I heard Nancy Kerrigan’s plaintive cry in my head, but mine had to do with why I’d given in to this date.
“Oh God, sorry,” I muttered, totally mortified.
“Just…don’t move,” he ordered, taking control of my chin and lifting it slowly.
I forced my eyes to his face to see him examining my forehead, but that close, I could see how curly his eyelashes were.
Not good.
Because they were awesome.
“Smacked yourself a good one,” he murmured.
Man.
This was just…
Humiliating.
“I think you need ice,” he went on.
“I—”
I stopped speaking because he moved fast again, doing this to pick me up.
Pick me up.
One arm under my knees, one at my upper back.
I was so stunned by this maneuver, not only him doing it, but his being able to do it, I said not a word as he walked me to my couch, laid me down on it, then strode back to the kitchen.
I heard the ice machine grinding and then he returned with a bundled dishtowel.
“Lay back,” he demanded.
I reclined against my fringed toss pillows and Mag gently set the bundle on my forehead.
“You need at least fifteen, twenty minutes of that, which means we’re gonna miss our reservation. I’ll order a pizza,” he declared. “Let me guess. Your half, veggie.”
I was not thrilled (at all) that I’d blown this date the way I had.
But one could not say I wasn’t thrilled I’d blown this date and now had a real excuse to get out of it.
In an effort to do that, I peered out from under the towel and started, “Danny—”
“Mag.”
“Sorry.”
“What?”
“What?” I parroted, because he wasn’t close, but he was not far, and I could see how curly his eyelashes were again.
“You said my name.”
“I did?”
His eyes narrowed and he stopped bending over me, holding the ice to my head, and bent into me, pulling the ice away and staring into my eyes.
“What day is it?” he asked.
“Tuesday.”
“Who set us up?”
“Lottie.”
He held three fingers up to my face. “How many fingers do you see?”
“Three, Mag, stop it. I’m okay. I just…”
I didn’t finish.
“What?” he asked.
“Just…”
I again didn’t finish.
“What, Evan?”
God, really, was he actually that handsome?
And right there, hovering over me, looking concerned, which made him even more handsome?
“Evan?” he called.
“Your eyelashes are very curly,” I whispered.
That was when he did it.
His gaze changed, it was an amazing change I felt in amazing places, it shifted to my mouth, and I felt that too, it was also amazing, and last, he murmured, “Baby.”
“I’m not your baby,” I breathed.
His gaze shifted back to my eyes, and he rumbled, all sexy, hot and sweet, “Oh yeah, you are.”
My toes curled.
“Danny—”
“Mag.”
“Mag, I—”
My phone buzzed with a text.
He looked to the kitchen counter, to me, put the ice back on and ordered, “Hold that.”
I did as told, and he straightened and took the single step it took him with his long-ass legs to get to the counter.
“What the fuck?” he asked.
I kept the ice where it should be but tipped my head to look at him only to see him reading my screen.
Yes.
Reading my screen.
“What are you doing?”
His eyes dropped down to me. “Who you gonna meet at Storage and Such on East Colfax at eleven fuckin’ thirty, Evan?”
Uh-oh.
“Why you gonna meet someone at Storage and Such on East fuckin’ Colfax at eleven fuckin’ thirty?” he continued.
I pushed up and reached out a hand. “Give me my phone.”
“Answer me,” he demanded testily.
I twisted in the couch to put my feet on the floor, saying, “I’ve known you all of ten minutes. You can’t read my texts and it’s none of your business who I meet where.”
“You got a situation?” he asked.
I didn’t.
My brother obviously did.
“No,” I semi-lied.
“You keep bad company?” he asked.
I didn’t.
But my brother totally did.
“No,” I did not lie, though I had a feeling, if I went to Storage and Such on East Colfax, I would be.
My phone chimed again with another text and his eyes went direct to it.
Now…
Really.
I stood, pulling the ice off my head and snapping, “Danny!”
He looked to me and growled, “It says meet outside unit six and come alone.”
I slowly closed my eyes and let my head fall back.
“Evan.”
He was still growling.
I said nothing.
Come alone.
Mick, what mess are you in now? I thought.
“Evie,” Mag clipped.
I opened my eyes and righted my head.
“There’s a favor I need to do for my brother.”
“At eleven thirty on East Colfax?”
I tipped my head to the side and shrugged, but that was a sham seeing as a chill was racing up my spine.