Free Actual Stop by Kara A. McLeod Page A

underwear and wished I could cover myself without revealing my feelings of vulnerability.
    “Wow, Ryan! You look fantastic.”
    “Uh…Thanks.”
    Her smile widened into a full-fledged grin, and she ran one thumb lazily across my cheek. “Why are you all red?” Her teasing tone caused a new tumult in my already racing heart.
    It was an old joke between us, and she knew damn well why. How could she not? I absolutely hated that she was enjoying this so much. My face only got hotter as she pointed out my rosy hue, and I tried not to revel in the tingles that the brush of her finger had sparked in me. I gritted my teeth, turned on beyond belief and completely annoyed with both of us.
    In an effort to escape the awkwardness of the situation, I cleared my throat and sidled by her, snagging the bloody wipe and carelessly discarded packaging as I went. “What are you doing here?” I asked, completely ignoring her question. “I thought I was picking you up at your hotel.”
    She leaned casually against the row of lockers and folded her arms across her chest. She was openly studying me—all of me—which was very distracting. My face was on fire, and I’d started to sweat, to say nothing of the moisture collecting in other places. I set my shoulders and my jaw and looked her in the eye.
    “I just came in to run the bridge with Eddie. We have a countdown meeting today at eighteen-hundred hours, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to fit it in after that.” She shrugged as if the subject didn’t interest her.
    I wandered over to the row of sinks lining one wall and turned my back on her to study my new wound in the mirror. I frowned at my reflection and sighed. The cut was extremely noticeable. I pursed my lips and prodded the gash experimentally, wincing at the splinters of pain that exploded at the touch.
    In the mirror, I saw Allison step up behind me. She leaned over and put her hands over top of mine to still them, and the majority of her body pressed up against my back. I froze and forced myself not to gasp. Once the initial haze of arousal subsided and I was thinking clearly, I spun around so we were face-to-face. I narrowed my eyes at her. What the hell was she playing at? She knew damn well what kind of turmoil her caress induced, yet she did it anyway.
    “You shouldn’t poke at it,” Allison said softly, staring into my eyes. She brushed a lock of hair back off my forehead, and I fought the urge to shiver at the rush that ignited just about everywhere. We continued to look at one another for a long moment, the tension between us thick and heavy. “You might need stitches.” Her hand moved to cup my cheek. The touch was brief, there and gone in an instant. But the sensation was seared into my soul.
    I refused to drop my gaze, even though every cell in my body screamed at me to get the hell out of there. It was a test of wills now, and although we both knew she got to me, I refused to let her win all the points in this ridiculous competition.
    “I’m sure it’s fine.” I couldn’t keep the haughty tone out of my voice.
    Allison’s eyes darkened, and her expression said she knew exactly what was going through my mind. Even after all this time, she could still read me. I wished I was able to keep something from her.
    “At least put a Band-Aid on it.”
    I ignored her and slipped past her to my locker. As I applied my deodorant and shrugged into my shirt, I glanced at her over my shoulder. I’d seen her expression a million times before, and as always, it made me uneasy. She was wearing her closed mask, a surefire indication she was about to treat me like someone she barely knew. I’d refused to play by her rules; she was taking her marbles and going home, figuratively speaking.
    Pushing my edginess aside, I turned back to face her, buttoning my shirt. She was digging through her bag, obviously rummaging for the supplies she’d need to take a shower. I watched her in silence for a few long moments, but she