Free Love Is Overdue by Natalie Myrie Page A

Not too bad,” he
admitted. His voice sounded too relaxed. I figured he was already
in bed. “Just thinking about you.”
    I melted. I curled up on the
sofa, wrapping myself in my mother’s afghan. She had gone to bed
early and I’d been sitting in the living room channel-surfing when
he’d called.
    “ You were, huh?”
I tried not to show my excitement, but I knew it was obvious that I
was pleased.
    “ I was,” he
repeated. “I think I been doing that a little too much
lately.”
    “ Hmmm...” I felt
my stomach tie up in knots and I was lost for words.
    “ So how was your
day shoppin’ with ‘ya boy’?” he teased me.
    Oh crap. I racked my brain
for a suitable response. “It was pretty crazy actually, but then
again so is he so...”
    “ Oh yeah? Crazy
how?”
    I thought for a minute. Why
the hell couldn’t we be talking about something else?
    “ I don’t know...I
haven’t seen him in a while so there was just a shit-load of gossip
to catch up on, you know how we girls do it...” I kind of
laughed.
    “ Actually I don’t
know how you do it but I’d love to find out.”
    “ Wow...listen to
you...” I sighed. “But who knows...maybe you wouldn’t like it,” I
teased him back.
    “ I don’t think I
have to worry about that.” He didn’t sound troubled.
    “ Yeah, probably
not.” I couldn’t deny it. “So what about you? Did you have a nice
day with Sophie?”
    “ Yup. We chilled
out at Grandview Park with my sister and her son. After I take her
home I went to check one of my friends on Granville Island – just
open that new fish and chips place, you been there yet?”
    “ Salt and Batter? ” I guessed.
“Yeah, I went there with Tony a few months ago – the line-ups were
crazy!”
    “ I know. I was
pretty impressed myself – he doin’ good.”
    “ So are you
friends with all the big shot up-and-coming chefs in this city?” I
teased him again.
    “ I sure am,” he
played along, making me laugh. “So what does that get me? Have I
scored a lot of points with you yet or do I still got some work to
do?”
    “ Hmmm...” I
thought. “I can’t lie. You’re doing pretty good, Ben.”
    He laughed softly in that
sexy way of his. He drove me absolutely mad with passion.
“Good...’cause it ain’t easy, you know...”
    “ I don’t believe
you. I think you know exactly how hot you make me.” I just couldn’t
help myself.
    “ Damn, baby...” I
could tell my words had shocked him a little. “You been drinking
again tonight?”
    I smiled. “No. How you make
me feel does not depend on alcohol. Not in the least.”
    “ Well...” I could
tell he was enjoying my compliments. “I guess that’s a
relief.”
    “ I just can’t
believe you let me go Friday night without even putting up a
fight.” The words escaped me before I even knew what I was saying.
Hearing his voice again was just making me so crazy...
    “ Well...” He
seemed to be processing my last comment. “Would you have preferred
if I had?”
    “ No...yes...fuck,
I don’t even know anymore,” I admitted.
    “ So...Gabriela...” I loved it when he said my name... “You do
know I want much more than just sex from you, right?”
    “ Yes...I think
so,” I admitted. “I’m just not used to anything quite like
this.”
    “ Like
what?”
    “ You just seem
so...” My voice trailed off.
    “ So
what?”
    “ Honest,” I
admitted.
    He didn’t say anything right
away. “You not used to honest?” He sounded so serious.
    I sighed. “No, not really. I
know it’s probably a terrible thing to admit that you’re not a very
good judge of character but...I seem to doubt myself a lot and
generally my fears are confirmed.”
    “ Hmmm...” He was
thinking. “I think you need to stop being so hard on yourself,
baby...you worth a lot more than I think you know.”
    I caught my breath. “You
see, Ben...you say things like that and I just...I don’t even know
what to do with that.”
    He laughed a little. “Why
you say