Page 56 of The Fix Up

“Skip.”

“Okay. Go ahead and cue it up.”

Holly hit a couple buttons on her remote, then hit pause. “Ready,” she said.

“Good. Okay then.Three—” His voice was low and sexy and left no doubt he’d be amazing at phone sex if he tried. “Two?—”

“Wait. Are you wearing pajamas, too?”

“Nope.”

“What are you wearing?”

“I thought we weren’t having phone sex.”

“We’re not,” she said, flushing a little as she picked up her glass. “I just want to be able to picture you. If we’re virtual-snuggling, you’ve gotta set the scene.”

“Fair enough. I’m wearing boxers.”

“No shirt?”

“No shirt.”

She ignored the pulse of pleasure that shot through her as she picked up her ice cream float and took a sip. It was amazing. “What’s your snack?” she asked.

“Root beer float and a bowl of popcorn.”

“Just like the other night.”

“Not quite.”

The smile in his voice sent a fresh wave of excitement coursing through her body, but she scooped up another bite and closed her eyes. “Okay, I can picture you snuggled up in bed in your boxer shorts with your popcorn and your?—”

“No bed. I haven’t gotten around to getting one yet.”

“What? Where are you sleeping?”

“A sofa. It’s quite large and very comfortable. I just need to find time to get back to the furniture store to pick out the rest of the things I need.”

The idea of Ben sleeping on a couch in his gazillion dollar penthouse gave her a tickle of guilt, and she almost opened her mouth to invite him to share her bed for real.

But she stopped herself. He was a big boy. He could get a hotel room with a bed if he needed one. Right now, she needed the security of knowing she could keep her distance. That she could keep her professional composure and still have a relationship with this guy.

“Okay, so you’re snuggled up in a blanket nest on the sofa,” she said. “And you’ve got your snack.”

“Yep. Got your remote?”

“Yes.” She took another sip of her float. “My feet are a little cold. Can I put them on you?”

Ben laughed. “Sure. Here, let me scoot over so you can snuggle under my arm and get warm. Better?”

“Much,” she said, closing her eyes as she imagined herself leaning her head against Ben’s chest. She sighed with pleasure, the glass chilly in her hands, her feet somehow toasty now, and somewhere in the middle—right around her heart—she felt absolutely perfect.

“Okay then,” Ben said. “Three, two, one,play.”

Holly opened her eyes and hit the button, then watched as the 1977 version of the Twentieth Century Fox logo flashed across the screen. The image faded, giving way to a sea of brightly colored words on a black screen.

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away—” Ben murmured.

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