“Around an hour unless the bell rings.”
“I’ll go sit in my car with my phone, then.I want to do some research, anyway.”
“Oh?”
“This story isn’t the only one I’m working on at the moment.I have work to do, and I think you do, too.I’ll see you when your shift is over.”
He didn’t give Austin the opportunity to answer.He turned around and walked toward one of the cars in the parking lot, and Austin watched him go, wondering what had just happened.He suspected that if he allowed Caleb close, the man would keep him on his toes.
He turned with a chuckle and walked back to the station, not one bit surprised to see that Jeremy and Lisa were still by the ambulance.At least they’d stopped acting like they were working.
“I know that guy,” Jeremy said.
“That’s Caleb, Jonathan’s best friend.Don’t the two of you have anything better to do than spy on me?”
“We weren’t spying on you,” Lisa argued.
“Sure you weren’t.”
“We were just curious.I don’t think anyone has ever looked for you here at the station.What does Jonathan’s best friend want from you?”
Austin winked.“What do you think?”
“Does West know you’re banging his boyfriend’s best friend?”Jeremy asked.
“Now, who said anything about sex?”
“Isn’t that what you were implying?”
“I didn’t imply anything.”That wasn’t to say that he wouldn’t happily give Caleb that, too.He just wasn’t sure Caleb would want it from him.
* * * *
EVEN THOUGH CALEB HADtold Austin that he had work to do, he barely managed to do anything.Hell, he barely managed to look away from the fire station, even though nothing was happening there.He couldn’t see inside.He couldn’t even hear anything.He could just sit there, knowing that Austin was in the building.
He was glad he’d been given a second chance with Austin.He wasn’t sure what that would mean for him or for this case, but this would be good for West and Jonathan.Maybe it would be good for Caleb, too.He wasn’t sure yet, but something told him that now that he’d let Austin in, he’d find out.
Now that Caleb was letting go of his wariness of dragon shifters and of Austin being like Sal, he found it easy to like the kind of person Austin was.He was open and clearly didn’t hold grudges.It would’ve been easy for him to tell Caleb to fuck off, but instead, he waved off his apology.He wanted to hear what was on Caleb’s mind.
Austin was the only thing on Caleb’s mind right now.
Caleb shook his head.He could admit, at least to himself, that he wanted Austin.It didn’t make sense because he didn’t know the dragon shifter well, but Austin had been there for him when he’d been panicking.He’d been gentle and caring, and even when Caleb had rejected him, he hadn’t held it against him.He’d given Caleb the opportunity to apologize and explain himself, and it looked like he wouldn’t hold it against him at all.Caleb’s priority was to find out who was burning down shifter-owned businesses, but if he came out of that with a boyfriend, he couldn’t say he’d be sorry.
But it was too soon to think of Austin that way.Hell, Caleb didn’t even know if Austin was interested in him.Maybe he was being nice because of Jonathan and West.Maybe he was just humoring Caleb.
Whatever he was doing, it was working.Caleb wasn’t afraid when he was with Austin.He’d been terrified whenever he’d been in Sal’s presence, although mostly, it hadn’t been for himself.He’d been scared for Jonathan, and he’d been right to be.
He wasn’t scared for Jonathan anymore.He didn’t need to be.Jonathan was safe and happy with West, and neither West nor Austin were like Sal, even though they were dragon shifters.They weren’t going to hurt anyone.Hell, they made a living out of saving people.
True to his word, Austin was out of the station just a little over an hour later.Caleb watched him walk toward him, taking in Austin’s long legs and his broad shoulders.Caleb might not be there to find a date, but he could look.
“There’s a coffee shop not far from here,” Austin said when Caleb opened his car window.“We could grab something and talk.”
“I’ll follow you,” Caleb agreed.
Austin’s smile felt like a reward, which was odd.Caleb really needed to get a grip.
He wasn’t sure how to make that happen.
