like the Vineyard and nothing like it, because this isn’t a vacation. It’s stunning normalcy.
He comes to the climbing gym with me.
He makes me coffee from the fancy machine Tris bought him as we catch up on email side by side.
We visit his mom.
We get brunch with our friends, who send us looks as if we’re complete idiots for each other.
Because we are.
And the sex…
We can’t stop touching and kissing. It’s as if every second he’s not inside me is a waste.
“Everything good?” Ben asks Monday morning, coming in his front door, wearing dress pants that cling distractingly to his strong legs and a midnight blue shirt with the cuffs still undone.
I didn’t bring my charger to his place, since I’m not in the habit of crashing at guys’ places all weekend, so I had to swap off with Ben, who has the same one.
“Lily’s back from spending the weekend with friends." My phone died once and I forced myself not to panic about her being out of touch. Sure enough, I got her text this morning.
"Bet you're breathing easier now."
"It's stupid. I know she's not going to up and leave. She's not Vi, and she’s not going to drop out of school and vanish overnight.”
Ben’s brows pull together. “If I’ve never said it, I’m sorry that happened. I know how it feels to have someone walk away from you.”
Conflicting emotions have my gut clenching, a reminder that there's still something between us. I start to reach for my bracelet before realizing Ben took it off me Friday night. Saturday, I tucked it into my purse for safekeeping.
“Ben…”
He holds up a package. “I bought you a charger. For next time.”
For next time.
Those three words have my chest expanding until it threatens to crack my ribs.
I want a thousand next times with him.
"Thanks." My gaze runs over his chest and shoulders, the way he fastens his cuffs. “Here, let me.”
I cross the floor to fix them for him. “I can’t believe the gala is just a few days away,” I say as I work the cuff links into place.
“Me either. Here’s hoping you can stand pretending to be my girlfriend for the rest of the week.”
The warmth in his eyes has me smiling. “I’ll try to endure it.”
The alarm on my phone goes off, reminding me of my appointments for the day. After finishing his cuffs, I head to the door and grab my shoes. “Are you worried about the prospective lawsuit?”
He’d told me about the wrinkle in his latest deal over the weekend.
“No. It’s a scare tactic. I think the company threatening to sue is more interested in buying them out and figures they can work the price down this way. Happens all the time. We can still get in on this, and we’ll make tens of millions or more if we do.”
I work with large businesses, but it still blows my mind that Ben does deals every month worth more than I’ll make in a decade.
He grabs my coat from the closet, helping me into it once I step into my heels.
“It’s too bad you couldn’t find Holt’s suggestion, too,” I say. “I looked them up and their mission looked exciting.”
I turn back to him and belt my jacket, and he cocks his head in surprise. “You did?”
“Mhmm. We need more people working on innovations in healthcare delivery.”
His eyes darken. Before I can stop him, he grabs my coat tie and tugs me in for a drugging kiss, wrapping both arms around me to hold me against him until I melt.
“What was that for?” I murmur as he pulls back.
“You’re sexy when you tell me what I should invest in. Even when you side with Holt.” He winks. “Good luck with Vane this morning. Call me when you land him."
Lily’s already in class when I get dressed and do my hair before I head down to Richard’s office.
“I apologize, but Mr. Vane’s schedule has changed at the last minute,” the woman at the front desk in the huge office informs me, looking not the least bit apologetic. “He asked me to tell you he’ll speak with you at the rehearsal dinner.”
I frown. “But the launch for the resorts is in a couple of months.”
She smiles tightly. “I trust Mr. Vane has the details in hand.”
Confusion rolls through me, but before I can respond, a familiar form stalks down the hall.
“Aiden,” I call after him.
He looks up in surprise. “Daisy. I was on my way out.”
I cross to where he’s