Page 150 of Liberating Lily

Walking over, he grasped hold of her hips and lifted her onto the kitchen island.

Grasping hold of her foot, he examined her toe, pressing it and getting her to wriggle all of them. “Well, it doesn't seem to be broken.”

“No thanks to the stupid fridge.”

Yes, she knew she was acting crazy. But it seriously felt like the appliances were conspiring to get her.

“What happened?” he asked as he put his hands on countertop on either side of her hips.

“I can't get that front door part of the fridge open,” she complained. “Whoever designed that fridge is a freaking sadist. They have to be to cause this much pain to people.”

“So you couldn't open the front part of the door and thought the best idea was to kick the fridge?”

“It sounds crazy when you say it.”

He just shot her a pointed look.

“I thought it would make me feel better,” she muttered.

“And how did that turn out for you?” he said, his lips twitching.

“Not very well,” she admitted.

Harvey bent over so his face was hidden from her. Oh, no. What had she done? Had she insulted his fridge? Was he upset by that? What could she do to make it better?

His shoulders started to move. Oh, hell. He was really upset. She was an idiot. Maybe he was attached to that fridge.

And then a burst of laughter filled the room, and she realized he wasn't upset. He was laughing.

She gaped down at him. She didn't think she'd ever heard anything like that come from him. Lily stared at him in amazement for a long moment, and then she started giggling herself. It was pretty ridiculous, but that wasn't why she was laughing. She was laughing because she loved how happy he sounded, how relaxed.

In that moment, she realized that she actually made him happy. It wasn't just about wanting her. It wasn't just about needing to protect her, or keep her safe, or take care of her. He was happy.

And so was she. Perhaps for the first time in her life.

He straightened up and wiped his eyes with his hands. “Sorry, baby. I shouldn't laugh. Not when you've hurt yourself.”

“No, no, it is pretty funny,” she said. “I get it. I'd laugh too.” She giggled as he grabbed an ice pack from the fridge.

“Last night, I tried to turn the jets on in the bath, and they sprayed water right in my face. And I seriously thought the vacuum cleaner was trying to attack me this morning. I think your house is out to get me.

“I think this place might need a new renovation,” he said.

“You can't do that. It must have been expensive to do all of this.”

He slashed his hand through the air. “The money doesn't matter if the house is trying to kill us.”

Well, she guessed that was true. He lifted her down onto one of the stools at the kitchen island, then placed her foot up on another stool with the ice pack on top of her sore toe.

“Now, what were you trying to get out of the fridge?”

I was trying to get into the front part to get one of those bottles of flavored water,” she explained.

“I don't know why Fiadh's friend bought this kind of fridge.

“Oh, so it’s brand new?” she asked. “You didn’t choose it?”

“No, why would I choose a fridge this annoying?”