“I see.” He nodded solemnly. He already knew the answer to his next question but asked anyway. “Do you get to check it off?”
“Yes!”
“Holy shit.” He drew back and twisted his pinkie in his smarting ear. “You don’t need to scream. I’m standing right in front of you.”
“Sorry.” She ran her hand up and down his arm with a sheepish smile.
He was wearing a T-shirt. Which had short sleeves. Thus—this was very important—his arms werebare.Her warm hand was caressing his bare skin.Fuck.Try as he might, he couldn’t stop the goose bumps from spreading across his arms.
A deep furrow appeared between her brows, and the movement of her hand slowed and softened… but didn’t stop. She looked down at his arm and tilted her head to the side. “Are you—”
And he tackled her. He folded himself in half, grabbed her by the waist, and lifted her onto his shoulder. Yeah, he did that.
A sound between a shriek and a laugh escaped from her. “Jack Park. What do you think you’re doing?”
Think fast, genius.
In hindsight, if he’d let her finish her sentence, she probably would’ve saidcoldrather thanturned on.Then he could’ve avoided any awkwardness with a generic,Someone walked over my grave.But tackling her worked, too…
“You need to be stopped,” he said, carrying her to the cash register. It was true. Someone unused to the ball of energyknown as Lizzy Chung with a list might get knocked down like a rack of bowling pins. “Shannon doesn’t know what she’s getting into. You’re going to walk all over the poor woman until everything on her list is checked off.”
“I would never.” She clutched her figurative pearls.
He wasn’t buying it. “Lizzy.”
“Fine.” He couldn’t see her face but heard the pout in her voice. “I won’t walk all over her.”
“Do you promise?” This was an impromptu intervention, but it was important that he saw it through. For both Shannon’s and Lizzy’s sake. But he wasn’t going to last much longer, carrying her like this.
Not that he ever thought tackling his best friend and throwing her over his shoulder was a good idea, but now the feel of her breasts against his back impressed upon him howbadthe idea was. He needed to put some distance between his back and her breasts in the next eight seconds because his body’s response to the current situation would be much more mortifying than goose bumps.
“Yes, I promise.” She kicked her feet. “Now put me down.”
He promptly complied and planted her in front of a gaping Arthur. “She’s ready to pay for that.”
Lizzy gave Jack a narrow-eyed glare, then smiled prettily at the store owner, handing him the bell. “Yes, please ring me up.”
Was the kid actually blushing? Jack’s annoyance quickly doused the last remnants of his arousal. “How did you get here?”
“I walked,” she said without looking at him.
“Good. I’ll give you a lift back.”
“No, thank you. I’d rather walk.” She handed Arthur her credit card.
“Fine.” He shrugged. “I’ll meet you at the bookstore, then.”
She finally faced him. “Why?”
“To make sure you keep your promise,” he said, deliberately baiting her. After the brief bout of awkwardness—all on his part—he was eager to resume their easy banter.
“You know Shannon might not even want yourprotection.” She rolled her eyes before stepping aside to let Jack pay for his propane.
“You’re just annoyed because I’m right. You’ve already made it your mission to get through her checklist while you’re here, and you’re going to hound her till you’re done.”
“Even so, she seems like a strong, independent woman who can take care of herself.” Her expression turned wily. “Maybe you need to go undercover.”
“Undercover?” He accepted the propane tanks from Arthur and nodded his thanks.
