Page 65 of Enemies with Benefits

I lean back in my seat, shocked. Hannah doesn’t lie. She doesn’t evenknowhow to lie.

“Levi really wants what I have. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made, which is sad. She clearly has no faith in me. Gonna be mad when I don’t break our terms, and she doesn’t get to save the day.”

A flutter of laughter falls off my tongue.

“What’s so funny?”

“That Hannah actually thinks she would get that football.I’mcertainly not allowing you near me in that way, so it’s a good thing we’re on the same page. Butseriously?” I throw my hands up. “You really think this is a good idea? Ben, we’re not—I mean, we basically hated each other, like, two seconds ago.”

“It’s a great idea. I need someone to feed my cat while I’m at work anyway.”

“You have a cat?”

“No, but if I did. . . Look, it’s an innocent arrangement. Forty-eight hours. How much can go wrong?”

“Um. . . we try to kill each other and one of us is successful? What happens if we start to fight?”

“We make up.” He winks at me.

“Ben—”

“We get over it. I’m done with all the past bullshit. I want you to be too. Can’t we just agree we were both shits when we were younger? That’s not who I am now. I can’t speak for you because you’re really feisty—shit, don’t hit the driver. So unsafe.”

“Ben!”

“Fine, consider this my olive branch. We make it through the next two days, then it’s safe to say we’re over our shit and can be friends.”

He peers at me, waiting for me to agree or disagree. What we have is no sense of reality. Resentment and attraction are not a good mix. “This is going to be a disaster.”

“The best kind of disaster, sweetheart. Plus, I promised. Perfect gentleman. No funny business. I’m allowed to change the bandages on your thigh and hands—oh, and sponge baths. But nothing more.” The thought of his hands grazing the insides of my thighs, even washing me, causes a chill to run up my spine.

Ugh. . . how am I agreeing to this mess?“Fine. But forty-eight hours max. And no sponge baths.”

He glances at me, wiggling his brows. “Your loss. I’m a good scrubber. Gentle when I need to be, rougher when asked.”

I’m ashamed as heat rushes to my cheeks. “Gross. Don’t make me open the door and throw myself out. Being splattered on the highway sounds like a better time.” I turn my head toward the window, hiding my smirk.

The rest of the ride is quiet. He takes a work call, allowing me the time to calm down. Too bad it doesn’t help since he starts talking shop, which makes him even more appealing.

I can’t deny his shop talk is super-hot. His knowledge and confidence are doing inexplicable things to my sex. If I didn’t want to add a car accident to my list of bad luck and injuries, I’d jump in his lap and hump the crap out of him.God, why does he make arson sound so hot?

“Thanks for getting back to me. I’ll look them over when I get in. Thanks, dude. Later.” Ben hangs up as he pulls into his apartment complex.

“Was that about my father’s house?” I ask, trying to unbuckle my seatbelt. Noticing I’m having difficulty, Ben leans over, his face too close to mine, and unclicks the belt. Have I ever mentioned the smell of his cologne alone arouses me?

He pulls back as I wipe the sexual hunger off my face. “Yeah, just giving me a rundown of what I already expected. Definitely arson.”

“What does that mean?” I make an attempt to pull at the door handle. Dammit!

“Sit tight. I got you.” He jumps out and jogs around, opening my door. “That it didn’t start accidentally with an electrical spark or bad wiring. Stuff like that. Arson is a deliberate fire caused by intentional human intervention.”

My stomach takes a nosedive. “So, something had to be set to ignite the fire. Like a gas knob accidentally being turned on?”

He gazes down at me. “Something like that.”

There has to be another reason. Jenny was honest about what happened. Right? If she was hiding something, she wouldn’t have come right out and told us that. “So, what happens now?”

“We keep digging for answers.”

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