Page 29 of Calling a Cease-Fire

Izzy: Maybe he actually likes you.

Me: Yeah, well, that won’t work. I don’t want him to like me, I want him to fuck me.

Lyla: I thought you said he would probably be too timid in bed?

Me: That’s still my gut feeling, but you never know. Maybe he’s shy in the streets and then a freak in the sheets.

Nicole: *GIF of girl spitting drink out*

Me: Sometimes the ones who are one way in their social life are the opposite in bed.

Nicole: That’s how I think Zack would be. So serious and fierce. Like the opposite of his normal goofy and fun.

Me: Or he’s a two-pump chump

Izzy: Meet us at Mamacita’s if you end up throwing Billy to the curb lol

Me: kk

Chapter Twelve

MIA

For the first time in a few days, I left work thinking, hey, today didn’t suck. There were a few rough calls, but nothing too horrible. More like strange. Quite a few calls about someone lurking about in the woods around town. But as far as I knew, nothing came of them. We sent police out each time just for them to tell us there was no one there. Hopefully it was just some kids and they had taken off when the cops got there. I couldn’t imagine it was someone calling in false reports, but of course that was always a possibility.

If I was being honest, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. There hadn’t been any intentionally set fires in two months, which filled us all with a huge sense of relief. But after today, I had to wonder if it was false relief. Was the arsonist back, lying in wait to strike again? I’d prefer some asshat calling in false reports over that scenario.

I paused outside of the Crescent Moon, glancing up and down the sidewalk. After a moment, I pulled out my phone and shot off a text.

Me: Where are you?

Zack. Inside. At the bar.

I turned, looking back at the large wooden door. He went in without me? Somehow that didn’t seem like Zack.

I made my way to the bar to find him downing a shot. He picked up a lowball glass of dark liquid and motioned to the stool next to him. I studied him. Everything was wrong. So wrong. The fun-loving, carefree guy was nowhere to be seen.

Forcing a smile, I joked, “Starting without me?”

He shrugged. “Needed a drink.”

I stared at him as he brought the glass to his lips. “What’s up with you?”

The glass clanged as he placed it on the bar with a hard thud. “Rough day.”

“Like, at work?”

When he nodded, I quickly ran through some of the calls today. I literally couldn’t think of one that would cause this reaction. At least not any I knew about. My recollection was that it was a bit of a cake day. Had I missed something?

His gaze slowly swung my way. And damn. The intensity that stared back at me was hot as fuck. I shifted on my stool as desire thrummed between my legs. I couldn’t help but imagine if it was the way he’d look as he drove into me over and over again.

Jesus Christ. Where did that thought come from? I really needed to have sex. And not with Zack Stoer.

I shook my head, forcing myself to return to the conversation at hand. “I don’t remember any rough calls.”

“The kid stuck in a tree.”

I tilted my head and raised a brow at him. “You guys showed up, helped him down, and left.”