“What do you need?”
“Um…”Help me take off my clothesisn’t what she wanted to say.
Neither wasI’m stuck in my pants.
“I need…” Lauren hid her face into her towel before she fell apart completely. Exhaustion hung on her shoulders. Zach had been patient and wonderful and now here she was stuck in a stupid pair of jeans.
“Hey.” His voice near her ear came a moment before he wrapped her in a hug. “What is it?”
Full on crying she managed to say, “I’m stuck.”
“Let me help you to your room.”
“It’s these pants. I can’t get them off.”
Zach buried his face in her neck and a suspicious shaking in his shoulders exposed his laughter.
“It’s not funny. I really can’t get them off.”
“It’s a little funny.” Zach took her face between his hands and pecked a kiss on the tip of her cold nose. “What do you expect me to do about it, angel?”
“You could close your eyes and, um, cut them off?”
“I thought you were the one with all the degrees.”His eyebrows couldn’t go any higher. “You want me to cut off your jeans with my eyes closed?”
“Just bring me the scissors, please.”
He rose to his feet and gave her a salute. “On it.”
He returned with the scissors, and he stood beside her as she cut her pants off.
“You know, this is not how I pictured this going.”
Lauren shot a glare at him. “I wish I could kick you.”
“I’ll let you do that later.”
“Why are you still in here? My pants are coming off.”
Zach raised a brow. “Exactly.”
“Out.” She pointed toward the door with the sharp end of the scissors.
“Fine. I’ll be out here if you need me.” Zach turned and slipped out the door.
Wrestling her wet pants off was a chore, but she did it. Stretching her back, she stood, careful not to put any weight on her ankle.
After brushing her hair out, she turned in front of the mirror. The wrapping on her arm needed to be changed again, and a huge blue bruise covered the middle of her back. She was lucky to be alive, but now wasn’t the time to let those thoughts run free.
She made sure the towel was securely around her as she cracked the bathroom door open. “Zach?”
“Right here.” He pushed off the wall beside the bathroom and stood in front of her until she got her balance holding onto the door frame.
He was careful as he lifted her into his arms. He carried her as if she were as light as a feather, and she’d never been held more securely in her life. Zach was the kind of strong that didn’t waver. Nothing could shake him.
He rested her on her one good foot in the bedroom where she could hold on to the dresser for support. “I’ll be in the hallway if you need me.” With that, he turned around and closed the door behind him.
Now that the danger was past, he couldn’t get far enough away from her. He helped her move around, dropped her off, came back when she needed him, and left again. Not that she would allow him to hang out in her bedroom while she dressed, but the way he avoided looking at her even when she was covered said he was angry with her.
