perfect white noise. It should have been incredibly peaceful. Instead, she was thinking about Zach. About the kissing. About her opening her mouth and saying that she wasnât going to mix pleasure and business.
Sheâd meant it, but she really regretted saying it.
Cristina came outside. She wore her blue uniform trousers, a pair of kick-ass boots and a tiny white tank top, which emphasized a figure that a Playboy model would envy. Chomping into a red apple, she glanced at Brooke. âAre you actually relaxing, New Hire?â
âBrooke. My nameâs Brooke.â This was now a three-week-old refrain between the two of them.
Hard to believe sheâd been in California for so long already, but it was a fact. And as she always did, Cristina shrugged. âHey, I called Number Four Skid Mark, so consider yourself lucky.â
She would. Cristina might be sarcastic and caustic but she was brutally honest, emphasis on brutally, and loyal to a fault. In short, if you were on her good side, you had a friend to the death. Brooke knew the two of them werenât there, not even close, but at least she didnât have a nickname she couldnât live with.
âThereâs no point in remembering your name when you all eventually quit,â Cristina continued.
âIâm not leaving until my six weeks are up. Iâm just past halfway.â
Leaning back against a tree, Cristina studied Brooke with interest. âPeople who arenât from around here rarely stick.â
âGee, really? Even with your sweet and welcoming attitude?â
Cristina smiled. âItâs too bad youâre not sticking. You could grow on me.â
âI am sticking. Until the job is over.â
âSpeaking of sticking, I hear you were sticking to Officer Hottieâs lips. That true?â
Oh, boy. âOfficer Hottie?â
âYeah. So were you?â
âThatâsâ¦â She settled for the same line sheâd given Dustin. âPersonal.â
âHow personal?â
Wasnât that the question. She and Zach had only kissed, but it seemed like more, and thereâd been lots of close encounters sinceâ¦All she knew was that the wild sexual tension seemed unrelenting.
And overwhelming.
She really wanted to face that tension, and release it.
Let loose.
Assuming Zach still wanted to.
âI know my faults,â Cristina said into her silence. âIâm sarcastic, mean and I donât like many people. But Zach? I like him. A whole lot. Heâs going through a tough time, and heâs vulnerable.â
The thought of big, rough-and-tumble Zach being vulnerable might have been funny only a week ago but Brooke knew Cristina was right. âThe arson thing?â
âThe chiefâs riding Tommyâs ass, and Tommyâs riding Zachâs. Zach could just shut up and walk away from it all, but itâs not in his blood to walk away, not when he knows heâs right. I care about him, we all care about him, and he needs to stay focused.â
âHow do I threaten that?â
âYouâre messing with his head. Iâm the only one who does that.â
As warnings went, it wasnât exactly subtle. âI didnât realize you two were dating.â
âOh, I wouldnât call it dating,â Cristina said with a smile.
Okaaaaay. âWhat would you call it?â
Cristina just looked smug, then, standing up, grabbed hold of a tree branch above her. âAny new interesting calls lately?â
âHard to top Viagra Man, but Iâm sure thereâs something just around the corner. What are you doing?â
âPull-ups.â She did five in a row, and still managed to talk normally. âCats and hard-ons. Interesting job, you have to admit.â
âTrue.â
âSo where are you going when this is over?â
âDonât worry. Itâll be far, far away.â Brooke just wished she knew where. She
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