Page 6 of King

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she admitted. “This was so thoughtful. Although I don’t know why you have such a hatred for macaroni and cheese. It’s like the superior cheesy food.”

King chuckled, then tilted his head, eyes dark and steady as he held her gaze.

“You can thank me by eating lunch with me.”

Ella blinked, her fingers tightening around the container.

Oh.

A rush of something warm went through her, but she found herself agreeing before she could even think to stop herself.

“Okay,” she said softly.

King smirked, that slow, devastating curve of his lips that sent her stomach into free-fall.

“Good,” he murmured. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

FOUR

KING

King hadn’t expected to enjoy lunch this much.

Sitting across from Ella in the firehouse’s breakroom, watching her take her first bite of a meal he’d made, he felt something shift inside him. She made a sound of delight as she chewed, her eyes fluttering closed for a second before she swallowed.

“King.” She sighed, placing a hand dramatically over her chest. “This is so good.”

His lips twitched, barely hiding a smirk. “Yeah?”

She nodded enthusiastically, already taking another bite. “Like, ridiculously good. Are you sure you’re a firefighter and not secretly a chef?”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah. But between cooking here and at my motorcycle club, the Shadowridge Guardians, I figured I better learn how to make a few meals; otherwise, I’d have a bunch of whiny men on my case.”

“Well, I’m impressed,” she said between bites, looking completely at ease.

King wasn’t sure why it made him feel so damn good to watch her enjoy something as simple as chicken, rice, and roasted vegetables, but it did. Ella was easy to talk to, easy to be around.

Dangerously easy.

After lunch, he went back to work, checking equipment, running drills with the guys, and handling paperwork in Mendez’s office. But no matter what he did, his thoughts kept drifting back to Ella.

And maybe a little too conveniently, his feet did as well.

The first time, he’d told himself he was grabbing coffee andhappenedto pass her office.

The second time, he claimed he was checking the mail, though he was pretty sure Holt had given him a knowing look when he veered in Ella’s direction instead.

The third time, he actually had an excuse. Mendez had sent him to grab some forms, but when he stepped into her office, he found Ella sitting at her desk, quietly petting a small, palm-sized plush stuffed animal.

She didn’t notice him at first. Her fingers ran gently over the toy’s soft fur, her expression relaxed and almost serene. But the second she spotted him in the doorway, she stiffened, her face flushing pink.

“Oh,” she squeaked, quickly placing the stuffed toy down. “I—I didn’t hear you.”

King leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “You always carry that around?”

Her face went even redder. “I—I know it’s silly,” she mumbled, not meeting his gaze. “It just… helps with my anxiety.”

King studied her for a second before shrugging. “Nothing silly about that.”

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