Page 8 of Hot n Bothered

Now:

B en kissed her softly, almost tentatively. She’d frozen at first, but just as always when he touched her she melted. She had just started kissing him back when he pulled away with a smile.

“See not that bad.” He said. “I’ll pick you up at eleven tomorrow. Dress warm, comfy shoes, lots of walking.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek and stepped back.

“Is that normal time or Belle time? And why?” She fumbled with her keys, trying to get the right one in the lock. She refused to acknowledge that one small kiss would affect her so much.

“Normal time and romantic picnic. I have some new vegetarian recipes I want to try and I need a guinea pig.”

Ah ha! She finally got her door unlocked. “What’s in them?” She side-eyed him stepping inside.

“Don’t worry, I know your adverse reaction to mushrooms. I’ve substituted them and want to find out if it works or not. Now you are safely home, I will take my leave. Sweet dreams for my sweet Belle.”

He bowed as she laughed.

“So corny.”

“Your boyfriend is corny. Get used to it.” He called over his shoulder as he left.

What was he doing to her? She’d spent five long months trying to push what happened out of her mind and she had almost managed it. But now, one little kiss had her dreams playing out like her own personal porn channel.

She’d woken so frustrated and turned on.

To make matters worse, no matter what she did to herself or how many times she came she just didn’t feel completely satisfied and it annoyed her.

She wanted nothing more than to scream and yell at him for doing this to her.

But that would mean admitting what had happened and there was nothing that could make her do that.

She was hunting through her pile of clean washing for a jumper when Ben arrived.

“What can’t you find now?” He asked as a way of greeting.

She scowled at him. “I don’t always lose things.” She grumbled.

“No. But you have that look of you’re looking for something. You purse your lips slightly and have a teeny tiny furrow to your brow, like you have now. So what are you looking for?”

“A clean jumper. I’m sure I have at least one in my pile.” She looked at him. “Aren’t you going to congratulate me on being on time for normal time?”

He grinned that damn lop-sided grin. “Actually I said dress warm and you have a short sleeved top on. Technically not ready. But.” He continued when she glared at him. “I can help with that. Here.” He held out a carrier bag.

“What’s this?”

“Something all girlfriends want and need, apparently.”

“Which is?” She eyed the bag warily.

He sighed. “This will go a lot quicker if you just take the damn thing.”

“Are you going to be this bossy for our entire relationship?”

“Yep. I’m told that men should always be the boss.”

She burst out laughing, doubling over. Not just what he said, but the idea that Ben wanted to enforce it was just ridiculously funny.

“Stop laughing. It’s true.” He was struggling to keep a straight face.

“And you believe that I’ll accept that?”

He finally laughed. “You won’t even pretend?”

“I suck at lying remember.” She opened the bag and pulled out a hoodie. “Wait… is this?” She unfolded it to reveal it was the big comfy one she’d bought him two years ago as a joke.

It had the words ‘I’m a beast if I don’t get my sleep’ and a picture of the beast from Beauty and the Beast on. She hadn’t expected him to wear it as often as he did.

“Yep. My favourite hoodie. Apparently it’s what all girlfriends need and want.”

“A beast hoodie?”

“No. Their boyfriends favourite hoodie.” He picked up the cuffs. “I’ve even cut thumbholes for you.”

“Why would you cut your favourite hoodie?”

“Because all your hoodies and jumpers have thumbholes and I think it’s adorable. Besides your family know that’s what you do, so this will help convince them we’re serious. Come on let’s see it on you.”

He took it from her and pulled it over her head.

It was a good job he was so tall and muscular, otherwise it would not have fit.

Truth be told it was a little snugger than she would’ve liked, but it was warm and smelled of him as though he had just taken it off.

She struggled not to press it to her face and breathe deeply, instead she righted her glasses that had been pushed to the end of her nose.

He chuckled at the mess it made of her hair, he smoothed it back and pulled the hood up.

“There. Now you look cosy. Let’s see if the thumbholes fit.”

She had to admit it was a really sweet thing he’d done with the thumbholes. There was something comforting about having them.

“Oh good grief.” She groaned when he took her hand, snapping pictures of them again.

“You want me to take pictures of your face?” He grinned, lifting his phone, chuckling when she immediately hid it.

“You are terrible and mean.” She said peaking from behind her fingers to make sure he’d put that blasted phone away.

“And yet you still love me enough to be my girlfriend.” He said smugly. “Now, which pad are you hooked on today?”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve looked at the organised chaos that is your desk six times since I’ve been here, which means you want to write.

” He looked back at her, picking up the large bag that her notebooks fit into.

“I’m not about to stop you from doing that.

Like I said before, you can write while I edit my posts and videos. So which ones?”

“Oh…um. This one and this one.” She passed them to him, smiling as he also grabbed a handful of pens and throwing them in.

“Can’t have you running out of ink mid flow. There might be children about.”

She blushed. “I wasn’t that bad.” She protested.

“Not that bad? Belle I saw sailors stalk off in disgust at the swear words that came out of your mouth.” He laughed. “I knew you had a filthy vocabulary, but that shocked me.”

“What was more shocking was Joey running off to buy more pens. That man never runs.” She laughed.

“Why do you think he keeps Cat’s Mary Poppins bag stocked with pens?”

She frowned at him. “Wait… he does?”

Ben nodded, slinging the bag over his shoulder. “Yep. Have you got everything you need? Phone? Keys?”

He took the keys from her as he ushered her out, locking her door behind him. He also took her hand as though it was the most natural thing to do.

“Did Darren tell you that we’ve all got pads and pens at ours? Well except Rich. But that’s just because his place is rank. I swear he only asks me over because he knows I’ll clean for him.”

“And of course you still go over even though you know that’s why he’s asking.”

He grinned sheepishly. “If I don’t the mould from his used pots alone would become sentient and try to take over the world.”

“That’s the reason you’re going with? Not the fact that you’re a soft touch who can’t say no to a friend?”

“I am not a soft touch.” He protested, throwing her bag onto his back seat.

“Sure you’re not.” She said dryly. “Which is why you’re pretending to be my boyfriend and are being dragged on holiday with my horrendous family for three weeks?”

“Ah, that’s because I’m the best boyfriend in the world.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek before opening the door for her.

“Will you stop doing that.” She muttered.

“Opening the door for you? I told you, your boyfriend is a gentleman. Get used to it.” He said closing it after she got it.

“I meant kissing my cheek.” She said when he climbed behind the wheel.

“Again. I told you your boyfriend is a cheek kisser. Get used to it.”

That was the problem, she didn’t want to get used to it.

It already made her heart ache, if she got used to it and he took it away from her, it was going to hurt worse.

He started the engine and she couldn’t help but smile to hear the Disney track blast out from the stereo.

He was so adorably cute as he sang along without a care in the world.