A Breath of Magic (8 page)

He stepped back into the house and started to close the door. I stuck my foot into the rapidly decreasing space and cried, “No!”

Luckily for me and my foot, he paused. “Why would I have given you my address if I were married?”

Um. Magic? But I couldn’t say that, so I shrugged, feeling completely, hopelessly idiotic. “Good point.”

“And why would you ask me out if you thought I had a wife?” His scowl deepened. “Are you attracted to men who are already taken?”

“No!” I repeated in an even louder screech. Fisting my hands, I strove for calmness. “I didn’t think you were married. And then I saw your house and your neighborhood, and…” I shrugged. “It made me think of family. So I’m really sorry if I upset you, but before we went out, I had to ask. Because I am
not
the type of woman who dates a man who is taken.”

He regarded me silently, trying to decide if I only talked the crazy or if I actually was crazy. Finally, his lips curved into a semblance of a smile. “I apologize if I overreacted. Cheating…angers me. Considerably.”

My entire body trembled as most of my tension eased away. “And well it should!” I said in an overly bright voice. “I probably should have explained better. Or at all, actually. But I’d still really like to go out. So…uh…don’t close the door on me, please. How about we have fun today?”

Leftover doubt lingered, both in his gaze and expression. But then he said, “Why don’t you wait in the car, and I’ll grab my wallet?”

“Cool! And Ben?” I said, hoping to wipe away his doubt. “I swear we’ll have fun. My goal is to make you laugh lots and lots and lots.”

That got a semireal grin. “I wouldn’t bet on it. I’m not much of a laugher.”

“You’ll see,” I said, already backing off the front porch. “By the end of the day your cheeks are going to hurt.”

And maybe, if things worked out as well as I hoped, I’d snag that kiss.

A little over an hour later, I sort of wished I hadn’t made that proclamation. Because at the moment, I didn’t see even a hint of laughter. Ben hadn’t so much as chuckled during the drive from his place. At least we’d managed to hold some type of a conversation, a slow, painstakingly awkward exchange where I worked exceptionally hard to get the ball rolling.

While I hadn’t exactly failed, my success was limited. I’d learned that Malone & Associates was a family business, started by Ben’s father and uncle when Ben was a child, and that a good many Malones were employed there. With some prodding, Ben shared that his favorite television station was the History Channel, his favorite spectator sport was hockey, his favorite actually-getting-in-the-game sport was soccer and he absolutely despised fast food.

Which, uh, sort of pointed out how very much we didn’t have in common. Well, except for the TV thing, because while I didn’t watch the History Channel, I loved old movies.
Gone with the Wind
being my top favorite, and that has oodles of history. So yeah, close enough. But I didn’t watch or participate in any team sports, and I adored fast food, even if I didn’t allow myself to indulge that often. But no way were these differences going to dissuade me.

Except now we were standing in line waiting to buy our amusement-park tickets, and Ben’s complexion had turned a faded, sickly gray. Not only that, but his body language was off-the-charts uncomfortable. Add in the unexplainable, miserable feeling of gloom that descended upon us,
and I didn’t have the slightest clue what was wrong or what to do about it.

I touched his arm lightly to gain his attention. “I bet we can grab some Dramamine inside. And if not, then we can just take in a bunch of shows or something.”

“Dramamine isn’t necessary,” he said quietly, avoiding looking directly at me. “I don’t suffer from motion sickness.”

Well, there went my best guess. “So…you just don’t like amusement parks? We can go somewhere else!” I tugged on his arm, my intention to pull him out of line, but he didn’t budge. “How about…uh…putt-putt? Or maybe—”

Gently twisting out of my grasp, he angled his head downward. I nearly choked on the storm of emotions coloring his features. Despair? Maybe. But I definitely saw the fire of anger. When he spoke, his voice was clipped. “I used to love amusement parks. That was a while ago.”

I waited for more, but apparently he must have decided he’d said enough. Frustration and a good dose of bewilderment settled in, dampening everything I’d hoped for this day. How in the world were we to get from this to that drawing? Why did it seem as if the last thing Ben wanted was to be here with me?

“Fine,” I said softly, somehow already feeling bruised and betrayed, sad and disillusioned. “If you want to forget this, we can leave. I’ll take you home.”

The shouts and laughter from the group of teens in front of us made Ben pivot. He stared at them for a minute. His back stiffened and then slowly relaxed. When he looked at me again, the anger had lessened. “Actually, I’d like to stay,” he said, his tone gruff but subdued, with an underlying thread of pain.

“Are you sure?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “You promised that my cheeks would hurt by the end of the day. I think I’d like to see if that’s possible.”

Going with the flow, I winked. “Well, I didn’t stipulate which set of cheeks would hurt, now, did I?” A raspy chuckle escaped him. Score one for me!

Folding his arm around my shoulders, he nodded to the line. “It’s moved up. We’ll be through the gates in no time.”

I think I nodded back; I’m not sure. We walked forward together, inching closer to the ticket booth, the feel of his arm bolstering my sagging confidence. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted to see the love in Ben’s eyes that I had seen in the drawing. The intensity had blown me away, made me believe in a happily-ever-after I’d given up on.

“Where to first?” he asked as we headed into the actual park. “Rides, food or some type of show?”

“Rides.” So that for a little while we wouldn’t have to talk. I simply didn’t know what to say, how to shrink whatever gap existed between us. A few hours of one ride after another seemed like a great way to break the ice. As an added bonus, nearly every ride would have us sitting thigh to thigh. “You like roller coasters?”

“Used to,” he said tersely. “Let’s see if I still do.”

The first coaster we came to was of the corkscrew variety, and as luck would have it, the line was blessedly short. Once we were in the car and all buckled in, I said, “You have to hold your arms above your head for the entire ride.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I do, do I? Says who?”

“Chicken?” I teased. “Trust me; it’s more fun this way.”

“Then you have to keep your eyes open…for the entire ride,” he countered.

I chewed on my lip, a happy little bubble growing inside. “How’d you know I normally close my eyes?”

“Good guess.” The car jerked as we started to move. He turned his head, gaze on me. “Open eyes, arms up. Deal?”

I pretended to ponder the challenge. I mean, it wasn’t that it was impossible to keep my eyes open when going a zillion miles per hour. I just didn’t like it. Which was the
main reason I never skydived again: you sort of have to keep your eyes open for that. But for Ben? “Deal,” I said, as we started up the first hill.

His arms went up, and mine followed suit. Our eyes locked, the anticipation in his matching my own. My stomach somersaulted, both from said anticipation and the oh-so-close proximity of Ben. He grabbed my hand in the air just as the car hovered at the edge of the peak.

My stomach plunged and twirled, and then we were off. Wind hit my face, blew my hair back. The screams from the other passengers were all around. Ben’s hand tightened around mine as we came out of the dip and immediately went into a spin. Laughter burst from my chest, but the wind whooshed it away. I tried to scream through the second upside-down maneuver, but the look on Ben’s face plugged the sound before it left my throat. Happy. Smiling. Exhilarated.
This
was the man in my drawing. This Ben.
My
Ben. Even if he didn’t know it yet.

My fears about his odd behavior rippled away. Maybe he’d had a bad experience at an amusement park once. Perhaps he’d forgotten what it was like to live, to have fun, so the concept of spending an entire day focused on nothing but had weirded him out. Or hell, any one of a hundred other reasons.

The coaster slid to a jumpy stop, and it was with great regret that I let go of Ben’s hand. My legs shook as I stepped out of the car, both from the ride and the man, and I nearly tripped. But he was right behind.

“Careful,” he said as he caught me, his breath tickling my ear, tantalizing me. “Don’t want you to get hurt.” He flashed me a smile that made my legs go even weaker. “What’s next?”

Without thinking, without even the slightest hesitation, I stood on my tiptoes and stroked his cheek. “Whatever you want.”

“Anything I want, eh? No backing out, whatever it is?”

“I was just thrown upside down multiple times. It’s a pretty safe guess I’m up for anything.”

“Good, the Ferris wheel it is! They have a huge one here, and I could never get—” Abruptly, he stopped speaking. His jaw locked. Tension crept into his body, literally tightening every muscle. His demeanor changed so fast that it sent a shudder through
my
body.

It seemed that, like it or not, today was going to be a series of one-step-forward-and-two-steps-backs. I forced a breath, calmed my jitters and tried to find a way to calm his.

“Is there something about being here that upsets you?” I voiced the question carefully, not wanting to upset him further but dying to help. “Should we go find a place to sit and talk?”

He blinked, and in the space of that blink, whatever emotions he’d been feeling disappeared beneath a facade of cheer. “Come on,” he said. “I think the wheel is this way.”

“I’ll take that as a no.” Patience is a virtue, I reminded myself as I hurried to catch up.

We stopped in front of the Ferris wheel. My eyes rounded when I saw its size. My mouth went dry. “How about we ride another coaster first,” I suggested, attempting to sound nonchalant. “And come back to this later.” Like when it was dark. So when I was at the top of the freaking thing, I wouldn’t be able to see the ground and the distance between me and it, and how fast I’d hit bottom if I somehow managed to fall.

“You ride coasters, but this scares you?” Ben’s lips twitched, but he had the grace not to laugh. “Is that a girl thing?”

I stood as tall as my barely five-foot height allowed. “There is a massive difference between this thing and roller coasters. And I’m not afraid. Just…” I narrowed my eyes at the grin spreading across his face. “I’m not! These things make me nervous. And what do you mean, ‘Is that a girl thing?’ ”

His grin disappeared again. “If this really scares you, we’ll skip it.”

“No. Let’s just do it later.” I’d absolutely be able to ride the monstrosity when it was dark. But…if it would make him happier, I’d do it now. Anything to get his smile back. “Let’s just get in line,” I huffed.

His fingers grazed my chin. Applying the lightest bit of pressure, he pushed so I could do nothing but look up at him. “My…” He inhaled a breath. “Someone I used to know once told me that Ferris wheels are the ‘scariest ride ever’ because of the slow backward climb to the top in a seat that ‘wiggles and jiggles.’ ”

“Exactly!” I said. “But I’m happy to go. I don’t throw up or anything. In case you’re wondering. Not that you are or anything, but…” Oh, God. Babbling about puking was sure to win him over. I crooked my neck toward the Ferris wheel. “Let’s just get in line.”

“Nah,” he said easily. “We’ll catch it later, if you’re up to it. How do you feel about bumper cars?”

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I usually stick to the fast rides. But I’m game to try.”

He pulled me toward him by the shoulders. “Chloe Nichols, are you seriously telling me that you’ve never experienced bumper cars?”

I shook my head in mock sadness. “I have never, in my life, driven a bumper car, ridden in a bumper car, bumped or been bumped by another bumper car.”

“Well, Red, I’d say it’s time you got bumped.” Lacing his fingers with mine, he tugged. “You’re going to love every second of it.”

My cheeks flooded with warmth. The image he evoked made me gasp, and I got hot all over as we started off.

He stole a sidelong glance at me and then immediately changed direction, pulling me toward one of the many gift stores dotting the main strip. “Your face is already getting sunburned,” he said. “Let’s get you some sunscreen or you’ll be miserable later.”

“Yeah,” I choked out. “Miserable. Good idea.”

After we made the purchase, he squirted a glob of lotion onto his palm. “Pull your hair back so I don’t get any in it.”

I did as asked, and then his fingers gently touched my skin, rubbing the lotion into my cheeks, my chin, my nose and my forehead in small, even circles. My eyes closed at the thought of him touching my breasts, my stomach—hell, my entire body—in exactly the same way. A sigh escaped. I wanted him, every part of him, so much that my muscles literally ached with it.

“Wow, you’re really sensitive to the sun, aren’t you?” Ben’s voice shook me from my fantasy. “Your skin is turning redder by the second. I’m surprised you don’t carry sunscreen around with you.”

“I probably should start,” I mumbled, opening my eyes. His hands moved to my neck, softly massaging, his fingers dipping ever so slightly inside the collar of my shirt, eliciting a yearning that tingled through me. Warm hands. Strong hands. Hands I simply wanted everywhere.

Struggling to regain my sense of equilibrium, I stepped back. “That should do it. I can do my arms.” The words were short, quaky little bursts.

Concern lit his expression, which was sweet. But what I wanted to see was attraction, desire, passion. Reminding myself once again that there was plenty of time for that, I finished applying the sunscreen and tucked it away in my purse.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready.” For the moment, I very purposely pushed everything else away, intending to focus 100 percent on just having a good time, on enjoying Ben’s company and using everything in my arsenal to make this day the first of many, many more.

We rode the bumper cars twice, but that was mostly for Ben. Why smacking into other cars as fast as possible made
him appear as happy as a little boy on Christmas morning, I didn’t know. But I honestly didn’t care. It was just nice to see.

As for me, well, I could barely maneuver the stupid little cars. In between watching him and recovering from being pushed all over the place, I was totally out of my element. I even managed to get stuck in a corner. Repeatedly. Which, I soon discovered, made me target number one for all the other drivers.

And yes, that included Ben, though I sort of thought he was helping me out, because after he smacked into me a few times I got unstuck, while the other smackers always buried me deeper in the corner. Of course, I’d barely get myself turned around before I’d end up back where I started. Let’s just say that bumper cars are not my strong suit.

Next we hit a few more roller coasters, the big merry-go-round, which was far more thrilling than it sounds, and then the worst ride I’ve
ever
been on. Literally. I groaned to Ben, clutching his arm. “Whoever thought that a huge pirate ship suspended in midair and rocking back and forth at top speed was a good idea is an idiot.”

“I kind of liked it.” He stared at me for a second before running his finger down my cheek. “But you’re looking a little green.” Pointing to a bench a few feet from where we stood, he said, “Why don’t you go sit, and I’ll get you something to drink.”

“That would be heavenly. Thanks.” The ground swayed beneath me as I walked; my stomach sloshed and grumbled. Somehow, I was queasy and hungry all at once. Sitting down on the bench, I rested my elbows on my knees and my chin in my hands and sighed.

While I waited, in addition to staying as still as humanly possible, I couldn’t help but think of the day so far in plusses and minuses. Plus: he’d laughed several times, though not nearly enough to make his cheeks hurt. Minus: every now
and then, the darkness from earlier returned. Plus: he shook that off fairly fast, or at least appeared to shake it off fairly fast. Minus: he seemed more interested in proving an unknown something to himself than he did in spending time with me. Plus: we’d held hands on the coasters and the godawful boat thing. Minus: we hadn’t kissed yet. And oh, how I needed to feel his lips on mine.