Free Attracted to Fire by DiAnn Mills

the kitchen. He was tempted to ignore her. After all, his thoughts weren’t keyed to being congenial, and she seemed to bring out the worst in him.
    â€œWho’s with Lindsay?”
    â€œShe and Dave are in a counseling session on the front porch. Nice breeze out there. Bob is close.”
    Ash couldn’t find a thing to criticize.
    Meghan opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a bottle of water. Her jeans clung to every curve. He’d watched her run that morning—perfection beat into every stride.
    â€œSir, do you have a moment to discuss Lindsay?”
    â€œHas she slapped you?” His sarcasm bit into his conscience. Why couldn’t he accept the fact she did her job as well as any agent on the team?
    She stiffened. “No, sir. I wondered if you could fill me in on your dealings with her.”
    â€œI already did.”
    Meghan wrapped her hand around her water bottle and squeezed. “Sir, she’s frightened, and I’d like to know if this is normal behavior. Crack withdrawal symptoms are basically emotional, but she’s experiencing nausea. The alcohol causes depression, and she’s had a few hallucinations. But the fear is what bothers me the most.”
    Ash needed to stop the intimidation, but old habits were hard to break. “Have you talked to Dave? He has her medical records.”
    â€œHe agrees with me. She’s hiding something.”
    Ash leaned back against the refrigerator. Isolating himself from one of his agents could put their protectee at risk. “Lindsay doesn’t have normal behavior. She wavers between high and hysterical. And hysterical is accompanied by lashing out at whoever is in her way.”
    â€œMy conclusion is still the same. She’s afraid.”
    â€œYou’re wrong.” Ash shook his head while she studied him. A chill crept up his spine. “What are you looking at?”
    â€œThe SAIC I’m talking to.” She took a step his way. Fire sparked in her eyes. “I know you’ve been assigned to Lindsay for the past four years. I know you hate the idea of working with a woman. I know we’re both up for the same assignment with VP Hall. But Lindsay is our protectee, and besides her addiction, someone out there wants her dead. We need to work together on this.”
    She was right, and he’d been unprofessional. Ash pointed to the kitchen door. “Let’s take a walk. How about the driveway toward the road?” He set his Coke can on the counter and reached for a bottle of water from the fridge. “The rest of the team knows what happened this morning in DC, but you were with Lindsay, so I waited to brief you.”
    Outside, he explained the car bombing.
    â€œThis doesn’t sound like an upset drug dealer. I wonder how far it reaches.”
    â€œMy thoughts too.”
    Under a gray sky, they neared the front gate. Where did he begin except to tell all he knew about Lindsay? The words refused to come. Or was he working harder at ignoring his attraction to Meghan than at confiding in her about their protectee? Most agents scurried into the woodwork when he approached them. But not her. She had strength and pull with the VP. Her last qualifying proved her marksmanship equaled his. And that wasn’t the only area in which she rivaled him.
    Meghan had moved from what he thought was an easy replacement to a worthy team member. They did need to work together on all fronts. It was time he stopped allowing his personal feelings to interfere with his responsibilities.
    â€œI’ve been a real jerk, and I want to apologize.”
    â€œThank you.” She tossed him a smile that could rival the Dancin’ Dust’s wildflowers. “Apology accepted. There have been times when I could have walked away, but instead I said exactly what I felt.”
    He chuckled. “That’s one of the things I admire about you.”
    â€œPepper’s pretty good at speaking her