6. Axel
Chapter Six
AXEL
Three days.
That's how long I've managed to keep my distance from Nina. Three days of carefully scheduled shifts that minimize our overlap, of delegating communications to Hunter or Logan or Troy, of burying myself in equipment checks and training sessions.
Three fucking days of thinking about her anyway.
I slam my locker shut harder than necessary. This is getting ridiculous. I'm acting like a teenager with a crush, not a thirty-three-year-old professional.
“ Somebody's in a mood,” Hunter comments, leaning against the row of lockers. “Let me guess. It has something to do with our new dispatcher?”
“For fuck’s sake, Hunter. Don't start.”
My younger brother grins, undeterred. “Too late. The family group chat has been buzzing since you showed up at the festival. We all saw how you were looking at her.”
“Don't you have something to fix? A helicopter? A radio tower? Anything?”
“Nope. All systems operational, which leaves me free to investigate why my normally stoic brother is acting like he stuck his finger in an electrical socket.” He crosses his arms. “Mom says you like her.”
“Mom needs to mind her own business,” I growl.
“So you do like her.”
I give him my best glare, the one that usually shuts down even the most talkative people.
Hunter laughs. “You know, it's allowed, dude. Dating. Having a life outside this place.”
“Nina works here.”
“So? Half the couples in Ember Heart met through SAR or fire service. It's not exactly a town bursting with eligible singles.”
I scrub a hand over my face. “It's not that simple.”
Hunter pushes off the lockers. “Just saying... don't automatically shut down something good because you're afraid of the what-ifs.”
He leaves me with that unwelcome piece of wisdom, whistling as he goes. I check my watch. Ten minutes before the morning briefing. Ten minutes to get my head on straight before seeing Nina again.
But when I walk into the conference room, she's already there, leaning over a map with Logan. Her dark hair falls in a curtain as she points to something on the topographic display. Logan nods, his expression serious as always.
“Morning,” I head for the coffee.
Nina glances up, her gaze meeting mine before skittering away. “Morning.”
“Nina was showing me her suggested improvements to the western trail system markers,” Logan explains. “Smart stuff. Could cut our response time by up to fifteen percent in that sector.”
I nod, ignoring the surge of pride I feel at her initiative. “Good thinking.”
“Thanks.”
“Let’s get this in place as soon as possible,” Logan says.
Nina looks surprised. “Really?”
“Really.” My brother gives her one of his rare approving nods. “Fresh eyes are valuable.”
Logan excuses himself to take a call, leaving Nina and me alone in the conference room. The silence stretches between us.
“Look,” I start, just as she starts to speak. We both stop. She smiles, gesturing for me to continue.
“I wanted to make sure things aren't... awkward. Between us.”
“Not awkward at all,” she doesn’t meet my eyes.
The door swings open, saving us from further conversational flailing. Troy strides in, followed by a man I don't recognize. He’s tall, sandy-haired, wearing a forest service uniform.
“Morning, all,” Troy says cheerfully. “This is Ranger Matt Ellison, just transferred from Amberstone. Matt, this is my brother Axel, SAR ops manager, and Nina Cordava, our new dispatcher.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Matt says, shaking my hand firmly before turning to Nina. His smile widens appreciatively as his gaze flicks over her body.
Something hot rises in my chest as Nina returns his smile. “Welcome to Ember Heart, Matt. How are you finding it so far?”
“Gettin’ better by the minute,” he says, holding her gaze a beat too long.
Is this yellow haired asshole flirting with her? Right in front of me?
“Matt's joining us for the briefing,” Troy explains.
I nod curtly. “Take a seat. We'll start as soon as Ryder gets here.”
Nina moves to her usual chair, and Matt slides into the one next to her. I watch from the corner of my eye as he leans over to say something that makes her laugh.
The briefing is a special kind of torture. Matt has intelligent questions, useful input, and an annoying habit of directing his most charming smiles at Nina. Worse, she seems to respond to them.
“That about covers it,” I say, ending the meeting perhaps more abruptly than necessary. “Nina, can you make sure Matt gets copies of the updated sector maps?”
“Already on it,” she says, gathering her files. “I thought I'd show him the communication hub, too, since his team will be patching through.”
I cross my arms. “I need to check those first. The maps. For... accuracy.”
Nina gives me a puzzled look. “I've already verified them against the GPS coordinates.”
“Double-checking never hurts.”
“O-kay,” she says slowly. “I'll bring them to your office after I show Matt around.”
I nod, ignoring Troy's knowing smirk as I leave the conference room. I'm being ridiculous. Nina can talk to whoever she wants. Show them around. Laugh at their jokes. Lean in close.
Thirty minutes later, I'm still stewing over it when she knocks on my office door.
“The maps you wanted to check,” she says, placing them on my desk.
I flip through them, pretending to study the familiar terrain.
She watches me for a moment, arms crossed. “Is there something else?”
“No,” I say, too quickly.
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fine.”
"Right. Then I guess I'll get back to work.”
She turns to leave, and something makes me call out, “Did you find out anything about him?”
Nina pauses, hand on the doorknob. “About who?”
“Ellison. Matt. The ranger.”
She turns slowly, a dawning realization in her eyes. “Are you seriously asking me this right now?”
“It's a legitimate question. We work closely with the forest service. Should know who we're dealing with.”
“Uh-huh. Well, I know he just transferred here from Amberstone, seems competent at his job, and was nice enough to invite me to dinner tonight.”
The words hit like a physical blow. “You're going out with him ?”
“Why wouldn't I? He asked. He seems nice.”
She's right. Completely right. Which doesn't explain why I feel like putting my fist through a wall.
“That would be... unwise,” I say stiffly.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Excuse me?”
“We don't know much about him.”
“That's the point of a first date, Axel. To get to know someone.”
“There are plenty of other people in town you could get to know.” I stand up and walk over to her.
“Name one who's asked me out.” When I don't immediately answer, she continues, “That's what I thought.”
“He's probably just passing through. Most transfers don't stay long.”
“Fine.”
The air between us crackles with tension. She's too close now, close enough that I can see the flecks of gold in her brown eyes, and smell the faint scent of her shampoo. She shakes her head, her expression stern.
“Why are you shaking your head?” My voice is rough, barely controlled.
“Stop pretending you don't care who I have dinner with. Stop pretending there isn't something happening here.” She gestures between us, her cheeks pink. “Stop pretending you didn't almost kiss me. Twice.”
“I wasn't going to kiss you,” I lie.
“Bullshit.”
“It would be a mistake.”
Her beautiful eyes meet mine. I don't remember moving. One moment we're facing off, the next my hands are cupping her face and my mouth is on hers.
The kiss is everything I've been fighting against; hot, desperate, inevitable. She makes a small whimper of surprise before her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me closer. Her lips are soft, opening under mine as the kiss deepens.
I back her against the door, one hand sliding to her waist, the other tangling in her hair. She arches into me, her body fitting against mine like she was made for me. Every rational thought dissolves under the heat of her mouth, the press of her curves. My cock is rock hard.
Finally, we break apart, breathing hard, my forehead resting against hers.
My voice is gruff. “That… is why it's a mistake.”
Her eyes are dark, lips swollen from my kiss. “Didn't feel like a mistake to me.”
“Nina…”
She ducks to the side, putting space between us, and the loss of her soft curves is like a physical ache.
My pulse hammers in my ears. The rational part of my brain screams to back off, to maintain the professional distance that's kept me safe for years. But another part, the part still burning from her kiss, wants to tell her exactly what I think about her dinner plans.
“Cancel,” I say before I can stop myself. “Have dinner with me instead.”
Surprise flickers across her face, followed by something more vulnerable. She studies me for a long moment, and I wait, heart in my throat.
“Okay. Pick me up at seven.”
She slips out the door before I can respond.