“Chickenstrips.” Now he was rolling his lips in and his blue lagoon eyes sparkled like the sun was shining on them again.
“So, let me get this straight. You want to meet me in a place wherelive animalsstrip? Isn’t that illegal in this state? And to think, I let you de-quill me. Pervert.”
And that did it. Elias Hunt burst out laughing.
I win, I win!Wren gave herself a mental high-five.
Elias quickly looked back at the ambulance where a couple other paramedics were watching him, arms folded. One had a definite smirk going on.
“Shit, er, shoot, I gotta go. Your vitals are fine, no signs of smoke inhalation or injuries. Do you think you need to go to the hospital for anything else?” He handed her a form on a clipboard to sign.
“Besides a chance to continue talking to you, no, I don’t need a ride to the hospital this morning.”
He smiled again as he put the clipboard in his kit. “The coffee shop is Riversong and the bar is Cocktails and Chicken Strips. I like to grab my coffee around noon, or I can be persuaded to eat chicken strips and drink a beer at seven on a Friday. Or both. Your choice, um…” His eyes widened. “I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Wren, like the bird. Wren Stapleton.”
“Alright then, Wren Stapleton.” Elias started walking backward, never taking his eyes off her. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“Maybe you will.”
Yeah. You definitely will.
TWO
Elias blew out a relieved breath as he walked away from Wren Stapleton.
You’re on the job. You’re on the job. You’re on the job.
Elias prided himself on his professionalism. When he’d been in the service, his teammates called him Lion for two reasons. One, the way he watched over his domain, totally in charge. He wouldn’t let the tiniest thing get past him, whether it was a wisp of dust rising in the distance from an approaching enemy, or the way one of his brothers looked a little off while claiming he was fine, leading Elias to discover a health issue before it became life-threatening. He thought his attention to detail also made him a good tracker—his thoroughness and control over his impulses.
And then there was the second reason. When Lion wanted someone, he went after her without a second thought. But he saved that part of himself for when he was off the clock. He never let his impulses get in the way of the mission.
You’re on the job.
Those four words were all that lay between Elias going back to work like he was supposed to, or turning back around, pulling Wren into his arms, and lifting her off her feet until those long,strong legs wrapped around his waist, then giving her a kiss so deep she’d think her soul had come loose.
Elias shook his head. He never had a problem keeping his work and playtime separated. But this woman did something to him. She blurred his edges, made him struggle against his instincts.
Elias groaned inwardly when he saw Waylon’s smirk.
“‘Stunningly good vitals’? Are you serious?”
“What? They were.” And shouting it had made Wren Stapleton smile, which was the important thing.No, you’re on the job.
“Yeahthey were. So let me guess,” Waylon said once Elias climbed into the rig. “You’ve got a date with Acupuncture Girl.”
“That wouldn’t be professional, would it, asking out a patient.” Elias settled in beside his brother in the back of the ambo, game face back on.
Waylon pretended to look around. “I don’t see her in the ambo so she’s not a patient.”
“She was under my care.” Elias tried not to laugh as he remembered Wren calling him a pervert.
Waylon snorted. “Yeah, she was. Do you give all your patients the shirt off your back, or just the ones with stunningly good…vitals?”
A memory of Wren’s cleavage flashed unbidden into Elias’ head and he shook it away.
“She couldn’t go back into a burning building for her clothes, could she? So, I loaned her my scrubs top.” Elias rummaged around for another top and pulled it on, then pinned his nametag onto it.
