Page 25 of Burn Protocol

“Maybe you can tell me a bit more about it over dinner, lieutenant Gonzales… Elena,” she chuckles, and her cheeks turn crimson. Her eyes dart toward the ground, nervous. I frown. It takes guts to ask another woman out, but the way she avoids my eyes indicates that she’s really nervous. What an odd contrast.

“Oh, I am flattered, but I already have plans,” I say to let her down gently.

The woman is good-looking, but far too timid. Besides, my focus is on my job right now. I need to keep my crew safe. That means that I have to prepare drills, train extra on the weekends, and don’t even come home some nights. There is no room for a partner.

“Hey there, superhero,” Maya’s voice is a low teasing hum. “Ready to go?”

Her voice is so close to my ear, that her breath tickles my skin. A shiver runs down my spine and goosebumps spread all over my arms. I whip my head toward her and stare at her for a moment. My gaze travels from her eyes to her lips and lingers there. By the time I move back to her eyes, I see her pupils dilating. Just grab her and pin her against the wall already! What the hell? There are kids here! And, she’s work. Plus, there’s no room for a partner, remember. If she would even want you. I swallow hard.

“Yeah, let’s go,” I reply, my voice rough.

The teacher’s eyes dart from mine to Maya, and then back to mine again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were involved. I wouldn’t have asked if I knew,” she stammers, her cheeks coloring even more now.

I shake my head and start to say we aren’t, but the desperation in her eyes is so great that I let it go.

“Thank you for having us. Stay safe now.”

I turn on my heels and walk past Maya, who is looking puzzled. Thankfully she doesn’t argue or question me, but just follows. I raise my hand at the kids one last time and then disappear through the door. What the fuck is wrong with you?

“Wow, El, that was amazing. The kids, they loved you!”

I am practically bouncing by the time we get back to the car. Elena seems to be herself again, now that the presentation is finished, and something tells me she simply had the jitters. Maybe that’s why she was so short with me. Fascinating, because once she started talking with these kids, her whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. I am still grinning at her when she turns on her heels to face me, her eyes flashing with fire. It makes me stop dead in my tracks and swallow. Maybe I was wrong after all. What did I do now?

“What did you just call me?” she whispers.

I blink, confused.

“El?”

Her gaze holds mine and I must clench my fists not to crumple. Should have stuck with Elena. I run my tongue over my bottom lip, ready to apologize, when she softly closes her eyes and smiles.

“I like that.”

The way it falls off her lips, makes my heart stutter. Her raw honesty and sudden softness overwhelm me, and I physically stumble back a couple of steps. By the time she opens her eyes again, she notices the confusion on my face and for a moment I see her mask falter. Her eyes widen and her hand trembles as if she wants to reach for me. She stops herself at the last moment and swallows.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make it weird.”

She turns sharply and continues her walk toward the vehicle. Her shoulders tense and her spine goes rigid. She opened up to you, moron. And you fucking recoiled. Way to go, hotshot reporter.

“You… you didn’t.” I breathe as I rush after her.

She glances over her shoulder trying to be nonchalant, but she can’t hide the flush on her cheeks. Is she nervous? Her shoulders lift in a shrug but she pauses before she steps into the car.

“I saw you too, you know?” Her voice is suddenly husky.

“Huh?” I squeak, too scared to move.

“You were playing superhero too. That kid felt so safe she practically fell asleep in your lap.” She huffs but when she turns to face me, she looks at me with a warm smile tugging at her lips.

“Must have been nice.” She winks and my breath catches.

“For the kid or me?” I chuckle nervously.

“Yes,” she grins as she steps in and closes her door.

Yes? That doesn’t tell me anything. My head reels and suddenly I feel my stomach flutter. Is Elena flirting with me? Don’t be absurd. You are just an assignment to her. One she doesn’t even like. Then why does it feel like she does?