No Strings

“So, this time, I’m trying to be more cautious and pay attention to the details. I told Ben I wanted to take things slow, but it’s hard when everything he does and every word he says seems so perfect. I think in the back of my mind, I’m waiting for the moment he does something wrong so I can convince myself he isn’t the one for me.”

“You can’t do that to yourself,” she says. “If you keep waiting for him to mess up, he’ll eventually prove you right. Nobody is perfect, and one day he will say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t the one for you. It just means he’s human.”

A knock on the door signals one of our dates is here, halting our conversation. “We need to have a girls’ day soon,” Brianne says. “Facials, pedis, manis, the whole nine yards so we can get some good girl talk in. Our shopping trip wasn’t enough.”

“That sounds perfect.”

Another knock and she playfully rolls her eyes. “We better get that. Don’t want to keep them waiting. They might die from impatience.”

I grab my sparkling silver clutch and my overcoat with a laugh and follow her out to the foyer. She swings the door open, and standing on the other side is Ben, dressed to the nines in a black suit, complete with a bright red bowtie that matches my dress, holding a huge bouquet of roses. His hair is cut short on the sides with the top slightly longer and gelled messily in the way guys do to make it look like they just rolled out of bed yet still look perfect. His facial hair is trimmed short, and he’s sporting a grin that conveys every ounce of emotion he feels—lust, want, need, desire.

We still haven’t had sex since he took me against the wall that morning at the gym. Between my period and work and Brody, we haven’t found the time to be alone. I’m hoping that changes soon.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he says, stepping over the threshold. “You look stunning.” He presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth so he doesn’t ruin my lipstick, then hands me the flowers that are already in a vase.

“Thank you. You look... well, like your usual handsome self.” The man wears a suit every day. I do have to admit that tonight, his suit seems sharper, making him look extra sexy.

It’s then I notice Brody standing there, also dressed in a suit and holding a bouquet of pink tulips. Dressed similarly, with his hair also freshly cut, he looks so much like his father. “New suit?” I ask. “It looks great.”

“It’s a tux,” Ben corrects. “Suits are for work. Tuxes are for romantic nights out with your woman... and weddings.” He winks playfully, making me laugh.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say, sarcasm dripping in my words. “Your tux looks great.”

Brody chuckles. “Dad said every man needs a tux just in case. It’s tailored to fit me.” The pride in his voice makes my heart soar. They’ve come a long way in a short amount of time, and that makes me so happy.

“You both look extremely handsome in your tuxedos. Let me put my flowers in the kitchen, and then we’ll go.”

I’m filling the vase with water at the sink when a pair of strong arms encircle me from behind, and a masculine, fresh scent I would recognize anywhere hits my senses. “That dress looks fucking delectable on you,” Ben growls, kissing the side of my neck. “If I don’t get you alone soon, I might combust.”

I giggle at his dramatics, set the flowers on the counter and turn the water off, and twirl around, remaining in his arms. “Well, maybe if you’re a good date, I’ll consider letting you take this dress off me later.” I kiss him chastely on his lips. “We wouldn’t want you to combust now, would we?”

“No, we definitely wouldn’t want that.” He runs the back of his knuckles down my cheek and sighs. “Thank you for going along with this double date tonight. I know Valentine’s Day is supposed to be romantic and—”

“Whoa, stop right there.” I cover his lips with my fingers that are freshly painted—bright red to match my dress. “Being a father should come first, always, and you choosing to go on a double date with your son tells me more about you than any romantic gesture ever could. That alone secures your spot in my bed tonight.”

He chuckles softly and shakes his head. “I don’t know what the hell I ever did to deserve you, but I need you to know how thankful I am to have you.”

After saying goodbye to Brianne, who assures us Marcus is on his way up and they’ll see us later at Lush, we head out. Parked in front of the sidewalk is a sleek all-black stretch Hummer limo Ben rented for the occasion. Apparently, Brody didn’t even know about it because he freaks out and takes a million selfies in front of it—all of which I’m sure will end up on social media. Ben also has him take a few pictures of us, and then we take off to pick up Sariah.