Page 15 of King

He grinned, setting a black plastic container down on her desk.

“What’s this?” she asked, eyeing it with curiousity.

“A true balanced lunch forLittlegirls.”

Ella’s entire body went still.

Her lips parted, but no words came out. A deep flush crept up her neck, her hands tightening on the armrests of her chair. Sheblinked at him, wide-eyed, caught somewhere between shock and something else. Arousal? Curiosity? He wasn’t sure.

King held her gaze. He wasn’t going to push her. Not yet.

After a long moment, she finally managed to find her voice. “…King.”

“Mhm?”

She narrowed her eyes slightly, a mixture of suspicion and interest. “…What’s in the container?”

He leaned down, bracing his hands on the desk, dropping his voice low enough for only her to hear.

“Chicken, rice, vegetables.” He paused before continuing, “And fruit snacks along with a juice box.”

Ella sucked in a sharp breath.

King grinned, straightening. “Eat it, dollface.”

She exhaled shakily, glaring at him even though her face was pink. “You’re bossy.”

“Yep,” he agreed easily.

Ella rolled her eyes, shaking her head. But there was no real heat behind it, only something warm and flustered.

King let the silence hang for a beat before he leaned in again, his voice quieter this time. “Let me take you out after the end of my shift on Friday.”

Ella’s breath caught.

“A date,” he clarified, in case there was any doubt.

She stared at him for a long moment, then finally nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Okay.”

“Good.”

“Thank you for lunch.”

King winked at her. “You’re welcome. Be good, Little one.”

Her blush deepened at the nickname, but she didn’t argue. When he glanced back at her, he was more than pleased to find her watching him as he walked away.

Over the next few days, while he was on shift, King and Ella spent nearly all their free time texting. The conversations were easy, full of teasing and playful banter, but every so often, they dipped into something a little deeper.

King:You ever gonna admit that I make better meals than you?

Ella:Never. I stand by my candy salad love.

King:That’s why you let me feed you real food, huh?

Ella:I let you because it makes you happy.

King smirked at that, leaning back on the firehouse couch, his thumb hovering over the screen before he typed his next message. It did make him happy that she ate the food he left on her desk whenever she was there.

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