He had spoken his claim on her, something he wished to show with actions as soon as she was comfortable. He wanted to take things as slow as she needed, but deep down his desire grew for her with every breath he watched her take. Katherine’s beauty was unmatched, but it was her demure demeanor that set him over the edge.
“Here is your shrimp linguine,” the waitress announced, but neither Ben nor Katherine moved, their eyes locked on each other, lost in a lustful glare.
“Would you like any freshly grated parmesan, ma’am?” she asked Katherine.
“No, thank you,” she turned, finally breaking their stare as she faced the waitress.
“And your lasagna, sir.”
The waitress refilled their wine glasses before checking to see if there was anything else they needed, then promptly left them to enjoy their meal.
“This is delicious,” Katherine moaned after her first bite.
Ben smiled to himself, thinking of how everything she did and said was sexy to him, now that he was aroused by her. There was nothing she could say or do to change his thoughts, so he decided to focus on his meal with the hopes of regaining control of his desires.
By the time they finished their entrees, Ben had talked himself off the ledge, ready to continue being the gentleman he was known to be. Katherine had a way of changing his behavior, bringing out his animalistic ways like never before.
The waitress returned to the table, “Would either of you like dessert?”
“I’m stuffed,” Katherine shook her head.
“I guess that’s a no, then. How about you just bring the check?” Ben suggested, and the waitress quickly went to retrieve the bill.
Setting the black leather billfold at the edge of the table, she left Ben and Katherine alone. To Ben’s surprise, Katherine didn’t make mention of the bill at all. It was a fight he was prepared to have with her at least three more times before she relinquished the power to him. She was the type of woman who liked to pay for meals, he knew that when he first saw her at the bakery. But tonight she allowed him to spoil her, and he appreciated the concession.
By the time the waitress returned Ben’s credit card, his mind was racing for ways to extend his time with Katherine. As always, he spent the last few minutes wither her already plotting for another way to see her.
“Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked.
“Yes.” She answered so quickly, Ben was certain she had must have been wishing to spend more time with him as well.
Leading her through the restaurant, Ben decided to take a walk around the block, interlocking their fingers with ease as Katherine leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt comfortable beside him and he could already tell he would miss her when she left. Her scent of jasmine and roses always lingered long after they separated.
“Are you like the relationship expert of your friends?” Katherine asked, shocking Ben.
“No. Absolutely not. What would make you ask that?”
“Well, you just said you were hooking your two friends up. I figured they must trust your relationship advice to ask each other out,” she explained.
For a long pause, Ben contemplated telling a simple answer he would usually share with a woman on a date. But something in him told him to just be open with Katherine. He wanted her to know that there was nothing to hide, so he told her what he hadn’t admitted in a long time.
“I was in a long-term relationship a few years back. When it fell through, I kind of kept to myself. It was a lot to invest and then just see it fall to nothing. I focused on work, and Rachel could tell I was closing myself off. She pushed me to go out with you, so I guess I’m just returning the favor,” Ben said, happy to share more of himself.
As difficult as it was to open up when that wasn’t his comfort zone, he never regretted telling Katherine anything. In fact, whenever he let her know more about him, it felt like a relief and he was happy to allow her to know him better.
“I can understand that,” Katherine began before taking a deep breath. “I was in a long relationship, too. It ended two years ago, and I’m just now beginning to heal,” she revealed, and he could tell it took a lot for her to share that part of herself.
“Was that why you resisted me initially?” he asked, pressing her on.
“I guess so. I was afraid of liking you,” she revealed a truth she had been hiding. She knew that her lifestyle wasn’t conducive to a budding romance, but that didn’t stop her.
“I understand the feeling,” Ben smiled.
Like Katherine, he didn’t feel he had the time to court anyone, but ever since he had met her, spending time with Katherine was his top priority. Nothing was more appealing than watching the day pass him by with Katherine tucked beneath his arm.
Satisfied with both of their efforts, Ben led them further through the park, pulling Katherine closer as the crispness of the fall wind brushed by them.
Chapter Twenty-One