Page 61 of The Boy I Hate

“Good,” she said, leaning forward to turn off the water. The bath was completely full at this point, so she tightened the handles, then leaned back in her spot. The water must have made a splashing sound, because the line became incrediblyquiet.

“Are youinthe bathtub, Samantha?” There was a thread of humor in his voice, but she could hear it goingdeepertoo.

She wrinkled her nose, then bit her finger as a rush of embarrassment warmed her cheeks. “Yes,” shewhispered.

He made an obvious clearing of his throat and spoke again. “Are younaked?”

She laughed, because what kind of question was that? “Of course I’m naked. What kind of baths doyoutake?”

He laughed then, and she could almost see him throwing his head back. “No no no… We’re not talking about me, we’re talkingaboutyou.”

“Okay then. Yes. I’m very much naked.” She was grinning ear-to-ear, feeling giddy and silly all at thesametime.

“Are therebubbles?”

She laughed “Yes.” She bit her lip. “Why doyouask?”

“Because I’m trying to visualize you, and every detailhelps.”

“Oh yeah? How am Ilooking?”

“Hot.Reallyhot.”

She bit her lip, loving the playful tone of his voice. She leaned her head back, realizing she loved talking to him so much. She loved—everything about him. She sunk a little deeper in the water and whisked up a pile of bubbles with her fingers. “And where are you, Mr.Montgomery?”

“In bed,” he stated. There was a seductive tone to his voice, but he didn’t elaborate. Which left her mind running with possibilities. With naughty thoughts of what he could be doingthere.

The line went silent again, and soon she sat forward wanting to ask where he went. But before the words crossed her lips, his rich sexy baritone came through the receiver again. “Grab the soap,Samantha.”

She smiled, shocked by the request, and glanced toward the small box of soap sitting on the side of the tub before leaning back again. “I’m not grabbing the soap,” she said firmly, but she couldn’t quite containhergrin.

“Why? Do you notlikesoap?”

“No.” She laughed. “I just know what you want me to do and I’m not about todoit.”

“Andwhat’sthat?”

“I’m not having phone sex with you, Tristan,” she whispered, grinning eartoear.

“I didn’t ask you for phone sex. I asked you to grabthesoap.”

“Why do I feel ‘soap’ is the code word forphonesex?”

He laughed. “Because you’re aprude?”

Her mouth fell open in shock. “I’m not aprude,I—”

But before she could finish her sentence, he cut her off. “Then grab the soap,Samantha.”

She narrowed her eyes, because there was no denying the blatant “I dare you” in his request. She bit her bottom lip again, begrudgingly leaning forward to grab the little box. “Fine.Youwin.”

“Good,” he said in a cocky voice. “I likewinning.”

She smiled again, and slid the soap from its silver housing. “Well I like cocky men, so I guess we’re bothwinners.”

He laughed again, but only for a second, because the mood had suddenly changed to something more serious. She slipped the soap under the water, getting it good and wet before she spoke again. “Now that I have the soap, sir, what do you want me to dowithit?”

He groaned, and she sunk deeper still, letting her head loll back until the tops of her breasts were all that could be seen above the water. But she could feel herself getting aroused, even though he hadn’t touched her at all. Even though he hadn’t even lookedather.

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