Touch Me (You & Me 2)

“You good?” Ben asked her as they walked back to his SUV.

“I’m great.”

Rachel and Will were walking behind them, snuggling and whispering to each other.

“I think you made that love connection you were talking about,” Katherine told him.

He nodded his head. “I knew they would hit it off. I had to wait until the time was right.”

He opened the passenger door for her while Will and Rachel climbed into the back. Ben was the designated driver for the night, even though Will tried to cajole him into drinking and taking a taxi home. Ben was not going to leave his expensive SUV in the parking lot and opted to stay sober.

Katherine leaned her head back against the seat, feeling invigorated and alive. Ben leaned over and kissed her once before buckling his seatbelt.

She didn’t want the night to end and at the moment, wanted to go out dancing every night. She felt like a twenty-one-year old girl again and it was all because of Ben. She couldn’t thank him enough.

r /> Chapter Nineteen

Ben

HE COULDN’T STOP LOOKING at Katherine in the glow from the streetlights as he drove the nearly deserted city streets. Everyone was chatting and talking about the band and how good the food was. He knew his passengers were all buzzing from the alcohol. Thankfully, no one got too carried away and there weren’t any silly drunken antics.

“I think he’s been holding out on me for too long,” Will quipped from the backseat.

“I’ve invited you out before. You’ve always got this ball or that gala to attend. I told you, you were missing out,” he joked.

“I for one will always believe you,” Katherine said firmly. “The next time you say you know a little place, I’m in. Always assume I’m in.”

“Good. I hope that’s always the case,” Ben said, meaning it about a lot more than where to find a good burger. He wanted her to trust him in every way.

“Where’d you learn to dance?” Rachel asked.

Katherine laughed. “TV, really. I like watching some of the reality dance shows, and—I’m going to admit something truly embarrassing.”

Everyone waited. Will’s mind was spinning, wondering what her embarrassing little secret could be. “What?” he asked.

“I love some of the FreeForm and other cheesy teen shows.”

Rachel burst into laughter. “Me too!” she squealed.

Ben looked at both of them as if they were absolutely nuts. “Teen shows?” he said with disgust.

Katherine shrugged her shoulder. “It’s mindless nonsense and so far from reality, it’s a good escape. I love all their problems. I guess I like to watch and be glad it isn’t me dealing with some of their crazy antics.”

Rachel was nodding. “Exactly. That’s where you learned to dance?”

Katherine giggled. “Yes, basically. I mean, I don’t do some of those trendy dances, but I think your body moves to the music if you let it. You have to let yourself go, let the music wash over and your body just kind of goes with it.”

Ben loved how passionate she sounded. “Did you dance before? Like a trained dancer?”

“When I was young, I did take some dance lessons, but that was a really long time ago and it was more ballet and jazz. I’ve always loved to dance. It’s strange though, I haven’t danced in a really long time,” she said wistfully.

Nobody said anything. They all knew why she hadn’t danced. It was another part of her life that Tim had controlled. Ben couldn’t imagine stopping her from doing something she so obviously loved and was very good at. Tim was an idiot. Ben could have sat back and watched her move to the music for hours. He smirked thinking about his gain and that asshole’s loss.

He headed out towards the bay area where Will lived. It was part of his plan. He knew it was risky, but he had to try. His eyes drifted up to the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of Will and Rachel exchanging a heated look. The sparks were practically flying between them.

“I think we’re all going to have to do this again sometime,” he commented, waiting to see what kind of response he would get.

Everyone gave an enthusiastic yes. He hoped it was a real yes and not one of those things a person said to avoid looking like a jerk, even though they had no intention of ever going along with whatever was being proposed.