Finding Katie

Chapter 13

Ben

Standing in the doorway to my office, I stared at the beautiful woman inside. I didn't say anything, didn't move, but I couldn't stop smiling. My hands holding a set of plates tightened around the cool china.

I didn't usually like having visitors left alone in my office; most of the firm's correspondence and files were digital, but there was still information in here about clients and contracts that could be precarious in the wrong hands.

And yet, seeing Katie here didn't make my forehead furrow, didn't make me want to check if the papers on my desk had been disturbed or smack my forehead for not having locked my computer screen. It simply made me smile. Made me happy.

The surprise when I'd first seen her had been too good. The sudden spike in my pulse when I'd stood here in this exact spot just minutes ago and seen Katie looking at the prints on my wall spoke louder than words.

But just as there had been then, a slight frown marred her forehead now, the faintest of lines between her eyebrows and no hint of a smile on her lips. Instead she looked lost in thought as she unpacked our lunch, and not happy ones. It was the same expression as the other night when we'd walked back from the restaurant when her thoughts had strayed.

I wanted to ask her what it was that made her look so lost, what thoughts could so effectively wipe the sparkle from her eyes and the blush from her cheeks that my kiss had so effectively planted there. I wanted to ask her what I could do to remove those thoughts.

But we weren't yet in a place where I could.

That there was something on her mind, I was in no doubt about. I'd dealt with Andrew too many times to not know when someone was holding something back, but I didn't want to pry and scare Katie away. I had to exercise what little patience I could muster. Later, when she knew me better, when she trusted me more, then I would ask her to share whatever distressed her.

For now I'd simply enjoy her company. And her kisses.

One side of my lips kicked up. I really enjoyed those kisses. I hadn't planned them, but when Katie looked at me with those large, hazel eyes I couldn't not kiss her. She did something to me that I hadn't experienced before. Affected me in a way no woman had. Not even Victoria.

It wasn't just physically, though that was bad enough. I had walked almost to the end of Finchley Road the other night before my body had calmed enough for me to hail a taxi to take me the rest of the way home, and Katie had still been on my mind later when I'd been in bed, my hand around my hard cock.

No, it was more than that. I couldn't put a word to it. Not yet. Well, I could, but I had only known her for a week.

Katie folded the brown paper bag and turned away from the table, looked up and then smiled at me.

My heart skipped a beat. Which was a first. I didn't know it could actually do that. I silently cleared my throat a few times before I walked into my office.

"The man at Soren's," she said, "told me you always have one sandwich with egg and prawn and one with roast beef. I hope he's right."

"He is." I set the plates on the table, and Katie distributed the sandwiches between them before she sat beside me and picked up her knife and fork. Then glanced at me.

"You always have the same two?"

I shrugged as I tried not to stare at her lips as they closed around her first bite. "I like my habits."

She held my gaze as she ate, a smile playing on her lips, then gestured round my office with her fork. "I don't know what I'd imagined, but this is..." She shook her head. "You're clearly quite good at being a solicitor."