Page 81 of Burn Protocol

She trails off and her cheeks flush. Her eyes drift toward the voice recorder and then toward her toes. The sight tugs at me. I lean over the table and lift her chin. Her eyes finally meet mine again and I smile softly at her.

“When I?”

“… when you started to get feelings for me.”

My smile turns into a smug smirk and I brush her bottom lip with my thumb. She blinks when I break contact and sit back in my chair. I am still at work after all. And if I don’t stop myself now, that desk is going to see far more interesting things than paperwork.

“Is that okay?”

Maya tugs a strand of hair behind her ear. She is completely oblivious to the thoughts running through my mind right now. Thoughts like wanting to press her up against the door and have her ride my fingers, bend her over that desk, make her spread her legs in that chair. But also thoughts like wanting to pull her against my chest. To nuzzle her neck and drink in her scent, and feel her heartbeat against my own. I want to drown in her and, at the same time, tuck her away into my pocket.

“That’s more than okay, querida. Where do you want me to start?”

Her whole face lights up. She smiles wide at me and her eyes shine. It makes my heart flutter and my stomach flip.

“From the start. The first time you saw me.”

I chuckle. “The first time I saw you, you were a mess. Or maybe I was.”

“You were cold and distant.”

“You were bubbly and chatty.”

“You like that about me.”

“But I didn’t know that yet.”

“When did it change?”

I look at her. Her beautiful face. Not just because she is gorgeous, which she is, but because of who she is. As a person. Smart, witty, positive and kind. Challenging and strong. She truly is the whole package. How could I not love her? When did it change? In that same stupid moment. My heart recognized her long before my mind did. When did that catch up?

“When we had coffee. Or rather, when I had coffee and you had syrup.”

She chuckles. “Tell me more.”

***

By the end of the afternoon, my hands shake. Maya has left a few hours earlier. I was supposed to go to the Chief right after that. Three back-to-back calls put an end to that plan, and I considered putting it off until tomorrow.

Salisar will be tired and cranky. He is not as energetic as he used to be. But if he hears the story from anyone else but me, the damage would be even greater. If Tommy so much as gets an inkling of what’s going on, he’ll be running to the Chief. I can’t risk that. So, I take a deep breath and knock on the door three times.

“Enter.”

The warm voice sounds mildly distracted, and when I walk into the office I can see why. Salisar is bent over a stack of papers. His eyes are skimming the words in front of him. With a wave of his hand, he motions for me to sit. I close the door, walk over to one of the chairs and sink down. My legs are trembling, and I am bursting with nerves. The motion seems to pull the Chief from his concentration and he finally looks up.

“Elena. To what do I owe this pleasure? Drink?”

He grabs two glasses and fills them with orange juice. He pushes the drink toward me and then rests his elbows on his desk. He waits patiently as I sip from my drink and gather my courage. Gosh, why couldn’t this be whiskey instead?

“I… I would like to talk to you about a situation, sir.”

His eyebrow rises, but he doesn’t speak. The silence feels like a pressure that is crushing me. Pressing me into the floor, unless I press back. Unless I speak.

“Sir, I haven’t been honest with you.”

“About Maya.” His voice is certain and low.

He knew. Of course he already knew. He has seen me at my worst. The years after Cruz, I spiraled so badly that they had to send me here. Fernando took me under his wing. Not just at the station, but also outside of it. His wife cooked for me, and I went to his daughter’s graduation. He is more family to me than my own father ever was. Of course he knew.