Page 61 of The Fix Up

“Here we are,” Gloria announced, pivoting in front of a massive four-poster monstrosity with towering hardwood pillars. It was stained a dark red hue that was almost black, and it glistened beneath the showroom lights. Gloria grabbed hold of one of the pillars and gave it a good shake. “This is one of the sturdiest models we carry.”

Ben looped an arm around Holly again, taking a scenic detour long enough to graze her ass with his palm. “It’s beautiful. What can you tell us about it?”

“This is our Hillman bed in a California king. It’s solid mahogany with a floating latticework headboard, tapered posts supporting the luxurious canopy. It’s done in a Chinese-Chippendale fashion with solid nickel hardware and a top-of-the-line Tempurpedic mattress set.”

“I like the drawers underneath,” Holly said, nudging one with the toe of her shoe.

“Absolutely. Plenty of storage space for sweaters or books or—well, I’m sure you two can come up with plenty of things to store under there.” She gave Holly a knowing look, and Ben did his best to look like a man who might have a full arsenal of whips and handcuffs requiring their own storage space.

“Are there matching nightstands?” he asked.

“Certainly. There’s also a matching chest of drawers and a lovely armoire you can see right over there.”

“What do you think, honey?” Ben turned to Holly, who was surveying the bed with obvious fascination. “How do you like it?”

Holly reached out and pressed a hand into the mattress. “Very nice. It seems a little firm, though.”

“It does feel that way, doesn’t it?” Ben murmured and watched the tips of Holly’s ears turn pink.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find it’s just perfect if you lie down on it,” Gloria said. She bounced her palms against the mattress a couple times in illustration. “Would you like to try it out?”

Ben turned to Holly. “How about it, honey? Want to lie down with me?”

Holly looked up at him, her eyes bright and beautiful and a little wild. “Yes, please.”

* * *

Holly easedherself down on the bed, conscious of the fact that Ben was doing the same thing on the opposite side. This was probably a bad idea, but she couldn’t recall exactly why. She could feel his weight moving the mattress beneath her, and the scent of his aftershave was making her dizzy with desire. His body was big and hard and warm and so close she could reach out and touch him.

“Heavenly, isn’t it?”

Gloria beamed down at her, and Holly remembered why reaching out and touching Ben probably wasn’t a good idea right now.

“Yes, it’s very nice,” she agreed, stretching up to grab a pillow. Ben reached for it at the same time, and his fingers brushed hers, making all the nerves in her arm sizzle.

He smiled and let go of the pillow and grabbed her hand instead. He gave a soft squeeze she knew was probably meant to be comforting, but it just left her thinking about how badly she wanted his hands all over her body.

“What do you think, honey?” he asked. “Could you see us sleeping together in this every night?”

God, yes. Sleeping and kissing and touching and?—

“No!” She hadn’t meant to say the word out loud, and she felt idiotic for doing it. But her brain had latched tightly to her own memory of happily-ever-after fantasies and how that whole mess had turned out last time.

Ben was giving her a perplexed look, so Holly softened her voice and tried again. “I just mean I can’t picture it yet, because we’re on the wrong sides. That’s my side of the bed, remember?”

“Right, of course,” Ben said, grinning as he rolled closer. “Let’s fix that.”

He moved over the top of her, and Holly felt her breath catch in her throat. His hand brushed the edge of her breast as she scooted out of the way, moving into the spot that was still warm from his body heat.

“Better?” he asked.

“Much.” Holly licked her lips, trying to get some air in her lungs. She saw Ben’s gaze fall to her mouth, and he shifted a little on the bed. His leg bumped hers, sending another pulse of electricity through her body. He let go of her hand and slid his palm to her hip. It was an innocent enough gesture, and totally in character for a supposedly married couple out bed shopping on a Saturday afternoon.

So why did it leave her breathless with the urge to take off her clothes?

“Does it come in other finishes?” Ben asked. “I like this color, but my wife tends to prefer lighter hues.”

“You know, that’s an excellent question,” Gloria said. “The cherry has been our most popular option, but we just got a new catalog yesterday. I haven’t even opened it yet, but I can go take a look to see if they’ve released some new finishes.”

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