CHAPTER 17
CHLOE CRAWLED OUT of the cab with several bags of Chinese takeout. She hoped the food might keep Ben from slamming the door in her face. With a deep breath to calm the flipping of her stomach, she walked into the foyer of the building.
She was debating the merits of calling him on the phone versus ringing the buzzer when she remembered she still had his keys.
Here goes nothing. With a deep breath, she let herself into the building.
By the time she got to his door, her heart was a jackhammer in her chest. And not because of her power walk from the elevator, either. She knocked on the door before her nerves could talk her out of it.
The door flew open alarmingly fast. Almost as though he’d been waiting for her. He looked unbearably handsome in the gray suit and blue tie he’d been wearing the first day they’d met. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
She held up the peace offering. “I brought you some lunch.”
Ben’s face fell, and it made her heart squeeze. “Oh.”
He invited her in with a sweep of his hand. She stepped into the familiar apartment—had she really only stayed here for a week? He took the bags of takeout from her and headed into the living room.
So much awkwardness in so little space. This was harder than she’d thought it would be.
“I went by your office to see you,” she said, desperate to break the uncomfortable silence that was stifling them. “Well, your former office, I guess.”
Ben nodded as he unpacked the cartons of food, spreading them out on the coffee table. “Yeah, I quit. I didn’t want to end up being the kind of person who smothers dreams. I’d rather create them.”
He straightened, surveying the boxes that represented about two-thirds of the Mr. Chow menu.
“I’m starting my own company. Masterson Creative Group. I want to help people take their small businesses to the next level, but I’m going to do some consulting for larger firms until I’m solvent,” he told her. “Hotel Burke is looking over my proposal right now. We’ll see how it plays out.”
“What about the cabin?”
“Someone pointed out to me that the real fun is on the lake, not in some swanky cabin.”
“Your father would be very proud of you, Ben.”
He shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal, but she could see his pride in the set of his shoulders and the tilt of his chin. “I think you’re right.”
“I’m really proud of you, too.”
The sudden quiet made it hard to breathe.
“Chloe?”
His voice was soft and low, and for the first time Chloe could remember, he sounded uncertain.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here?”
“I just…there’s something I need to know.”
He opened his arms in a just ask gesture.
“Why didn’t you tell her?” She held up her hand. “Why didn’t you tell Melanie this was your grandma’s ring?”
He shook his head, a slight frown marring his forehead. “I’m not sure. I’ve wondered about that a lot. Especially over the past week.”
“You told me.”
Ben nodded. “I wanted you to know.”
Chloe tried to absorb the words, to force them to make sense. “We’d only just met when you put this on my finger.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t have any explanations for you and me. It shouldn’t work. You said it yourself. You’ve spent your whole life running away from the stuff I’ve been working toward. But we do work. Somehow all that other stuff doesn’t seem to matter.”
Chloe’s skin pricked to life even as she tried to hold her hope in check.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you, Chloe. You’re right. I was trying to impress them because I thought that was the life I wanted. But it’s not. Especially not if it’s going to make me act like a raging douchebag. But I meant every word I said. I didn’t spin anything. I just told them the truth. You are an incredible makeup artist. It’s what you should be doing with your life. And don’t let the fact that I got carried away trying to make some ignorant old fools see how amazing you are cloud the issue.”
Chloe sat heavily on the couch and bit her lip. “Do not make me cry, Masterson.”
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love the mess you’ve made of my bathroom counter. And I love how every time you mention your hair, you pull a piece forward and stare at it, as if you’re judging it for yourself. I love that you chew your right thumbnail when you’re nervous. And I love that you’ve brought color to my living room. And to my life.”
Ben got down on one knee and grabbed her left hand in his, and Chloe laughed through her impending tears.
“I realize we haven’t known each other for very long, but I like you a lot, Chloe Masterson. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m completely and totally in love with you. So will you do me the honor of unmarrying me?”
He slipped his grandma’s ring off her finger, and with it went the pressure and the lies. Chloe’s hand suddenly felt as light as her mood. Although her eyes still stung a little.
Romance was making her soft. And she’d never been happier.
“I love you, too, Masterson. And I’d be honored to unmarry you.”
His lopsided grin stole her breath. “Then it’s settled. We’ll start over.”
She crinkled up her nose. “Like in all the girly movies?”
He grinned at the reference. “Just like that, Latoya.”
“C’mere, Julio.” She fisted her hand in the crew neck of his T-shirt, tugging him closer.
“Careful. This T-shirt cost an obscene amount of money.”
“I’ll bet it did,” she said, breaching the space between them to touch her lips to his. To kiss Ben like it was the first night, when nothing was hanging over their heads except possibilities.
And great sex.
He stood up, pulling her to her feet, and then right off them and into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he started walking them toward the bedroom.
“So, listen, I don’t usually mix business with pleasure, but as the owner of a struggling start-up, I could really use a client who’s poised on the brink of success.”
He set her down in front of the bedroom.
“Makeup by Chloe is a business built on integrity. We frown on nepotism. You’re going to have to really wow me if you want the job.”
“Okay, picture this—a campaign with the tagline ‘Kiss and Makeup.’”
“You make a strong case, Masterson.” Chloe grabbed Ben’s hand and tugged him into the bedroom. “I think we should definitely get started on that right away.”
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