Chapter 19
nineteen
“What the fuck, Logan?”
My best friend’s head snaps up when I storm into his office, closing the door firmly behind me.
“I take it you saw her,” he deadpans, flicking his gaze from me back to his computer. “Dave giving her the tour?”
Flopping into the chair sitting in front of his desk, I pin him with a lethal glare. “Seriously?”
“Don’t start.”
“Don’t start what?” I cross my arms defensively across my chest. “Giving you shit for not telling me that Reyna is our new EMT? You didn’t think to tell me this yesterday when I told you what happened in Portland?”
Logan sits back in his chair and shrugs. “I got distracted discussing expectations for her with Dave. She’s got orientation today and officially starts tomorrow. On your shift.”
My chest tightens as I sit up in surprise. “So you’re just handing her over? You don’t want to keep her all to yourself?”
“I’m not handing her over. I just can’t have any distractions,” he says, shaking his head with a frown. Picking up his pen, he starts tapping on the desk. “And she... is a distraction.”
The look of indifference, the way he’s acting like he doesn’t give a shit about what he knows he’s feeling for her, pisses me right the fuck off.
“So you think, by putting her on an opposite shift, you can avoid her,” I growl.
“Something like that, yeah.”
Pushing up from the chair, I shove my hands in my pockets. “You’re still mad about Vancouver.”
He tosses the pen on the desk. “We fucked. She left. End of story.”
“You’re an idiot, you know that?” I sigh.
Striding to the door, I go to yank it open in frustration, but stop short when he says, “I don’t know what else to do.”
Despite the dejected tone in his voice, I keep my back to him, shaking my head. “Well, hurry up and figure your shit out. ‘Cause I’m not gonna wait forever.”
All I can think about as I leave Logan pouting in his office is tracking Reyna down. I need to know where her head is at.
The amount of time since what went down between us weeks ago, is nothing compared to Logan’s year without her. And I don’t blame him for being upset. I know he likes her way more than he’s letting on.
But I’m not gonna let him keep avoiding her for long. Not when the chemistry between the three of us is so fucking off the charts not even a cosmic event could knock us out of each other’s orbit.
I head down the hall, checking the lounge first. It’s empty, except for Alan, who’s sprawled across the couch watching some reality dating show.
“Hey, you seen Reyna?”
“Who?” He doesn’t even bother to look up as he shoves a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “Oh, the hot blonde? Think her and Dave went downstairs.”
“Don’t call her that.” I flinch, mentally slapping myself when my words come out way more growly than I mean them to.
Of course, that’s what snags his attention. Popping another kernel in his mouth, Alan smirks, “Call her what? Hot?”
“Yes,” I grunt.
He cocks his head at me. “Why? You hitting that? Cause if not, I—”
“No, you asshole. And don’t you even think about trying,” I warn.
Alan’s loud guffaw of laughter chases after me as I stomp away. If any of these guys even think about trying to get their hands on Pretty, they’ll have me to deal with. Not to mention Logan, who would eviscerate them where they stand.
I check the bunk rooms next, but they’re empty.
Where the hell did she go?
I’m about to head over to check the bay when Dave rounds the corner, clipboard tucked under his arm.
“Hey. You seen Reyna?”
Stopping short, he looks up at me in surprise. The guy is average in height, and I tower over him. Every now and then I’ve caught him staring at me. I think he might have a crush.
“Um,” he gulps. “I just dropped her off at her room. Said she wanted to get settled before orientation.”
“Her room?”
“Yeah. The single across from the main bunk.” He cocks his head, studying me with a keen eye. “Captain set it up special for her. You know, since she’s the only female on her shift.”
Of course, Logan set her up in her own room.
Murmuring a quick “Thanks, man,” I head back down the hall.
The door to her room is open. Leaning against the frame, I cross my arms over my chest and take her in.
She’s standing in front of the window, looking out at the mountains. Morning light catches on a single white-blond strand that’s escaped her bun, turning it almost silver. When she shifts, tucking the loose piece behind her ear, it makes my dick do something stupid.
Her dark jeans are practically painted on, accentuating her firm thighs and an ass I’ve had the distinct pleasure of having my hands on.
The standard-issue LFSR black T-shirt hugs her torso as if it were custom-made just for her, clinging to every curve, every dip, tight enough that I can just make out the subtle outline of her sports bra.
Then my traitorous bastard of a brain flashes back to our encounter in Portland. Reyna on her knees, lips swollen and glistening, looking up at me as my cock disappeared into her hot mouth. How she cried for me.
My dick goes from zero to one hundred in about half a second, painfully straining against my zipper.
Reaching down, I adjust myself, clearing my throat. “Hey, Pretty.”
Whipping around, hand flying to her chest, her wide blue eyes lock onto me.
“Shit,” she gasps. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry.” Keeping my arms crossed in what I hope is a casual pose and not a desperate attempt to hide the fact that my cock is currently trying to punch through my jeans, I grin. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
For a fraction of a second she takes me in, gaze flicking over my body before snapping back up to my face. But it’s not quick enough. I see the recognition in her eyes.
The way her throat bobs on a swallow, she knows exactly what she does to me.
“You can come in, you know,” she says, voice steadier than it was a second ago.
I push off the door and step inside, closing the door behind me with a soft click. The room feels smaller with both of us in it. Or maybe it’s just the chemistry between us making the air feel thick.
“So,” I begin, shoving my hands in my pockets because if I don’t, I’m going to reach for her. “Lakeside Fire, huh?”
“Apparently.” She turns back to the window, but I catch the way her shoulders tense. “Small world.”
“Small town,” I correct. “How long have you been here?”
She glances over her shoulder, expression guarded. “A little over a month.”
I nod, even though her back is to me. “Hmmm. Makes sense why I haven’t seen you.”
Reyna spins around. “I saw you.”
Surprise flares in my gut. “When?”
A sheepish look crosses her face. “At Summit Studio. You came in to talk to Sasha. I’d only been here for a few days and had just started working there.”
Shit. I remember that day. It’s the same day I went to check out the equipment and ask about the firefighter discount. I frown, mind spinning as I think back, trying to remember if I saw her. But I come up blank.
“I don’t remember seeing you.”
Her laugh is soft. “I hid behind the counter.”
“Seriously? Why would you do that?”
“Because…” she says, huffing out a sigh as she moves to sit on the edge of her bed. Great. Now all I can think about is crushing her into the mattress as I kiss her senseless. “…I freaked out. You were the last person I expected to see.”