San Luis Obispo, California
It had been a long day and a half.Ella should have been exhausted, but she was so excited it felt like her heart was literally going to jump out of her chest.She had spent Friday night on Eliza’s couch as normal.She had Facetimed her parents and let them know she was fine so they would see where she was.She told them she would not be able to call the next night because the class might run late.It was a lie, but once again, Ella was getting really good at lying.She did not even tell Eliza she was going to be meeting anyone.She figured the fewer people who knew the better.Instead, she took her suitcase with her to school the next day.
Ben had promised to pick Ella up as soon as she was done.She had texted him where to pick her up and was anxiously awaiting his arrival when he pulled up to the curb with his signature sexy smile and asked, “Hey, gorgeous, any chance you are going my way?”
Smiling and feeling very shy, Ella said, “Yeah, I guess I am.”
Jumping out of the car, Ben raced around to Ella’s side and quickly took her suitcase.After he put it in the trunk, he wrapped her in his arms and covered her mouth with his.
“Oh, you taste so good.I was wondering if I had just imagined how fabulous you tasted.How have I gone two weeks without kissing you?”
Giggling out of nervousness, Ella shrugged.She had no idea how she was supposed to respond.She was as shy and unsure of herself kissing him as she had been the two weeks before.The time and distance apart had created a void that left her feeling vulnerable.
Sensing Ella’s trepidation, Ben pulled her closer and whispered, “There is nothing to be scared of.It’s just you and me.”Giving her another quick kiss, he added, “Now get your butt in this car.I am starving.You are going to love the Moonstone Bar and Grill.Their cioppino is calling my name.You aren’t allergic to seafood are you?”
Shaking her head no, Ella was surprised that Ben seemed to know the area so well.“Have you been there before?”
Nodding, Ben replied, “Yeah, I drive up Pacific Coast Highway One with friends a couple of times a year.We always stop here.Their seafood chowder is to die for as well if you are not up for a heavy seafood dish.”
“Sounds great.”Ella tried to sound cool and unaffected, but she really wasn’t.Every nerve in her body was on high alert.Tingles literally ran up and down her spine.Ella tried to calm down, reminding herself to breathe.Just looking at Ben brought those fizzy bubbles back.It frightened her how much his presence affected, frightened, and excited her, causing tingling all over.
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Later That Night Moonstone Bar and Grill
Dinner was amazing.The food was as delicious as Ben had said it would be—for all the good it did Ella.She was sitting on a big old belly full of nerves and unable to eat much.Instead, she focused all her energy on being present in the moment.She was with Ben,herBen, as she had begun to think of him.Ben was bright, funny and such a gentleman.He had pulled out her seat for her and settled a furry robe over her legs to ward off the chill from the ocean.Feeling the energy buzzing between them, Ella considered pinching herself.She could not believe it was her, Isabella Maria Santiago, sitting here, on a date, with such a gorgeous guy.The ambience was heightened by the firelight from the torches burning around the restaurant and the sound of the waves cresting as they roared ashore.
As Ella fought to calm her nerves, Ben spent his evening enjoying every morsel of food while at the same time managing to pepper her with kisses all through dinner.It was as if Ben could not stand to be near Ella and not be touching her.Neither one addressed what might happen once they got back to the hotel, but Ella could tell they were both thinking about it.It was the giant elephant between them that neither one wanted to acknowledge, lest it pop the wonderful bubble surrounding them.
After dinner, holding hands, Ben and Ella made the short trek to the hotel.Before walking into his room, Ella tugged on Ben’s arm to stop him.Garnering every bit of nerve she could muster, she gave him an innocent smile.“Before we go in, I need to tell you something.I’ve thought about it, and I don’t think I’m ready to...”She dropped her head, and her voice faltered.Looking up at him through her lashes, she shrugged and said, “You know, um, take this relationship to the next level yet.”She rushed to say, “It’s not that I don’t want to explore where it’s going.I do.I’m just…”
Ben pulled Ella close and cut off whatever she was about to say.Looking deeply into her eyes, he replied, “Shush.It is okay.I told you.You set the pace.You are the boss.”Then he asked her the question that would ultimately make or break them as a couple.“Do you trust me?”
Ella thought for a second and then said, “I want to.I’m trying to.There is so much I don’t know about all of this.It is all so new.”
Wrapping Ella in a hug, Ben replied, “You can always trust me.I want you to know that.My momma raised me to be a man of my word and to always treat women with respect.I would cut off my own arm before I would hurt you.Just being with you is enough for me.If all we do is lie around, watch movies, and eat junk food, it will still be a great night because I am with you.”
Giving Ben a shy smile, Ella nodded.“Okay, then.Let’s do this.”
Once inside the room, Ella looked around.The first thing she saw was the huge king-sized bed.Looking at it, Ella realized she had never slept in one so big.Her parents only had a queen.Everyone else in the house had twins.Tearing her eyes away from the bed, Ella saw the room itself was decorated in creams and soft blues in a nautical theme.There was a sitting area, a large television that sat on a long counter with drawers beneath, and a sink in the alcove next to the bathroom.
Not sure what to do with herself, Ella shrugged self-consciously.“If it is okay with you, I would love a hot shower.I have had a really long day, and this dress feels like it is wearing me now.I am dying to put on my pjs and chill.Would it be okay if I used the bathroom first?I will be quick.”
“Sure, of course,” replied Ben nodding.“While you do that, I’ll find us something to watch.What are you in the mood for?Sports, a rom-com, a murder mystery?”
Shrugging again, Ella replied, “No sports.”And then, after a second, she added, “And nothing scary.I hate scary movies.Other than that, I am good.”
With that, Ella carried her bag into the bathroom.After a super quick but very hot shower during which Ella gave her hormones a stern talking to, she felt marginally better.Her nightly routine was super simple: brush her teeth, wash her face, apply a little lotion, and call it good.Once Ella did all that, she plucked up the courage to put on the pink set that Julia had picked out for her.Having decided sex was off the table, she left the condoms in their hiding place, deep inside the front pocket of her duffel.Ella was afraid if she had ready access, she might be more tempted to use them.
She had heard Ben brushing his teeth in the other sink while she was dressing.Now all she could hear was the television in the background.It sounded like Ben was busy flipping channels.Taking a deep breath, Ella cranked up her courage once more and forced herself to walk out into the bedroom.She stood at the end of the massive bed.Her eyes immediately sought out Ben’s.He was reclining against the headboard, with his arms laced behind his head.He wore a navy T-shirt that rode up, exposing a narrow strip of his stomach.Unable to stop her eyes from roving up and down his body, Ella saw he had a smattering of dark reddish-brown hair around his belly button just above where his grey sweatpants hovered loosely around his hips.Ella took him all in.He was so physically perfect that it almost hurt to look at him.
While Ella was eating up Ben with her eyes, he was devouring her in her tiny little pink get up.Ella could literally feel the heat coming from his gaze.She resisted the urge to fidget and forced herself to remain still under his intense gaze.Fire could spark from such looks, and that was just what she was afraid of.
Finding Ella’s eyes again, Ben softly asked, “Is that what goes for pajamas in Napa these days?”
Taking his words as criticism, Ella shrugged embarrassed and tried to cover herself with her arms.“I knew better than to try to wear something like this.I look stupid, don’t I?What in the world made me listen to Julia?I...”Ella spun on her heels and was headed back to the bathroom to change when Ben catapulted himself out of bed and stopped her.
Grabbing Ella’s hand just before she slammed the bathroom door in his face, he said, “Whoa!Stop.It was a joke.Obviously, a bad joke, but a joke nevertheless.I was just trying to lighten the mood.Guess it didn’t work.Huh?”
