For the first time since he’d announced his retirement, Ben felt a connection to something. To someone.
To her.
Maybe it was crazy. They’d only met today.
All he knew was, he didn’t want today, with her, to end.
Now he simply had to figure out a way to keep the music playing, or at the very least, how to replay it again. Soon.
Chapter Four
Julia couldn’t pinpoint exactly when, but somehow during the hour-long rehearsal, something in Ben had changed.
Sí, the playful glint in his icy blue eyes remained the same, but a strange sort of intensity crackled in the air whenever she caught him looking at her.
He’d laughed and joked with the kids, especially Bernardo, who’d moved his chair so close to Ben’s, the five-year-old might as well have sat on Ben’s lap.
Now, the ballplayer stood over near the far corner, talking with the cop who had agreed to play the guitar for them. The policeman taught guitar lessons at the center and had recruited a couple of his students to sing.
The older gentleman who’d volunteered as their pianist, a retired businessman who also regularly helped at the center, was busy packing up his keyboard and stand, though Julia noticed him occasionally joining in their conversation.
With rehearsal at an end, she called out good-byes to some of the kids and answered a few questions from others. All the while, her gaze kept straying to Ben.
His relaxed, laid back manner made him seem more like the handsome boy next door rather than the face that had graced the cover of nearly every sports magazine on the shelves, and a few other nonsports related ones, too.
She allowed herself to admire his athletic build and chiseled profile for a few short minutes.
With the central heat on inside the center, Ben had pushed up the sleeves of his navy sweater. The muscles in his forearms flexed as he held the acoustic guitar, following the cop’s instructions on where to place his fingers so he could strum out a chord.
The strength in Ben’s large hands as he finessed the strings had her fantasizing about his fingers on her. Strong yet soft in a skin-tingling caress.
Her pulse sparked at her silly imaginings and she pulled her thoughts up short. Estaba loca.
Sí, she had to be crazy, allowing her mind to go down a path like that.
The last few stragglers finally drifted out of the room and Julia strode over to a nearby seat where she’d left her thin jacket along with Ben’s. She’d really have to invest in a better coat with winter approaching.
As soon as she picked up Ben’s, she caught the scent of his cologne lingering on the material. The hint of spice in the undertones piqued her senses, making her body warm in intimate places. Just in time, she stopped herself from bringing his coat up to her nose so she could take a deeper whiff.
Ay Dios mío, talk about groupie behavior.
Reminding herself about her priorities, which did not include going all boba over a ballplayer, she headed over to meet up with the musicians and Ben.
“Muchísimas gracias, I appreciate you playing for us. Tonight and the night of the benefit.” Julia shrugged into her jacket as she thanked them.
“My pleasure,” the cop answered.
“It’s Diego, right?” she asked, waiting for his nod before she turned to the older gentleman. “And Señor Pérez?”
The keyboardist tipped his head in greeting. He made a few smart suggestions about the playlist order and Julia jotted down the notes. After reassuring her they’d return the following week, they exchanged farewells, then the two volunteers headed out with their instruments.
That left her and Ben alone in the empty classroom.
The sound of the musicians’ footsteps faded, blending with the murmur of voices drifting down the hallway from the common area.
Hands in his pockets, Ben swiveled on the heels of his leather work boots to face her. He rocked forward on his toes, leaning closer. “Looks like it’s just you and me now.”
That intense scrutiny was back in his expression. Like a scientist studying an intriguing specimen, he honed in on her.
His interest was clear. No way was she misreading the gleam in his eyes.
The tilt of his body, the teasing quirk of his mouth . . . they were all signs she’d learned to read. Read and avoid. She didn’t have time for relationships and the drama. Her sights were set on landing a permanent position here in Chicago.
“Um, yes, I guess it is.” She shuffled a step to the side, moving in the direction of the door. “Thanks again for sitting in tonight. You were a hit with the kids.” She combed her hair back, brushing it over her shoulders. “I should get going. Need to either call for an Uber or start the walk to the train station.”
“Don’t do that. I can drive you.”
She waved off his offer. Mostly for her own sanity. “That’s okay. My place is out of your way.”
“How do you know that?” Ben drew back, his brows angling with confusion.
Julia gave a mental head shake at her slip of the tongue.
She knew because her fanatic younger brother had read, often out loud, every article he came across that mentioned Ben. Including the one about him and several other teammates who lived near Wrigley Field, where they enjoyed walking or biking to the ballpark.
Not that she’d admit to knowing that much about him. No need to sound like a stalker.
“Um . . .” Ave María purísima, how to explain this one. Hail Mary full of grace indeed.
Ben tilted his head in question, waiting.
“Umm, I just figured. Assumed, I guess?” Lame answer if she’d ever given one.
“I’m in the Wrigleyville area. The Southport Corridor neighborhood, actually,” Ben said, lifting his left shoulder in a half shrug. “But I don’t mind taking you wherever—”
“You see? I’m downtown, in the opposite direction. Thanks anyway.” She flashed him a
