Free Under Fire by Jo Davis Page A

question about what his answer would be if she issued the invitation.
    His fingers trailed down her throat. “I knew you’d taste just like honey. I’ll bet you’re sweet everywhere.”
    Oh, God. She might not want him specifically, but her body reacted all the same.
    Time to escape. Giving him a smile she hoped wasn’t as fake as it felt, she grabbed his hand before it could complete its journey into the vee of her sweater. “Not too subtle, are you?”
    “Why waste energy better spent on more pleasurable things?”
    “True, but my life doesn’t lend itself much to indulging right now.” She reached for the door handle. “See you Tuesday?”
    He wasn’t so easily deterred. “You enjoyed our kiss as much as I did. Don’t try to deny it, Cori.”
    “All right, I did, but—”
    “We’d be good together,” he said, lids heavy. “Come home with me. Just for an hour or two.”
    Anxiety balled in her stomach, the urge to get away suddenly very strong. “I’ll admit I considered it. But I’m not ready to take that step at this point, with you or anyone.” Okay, the “or anyone” part wasn’t quite true. Tony, however, did not need to know that.
    His gaze chilled and Cori suppressed a shiver. Had it been her imagination, or had something dark and ugly slithered through his eyes for a second?
    The fleeting impression vanished as he nodded, his expression serious. “I’m willing to wait. When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
    “Thank you.”
    Seizing her opportunity, she scrambled out of the Viper and slammed the door, giving him a wave. He drove off without so much as a nod in her direction, leaving her standing in front of the E-Z Rental. . . . He hadn’t even waited to make sure they switched out her car with no hassle.
    She frowned after the Viper’s disappearing taillights, bothered. Yes, she’d wanted to put space between them. Was, in fact, relieved to see him go. But a true friend and gentleman would’ve gone inside, put her safety above his disappointment over not getting her into bed.
    A real man, her dream lover, would’ve stayed with her no matter what.
    A man who bore a helluva resemblance to a raven-haired firefighter with stunning blue eyes.
     
    Arguably, Zack’s return to the living was good news.
    The bad news? Tanner was on the way to his room.
    Funny how that knowledge didn’t feel so very different from when he’d plummeted over the side of the bridge.
    Nothing to do but lie here and wait for the impact. Zack hadn’t yet been moved from the ICU with its strict visitor’s rules, or the others would’ve accompanied the captain to provide a buffer between them. As humiliating as the dressing-down in front of Eve and Six-Pack had been, the idea of facing Tanner alone had him a little freaked. He wasn’t afraid of the man by any means, but he wasn’t exactly in shape for another bout in the ring, either.
    Over the past few hours, his battered body had come to vivid life by painful degrees. His head pounded, his muscles ached, and his chest burned with every rattling breath. He was so frigging miserable he couldn’t sleep, yet being awake was sheer torture—especially the disgusting breathing treatments to unclog his lungs. The pain meds that provided a couple of hours of blessed fog weren’t nearly enough.
    A fifth of Jack might do the trick.
    The door opened and Tanner walked in without knocking. Which didn’t surprise Zack. What did was the hesitance in the captain’s green eyes. Even before the tragedy that had claimed his family, Tanner had been a hard man. Fair, but tough. The type of man who strode boldly through life without remorse for his unbending attitude, viewing the world in black-and-white.
    Today, Tanner had grooves of stress cut deep around his mouth and silver in the dark brown hair at his temples . . . and his world had dissolved into a palette of murky gray.
    Zack shoved down a wave of sympathy. “Cap.”
    Tanner stood over his fallen man, hands in the