“I won’t bother you any longer,” he said, stepping back. “Enjoy your workout.”
“Thanks,” she replied.
He started to walk away but stopped and turned back after a few steps. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to drop by the sick bay later today. Will you be there?”
“Yes,” she said, a little breathless from her run. He could see the questions in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything else.
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
What are you doing? he chided himself as he headed for the door. He didn’t need to see her again—now that he’d met her, he’d recognize her. It wasn’t like he had any business with her.
But there was something about the way she watched him that piqued his curiosity. Even now, he felt the weight of her gaze as she tracked his movement toward the exit. It wasn’t lust that kept her eyes glued to him; there was no heat in her gaze. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she was afraid. But why? Was she trying to hide something?
Mallory Watkins was a woman who had secrets, that much was clear. And despite his better judgment, Everest wanted to know more.
Mallory sat at the bar, her eyes glued to the entrance in the hopes of catching sight of Avery and Olivia. They were supposed to meet here at noon, but she was so excited to see them she’d arrived a little early.
“Can I get you anything?”
She smiled absently at the offer from the bartender. Technically, she was on the clock, which meant she couldn’t drink anything stronger than tea. “Coke, please.”
He nodded, and she turned her focus to watching him select a glass and prepare her drink. Ever since the attack in college, she’d been vigilant about keeping her drinks in sight at all times, lest someone try to slip her something again. The logical part of her knew the odds of her being drugged twice were infinitesimally low, but it was a chance she didn’t want to take. Fool me once, shame on you, she thought. Fool me twice...
The bartender slid her drink across the polished wood surface with a smile. She dug in her pocket for some cash, but he held up his hand. “No charge,” he said, nodding at her ID badge.
“Thanks,” Mallory replied. She slipped a bill into his tip jar and turned back to the door, taking a sip of her soda.
The bubbles slid down her throat in a tickling cascade, the sensation pleasant and soothing. Coke was her vice; she loved everything about the sweet, fizzy drink. She knew it was bad for her, but since she had worked out this morning she figured a little indulgence wouldn’t hurt. Besides, after her encounter with the security officer, she deserved a treat.
What was his name? She frowned a bit as she tried to recall it. Something unusual... Everett? No, Everest. Like the mountain. Probably a story there, she mused. Even though she’d blanked on his name, she had no trouble recalling his face. Dark blond hair and eyebrows, a square jaw and the most piercing blue eyes she’d ever seen. He was definitely a handsome man, and the rest of him wasn’t too bad to look at either. Even though his workout clothes had been a little on the large side, she’d seen the way the fabric of his T-shirt moved as his muscles shifted underneath. His long legs had eaten up the distance between them in easy strides, his gait a little stilted but still graceful.
Her first response to his approach had been alarm. It was an instinctive reaction now, thanks to her past. She’d tried to overcome the flare of panic that sparked whenever a man drew close, but her body wouldn’t listen to her mind. And maybe that was for the best. After all, it had been her mind that had ignored the little warning signs all those years ago...
She’d gotten better at controlling her reaction, though. In the weeks following the attack, she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with a man she didn’t know. Over time, and with the help of her therapist, she’d been able to work through the initial burst of fear that came with meeting someone new. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of people were decent and had no interest in harming her. But she still kept an eye on them all the same.
Everest was just the kind of man she normally stayed away from. Tall and strong, his body was a constant reminder of her comparative physical vulnerability. But there was something about him that had put her at ease and quelled her nerves. Maybe it was his deep voice and the calm manner of his words. Or the quiet confidence in his gaze, as if he was sure he could handle anything. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she’d been drawn to him, had felt her wariness ease as he’d stood there talking to her. She hadn’t felt so relaxed around a man in ages, and the fact that a relative stranger had had such an effect on her left her a little shaken.
Was it just a one-time thing? Or would she have the same reaction when she saw him again? She’d find out soon enough. He had mentioned stopping by sick bay today, and while he hadn’t made good on the remark yet, she was sure he would at some point. Everest didn’t seem like the type of man to forget an appointment, even one as loosely made as his earlier suggestion. A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine, and not for the first time, she wondered why he wanted to visit.
“There she is!”
The excited exclamation cut through Mallory’s thoughts, and she focused on the door to the bar. Olivia and Avery stood at the entrance flanked by two men. As soon as she made eye contact, her friends dashed forward, leaving the men behind. The guys exchanged bemused looks and stepped inside, trailing in the wake of their girlfriends.
Mallory set her empty glass on the bar and stepped forward to meet her friends, her arms raised high so she could hug them both.
“It’s so good to see you!” said Olivia.
“I’ve missed you so much!” said Avery.
Mallory closed her eyes and let their voices wash over her, happiness welling in her chest. Avery and Olivia were her best friends, her confidantes. The sisters of her heart. Thanks to their demanding careers—Olivia was a plastic surgeon in DC, and Avery worked as a disease investigator for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta—they didn’t get to see each other in person nearly as often as Mallory would like. Not for the first time, Mallory wondered if she should move from Miami to Baltimore, just to make it easier to see her friends. She missed them so much at times it was a physical ache in her chest. But they were here now, and she was determined to enjoy every minute of this trip.
Even though she did have to work.
“I’m so glad you could both come,” Mallory said, leaning back so she could look at her friends. They both looked good. Olivia’s dark eyes practically glowed, and there was a spark in Avery’s blue gaze Mallory hadn’t seen before. She glanced beyond her friends to the men standing a few feet away. They must be the reason for her friends’ newfound joy.
“Hello,” she said, nodding to them both.
“Hi,” said the man on the left. He stepped closer to Olivia and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m Logan.”
“Nice to meet you,” Mallory replied with a nod. Both Olivia and Avery held her hands, so she couldn’t offer to shake his. They were protecting her, giving her a socially acceptable excuse for not touching the men.
