“Markland! In my office!”
Fuck.
I headed there when amber eyes stood in my way. Just like that, my heart jumped in my throat, and I got a semi.
“Can I have a minute?” Jordan said calmly, but judging by the fire in his eyes, little Jordie was about to lose it. His usual amiability was gone, and what was left of him barely counted—just anger and bones.
“Stand in line, will you?” I grumbled, heading to Chief Bibb’s office. “Bosses first.”
As I suspected, the chief was already in a bad mood. Since I was behind with paperwork, it gave him reason to yell at me for more than half an hour. His rant could be summed up as “you’re an imbecile,” “I will fire you,” and “get the hell out of my office.” When I finally returned to headquarters, I had a migraine.
“Well done, Markland,” Buck said after I left the chief’s office. “As if he wasn’t pissed off enough.”
“Fuck off, Buck,” I bit out when I felt a presence behind me.
“I need to talk to you,” Jordan said in a voice that left no room for refusal, making my skin crawl.
“Not now,” I said, reaching for the folder on my desk. “I have a ton of paperwork, and Chief Bibb is five seconds from firing me.”
“Where were you?”
I forced myself to face him. He looked the same as always, but my heart was thumping as if I’d faced Beyoncé. And he was blushing. God, was I blushing, too? I would rather hang myself than allow my body to do that.
“I had a busy morning,” I replied without going into the particulars. “Look, I don’t have time for—”
“Well, I suggest you make some,” Jordan said through his teeth. “Now!”
He was about to make a scene, and I couldn’t have that.
“Not here,” I growled, pulling him after me. When we reached the janitor’s closet, I pushed him inside. As soon as I did it, I regretted it, because the small room with only us in it was a bad idea.
“What the fuck do you want?” I hissed, pushing away the brooms that were poking me in the back. “Why have you been hounding me since the moment I came here?”
Jordan raised his chin in defiance. “I want to talk.”
“About what?”
His blush deepened. “About what happened.”
“Nothing happened,” I said, which was part of my prepared speech. “At least nothing worth discussing.”
“I have a hickey that suggests otherwise,” Jordan said, his eyes flashing dangerously.
Shit, now I could see it too—a purple bruise above his collar, the size and the color of a plum. The sight gave me too much pleasure, so I looked away.
“I have nothing to say on the subject,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest and sticking to my story.
“I have just one question,” Jordan said, his eyes never leaving me. “Did you like it?”
Fuck. It was the one question I didn’t expect, and he had to ask it. Also, that little shit was turning sassy, and I wasn’t entirely sure I disliked it.
“I came,” I bit out. “What’s not to like?”
“Do you want to do it again?”
I snorted. “No! Are you insane?”
“Why not?”
