had been nearly twelve hours since she’d last had her mouth to his and when he was kissing her, she could pretend that everything was fine and her world hadn’t been tilted on an axis it might eventually topple off, all in a little less than a week.
He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, and she shuddered, lifting on tiptoe, her hand on his chest and able to feel the thundering of his heart beneath.
His arm around her shoulders tightened. His mouth came close.
Her tongue darted out, wet her bottom lip, and—
“Ahem.”
Stef startled, nearly flying out of Ben’s arms, but he merely tightened his grip, brushed his thumb over her mouth once more.
An impatient tap of a foot. “Well, are you going to introduce us?”
She stifled a groan, ignoring Ben as he chuckled before releasing her, turning them to face Heidi, who was standing hand in hand with Brad, the former’s tone sharp, though seriously tempered by the utter delight and mischief on her face. Brad, on the other hand, was staring at them with curiosity.
“Heidi, meet Ben.”
Heidi’s eyes narrowed, and Stef couldn’t resist interjecting a little bit of teasing. God knew she’d be getting plenty of it inside the restaurant and for the foreseeable future. It was the way of her friends, to give as good as they got, and since this was the first time Stef had dated anyone since Jeremy, she knew there was to be no little amount of playful banter. Most of it at her expense. “Ben, this is my boss and bully of a friend, Heidi, and her lovely husband, Brad.”
Heidi gasped.
Cora, who was just walking up behind their friend, cackled, her brown curls bouncing. And God, she seriously had the best hair. “Hi, lovely Brad,” she said, kissing him on his cheek. “And bullying Heidi.” She came over to Stef and Ben, narrowing her eyes at the latter. “You will treat my girl like the queen she is.”
Stef winced, opened her mouth to . . . say something.
But Ben merely nodded. “Yes, I will.”
“Good.”
A beat as he extended a hand, his other arm still around Stef’s shoulders as he lightly rubbed his palm up and down her arm, knowing she was nervous and soothing her; be still her heart. “I’m Ben.”
Her friend studied his arm then Stef’s face, but after a moment, she shook Ben’s hand. “Cora.”
A breeze kicked up, and Stef shivered, burrowing into his warmth. He nudged her toward the door. “Why don’t you head inside? I can wait here for everyone else.”
It was silly, but they always waited outside for everyone before they sat down at their table. She didn’t know who had started the tradition, but it was kind of nice, all walking in as a big group together. They always made a reservation, usually sat at the same table, but it was different chatting with everyone outside—no interruptions from the waiter taking orders or food or drinks being delivered. Just them and their little circle of small talk before everyone came and voices started getting lost, conversations flowing over one another.
“You don’t know everyone else,” she pointed out.
“I’m sure I can figure it out,” he began, right as Jaime, Tammy, and Kate, along with Kels and Tanner walked up.
Introductions were made, small talk commenced, and though she was shivering through her hoodie, she was loving the anecdote Jaime was telling about a kitten he’d taken care of that day. Ben shifted, slipping his arm away, but a moment later, his jacket was around her shoulders, his arm on top, and she was wonderfully warm.
And surrounded in the masculine spice of him.
She glanced up at him, but his gaze was on Jaime, lips turned up.
As though sensing her look, he glanced down, brushed his mouth over her forehead, and then returned his focus to Jaime, who was getting to the punch line of the little mischief maker clawing her way up his arm to perch on his head . . . and then launch herself on top of the cabinets in the back of the office.
It had taken them nearly thirty minutes to get her down, mostly because she was yowling over her predicament, and all the staff couldn’t stop laughing.
And neither could they, because Jaime was damned good at telling stories.
But eventually they got it together and moved into the restaurant, Ben holding the door for them as they moved inside.
Cora lingered at the tail-end of the group, pausing and studying Ben once more. Only this time,