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He grinned. “Totally badass, and hot as… well, I guess I can’t say you’re hot as hell, but you get the drift.”
I bit my lip, not wanting my smile to get bigger, and the warmth in the chest spread to my face. He was immature and totally inappropriate towards me as a colleague, and yet his light-hearted banter always seemed to have a way of lifting my spirits. Despite my initial resistance, I found myself relaxing in his presence. Maybe having someone like him around wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
His grin widened and he reached out to run a finger down one side of my face, his touch setting off sparks of electricity in my skin as he leaned closer. “Do I detect a tiny crack in that icy facade of yours, Sariel? Better be careful, it might come across that you’re starting to like me.”
Alastor cleared his throat. "As much as I'd love to see you two continue your flirting session, we do have a mission to focus on," he remarked dryly. “And I might have found the tunnel we’re looking for.”
My blush deepened and I turned away, stomping across the sandy floor to where Alastor stood next to a dark crevice sunk into the cave wall. He shone his torch inside, revealing a deep crack that extended further back than the torchlight stretched.
“Ready to check it out? No point dragging all our gear down here if this doesn't lead anywhere."
“Do your scans show what’s down there?” I asked.
"Take a look." He angled the device toward me. The screen glowed a sickly pale green, its usual flurry of data conspicuously absent.
"Is that... normal?" I prodded, squinting at the blank display.
"Seems we're flying blind," Alastor said, a half-smirk playing on his lips.
I rolled my eyes, my irritation flaring again. What was it about this man that made me so uncomfortable?
"Oh, for Heaven’s sake, did you break it?" I asked.
His dark eyes glittered down at me. “No, actually. It's just the cave's energies messing with our tech. We'll have to wing it from here."
"Great," I said, though my sarcasm didn't quite mask the unease creeping into my voice. Going in blind wasn't exactly in my comfort zone.
Alastor scrutinised me for a moment, his head tilting slightly as if weighing my reaction. "You good to keep going? Or is the risk too high without our fancy gadgets? You know, from your leadership experience."
Irritation sparked in me at his taunting tone, and I opened my mouth to snap something back, when I caught a flicker of mischief in his eyes. He was teasing me. Like he did with the others. My irritation was replaced by a strange feeling. Happy. I was happy he was teasing me. He wasn't just goading me; he was checking in, making sure I was truly on board. The realisation softened the edge of my frustration, and without thinking, a genuine smile broke across my face.
"Lead the way... boss."
That got him. His eyebrows shot up, a look of surprise flashing across his features before he quickly masked it with his usualstoic composure. It was a rare slip in his armour, and inwardly, I revelled in the small victory.
"Boss, huh?" Alastor mused, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "I could get used to that."
"Let's not make it a habit," I quipped back.
“Now who’s flirting,” said Theo. “We’re good to go on for a bit, but we can’t stay longer than forty minutes, or we’ll not get back in time.”
Alastor nodded. “Ok, let’s get moving. Fifteen minutes in, and then we turn back, no matter what.”
The chill of the cavern settled around us as we ditched our cumbersome gear, stripping down to the sleek lines of our wetsuits. Alastor was already wearing the neoprene sock shoes, but he pulled spares out of his pack, tossing one set to Theo. He pulled off his gloves, and moved over to where I'd just stacked my tanks, weights and BCD against the wall.
“Put your hand on my shoulder,” he ordered, dropping to his knees in front of me. I blinked in surprise but did as he said. Gently, he slid one large hand down my calf, his fingers dipping into my fin, and as I raised my leg, he pulled it off. I leaned on his shoulder, secretly enjoying the feel of his shoulder under my hand, the way his muscles rippled under his skin as he slipped the shoe onto my foot. His bare fingers brushed against my skin as he ran his finger around the inside, making sure the shoe clung to my skin with no tucks and folds.
“Next,” he said, and I shifted my weight, and swapped to my other hand. He repeated the process with my other foot, then straightened up. Reluctantly, I pulled my hand back and looked up at him.
“Thanks,” I said.
“No problem. Here’s your fins.” He held them out to me, and I took them, then noticed the angry red blisters around his wrist.
“What’s that?” I asked.
"It's nothing," he said. “Just where the water got in, it’s fine.” He went to turn away.
"Stop." My voice was firm, and I captured his wrist before he could evade my reach. “Come here.”
