Page 70 of Neighbors With Benefits

Bash shrugged. “I don’t really care. But probably not. She’s no Karen.” He gestured at me. “You’re wearing far too many clothes.”

“Bring my snacks and I will release the girls.”

I got naked and splayed myself out on the couch like Rose from Titanic. Bash groaned loudly when he brought the snacks over to the living room. “You’re making it real hard to think about chips right now.”

“Oh Ibetit’s real hard,” I teased, my eyes trailing down to his neon shorts. “But I need sustenance before we have any more fun.”

Bash threw his top off, then yanked his shorts down and stood naked and triumphant. “Once again, I agree to these terms.”

We sat on the couch together, naked and happy, while devouring the chips. I wasn’t a prude, but I felt like I had a normal amount of shyness about my body. I looked good naked—in spite of a few insecurities—but I still didn’t like to lounge around naked with men I had slept with.

Yet I was completely comfortable around Bash. He seemed totally at ease with his junk out, too. Then again, he was definitely the kind of guy who wouldn’t be bothered by that.

“Since you first saw me in the bathroom?” I asked while dipping my chip in the hummus. “That soon?”

“Why not? You’re super hot.”

“Yeah, but still.”

“The crazy thing?” he added. “Your body, despite being abso-fucking-lutely stunning, is like my third favorite thing about you.”

I laid my head in his lap and batted my eyelashes up at him. “You may continue showering me with compliments.”

“My favorite thing is your personality,” he said while stroking my hair. “You’re funnyandsmart. If you were a guy, I’d want to be best friends with you.”

“But because I have tits, we can’t be best friends?”

“I’ve had several best friends over the years,” he said, “and I’ve never put my penis insideanyof them.”

I grinned. “Their loss. We’re getting off track. What’s your second favorite thing about me?”

“Honestly? You’re easy to be around.”

“My friend Cat will disagree with you there. She claims I’m difficult.”

“I can’t speak for your enlightened bisexual friend, but that’s not my experience.” Bash stared off while he spoke. “I’m totally at ease around you. Playing stupid board games, eating dinner, watching TV… whatever we’re doing together, it’scomfortable. We don’t even have to talk. I’ve only had that kind of relationship with a few people in my life.”

“That’s kind of the opposite of what you said before, how you can’t breathe when we’re in the same room together,” I pointed out.

Bash shrugged one shoulder. “I know, it’s paradoxical. But it’s both things at the same time.”

I reached up to caress his cheek. “I actually feel the exact same way.”

He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. “You taste like garlic hummus,” I teased.

“So do you, but it didn’t stop me,” he replied, booping me on the nose with his finger.

“How about this,” I suggested. “We rinse our mouths out with mouthwash, then take a shower, then see if I can give you a fourth reason to like me so much.”

“Why do we need a shower? Am I that smelly?”

“We don’tneedone. But there are some things I want to do to you that will be a lot more fun if we’re both squeaky clean.”

“Yeah,” Bash said, standing and helping me to my feet. “I think I just found the fourth thing.”

25

Bash

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