“You can put me down now,” she said. She loosened her grip around his neck but left her arms around his shoulders.
“No. You’re too slow, and it’s hot out here.” A bead of sweat dripped down his temple to prove his point and he kept walking.
Maizie pursed her lips. He loved when she scrunched her face like that.Wait no, he didn’t love it.
The car was in front of them before Christian was ready to release her.
Maizie looked up at him, her nose inches from his. Specks of gold danced in her bright green eyes.
“Anything else, princess?” he asked, his voice coming out low and rough.
Her lips parted, but no sound escaped. He could close the distance between them so easily. Claim her lips with his. But his common sense kicked in, and he opened the door and dropped her into the car before he could do something stupid.
* * *
Maizie’s lungswere on fire. For a second there, she could have sworn Christian was going to kiss her, and she might have even let him. But then he’d dropped her like a literal hot potato. Her butt still hurt from the seat belt buckle she had fallen on.
“Where to?” Christian asked, sliding into the car, his eyes straight forward.
“Left,” Maizie said simply. She directed him toward the mountain and Rob’s house at the base of it, the awkward silence filling in the gaps. She would have been convinced he was flirting with her earlier if he wasn’t currently acting like a jerk. But maybe that’s just how he was. A flirt? He probably had girls strung all through the city with just one of those over-confident and outrageously attractive smiles.
They pulled up in front of Rob’s house, and Maizie breathed a sigh of relief. Her change of clothes was stashed in her car, and she would finally be able to breathe normally again.
Except for all the cars, Rob’s house was abandoned. The parade was still going, but Maizie knew they had left the back door open for people like her who lived out of town and needed a place to change. She was halfway out the car door before the problem struck her.
“Um, I hate to ask this, but can you help me?” Maizie looked at him and bit her bottom lip.
“Sure.” He shrugged and hopped out of the car. He trailed behind her and waited patiently while she grabbed her spare clothes from her car.
“Do you need me to carry something?”
Oh, this was going to be so awkward. She wanted to hit herself for letting her impatience put her in this position.
“Um, no.”
His brow furrowed.
Maizie buried her face in her hands, took a deep breath, then looked at him square in the eye.
“I need you to unzip my dress.”
His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. Red filled every available spot on his cheeks.
It had been worth saying that just to see him like this. In any other circumstance, she would have teased him mercilessly about it. If she didn’t need his help that is.
“What?” He sputtered and took a step back.
“Relax. Not like that.” She held up her hand to stop him. “I can’t reach the top of the zipper with these sleeves. If you could just unzip it three and a half inches, then I can get it the rest of the way.”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He looked around like he was willing anyone else to appear.
Maizie wished the same. Lindsay was supposed to be here helping her, but Jayce had ruined that one.
“I wouldn’t be asking if I had any other options.” She pleaded with her eyes, and his shoulders drooped. “You can close your eyes. Please? I can’t breathe right in this dress.”
Which has absolutely nothing to do with the guy staring at me in this dress.
He let out a breath and then looked up with a smirk. “Three and a half inches? That’s a very precise measurement. Do you have a ruler handy?”
