Page 17 of Last on the List
“Fucking hell,” Max mumbles under his breath, and a chortle sputters out of my mouth. He looks at me like I’ve just betrayed his entire family. “Something funny, Cassandra?”
“Nothing funny at all, Big Daddy.” I can’t help it. I had to poke the bear.
His lips part as he tucks his tongue to the side of his mouth and bites it like he’s trying not to say what’s on his mind. “You think you’re cute?”
I giggle and tug on the short braids sticking out from my helmet. “Chad said beautiful actually…and very youthful looking. Right, Chad?”
“Climb the fucking ladder, Cozy,” Max barks, and my heart jolts at his use of my nickname.
Our eyes connect, and for some strange reason, the glint in Max’s gaze makes me feel like he’s not as irritated by me as I thought. In fact, he looks like he wants to swallow me whole. Like he’s a second away from grabbing my harness, strapping me up to the nearest tree, and holding my braids as he runs his tongue over every inch of my body.
That illicit image causes a painful throb to erupt between my thighs as I wobbly attempt to climb the ladder up to the platform. When Max joins me and Everly at the top, he shoots me a knowing look that makes me wonder if he could read my mind a moment ago.
I need to get control of my thoughts.
“Who wants to go first?” Chad asks after he’s hooked all our zip lines up to the safety ropes above us.
“Me!” Everly calls out, raising her hand.
I shake my head and look at Max. “No fear.”
“I don’t know where she gets that,” Max says, and I notice a flicker of distress cast over his eyes as he looks down. “We’re really high up, aren’t we?”
“You’re not scared of heights, are you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes as I watch him white knuckle his safety harness.
“I didn’t think so…but I’m doubting that fact now.” His gaze flicks from me to Everly as she gets into position for takeoff. “Be careful, Everly.”
Everly offers up an enthusiastic wave before launching herself down the long cable, squealing excitedly with her hands splayed out wide. Max looks like he’s about to crawl out of his skin as he watches her go, his feet moving close to the edge the farther she gets away from us. He’s focused so intently on Everly that he doesn’t notice where he’s standing.
He’s about to take another step forward, so I reach out and grab his arm to pull him back. He stumbles into my body, pressing me back into the tree and causing our safety straps to tangle on the line above. Our bodies are flush against each other, so my hands grip his shoulders for balance as his land on the tree behind me, caging me in with his musky, manly scent. He looks down at me in confusion.
“You were about to step right off the platform,” I clarify, looking up at him. My eyes zero in on his pursed lips as I struggle to ignore the reaction my body is having to the weight of him pressed snugly against me.
“I was?” His breath is warm on my face as his eyes flick back and forth between mine.
“I basically just saved your life,” I answer with a laugh.
Max’s mouth pulls back into a surprising wolfish smile as his eyes lower to my lips. “Don’t think we’re even now.”
We stare at each other for a moment in a sort of stunned shock before Chad’s voice interrupts. “He was hooked up to the safety line, so he was perfectly safe.”
I blink myself out of this trance and mumble, “Thanks, Chad,” annoyed that the guide popped our little bubble of…flirting? Was Max Fletcher flirting with me just now?
He gives me a terse look before pushing back enough to give a breath of space between us. But it can’t go unnoticed that his hand remains firmly on my hip.
“That was awesome!” Everly squeals, and Max turns to look over his shoulder to see that Everly has reached the next platform and is standing with the guide.
His body sags with relief, and his hand reflexively tightens on my hip before he lets go completely. “Good job, kid!”
“Dad, you go next!” Everly calls back.
Max’s Adam’s apple slides down his throat as Chad disconnects us to untangle our lines. He attaches Max’s zip trolley to the cable next. “Ready, Big Daddy?” Chad says with a dopey smile.
“It’s Mr. Fletcher,” Max growls at the dude.
“Hey, chica.” Chad looks at me. “Smile at this dude again…I think it helps with his mood.”
“What?” Max barks, and without warning, Chad shoves him down the cable for his ride.
