Five Alarm Forever_A Reverse Harem Holiday Romance by Dizzy Hooper

Author:Dizzy Hooper [Hooper, Dizzy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-13T16:00:00+00:00

28

For a few seconds that feel like hours, Walker stands there, staring at me. I groan and cover my eyes again.

Another beat or two passes before the sound of ceramic clinking on formica pulls me out of my despair. The slosh of hot coffee hitting the bottom of a mug has me feeling about as close to cheery as I think can be reasonably expected.

I lift my head as Walker slides the steaming mug toward me. I accept it gratefully. I blow on it once, then take a scalding sip.

Okay, that's better.

I still wince in anticipation as I raise my gaze to my lieutenant's again.

His expression is serious, but the hint of a smile playing with the corners of his mouth betrays him.

Now there's just the question of whether he's laughing with me or at me.

I take another fortifying sip, then put the mug down. "Okay, fine, go ahead."

"I don't have any idea why you think I'm going to yell at you."

"Really?" I wave in the general direction of the hallway where I flirted with and/or yelled at sixty percent of the guys on our crew.

Softening his mouth and his eyes, Walker crouches to lean his elbows on the countertop. It puts his clear blue eyes more or less level with mine.

"Whatever you want to do on your time is your prerogative, Chapman."

Sure, right. Indulging him, I glance at the clock. "And my shift started three minutes ago. What about that?"

"You planning to perform your duties at your full capacity?"

"Of course."

"Any interpersonal shit with the crew going to affect how you work with them?"

"No." I grit my teeth.

I would never. Even only knowing them for a few weeks—I have their backs. I swore that oath.

I may never one hundred percent trust them to have mine, but that would be true whether I was fucking them, screaming at them, whatever. That's my own damage, not theirs.

Then his voice deepens. Gazing right into my eyes, he asks, "Are you happy?"

And I swear to God, the way he's looking at me, it's as if he actually cares.

For a second, I flounder.

My last lieutenant was fine. Impassive, kind of above his people, apparently willing to fuck me over at the drop of a hat, but other than that…fine.

The only other person I've served under who seemed to actually care about me was Duke. From the first time I met him to the last time he sent me out on that final fucking job, he always had a kind word, always asked after me on a personal level.

But I never saw him stare as deeply into my soul as Walker is right now.

Walker doesn't just care if I'm happy. He's invested.

The warmth radiating off of him terrifies me, at the same time that melts right on down to my bones.

"Yeah," I croak. "I mean—"

There are so many caveats to that, so many levels on which I can't believe anything that's happening is real.

Walker doesn't want to hear any of them. "Good," he says with finality.

Then he reaches out.

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