She shoves off the shelf, stepping into my space like she’s going to fight me with her body if she has to. “I came here because I needed a place to stay,” she snaps. “Not because I wanted to drag your whole firehouse into my mess.”
“My firehouse is my mess,” I say. “My people. My resources. You’re under my roof. That makes you my responsibility.”
Her eyes flare. “I’m not your responsibility.”
I lean in, voice rough, unfiltered. “You’re wearing my shirt, sweetheart.”
Her breath catches. “Don’t call me that.”
“Why?” I murmur. “Because it makes you feel something you don’t want to feel?”
Her cheeks flush. “Because it’s?—”
“Because it’s what?” I press.
She swallows hard, eyes flicking away for half a second. “Because you shouldn’t.”
I let a slow breath out, letting my gaze drag down her body again. “You answered a bride ad and walked into my cabin with nothing but a backpack and your pride. We’re past ‘shouldn’t.’”
Ellie’s lips part.
I don’t touch her. I could. I want to. But this isn’t the time. Not with her fear sitting under her skin like a bruise. Not with a threat circling.
I step back and zip the duffel closed. “Thermal blanket. Hand warmers. First-aid. Radio charger. Pepper spray.”
Ellie stares at the pepper spray. “Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“You think I’m going to mace you?” she asks, eyebrows raised.
I meet her gaze. “If you try, you better commit.”
Her eyes widen, then she lets out a sharp laugh despite herself. “God. You’re impossible.”
“I’m effective,” I correct.
She rolls her eyes, but the tension in her shoulders loosens a fraction. “You’re insufferable.”
“And yet,” I say, stepping past her toward the door, “here you are.”
She follows me out, muttering something under her breath that sounds suspiciously like “unfortunately.”
The common room is louder now. The whole station is pretending not to stare while absolutely staring. Levi is already holding his phone like a microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announces, “I am now taking bets on how long before Cooper snaps.”
Sadie smacks Levi’s arm. “Stop.”
He ignores her. “Twenty bucks says he growls the words ‘touch her and die’ by sundown.”
Ellie’s head whips toward him. “He does not talk like that.”
Levi grins. “Oh, he will.”
I shoot Levi a look. He lifts both hands. “Just saying. I’ve seen his face when you walked in.”
Ellie’s cheeks flush again. She glares at me like it’s my fault my face betrayed me.
