Page 31 of Controlled Burn
Because he'd done everything right. Married the girl from college. Raised a kid. Climbed the ladder. Wore the badge. Respected. Safe.
But last night?
Last night he wasn't safe. He was alive.
And the taste of her still lingered on his tongue like a sin he never planned to confess.
He was utterly, irreversibly fucked.
Chapter 13
Close Calls and Quiet Fires
Talia
She thought the station was empty when she padded barefoot into the kitchen, hoping for a quiet glass of water and maybe a few minutes alone. Her body still hummed from the other day—from his hands, his mouth, the way he'd made her come undone with just his fingers and that dark, wrecked voice in her ear.
The linoleum was cool under her feet. The hum of the vending machine and the faint buzz of fluorescent lights filled the silence. She opened the fridge. Reached for a bottle and closed the door.
Footsteps.
She froze
"Cross?"
Talia spun, her heart thudding.
Jake stood in the doorway, flashlight dangling from one hand, sweatpants slung low on his hips. He had that permanent frat-boy swagger—dirty blond hair tousled like he'd just rolled out of someone's bed, a tan he wore like armor, and blue eyes too bright to trust. The crooked smirk forming on his lips told her exactly what kind of night this was going to be.
"Jesus," she muttered. "You scared me."
He stepped forward, slow and casual, eyes scanning the room like he expected to find someone else hiding behind the cabinets. "Didn't expect anyone to be up. Thought I was the only one with insomnia."
She offered a tight smile. "Just thirsty."
Jake leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "You and Maddox… you've been different lately."
Talia's spine stiffened. "We're just focused. Work's been intense."
"Mmhmm." His eyes narrowed. "Focused. Right."
She didn't like his tone. Didn't like the way he stepped closer, invading her space like he had some right to test boundaries she never offered.
"You two almost got caught coming out of the locker room last week."
Her blood ran cold.
He saw that?
Jake grinned, like he'd struck a nerve. "Relax. I didn't say anything. Yet."
"Good," she said tightly, brushing past him. "Because there's nothing to say."
But Jake moved with her, keeping pace, blocking her from the hallway.
"You know, rookie… this station eats gossip like candy. You might think he's worth the risk—but guys like Maddox? They get bored. They move on."
Her jaw clenched. Jake always smiled when he said the worst things, like he thought a joke could soften a threat.
