waiting patiently for her to either tell him what was wrong, or explode from the tension building within her.
When she did neither, he decided to see what he could wheedle out of her. 'What happened back there at the restaurant with your mother?'
'Nothing,' she replied succinctly.
He wanted to laugh, but opted for another form of humor instead. 'The food was that bad, huh? Or was it the service? That waiter did seem a little slow getting your salad to the table.'
She shot him a bewildered look. '
After making a left-hand turn on the street where her business was located, he shrugged casually. 'Something has you a little irked. I figured if it wasn't something your mother said or did, it had to be something related to your lunch.'
She sighed, releasing some of the stiffness from her shoulders, as well as softening the taut line of her lips. 'The lunch was fine. My mother, however, was in rare form today.'
He parked the car in Christine's designated spot behind the business, cut the engine, but didn't make any move to get out of the vehicle. Instead, he turned toward her and rested his arm along the back of her seat.
'Care to talk about it?' he asked gently. Honestly, he was damn curious what had gone on between the two women to make a normally carefree and cheerful Christine so antagonized.
She released a long 'arrgghhh!' of frustration that seemed to deflate most of her anger, then met his gaze, her expression taking on that impish quality he adored. 'Sorry, I just had to let that out.'
He grinned. 'I completely understand.' He grew silent again, leaving the decision to talk up to her. She was quiet for so long, he almost thought that she was going to keep everything to herself.
But then she finally spoke. 'My mother received a phone call from one of her friends who told her that she'd heard that I was dating my bodyguard. So, she asked me if it was true.'
Ben winced, belatedly realizing how Christine's little scheme had come around to bite her in the butt as far as her mother was concerned. No doubt, Audrey hadn't been pleased to hear that her daughter might be dating someone far beneath their social stature. Not when Audrey expected far better for Christine-even if that meant marrying a man who didn't love and cherish her, as Jason clearly had not.
He wrapped a silky strand of her hair around his finger, feeling just ensnared by the woman herself. 'What did you tell your mother?'
'That my personal life was no longer any of her business,' she said with a mutinous lift of her chin. 'But she wouldn't leave it alone and kept pushing for an answer, so I told her the truth, that I
She let the rest of her sentence trail off as she shook her head and looked away, giving Ben the distinct feeling that the unpleasant verbal exchange had been all about him, and not in a positive way, either. And knowing that made him all the more aware of the many differences between them when it came to living in the Delacroix's world of wealth, politics, and high-society precedence.
Christine rubbed her fingers across her forehead. 'Anyway, she made me so mad that I had to put an end to the lunch or I knew I'd end up making a scene she wouldn't have appreciated.'
With his fingers still tangled in her hair, he caressed his thumb along her soft cheek. 'Well, in a few more days, she'll have nothing to worry about.' The election was in five days, and once that was over and Christine's safety was secured, they'd revert back to being friends and acquaintances, which would undoubtedly thrill her mother.
Christine's cell phone rang, interrupting the moment between them. She dug into her purse for the unit, checked the caller ID, and grimaced. 'It's Craig. He's been trying to get a hold of me for the past two days to talk about something regarding my party next week. I should take his call.'
She answered the phone, and Ben listened as she discussed a few last party details with Craig. As much as he despised the man for various reasons, Ben was beginning to think that he was fairly harmless-especially in comparison to Jason, whose bitter antics were starting to get more personal and public. Craig definitely liked Christine and had no qualms about making his attraction known, and even though those intimate feelings weren't reciprocated, there was no crime in a man being interested in a woman.
Even if Ben didn't like it one bit.
AFTER the crazy, stressful week Christine'd had, Ben was glad that she'd agreed to accompany him to Joel and Lora's wedding-a small, casual affair equivalent to a warm, family gathering that everyone felt a part of. The Saturday outing provided them both with the much-needed opportunity to get out of the house, and gave Christine a welcome distraction from her mother's silent treatment after their lunch a few days ago, as well as the fact that Jason was out on bail and her father had received yet another threat to drop out of the upcoming election.
It was a perfect cool and sunny day for an afternoon, outdoor wedding. The guests sat on padded folding chairs as Joel and Lora stood beneath an archway decorated with bright, colorful flowers and exchanged their vows in front of family and friends. Their expressions were full of the kind of love and adoration a person couldn't help but envy, and as Ben cast a quick glance at Christine sitting beside him, he could see that she was just as caught up in the ceremony, and the genuine emotion between the couple, as most of the women there were.
Joel and Lora were flanked by Lora's best friend, Sydney, who was standing in as the bridesmaid, and Lora's brother, Zach, as the best man. Considering everything that Zach Marshall had been through-in the Iraq War and then dealing with the aftermath by burying his painful past with addictions to gambling and alcohol that nearly ruined his life-he finally looked clean and sober. Zach had spent a good amount of time in rehab and was still working through his personal demons, but thanks to Joel and Lora's unwavering support, as well as becoming a security agent at ESS, which offered him a strong comradery with his ex-Marine buddies, the man was finally making a stable life for himself. And because of that. Ben was very happy for Zach.
As the minister read an intimate poem to the guests that spoke about love and friendship and the kind of eternal promises made between a husband and wife, Ben felt Christine's hand slide into his, gentle and warm. Palm to palm, their fingers intertwined, and something within Ben filled with a longing so strong, it nearly overwhelmed him. It amazed him that this woman, who was no doubt used to elaborate weddings, was so touched by such a simple ceremony.
Then the minister introduced Lora and Joel as a married couple, and the moment between Ben and Christine dissipated as they stood up with the rest of the guests and cheered as Joel kissed his blushing bride with enthusiasm.
A casual reception followed in the backyard, with a buffet of food, upbeat music for dancing, and an abundance of babies and toddlers courtesy of all the Wilde family members that had gotten married over the past few years. With his hand resting on the base of Christine's spine, he led her toward where Joel and Lora were standing off to the side, mingling with guests.
As soon as Ben reached Joel, he shook the other man's hand and gave him a firm slap on the back. 'Congratulations, Wilde Man,' he said, then turned his attention to Lora, who was wearing a flowing white wedding dress and a very happy smile. 'You look absolutely beautiful.' He kissed her on the cheek. 'I'm glad to see that Joel found someone who can keep him in line.'
'All that military training has come in handy.' Lora's eyes sparkled with female humor as she hooked her arm through her groom's. 'He knows how to take orders very well.'
Joel rolled his eyes, silently conceding to his wife's comment. Ben laughed, then went on to introduce the woman by his side. 'I'd like you both to meet Christy.'
Lora's eyes widened in delight. 'Oh, you brought a date!'
She seemed so excited, mainly because Lora had spent the past year trying to find a suitable woman for him. He almost hated to burst her bubble. 'Actually, she's a current client of ESS.' Ben explained her relation to Nathan Delacroix, which garnered Christine a round of promises from the newly married couple to vote for the man.
'It's a pleasure to meet both of you,' Christine said sincerely. 'It was a beautiful ceremony.'
'Thank you.' Lora beamed. 'I hope you two plan to stay a while and enjoy the reception.'
'Absolutely,' Ben replied. 'We were just heading over to the buffet for something to eat.'
A young boy ran by them, but before he could pass Joel, the other man reached out and caught him up in his arms. Ben recognized the cute, energetic four-year-old as Cody, Steve Wilde's son.
'Whoa, partner!' Joel exclaimed in an animated voice. 'Where do you think you're going at the speed of
