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That was all it took to break the spell between us. With another step back, Chris ran his hand through his dark hair.
I cleared my throat. “I’ll put him back. Give me a minute.”
Slowly, Chris lowered his chin in acknowledgment. Then he backed up another couple of steps.
I needed a minute to get a grip. So I turned, careful to make sure Sarge was ready for the move, and took a breath. When I’d let it out, I eased my way across the room toward the large crate that Dean would use to move him back to his habitat.
Jana stood beside the crate, practically bouncing on her toes.
“Jesus, you two are fire.” She clapped her hands softly in front of her lips. “I’m all hot and bothered just watching you.”
“Don’t make it awkward,” I hissed. One day, my friends would move on and accept that Chris and I were not dating, but today was not that day. I bent and got Sarge back into the box and locked it.
“Me? Make it awkward?” She shook her head and flipped her phone my way. “Look at this and tell me again that you’re only friends. You were totally eye-fucking each other.”
In the photo she’d taken, I was facing Chris. The huge bird was perched on my arm, and Chris’s back was to the camera, but my face was in focus. The flush on my cheeks was undeniable, as was the way my pupils had blown wide. My lips were parted, and Chris’s finger was caressing my face. I could almost hear myself panting through the phone. My thoughts were written on my face like they were words on a page. Shit. He was probably mortified. He’d been clear about hating that kind of attention.
“You two need to come to your senses and start fucking the shit out of each other,” Jana whispered.
I shook my head as my heart tripped over itself. “It’s not like that.”
“Oh, babe,” she laughed. “It’s definitely like that, and it’s going to happen. Mark my words.”
“No, it’s not.” My tone may have been a bit too sharp, but I didn’t want her to make things awkward by pushing something I wasn’t sure Chris wanted. Plus, he was leaving for spring training in less than two weeks. It wasn’t a good time to broach the subject, even if he might want to. “Stop making it weird.”
“Wow, harsh.” Jana crossed her arms, tucking her phone into her side.
“Sorry.” I sighed, shoulders slumping. “I’m tired. Between getting ready for the puffin opening next week and doing these shots, this day has felt more like a week. Never mind the constant interruptions. And I didn’t even get lunch.”
Behind me, and much closer than I realized, Chris cleared his throat.
My stomach flip-flopped at the sound. It had been doing that a lot lately, no matter how often I told myself to cool it. With another mental reminder to my stomach and my heart, I turned around.
His hat was flipped backward so that only a few wisps of his dark hair were visible. His jaw was locked like he was grinding his molars. But that broody vibe worked for the man. I knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t upset with me, or even annoyed. No, he was much more likely to be annoyed with himself.
“I didn’t mean to be an interruption.” He rocked on his heels.
Instinctively, I reached out to reassure him that he wasn’t. Whenmy hand hit the warm, smooth skin of his chest, I dropped it and clenched my fists at my side. My cheeks heated with embarrassment, but I dipped my chin and continued on. “You aren’t. I’m just hungry and cranky. I haven’t eaten all day, and I haven’t come close to getting enough caffeine to keep me functioning like a normal human.”
“I can help with that.” He tipped his head to the table he was standing by when I first caught sight of him.
On top sat a to-go cup of coffee and one of my favorite protein bars. A lump formed in my throat at his thoughtfulness. When he’d texted to see how the photo shoots were going this afternoon, I’d complained about the lack of coffee, and I may have mentioned how I’d depleted my protein bar stash and had forgotten to replenish it. And here he was with both. He didn’t get nearly enough credit for being so thoughtful. I made sure he knew how much I appreciated him, but to the world, he was still just a hothead, despite all the work he’d done to change his image during the offseason.
“Maybe that will hold you over and we can order pizza.”
“You are my favorite human today.”
“Good.” He chuckled. “Maybe one day I’ll beat out the birds too.”
“Shut up.” I whacked his side.
This time when my hand hit skin, he snagged it and held it there against his rib cage. A ripple of need echoed through my body at the contact, igniting a low fire in my belly.
A small smile pulled his lips, and he angled in closer.
Behind me, Jana cleared her throat. “You might want to grab your shirt. Although half of Boston wouldn’t mind the view, most restaurants in town require it. Plus, if you left here looking like that, you’d be accosted by women offering a hot night between the sheets at every turn.”
Chris shook his head. “That’s the last thing I want.”
