The Playboy's Proposal (Sorensen Family)(32)

Benny worked to keep a slight smile on her face as the elevator door shut behind them and Henry answered the question without any sense of urgency. His demeanor was easy and casual. Not seeming to be affected in the least by coming upon the two of them kissing just a moment before.

And dang. He looked so freaking good, even if it hurt her heart a little bit to see him right now.

Since their last encounter on Sunday night, they hadn't seen each other-not even in passing. She'd kept to her regular schedule, one that usually involved her passing him once or twice in the parking garage or at the mailboxes.

But it was as if Henry was purposely avoiding her, which was a relief as much as it was a stab to the heart.

"Oh, by the way, Benny mentioned to me that you're a bit of a baseball fan and"-Luke paused and looked down at her with a grin-"I thought as a way of thanking you for your helping out with golf, that I'd pick up a few extra tickets for the Bees' game on Saturday."

Henry finally leaned forward and pressed the call button to the elevator. He was dressed to go out, clearly. Even though it was after ten. "That's pretty nice of you. But I don't know if I'm going to be free that day  "   





 

"I know that it's not going to be anything like seeing the Giants," Luke added, "but I managed to get four front-row seats. You'll feel like you're on the field."

Four tickets? Like  a double date?

Not. Going. To. Happen.

"That's sweet of you, Luke," Benny said and leaned her head against Luke's shoulder, "but it sounds like Henry's already got plans. We don't want him to feel obligated to take us up on your offer. You know, I can check with my brother Dominic and his wife, Kate. You haven't had a chance to meet them yet, but I'm sure they'd love to-"

"I didn't say I wasn't available," Henry said a bit loudly, and she pulled her gaze from Luke's to Henry. "In fact, front-row tickets  that's nearly impossible to say no to."

What was Henry thinking? This whole week he'd worked to avoid her, and now he wanted to be part of this double-date nightmare?

She narrowed her eyes at him.

Henry smiled, nodding. "Yeah. I think I can make it work."

"Great," Luke continued. "I'll leave the tickets with Benny tomorrow, if you and your date want to just meet us there."

"I look forward to it."

Benny had no words, and fortunately the elevator arrived and Henry was stepping on it making further conversation unnecessary.

It was hard to miss the smugness in that grin as it shut a moment later.

Well, fine.

They were friends, weren't they? Maybe Henry was just trying to regain that platonic footage they'd had up until Sunday's fateful kiss. If he was okay with seeing her with someone else, she could be just as okay. No, better than okay. She would be great.

Everything would be just  great.

 

Henry had to be insane.

To put himself through this torture of watching the happy lovebirds teasing and laughing with each other as they returned from the ballpark's snack bar, looking to the world like they were completely head over heels in love with each other.

Wasn't it enough to have that gut-kicking moment the other night, when the elevator doors opened to reveal Benny and Saint Luke in a passionate lip-lock, unaware of anyone or anything but each other? It had made him want to pull Luke off her in a blinding moment of fury and slam his fist in his gut in the same way it felt someone had slugged Henry.

He should have just politely declined the invitation-Benny had given him the opening. But no, she had to mention her brother and inviting him and his wife for a little family excursion with the new beau.

Sweet. Disgustingly so.

And suddenly the thought of Luke being welcomed into the embrace of Benny's family had been too much and he'd spoken before he'd really considered what he was doing.

"Here you go," Luke said and passed down Henry's date's nachos, followed by a hot dog with the works. The guy had insisted on picking up the tab, of course.

Luke waited for Benny to take her seat before sliding in the one next to hers. He draped his arm around her shoulder, looking far too cozy and content as he leaned over to lay a quick kiss on her mouth.

Yeah. This was complete torture.

Made worse by the fact that seeing Benny all dolled up like that struck a chord with him.

Not that she didn't look stunning. She did. Gorgeous, even, in a long sleeveless dress, a deep blue color that matched her eyes. But her usual natural makeup palette-a touch of color to those full lips and a swipe or two of mascara-was abandoned for this more airbrushed, magazine-perfect face with carefully sculpted cheekbones and dramatic eyes and lips.

She didn't look like  Benny. Not the Benny he knew. More like she was dressing up just to appease Luke.

Wasn't that what he'd been telling her to do from the beginning? To make herself into someone else, someone that Luke would want?

Henry was beginning to question the wisdom of his advice. Of everything.

Why should Benny have to dress up as anything other than who she was when she was so perfectly intriguing and wonderful as she was? Why couldn't she see that?

"Thanks again for the tickets," Henry said. "I insist on repaying you. How about joining Lela and me for dinner tonight? My treat."

What on earth had he just asked? As if this afternoon wasn't torturous enough, he wanted to add a meal?

"Ah, man. That's nice of you," Luke said. "But I actually already made reservations for that new Market Place restaurant. It's an anniversary of sorts." He squeezed Benny's shoulder.

For crying out loud. They had only been seeing each other for two weeks. What on earth could they have to celebrate?

Wait. Had he said Market Place?   





 

"I've heard that place is good. Isn't their specialty  seafood?" Henry asked, looking directly at Benny.

"It is. Brought in fresh daily," Luke said enthusiastically. "Their sushi is phenomenal. I was there a few weeks ago and have been meaning to take Benny ever since."

"Do you even like sushi?" Henry asked Benny, having a distinct memory of her gagging when he'd offered her a bite of his California roll he'd picked up last week.

"It's great," she said and gave him a piercing look that told him to drop it.

"Uh-huh."

Luke glanced down at her, not reading the obvious lie she'd just spoken. "Yeah. We had it our first date. She loved it. I'm this close to becoming vegan, but I just can't give up my sashimi."

"You going to let me have a bite of that?" Lela asked from Henry's side, probably not liking her sidelined role in the conversation.

He looked down at the loaded hot dog still in his hand. Without hesitating, the woman leaned over, opening her mouth in a bold way, and took a bite from the end.

A move that any other time probably would have been a welcome and appreciated act by him and any other hot-blooded guy. But right then, it felt just  uncomfortable. He risked a glance past the woman to find-sure enough-Benny watching the entire thing.

She met his gaze and raised her brows as if to say, Really?

Well, it wasn't like he'd asked the woman to do it, had he?

Lela, however, was now licking the mustard off her top lip, and he forced himself to look away.

And he'd thought coming along to the stupid date had been a bad idea. Asking Lela, a woman that he knew would annoy the hell out of Benny, might have been even worse. Why had he chosen her instead of any other nameless woman he'd gone out with in the past week?

Someone might say it was a form of punishment, some way at getting back at the woman who so evidently preferred Luke to him. But that was ridiculous. He had made it clear they should only be friends. That she should be with Luke.

Benny rolled her eyes now and grabbed Luke's hand, lacing her fingers with his. It was hard to miss the softening on Luke's face as he smiled back at her before lifting her hand and pressing a kiss to it.

Another punch to the stomach.

"There's no way I can eat all these on my own," Lela said and bit into one of the nachos. "Here." Before he could say anything, she was pushing a cheesy chip his way, and he barely had time to open his mouth. Her finger reached out and dabbed at his mouth. "Sorry. You missed some."

It was a trick from the same book he'd once tried to teach Benny. And he had to admit, it was kind of  annoying. From the look of open disgust he saw on Benny's face a second later when he turned to see if she'd caught the moment, which she had, of course, she appeared to agree.

Although it didn't stop her from picking up her churro and feeding a bite to Luke. Benny one-upped them all when she leaned over and removed the cinnamon sugar from his lips.

With a kiss.

For some reason, the superficiality of the whole thing suddenly made him furious. At the game, at Benny for playing it, and at men like him who thought women had to play. It was too much.

Benny shouldn't have to sell herself out for anyone.

He waited until she excused herself to use the restroom, waylaying her outside the door before she could go in. The image of her kissing that sugar off Luke's lips permanently emblazoned in his brain.

"What are you doing out there?" he asked, his tone harsher than he'd expected. He took a breath in and out, trying to explain. "Feeding him and kissing him like that? It's a little desperate, don't you think?"

"Really? You're going to accuse me of desperation after you asked out Deep Throat out there. I almost threw up right then."