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“Because you’re fucking hot up against things.” A kiss. “And upagainst me, too.” Another kiss. “Really anywhere, you’re hot.” More kissing.“Have you seen yourself play pool? God. It’s hard to stop kissing you. Distractme.”

“Tell me a joke,” Lauren said.

Carly paused mid-kiss. “That’s your solution? Stand-up?”

Lauren ran her hands up and down Carly’s shoulders. “I’ll try anything.”

“Who do you call when you need your pants hemmed tomorrow?”

Lauren’s gaze drifted to Carly’s collarbone. She touched it andtraced it lower, to the glimpse of cleavage peeking out of her top. “I don’tknow. Who should I call?”

Carly watched the progress of Lauren’s finger, her breathingrapid. “Taylor Swift,” she said and offered a half-hearted smile followed by adesperate swallow.

Lauren grinned and a portion of the tension eased. “That was apretty good one.” She dropped her finger, knowing she’d been playing with fireand should back away from the ready-to-ignite flame.

“New idea,” Carly said. “Separate countertops, one fact each.”Carly pointed to the counter across from her. “Your back goes there. Mine willstay here.”

“Bossy, all of a sudden. I thought I was the stage manager.” Shedid as Carly commanded and stood across from her, back against the oppositecountertop.

Carly mirrored her stance against her own counter. “Tell me onefact about you.”

Lauren looked to the ceiling as she combed her brain. “Officesupply stores turn me on.”

“Really?” Carly nodded and touched her temple. “Filing that oneaway.”

“Your turn. One fact.”

Carly didn’t hesitate. “I love it when food is burned a little.”

“Oh, you mean like cookies.”

“No, I mean anything. A little bit of char on my vegetables, myfries, my burger, anything.”

Lauren balked. “Blasphemous. Your burger? No, no, no.”

Carly extended her hand and shook her finger. “No judgment. Onlyfacts. Go.”

She was being bossy again, and damn it, it made Lauren even hotterfor her. “I love matching underwear sets, but I’ve never been able to master athong.” She watched as Carly’s lips parted. Yeah, that one had affected her,and Lauren enjoyed the response. “Your turn.”

“I’m wearing one right now.”

Lauren squeezed the countertop behind her. Her body had been onhigh alert since they’d arrived at her place, but that last comment sent her toa whole new level of arousal.

Lauren blinked. “I’ve always wanted to have sex in public but havenever had the courage. Go.”

“When I first met you, I thought you were uptight and a buzzkill.Your turn.”

“When I first met you, I thought you were self-involved andoverrated.” Carly’s jaw fell. “No judgment, remember? Your fact?”

“But now, I think you’re the most intriguing, most beautiful womanI’ve ever been involved with.”

Lauren sucked in a breath. Those words settled over her, and shefelt like she might float away. She refocused, remembering the game. “I waswrong about you, too, and the sex dream I told you about? Impactful as hell. Istill haven’t been able to shake it. Go.”

“Whether it’s days, weeks, months, or years, I will probably thinkabout undressing you until the moment I get the chance.”

God, was her heater on high? Her cheeks were warm and she felt alittle drunk on desire. “Kissing you in rehearsal is the best part of my day.”

“Same. Staring into your eyes at the end of act one is everything.I always end that scene with a slight tremble because you affect me so much.That’s not acting. That’s you.”