The Job Offer (11 page)

"Good morning, Ben."  She was
able to talk after a moment.  He watched her closely, his smile gone as he looked
for something, a clue perhaps, on how she would act with him after last night.  She
gave him a strained smile, and he let out a disappointed breath.

"Having regrets and second
thoughts?"  She sighed then looked at the pattern on the carpet.

"I don't know what came over me
last night.  That wasn't like me at all," she told him sadly.  He nodded
his head quietly and picked up the donut.  They sat in silence while he took a
bite and chewed.  It was clear to her that he was thinking and was worried.

"Look, Anne.  I would never force
you into something you did not want or was not ready for.  I hope you know
that.  But I would still like your help with Chelsea.  I know that I am asking
a lot."  He had been looking earnestly into her eyes when he spoke, and she
could feel herself becoming lost in her desire to spend more time with him once
again.

"Alright," she eventually told
him.

"Good.  We will follow the same
plan we discussed last night."  He finished off his donut then went over
to pour himself a cup of coffee which he took straight without cream or sugar.  Then
he sat back down beside her on the couch again and turned to look at her.  "You're
worried about what happened between us last night, aren't you?"

"Of course I'm worried."  She
was worried.  Was her response to him a fluke?  Would it happen again?  She
just did not know about this new aspect of herself.

"I won't force myself on you,
Anne."

"I know you won't," she jumped
in to reassure him.  "I just..."  She did not know how to complete
her thought and caught her bottom lip between her teeth.  He looked at her
questioningly with an eyebrow raised but did not say anything.  He was waiting
for her.  She took a deep breath and started again.  "I just did not
recognize myself last night," she said truthfully.  "Everything
between us just sort of exploded."

"And you are wondering what
happened?  Was it an anomaly?  Would it happen again?  Will it go further if we
began kissing again?"  He looked at her closely.  She realized that he
understood and did not think poorly of her.

"Precisely."

"I think that you are over thinking
this, Anne.  But if it helps, I’m game for an experiment.  The only way to find
out if it happens a second time is if I kiss you again.  No surprises.  No
romantic dinners and walks..."

"Just the cold light of day,"
she finished for him.  He gave a wry smile then took the coffee cup from her
hands and put it on the table.  "I want you to kiss me, Ben."

"I'm going to."  He turned on
the couch so that he could put his right elbow on the back rest and hold her
head with his hand.  Her hair was down again, and she felt his fingers weave
into her curls at the back of her head.  With his left hand he found the pulse
beating at her neck and caressed it with his thumb.  She put her hands on his
naked chest just as he leaned in and lightly pressed his lips to the corner of
her mouth in a brief kiss before claiming her lips with his own.

He kissed her softly at first with just
his lips until she sighed and opened her mouth so that she could take his
tongue inside.  That was all the encouragement he needed before claiming her
mouth in a kiss that soon went from savoring to passionate.  He tasted so good
again.  The pleasure of his lips and tongue rubbing against hers was so exquisite
that she pulled him closer until her arms were wrapped around his back.  His
skin felt so warm under her hands.  He increased the pressure from his hand at
the back of her head as his other moved under the collar of her button down
shirt until his palm rested on the upper swell of her right breast, his fingers
over the cup of her bra.

She finally had to break the kiss so
that she could breathe and gasped when his lips found the pulse point of her
neck.  His arousal pressed against her and she leaned back on the couch
cushions pulling him so that he could follow her down.  He did, and she felt
his weight upon her, his arousal pressed into the juncture of her legs.  She
ran his hands over the solid muscles of his back, and he pushed his arousal
into her until she began to push back.  Suddenly, he found the strength to
break the kiss and look down at her.  His eyes were hungry with passion, and
his shallow breathing matched the rhythm of hers.

"Anne?"

"Yes."  It was all she could
say before she reached up and kissed his neck causing him to moan.  Encouraged,
she nibbled his ear lobe while her hands moved beneath his waistband to caress
his buttocks.  He continued to moan, and he moved so that she could slide her
right hand around until she gripped his shaft in her hand.  He pushed into her
hand several times in pleasure, panting.  Then suddenly he pulled her hand away
and stood up.

"Not here.  Bedroom," was all
he could say before he pulled her up off the couch and led her to the bedroom
door.

The sound of his cell phone ringing rent
the silence and made her jump.

"Ignore it," Ben ordered as he
opened the bedroom door and pulled her over to the bed.  The phone stopped
ringing then started again.  Whoever it was would keep calling until Ben
answered.  "Damn.  I'll find out who it is and get off the phone
quickly."  Then he went back into the sitting room, grabbed the phone, and
barked into it instead of offering a greeting.  She sat down shakily on the
side of the bed and took several deep breaths while she listened to the one
sided conversation from the bedroom.  He was on the phone long enough for the
demands of her body to get back under her control and the flame of desire to
lower.

He finally ended the call and came into
the bedroom with a frown pursing his lips.  Seeing her where he left her, he
sat next to her on the bed and pulled her hand to his lap, holding it between
his hands.  "That was work.  There are some problems, and I need to make
some phone calls right away.  I'm sorry, Sweetheart."

"It's ok, Ben," she said
softly.  "Make your calls."  Then she leaned over and gave him a
passionless kiss.  Looking into his eyes, she smiled wistfully at him and he
smiled back.

"You look like you've been
thoroughly kissed," he told her softly.  He raised his hand and brushed
his fingertips over her lips before dropping his hand again.

"I was."  She stood up and
walked to the bedroom door.  Then she looked back at him with humor in her
eyes.  "I still don't know what to make of our reactions to each other,
but last night was definitely not a fluke.  I'm going for a walk outside and
will be back at the inn in an hour.  Will that give you enough time to make
your calls?"

"I think so.  What do you have
planned for today?"

"When I get back, I was planning on
having some breakfast then take a kayak out again.  The weather is supposed to
be nice, and I was thinking of going down the channel to Deer Harbor."

"Stop up and fetch me when you get
back from your walk, and I'll join you."  He stood up, walked over to her
putting his hands on her shoulders, and kissed her tenderly.  "I'll see
you later, my Anne."  Then he patted her on her rear end and followed her
into the sitting room to make his phone calls.

Anne fetched Ben after her walk into
Eastsound and back, and they went down to the dining room for breakfast.  It
was early yet and most of the tables were still empty.  Inside they saw Ben's
parents sitting at a large round table that could seat up to eight people.  The
other chairs at the table were empty.  Ben’s parents were both attractive
people somewhere in their late fifties.  Mr. Carlson was a tall man who looked
like he stayed trim by doing outdoor activities.  He had salt and pepper hair
and the distinguished look of the bank president that he was in his
professional life.  Mrs. Carlson was a small, trim, elegant looking woman with
brown hair cut in a shoulder length cut similar to how Anne's mother wore her
hair.  They were both dressed in the casual weekend style clothing that cost
more than most people made in a week.  His parents saw her and Ben immediately
and waved them over.  Putting his hand on her low back, Ben led her to the
table then pulled out a chair for her next to his mother.

"Morning Ben," Ben's mother
greeted him warmly.  He made a quick reply then began talking to Mr. Carlson.  "Anne! 
How nice to see you.  Now I know why Ben skipped out on us last night."

"Good morning, Mrs. Carlson,"
Anne returned her warm greeting.  She had always liked Ben’s parents.  "It's
nice to see you again, too.  How is the wedding planning going?"

"Oh, please call me Liz and call
him Troy."  She indicated her husband with a head tilt.  "The wedding
plans are running smoothly thanks to your mother and the wedding consultant she
recommended.  It's hard to believe that Lily will be married in only a few
short days.  It’s exciting and nerve racking at the same time, and I’ll be
happy when it is over.  Your mother told me yesterday that you are interviewing
for jobs in Seattle.  It will be so nice for you and your family to have you
back."

"Thank you, Liz," Anne tried
out the familiarity of the address.  Liz and Troy Carlson had been coming to
the inn every summer since that first time back when Anne was nine.  In all the
years they came, Anne had always called her Mrs. Carlson and the new form of
address seemed strange on her lips.  "I hope to be back soon, too."

"I hope so, too.  Ah, here comes
the bride and groom now."  Anne looked over her shoulder to the three people
coming across the room.  "Tom, as I'm sure you fingered out, is Lily's
fiancé.  The other woman is Tom's sister, Melissa, the matron of honor and
Lily's best friend.  Melissa's husband will be coming up tomorrow night."

The small group arrived and sat down at
the remaining chairs.  What followed was a relaxing breakfast where the main
topic of conversation was the wedding.  There was a meeting with the consultant
and the florist later that morning at the chapel.  Then the photographer, a
local to the San Juan's, was coming that afternoon from Friday Harbor for some
casual shots of the couple outside.  That evening, the plan was for everyone to
dine at the inn.  Ben was free to pursue his own enjoyments until late
afternoon when he was needed for photos.  Anne discovered that Lily and Tom had
decided to exchange vows at the Victorian Valley Chapel, a popular spot for
weddings, before having the reception at the inn.  Then they would be leaving
Sunday afternoon for a honeymoon in Napa Valley.  The rest of the family, the
wedding party, and guests would also leave on Sunday morning.

Anne felt at home with the group, and
several times she was asked her opinions on various things about the island.  Once
during the meal, she felt Ben's hand rubbing her nape casually while he talked
to Tom and Troy.  At another point, his hand rested on her naked thigh just
below the hem of her shorts.  She could also feel his eyes on her several times
and looked over at him with a smile.  She also saw that his family was noticing
their little interactions and smiling at the two of them.  She and Ben would
need to explain the situation before his mother began making wedding plans for
them too, Anne thought.

Their chance to explain arrived a little
before breakfast wound down when the Rivertons entered the dining room and
stopped at their table to greet them.  Ben's parents talked for a few minutes
with Chelsea's parents after they exchanged a few words with Lily and Tom.  Chelsea,
in contrast, did not talk and stood stiffly by shooting daggers at Anne with
her eyes.  Seeing this, Ben made a point of whispering a joke in Anne's her ear
so that she laughed warmly at him.  They looked every bit the loving couple
they pretended to be.  Finally, the Rivertons moved on to their own table
across the room.

"I like Marge and Ted, but that
daughter of theirs is something else," Troy Carlson said once the other
family was out of earshot.  "I thought you weren't inviting Chelsea to the
wedding, Lily."

"I didn't," Lily stated
angrily.  "She is crashing the wedding.  Can you believe it?  If her
parents weren't such good friends of yours, I would have told her off for
coming.  She probably heard that Ben and Trish broke up and decided to come and
try to rope Ben.  Sorry, Ben."

"It's not your fault, Lil.  But as
long as you are all here, Anne and I have some news.  Last night we ran into
Chelsea in the lounge, and I explained the problems I had with her to Anne.  So,
Anne has agreed to run interference to keep Chelsea at bay."

"You told Anne about the
restraining order?" Liz asked.

"I didn't take one out against her,
remember."

"She stalked you?"  Anne looked
at Ben surprised that it was that bad.

"For a time she did.  But that part
stopped after her parents said something to her.  Ever since then, she just
makes a point of coming on to me only if we see each other at some event.  I
try to avoid her, the best I can.  It's gotten better over the years, although
I half expected her to jump you last night."

"What is this interference you are
talking about?" Liz asked the question but everyone leaned in to hear the
answer.