Page 10 of Avery's Hero

Gruffly, I reply, “No, babe, this is a first, I promise.”

Her voice grows tight. “Well, I’ll admit I’m not an excited participant in this experiment.”

She’s shaky as she climbs off my lap. Clinging to the metal bathroom stall, she tries to get her balance. “Brock, we can’t do that again. I don’t like feeling like I’m dying.”

“Panic attacks can be brutal. Are you sure you’re feeling okay now?”

Color is returning to her face, but her brows are pinched together. “Pissed. Quite frankly.”

“I guess that’s an improvement.”

She pushes me backward out of the stall and escapes by ducking under my arm. As she splashes her face in the sink, she says, “Please forget this ever happened.”

She isn’t going to like my answer. “I wish I could.”

“I’m serious. It’s mortifying for me.”

A band of dread constricts around my chest. “I’m worried about you.”

“It’s nothing.”

As much as I hate myself for the question I’m about to ask, it has to be done. “Are you fit for duty?”

Everybit of the color that had returned to her face instantly vanishes.

Yes, I’mthatasshole.

Snappy, she asks, “What do you mean?”

“What if you have a panic attack at a fire scene?”

“I’ve never had a problem in all my years of service.”

“I think you need to be evaluated.”

Her slender jaw clenches. A fire that I’ve never seen before flashes in her narrowed gaze. She grits out, “I’m fine.”

“Avery, this is serious.”

“If you don’t freaking manhandle me and force a kiss on me, this won’t happen again.”

My hackles instantly shoot up. Manhandle? Force a kiss on her? “Do you really think that’s what I did? Because I sure read you differently.”

For a second, we stand off. Her pulse is flying—it’s clearly visible on her slender throat. My own heart simultaneously tries to pulverize my sternum.

Her throat works, and her voice is thick when she replies, “No, I was willing both times.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear you say that because Ido notforce myself on women.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. But I wouldn’t have initiated a kiss in the office back there if I were… in my right mind and not under whatever spell it is you weave. This crazy chemistry between us is not worth losing our careers over.”

I try to tamp down my anger but it’s like trying to shove a square peg into a round hole. Even though she’s right. It was reckless of me. This whole damned situation is fucked beyond belief.

I was way over the fucking boundaries. I’m her boss, for heaven's sake. I’m also eleven years older than her. I’m the man here. She deserves to be treated better.

Feeling like a fuck-up, I say, “You’re right. Too much is on the line.”

“Okay, so can we just try to move on? I need this job, Brock. Setting up my life here in Lynn’s Cove is right for me. And your department needs me. We can be adults.”

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