Page 79 of Sven

“No, Sven, I have not been sleeping in your bed.”

“Why not?”

“What?”

“It’s okay to miss me and sleep in my bed.”

She stared at the phone, utterly dumbfounded. How was this man so comfortable with things so quickly?

“I thought we were taking this slow. Isn’t sleeping in your bed not that?”

“Gotcha—no sleeping in my bed, just hanging out in my bathroom. Got it.”

“You are ridiculous, Sven Olsson.”

“You’ve already said that.”

Sven sat the phone down and went to unbutton his shirt.

“What are you doing?” Natalie squawked.

“I’m getting into something more comfortable.”

“Right in front of me?”

“You don’t have to look if you don’t want to.”

She was going to watch. How could she not?

“Is that a Gucci belt?” she asked as she watched him undress.

“Yeah, you don’t get to be called the best dressed in the NHL for nothing,” he said as he hung up his clothes.

Next thing she knew, he was in his boxer briefs headed back to the bed—and, holy fuck. He really was the most attractive person she’d ever seen in real life.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” he asked as she got in bed and positioned the phone so they could keep talking.

“What’s tomorrow?” she asked.

Her brain still wasn’t quite online.

“I’m coming home, and I get to see you and Winnie. I can’t wait to see you,” he said in a voice filled with heat, and it was doing nothing to straighten out her thinking. “How ya doin’?” He grinned.

“Sorry, I’m a little distracted.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course,” she said as she settled into the bed and propped the phone on the side table.

“I’m a little nervous,” he said in a voice lacking all the swagger she loved.

“What are you nervous about?” she asked, turning to face the phone.

“I’m nervous I’m going to mess this up.”

“Mess what up?”

“Whatever this is happening between us. I really want it to be something, but I’ve never done it before.”

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