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“What are you thinking?”
She huffs out a breath and drops her gaze to her feet, which are covered in a pair of fluffy green socks. “I like you, but I’m worried about the exchange. For us, there’s more than a friendship at risk.”
My heart clenches. “Holly, do you think, if things don’t work out between us, that I’d tell Fred not to give Marcus his kidney?”
Her grimace is telling. “When you say it out loud, it sounds cruel. But people can be cruel sometimes. A lot of times.”
I reach out, brushing my fingers under her chin until she raises her head. “Do you think I’m cruel like that?”
Concentration furrows her brows and puckers her lips. Someone else might have wanted an immediate denial. But that would have rung false from Holly. Clearly, she’s considering my question, so I know her answer will matter more.
“No. That just doesn’t fit you.” She gives me a tentative smile.
I beat back the excitement that threatens to spill over. She still hasn’t agreed.
“Okay, so we don’t have to worry about that. Anything else?”
A flash of some emotion flits across her face, there and gone too fast for me to identify it. Instead of answering my question, she leans closer, lifting her hand. Just at the point where I can feel the warmth of her skin, Holly pauses, watching me.
“So, more means, I can touch you?” she whispers, filling the heavy air between us with her hushed words.
My swallow is audible. If I open my mouth, I know I’ll beg her to, so I keep to a silent nod.
With that permission, she rests her palm against my cheek. My face heats under the contact, and like a plant seeking the sun, I lean into her. I watch a light spark in her eyes as she runs her nails down my jawline, scratching the beginning growth of my beard, and then moves back up to finger-comb my hair.
A low humming sounds in her throat, and her eyelids sink until I can only make out half of her dilated pupils. Still, her hand moves. After finishing with my hair, she gently drags her thumb across my bottom lip.
I can’t help myself. With a quick flick, I taste her skin with my tongue as it passes.
Holly gasps, pulling away. Then, she giggles, the sound setting off an explosion of exhilaration in my rib cage.
This is what I’ve been craving all these weeks. Playfulness between us that could lead to something more. Nothing other than this has to happen tonight, but just the promise of a future makes me grin so hard that my cheeks ache.
Still, I need to be sure. I run my palms over her sweater-covered arms. Then, I cup her neck and delve my fingers into her hair, the way she did with mine. The silky strands tease my skin.
“So, that’s a yes? You’re okay with more?”
“Yeah.” She nods. “More sounds good to me.”
HOLLY
I wonder if he’ll grab my face and start kissing me. I’m actually looking forward to it.
Instead, Ben lets his hands fall away from my neck and laces our fingers together. He tugs me over to the shelf of movies and then moves to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his head on top of mine.
“Pick one.”
“Is this a test?”
His chuckle vibrates against my spine, and now, I’m sure I’m smiling as big as him.
“All of these movies are awesome, so you can’t really go wrong.”
I love it when Ben laughs, so I scan the titles for a comedy.
“This one.”
“Tommy Boy? You a Chris Farley fan?” He reaches around me to slide my choice off the shelf.
