Page 109 of Booked for the Holidays
“Dinner. Dessert. A Christmas movie. Thoughts?”
“Depends. What’s the movie?”
“I was tempted to pickDie Hardbut, uh, I went with something a little more cheesy. IsThe Holidayokay?”
“You want to watchThe Holidaywith me?” Bridget asks slowly.
“Yeah. I mean, unless you don’t like it. People said it’s a good romantic, festive movie. Bradley, actually, was the one to tell me that. I know you love romance novels and I figured I’d suggest it.”
“I’d love to watchThe Holidaywith you,” she says softly.
“Good. Mind if I shower real quick?”
“Not at all. I brought a book with me.”
“A book? Do I bore you?”
She laughs, and the sound echoes in my chest. “I bring a book with me everywhere. You never know when you might need it. You never know when someone will take a shower and not invite you.”
I groan and adjust the front of my jeans. “When you say that, I want to drag you in there with me.”
Bridget shrugs and turns for the couch, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She pulls a paperback out of her purse. “Wouldn’t get any complaints from me.”
I grind my teeth together. “I’m trying to be good here, and you’re tempting me.”
“Go shower, Theo. Then we’ll eat. Watch a movie. And have our sleepover.”
“Fine. You win. Only if I can eat you out, too.”
She grins, hiding her face behind the pages, a color of red flushing her cheeks. “That can be arranged.”
* * *
I’ve never showered so quicklyin my life. There’s still shampoo in my hair, and I miss washing the left side of my body entirely. I don’t care.
Pulling on an old T-shirt and a pair of joggers, I make my way back to the living room. Checking the timer on the oven, I see we still have twenty minutes before the food will be ready.
Bridget hasn’t noticed me yet, back settled against the cushions and absorbed in her reading. I walk over and bend down to read over her shoulder.
I hold my arms out, pressing them together. He looks at me with a wicked glint in his eyes and grabs the strand of Christmas lights off the coffee table.
“Is there something you want to ask me?”
I lower my gaze to the floor. “I-I want you to tie my hands. Please.”
“What my good girl wants, my good girl gets.”
“Taking notes?” I ask, husky and low near Bridget’s ear.
She jumps and the book goes flying. “Holyshit, Theo, don’t ever scare me like that again.”
“Hard to hear me walk up when you’re so immersed in your reading. And such thrilling material, too.”
Bridget spins on the couch, rising onto her knees. Her cheeks are red, and I watch her swallow.
“Someone didn’t let me shower with them, so I had to take matters into my own hands.”
“Hands tied,” I say carefully. “We haven’t tried that yet. It was also mentioned in your second book club pick. Something you’ve done before?”
