More Than Love, page 4
Still, Makena hated the way some of the women blatantly threw themselves at him. She couldn’t much blame them. The midnight-blue tuxedo with black lapels sheathed his fit body, bringing attention to his wide shoulders and narrow waist. Combine those qualities with his good looks, gorgeous smile, and charming personality, and he stood out from all the other men in the room.
“You and my brother are a trip,” Carolyn cracked, shaking her head and smiling.
Makena pulled her attention from Ben and turned to his sister. Carolyn might have been a couple of years older than Makena, but growing up, they were good friends. Nights like tonight, they often gravitated to each other. They had just returned from the ladies’ room, but had been stopped by the mayor’s wife, a big talker. At some point, Makena had tuned out of the conversation, and now realized the other woman had moved on.
“What do you mean?” Makena asked.
“I mean you two can’t take your eyes off of each other. I know you were trying to give him space to circulate, but you might as well go on back over there.”
“I don’t want to come across as clingy.”
Carolyn waved her off. “Oh please. No one could ever accuse you of being clingy. If anything, it’s the other way around. He hasn’t let you out of his sight, probably because of that dress.”
Makena glanced down at her evening gown. After debating between two outfits, she had decided on a shimmering silver dress with sheer sleeves and a long V that stopped at the swell of her breasts. Ben’s sudden intake of breath when he picked her up earlier was all the assurance she’d needed to know that she had made the right choice. And his eyes had practically bugged out of his head when he spotted the long split that revealed her left leg whenever she moved. The outfit was bolder than she normally wore, but his reaction had made her feel like a goddess.
“Hey, Auntie and Mac, we’re getting ready to leave.”
Makena turned to Nate, Ben’s nephew, and his wife Liberty. They were such an adorable couple. After being college sweethearts, they were abruptly torn apart. It seemed unlikely that they would ever find their way back to each other; not until fate stepped in a couple of years ago. Despite the rocky reunion, they were now married, with twin one-year-old boys.
Liberty was an associate lawyer at Ben’s law firm, and Nate, the CFO for Jenkins & Sons Construction, worked with Ben as well. They had partnered a couple of years earlier and started a property development company. Makena didn’t know how any of them juggled their busy schedules.
“We have to go and relieve the babysitter. I’m sure the twins have probably worn her out by now,” Liberty said, referring to their boys.
“Well, it was good seeing you both.” Makena hugged Liberty. “What happened to Nick and Sumeera?” She just realized that everyone had vacated the table they’d all shared earlier.
“Oh, they’re still here somewhere. We’ll probably run into them in the hallway,” Nate said, giving Makena a hug. “We’ll see you soon, and tell Uncle Ben I’ll catch him later.”
“I will.”
“Okay, you’re up,” Carolyn said to Makena and nodded toward Ben who was now talking to a woman wearing a seductive red evening gown. “That’s Sydney. She’s been trying to get her claws into Ben for years. I suggest you go over and run interference.”
“I think you’re right. I saw her earlier. She tried snagging Ben’s attention when we first arrived, but he managed to dodge her. I’ll go over and introduce myself.”
“You do that, and I’m gonna go and rescue my husband. He’s been holding court with those men long enough. They’re probably asking for free financial advice.” Her husband, Lincoln Richwood, was a financial adviser and seemed to know practically everyone in attendance.
Makena hugged Carolyn and then moved further into the ballroom. Now was actually the perfect time to rejoin Ben since the band had started back up after a short break. She loved dancing, though she didn’t get to do it often.
She maneuvered around several round tables. Dinner and the program had ended twenty minutes ago, but people were still sitting around and talking.
The organizers had done a beautiful job with the lavishly decorated ballroom. They had gone with a light blue, brown, and various shades of gray color scheme. The tablecloths were gray, and the chair coverings were gray with a brown sash. Blue accents, including cloth napkins and blue LED uplighting, transformed the walls and gave the room an elegant pop of color.
But it was the intricate floral centerpieces that pulled everything together. Extra-tall crystal vases were on the tables, making it easy for guests to still communicate without obstructing their view. The lovely floral arrangement consisted of blue irises, white orchids, and strings of pearls dripping down the side of the vases.
When Makena glanced at Ben again, he was staring at her. His heated gaze seeped into her and burned a path straight to her core. How could just a look spark something so passionately powerful within her?
And then he smiled.
Goodness.
A sweet thrill shot through her body, and she picked up her pace. She couldn’t wait to be in his arms.
Sydney glanced over her shoulder. At first, a smile was perched on her ruby-red lips, but it dropped when she spotted Makena headed their way.
“I was just about to come get you,” Ben said, pulling Makena to his side and placing a lingering kiss on her temple. “Makena, this is Sydney. She’s with the county treasurer’s office. Sydney, this is my date, Makena Nichols.”
“Hello,” Makena greeted with a nod.
Sydney gave her a quick once-over. “Hello. I haven’t seen you before. Are you new to this area?”
Makena slid her arm around Ben’s waist and leaned into him. It was about time she staked her claim. “No, I grew up here.” She looked up at Ben. “I’m sorry to interrupt you two, but how about that dance?”
“I’m all yours, sweetheart. Have a good evening, Sydney,” Ben said. With her hand in his, he guided Makena around a few tables and to the dance floor. She hadn’t missed the scowl on Sydney’s face, but she didn’t care. If anyone was going to spend the rest of the evening with Ben, it was going to be her.
“Thanks for coming to my rescue,” he whispered close to her ear, arousing a desire within her that he had stoked throughout the night.
She smiled at him. “Any time.”
When they reached the dance floor, Ben lifted Makena’s hand up over her head and then spun her before pulling her into his arms. Hugged up to his hard body, she was so glad the band was playing a slow song. Not that she needed an excuse to get close to him.
Ben held one of Makena’s hand to his chest and her other arm went around his neck as their bodies swayed to the smooth melody. If she hadn’t seen the singer, Makena would’ve thought India Arie herself was on stage singing her song, “Steady Love.”
“Have I mentioned how much I love your dress?”
“You might have mentioned it a few times. I’m glad you like it.”
He nuzzled the area behind her ear and delicious tingles elicited a soft moan from her. This man had the ability to turn her body to butter if she didn’t maintain some control.
“So…you and Sydney, huh?” she asked as casually as she could. Considering how close the woman had been standing to him, Makena couldn’t help wondering if they’d been an item at some point.
Ben slowed and leaned his head back, meeting Makena’s gaze. “Me and Sydney what?”
Mindful that the dance floor was filling up, she kept her voice low. “Are you…or were you two an item?”
“No. Never. Next question,” he said with amusement. “Wait. Don’t tell me you were jealous.”
She could lie, but why bother? “Maybe a little.”
“Don’t be. I’ve never been interested in her, and I never will be. There’s only one woman I want.”
Makena’s heart fluttered inside of her chest and a surge of arousal pulsed through her veins. He was such a sweet talker. Then again, he was so much more than that. He was hers if she wanted him.
She caressed the back of his head as she stared into his sexy eyes, loving the intimacy of dancing with him. “I’m glad to hear that. Because if you and I are going to date, you need to make it clear to your admirers that you’re no longer available.”
Ben stopped in the middle of the dance floor. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Makena bit back a smile. “I thought I was pretty clear.”
Ben laughed, and he cupped her face between his hands as he searched her eyes. The gentleness of the way he was brushing the pad of his thumbs over her cheeks made Makena’s heart melt a little.
“I’ll be happy to shout it to the world that I’m all yours, and what better way to make that clear than by doing this.”
He lowered his head and captured her mouth in a hot, sensual kiss, one that was full of love and promises. His hands moved from her face. One slid behind her neck and the other around her waist as he held her tight to him.
Makena pushed everything and everybody from her mind and got swept away by the intensity of the kiss. Their kiss the week before had been mind-numbing, but this…this one was like no other. Cushioned against his muscular body, she felt all of him, even the hardness of his shaft pressing against her stomach.
A wave of desire crashed through her, and she gripped the back of Ben’s suit jacket when her knees went weak. She had wondered if the kiss last week had been a fluke.
It hadn’t been.
Kissing Ben was like an awakening of all her senses. Why had she protested them crossing that line?
Nothing that feels this good could be wrong, she thought. If only she hadn’t been afraid, they could’ve been experiencing this connection much sooner.
When they finally came up for air, Makena noticed the band was playing a different song. Glancing around the crowded dance floor, she also realized they had snagged the attention of some of the other guests. A woman a few feet away smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.
Makena’s face heated. She had never been into public displays of affection and kissing a man in the middle of a dance floor was a first. Even in her fifties, she had a feeling that she’d have a lot of firsts with Ben.
He caressed her cheek. “You won’t regret taking a chance on me,” he said quietly, and Makena assumed he was talking about the new status of their relationship. “You and I are meant to be together.”
He’d said that to her on more than one occasion over the last few months. Suddenly, Makena believed him. She knew early on in her marriage that she had married the wrong man. She just never considered that Ben might’ve been the man for her.
Ben lowered his hand and reached for hers. “Why don’t we get out of here?”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
Chapter Five
Excitement thumped through Ben as he maneuvered his SUV through the streets of Cincinnati. He only wished he had gone with his initial idea of getting a driver for the evening. Holding Makena’s hand now, while still feeling that kiss that they shared on the dance floor, was making it hard to focus on the road.
It was official.
They were a couple.
She was his.
He knew at some point she would come around to his way of thinking and discover what he’d known for a long time. They were destined to be together. Ben just hadn’t expected her to acknowledge that truth in the middle of a dance floor.
During the past week, there had been signs that she was ready to take their friendship to the next level.
Since that kiss in her kitchen, they spent almost every evening together. He made it a point to stop by her place, if only for a few minutes, on his way home. Makena hadn’t deflected any of his subtle moves. Holding her hand. A touch here and there. A kiss on the lips when greeting her, and another when they went their separate ways.
He especially knew something was up when he picked her up for the fundraiser, and she’d handed him her overnight bag.
“I’m so proud of you,” Makena said out of the blue.
Ben split his attention between her and the road as he hopped on I-71 North toward his home. He thought she would continue, but she went quiet.
“Okaay. What’d I do?”
“The award you received,” she said as if he should’ve known what she was thinking. “It’s wonderful that no matter how crazy your schedule is, you still find time to do volunteer work. You’re not only generous with your time, but also your money.”
Emotion swelled inside of Ben at her kind words. It was one thing to make your parents, or even your kids proud. It was something altogether different when the love of your life said that she was proud of you.
“Thank you. That means a lot to hear you say that.” Actually, it meant more then he’d ever be able to express. “When I was in law school, I had vowed that once I had a little money and influence, I was going to invest in the community I grew up in.”
Makena nodded. “I think I’m going to start getting more involved. Maybe you can help me decide where to begin.”
“Actually, the new community center is in need of math tutors. You interested? It’ll require at least a two-hour-per-week commitment.”
“I think I can handle that.” She glanced down at their joined hands and nibbled on her bottom lip. “So, now that we’re dating, where do we go from here?”
Ben brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her fingers. “To be honest, I’m not sure. All I know is that I want to spend as much time with you as possible. Mac, I’m not taking what you and I have lightly, and you need to know that this is not just a fling for me.”
“I know that, and I feel the same way. We already spend more time together than most married couples, but I’m sure there are still things we don’t know about each other.”
“True. I guess now we’ll focus on getting to know each other on a different level.”
*
Twenty-five minutes later, Makena’s nerves were on high alert as Ben let them into his home. She wasn’t nervous to spend time with him, but her thoughts were going a mile a minute. What happened next? She was spending the night. Would he expect them to be intimate? Did she want them to be intimate?
Yes and no, said the tiny voice inside her head.
Yes, because she was curious. If Ben was as good in bed as he was with every other aspect of his life, it would be a night to remember.
No, because once they crossed that line and made love, there was no going back. Their relationship would be forever changed. They wouldn’t only be dating. They would also be lovers.
Was she ready for that?
If she was honest with herself, the answer was yes. She just had to stop thinking so much and live in the moment.
As she strolled through the mudroom and into the kitchen, some of the tension left her body. She loved Ben’s house. It was a place that felt just as much like home as hers did.
The ranch-style home, with almost three thousand square feet, had four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and sat on almost two acres. Normally, Makena was partial to open floor plans, but the majority of the home was closed off. The exception was the kitchen, which opened up to a large family room; that was mainly where they hung out. On occasion they’d sit in the formal living room or use the formal dining room, but that was rare.
“You already know to make yourself at home,” Ben said from behind her as he reset the house alarm.
He headed in the direction of the bedrooms, carrying her overnight case as well as his duffel bag. He had probably originally planned to stay the night at her place. That was until she had handed him her bag when he picked her up. The surprised look on his face had been comical, and Makena was glad she could still surprise him.
She roamed through the house, her heels clicking on the oak hardwood floors. Considering Ben wasn’t conservative with his ideas or his style of dress, his home decor was traditional. The dark, masculine furniture with wood accents was comfortable looking with splashes of colors all around.
Makena made her way back to the kitchen and stopped at the sliding glass patio door. She stared out at the deck that overlooked a huge fenced-in yard. There was a pool and a play set that some of the Jenkins men built for Ben’s five-year-old grandson. The imposing structure stood out and included a fort, swings, a slide, and a climbing wall.
Ben returned to the kitchen and Makena watched him through the reflection in the window as he approached.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah. Seems as if I haven’t been here in like forever.”
“That’s because you haven’t. It’s been a few weeks. Maybe even a month.”
She lived in the city and closer to both of their jobs. It was always easier to meet up at her place after work, instead of them driving to his place.
Ben wrapped his arms around her from behind, and nuzzled her neck. “In the car, on our way here, I mentioned that I would follow your lead here on out.”
Makena couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips. She knew he meant that when he’d said it, but she also knew it was only a matter of time before he took the lead.
“Yeah,” she said, dragging the one word out while wondering where he was going with the conversation.
“There’s one thing that’s non-negotiable.” He placed a sweet, sensual kiss behind her ear, and a tingle of pleasure shot through her body, down to the soles of her feet. “I won’t be flexible when it comes to where you sleep when you’re here.”
Makena slowly turned in his arms and faced him. Her lips twitched as she fingered his bowtie. “Is that right?”
“Yep. Non-negotiable.”
She gave a little shrug. “That’s fine since I’m planning to sleep wherever you do.”
Ben’s gorgeous eyes narrowed, and he remained quiet as if waiting for her to say more. Makena could admit to giving him a hard time occasionally, but not in this case. They wanted the same thing.
“Quit looking at me like that,” she said, slowly undoing his bowtie. “You’re not going to get an argument from me regarding sleeping arrangements.”
