Page 26 of The Fix Up

“Snarfing? Did you just make up a word?”

“I work in PR. If I can make an antisocial geek into a charming CEO, I can make a random string of sounds into a real word.”

“Good point. Shh! This is the best part.”

Holly smiled and grabbed another handful of popcorn, feeling ridiculously happy. It was more than just the delightful cheesiness of zombie attacks and bad acting. It was the closeness of Ben, the salty goodness of the popcorn, the cozy comfort of sharing a blanket nest with a big, strong man who looked like an oversized version of Clark Kent.

She kept stealing glimpses at him, marveling at the fact that she hadn’t even known this guy twenty-four hours ago. She snuggled closer, telling herself it was just a friendly response to a friendly situation.

Ben glanced at her and shifted closer, near enough now that she could feel the heat from his bare arm. He plunged his hand into the popcorn at the precise moment she did the same, their greasy fingers tangling at the bottom of the bowl.

“Well this is awkward,” he said, flashing her a grin that was anything but awkward. “Guess I should make more.”

“Guess so.”

“Or we could thumb wrestle for the last handful.”

“Thumb wrestle?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never thumb wrestled?”

“Guilty as charged. Not only am I aPlan 9virgin, but also a thumb wrestling virgin.”

He quirked an eyebrow at her, studying her face for a moment. Then he leaned closer, his breath ruffling her hair. “In that case, I believe it’s my job to deflower you.”

CHAPTER6

Ben couldn’t believe he was honestly trying to flirt with a gorgeous woman by using a bad sci-fi movie and a thumb wrestling challenge.

He also couldn’t believe it was working.

“One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war.” He counted slowly, his fingers locked with Holly’s as they moved their thumbs back and forth over each other in the bizarre digit dance that accompanied the rhyme. “Five, six, seven, eight, try to keep your thumb straight.”

She giggled and lunged with her thumb, a valiant effort, but a misguided one. Her thumbs were half the length of his, and this was her first time playing. It was hardly a fair fight, but that didn’t mean Ben planned to let go of her hand anytime soon.

“Oooh! Almost!” she cried as the pad of her thumb slid down the side of his, a gesture that shouldn’t be sexy, but totally was. Her skin was warm, her hands were soft, and he could see straight down the front of her top to where she most definitely wasn’t wearing a bra.

Of course, that was something his father would do, so Ben quickly looked away and focused on their intertwined fingers.

“Nice effort,” he said, maneuvering his thumb to the side, letting her take another swipe at him. Her nails gleamed with tasteful shell-pink polish, and he had a crazy urge to suck the popcorn butter off one digit at a time.

Holly lunged again with her thumb, sitting up on her knees for a better angle. She was totally cheating, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to keep touching her like this, to hear her laugh as she gripped his knuckles and maneuvered her thumb against his.

“Dammit! I almost had you.” She laughed as he moved his thumb out from under hers without much effort. He let her get a little cockier, jabbing too quickly as he dodged easily out of her way.

“Nice try,” he murmured. “Try keeping your hand steady.”

“Like this?”

“Mmm-hmm. Better.”

“Ha!” She attacked again. “You just wait, Mr. CEO. I willownyou.”

“I welcome the challenge.”

Just like he welcomed the closeness of her body, warm and lush and round and so very, very near. Ben let her take another swipe at him, in no big hurry to end the game.

“I think you have an unfair advantage at thumb wrestling,” Holly said as her thumb skittered off the side of his.

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