Derailed (Clayton Falls #1)(18)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“All right, go get some ‘ocean air’ then.” She laughed. “One of us needs a little fun.”

“You could try dating again, you know.”

“Great idea. Because I have such a good track record with that. Hey, doesn’t Ben have a brother?”

“Yes, and he’s the last guy in the world I’d set you up with.” I wouldn’t sic Jake on my worst enemy.

She laughed again. “Fine, but you can’t keep all those cute southern boys to yourself. You better send one my way eventually.”

“All right, I’ll keep that in mind. Good luck with Civ Pro.”

“I think I’ll be okay on this one. It’s Contracts I’m dreading.”

“You’ll be fine. Just don’t push yourself too hard and make sure to get some sleep.”

“I’ll try,” she promised.

I hung up and added some more hot water to the bath. I enjoyed a few more minutes of soaking before draining the tub and taking a quick shower to wash off the remaining bubbles.

It took me a minute to figure out what to wear over to Ben’s. I didn’t have much experience going over to a guy’s place for the express purpose of hooking up. I eventually settled on black yoga pants and a tank. It seemed like the right mix of cute and casual.

I felt a small flutter of nerves as I parked out front of his place. I couldn’t pull in because his truck took up the whole driveway. His house was one of those small, cottage style homes. I walked up the front steps, ringing the doorbell while simultaneously reminding myself that there was nothing to be nervous about.

Ben answered the door in nothing but boxers. And I worried about what I was wearing.

“Nice of you to dress up for me,” I teased as I followed him in.

“I just got out of the shower. I figured you were clean, I should be too.”

He led me into his small den that had an equally small kitchen located just off it.

“Nice place,” I commented, taking it in. What it lacked in space, it made up in character. Chair rails and the original wood floors gave the place a warm feel, and the sparse furniture made the most of the limited space.

“Come on. Let me give you a tour.”

He showed me a decent sized bathroom, a small room that housed all of his musical instruments, and finally his bedroom. For some reason we both paused in the doorway. As natural as what happened at my house had been, actually planning to let it repeat itself felt different, more dangerous maybe. He walked into his room and grabbed a pair of jeans off his bed. He stepped into his pants, buttoning them before walking back out.

“Want something to drink?” He broke us out of our awkwardness.

“Sure.”

I followed him back to the kitchen where he opened two Pacificos, cutting up a lime to put in both. “You like these?”

“Definitely. You can’t get much better in the summer.”

He handed me my bottle before we moved into the den. Not ready to sit, I walked around the room. There were a couple of pictures on the mantle. One was of him with his family. The other was of us at the beach. He had his arm around me, and the smile on my face looked almost unfamiliar. Had I really ever been that young or carefree?

“Um, yeah. I know that probably seems weird… but I like having it there.”

I guessed this was the history part Gail had hinted at.

“Does it weird out the girls you usually bring home?”

“I haven’t brought any home in a while, and when I did, we didn’t exactly spend much time in here. By the next morning, I don’t think any of them would have cared.”

“Oh.” I knew very well just how many girls Ben was with after I left. Kelly told me all about them, but it was different hearing him admit it. Clearly he had experience with the casual thing.

“Yeah…”

Awkwardness again.

“So you want to watch something?”

“Sure.” I was pretty sure that when you’re engaging in random hook up sex, you weren’t supposed to watch movies first, but I was willing to do anything to stop the weirdness. I was very tempted to bolt for the door.

“Okay. What are you in the mood for?”

“Umm. Something funny.” Comedies were usually a safe bet.

He opened a cabinet and started flipping through DVDs. “How about Wedding Crashers? I remember you liked that one.”

“Sure, I kind of have weddings on the brain anyway.”

“Oh shit. Sorry, Molly. I wasn’t thinking.” He closed the cabinet and looked at me guiltily.

“No, it’s not that. I meant I was thinking about Kelly’s wedding,” I reassured him.

“Oh. I heard about that. It’s in July, right?”

“July fifteenth.” I didn’t mention that the date was one I wasn’t likely to forget. “She actually wants me to take their engagement photos.” Maybe I could work the whole boat conversation in naturally.

“Oh cool. You’re taking pictures again?”

“I’ve started since I got home. I don’t know if I’ll get anything good, but I said I’d try.”

“I’m sure they’ll be great.” He took a seat on the tan couch, and I joined him.

“She actually…” I trailed off, not wanting to even ask. It seemed too presumptuous, and he might feel obligated to say yes.

“What?”

“Kelly wanted to see if there was any way I could take the pictures for her on the Serenity?” I asked, referring to the boat by name.

“Sure. When would you need it?”

“Saturday or Sunday.”

“I don’t think we have anything scheduled for Saturday morning, if that works.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Well, on one condition.” He broke into a wicked grin.

“What?” I asked hesitantly.

“Come with me right now to check it out.”

“Um, now? It’s after ten, and why?”

“Just come.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me off the couch with him.

“All right.” It’s not like we were having a blast at his place anyway.

He pulled on a t-shirt that was slung on the back of the couch and snagged his wallet and keys off the half wall separating the den from the kitchen. “After you.” He gestured for me to walk out.

I opened the front door, headed down the steps, and waited by the passenger door of his truck. He followed me out and went around to the driver’s side.