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“Are you hinting that you’d like me to grovel?”
“Goodness, no.” I shook my head. “Best not to tempt fate with another argument. Besides, if you got on your knees right now, I’d be tempted to use your head as a football.”
A little, “merow,”sounded from behind me, and Winston darted out of the door between my legs.
“Winston!” I shouted as he zoomed past Max and through a shrub towards the lake. “Get back here!”
I opened the door fully and moved forwards, stubbing my toe on the doorframe as I did. My balance evaded me entirely as my left foot hit the top step and I fell right against Max.
He caught me, staggering back, but he kept his balance a damn sight better than I did. His arms wrapped around my body, pressing me right against him, and I had no choice but to grip onto him for my own good.
One hand on his shoulder.
The other gripping averyfirm bicep.
My face smooshed into his muscular chest.
Oh.
This was…
This was something.
Quite unwelcome, actually. I didn’t really want to be pressed right up against Max. Not like this. With a throbbing toe and a serious lack of my own dignity because I’d just thrown it out with that trip over the frame.
On the other hand, being right against his body with his arms wrapped around me wasn’t the worst thing in the world, either.
“Um,” I whispered, wincing when I put my right foot down. “Thank you.”
He laughed quietly, his whole body shaking. “Right place, right time. Are you all right? You hit your toe pretty hard.”
“I think I just stubbed it.” I twisted in his arms, letting my hand slide down off his shoulder, and looked down at my foot. “I hope I just stubbed it.”
“You’ll know in about ten minutes.”
“Stop laughing at me.”
“I’m not laughing at you.”
“You are!” I smacked my hand against his chest—ooft, that chest—and tried to wriggle out of his grip.
“I’ll help you inside.” Max was still chuckling as he moved, keeping one of his arms wrapped around my waist.
This wasn’t my finest moment.
The stubbed toeorthe rapid beating of my heart.
“Living room?”
I nodded.
He helped me hobble in and after we got to the sofa, he switched sides so I could sit down. “Put your foot on the table. If you have broken it, you’ll need it raised. Got any ice?”
“In the freezer. I think there’s a bag of peas in there that I bought with good intentions.”
“Ah, freezers. Where vegetables go to die.”
“And that’s just the lucky ones.”
