Page 43 of Avery's Hero

“Don’t,” he says roughly.

I pull the lever and open the door. Smiling at him, I quip, “Too late.”

“You’re the devil dressed in silk lingerie, Avery Ellis.”

My smile turns into a wry grin. “Funny. Last night, oh yeah, and this morning, you called me Angel.”

“I’m confused, what can I say?”

I push the heavy truck door closed with a thud, wave goodbye, and mouth, “See ya, Chief.” Without looking back, I turn and trot off toward work.

As soon as I’m out of sight, I slow my steps and clutch my heart. Who’s resuscitating who?

Only, this doesn’t feel like resuscitation. This feels like…

Life support.

Something that is temporary.

Something that requires enormous amounts of energy.

The plug must stay firmly in the wall or the line goes flat.

I’m not sure what kind of spell the green-eyed Adonis worked on me, but whatever it was isbad.

All I can think about is the way he looks at me.

Like I’m sunshine, and rainbows, ominous thundercloudson the horizon, and something he can’t wait to devour.

It’s a heady, but totally confusing feeling.

One I know won’t last, but I’m hoping it keeps me afloat until the rescue boat comes to pull me from the aftermath.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The clock on the wall reads eight-thirty. It might as well be screaming, “You’re late.”

Not that I have to punch a clock now that I’m Chief, but I never arrive this late.

Thank god, the station is quiet when I pull into the lot. Shit, we’re like two sneaky teenagers. I can’t exactly be hard on Lincoln when I’m acting like a fool myself.

No one intercepts me and I’m inside my office, glued to the window, when Avery crosses the parking lot and enters the side door of the fire station. She glances my way, a full blush on her cheeks, but quickly ducks her head.

Fuck. I’ve really done it now.

I’ve gotten a taste of her sweet body and I’m dying to have more.

A few seconds later, her sandals click past my open door as she heads toward the bunk room where she’s staying. Yeah, we’ve got to do something about that fast, before I really fuck up and have to take her like an animal in one of those bunkbeds.

She needs to get her own place, fast.

I’m staring at paperwork, not seeing a damn word on the paper, when there’s a knock on my door.

I know it’s her before I look up. Her scent, the one that is solely hers, is tattooed on my brain. Forever.

I put on my professional voice when what I really want to do is growl her name and jerk her inside the office just like I did in the shower. “Ellis, what do you need?”

Dressed in county issued cargo pants and T-shirt now, she glances around my space. Nervousness is simmering around her like a cloud as she steps inside the doorway. “Can we talk about the case?”

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