ReBoot (MAC Security 4)

“I can’t remember the last time I listened to music and danced.” A faraway look glazes over her eyes and she looks away. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m dancing over to her, pulling on her hand and spinning her around.

“What are you doing?” Her voice hitches

as I sway her side to side with the beat, singing the words and telling her to dance with me.

I let go of her hand and dance around her, my head bopping along to the music. “Come on, Lexi. Show me what you’ve got.”

She throws her head back, laughing when I spin her around again before pulling her into my arms and looking down at her, not letting up on my singing.

My hands grip her waist as hers land on my biceps, squeezing softly as I bend at my knees, bringing our faces level as the beat sounds through the small speakers and the singer’s voice lowers.

I keep my eyes connected with hers as I sing the words, my voice getting louder when his does. I stand up to my full height, hearing the last riffs of the song as I grab her hand and spin her around again. She squeals, her hand gripping onto mine tighter as she slips. I try to save her, but my foot slips on one of the mats that I left on the floor.

I see it happen before it does, we both go tumbling to the floor in slow motion and at the last second, I wrap my arms around her waist, softening the blow as my back hits the floor. “Ooof!”

She tries to get up at the same time as I do, our heads smacking off each other. She laughs awkwardly as I groan from the impact, immediately apologizing.

I move to the right to get up only she moves the same way. I keep my eyes connected with her chin as I move the other way at the same time she does.

“Sorry,” she whispers, her cheeks reddening as she tries to get up but slips, landing back on my chest with a thud. “Shit!”

My chest vibrates with silent laughter as the back of my head drops to the floor before I lift back up and try to get up again.

I hear her breath catching in her throat as my face comes within centimeters of hers, my gaze landing on hers and watching the green brighten. The music dies down as my gaze flicks from her eyes and down to her lips. My hands instinctively tighten on her waist as I stare into her mesmerizing eyes. I’m drowning; drowning in the depths of them and I have a feeling that no one will save me.

What the hell am I doing?

“Lexi.” My breath fans over her face as I lean closer.

She doesn’t move, almost as if she’s afraid to breathe.

We stay locked in the stare for several seconds before her hand wanders up my arm, over the veins and up to my broad shoulder. My eyes close at the contact as a shiver rolls through me.

“Evan,” she pleads. What is she pleading for? For me to help her up? To move closer? To close the distance and touch my lips to hers? I have no idea.

My eyes snap open at the sound of the music being cut off and a ringtone echoing around the room. The ringtone that I assigned to Geena.

I let the shutters fall over my eyes, realizing what could have happened just now. I’ve known her for such a short time, but it feels like I’ve known her longer, like some invisible thread is weaving us closer. I don’t know what’s happening, but all I know is that I can’t allow anything to happen.

I have a girlfriend, and I don’t even know her. Not to mention the fact that she’s an ex-con and with my job, the guys wouldn’t like it.

I stare up at her with sadness and regret in my eyes before slowly letting go of her waist. She manages to get up, watching me as her teeth sink into her lip.

I jump up and look away after a beat, heading over to my bag and picking it up along with my cell, swiping my hand through my hair as I walk out of the room, leaving the rest of the equipment still scattered over the floor.

I have to get out of here.

I take one last look at her when I get to the main doors, taking a deep breath and then walking out as I try to forget about the feelings she emitted when she touched me.

I push open my cabin door, jumping down the steps before coming to a stop and turning the song up to the highest volume on my cell that is connected to my headphones. I close my eyes and move my hips to the beat, loving this new song “Shape of You” from the ginger-haired singing machine that is Ed Sheeran.

Images of when I danced with Lexi a couple of days ago assault me but I push them to the back of my mind. I don’t have the time or headspace to delve into what happened, or what nearly happened. Instead, I push it deep down and focus on the words in my ears.

It’s been over a week since we started investigating Darrell Le’Fraine and I’ve got a whole stack of information waiting on my laptop for us all to comb through. I spent the weekend hauled up in my cabin researching, taking only a few breaks for food.

I get lost in the song and the beat that is so addictive you just can’t not move. I bring my arms up into a boxing stance and start to move my shoulders around, pulsing forward and backward. My head moves from side to side, almost like it’s a separate entity to my body as I stand here having my own little danceathon. When the beat gets more intense I start to crouch lower before I spring off my feet and twist ninety degrees to face the warehouse before dancing my way over the gravel to the door.

I still have the music on full volume in my ears as I get to the door and I open my eyes briefly to pull on the handle before slamming them shut again and dancing my way into the warehouse, singing at the top of my lungs.