Feeling the Heat by Jill Haven & Austin Bates

Author:Jill Haven & Austin Bates [Haven, Jill & Bates, Austin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-09T16:00:00+00:00

11

August

June 17th

I shook my head and refocused my attention on the thermometers in the steaks for about the thirtieth time that minute. If I didn’t get my fucking shit together, I’d start making more of those things that let Ewin know I was trying. Besides, who let a cold affect their work this much? I stifled a shiver. I was pretty sure it was a cold, but it kind of felt worse.

I spooned Ewin’s artisan garlic butter over the steak and ran through my symptoms in my head. Flu-like hot and cold shivers, aching joints, pain in my… shit. The spoon I’d held clattered back into the skillet. I checked everything I was feeling again then grabbed my cell phone and internet searched the fuck out of my symptoms.

My head fell back. And I rubbed my palms over my face. It couldn’t be. I hadn’t gone into heat since… Shit. Since so long I could barely remember. No sexual desire meant no heat, and even when I had experienced my first ones as a teenager, they never did this to me. I rubbed my upper arms, trying to ease away my shivers and checked the steaks again. Shit. I’d overcooked them.

As I laid fresh meat in the pan, the door from the alleyway opened and Jonas stuck his head around.

“Hey, dude,” he greeted me. “It’s my day off, but I came to check on ya.”

“Puh-leeze. On your day off?” I tried to smile at him, but the movement hurt my face. Pain traveled up my neck and through my head, and I winced.

Jonas stood by my side in seconds, his hand cupping my elbow. “You okay? You’re not looking so hot.”

“Yeah.” I swallowed and nodded, trying to clear my vision enough to see the teeny-tiny numbers on the thermometer. Since when did they get so small? I shoved my face up against one. That was better. I could read it now.

“Whoa! Hey, August, pull back, man.” Jonas dragged me away from the range. “What are you doing, dude?”

“Reading the thermometer so I don’t overcook the steak, of course.” Duh! It was obvious and I managed a little shrug before the pain in my shoulders forced them still again.

“I got this. You, sit.” He pointed. “Over there. Far, far away from food and hot things.”

I slumped against the wall, watching Jonas as he handled my station.

“You okay, August?” Noah glanced over at me from his corner of the kitchen. “Can I get you a glass of water or anything?”

I shook my head and closed my eyes. Even drinking seemed like too much effort.

Hmm? Why was my bed rocking?

Jonas shook my shoulder again. “Come on, man. My car’s right outside. Let me get you home.”

“Huh?” I blinked. What was Jonas doing in my bedroom? And why did my bedroom smell like the kitchen at work? I batted him away. “Leave me alone, Jonas. I’m tired.”

“I know you are, August.” His voice was gentle, and I closed my eyes again. “But we’re all

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