In fact, he couldn’t help feeling there was something ominous in what felt like a sudden and complete silence.
And then, faintly, from down the hall, came the distinct sound of a sneeze. Not any sneeze. Riley’s sneeze, which sounded—to the great amusement of the entire Silver Pine RA when Riley had first arrived—like a cat with a head cold. High-pitched, squeaky, and just a little indignant.
Lucas’ heart, already losing altitude, began to spiral.
He now remembered what it was he had forgotten earlier. Riley was allergic to several varieties of flowers.
“Oh, shit,” he muttered, and pushed back his chair.
“Sounds like somebody’s coming down with a cold,” Rainy commented as Lucas passed the front desk. She was grinning.
Lucas lurched to a stop in Riley’s doorway.
Riley stood a safe distance from his desk. His gaze moved from the small card he held to Lucas. His eyes, bluer than icefloes beneath the winter sun, held an expression Lucas had never seen before.
“Guess who?” he said. “Really?Did you remember to wipe your fingerprints, too?”
“W-w-what?” Lucas stuttered.
“Do you honest to God imagine there’s a single person in this fucking RA who doesn’t know the full extent of our relationship?”
As shocked and unprepared for this reaction as Lucas was, he didn’t fail to register thatfucking RAcomment, and it flayed him on a very tender part of his ego. Like everyone else, he remained unclear as to what had brought an agent of Riley’s caliber to a wilderness outpost like Silver Pine. Riley had been noncommittal in his interview, citing his appreciation of the outdoors, his love of skiing and backpacking. Naturally, it had raised suspicions in Lucas’ mind, but Riley’s service record was exemplary. SA Christopher had a textbook Bureau trajectory: commendations for field performance, solid conviction stats, a reputation for initiative and team cohesion. The kind of file that usually got agents fast-tracked into major field assignments—not relocated to a town with more deer than felons.
So, hell yeah, Lucas had jumped to hire him.
Even after they were romantically involved, Riley had never expanded on his reasons for leaving the Los Angeles field office.
“Are yousureI know who?” Riley’s sardonic voice interrupted his thoughts.
Lucas sputtered. “What’sthatsupposed to mean?”
Riley shrugged. “Maybe Idon’tknow who. Maybe I have a secret admirer.” He added scornfully, “Oh wait, that’s you.”
Lucas felt that hot flush from the soles of his feet to his hairline.
It had been a long time since he’d had to go to war with anyone, and Riley was the last person he’d have expected (or wanted) to go up against, but he recovered from the surprise attack fast—and, unfortunately, reverted instantly to the ferocious tactics of his unhappy adolescence.
He drawled, “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want me to take out an advertisement?”
Riley went perfectly still. He stared for a long, unblinking moment, as though estimating target distance.
Lucas heard the echo of his words, and unlike his youthful self, remembered that nothing was worth wrecking this relationship for the fleeting pleasure of annihilating the person who’d hurt his feelings. Especially given that this was the same person he’d willingly die to protect.
He said quickly, “Stop. No. Whatever you think I meant, I did not meanthat.”
“Mean what?” Riley was cold and unsmiling.
Lucas said quickly, a little desperately, “Riley. You know how Saturday night you said you were trying to be playful, to keep it light when you gave me that ulti—challenge? That’s all I was doing with the card. It was supposed to be a-a romantic gesture. The flowers, I mean. The card was meant to be a private joke. I didn’t mean to…to upset you.”
They both jumped as Rainy spoke from behind Lucas. “You two aren’t alone in this building. Sackler and Terrazzino are here.” She shut the door with a small, disapproving bang.
It broke the spell.
Sort of.
Lucas moved toward the desk, saying, “I’m a jackass. I forgot you’re allergic to flowers. I’ll get them out of here.”
Riley shook his head. “It’s not the flowers, Luc. It’s not the card. It’s not where we go on vacation or if we go anywhere atall. It’s the fact that, for you, the job, this RA, is always going to come first.”
