Chapter 6

SIX

Kate

The flickering candlelightdances across his features, casting a warm glow on the planes of Ben"s face. His dark eyes smolder as they latch onto mine, and I can"t help but think how they remind me of a stormy night sky, deep and mysterious. The corner of his lips turns upwards in that heart-stopping half-smile he knows drives me wild.

"Kate," he says, his voice a low rumble that sends shivers down my spine, "if looks could undress someone, I"d be naked by now."

I toss my hair over one shoulder, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. "Who says that"s not the plan?" My words are playful, laced with the promise of what"s to come.

Our table, tucked away in the corner of this high-end restaurant, feels like an island just for us—a private little universe where the buzz of the outside world fades away. As we lean in closer, the rest of the room blurs into nothingness. It's just Ben, with his confident pilot swagger, and me, the starlet who"s supposed to have it all yet only wants the man before her.

A soft melody weaves through the air, wrapping around us like a silken scarf. It"s the kind of tune that makes you want to sway, to close your eyes and get lost in the moment. But I don't dare close mine—not when I"m caught in his gaze, not when every second is a treasure.

"Is it the candlelight, or are your eyes always this sparkling?" he teases, his hand reaching across the table to find mine.

"Maybe it"s the company," I counter, my pulse quickening as our fingers entwine. The music swells just a fraction, and I imagine it"s the soundtrack to our own clandestine romance—a melody that speaks of longing and desire wrapped up in elegant notes.

"Or maybe," Ben continues, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand, "it"s because tonight feels like the beginning of something unforgettable."

And I can"t argue with that, because every nerve in my body is alight, and every beat of my heart is singing yes, this is exactly where I'm meant to be.

A ripple of laughter escapes me as Ben"s latest quip has me genuinely amused. "Careful, Captain Caldwell," I tease, leaning in, my breath a whisper over the rim of my wine glass. "Flattery like that might just earn you a place in my next movie."

"Only if I get to play the dashing love interest," he shoots back, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Typecasting," I retort playfully, but the warmth in my chest blooms like the rich, red bouquet in my wine. Our banter is a dance we"ve perfected, each step as thrilling as the last, and I"m dizzy with delight.

A glance to the right, and I think I catch a glimpse of familiar blonde hair. My heart constricts. Please, no. Don't let her be here.

Vanessa Williams"s reputation for sniffing out secrets is infamous. She's a cutthroat reporting who makes her living off stalking the lives of the rick and famous and violating every ounce of her privacy. I purposefully try to stay off her radar.

My eyes sweep over the room frantically, but I don't see her. Could I be mistaken?

"Is everything okay?" Ben says, his voice low and reassuring. His thumb caresses my hand, a silent promise that no matter what, we"re in this together.

I can feel the heat from Ben"s hand as it finds mine under the table, his fingers tangling with mine in a playful dance. The candlelight flickers across his dark eyes, shadows and light playing hide and seek on his chiseled face. He leans in, and I"m caught in the gravitational pull of his nearness.

I shake my head. "Yeah, it's fine. Just…thought I recognized someone."

Ben studies me for a long moment as if he's reading right into my soul—and he probably is. He has that way about him. Like he can see right through me.

"Did I tell you how stunning you look tonight?" Ben asks, his gaze tracing the contours of my face as if committing every detail to memory.

"Only about a dozen times," I reply with mock exasperation. But inside, I melt a little more with each compliment. He has this knack for making me feel like the only woman in the world.

Our conversation ebbs and flows, a mix of laughter and lingering looks. There"s an electric current zipping between us, charged with the thrill of new love and the danger of discovery. It"s intoxicating, enough to make us forget we"re not alone in our little cocoon.

"Ben," I say, leaning closer, my eyes flicking over the crowd again. "We need to be careful."

"I know," he replies, his thumb tracing circles on my wrist now, sending tingles up my arm.

My breath hitches as his touch ignites tiny wildfires on my skin.

I stare into his eyes, and I'm lost. It's just the two of us, and I forget everything else.

"Ben, I—" I don't even know what I was going to say. My words falter as he leans in, cutting off any semblance of resistance with the promise of his lips hovering just a hair"s breadth from mine.

"Shh," he whispers, his breath fanning over my skin, sending shivers cascading down my spine. "No more talking."

His hand cradles my face, thumb caressing my cheekbone as if I"m something precious, something cherished. Our lips meet, and oh, it"s a kiss that writes sonnets, that launches a thousand ships. It"s a kiss that feels like coming home and starting an adventure all at once.

We"re lost in the taste of each other, tongues tangling in a dance as old as time yet as fresh as the first drop of rain in a drought. The rest of the world fades away. It"s just Ben and me, the heat of our bodies, the urgency of our connection. We"re creating our own inferno, right here in our little corner of this posh restaurant, and for these fleeting moments, we forget everything else.

It's only after we finally pull apart that I realize how reckless we've been.