“The guys were thinking of going over to see Reggie tomorrow late afternoon. After we get some sleep,” Chad said. “You want to come with us?”

  She fought hard to keep her expression passive and not give anything away.

  “Oh sure, I’d love to.” Her cheeks warmed, despite her attempt to keep from blushing. Thank God for the darkness. “He’ll probably get a kick out of seeing us all. I know he loved it last time you guys came by.”

  The guys at the station knew she dropped by Reggie’s house now and then because she’d told them as much. They just didn’t know how often it was.

  They sure as hell didn’t know that she and Reggie couldn’t keep their hands off each other. And when they weren’t getting each other off or vegging out in front of the television, she was helping him practice some of his exercises that his physical therapist recommended.

  They were inseparable, except when she was working or had to run back to her apartment to check on things. She even kept a bunch of clothes at Reggie’s and had started doing her laundry there.

  You’re basically living together.

  It was an unspoken reality that neither seemed to want to say aloud. It was just their new existence.

  Whatever was between them seemed to be growing stronger instead of fading.

  She clenched her jaw and stared out the window, not letting herself dwell on that for now.

  “I’m grabbing Blake on the way, and I know you’re not too far. Wanna catch a ride with us? We’ll go probably about four after we all get our sleep. Figure we can bring him dinner.”

  Shit.

  She couldn’t exactly explain that she’d already be at his house and catching up on sleep there.

  “Sure, that would be great.”

  Maybe it was a good thing. It would force her to spend some time in her apartment—even if for just a few hours. Give Reggie some space.

  He might even be craving it, be feeling a little smothered and just not have the heart to tell her.

  When they arrived back at the station, there were only a few hours left of their shift. Calls had slowed down and the building was quiet.

  Chad yawned and rubbed the back of his head. “I’m going to hit a bed and try and catch a few minutes between calls.”

  Seeing as she’d grabbed a nap just after two, she nodded.

  “I’ll be in the gym trying to burn off that spaghetti from dinner.”

  “I need to start getting better about hitting the gym,” Chad admitted with a wry grin. “You inspire me. I mean, not tonight or anything. My butt is exhausted, but maybe later in the week.”

  Amber laughed and watched him head off to the bunks.

  Once she was in the gym, she grabbed her phone to send Reggie a heads-up text about what was going on. He’d be asleep, but would see it when he woke up.

  Hey, I’m going to head to my apartment to get some sleep. The guys want to come over later and Chad offered to pick me up. I didn’t want it to get weird, so I said yes.

  “Hey, there.”

  She shoved her phone back in her pocket, trying not to look guilty as the captain stepped into the gym.

  “Hi, Captain.”

  She grabbed some weights and started on some bicep curls.

  “How’s everything going?” He stepped onto the treadmill and put the settings on a low speed.

  “Good. Busy night, like usual, but not bad.”

  He glanced her way. “Are you coming with us to visit Lieutenant Andrews tomorrow night?”

  Her heart quickened as a superfluous fear that the captain might know about her and Reggie started to take hold.

  Reggie said you have a terrible poker face. Prove him wrong.

  “Yeah, Chad mentioned that too. I think it’s a great idea, and I’d love to come along.”

  “Good.” The captain nodded. “I’m sure you’ll help boost his spirits. He’s got a soft spot for you.”

  Was there something in the way he said that? Her stomach clenched. No, she had to be reading into things.

  They spent the next ten minutes making harmless small talk before the captain stepped off the treadmill and left the gym to complete another task.

  The air whooshed from her pursed lips.

  Why did it feel so awful hiding her relationship with Reggie?

  She moved to the treadmill that the captain had just abandoned.

  Usually, Reggie would’ve been in here with her. They’d be shooting the shit while she’d try not to ogle his muscles.

  God, she missed having him at the station.

  And he missed it too. He’d even said it outright a few times.

  When they’d be lying in bed at night, he’d ask about life at the station. Or about the calls she’d gone out on. He was healing, though, and before they knew it, Reggie would be back. And things would be right back to normal.

  Realization kicked in and she stumbled in her stride.

  Back to normal also meant their romantic relationship would get the hose.

  Her throat went tight and something almost like grief gripped her.

  No.

  With a firm press of her lips together, she upped the speed so she was doing a light jog. She sucked in a long breath and shook her head. She wouldn’t think about that bridge until it was time to cross it.

  By the time the shift ended, she was exhausted and more than ready to crash into bed. She arrived at her apartment and headed straight to her bedroom, shutting the blackout curtains and then peeling off her station outfit.

  A quick glance at her locked phone showed Reggie still hadn’t texted back—but it was still early and he was likely sleeping.

  She put her phone on sleep mode and climbed into bed. A shiver raced through her as she dragged the blankets up.

  God, it was freezing in here. Not surprising, seeing as she hadn’t turned the heat on since last spring and it was now November.

  She just wasn’t here anymore. And she wasn’t about to turn it on for just a few hours.

  Amber closed her eyes and slowed her breathing.

  Damn. This just felt off.

  The last six weeks had gotten her entirely too used to sleeping next to Reggie’s hard, warm body.

  Even when she got off a shift and went straight to bed, he would come lay with her for a while.

  This being alone stuff sucked.

  It hadn’t even been thirty hours since she’d last seen him, and she missed him.

  God, she was so screwed.

  *

  Reggie checked his phone again before dropping it back down on the counter with a sigh.

  This wasn’t like her. To not even call or text.

  Usually, she came straight from the station after her shift ended and would be here by nine at the latest. It was eleven and he hadn’t heard from her.

  He’d finally called her at ten but had gone straight to her voicemail.

  It’s fine. She probably just went home and went to bed.

  Which wasn’t a big deal. She had her life and he had his.

  His blood pounded a little harder as he walked up and down the hall with his crutches to get some exercise.

  The thing that was weird about it was it was just so inconsistent with her usual behavior. Her personality.

  Which is what rung the alarm bells in his head. Which set off every what if scenario possible.

  What if she’d gotten attacked by someone leaving the station?

  What if she’d been in a car accident?

  He wasn’t prone to panicking, but damn, when it came to Amber, he was fighting off the urge to.

  Everyone he wanted to call—who would’ve worked with her last night—would probably be sleeping right now.

  “Fuck.” He turned around and made his way back to the kitchen.

  After just a moment’s hesitation, he picked up the phone again.

  Hey, Blake. I’m sure your ass is sleeping. When you see this, can you just let me know if you saw Amber get out of there okay this morning?

  He shoved his phone back in his pocket, knowing it’d probably be a few hours at least until he heard back.

  With a sigh, he went to grab himself some lunch. He snagged one of the pre-made Cobb salads Amber had left and some crusty bread to go with it.

  When he was back in his recliner, halfway through his meal, his phone buzzed.

  Anticipation nearly had him upending his lunch to grab it.

  His gut twisted with disappointment when he saw Blake’s name.

  But then he realized his friend might have answers and quickly opened the text.

  Saw this when I woke up to piss. I assume Amber got home fine. Saw her climb into her car and drive off.

  A bit relieved, Reggie typed back a quick thank-you.

  Not even a few seconds later his phone rang. It was Blake.

  Reggie answered the call with a casual, “Hey.”

  “So you guys are totally involved with each other now, I’m guessing?”

  “Fuck,” Reggie muttered. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Maybe just to me. But Amber hasn’t come to even one post-shift breakfast we usually do on Wednesday morning.”

  Damn. It hadn’t even occurred to him that she’d been skipping those. But it made sense, seeing as she usually came straight here after her shift.

  Shit. The amount of free time she’d given up for him was kind of mind-blowing.

  “How serious has it gotten?” Blake asked.

  “We’re just having fun.”

  It should’ve been the truth, but it felt like a lie.

  “Sounds like it may be a little more than fun if you’re worried about her not being there and texting me.”

  Reggie hesitated. “She usually comes over on her days off, and when she didn’t show up or text, I got worried.”

  “I’m guessing she just went to her apartment to crash. Chad and I are picking her up on the way to your place tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Reggie blinked.

  How the hell had he forgotten his fire fam had promised to drop by with dinner tonight?

  Probably because they’d scheduled it a few days ago, and it’d slipped his mind once he’d touched Amber again.

  “Your ass forgot?”

  “I spaced it. But that makes sense. I’m looking forward to seeing you all.”

  Blake was quiet for a moment. “So, just having fun, huh?”

  “Look, I don’t know what it is, but it’s going to end when I go back to work,” he said firmly.

  “Ouch. Does she know that?”

  “We made the decision mutually.”

  Blake sighed. “Good luck with that, bro. I’ll see you around four.”

  The call ended, and Reggie set his phone on the table next to him.

  The lunch he’d just eaten went sour in his stomach, and he shook his head.

  Damn it.

  It made sense why Amber had gone home now, but what in the hell? She could’ve at least sent a text to give him a heads-up. So he wouldn’t have worried half the morning about her.

  Maybe he wanted a reason to put some emotional space between them, but the fact that she couldn’t be bothered to even text had him all kinds of riled and irritated.

  Trying to push back on the toxic emotion, he rose from the recliner, grabbed his crutches, and went to shower.

  By the time four arrived, he was ready and waiting for his friends.

  He heard car doors slamming, voices talking, and went to the front door to answer it.

  The relief at seeing Amber’s blond head between Chad and Blake was mixed with a small bit of anger. “Hey, guys. Come on in.”

  “Look at you on those crutches.” Chad stepped through the door, his smile wide. “You dominate them now.”

  “You look like you barely need them anymore,” Blake agreed, carrying two boxes of pizza inside.

  Amber stepped over the threshold, a bowl of fruit salad in her hands. “Yeah, you seem like you don’t need any help at all.”

  Her words were tight and her smile even more strained.

  His gaze locked on hers for a moment, and he was stunned to see the flicker of irritation there before she looked away.

  Wait, she was mad at him?

  Oh, hell no.

  “The others should be here any minute.” Chad opened the boxes of pizza. “Captain’s got the paper plates.”

  Sure enough, another knock sounded at the door and Amber turned to let them in.

  The next hour was a blur of shit-talking and catching up.

  Seeing the work fam did wonders for his mood, but it didn’t quite take away his frustration with Amber.

  Especially with the way she was chatting it up with Adam right now.

  Reggie glanced over just in time to see the younger man sliding a glance over Amber from head to toe. Clearly, he liked what he saw.

  Which wasn’t a surprise with the button-down, denim, knee-length dress, scarf, and boots. Blond hair all shiny and flowing around her shoulders.

  She looked hot, and still so damn girl-next-door approachable.

  “How did I never realize how fun you are outside of work, Amber?”

  She lifted a brow. “Maybe because you never come to any of my poker parties?”

  The rest of the guys laughed and agreed, while Reggie resisted the urge to throw the half-eaten box of pizza at Adam’s head.

  A new thought hit him. What if Amber hadn’t come over this morning because she’d been out with Adam? They could’ve grabbed breakfast or coffee.

  They were close in age and had always seemed to get along well.

  How had he never realized Adam was scoping her out on the side?

  The jealousy growing inside him spiked, even as he told himself he was being ridiculous.

  His mouth tightened and he glanced away. Unfortunately, his gaze landed on Blake who was watching him with knowing amusement.

  Dick.

  Like hell was he going to watch Adam flirt with Amber in this house.

  “Hey, Amber,” Reggie interrupted. “Can you do me a favor?”

  She glanced his way, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Sure.”

  “I knocked my meds behind my dresser this morning. Can you help me grab them? I think you’re the smallest person here who could possibly squeeze back in there.”

  “Yikes, Amber, he just called your butt small,” Chad teased.

  “Well, I suppose next to you linebacker-sized dorks, I probably am.” She smiled and dropped her plate of pizza on the table. “Come on, Reg. Show me where the bottle fell.”

  *

  Amber followed Reggie down the hall, willing her heart to stop racing.

  She was pretty sure the pills behind the dresser line was a ruse to get her alone.

  But why?

  Also, he looked low-key pissed at her. Again, why? Because she hadn’t come over this morning?

  He was the one who couldn’t be bothered to return her text, and obviously hadn’t missed her at all today.

  When she stepped into his bedroom, he closed the door most of the way. Not enough to shut, but enough where they had privacy.

  “Okay, where’s the—” She broke off on a gasp when he pushed her against the closet door.

  While still balancing the crutches under his arms, Reggie reached out to grasp her hip and pull them flush together.

  “You couldn’t even be bothered to text me that you weren’t coming today?”

  What?

  She frowned and shook her head. “I did text you.”

  His brow rose as he moved his hand lower to the hem of her dress.

  “I didn’t get any text.” His gaze narrowed and his lips thinned. “Were you out with Adam?”

  “Adam? I—what?” Her pulse quickened as he eased the dress up her thighs.

  “I don’t like the idea of him touching you.”

  Amber’s stomach flipped at the possessive look in his eyes. The warning in his words.

  “The only time I usually see Adam is at work,” she whispered.

  He cupped her between the legs, making the breath in her lungs lock. Heat spread through her veins, and she couldn’t stop the whimper.

  “You sure?”

  “I’m positive.” God, it was hard to think when he touched her like this.

  “Good.” He rubbed her through her panties, and she bit back a moan.

  “Reggie.” She lowered her voice and pressed her hands to his chest. “The guys are in the other room. What are you doing?”

  “Reminding you that for right now, you’re mine.”

  Reggie slipped his hand beneath her panties and pushed one finger inside her. She tried to stifle her cry, gripping his shirt tighter as he eased back out to find her clit.

  Pleasure rocketed through her, and she lifted her hips to meet his touch.

  “You’re wet.”

  “Big surprise,” she muttered, watching him from half-closed eyes. “Pretty much a given if you’re anywhere near me.”

  His nostrils flared, even as there was laughter from the guys down the hall.

  Oh god.

  She was terrified they were going to get caught, but equally worried that he’d stop touching her.

  “Make me come, Reg,” she whispered, riding his hand. “Please.”

  His mouth crushed down on hers—his tongue lashing and sucking as his knowing fingers stoked the flame of pleasure.

  Seconds later, he brought her to that quick release she’d begged for.

  Her soft cry was caught in their kiss, his finger never leaving her body until she was boneless, her palms flattened against his chest as she struggled to find her breath.

  “Damn,” he muttered.

  Her lashes fluttered up and she met his heated, dark gaze.

  “I can’t let you go back out there like this.” He reached up to touch her cheek. “You’re flushed and your mouth is swollen. I mean, I want to, so Adam and every guy there knows you’re mine.”

  She made a soft moan before she nuzzled his neck.

  “Cute little pipe dream you’ve got there, since this is all secretive.” She nibbled his neck before straightening to look up at him. “And I’m blaming you. You’re the one who lured me to your room with a nefarious purpose.”

  “Yeah, I did. And I don’t regret it.”

  She pushed her dress back down. “Go back out and tell them I’m using the bathroom. Bring your bottle of pills to make it convincing.”

 

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