Shock - Marie Johnston Page 0,4
it doesn’t detract from the allure she can’t help but give off.
I’d have to be dead not to notice Lia’s looks.
As my partner, it doesn’t matter. As my friend, I go out of my way not to notice. I don’t have many friends, mostly buddies from work. I hang out with some of the firefighters once in a while too. But most of the friends I made in college and medical school are balls-deep in their residency. Talking to them only reminds me of where I should be at this stage of my career. That would’ve been me if I hadn’t hit a pileup on the road of life.
Mack’s expression turns incredulous and he puts his hand to his chest in faux offense. “Am I bothering you, Monroe?” A smirk tilts his lips and his eyes gleam. He thinks I’m being territorial over Lia. I’m not, I’m being protective. She doesn’t need to be hit on at work. We’ve had long talks about how earning respect in her own right is important to her. A firefighter doesn’t need to fuck that up.
“You’re always a pain in the ass, but Wescott and I have some stocking up to do, unless you want to go fetch another obstetrical kit.”
Mack waves me off and adjusts the suspenders of his uniform. He’s a big guy and probably doesn’t need to put in as much effort picking up a girl as he is with Lia. “Fine, fine. My shift is over anyway. Let me initial the inspection and let your boss know that the building passed one more time.”
I can’t keep my scowl away. Every time there’s some sort of inspection to do with the building, some young, single fireman shows up when Lia is working, and that means I’m always here to witness the show.
Lia wanders to the supply closet to gather the items we used up during the last two medical calls, a seizure and a broken hip. Mack flicks his suspenders and meanders next to me. “Looking a bit green there under the collar, Monroe.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Normally, Mack and I get along well. Today, he’s a giant pain in the ass. “I’m not sick.”
“I’m not talking about you being ill. I think you’re jealous.” He sings the last word. “If you want to go out with her, you should just ask her. Then me and the guys will start leaving her alone.”
“I’m not interested in dating Lia. Maybe you should think about leaving her alone when you’re on duty.”
“Come on, man. You can’t blame us. It’s not like she goes to the bars or hangs out with the guys after shift. The only time we get a chance is when we come here to check your fire extinguishers.”
“Did you ever think that she’s making sure she doesn’t give you assholes the wrong impression?”
Mack cocked his head, his gaze appraising. “You’re not into her?”
“She’s my partner.” I say it like he should understand the magnitude of that statement, and he should. The people we work with are often more than friends. Partner carries a heavy meaning with it. Lia and I save lives together. I don’t take that lightly.
“Then I hate to tell you, Monroe, but if you’re not going to ask her out, you can’t cockblock every other guy from doing it.”
The hell I can’t. I shake off that thought. I have no business interfering in Lia’s dating life, and I’m absolutely not interested in dating her. Risking my job to get laid is not an option, no matter how beautiful and genuine she is. My mom needs the financial help and I need to prove to Cass that I’m not a total fuck-up so I can see my son.
I turn away from Mack as he walks out and am greeted by Lia’s ass. She’s bending over outside the back of the rig, stooping to pick up a sixteen-gauge IV needle packet she must have dropped. I yank my gaze down to the packet on the floor before I can notice how nicely her form fills out her pants. The corner of my mouth curves up. When she nears the ground, she kicks out her left leg like a kickstand. It was one of the first things I noticed about her, and it was what cut the tension between us.
Leah’s first impression is regal. The haughty tilt to her nose and her cool demeanor scares many men off, but the reserved way she holds herself is what