Page 17 of The Best Friend Problem
“You think I’m beautiful?”
His gaze rolled to the ceiling as if she’d asked the dumbest question in existence.
“You have mirrors, Pru.”
Sure, but she’d never call herself beautiful. Cute, sure. In a girl-next-door kind of way. But she wasn’t a sleek and sophisticated beauty like Lilly. Or a sensual bombshell like Mo. She was a solid seven. Eight if she got Lilly to do her makeup.
“I’m pretty, but I’m not—”
“You are more than pretty. You’re a smoking hottie who would have all the guys on Single Woman Looking bending over backward just to get a special date night episode with.”
Her heart pounded in her chest, palms going sweaty. Finn never said stuff like this to her. He never acted like he wanted anything more than what they had. And she’d never entertained the idea of her and Finn as anything other than friends. So why was her body suddenly throbbing with the need to know him in a way she’d never imagined? Why was there an ache between her thighs she knew only he could sate? Was it the booze? The pretty words?
Something else?
“I thought you said that show was fake.”
“Ugh!” He scraped his hands over his face. “Can we forget I ever said anything, please?”
No. No, they could not. Because now he wasn’t the only one imagining the two of them doing the horizontal mambo. What did that mean?
“How long?”
“What?”
“How long have you thought I’m beautiful? How long have you imagined having…sex with me?”
“You’ve always been beautiful, Pru.”
Oh. Well. That was just about the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.
Men had called her beautiful before, but none of them had ever known her the way Finn did. The compliment from him held such weight. He wasn’t just calling her outer shell beautiful but all the stuff inside, too, because he knew the inside. Better than anyone.
When he called her beautiful, she felt it in her soul. A warmth that started in her chest and spread out through every inch of her body. Heating her blood. She felt beautiful, really, truly beautiful, in his eyes.
“And the sex?”
His hands reached up, locking behind his head. The movement made all the muscles in his chest flex. Her eyes flew to them. The ache between her legs intensified.
“This is the weirdest conversation ever,” he said.
“How long, Finn?”
He blew out a breath, dropping his hands. “I don’t know. There’ve been moments here and there for a while, I guess. Look, I’m not saying I want to switch from friends to dating or anything. I’m just admitting that yes, I have thought about having sex with you. Okay?”
A guilty expression crossed his face, but she didn’t like it there. If she were truly honest with herself, with him, she’d had those thoughts, too. Ever since senior year when she noticed her bestie was kind of hot. Not that she ever did anything about it except for lock those weird feelings away in a box and shove it so deep down she’d never have to examine or reason them out.
Finn didn’t want a family. He’d made his thoughts on the idea clear over the years. His job was too dangerous, and he couldn’t put the worry of his possible death on a wife and kids. She understood that. Having lost her parents at such a young age, she commended her friend for his forethought. No child should have to lose a parent. It ripped a hole in you that could never be filled.
“I’ve thought about it, too.” The words were out before she could realize she’d said them.
His head snapped up, eyes going wide. “You have?”
Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. “You’re not exactly hideous. Some might even say you’re hot.”
The left corner of his lips lifted in a knowing grin. “Some?”
“Fine, me. I think you’re hot. Happy now?”
