Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor- Cynthia D'Alba Page 0,20
you. I wasn’t expecting you to be home so early.” Holly directed the comment to her mother.
“Yeah, sorry. We got done with the movie, and Hillary wasn’t feeling good and wanted to go home. Instead of taking Katie home with me, and then bringing her home later, we thought we’d stop in and see how you were feeling.” Her mother smiled. “Better, I see.”
“I have some leftover spaghetti if you’re hungry,” Holly said.
“I’m starved,” Katie announced.
“How can that be?” Patricia asked. “You ate an entire big popcorn at the movies.”
Katie shrugged. “Just am.” After glancing at the table, she added, “But I can start with a sundae.”
Holly rolled her eyes and Benjamin chuckled.
“I need to get going,” he said. “Thanks for dinner.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Holly said. “Mom, would you heat up spaghetti for Katie?”
Benjamin rested his hand in the small of Holly’s back as they walked out the front door.
Once outside, he grinned. “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”
“Me, neither. Sorry.”
“No reason to apologize, but your daughter did seem a little surprised. Haven’t you introduced your dates before?”
“Ben, I haven’t had a date in almost four years, so no, she’s never seen a man at our house.”
“Four years?” Benjamin was astounded. Were all the men in Coronado and San Diego blind or just stupid? “Why? You’re gorgeous. Hot. Sexy. I understand not wanting to go out with guys your brothers think are ideal, but don’t tell me no one else has asked you out.”
Her cheeks flushed and she bumped him with her hip.
“First, we’re being watched. I know there’s at least a pair of eyes trained on us, but I suspect two pairs. And to the second point, I’ve been asked. I just didn’t go.”
“I know about the prying eyes. I felt them on me. Now that we know we have an audience, here’s your chance.”
He leaned his back on his truck door and rested the palms of his hands at her waist.
Holly stepped between his spread legs and tilted her head. “My chance?”
“If you’ve decided against this probably insane idea of fake-dating over the summer, all you have to do is act like we’re having harsh words. You’ve proven I exist. Your mom can verify your story that we were on a date tonight. Now, you can break up with me.” As he spoke, he tucked a few stands of her hair behind her ear before setting his index finger on her lips. “Or, you don’t, and we have a little fun this summer. No stress. No life time commitment. No expectations. A few dinners here and there. A team party once or twice. Maybe a movie or two, but nothing else required. So, is this a go? Yes or no?”
He’d been serious about how hot Holly was and gorgeous. Taking her on a dinner date now and then wouldn’t be a burden in the least. It’d keep the frog hogs away and his friends’ girlfriends from trying to set him up with their cousin /college friend who was in town to visit. Mentally, he crossed his fingers.
Her lips moved under his fingers as her mouth turned up in a smile. He lifted his finger and arched an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
The relief he felt came as a surprise, but it was definitely relief.
He snaked his hand behind her neck and pulled her down for their second kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she leaned into him. Their lips met in a soft embrace before he reangled his head to kiss her harder and longer. She tasted like chocolate, and he ached to thrust his tongue in her mouth for a deeper taste. Wanted to let his driving emotions take over. However, as hard as it was, he kept the kiss PG for the young audience he feared was watching their scene play out.
When he pulled back, Holly ducked her head. “Well, that’ll give the neighbors something to talk about.”
With a smile, he said, “Should I toss you to the grass and really feed the gossips?”
She laughed. “Thanks, but no thanks. That’s the most action this yard has seen in years. It’ll keep the gossip grapevine going for a couple of days anyway.”
After another quick kiss, he released her and opened his driver’s door. “Thanks for an interesting evening. Talk to you soon.”
Chapter Four
Holly placed her fingers over her tingling lips as she watched Ben’s taillights until he turned the corner. If that was a PG kiss, then she was a thirty-two-year-old virgin. Whew. Her heart was only beginning to slow