“Did you want me to stop?”
Her lips part—silence stretches—and for one fragile second, she almost tells the truth.
Then she clears her throat. “This is a professional environment.”
I smirk. “Funny. Didn’t feel very professional.”
Her eyes snap up. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re bad at lying.”
She huffs. “You’re?—”
“Captain!” Rowan shouts from across the bay. “You wanna give the tour? Or should we?”
I glare at him. “I’m giving the tour.”
Rowan smirks at Briar. “Careful, Miss Tate. The captain only volunteers like that when he’s trying to impress a woman.”
Briar sputters. Junie giggles.
I step toward Rowan. “Hose testing. Until your hands blister.”
He salutes mockingly and jogs off.
Briar shakes her head. “Do you threaten them all day?”
“Only when they earn it.”
“And me?”
I face her fully.
“You’re the one starting trouble, sweetheart.”
Her pulse quickens. “I’m not doing anything.”
“You walked in here.”
I let my voice drop to a dangerous rumble. “That was enough.”
Her breath catches.
Junie shouts from the truck, “Captain Cole! What’s this button?”
I drag my gaze away from Briar with effort.
“This,” I mutter, “is going to be a long damn day.”
Briar laughs faintly. “For you or me?”
“For both of us.”
Her smile falters as our eyes meet again—loaded, heavy, unspoken.
I step back, but only enough to move toward the kid. The distance doesn’t help. Not even a little. The universe keeps throwing her at me. And I’m starting to think it’s not by accident.
Chapter Three
