Page 20 of Avery's Hero

“I’m sure she worried about you.”

Eyes darkening, he says, “It would be impossible not to worry. I always felt bad for wives that were home while their husbands were off in dangerous lands doing dangerous things.”

“It’s a sacrifice for both of you.”

“It was, but I’d do it again in a minute. I believe in the work I did. It saved lives. I was in E.O.D.”

Not surprising he was in Explosives and Ordnance Disposal. High risk. Deadly serious. Challenging. Right in the thick of it. I’m beginning to form a feel for the kind of man Brock is.

The kind of man a person could fall hard for.

That is, if falling was a thing I knew something about. I don’t. Relationships are messy things for other people.

My life needs to stay simple. It’s been complicated enough… hell, it’s still complicated. And my brother moving to Lynn’s Cove in a couple weeks is only going to add to that.

Unfortunately, right now, I find myself totally sucked in.

I also find myself locked in his gaze. Brock’s eyes have this fire in them, I can’t say I’ve ever seen in another man. He’s brimming with life. It’s magnetic.

From the first moment I saw him on our blind date, I knew he was exceptional.

I realize I’ve licked my lips. His eyes have fallen to my mouth. He shoves his hand in his hair making it stand up on end. The dark, dark brown is laced with tiny flecks of silverby his temples. It’s hardly noticeable unless the light is just right, like it is now.

It takes a herculean effort to pull my eyes away and try to get back to the conversation—any conversation to save myself from fantasizing about his body totally naked.

Miraculously, I don’t say something to totally embarrass myself. Instead, I say, “Serving the community as Fire Chief is very honorable.”

He considers that for a moment, his eyes flick away, somewhere far off, outside the window. “I think I’ll like it better when some of these problems get worked out.”

After a crackling silence, I ask, “Am I one of those problems?”

His eyes swing back to me as his dark brows lower. Without hesitation, in a thick voice, he says, “Definitely.”

The noise in the diner fades. All I can hear is my hammering heart. The way he’s looking at me makes me feel seen… but in a totally different way. There’s no panic this time.

“I’m sorry,” I reply quietly. “If you really want me to resign and move on, I’ll look for something else.”

He reaches across the table and wraps his hand around my wrist. It’s gigantic, and the skin is rough. I know the calluses are from his job. That and lifting weights. Which he must do all the time.

His voice is husky, and direct. “No. That would be a mistake.”

“Because of the arson case?”

His expression intensifies. “That too.”

Feeling ridiculously, recklessly bold, I make a ridiculous statement. “If I resigned we could… um, you know…”

Dropping his voice to a whisper, he shocks me. “Fuck each other’s brains out?”

My eyes boggle a little. “I was going to say go on a date.”

He grins. “I was pretty sure we’re having a date right now.”

We stare at each other for a crackling moment. If this goes on any longer, I’m gonna need to open a window before I combust.

His chuckle is so sexy it’s over the top.

My face heats even more. I glance around to see if anyone else is staring at us. Not a soul is looking in our direction. People are doing their thing. Talking, laughing. Shoving giant burgers in their mouths.

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