That’s it.
I lean in and give her exposed hip bone a tiny, sharp nip with my teeth.
Quick.
Wicked.
Very intentional.
She gasps, squealing. “Hey!”
I smile against her skin. “Got your attention.”
“You bit me!”
“Nipped,” I correct, sliding my hands up her sides, lifting her clean off the ladder before her brain can catch up. She lands in my arms, held against my chest with a soft thud. Her feet are dangling above the floor.
“You’re done with the upper branches.”
All of her curves are pressed against me. I’m inagony. This is pure delicious anticipation-building fuel.
But she’s prickly, and she shoves my chest with both hands. “You cannot justnippeople when you disagree!”
“Correction,” I say calmly, carrying her two steps away from the ladder. “I can stop you from being dangerous.”
She’s frustrated. And smiling like she doesn’t know if she wants to yell at me or climb me.
“You’re unbelievable,” she mutters.
“You're harassing a man who’s been hanging onto his self-control like it’s his last parachute cord.”
This seems to please her, because there’s a definite twinkle in her eyes.Little she-devil.
I gently place her on the ground and hand her the other end of the lights. “You’re on low-branch duty.”
“Oh, my GOD.” She throws her hands up laughing. “You’re decorating like you’re on duty!”
I straighten and give her a stern look. “I am on duty. Protective detail for Liberty Cruze.”
This stops her for a second, then she gives me a small eye roll and a dismissive wave. “I kind of like that, but you’re still impossible!”
“And you’re not allowed on ladders.”
She narrows her eyes. “Says who?”
“Says the man who’s going to lose his mind if you put yoursexy little assin his face again while he’s holding ten feet of electrical wiring that makes him think about all of his rope-tying skills.”
Her mouth falls open.
Heat crawls up her neck.
Her cheeks flush prettily.
“Oh,” she breathes.
“Yeah,” I say quietly, leaning in. “Oh.”
The music swells with perfect timing to the rise in my pulse rate. She swallows. “Fine. I’ll do the low branches.”
