Bid on Love, page 15
She sat speechless, her heart swelling as though it would explode. What could she say to that because thank you didn’t seem adequate?
Ben reached over and cupped her cheek. “I didn’t share that stuff with you to make you cry.” It wasn’t until he swiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb that she realized she was crying.
Mahogany lowered her gaze and pulled herself together before returning her attention to him. “Ben, I’m so sorry that both you and Jayden had to experience that type of loss. Granted, I know Jayden’s mother is still in his life, but the situation is still sad. Have you seen your mother since she left?”
“Nope. I have no desire to find her, see her, or have her as a part of my life. I was young when she left, and I don’t remember much about her. Occasionally, I’ll get a flash of memory of her preparing dinner or getting me dressed. Yet not enough to where I missed her.
“Antonio has occasionally mentioned he might want to reach out to her, but as far as I know, he hasn’t. My father has kept in touch with her and told us if we ever want to talk to her, he could arrange it. I’m not interested… at least not right now.”
Mahogany nodded. She would love for him to have that closure, but maybe he didn’t need it. He sounded like he’d made peace with it all.
“Okay, enough of that,” Ben said and pushed back his chair. “How about…” He cursed under his breath as he stood and grabbed his lower back.
Mahogany leaped up. “You are not okay. Why don’t you go lie down on the sofa while I clean up the kitchen. We can have dessert after you get some rest.”
He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. He just stood with his jaw clenched and one hand on the table while the other gripped his lower back.
Seconds ticked by before he growled and straightened. “It’s usually not this bad,” he said through gritted teeth.
When he started for the comfortable-looking sofa, Mahogany knew it was probably even worse than he was letting on. He came across as one of those men who not only pushed themselves to the limit, but also as one who didn’t let anyone know when he was hurting.
He eased onto the sofa and lay on his back. He looked so uncomfortable.
“Do you have an ice pack?” she asked as she moved back to the kitchen and opened the freezer. Just as he said yes, she found it. After opening a couple of drawers, she grabbed a dish towel to wrap it in, then took it to him.
“Thanks,” he said.
She sat on the edge of the sofa next to him. “After I clean the kitchen, how about a back rub?” she suggested.
Ben’s gaze met hers, and a slow, sexy smile spread across his delectable mouth. “I wouldn’t say no to that.”
Grinning, Mahogany leaned over and kissed him. “Good, because I wasn’t taking no for an answer.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mahogany pulled up short when she crossed the threshold into Ben’s bedroom. They agreed he’d be more comfortable getting a massage in there instead of on the sofa in the family room. What she hadn’t expected was to walk into what could easily be described as one of the sexiest bedrooms she’d ever seen.
With each step she took, her feet sank into the soft, thick carpet that felt as if it was made of clouds. Everything about the room screamed romantic and seductive from the moody, bold colors to the masculine furniture and luxurious fabrics used throughout the space. Sensory overload consumed her as she took in every inch of the gorgeous room.
“Wow,” she said when she spotted the gray and white tray ceiling, brilliantly designed with clear cove lights built into it. “What a nice touch with the lights.” She’d seen something similar before, but not like this. Not with this type of charming effect.
Standing at the foot of the king-size bed, her attention went to the charcoal gray accent wall with textured 3D wall panels. The intricate design had to have taken forever to create, but it had been worth the time. It was fascinating, and the way the blue-gray fabric headboard stood out against it was spectacular.
The furniture in the large room was big, prominent, and very masculine. Her attention went to the oversized dark wood nightstands on either side of the bed. Instead of lamps, wall sconces hung over them, emitting a soft light that brought peace and calm to the space.
“Ben, this is one of the most beautiful rooms I’ve ever seen,” Mahogany said, glancing over her shoulder at him. He was leaning against the door jamb. “Did you decorate it yourself?”
“I did.” He pushed away from the door and moved into the room. “I use this place to experiment with ideas.” He shrugged. “Some work. Some don’t, but I’ll admit, I liked the way everything in here turned out.”
“Yeah, me too,” Mahogany said and strolled to the far side of the room where a blue-gray velvet chaise lounge was positioned near the double windows. “Have you ever thought about selling this place?”
Ben laughed. “Nope. Besides, I still have a lot of projects that I want to tackle here.”
He eased onto the bed, clearly in pain, and she suddenly remembered why they’d come upstairs in the first place. She strolled back over to the bed. “You seemed to be moving even slower. Let’s see if a back rub will help loosen your muscles. Do you have any massage oil?”
“No. Never needed any. I might have some lavender coconut oil that I used on Jayden when he was sick. Let me check.”
He started to stand but Mahogany placed her hand on his shoulder. “Sit. Tell me where it is, and I can get it.”
After a slight hesitation, he pointed to the ensuite. “If I have any, it’s in the bottom drawer next to the second sink closest to the wall.”
“Got it.” Mahogany went to his bathroom and turned on the light.
Ben had carried some of the same colors into the master bath, but instead of wood tones, the vanity cabinet was black. The gray and blue-black tile work on the floor looked like an art masterpiece. Whereas the tile in the shower had the same color, but it had a simple pattern.
Perfect.
The man had skills. He might be a painter by trade, but he could give any interior designer a run for their money. If he did all the work himself, Mahogany was even more impressed with him.
Right now, though, she felt a little weird looking through his stuff as she moved items in the drawer around. Eventually, she found the oil.
When she returned to the bedroom, Ben was still sitting on the bed, but he was leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs. He appeared deep in thought and didn’t even look up when she stood next to him.
She placed a washcloth on the nightstand and then set the oil on it. “Let’s pull the comforter back, so you can stretch out on the bed,” she said.
When he didn’t move, she repeated herself, thinking Ben hadn’t heard her. Still… nothing.
Worry crept through Mahogany when he didn’t move. Nor did he say anything. Now that she thought about it, he’d grown quieter as the night went on. Maybe he was in more pain than he was letting on. Or maybe she had overstayed her welcome, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings by telling her it was time to leave.
Nibbling on her lower lip, she debated on what to say. She was enjoying their evening together and wasn’t ready to say goodnight. Yet, it was clear that he was tired and in pain.
She sat on the bed next to him. “What’s going on?”
He grunted, then shook his head. Seconds ticked by before he lifted up and glanced at her. “I’m way out of my comfort zone here, Mahogany.”
In those few words, she didn’t miss the anguish and confusion in his tone. It almost gutted her. She had never met a man like him. In one sense, he was confident, bold, and had a take-charge attitude. Right now, though, he truly seemed lost.
Yes, she wanted him in her life more than she’d ever wanted another man. But she didn’t want him to be miserable, especially in his own home.
“Okay, I’ll leave. I didn’t mean—”
“This…” he waved his hand back and forth, “this is all a first for me,” he said as if she hadn’t spoken.
Mahogany wasn’t following. “What do you mean?”
“Since moving here about five or six years ago, you’re the first woman I’ve ever invited over. The first woman I’ve ever cooked dinner for here. The first woman who has ever been in my bedroom… in my personal space like this.”
Wait. What?
She couldn’t have heard him right. There was no way he hadn’t had another woman in this house before. There was no doubt in her mind that he had been with other women. Was he saying he had never invited any of them to his home?
That didn’t make sense, and what about Jayden’s mom?
“Lenay has been here a few times to visit Jayden, but only downstairs,” he said as if reading her mind. “She might’ve seen our son’s bedroom once when we first moved in, but that’s it. I never leave her here alone with him, and she and no other woman has ever been in my bedroom or my bed.”
“Wow.” The word slipped out before Mahogany could stop it but… wow.
There was so much to unpack in what he’d just shared. What stood out the most, though, was that he was comfortable enough with her to let her into his sanctuary. He was a private man. Beyond private, and it was a wonder that she’d gotten any information out of him over the last few weeks.
She knew that, but this revelation was shocking.
“I’m speechless. I—I don’t know what to say, except… why me? Why invite me into your home? Why let me get this close to you? Surely, you’ve met other women who you—”
“No.” Ben shook his head. “There hasn’t been anyone else I wanted to let get this close, and why you? I have no idea!”
Once again, there was anguish behind his words, and she was at a loss on how to console him. A small part of her was doing a happy dance inside. This beautiful, incredibly sweet, and kind man was basically telling her that she had cracked the wall he kept around himself. It excited her in one sense, but on the other hand, she felt sorry for him.
“I don’t believe in love at first sight, but Mahogany, from the moment I saw you in my grandparents’ ballroom…” He shook his head and looked as if he was trying to pull words from the air. “I can’t explain it. I think about you all the time. I want to be where you are every second of the day, and whenever you’re in my presence, I want to jump your bones. This shit is frustrating as hell.”
He was serious, but Mahogany laughed. He might’ve been frustrated by the realization that he liked her, but she was thrilled. Then again, what did all this mean? Was he going to pursue her? Or would he run?
Instead of asking, she decided to take a different tactic.
“Take off your shirt.” She stood and started pulling back the comforter, but he didn’t move. He was frowning at her, and she rolled her eyes playfully. “Hey, I promised you a back rub. Now take off your shirt and lie down.”
Ben stood and with each slow step he made, he cursed under his breath. He’d gotten stiff from sitting so long.
“Do you need help with your shirt?” she asked, and he narrowed his eyes at her.
“Are you just trying to get me naked?” Again, his tone was serious, and it made her laugh.
“You wish,” she joked, even though her pulse was amping up as he slowly lifted the T-shirt over his head.
Goodness.
Once he had removed the shirt, Mahogany’s eyes ate him up. Smooth dark skin. Muscular biceps. Chiseled chest. His six-pack abs were like bam, baby in your face.
All she wanted to do was run her hands up his body and not for the purpose of giving him a massage. The man’s physique was a work of art. As far as she knew, he didn’t spend hours on top of hours in the gym, but one wouldn’t know that by looking at him.
She swallowed hard when she noticed his nipples pebbled. God, what she wouldn’t give to…
Ben cleared his throat, and Mahogany’s eyes jerked up to meet his. She didn’t miss the twinkle in his light-brown orbs or the crooked grin. Clearly, he knew where her mind had gone.
“Well, don’t just stand there, lie down,” she said, and he chuckled but obeyed.
He lay on his stomach with a groan, then buried his face in one of the pillows. Her gaze traveled over his long, lean, muscular body, and an involuntary groan seeped through.
Ben lifted his head but didn’t look at her. “I can feel your eyes on my ass. Are you going to give me that back rub, or are you going to stare at me all night?”
Mahogany grinned and spanked his firm butt. He yelped, and she cracked up. “This is all part of my process. Now shush and let me get to work.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“That feels incredible,” Ben said, his moans filling the room with each gentle stroke to his back.
Mahogany smiled. She was glad to help alleviate some of his pain. However, for the last fifteen minutes, his seductive moans and groans had her in a state of arousal. He had no clue what he was doing to her, how he was turning her on.
She was kneeling on the bed next to his body in order to apply a decent amount of pressure. Her first thought had been to straddle him, but that conjured up too many sexy ideas. This way was best for both of them. She could concentrate on the back rub, and he could start feeling better.
Mahogany added a little more pressure as she made her way down to Ben’s lower back, and once again, he moaned. She shook her head. Between the soft jazz flowing through the room and the enticing scent of coconut and lavender permeating the air, she had found herself relaxing. But his moans of pleasure were working against her peace of mind.
Focus. Stay focused.
She reached over to the nightstand for the bottle of oil and poured more into her palms. Rubbing her hands together, she went back to work, gently massaging the fragrant oil into his soft skin.
Her gaze traveled the length of his strong, wide back and the way his sinewy muscles contracted under her touch. His back was smooth, yet hard beneath her hands. She could touch him all day and night, but too much of this would lead to…
So much for focusing. She was tempted to crawl on top of him and have her way with his enticing body. That would be such a bad idea. Whatever was developing between them was complicated enough. Add sex back into the equation, and she might not ever be able to walk away… assuming she’d need to.
“If I cook dinner for you again next week, would you give me another back rub?” Ben asked, his words muffled against the pillow.
Mahogany smiled. “That might can be arranged. Well, depending on what you cook.”
He chuckled, and for the next twenty minutes, they fell into a comfortable silence.
Her mind drifted to their earlier conversation. His words played around in her head. I think about you all the time. I want to be where you are every second of the day, and whenever you’re in my presence, I want to jump your bones.
Again, she smiled at the last part, but besides that fact, what did he want from her? At some point, they would have to talk. She needed to know where she stood with him, but first, she had to prepare for his response. If he only wanted a physical relationship, Mahogany knew she’d have to walk away.
But would he have said all that if he didn’t want more? No way would he tell her what was in his heart only to say—let’s be friends. Sharing his feelings meant he trusted her with his heart, and that pleased her.
Still, they had a problem. If he was willing to give dating a try, how would that work? She lived in Chicago, and as of right now, she was going home once her role in the nightclub was done. Granted, she’d been entertaining the idea of starting a business with Scarlett. Yet, she couldn’t just up and leave her life behind without a plan. Who knew how long it would take her to work out the details of relocating?
Also, Ben would never agree to a long-distance relationship. She wasn’t interested in that either, but after tonight, she really wanted them to give dating a try. There was something special between them, and Mahogany wanted to see where it could go. He might be her person, the person she was meant to marry.
Mahogany shook her head and stopped massaging Ben’s back. She was getting way ahead of herself. Ben might’ve admitted he had feelings for her. That didn’t mean he was ready to explore whatever was developing between them.
She rubbed her hands together. The oil was soothing and made her hands soft, but now that Ben was asleep, her job was done. Hopefully, when he woke up, he’d be pain free.
As Mahogany strolled to the bathroom to put the oil away and wash her hands, she debated on whether to leave. The night was still young, but technically their date was over, there was no reason for her to stick around. Except, she wanted them to talk, and she wasn’t ready to go home.
Returning to the bedroom, Mahogany stood next to the bed and stared down at Ben’s sleeping form. She sat next to him and ran her hand gently over the side of his head. He was such a beautiful man, and he could be hers if they didn’t have so many barriers in the way. One being his fear of letting a woman get close. The other, their living situation.
All that was a problem for a different day. She’d let him sleep, and maybe they could have a long talk tomorrow.
Standing, Mahogany thought about waking him so he could get undressed. He might’ve been shirtless, but he was still wearing his jeans, which couldn’t have been all that comfortable. But he looked so peaceful. Instead of waking him up, she pulled the comforter up to his middle back. Then she bent down and placed a light kiss on his forehead.
“Sleep well,” she murmured, but just as she started to walk away, Ben grabbed her hand.
“Please, don’t leave me,” he whispered.
Mahogany froze. His sleep-filled voice was deep and raspy, and his words caught her off guard.
She stared into his tired eyes, and her heart jolted. He might’ve been asking her not to leave him alone in bed, or not to leave the house. Yet, in that moment, it was as if she could see the three-year-old Ben begging his mother not to leave him. Not to walk out of his life.
