Page 58 of With You Here
Yet another thing she’d need to apologize for.
She rounded the corner of the building only to pull up to a stop at the sight of Ben rotating a key in the lock.
The corners of his eyes softened when he turned and spotted her. “Amber. Good to see you.”
Guilt punched in additional words. Ones that went something likeeven though the day is over and you’ve been MIA for most of it when you were supposed to be with the kids on the pitch per your contract.
“I am so sorry.” Heat pricked the back of her eyes with keen disappointment in herself. “I got some unexpected news, and then I sort of lost track of time. It won’t happen again. I promise.”
“Hey. Do not beat yourself up. We are only concerned for you.”
“Oh.” She stared down at her shoes. “You’ve seen the headline then?”
“Yes. But do not think too much on this thing. People know that paper is trash. No one who knows you will believe such words.”
“Thank you.”
He scanned the parking lot. “You are looking for Seth, yes?”
She nodded.
“He has already gone home. Come. I will give you a ride.”
She followed him to the van and climbed into the passenger seat.
“Seth Marshall is a goodman.” Ben gave her a pointed look as he started the ignition. “He bought this van and donated it to the center when he found we had need. He has given much of his money to help others. That is what they should be printing.” He mumbled something under his breath.
“What was that?” she asked.
“I say, if he would let us.” He put on his blinker light and turned. “Even today I say to him to let our PR department respond. To tell the world who he really is.” A soft chuckle lightened his words. “Such a thing would not be bad for the center either, no?” He glanced briefly at Amber and winked. “But he is stubborn. Says he does not want to…how do you say, take to his advantage the children’s pain. To use them to make himself look better.”
“Take advantage of. Exploit.” Amber smiled weakly. “I can see his point.”
“I as well. But I cannot help but wonder, if more people heard personal stories, would it change the way they see these people, remove their fears? I would tell them myself, but who wants to listen to an executive in a stuffy suit?Nein. A good-looking football star would be a much better mouthpiece. Do you not think so?”
Heat climbed its way into her cheeks, and she silently cursed her fair skin for exposing her feelings so accurately.
Ben laughed. “No need to agree. It is written on your face.” He put the van in park and turned to study her. “Whatever you say…be gentle. I think, even though he has been with women before, when it comes to how he feels about you, he is in as much new area as you are.”
She didn’t know how to respond, so she quietly thanked him for the ride and let herself out of the van. She stood on the sidewalk and stared up at the quaint townhouse in front of her. Historical charm with stucco and half-timbering of the façade. Traditional. No fuss. Not at all what she pictured a multi-millionaire would choose to live in, but the more she stared at the house, the more she could picture Seth picking this home. It was the exact thing she would have chosen for herself as well.
But thoughts like those were not helpful, so she pushed them from her mind while she raised her fist to knock on the front door.
She didn’t even have time to take in a calming breath before the door was ripped open and Seth stood there in a wash of backlight. His body seemed to sag, like each tense muscle gave way to relief at the mere sight of her. And then he stepped forward and crushed her to him.
“Ah, luv, it’s good to see you.”
Her heart tripped over itself. She tried to right it, but it kept tumbling over and over.He doesn’t mean love.But that organ responsible for oxygenating her blood refused to listen to reason. Instead it pumped harder, causing her to go lightheaded.
She took in a deep breath. Bad idea. All her senses overloaded. If the systems of her body had alarms, they’d all be sounding at def-con decibels.
He smelled so good. Like spice and citrus and…home. How could a person smell like home? Like belonging?
“I was worried about you.” His words breathed warm over her hair, causing a shiver to race down her spine. She’d heard it said that Southerners have a soothing drawl like warm honey on toast. Those people had never had a British man speak over them. Seth’s rich tone was like a caress on her skin, making her muscles quiver and her bones turn to jelly.
Her limbs had a mind of their own, which was partly good, because her mind seemed to have stopped working, but partly bad, because her hands, the ones locked between their pressed bodies, slid down his abs, across his waist, and locked behind his back.
She closed her eyes, her cheek on his chest.
