"I'm saying nothing because that's what I'm wearing."
I laughed but I also bit my knuckle. Ben wearing nothing was an amazing sight and I hated that I was missing it. Dammit, why was he torturing me like this?
"Okay, now that we've established that I'm an old maid who wears muumuus and granny panties, why can't you sleep?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.
"I have a problem."
I frowned. "A problem? At work?"
He cleared his throat. "It's more of a personal problem."
I didn't get it, so I asked, "Is it something I can help with?"
"It depends."
Why was he being so evasive? "On what?"
"If you're willing to tell me more about the ink on your arm."
I huffed out a laugh. "Give it up. I'm a fortress."
He sighed. "Okay, then maybe you can help me with the other problem I have but it also depends on your feelings."
I couldn't help myself. I grinned. There was no telling what he was going to say next. "What feelings should I consider?"
"Your feelings about phone sex."
Oh. My. God. Every hormone in my body stood up and screamed, "Yes!!"
The man was trying to drive me insane. That was the only explanation. We'd just agreed to be friends and he was already trying to get me to have sexy phone times with him. It wasn't nice, even though it sure as hell was tempting.
"Sierra?" he asked. His voice was raspy in my ear, as though he were right here next to me, speaking against my skin.
My nipples tightened and I wanted so badly to take this a step further. To let him talk me through what he imagined doing to me and for me to do the same.
But that wasn't something friends did, was it? And if I opened that door, I would end up jumping on his joystick, literally instead of in my imagination. We weren't even one day into our agreement to just be friends and leave sex out of the equation.
"I'm not opposed to the concept in general, but I don't have phone sex with myfriends," I said, emphasizing the word. I wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or mine, so I kept my voice quiet in hopes that he wouldn't hear the tremor in it. If he knew how much I wanted to say yes, he would be over here, knocking on my window, and I would not be able to say no.
"Damn. I guess I'll have to take care of the problem alone then."
My throat felt tight. "Sorry I couldn't give you a hand."
For fuck's sake, did I just say that?
There was stunned silence on the other end of the phone before Ben cracked up. "Yes, you did just say that."
Once again, I was speaking my thoughts aloud without realizing it. I was definitely exhausted, and I needed to get off the phone right this second.
"Good luck with your problems," I choked out. "I'm helping Cam out tomorrow again, so I need to go to sleep."
"Good night, Sierra," he murmured in my ear.
"Night, Ben."
I disconnected, wishing for the first time in a long, long time that the man I'd been talking to was in the bed next to me. Not for sex, but so I could roll over and curl up against him. To know he was there if I woke up in the middle of the night.
Then I realized that he was probably cupping his erection right at this moment, stroking his fist up and down his length, and I bit back a moan.
