"Yes, ma'am."
I pointed a finger at him and shook it. "Watch your tone, Broderick Murphy."
"Oh, are we going to play stern schoolteacher and naughty boy?" he asked.
"Gah!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air. "Forget it. Bring my food and I'll get the movie ready."
"Yes, Ms. McClane. Please don't spank me."
"Shut up."
When I was sure he couldn't see me, I stopped fighting my grin.
Operation Distraction was back on track.
* * *
After the comedy,Brody talked me into watching the thriller. I know, I know, it was a stupid idea.
Why is that?
Because Brody was right before. When we watched suspenseful or scary movies, I was a complete chicken. I would hide behind a pillow or blanket, peeking around it like a little kid. Then when something startling happened, I would fling myself at the nearest person and hold onto them for dear life.
Needless to say, my friends in college thought this was hysterical and would often rent scary movies just to torture me. Of course, I was always stupid enough to watch them. Mostly because I couldn't resist a dare.
Which is exactly what Brody did. He dared me, the dillhole.
We started out on opposite sides of the couch, but within thirty minutes, I was sitting so close to him that we were touching from shoulder to knee, side-by-side.
When the killer lunged out of the darkness at the heroine of the story, I screamed and the next thing I knew, I was huddled in Brody's lap with my head buried beneath one of the throw pillows.
Brody, the ass, was laughing so hard that he couldn't breathe.
"Stop laughing!" I demanded, yanking the pillow away from my face so I could smack him with it.
He didn't. At least not right away. He laughed so long and hard that tears were streaming down his face. I sighed and grabbed the remote to pause the movie.
"Yeah, yeah. Yuk it up," I grumbled. "It's soooo hilarious."
Brody wiped his eyes as his guffaws faded into intermittent chuckles. Then he grabbed me in a bear hug. "Aside from Jacks, you're the best thing in my life right now, Cam."
Whether he meant it as a light-hearted statement or a declaration of something deeper, I couldn't know for sure. But my treacherous heart leaped at his words, filling me with warmth.
I didn't think. I didn't take a breath.
I reacted.
