Free After Hours by Cara McKenna Page A

predatory. I took
     too big a gulp and felt my face burn brighter still.
    Kelly had changed, but only into jeans. “How you feeling, after this morning’s workout?”
    I flexed my left shoulder and it swore in protest. “Pretty dinged up. Can’t say I’ll
     be sad when your days of throwing me around are over.”
    He faked a jab to his ego and gave me a wounded look, but there was mischief in his
     eyes. He hadn’t missed the double entendre I’d accidentally lobbed his way. “Be grateful
     there were gym mats.”
    “And witnesses,” I cut back, and yeah, it sounded pretty bad—like we were agreeing
     things would’ve evolved into something scandalous, had the setting been different.
     Damn it.
    “And Audra, barking corrections,” Kelly added.
    “Yeah. That’d be a mood killer.” Oh fuck, why had I said
that
? His resulting smile was as dangerous as ever, a shot of pure, liquid stupid plunged
     straight into my bloodstream.
    He answered my flirtation with another assessing look. It wasn’t terribly professional,
     but I was grateful for that. I’d spent my first two shifts feeling like a newbie,
     a jailer, a waitress, and a wuss. Felt good to feel like a plain old woman, something
     enticing enough to bring a little heat to Kelly’s cool gaze. The wine suddenly tasted
     very expensive, and I decided it was everyone else’s loss, not taking the opportunity
     to dress up a bit, not my folly.
    A small group of people came by and we made room for them to get drinks. I wandered
     toward the middle of the party with Kelly, praying no one could see the comical lust
     lines vibrating from my body toward his.
    He’d worked at Larkhaven for years so he knew everyone, and as long as I stuck by
     him, I was never at a loss for conversation. It seemed perhaps he did shed that cold
     façade alongside his gray uniform, and tonight he was as warm as I’d yet seen him.
     He introduced me and goaded our colleagues into recounting old war stories—funny ones,
     not scary ones. I was even invited to join Larkhaven’s softball team, though judging
     by the way my coworkers put away the boxed wine, recreational drinking was the institution’s
     official sport.
    After an hour’s mingling I felt relaxed, even a little charming. I also felt dangerously
     attracted to the man on my left. But I wouldn’t ever act on it, so what was the harm?
     It’d been more than a year since I’d made out with a guy or had a date or even a crush,
     and I’d forgotten how fun infatuation was. Like being continuously buzzed on champagne.
     You just have to know when you’ve had enough.
    By ten I was yawning uncontrollably, and as nice as it was to feel cheerful for the
     first time since arriving here, it couldn’t top the promise of bed. I got to sleep
     in a bit the next morning before restraints, and I could use all catch-up rest I had
     coming to me.
    “You want a refill?” Kelly asked me, nodding at my empty cup.
    “No, I better get to bed. It’s been a long couple days.”
Walk me up,
I wanted to say. Walk me to my door, and give me a look that said he wanted to kiss
     me, but not actually do it.
Send me to bed with no thoughts of attacks or paperwork or antipsychotic dosages.
    But he didn’t. He drained his own cup and took mine, tossing both in a nearby garbage
     can. “You’re taking all the glamour away.” He said it like I ought to feel guilty,
     and gave me a final assessing glance.
    “You’ll cope.” I smiled wearily and offered a wave before heading for the stairs.
     I wanted so badly to turn, to see if he was watching me go. But if he wasn’t, I’d
     be disappointed. And if he was, he’d know I cared.
    Upstairs, I changed into pajama pants and a tee shirt and checked a voicemail from
     my sister—no crisis brewing thank God, just “Happy Birthday” sung into the phone,
     with Jack shrieking gleefully in the background. I hung up, smiling.
    A knock at my door interrupted my search for a washcloth.