Page 7 of Forged in Peril

This was going well.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, holding up the roll of bandages. “About that, and about earlier. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s fine, Cam,” she said quickly, giving him a pinched smile. Her eyes caught his for a long moment, and there was an expression on her face that he couldn’t quite read. “Can you help me with my left hand?”

“Uh, yeah, of course,” he said, cringing at the way his words came out in a stammer. Even now, as a grown man, she had a way of making him feel like a lovestruck teenager.

Even though he was more determined than ever to never feel that way about her again.

Bristol extended her arms in front of him, and he wrapped the white cloth around her still-red hands, leaving her fingers mostly free.

“Well, I can still type,” she said when he was done, wiggling her unpainted fingertips back and forth. “I guess you guys probably need to bandage yourselves up often enough, in this line of work.”

He nodded, looking down at his own hands, which felt suddenly empty now that they were no longer brushing against hers. “Unfortunately, yes. Ben’s the first aid dork, but all of us know our way around a med kit. It comes in handy.”

Bristol smiled again, and this time, it actually looked genuine.

“Anyway,” he said, running a hand through his dark brown hair, “you’re not typing anything today. I’d tell you to go home until you heal, but–”

“–You know I’d never go for it,” she finished. “And you’d be right. Honestly, I’m fine. I want to get started, though I guess I need to find a change of clothes.”

As if on cue, Grace appeared at the open door of his office, a bundle of gray material in her hands.

“I had some sweats in my gym locker,” she said, handing the pants to Bristol with an apologetic look. “Not exactly the most fashionable, but at least they’re dry.”

Cameron smirked at her. “But are they clean?”

“Obviously. Unlike you disgusting men, I prefer to keep my locker biohazard-free.”

Bristol laughed, holding up the pants in front of her. “They’ll totally work, so long as I can avoid being seen by any clients. Thanks, Grace.”

“Any time,” she said, giving Bristol another winning smile.

There was a long pause.

Cameron glanced over at Bristol, who was still looking at the sweats instead of meeting anyone’s eyes.

He felt Grace poking at his rib with the end of a rather pointy manicured finger.

“Maybe you could show Bristol where she can change and freshen up,” she said, furrowing her brows.

“Oh, right,” he said, shaking his head.

“I’ll just throw them on in there, if that’s okay,” Bristol said quickly. “I really do want to meet the lawyer I’ll be working under as soon as possible.”

Cameron nodded, and Bristol ducked into his bathroom once again, the door locking with a click behind her.

Grace was already staring at him, her arms folded across her chest.

“I’m glad the cleaning service handles the bathrooms,” he joked. “It’s a lot cleaner than my office.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“What subject?” he said innocently, lowering his voice and hoping that Grace would follow suit.

“You’re so not over her!”

He felt his cheeks burning. He didn’t need to ask how Grace had managed to find out about his and Bristol’s history. Somehow, the woman always seemed to know everything about everyone. Including history of the ancient variety.

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