Chapter 5

5

Grace

I love being with Benji and I love talking to Benji. On the run today, he was so sweet. Although he insisted he didn't, I felt like he slowed his pace a bit— just to make sure I could keep up. We ended up running four miles.

As soon as we got home, we both went our separate ways— him in his bathroom and me in the hall bath for my shower.

When I finish, I dry off and that's when I realize I left my clean clothes in the bedroom.

Yuck. I don't want to put these sweaty running clothes back on.

Maybe I can slip down the hallway to the bedroom unnoticed. I hold my ear to the door. I can't tell if the other shower is still on or not. Hopefully, Benji is in his room or has gone downstairs.

It's not like he's waiting for you in the hallway to attack you or something. Stop being ridiculous.

I secure the towel around my body and open the bathroom door just a crack. I poke my head out and check to the left and the right. The hallway is clear. I let out breath and make my escape.

I'm halfway between the bathroom and the bedroom when Benji comes around the corner from the stairway and we're face-to-face.

I let out a small shriek. "Oops. Sorry. I left my clothes in the bedroom." I lift my arm to point to the bedroom and my towel comes away from my body. I quickly secure it back in place.

Benji is within a foot of me. His eyes blaze as his glance moves up and down my body. We're frozen in place— neither of us moves.

"I'm sorry. I should've brought?—"

He shakes his head. "Don't be sorry. You're beautiful."

My face burns and my tummy does a little flip-flop. I roll my eyes. "Well, thank you."

Well, thank you? That's what I say to a gorgeous man who just told me I'm beautiful? Way to go, Grace.

Another moment of silence as his eyes appreciate the view.

"I've got myself set up at the dining room table to study. You're welcome to join me."

"I better get dressed first." I giggle. "I'll join you down there."

Benji smirks and leans against the wall. "Hey, don't feel pressured to get dressed on my account."

What's he trying to do to me?

I scurry past him to the bedroom door. "See you down there," I call as I zip into the bedroom and close the door behind me.

I lean against the door. My legs shake and my insides flutter with a million butterflies that were released.

My brother and his roommates are not coming back until tomorrow night. How am I going to get through the rest of the weekend with this manly god in my vision the whole time? Now he wants me to study with him.

I slide down the door and my butt hits the wood floor. I take a shaky breath.

I've never felt like this before. I should've been more careful and not have let Benji see me in my towel. He probably thinks I'm some sort of pervert.

I hurry and dress in cutoff jean shorts and a white tank top. After I'm dressed, I dig through my purse for the plastic bag of my fortunes. I find the bag and give it a little shake.

Gotta get the fortunes mixed up good.

I close my eyes tightly, reach into the bag, and pull out one of the many tiny slips of paper. I open my eyes to see what wisdom has just been granted to me.

You are made of a beautiful heart. Others will discover your beauty inside and out.

The question is who will discover it?

I grab my backpack, gallop down the stairway, and make my way into the dining room where Benji is already set up at the table. Books, a binder, notebooks, and an open laptop.

He smiles when he looks up from his laptop. "Hey, join me." He points to the empty chair next to him.

I plop my backpack on the table, unzip it and pull out my laptop and books. "What're you up to?"

"Composition." He scowls. "A paper to write. I'm not a big fan, but you do what you gotta do, right?" He takes a chug from his water bottle, and his Adam's apple bobs which mesmerizes me.

He's so sexy.

I sit down in the chair next to him. "Right."

He leans over to me. "What about you?"

His hair is still damp from his shower and for some reason, I want to run my fingers through it. His masculine scent captures my senses and practically makes me dizzy with desire.

I frown. "Calculus three." I sigh dramatically. "I'm not gonna lie… I'm really struggling. I've never been much of a math person."

"What?" Benji smirks. "You seem like the kind of girl who would be good at anything she tries."

I blush. "When I was in grade school, Benji always had to help me with my math homework." I chuckle at the memory. "I especially hated story problems."

"I liked math and did okay, but story problems were confusing." Benji takes a drink from his water bottle.

"Anytime Mary had fruit to sell, or Timmy was going to mow lawns, I'd practically lose my mind." I put my elbow on the table. "I'd always beg, please Timmy. Don't mow lawns."

"Right?" Benji rubs the back of his neck and smiles. "And why couldn't Timmy just charge a flat fee for the lawns? Of course, he had to make it some crazy shit like charging by the area." Benji chuckles. "Crazy fucker," he mutters.

"Exactly. He needed to charge twenty bucks per lawn times two lawns. Timmy made forty bucks. Now send his ass home to play some video games."

"What about if Timmy gets on a train —after he's finished mowing, of course— and his train is approaching the station at ninety miles per hour and there's a train coming from the opposite direction and?—"

"Stop!" I laugh. "Timmy's too young to take the train. Besides, where would he store his lawn mower?"

Benji taps a finger to his lips. His lips. His lips look so soft. . . and kissable. His hair, a little ruffled and a lot sexy.

His eyes are a light blue like pools of cool water on a hot summer day. Water a person could just dive into and soak in. A little bit of scruff covers his chin, like he didn't shave this morning, and I wonder what that scruff would feel like against my face.

"Grace?"

His velvet voice breaks into my thoughts. "Yeah?"

He smirks. "Thought I lost you there for a minute. Were you trying to figure out how Timmy could get that lawn mower onto the train?"

No Benji. I was thinking about how delectable your lips are. Wondering what it would feel like to kiss them. Wondering what it would feel like to have you close.

I let out a breath. "Sure."

After an hour of silence, Benji looks up from his laptop. "How's the math going?"

I nod. "A little better than I thought, but I'm stuck on a few of these problems."

He scoots his chair closer to mine which causes our bare knees to touch under the table. "How about if I take a look?" He leans in close to me. "What's up?"

I set my computer aside and scoot the open math book between us. "Number four and number nine."

He bumps his shoulder against mine. "Are you showing your work, Grace?" His authoritative voice melts me and I'm a puddle on the dining room floor.

What happened to Grace O'Leary? Grace? She melted in the football house— right on the dining room floor.

I sit up straighter and push my shoulders back. "Of course, I am." I push my notebook in front of him.

He turns to me, and I can feel his breath on my cheek. I try to focus on the notebook, and I can feel him as he moves closer. He takes his hand gently to my face and turns me so I'm facing him. My heart pounds in my chest. His lips gently caress mine. Slowly at first, then a little more demanding. We move our mouths together in a synchronized symphony of beautiful ministrations.

I was right. His lips are soft as they move over mine.

His tongue slips out and he runs it over my lips until I open for him. Our tongues circle in what seems like a well-rehearsed act. My face flushes and I feel every tingle and every shock of electricity as it carries through my body.

He groans into my mouth and barely pulls away. "Oh Grace," he whispers. "Your brother would kill me if he were here."

"But he isn't," I whisper and touch my hand gently to that scruff on his cheek.

Benji moans. "You're an irresistible little bit of trouble, aren't you?"

"Will you kiss me again?"

Benji doesn't hesitate for a moment, and he crashes his mouth over mine once again.

Benji takes control of me. Takes control of my body and my heart. Benji isn't the type of guy who's going to stick around any one girl for long.

My mind reels through what the consequences of this are. Most likely a broken heart. But at this moment in time, I don't care. For the first time in my life, I feel wanted. I feel desired. I feel like a normal woman without my brother and mother interfering.

Bring on the heartbreak. Just keep kissing me, Benji.