Free Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy Page B

more dangerous maybe. He walked into his room and grabbed a pair of jeans off his bed. He stepped into his pants, buttoning them before walking back out.
    “Want something to drink?” He broke us out of our awkwardness.
    “Sure.”
    I followed him back to the kitchen where he opened two Pacificos, cutting up a lime to put in both. “You like these?”
    “Definitely. You can’t get much better in the summer.”
    He handed me my bottle before we moved into the den. Not ready to sit, I walked around the room. There were a couple of pictures on the mantle. One was of him with his family. The other was of us at the beach. He had his arm around me, and the smile on my face looked almost unfamiliar. Had I really ever been that young or carefree?
    “Um, yeah. I know that probably seems weird… but I like having it there.”
    I guessed this was the history part Gail had hinted at.
    “Does it weird out the girls you usually bring home?”
    “I haven’t brought any home in a while, and when I did, we didn’t exactly spend much time in here. By the next morning, I don’t think any of them would have cared.”
    “Oh.” I knew very well just how many girls Ben was with after I left. Kelly told me all about them, but it was different hearing him admit it. Clearly he had experience with the casual thing.
    “Yeah…”
    Awkwardness again.
    “So you want to watch something?”
    “Sure.” I was pretty sure that when you’re engaging in random hook up sex, you weren’t supposed to watch movies first, but I was willing to do anything to stop the weirdness. I was very tempted to bolt for the door.
    “Okay. What are you in the mood for?”
    “Umm. Something funny.” Comedies were usually a safe bet.
    He opened a cabinet and started flipping through DVDs. “How about Wedding Crashers ? I remember you liked that one.”
    “Sure, I kind of have weddings on the brain anyway.”
    “Oh shit. Sorry, Molly. I wasn’t thinking.” He closed the cabinet and looked at me guiltily.
    “No, it’s not that. I meant I was thinking about Kelly’s wedding,” I reassured him.
    “Oh. I heard about that. It’s in July, right?”
    “July fifteenth.” I didn’t mention that the date was one I wasn’t likely to forget. “She actually wants me to take their engagement photos.” Maybe I could work the whole boat conversation in naturally.
    “Oh cool. You’re taking pictures again?”
    “I’ve started since I got home. I don’t know if I’ll get anything good, but I said I’d try.”
    “I’m sure they’ll be great.” He took a seat on the tan couch, and I joined him.
    “She actually…” I trailed off, not wanting to even ask. It seemed too presumptuous, and he might feel obligated to say yes.
    “What?”
    “Kelly wanted to see if there was any way I could take the pictures for her on the Serenity ?” I asked, referring to the boat by name.
    “Sure. When would you need it?”
    “Saturday or Sunday.”
    “I don’t think we have anything scheduled for Saturday morning, if that works.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Absolutely. Well, on one condition.” He broke into a wicked grin.
    “What?” I asked hesitantly.
    “Come with me right now to check it out.”
    “Um, now? It’s after ten, and why?”
    “Just come.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me off the couch with him.
    “All right.” It’s not like we were having a blast at his place anyway.
    He pulled on a t-shirt that was slung on the back of the couch and snagged his wallet and keys off the half wall separating the den from the kitchen. “After you.”  He gestured for me to walk out.
    I opened the front door, headed down the steps, and waited by the passenger door of his truck. He followed me out and went around to the driver’s side.
    It had been a long time since I’d been in a truck as big as his, and it took me a second to climb up. I buckled my seatbelt and noticed him staring at me. “What?”
    “It just feels like old times having you in my