The Job Offer - By Eleanor Webb Page 0,52

your parents' house once, and everywhere else I could think of. I wasn't sure if you had changed your mind about being with me anymore." His gaze was intent upon her face, and a worried line appeared between his eyebrows. "Did you change your mind?"

"No. I went for a walk to clear my head and lost track of the time. I forgot my watch. I'm sorry to have worried you." She was becoming confused by the look on his face. Perhaps he cared more than she thought.

"It's alright." He leaned forward and kissed her softly then leaned back again. "Did you eat anything?"

"No, and I'm pretty hungry."

"I'm sure you are. I didn’t eat anything either. Come on, we will get something to eat in the dining room." He reached across to help her stand, but as soon as she stepped down with her full weight on her feet, she grimaced in pain. "What is it, Anne?" He helped her sit back down again.

"It’s nothing. I didn't change my shoes before I left for my walk, and now I've got a few blisters. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to forego biking this afternoon." Ben helped her put her feet on the table, and she leaned back against the couch and sighed. "You'll have to go without me."

"No, I'll stay here. Did you put some antibacterial cream on the blisters?" At the shake of her head, he frowned. "Did you do anything?"

"I put on bandages."

Ben sighed then told her to stay put, as if she was going anywhere, she thought. He picked up the room phone and ordered sandwiches, diet sodas, and popcorn from the dining room. Then he called the front desk and asked for some first aid supplies and a foot bath to be brought up to the room. After that he walked into the bathroom and returned a minute later with a towel and her shorts. Walking back to her, he put the towel on the floor in front of her, then sat down on the table and began untying her shoes.

"I can do that," she told him lazily, but she made no move to do it herself.

"I know." He pulled one shoe and sock off. Looking at her bandaged foot, he said 'tsk' and made her smile before he removed the bandages. Then he removed the shoe, sock, and bandages from her other foot, before he set her foot down and reached for the snap of her jeans.

"I can do that, too." She stopped his hands and looked up at his face.

"I know that, too." His hands made short work on the snap and zipper before he helped her pull the jeans off. Then he reached for her shorts that he had set on the couch next to her.

"You know. I can dress myself. I've been doing for a number of years now." The man was just too much at times, she thought lightly, but he gave her a playful smile that caused her heart to flip.

"Humor me," was all he said with that charming smile that revealed a dimple before he lifted one leg and looped her shorts over her foot before he did the same for the other leg. Then with him kneeling in front of her, she helped him slide the shorts up her legs and zipper the fly before snapping them closed. "Admit it. You enjoyed that."

"I did not." She spoiled it by laughing.

"You'll enjoy it more when I take them off of you, later." She laughed again at the exaggerated leer he gave her when he said that.

"You're terrible. What's the popcorn for?"

"Since it looks like we won't be going anywhere for the rest of the day, that would make this movie night, or afternoon as the case may be. Have you seen the new James Bond movie?"

"Twice, but I can watch it again."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you."

A soft knock sounded at the door, and Ben stood up to answer it. The food, drinks, first aid supplies, and foot bath were all delivered and placed where he indicated. Then he tipped the two employees and saw them out. The foot bath felt heavenly on her sore feet, and she soaked them in the warm Epsom salt water while she ate her turkey sandwich. Ben pulled up the menu for the on-demand movie streaming service the inn used, and as she soaked her feet, they watched the latest Bond movie he ordered. The food was delicious but