Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“Don’t you have other people to annoy?” I grind out when she takes a seat on the boulder next to me. Just because I think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen doesn’t mean I can show it.
I’m her boss and I know exactly what would happen if I were to date her. My career would survive the impact. Hers wouldn’t, and she’s already worked so hard to get where she is.
Like many women in male-dominated fields, she works twice as hard as her male colleagues. It’s fuckin’ wrong and it pisses me off. But I also know that I can’t afford to do anything that would be considered showing favoritism. That will undermine her years of hard work and sacrifice. No, staying detached and pretending I don’t even like her is the best course of action.
Hurt flickers across her expression before she quickly hides it with one of her bright smiles. She smooths down the end of the pretty sundress she’s wearing. It’s black with white polka dots, reminding me of something a fifties housewife might wear. The thought of coming home together after a long shift and watching her change into a pretty dress makes my chest feel tight.
She takes a small sip of her beer. “Nope, no one else to annoy. You’re the winner of my attention today.”
“Lucky me,” I mutter in a tone laced with sarcasm. Sarcasm works around Wynter. She doesn’t understand it much. I get the feeling she was raised in a sheltered environment though she’s never told me anything about her past. Not that I haven’t been curious. I’ve scoured her personnel file on more than one night, greedily looking for new details about her that I can hoard.
We’re quiet for a long time, the only sound the river bubbling between us. Sitting with her in silence is the best time I’ve had in weeks. Her quiet company soothes my fractured heart. Finally, she says in a soft tone, “They say a trouble shared is a trouble halved, boss.”
She always calls me boss. Never my name. It’s another reminder that this is inappropriate. A boss shouldn’t wonder what color the rookie’s panties are or jack off in the shower before he comes to work because it’s the only way he’ll be able to concentrate. “They also say to sweep in front of your own door.”
If having her wouldn’t mean ending her career, maybe things would be different. But the world is still a sexist place, and the chief won’t hesitate to get rid of her if he believes her conduct to be unbecoming. It’s right there in the paperwork we sign when the town hires us.
Yeah, she could get hired somewhere else. But the fire world is a tight-knit family. We all know each other which means she’d never again be given a fair shot anywhere she went. It would always be assumed that she slept her way to the top and that’s not something I want for her.
“Then I guess I’ll go see if Journey needs anything.” She stands and dusts off the back of her dress. It’s such a rare thing to see her in a dress and I greedily drink in the sight of all that exposed creamy skin.
She dresses to fit in with the boys most of the time, trying not to call attention to herself. No matter how covered up she is, those curvy hips still make my mouth water and those thighs have given me dozens of fantasies.
I don’t even acknowledge her words. I keep staring out at the river. Like the asshole I am.
It’s better this way. But as I listen to the sound of her retreating footsteps, I can’t help but wonder if that’s true.
2
WYNTER
Stop chasing him. He’s never going to care about you, I chide myself as I walk back to the lodge. He’s grumpy. I mean, he’s always grumpy. It’s the way he was born. But it’s worse today. I think something is troubling him. The rest of the town is here eating BBQ, drinking beer, and celebrating with Cam and Journey.
No one seems to have noticed the cloud that’s hanging over Derek. There’s a darkness that’s threatening to swallow him up and I want desperately to reach out and pull him back into the light. Even if he was a jerk to me earlier.
As soon as I’m near the reception behind the lodge, I spot Journey standing near Cam. She and I have gone out for dessert twice this week when I had time off. I know she’s still technically a stranger, but it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like she’s my best friend that I’ve always known.
“You alright?” She practically purrs. She’s so close to Cam that it looks like they’re in danger of being fused into one being. Not that I think either of them would mind. I wish Derek felt that way about me.