but you’ll need to get checked out by the company psychologist.”
“What?”
“Since I’ve taken over here, every man and woman on this crew is my responsibility. To ensure that everyone is capable of doing their best, I’ve brought in Dr. Hersh. Sometimes it’s just good to talk to someone when you’ve seen some of the stuff we see every day.”
“So I’m going to see a shrink instead of fighting fires?” Cade could hear the judgment in his voice, but he couldn’t help it.
“Hey. Take it easy,” the Captain said.
Cade clamped his mouth shut.
Don’t give him a goddamned reason to send you to the psyche ward, he admonished himself.
“It’s my understanding that you haven’t been on active duty since some of your crew died. I just want you to talk to Dr. Hersh tomorrow before you go rushing into a blaze, that’s all.”
Cade glowered, but stayed quiet. His crew had died, with him watching, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
But I’m sure as hell not going to let it happen again.
The Captain handed him a ream of paperwork. “Why don’t you get started with this today?”
“Yes, Captain,” he said, and stood up.
“Close the door on your way out,” the Captain called to Cade’s back.
Cade stalked towards the break room. A dark cloud hung over his head.
3
Lily
Lily pushed her cart through the Milk and Honey grocery store and smiled at the staff. She’d gone to high school with some of them, and even though they’d barely spoken as teenagers there was the small town demand to be polite.
As Lily made her way to the produce section, she began to load up on veggies. Jean-Michel was right. She needed to be better with her diet.
But this low carb, high veggie kick she’d been on wasn’t easy. Lily had almost been tempted to forget the whole thing, especially since Jean-Michel had helped her with her croquembouches last night, but her horoscope had kept her in check.
Libra, it’s time to work on things of a personal nature, she’d read on her favorite horoscope app as soon as she parked in the grocery store lot. You’ll have a strange encounter, but the outcome will be great.
She’d sighed.
“October twelfth, smack in the middle of the Libra dates,” she’d said aloud. “Come on, Lily, you can do this. It’s just carbs, you’re not giving up oxygen.”
If she was going to work on something of a personal nature, why not make it her diet? Of course the outcome would be great. This diet would fulfill two horoscope messages in one.
Carbs were one thing. But her caffeine addiction? There’s no way she was giving that up.
Besides, doesn’t that help with weight loss? She made a beeline for the coffee section, and as she turned the corner she nearly ran right into a mountain of a man.
“Whoa,” he said as he held the small hand basket aside.
Shit. Of course I’d run into Cade.
“Uh …” Lily searched for her words as she looked him up and down. Her face was inches from his muscled chest, and she could smell the musky scent of his cologne. It was intoxicating.
God, I hope I’m not drooling. Wait, is this what my horoscope meant when it meant things of a personal nature, strange encounters—and a great outcome?
Just seeing Cade made her stomach do gymnastics. She should know, better than anyone, that messing with Cade meant she’d get burned. How many girls had she watched him hump and dump over the years?
He had a real reputation around Salem before he left for California. Some girls still talked about him as they bemoaned why they couldn’t be the one to make him change.
And with how he looks now, I’m sure he’ll be on a whole new streak by tomorrow.
Lily forced herself to stop staring at him.
“Hi,” Cade said. A corner of his mouth hitched up.
Does he know what I’m thinking? Lily turned bright read.
“Sorry,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”
God, you sound like an idiot. But once she started apologizing, she couldn’t stop. At least it gave her something to say.
Cade laughed.
“I’ll let it slide this time,” he said.
“I was just trying to get to the coffee,” she said awkwardly.
“I’ll walk with you, if that’s okay.”
“Uh, sure?” she said. She was so nervous, she had started to sweat.
Real attractive, Lily.
As they walked down the narrow aisle side by side, she couldn’t stop the images of when they’d been together from replaying through her head. It was like she could feel his lips on her again, nipping at her ears.
And how he’d felt when he’d eased her onto his cock. Just the memory instantly made her wet—and even more embarrassed.
Lily couldn’t be completely certain why she was so nervous.
Except maybe that he’s freaking gorgeous. The very definition of a bad boy. Not to mention my brother’s best friend, she reminded herself.
Okay, so there were plenty of reasons to be nervous. And plenty of reasons to not talk to him, to let this crush go once and for all.
And yet here you are in the grocery store with him, she thought.
As they made their way towards the coffee aisle, she noticed every woman in the store checked him out. It didn’t matter if they were teenaged girls or middle-aged women in yoga pants.
They think I’m with him, she thought. She nearly gloated. Did it matter that it wasn’t true?
Lily searched for something to say, anything to talk about, but her mind was blank. All she could think about was how good he’d made her feel.
“You look really good,” Cade said.
“Sorry?” she squeaked.
She wished she could just disappear.
