He held me up. “That would be David Allen Coe, baby.”
I frowned. “That’s what I said.”
“Whatever you say.”
We walk—or shuffled along—about a yard and then I walked straight into a mailbox. I grunted. “Son of a bitch jumped right out in front of me!”
Kyler stopped, shaking his head. “You are a hazard to yourself right now.”
“I’m fine.” I waved him off, edging around the tricky inanimate object as I shot it a dark look. “I’m watching you.”
“Let me help you,” he offered. “Okay? I’ll get us both home in one piece and keep us far away from ninja mailboxes.”
Sounded like a good plan, but when Kyler wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me, practically tossing me over his shoulder, I was so not expecting that. I let out a squeal and immediately started squirming.
“Behave.” He smacked my ass.
“Hey!”
He smacked it again, and I got in a good punch in the kidneys. My butt was too cold to really burn, but his grunt brought a smile to my face. This whole position wasn’t real good for the alcohol sloshing around in my stomach, though.
Kyler took three steps, and I decided I needed to get down. I reared back suddenly and he stumbled to the side. He stepped into a snowdrift. I wiggled down his front, causing our legs to tangle.
“What are you doing?” he asked, trying to get a grip on me.
“Down.” I swung back and ended up taking our legs right out from underneath us. Kyler twisted at the last moment, taking the brunt of the fall in the drift, and I landed on top of him.
Neither of us moved for a second, and then his hands clamped down on my hips. Under me his chest started to move slowly and then faster. Loud laughter barreled out of his throat, bringing a happy smile to my face.
I planted my hands on his chest and lifted my head.
He stared up at me, smiling. My breath caught and I felt dizzy. “You’re beautiful.”
Kyler reached up, brushing my hair from my face and tucking it back behind my ear. “I think that’s my line.”
“You think I’m beautiful?”
His gaze roamed over my face like he was committing every freckle to memory. Giddiness swept through me, like I was caught up in a bubble. “I’ve always thought you were beautiful, Syd.”
The world was bright and shiny and new. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he replied, his hand falling away from my hair, back to my hip. “Yeah, I have.”
There was nothing else for me to do. I only had one option. Kyler said I was beautiful and I’d waited since forever to hear him say that.
So I kissed him.