Page 11 of King
Mia gave an approving nod and saw a broad smile on her cousin’s face.She hoped she wouldn’t be a third wheel, but she didn’t dare ask.“Why not?Sounds like fun.”
“All right let’s get some lunch before we head home so we have the energy to dance,” Mia heard Sammy say.
Mia laughed.“Dance?”She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone dancing.Unless you counted the times she’d chaperoned her kids’ school dances.
Sammy shrugged, not picking up on the unease in Mia’s tone.Her interest was zeroed in on something hanging on the rack, and her eyes rounded when she checked the tag and saw how much it had been marked down.“Look at this dress!”She held up a blue lace bodice with an attached floral skirt that probably fell about knee-length on the wearer.
Mia smiled with amusement because Sammy had held the dress up for Ben’s scrutiny.“Isn’t this a beautiful color?”
He gave his approval before Mia had a chance to give her input, but she had to agree that it was a beautiful dress.Sammy glanced over Ben’s shoulder as if she’d just remembered that Mia was there as well.
“I love it,” Mia agreed.It would look great on Sammy’s curvy figure and would bring out the color in her blue eyes.“You should get it.”
At her suggestion, Sammy checked the size of the dress, her smile lighting up her face.“It’s a size too big, but I’m going to get it.It might shrink a little in the dryer.”
Ben’s heavy sigh indicated that he was done with shopping.“So where do you ladies want to eat?My treat.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Sammy said shyly.
Mia wanted to kick her.When a man offered to buy you lunch, you let him.She knew that Sammy wasn’t used to that kind of offer from a man.She’d been alone since Adam had passed away and was used to doing things on her own.
Ben was obviously interested in Sammy.Mia could see the way his eyes lingered on her, the way he leaned in slightly when she spoke.A subtle touch here and there.It was so obvious that even Sammy must have noticed it, but she seemed content to treat him as a friend.
It occurred to Mia that that was why Sammy was so comfortable around him.
Mia decided to take matters into her own hands.“Why don’t we try that new Italian place we passed earlier?”Italian wasn’t the most obvious choice when they were on the coast and there were so many seafood restaurants around, but Mia knew how much Sammy loved Italian.
Sammy’s eyes lit up.“Oh, I love Italian food!”
The three of them headed to the register so Sammy could pay for her dress.
“Great, it’s settled then,” Ben said with a grin.“Let’s go.”
As they walked to the restaurant, Mia couldn’t help but notice the way Ben kept glancing over at Sammy.He was definitely taken with her, and she had to admit, they did make a cute couple.They arrived at the restaurant and were seated at a cozy table in the corner.The atmosphere was romantic, with soft lighting and the sound of Italian music in the background.
As they scanned the menu, Ben suggested a bottle of chianti to share.Sammy hesitated for a moment before nodding her consent, a small smile on her face.Mia could tell that she was enjoying herself, even if she wasn’t used to the kind of attention she was getting from Ben.
As the meal wore on, the conversation flowed easily between the three of them.They talked about their lives, sharing enough information that they got to know one another without being overwhelmed.Mia noticed the way Ben’s hand would brush against Sammy’s arm every now and then, and the way she would blush and look away like it was nothing.Mia could just imagine Sammy’s heart fluttering in response to his subtle touches.
Deciding to play matchmaker, Mia excused herself to go to the ladies’ room and made a quick call to the waiter, instructing him to bring out a dessert with a special message on it.She prayed that she hadn’t misread their interest in one another; what she was about to do could end up embarrassing them all if she had.But if her hunch was right, it would give them the push they needed to take the next step.
When she returned to the table, Sammy and Ben were deep in conversation.Mia could tell they were both having a good time.Soon the waiter came over with a plate of tiramisu, which had the words, “Sammy, will you go out with me?”written in chocolate sauce on the top.Mia remained silent and watched them closely.
Sammy gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.Ben shot Mia a look and grinned before turning toward Sammy.His reaction calmed Mia’s nerves.Was he shy too?He stared at Sammy expectantly, and for a moment Mia held her breath, hoping that she hadn’t got it all wrong.Then Sammy smiled and nodded.“Yes, Ben, I would love to go out with you.”
Ben beamed and took Sammy’s hand across the table.“Great, how about dinner next Friday?I know a great steakhouse.”
Sammy laughed.“Sounds wonderful.”
Feeling accomplished, Mia smiled to herself and released a breath of relief that her plan had worked.They’d just needed a little push.As they finished their meal, she watched Ben and Sammy’s exchange, noting their nervousness.But she could also tell that they were excited about what the future held.
On the drive home, Mia wondered why Sammy hadn’t talked about Ben before.From what she’d learned over lunch, they hadn’t worked together for very long, and Ben had just moved to the Coldwater area the year before.She thought about asking him more but changed her mind.He and Sammy were lost in conversation, and Mia didn’t want to interrupt them.
So instead, Mia sat back and took in the scenery as her thoughts drifted back to King and how explosive their attraction was.He was a strong, assertive man who made his desires known and acted on them without hesitation, so sure she would reciprocate his feelings.Just thinking of his large hands on her body caused her to quiver as images of them going at it filled her mind.If Sammy hadn’t returned to the house when she had that day that he had shown up, they would have had sex right then and there.She knew it.The mere thought of how turned on he'd made her had made her wet with arousal.
It wasn’t long before they were back home, and Sammy parked beside Ben’s truck and cut the engine.“We’ll see you later at the hall?”
He nodded without hesitation.“Yup.If there’s any trouble getting in, just give me a call and I’ll come out and get you.”