Page 62 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

“No. Shut up.” My hands came over my mouth before I gripped her arms. “I didn’t. Right?”

Holden would have said something this morning.

Right?

I shook her. “Olivia!” I screamed, and Avery and Hannah fell over laughing.

She rolled her eyes, shaking with laughter. “I’m kidding, you didn’t take your top off, but you did dance on the bar top.”

My stomach tensed with mortification. I pictured myself thrusting on the bar top and groaned. “I’m never drinking again.”

Olivia snorted. “You also made Holden do a shot out of your belly button.”

“No!” I screeched over their laughter, falling over and hiding my face beneath my hands. I crumpled into a ball on the floor. “He didn’t say a word about it today.” My face was beet red.

She smirked. “He didn’t seem too unhappy about having his mouth on your stomach.”

I pictured it. His rough stubble brushing my stomach, his lips over my belly button, his eyes on me. My lungs were tight. Arousal tugged within me, right to my ladyparts. Was that why he had a boner this morning?

No. Men got boners in the morning. It wasn’t because of me or because of that belly button shot.

“So,” Avery said, eyes on the bowl of tortilla chips in front of her. “Holden was here all day today.”

I nodded. “We went for a hangover walk in the forest, and then the donation people showed up and took a bunch of furniture.”

“On a work day?” Hannah asked.

I shrugged. “I think his meeting got moved? I’m not sure.”

They exchanged a glance.

“What?” I asked. “You’re mind-reading each other.”

Avery narrowed her eyes, like she was figuring out how to say something to me. She wore a small smile. “You and Holden have been hanging out a lot lately.”

I shrugged again. “I guess.”

Olivia snorted.

“What?” I asked.

She ignored me. “He’s at the bar even more now,” Olivia told them. “And he only talks to Sadie.”

I gaped at her and she threw a chip at me. “No.” I shook my head, smiling. My stomach flopped over. “He doesn’t. He talks to you, too.”

“Yeah,” Olivia said through a mouthful of chips. “Because we’re friends.”

“Well, Holden and I are friends, too.” Sort of.

“I still can’t believe he spent the whole day here.” Avery raised her eyebrows, impressed.

I glanced around at the sitting room. This afternoon, we had marked lines on the wall where we would demo the wall leading to the secret library. Holden was so at ease, working here. He never scowled at me anymore.

“He likes home reno projects,” I told them. “I think he misses that about his company.” I tilted my head at them. “Do you think he likes his job?”

Hannah dipped her chip in the guacamole with a humming noise. “I’m not sure. I always thought he did because he works a lot. He’s always late to family dinners, or leaving early. Sometimes he doesn’t show up at all. It’s his thing.”

“Oh my god,” I sighed, sitting up. “He’ll never find someone if he keeps acting like this.”

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