of a nightmare for him to make the trek.
I had another glass of champagne in the back of the town car on the way to the hotel. By the time we pulled up to the entrance, my blood was warm and buzzing with anticipation. I hadn’t seen Ben since he left my apartment Wednesday night, and I missed him. I didn’t know how girlfriends or wives of players of other types of sportsball did it. I’d looked it up, and Ben’s rugby schedule was incredibly low-key compared to baseball and hockey players. They must have either gotten used to missing their partners or been able to travel with them.
The driver helped me out of the car, and I headed inside, looking for Ben. There was a line at the desk to check in, and a few rather large men who I assumed were Ben’s teammates milling around, but I didn’t spot him.
“Mazzy! You’re here!”
I turned and smiled. “I am.”
Murphy strode toward me, his arms out. “This is an excellent surprise.” Then he hugged me like we were old friends and not barely more than strangers.
“Hey, you.” I patted his back, trying to conveyjust friendswith every smack. “Have you seen Ben?”
He pulled back, cupping my shoulders as he gave me a long, slow once-over. Then he raised his eyes to mine, and they were filled with appreciation. I normally would have been flattered—Murphy was handsome, and I wasn’t immune to compliments—but I’d worn this dress for Ben. It didn’t feel right for his teammate to appreciate it before he’d gotten the chance.
Murphy’s gaze met mine, and he shot me a flirty grin. “I haven’t, but I can help you hunt him down.”
