Page 29 of You, As You Are

“No. Where do you want this?” Iain diverted from that question expertly, as usual.

Maisie passed a glance at the box he began to lift. It looked like clothing, maybe. The writing on the side had been crossed out and written over so many times.

“Bedroom.Ooo—the tape doesn’t look too great on the bottom,” she said as her hand shot out in warning.

“I’ll be careful.” Iain hiked the box up into his grip and – it ripped.

The whole thing.

Just ripped.

It was clothes, thankfully, but not so lucky that approximately twenty sets of underwear covered Iain’s feet.

“Ohmygod—” Maisie scrambled more than she’d ever scrambled before. Tits first to the floor.Mortified.

“Should I close my eyes?” By the two red dots emerging on Iain’s cheeks, it was too late.

“If you would be so kind—and would you stand still! Don’t tread on anything.” Maisie swept her knickers off of his boots and into her arms like they would slip away.

“Nothing’s breakable?—”

“I don’t want your giant feet bending any wires or ripping any of the—”Lace. She was going to saylace. “These are expensive!”

“Closing eyes and standing still.”

“Really, Moo Moo?” Vera waddled through the stairwell door, bag of groceries in hand. “In my day we took them out to dinner first before showing them our knickers.”

Fucking hell.

“Nain!”Maisie wanted the floor to open up and the bookshop beneath them to swallow her whole. Maybe she could fall into one of the books and be transplanted into a world that was less embarrassing.

She grabbed every bra and unhooked the straps from Iain’s feet, clips getting snagged in his laces.

Then it happened – the sound that Maisie would forever remember.

He chuckled. A full, beautiful, belly laugh with her fanciful panties wrapped around his ankles.

* Good day, Maisie

* Cuppa/cup of tea

* Yes.

CHAPTER NINE

IAIN

“Earth to Iain …”

“I don’t think he’s listening.”

Fingers snapped in front of Iain’s face.

“What?”He scowled at the two sitting across from him, more tuned in to the folk song being sung in a corner by a gaggle of half-drunk older men than he was to his friends.

Cai burrowed into his gaze like he could read his mind, tapping his own temple. “Where did you go?”

“Nowhere,” Iain bristled.

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