Page 48 of Fire in You

“Yeah. I’m wanting to come in, Jillian.”

He wanted tocome in, and my mind took that down a long and dirty road. I looked up at him and I had to crane my neck, because he was standing that close. A sudden thick tension sprung alive, filling the tiny space between us. Our gazes locked once more. Neither of us moved or spoke. His lips parted on a quick, shallow inhale. My chest rose in a deep, shaky breath. What was happening here? I didn’t know, but I wasn’t completely naïve. He was looking at me in a way he hadn’t when we were younger, and that didn’t make sense.

And I had a feeling if I let Brock in, I would begin to see things that were there, and that was so dangerous for us—for me.

Wetting my lips, I looked away just as his gaze sharpened. “It’s really late.”

“It’s not too late,” he said in a voice that stretched my nerve endings.

My heart leapt into my throat. “I just . . . I don’t think it would be smart.”

One side of his lips kicked up. “Some of the best things start off as not being very smart. Like when I tried to rob your father.”

A surprised laugh burst out of me. “That wasn’t smart, and you’re lucky that worked out in your favor.”

“So true.” His head lowered, and I tensed, thinking that he just might be getting ready to do something really not smart.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead.

So not something a boss should do.

But I didn’t really care about that as I stood still before him.

His warm breath danced over my cheek and then it stirred the wisps of hair around my temple. “But you’re right.”

Relief and disappointment battled inside me as I found myself nodding jerkily. I let myself in, not daring to look at him as I closed the door behind me and locked it. Only then, as I rested my forehead against the door, did I realize his jacket was still draped over my shoulders.

“Shit,” I muttered.

Somewhere behind me, Rhage meowed pitifully.

I didn’t move, because a part of me was still out in the hall, standing there, seriously considering letting Brock in. And that part of me was an incredibly stupid part, because I was desperate to know what would’ve happened if I had let him in.

* * *

My stomach felt jittery and nervous as I walked into my office Thursday morning and sat behind my desk.

I didn’t know how Brock was going to behave today after asking to come into my apartment. I’d had a hell of a time trying to fall asleep last night, because my mind wouldn’t shut down.

There was a good chance that I’d read something that hadn’t been there when he asked to come in. That wasn’t unlikely. I’d been a pro at doing that in the past. Maybe he just wanted something to drink and wanted to hang out like normal friends do, and I’d made it weird.

I always made things weird.

But that hadn’t been a normal hug.

And he also hadn’t acted like a friend. Not when he’d kissed my cheek and then my forehead. Friends didn’t kiss each other on the face. I mean, I saw that happen a lot on TV shows, but never in real life, thank God, because hello, personal space. He’d also agreed coming in wouldn’t have been wise.

Last night, I’d turned this stuff over and over in my head until I got so annoyed that I picked up my Kindle and forced myself to get lost in a historical romance about the illegitimate son of a duke who had become a pirate.

Now I was back to being anxious and worked up, probably over nothing, as I stared at an email that had come in overnight, containing a list of employees who were due for an evaluation. Several minutes passed and I had no idea what the hell I’d been reading, so I had to go back and start over, and then I realized HR was asking for Brock’s and my input.

“‘Morning.”

My head jerked up, and I saw Brock striding into my office. I tensed. First thing I noticed was that he was wearing black nylon pants and an old Lima shirt from one of his matches, which was so different from how he’d been dressing since I started. Second thing was the white paper cup he carried. Starbucks.

“Good morning,” I mumbled.

Brock grinned as he placed the cup on my desk. “Pumpkin spice. Still steaming.”

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