Page 7 of Tasting Fire
Cash’s heart rate inched up, and his chest felt twice its normal size from pride. A little in himself, but mostly pride that he was making his sister and his town proud of him. He’d worked his ass off for this opportunity. Even though he wanted to bust a grin, he made himself stay controlled and professional.
“So I’d like to introduce you to the new head of the TMT, Dr. Emerson McKay.”
When Emmy stepped into the room from a side doorway, Cash experienced a spontaneous hearing loss. Everything that had been perfectly clear two seconds ago turned into a snarl of spitting static. Like he was driving his truck along that spot on Talleyville Road where the trees killed the signal from every radio station.
Justschhhhh, schhhhh, schhhh.
The captain’s mouth was moving, so words must’ve been coming out, but Cash couldn’t even read her lips. Then Emmy turned toward the captain and responded, and all Cash could do was stare atherlips. That perfect shade of pink. No lipstick, no gloss, just his Emmy.
Dude, she hasn’t been yours in a long time, and she sure as hell isn’t anything to you right now.
But still, he couldn’t look away from her. She was wearing black pants, a blue collared shirt, and a doctor’s lab coat. It appeared she still didn’t slather on the makeup—just a little mascara and some color on her cheeks. Her deep brown eyes held a serious expression, one that Cash had first glimpsed as she pored over a biology textbook in high school, and her shiny dark hair was pulled back into a single complicated braid that somehow seemed both professional and blindingly sexy.
What was Emmy doing in Steele Ridge?
And more importantly, how the hell had she just stolen his new job?
