The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 596

Petty looked down. Franco was kneeling before her, so close that all she could see was the top of his head.

Logically, someone as stressed and sleep-deprived as a high-powered CEO ought to be losing his hair. Receding hairlines, bald patches, thinning—it was the norm.

Yet his dark hair remained impossibly thick. Even from her vantage point, staring straight down, she couldn't see a sliver of scalp. His hairline was perfectly intact, the distinct widow's peak exactly where it had always been.

Realizing her thoughts had drifted to his hair of all things, Petty blinked quickly. "I wouldn't want to trouble the boss with such a menial task. I can buckle it myself."

But the moment the words left her mouth, a warm hand clamped around her ankle.

His dry, heated palm pressed flush against her skin. His fingers wrapped around her, locking her in place like a heated shackle.

Petty couldn't help it—she gasped.

It was incredibly ticklish.

Purely on instinct, she yanked her foot back to break free.

Franco realized almost instantly that he must have triggered a ticklish spot. She was sensitive all over, and her ankles were no exception.

When a person gets tickled, their body tends to short-circuit, entirely bypassing the brain's rational control. In her frantic bid to squirm away, Petty's hand flew out and smacked Franco right on the head.

Smack.

A short distance away, a man who had just raised his phone to snap a sneaky photo froze in his tracks.

It was Galen, arriving fashionably late.

The open space by the window plunged into an icy, dead silence.

In the exact same moment Petty's hand connected with his head, Franco smoothly fastened the buckle on her stiletto and let go of her ankle.

Petty hadn't felt this mortified in years.

The soft light caught the embarrassed flush spreading across her face. Scrambling for composure, she decisively gathered the skirt of her dress and forced a calm tone. "Thanks."

She spun on her heels, her pace quickening as she power-walked toward the dining room. But when she spotted Galen, she forced herself to slow down.

Rather than waiting for him to launch into some unhinged teasing, Petty went on the offensive.

She demanded, "What took you so long?"