Page 5 of Hot n Bothered

I sobelle took the wrong moment to take a drink. She choked and spluttered on it as she remembered just how good his kisses were all over.

“You alright?” He asked, handing her a napkin.

“Wrong pipe.” She croaked out wiping her chin. At least her coughing fit would explain her bright red face.

Thankfully the food arrived to distract from how much she now wanted his treats. She chuckled to see him arranging the dishes and napkins to take pictures.

“You and your pictures.” She sneaked one of the squid pieces from his shot.

“Well they did me a favour squeezing us in last minute. If the food’s good, of course I’m going to post about it.”

She bit into her squid with a smile. For all that he looked so stern and scary with his muscles and tattoos, he was really sweet. Her eyes widened at the burst of flavour, he would totally love this.

“Oh my God, you need to try this.” She just about stopped herself from hand feeding him a piece. Instead she speared it with her fork and offered it that way. Much safer.

Except he didn’t take the fork. He leaned forward and ate from it, keeping his eyes locked with hers the entire time. How was that so hot?

“Mmm. What happened to you never sharing seafood?”

She shrugged, blushing yet again. She hated her stupid pale skin right now. “I figured you’d like it, that’s all.”

“You figured right. I may have to steal this dish from you.” Those damn blue eyes twinkling like that melted her insides every time.

“Not a chance. I’m armed and will use deadly force if I have to.”

She brandished her fork at him, laughing when he backed off hands in the air.

“Have you finished your photoshoot? Can I eat now?”

“Almost.” He lifted his phone and caught a few shots of her before she could throw her hands up to block him.

“Stop it. You know I hate pictures of me.”

“You shouldn’t. Are you keeping your purple hair for the holiday or thinking of changing it?” He pushed her plates over to her, finally putting his phone down.

“Why? Prefer your fake girlfriend to have normal hair?” She twisted her mouth.

She loved her hair colours, changing it was a freedom of choice she felt she didn’t have in her life.

It was bad enough it was a bone of contention for her mother and would be brought up constantly during the trip.

But she hadn’t thought that Ben would agree with her.

“No. I prefer my girlfriend to have the hair she likes.” He replied, tucking into his food. “I was just curious as you tend to change out the colour every six months or so. It’s almost been that long with this purple.”

“It has?”

He nodded. “So what colour are you going to next? I think the only colours I haven’t seen you in are pink or yellow.”

“I haven’t done green. Maybe I should try that?”

“You did. Halloween five years ago. You sprayed it green as you were a witch.”

“Oh yes. I completely forgot about that.” She grinned. “It said it was temporary, but that stuff took a good month to wash out. I think I had to dye it again just to get rid of it.”

“Katie and Richie took to calling you Oscar the Grouch if I recall.”

“They did. I suspect Darren did his protective big brother thing on them.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, this is them. You know they latch onto a joke and never let it die. But they stopped after only a few weeks. I think Darren stopped them.”

“It’s nice that you two are close. I’m close with my sister, but you guys are like best friends on top of being brother and sister.”

“Honestly I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

“Are your family really as bad as you’ve said?”

She fell quiet thinking about how it used to be growing up. Her appetite fleeing at the memories, of how she was never good enough. How she was always wrong, all the comments, every little thing she did picked apart and found wanting. And how it was all done for her own good.

“Belle?”

She didn’t look up, instead she pushed her food around her plate.

“I guess you’ll see if you still want to go ahead with this.” She said quietly.

“Of course I do. Now tell me about this book you sent off to these agents. Darren tried to explain it to me, but all I got from him was a kung foo dragon in another land?”

“I swear that man does not listen.” She muttered. “No. Well not exactly.”

“Then tell me exactly what it’s about.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, she eyed him suspiciously. He did look genuinely interested.

“Ok. So there’s Morgan. She’s a stunt woman who hates princesses.

I mean can’t stand them, never did, even as a little girl.

She was dumped as a baby in an alley and got kicked out of so many foster homes so she feels unwanted, like she never belongs.

But at the age of twelve she gets pulled into a magical world by a boy mage who cast a spell to bring the princess of his prophecy to him.

This was so he could tell her he wanted no part in it. ”

“So she’s a princess?”

“She’s nothing like a princess, but Eric, that’s the mage, is super stoked that he brought someone in from another world.

So they start talking and strike up a friendship that spans over fifteen years.

But here’s the thing, her visits only last a night because her world pulls her back.

Oh and she can’t remember any of it in her own world. ”

“What? That’s terrible. Does he need to remind her each time she’s over?”

Isobelle shook her head, her enthusiasm building as she got back into her story, talking about characters she’d created and fallen in love with.

“No. Each time she goes there her memories automatically download in her head. Over the years she falls in love with him, but can’t tell him because of his prophecy. It says in order for him to save his world he needs to find his princess and give her his heart and soul.”

“I don’t like this princess already. Does Eric feel the same way?”

“Yes. He loves Morgan and finally tells her when she comes to him really sick and he saves her. In healing her he puts a dragon rune on her skin, that she sees. When she goes back this time she starts to see flashes of the world. Including that rune, which she gets as a tattoo.”

“My kind of woman.” He grinned. “So what happens?”

“There’s an accident and she’s yanked into the world after being slammed into by a truck. It’s the bad guy Cane. Who thinks Morgan is the princess as he got her image from Eric’s head because he’s holding him prisoner.”

“Please tell me Morgan kicks his arse and rescues Eric.”

She shook her head. “Actually Cane stabs Morgan through the heart.”

“What? But… but she’s the main character. How can you kill her?”

“Well, the dragon rune on her body saves her life. But it turns her into a dragon, in the resulting chaos she manages to get Eric out of the dungeon. But now she’s stuck as a dragon and has to help him find his damn princess so he can give his heart and soul to her so he can save his world.”

“Let me just get another round of drinks, because I really want to hear all of it.” He motioned and Becky was there in a flash. “Now continue.” He leant forward actually looking like he was wanting to know.

She lost track of how long she talked, Ben kept asking questions so of course she kept on describing everything that happened.

“Is there anything else we can get you?” Becky interrupted her, bringing her attention back to where they were.

“I’m good. Belle? Do you want anything?” Ben smiled at Becky, then looked at her.

She was suddenly hyper aware of how empty the restaurant was, she looked at her watch and realised the time.

“Oh! Oh no, no thank you.” Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Just how long had she droned on for? He must be sick of her voice by now. Just because she got caught up in her stories, didn’t mean no one else did.

“Just the bill please.” Ben said with a smile.

“You should’ve said.” She groaned after Becky left. “You didn’t want me boring you so much.” She covered her burning face with her hands.

“Boring? Absolutely not. Belle that was unbelievable. I can’t believe that all that was up in your head?” He shook his head. “All I have are boring recipes. I’m telling you an agent would be a fool not to sign you.”

“You’re just saying that to be polite.”

He huffed a sigh. “Do I have to pinch you again?”

“No.”

He laughed at how quickly she sat on her hands.

“Come on, let’s get you home.”

He refused to let her see the bill or put any money towards it. He also insisted on them holding hands back to the car.

“You don’t need to come up.” She squeaked when he got out as well after he parked outside her flat.

“Yes I do. Your boyfriend is a gentleman. Get used to it.”

“Not my boyfriend.” She muttered taking her keys out of her bag.

His hand sneaked out, grabbing her waist and pulling her tight against him.

“You should stop saying that.” He murmured in her ear. “Or you’ll say it in front of your family.”

“What are you doing?” She whispered. Her eyes closing as she felt his lips brush against her neck.

“Practicing. It needs to look like we do this all the time.” His breath was hot against her skin.

“What.. what happened to being a gentleman?”

The smile he gave her when he lifted his head, caused a shiver to go through her.

“Guess I’m not that much of a gentleman.”

And he covered her mouth with his.