'You're very easy to please.' She touched her fingertips to his jaw, and the lighthearted moment between them shifted and changed, as did the nuance of her comment.
He pulled back so that her fingers fell away, but the slight distance between them did nothing to dissipate the sensual awareness she'd kindled between them with just a simple caress.
And considering the desire warming her gaze as she stared at him, she knew exactly what she'd done, too.
As she walked away, he groaned beneath his breath. Oh, yeah, he was definitely in deep trouble when it came to Christine.
CHRISTINE opened her day planner and scratched off another item on her to-do list for the afternoon. 'Only one more errand to go, and we're done for the day,' she said, and glanced over at Ben, who was driving her around the city in his truck.
Over the past few stops they'd made, she'd noticed a gradual change in Ben whenever they came back to his vehicle and started for their next destination. He'd grown quiet and pensive, his gaze continually checking his rearview mirror as he navigated the streets of downtown Chicago.
'Is something wrong?' she asked.
'I'm not sure,' he said, a frown furrowing his brow as he headed toward their next stop. 'Do you know anyone who drives a white car?'
She automatically glanced over her shoulder and out the back window of the truck, her gaze searching the traffic behind them. It was close to rush hour, and all she saw was a sea of cars of various makes, models, and colors. 'Why, is someone following us?' she asked anxiously.
'Well, that was nice and subtle,' he said of her obvious rubbernecking.
'I'm sorry.' She cringed, realizing her mistake too late. 'It was just an instinctive response. What's going on?'
'It could be nothing, but I'm not one to take chances.' He looked into his rearview mirror again. 'There's a white car that seems to be following us from a distance, and has been since we left the office. I can't get a good feel for the make or model of the vehicle because it's too far away, but my guess is that it's a smaller, sporty model.'
She thought for a moment, and it didn't take her long to realize who owned a white vehicle. 'The last I knew, Jason drove a white BMW Coupe. I don't know if he still has it, though.'
Without warning, Ben eased his truck over to the curb and came to a stop while the rest of the traffic kept driving by.
She glanced up at the tall building next to them in confusion, because it was nowhere near where they needed to go next. 'What are you doing?'
He kept his gaze riveted on the mirror on his windshield. 'I'm going to wait for the car to drive by and see who it is.'
The man certainly knew his business. Curious as all heck to see the car's driver for herself, she sat there and waited not so patiently for the white vehicle in question to pass them. She didn't dare glance out the back window again, though she wanted to.
Less than a minute later he slammed his fist against the steering wheel and cursed beneath his breath, his frustration palpable.
Startled by his outburst, she jumped in her seat. 'What's wrong?'
'The car turned down a side street before I could get a good look at anything worthwhile.' He put the truck back into gear and segued back into traffic. 'That leads me to believe it was someone who didn't want to drive by us, though I could be wrong.'
Somehow, Christine didn't think that was the case, and the whole incident left her feeling uneasy and grateful to have Ben with her. She gave him the rest of the directions to their last errand, and they arrived across town in less than five minutes. This time, with no one following them.
'You need to pull into this upcoming parking structure,' she said, and slid her date book back into her purse.
He did as she instructed, found a parking slot, and brought the truck to a stop. 'Where do we need to go?'
She bit her bottom lip, unsure how Ben was going to take this next bit of news. 'There's a men's clothing shop around the corner that you and I need to go to.' It was an exclusive men's store her father frequented, where they also rented high-end formal attire.
That definitely grabbed his attention. 'What for?'
She waited until they were both out of the vehicle and walking toward the men's store before explaining. 'Did I happen to mention that the charity event this weekend is a black-tie affair? You know, the one you'll be escorting me to?'
A looming sense of dread swept across his features. 'Uh, no.'
'You wouldn't happen to have a tuxedo hanging in your closet at home, would you?' She already knew the answer to that question. Most likely the only suit he'd ever worn was his Marine dress blues.
He laughed, but the sound didn't hold much humor. 'You're kidding, right?'
She held back a grin. 'I didn't think so. Which means we need to get you one for this weekend.'
Stopping in front of the shop, she faced Ben, who didn't look at all happy with the current turn of events. 'Because this is a formal party, and bodyguard or pretend boyfriend, a nice suit is required.'
He groaned like a man being taken to the gallows.
This time, she let a throaty laugh escape. 'Don't worry. There's a fabulous tailor who works here, and I promise he'll be gentle in taking your measurements and getting you properly fitted. We'll be done in no time.'
Ben grunted in reply, then held open the door for her in resignation. 'Fine. Let's get this over with.'
AN hour later, they were seated at Santori's, an old-world Italian restaurant known for their delicious deep-dish pizza and other authentic dishes. After ordering a pizza to share, a beer for Ben, and a soda for her, Christine smoothed a napkin onto her lap and glanced across the booth at Ben.
'Getting fitted for a tuxedo was relatively painless, don't you think?' She'd ordered him a Hugo Boss ensemble, and she just knew he was going to look gorgeous come Saturday evening.
He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. 'Having a guy with a feminine lilt to his voice measuring anywhere near my crotch is
She burst out laughing, because he truly seemed miffed. 'Paul was just making sure he had the right measurements for your inseam so your pants would fit properly.'
'If you say so,' he muttered. 'He just seemed to enjoy his job way too much.'
'Take it as a compliment,' she said, trying to bolster his male ego, though she was certain there was no way that Ben felt flattered by having a man all but fondle his crotch.
Their waitress came by to deliver her drink and Ben's beer. Once she was gone, Christine closed her eyes and inhaled the delicious scent of rich tomato sauce and spices. When she blinked her lashes open again, she found Ben watching her in a way that made her stomach stir with awareness.
'God, I've missed this place.' She glanced around, taking in the casual atmosphere and old-world charm surrounding them. 'I haven't been here in forever, and I've forgotten how good pizza can smell.'
'I take it you don't do pizza often.' He took a drink of his beer. 'It's a weekly must for me.'
'That's because it's the perfect bachelor food.'
He grinned, the first one since they'd left the men's shop. 'I won't argue with that.'
'Normally I'm eating for one, so buying an entire pizza just doesn't make sense because most of it would go bad before I could enjoy it.' She fiddled with her fork and knife, just to give her hands something to do. 'And whenever I go out to eat with my parents, well, my mother doesn't
'What about Jason?' he asked unexpectedly. 'Did the two of you ever come here when you were engaged?'
The switch of topic to Jason was a little startling, but not something she had an issue talking about with Ben. 'Jason had this whole image thing he worried about, so he always insisted on going to the upscale restaurants where he could see and be seen, if you know what I mean.'
