Thrill Seeker (Sinful in Seattle)

“Yeah, well it stops today. You could have been seriously hurt.”

“I know.” I held up my hands. “I know, Angel. I was lucky he just wanted my purse. Mr. Chapel happened to hear me scream and came running.”

“Did you file a police report?”

Good God, no. I had not been thinking about the cops at the time. In fact, I’d been performing a misdemeanor all on my own.

Kill me.

“It was late and I was shaken up. I just wanted to go home.” Not really a lie. Sort of. I had been shaken up. And then I’d lost my panties.

In fact, I still didn’t have them. Had I left them there on the cement? I tipped my head back. Oh, God.

“I can’t believe you came to work.”

“I woke up too late to find someone to cover for me.”

He shook his head. “You are a wonder, George.”

“We’ve had this conversation. I’m not a George.”

Angel curled his arm around my neck and dragged me back in for a half hug. “I’m just glad you’re okay. We’re going to have an afternoon meeting about this. I wish I hadn’t had to hear it from Max freaking Chapel, but I want my people safe.”

“I was coming in to talk to you at the very least.”

“We can handle things today. Why don’t you go home and get some rest?”

Now that I was out of the house, the idea of spending all day doing nothing was just too much. Not that I didn’t have tons of errands to do. Oh, man. DMV too. Could this get any worse? “I’m here. Let me see how it goes.”

He sighed. “You’re as bad as I am.”

“Worse.”

He snorted. “True that.” His celadon eyes bore into mine. “You go home if you need to.”

“I promise I will. I’m a little sore—” I broke off as his face leached of color. “I’m fine. He just knocked me down.” Stop talking. My boss was going to have a stroke. “Look, if it gets too bad I’ll take off. Promise.”

“Good.” He bussed my cheek, his perpetual stubble scraping my skin. Angel was an athletic guy with shoulders for days and a jawline that made women weep.

Well, except me. We’d grown up together in the restaurant. Angel had taken over for his father, Edgar—even if his father didn’t quite know what the word retired meant. We worked well together, but there’d never been a romantic moment between us.

We knew too many of each other’s dirty secrets. Like I knew that Angel was still in love with his high school girlfriend even though he’d been twice married—and neither of his wives had been Emma Wesley.

He knew that I was married to my job. And that I had the hots for Max but would never act on it.

At least that had been my stance until yesterday.

What a freaking clusterfuck.

“Do not overdo it today, kiddo.”

“You can’t call me kiddo. You’re the same age as me, dammit.”

“Get out of my office, George.”

“Ugh, stop with the George.” I laughed and he knew I would be all right. The worry trapped in the cute crinkles beside his eyes had eased.

We would be fine.