Page 9 of Hot n Bothered

I sobelle had to admit she was having fun. Whilst cold, the weather for once was bright and sunny. Ben had brought a ridiculous amount of food that he insisted on getting her to review all of them.

“I really should say this is terrible.” She said after trying yet another mini pie.

Ben’s eyes immediately shot up from his phone. “Is it? Do you not like it?”

“Unfortunately, I do.” She admitted. “But one, your head will be getting too big and two…” She trailed off grimacing.

“Two? What’s the second thing?”

“I’m supposed to be wearing a swimsuit in a few days.” She mumbled, her face going red.

“And?” He was frowning at her.

“And it’s already started.” She sighed chewing on her nail. “I keep eating like this and it’s going to get worse.”

“What’s started? Belle?”

She shook her head looking away, it was bad enough he’d see it soon. She shouldn’t have said something, she’d brought the mood down. Why did she always do that?

She took some deep breaths trying to stave off the tears that were threatening. Her phone buzzed, perfect for distracting her. It will be a text from Darren, he always had a sixth sense about when she was struggling. She opened it without first checking who it was from.

“Fuck.” She muttered the tears spilling out over her cheeks.

“Belle?” Ben had moved, he was now next to her, arms wrapped around her. “What’s wrong?”

She couldn’t speak. So instead she just passed him her phone so he could see the message. He gave a sharp inhale as he read the message from her mother asking if she had put on any more weight since they last saw her because if so it may mean buying an extra seat.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He said sharply.

She shook her head wiping her eyes on the cuffs of her, no his hoodie.

“Here.” He handed her phone back. “I don’t want to read any more. Not just because of, you know, invasion of privacy. But mainly because I don’t want to get the urge to hit a woman.”

That got her laughing, the very idea of Ben even thinking about hitting anyone, let alone doing it especially to a woman was just preposterous.

“What are you laughing for?”

“You? Hit anyone? You’re too soft for that.”

“Hey.” He mock scowled at her. “I’ll have you know I work hard on my tough guy image. Look at my muscles and tattoos.”

She laughed harder at him pulling poses “You’re the golden retriever puppy of personalities. No matter how many tattoos or how big you get, you’ll still be a big old softie.”

He huffed a sigh, looking sullen. “You say it like it’s a bad thing.” He frowned, why did he have to look so adorable doing that? “Should I try to be tougher?”

“I for one like you as you are. Anyway as Darren says to me all the damn time. You shouldn’t need to change who you are for anyone.”

“You like me as I am?” He grinned so widely at her. “So you don’t want a bad boy, gruff, sullen type that rides a motorbike, ties you up, smacks your arse and calls you a good girl in bed?”

“Where have you been getting those ridiculous ideas fro… oh.” She covered her mouth as she snorted with laughter. “Richie finally read Katie’s spicy dark romances?”

Ben nodded, eyes wide. “He read me some passages. I… I had no idea little Katie read such… such…”

“Filth? She leant me one. It’s certainly eye-opening stuff.

I don’t knock her, if she enjoys it then it’s good for her.

But I’m definitely not going to be wanting a man who’s that demanding and talk about high maintenance?

Can’t even smile at another man without them freaking out about it? Nope, totally not for me.”

“So what is your ideal man?”

You.

She blushed sitting up straight, at what point had she started leaning into him? His arm was still around her back, his hand on her hip under his hoodie. Was he aware his thumb was brushing up and down against her skin?

“Other than the Beast?”

He laughed. “You’re still crushing on him? I hear women actually prefer him as the Beast instead of the supposedly handsome human.”

She shrugged. “Well yeah. Never underestimate the power of giving a woman a library of books.”

“So short of growing fur and fangs, me giving you a library is the way to become your ideal man?”

“I guess it would be someone who would accept me as I am. Even if I’m a hot mess.”

“You’re not a hot mess. Hot? Yes. Mess? Absolutely not. Like I said your brain just has different priorities.”

Hang on. Had she just heard him correctly? Had he just said she was hot?

“So that’s it? Just the one requirement? What about looks? What do the guys in your books look like? Is there a type?”

He continued as though he hadn’t said anything about her being hot, or had she misheard? Was it wishful thinking on her part? Why was she so ridiculous?

“Belle?” He nudged her shoulder with his.

“Huh?” She looked up to see him looking at her expectantly.

Why did his face have to be so close and why did he have to be so heart stoppingly handsome? This was a special kind of torture, having him so close, knowing what he tasted like and knowing she could never have it again. She loved the way his skin crinkled at the corner of his eyes when he smiled.

“You want to write don’t you?” He said moving away from her to grab her bag.

“Oh no, no. It’s fine.” She stammered, blushing. “It would be rude to.”

He shot her a look over his shoulder. “I’ve known you, what?

Eight years now? I know that deep thinking look of yours.

” He grinned. “It’s fine Belle, why do you think I suggested bringing this?

Anyway I have some things to sort out on my phone.

But first you have to tell me if any of your main characters look like me. ” He held out her bag.

“Um, well Eric, who I told you about last night has sandy blond hair and violet eyes.”

“So not him. What about the others?”

“So let’s see Death is tall, thin, all long skinny limbs.”

“Sounds like Jack Skeleton. Like him?” He shook his head. “Don’t tell me you fancy him as well?”

She couldn’t stop the blush, because yes she was that weird to totally have a crush on him.

“You are a woman of strange tastes.” He chuckled. “And again, nothing like me.”

“Well Death does have floppy black hair.”

He narrowed his eyes. “ Floppy hair? Is that what you think of it?” He ran his hand through it and it immediately flopped back into his eyes making her giggle. “Does Death have blue eyes?”

“Actually he has eyes that are as black as his hair, but with explosions of the stars and galaxies. If you looked long enough into them you feel like you would be able to see all of time itself.”

“Woah, nice imagery. What about the others? Any blue eyes?”

“Jamie has blue eyes, but he has brown hair. Corvius has silvery white hair with dark purple eyes. Oh, Teagen has pale blue eyes, but his hair is also white. éo has long black hair, but golden brown eyes.”

“Oof Belle. You really know how to wound a guy.” He put his hand over his chest and pretended to collapse on the blanket. “All those books, all those ideas and not a single one look like your boyfriend? I am heartbroken.”

She laughed at his melodrama. The truth was that yes, none of her main characters ever looked like him. It was a conscious decision she made each time, she just felt it would give away how she felt.

“Alright then. If I get a book deal then I’ll write about you. How does that sound?”

“Perfect. Now get to writing, while I get to working.”

“Bossy.”

He grinned. “You love it.”

She rolled her eyes, pulling out the notebook she needed. As she quickly scanned through her story, reacquainting herself with the plot and the characters. She couldn’t stop from peeking over the top of it at him. He was stretched out, laid on his stomach tapping away at his phone.

It was amazing how someone so devastatingly handsome could also be so ridiculously cute.

She smiled to see him pick up one of his mini pies and pull it apart.

Frowning at the contents for a moment, before typing away.

She loved watching him figure out his recipes.

She could see his lips moving and she knew he was muttering to himself about what ratios needed changing.

The group laughed about it, said he would zone out so much over how much salt and pepper to use that he sounded crazy. She just thought it was adorable.

She shook her head, tearing her eyes away from him, focusing on the words in front of her. She tapped her pen against her cheek as she thought how to get her main character out of the sad mood she was in. Maybe that could help her as well?

She blinked when she realised that she had been on a slide down into a bad funk earlier.

That text from her mother would have normally helped grease the slide.

But here she was sat with a smile on her face, feeling content.

She glanced over the top of her notebook at the reason why.

She smiled to catch him looking at her. He quickly looked back at his phone, a light flush on his cheeks.

Maybe she should just relax and enjoy the next few weeks? It might be what she needed. After all, Ben had always been easy to be around. Even from the first time Daren had introduced them.

Inspiration suddenly hit and she began writing.