Page 14 of Flashpoint Feelings

“Thought you might say that.” A uniformed doorman holds the door for us as we approach. I gesture for her to go ahead of me with an exaggerated flourish. “After you, firecracker.”

Her eyes narrow at the nickname, but I catch the way her lips twitch. “You’re impossible.”

“Part of my charm.”

The well-appointed massage room we’re shown to in the second-floor spa is warm and dimly lit. I watch Maya’s face as realization dawns that I’ve booked a couples massage, with two tables arranged side by side. Close enough we could reach out and touch but separated, like us. The irony isn’t lost on me.

“We’re here to talk, too,” I remind her.

She nods and swallows. “Right, talk.”

Behind privacy screens on each side of the luxurious tiled room, we strip down, and I can’t help but notice Maya flicking a glance my way as we settle onto our respective tables. Knowing she’s nearly naked under the fluffy white towel wrapped around her lithe body is pure torture. I shift uncomfortably against the table beneath the sheet, trying to ease the pressure on my rock-hard length, because I need to focus. To figure out what the hell we’ll do about the situation we’re in.

Fortunately, the massage therapists enter and, after a few questions, get started. For a little while, the only sounds are softmusic and our breathing. I’m hyperaware of Maya’s presence just feet away, even with my face pressed into the headrest.

“This feels amazing,” Maya murmurs, her voice soft and languid, melting around the edges as if she’s half-asleep.

I couldn’t agree more. The therapist’s oil-slicked hands slide deftly over my calves, working out tension I didn’t even know I had.

We make small talk for a few minutes. First about the station, then talk turns to the guys. Maya asks what Jake’s deal is when it comes to women. I admit I don’t know the entire story, but I tell her about how something happened between Jake and Brock’s sister, Charlotte, last New Year’s Eve. Not sure what, because Jake has always been unusually tight-lipped when it comes to the events of that night, but one thing is clear. They both seem to have it out for each other.

“Should make for an interesting time at the wedding,” she muses. Damn, the wedding. I almost forgot. And after that kiss, how the hell will I make it through an entire weekend near Maya without completely losing my mind? I draw a deep breath and can’t hold back anymore. “Maya, about that kiss…”

“Mack, I…” she starts, trailing off as if she’s not sure what to say.

“Look, I know we can’t—oooh,” I groan as the therapist hits a particularly tight spot. “I know there are rules. Good rules. Important rules.”

“But?” She knows me too well already.

“But I can’t stop thinking about you.” I wish I could see her face, though her sharp intake of breath is almost as good. “And not just about the kiss, though believe me, that features prominently.”

“Mack,” she says again, softer this time.

“Ever since you walked into the station, I haven’t been able to resist this undeniable pull of you.” I turn my head to theside, catching her eye. “You’re…extraordinary, Maya. Everything I would have been looking for in a woman, if I’d known better. If I’d admitted what I wanted. Because you walked in with your fierce determination, and suddenly, all my talk about staying single made about as much sense as running into a burning building without gear.”

A blush creeps up her neck, but she holds my gaze. “You’re not so bad yourself,” she admits. “When you’re not being insufferably overprotective.”

“Me? Overprotective?” I groan as my therapist works on a knot in my hamstring. “I prefer to think of it as professionally concerned.”

Her laugh, soft and genuine, makes my heart flip. “Professionally?”

“Alright, personally, too,” I admit.

“Uh-huh.” But she’s smiling now, really smiling, and I’d gladly make a fool of myself to keep that look on her face.

We fall quiet again as the therapists work, but it’s a comfortable silence. Until Maya speaks, her voice barely above a whisper. “I feel it too, you know. Whatever this is between us.”

My pulse races. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She sighs. “But we can’t. Our careers are on the line.”

“Trust me, I know.” I release a long, heavy sigh. “I’m sure I can’t even fathom how much harder than any of the guys you’ve had to work to get where you are, to overcome the biases. Believe me, I’ve heard the comments, from other guys when it comes to women in the department. But Chief? He wouldn’t stand for that at Ladder 24. And the last thing I want to do is to fuck up things for you.”

“Even if it means we can’t…”

“Even then. For now.” I heave a sigh, wishing I had a better answer. “You’re too good at what you do, Maya. The department needs more firefighters like you, not fewer.”

She’s quiet for so long I think maybe that’s the end of it.

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