Page 62 of Slow Burn

Elijah made his move and didn’t leave much space between them. Once his coffee was on the table, she handed him the wrap. “How long have you been awake?” he asked before he took a giant bite of his food. He didn’t realize how hungry he was.

“It’s seven now, so this feels like sleeping in. The clinic opens late on Wednesdays, so I don’t go in until nine,” she explained, moving her hand about as she spoke. “I’ve always been a morning person. It doesn’t matter what time I go to bed. What about you?”

Elijah paused to sip his coffee, wanting the caffeine to put him on her energy level. “I’m an any-time-of-day person.”

She grabbed the sandwich wrapper and threw it at him. “Show-off.”

“Hey,” he laughed, putting the paper down, “over the years, it hasn’t mattered if it’s morning or night. Whenever I get up, I’m ready to go.”

“Does your shift schedule mess with you?”

“I don’t know any different, but I’m sure you’d have a field day telling me about a proper sleep routine.”

Georgia took a bite of the breakfast wrap. “I understand the complexity of your job and schedule, so I wouldn’t nag you about it. But the shift schedule is hard. I did a rotation in my residency in the emergency room, and I couldn’t handle the wacky hours. I’m so proud of you for being able to push past it to put our community first.”

Damn, wasn’t she the sweetest person?

“I’m not a hero.” Elijah didn’t take praise well, especially when it was about his career. To him, it was no different from anyone else doing their job.

“Oh, I know.” She grinned at him over her coffee mug. “I mean, you only sleep with people who don’t live near you. That’s not hero behavior.”

Elijah licked a piece of breakfast debris from the corner of his mouth. “I seem to have made an exception for you.”

He watched her as she took a deep breath, and then she sat up tall. “That’s not true.”

“I took your virginity and made you orgasm.”

“I can make myself orgasm too.”

Oh fuck, the thought of Georgia touching herself ran through his head. It was impossible for his cock not to get hard around her.

“But you are adamant we can’t do it anymore,” she said, with blush creeping over her face.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Elijah wished she understood that.

Georgia crossed her arms, both of them silent as they watched each other.

“It’s my choice to make,” she told him with a tone like she was reprimanding a child. “I need to shower and get ready for work. Make sure you lock the door on your way out.”

She dismissed him, and Elijah wasn’t sure he liked it.

SOPHIE FLUTTERED AROUND Georgia’s bathroom, getting prepped for Anna’s party. Georgia was dressed, makeup and hair done, so she sat on the toilet watching her best friend act like she was getting ready to meet the cast of Off Campus instead of a bunch of firefighters.

“Are you nervous for Anna’s party?” Georgia blurted out.

Her friend stopped moving. “No, I just want to look good.”

She wasn’t too sure of this. Ever since the game of telephone, when Nash told Anna, who told Georgia, who, of course, told Sophie that Nash was bringing someone to the party, Sophie has been off.

Which didn’t make sense.

Sophie and Nash were like oil and vinegar.

But her reaction told another story.

Georgia tapped her hand on the bathroom counter to get Sophie’s attention as she went back to curling her hair. “I’ve never asked you this before, and you can tell me to zip it if you want to, but is there something you’re feeling about Nash bringing someone to the party?”

Naturally, Sophie rolled her eyes. “You can ask me a million times, and my answer will always be no. Nash is always with someone. This is nothing new.”