“I’m not naked.” He folded his arms across his chest and smiled when he caught her gaze drifting down. “But I could be.” He held up the pants.
Maizie’s face turned bright red, and her eyes narrowed. “There’s a bathroom right there.” She pointed.
He knew where it was. He slid past her in the hallway, getting just close enough to brush her. The skin on his chest burned where he had touched her, and she gasped. He was playing dirty, and he didn’t care one bit.
“Go put a shirt on. No one wants to see that.” She said though her eyes never left his abs.
“Definitely not you.” He said with a wink and shut the door behind him. He changed his clothes as fast as he could then went searching for Maizie. He found her in the fetal position on the couch in the family room, watching a dancing movie.
Maizie’s eyes met his. “Why are you still here?”
“I could ask you the same thing. Eric rarely lets anyone get out of farm duties.” He stood above her, aware of how small she looked from this angle. He could pick her up and carry her so easily.
Maizie gave him a steady glare. “Cramps.”
“In your legs? I can massage them for you.” He rounded the couch and sat down by her feet.
She cocked an eyebrow. “You can’t massage these kinds of cramps.”
It took him a moment too long to figure out what she was talking about. “Oh.” He jumped from the couch as if she’d kicked him.
She turned back to the movie without saying anything more, her face twisted in pain as she cradled a pillow against her stomach.
He walked from the room, stopping at the kitchen for a drink. His hand hovered over a water bottle. Water helps cramps. And bananas. He didn’t know if they would help this kind of cramp, but he was willing to offer.
He filled up the bottle with ice water, then snagged a banana from the fruit bowl. What else? He scanned the cupboards aimlessly until he found Tylenol. Surely that would help. He grabbed the supplies and headed back to the family room.
He heard her sniff as he entered. Was she crying about the movie? It didn’t look like that other sad one they had watched.
“Hey.”
Maizie jumped. “What are you still doing here? Go away.”
He didn’t believe in stereotyping, but maybe the grumpy girl on her period was an actual thing.
“I brought you something.” He knelt in front of her, careful not to get in the way of the show.
“I thought these might help,” he said, laying his offerings down beside her with a “please don’t kill me” smile.
“Thank you,” she said, taking a sip of the water.
“Are you okay?”
“Not really.” She laughed dryly.
“Can I help?”
“Wanna switch bodies for the day?” A tear escaped the corner of her eye, and Christian gently wiped it away. She froze, and so did he.
“Actually, could you get me a heating pad, please?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, I must have heard you wrong. Did you just ask me to do something instead of telling me to?” Christian attempted to joke, but Maizie’s scowl was enough to light the house on fire. Okay, PMS was most definitely a thing.
He bit his tongue. “Where is it?”
“Laundry room, third shelf.” Christian made a quick dash from the room, scolding himself the entire way.
He plugged it in for her then handed it to her. He had no idea where to put it and wasn’t about to ask.
