Page 6 of Flashpoint Feelings

I keep a wide distance as I demonstrate the rescue breaths, but even so, I catch a hint of mint on his breath. I press harder than necessary on the next compressions, earning a satisfying grunt. But his answering smirk tells me he knows exactly how much he affects me.

Fortunately, just then, a bell rings and the semi-chaos of the assembly turns full blown as apparently lunch is still more interesting than anything we’ve got to say.

“Let’s thank the firefighters from Ladder 24 for coming today,” the administrator calls out over the din as the students scramble to their feet, and more than a few attempt to practice the underarm drag on unsuspecting friends.

“We’ll clean up here,” Brock assures her as Jake gathers the equipment we brought.

I reach out an arm to help Mack to his feet, leveraging a deep angle to pull him up easily. The playful awareness that’s been building all morning ignites as he rises and erases the distance between us. Instead of releasing my hand, he holds it tight in his large, warm grasp.

For a heartbeat, we’re frozen in place. His thumb brushes over my knuckles, so softly I might have imagined it if not for the trail of heat it leaves behind. The sliver of air between us feels charged, electric, and I can’t seem to catch my breath.

I should step back. Release his hand. Put distance between us before I do something stupid. But my body refuses to cooperate. Instead, I sway slightly forward, drawn to him like a magnet finding true north. His eyes darken as they drop to my lips, and my heart thunders against my ribs.

This is madness. I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone at work. Never even been tempted. My career has always come first. No distractions, no compromises, no exceptions. But something about Mack makes me want to throw all my carefully constructed rules out the window. Makes me want to discover if his lips are as soft as they look, if they’ll taste as good as they smell.

He leans down, just a fraction, and my eyes flutter closed—

“Hey!” Jake’s voice cuts through the moment like a bucket of ice water. “Can you two grab the extra game papers?”

I jerk back, dropping Mack’s hand as if it’s burning. Which it might as well be, given how my skin tingles. Damn, this is getting out of control.

“Yeah,” I manage, a little too loudly. “Of course.”

When I risk a glance at Mack, his expression is a mixture of frustration and something else I can’t quite read. Or maybe, Idon’t want to. Because the intensity in those green eyes leaves no doubt he wanted that kiss as badly as I did.

Chapter five

Mack

Ahandful of red apples tumble across the bodega floor, at least two rolling under the dairy cooler. All because I was too busy to watch where I was going while thinking about how Maya’s hands felt pressed against my chest during that CPR demonstration. At least, she’s meeting with Chief right now rather than grabbing groceries with Brock, Jake, and me and therefore not a witness to my distraction.

“Smooth move, Romeo.” Jake snickers as he drops to help me gather the scattered fruit. “Even for a guy your size, I’ve never seen you this uncoordinated in your life.”

“Shut up,” I mutter, stacking the apples back into a pyramid. My large hands make the fruit look comically small. Just the opposite of how the thick fire nozzle made Maya’s hands seem so tiny when she showed that little girl how to hold it. And gave me a greater appreciation for how hard some parts of the job must be for her.

“He’s been off his game since Thorne showed up,” Brock adds, adjusting the shopping basket on his arm. “Nearly dropped the stabilizer bar during morning equipment check.”

“Did not.” But the protest sounds weak even to my ears. The fact I’m protesting at all only reinforces their take on the situation. Which isn’t far from the truth. Because I have been distracted. By ice-blue eyes and a fierce determination that shouldn’t be as appealing as it is. Maya’s my polar opposite in every way I can think of, except we’re both firefighters. And attracted to each other. Of those two things, I’m one hundred percent certain.

Now, to figure out what to do about them.

“Sure, buddy.” Jake claps my shoulder as he passes me. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“Or not sleep,” Brock mutters with a knowing look as he trails after him.

I ignore them both while we make our way to the meat section. Jessica, the curvy blonde clerk restocking, sends a flirtatious smile my way. It’s the same one she lays on thick pretty much every time we stop by. Usually, I throw some charm her way, but today, I just nod and move along, grabbing some steaks and a package of chicken thighs.

“That’s new,” Jake comments after I toss the meat into his basket, and she walks away, looking disappointed.

I shrug, studying the frozen case as if it holds the secrets of the universe. “Not interested.”

“Because you’re too busy thinking about a certain dark-haired colleague?” Brock asks.

Yes.

“Maya’d never go for Mack,” Jake says, opening the freezer case door to grab some peas. “You’ve seen how focused she is on her career. Girl’s got goals, and believe me, they don’t involve a six-foot-three redhead.”

He’s right about Maya having goals, but as for the point they don’t involve me… I didn’t think so either until this morning’s school visit. The way she swayed toward me, her full pink lipsparting slightly as if begging to be kissed, tells me maybe there’s a chance for me after all.

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