"Who said that was flirting? I was just saying your height is useful," she teases.
"If you won't tell me about the broken window, tell me about the Nether. Were you there during the Upheaval?" I ask, bothered by the idea of someone so sweet in that vile hellhole.
Heidi's smile drops away. For a moment, her gaze moves to somewhere above an empty space on the counter before she purses her lips and returns to flipping pancakes.
"It's not something I talk about."
I've never been one to pry into my clients' personal lives before, so I let it go for now. But when Heidi grimaces again while rotating the pancake pan, I've had enough.
"That's it—move, Shorty. I'll flip the damn pancakes," I grouch, reaching for the skillet handle she's still holding.
I'm not expecting Heidi to flinch just before my skin comes into contact with hers, but she does.
Hard.
She accidentally drops the skillet in the process. I step back as it clangs loudly onto the kitchen floor, but my attention remains locked on Frost's sister.
What was that about?
"Crap. Sorry," Heidi stammers, her cheeks flushing as she starts to bend to get the pan.
"Don't," I warn, stooping to clean up the mess myself.
Tossing the skillet into the sink and tossing the ruined pancake, I face her again, speculating. I've met people before who couldn't stomach physical contact—Frost's keeper, for one—but is that what's happening here? Or is it…
"Are you that uncomfortable with me?" I check.
"I'm really not, I promise. I'm just clumsy."
"You flinched like you thought I'd hurt you. But I won't," I inform her firmly. "Not ever."
"I never thought you would," Heidi says quickly, turning off the stovetop before fidgeting with the hem of her baggy shirt. "The opposite, actually. You really shouldn't touch me."
That sends a surprising amount of disappointment through me.
Which is fuckingstupid.
Of course, I shouldn't fucking touch her, and there's no earthly reason I should be disappointed by her not wanting me to. I'm a stranger here to protect her, that's it. I shouldn't even be getting this chummy with her, standing around in her homey, happy kitchen—I should be out scouting the area surrounding her house or some shit.
Flirting and teasing are just part of her magnetic personality. Doesn't mean she's into me.
I'll make myself remember that.
"Right," I agree. "My bad. You've got my word that I won't step out of line again."
She makes a face. "Oh—no, I honestly don't care about professionalism. It's just…you know, blessed mytherun works for most empaths and I'm really grateful that you're wearing some, but my empathic abilities are kind of on a rampage right now, and if you touch me?—"
"I'm not wearing mytherun," I clarify with a frown, realizing I'd forgotten all about her type four empath status until this exact second.
Oh, shit.
Does that mean this entire time I've been struggling to keep my eyes to myself, she's felt how ridiculously attracted I am to her? Is that why she's been teasing me?
Heidi looks me over. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Then…why can't I sense your feelings?"
