“Was that before or after you told her about Eddie?”
Shep studied the ceiling and Mike grinded his teeth waiting for an answer.
“When I told her who I was, she did act kind of, out of breath.”
Now that was interesting. Mike couldn’t help himself. “As in heavy breathing? Over the phone? Like an obscene phone call.”
Shep shot him a scowl. “You want to hear this or not?”
Mike held up his hands in surrender, but a chuckle escaped.
“Once I told her why I called, she talked my ear off. Kept thanking me. Took me by surprise when she asked me to go with her.”
“You going?”
“Yep. Already made the appointment.” Shep stretched his arms behind his head and propped his feet up on his desk. “How are things going with you and Cassie?”
Mike noticed how adeptly Shep changed the topic. Let’s see how Shep liked one-word answers. “Fine.”
Silence.
Sometimes Shep irritated the hell out of him with his calm, composed, unruffled demeanor.
“Well?” Mike asked.
“Well, what?”
Mike’s booted foot hit the floor as he sat straight. “You want to know, so why don’t you ask.”
“Figure if there’s anything you want to tell me, you will.”
Irritating ass.
“She’s getting too close,” Mike blurted.
Shep passed him a look full of condemnation. “She is? Or you are?”
“I can’t have a relationship.”
“Seems you already do.”
Yeah. He’d known spending the night with Cassie would be special. He didn’t expect his time with her to be so spectacular that he couldn’t stop wishing for more.
“I can’t … I can’t afford an attachment. You know that.”
“I don’t know any such thing. You’ve babbled such nonsense before. I don’t see any reason you and Cassie can’t have a future.”
“Future? You forget my mom walked out on my dad because of his profession?”
“Don’t mean Cassie will.”
He wished that were true. Cassie was a special woman, but how could he be sure she wouldn’t leave? “It takes a certain kind of woman to accept her husband being a firefighter.”
“You think she wants some pencil pusher?”
He didn’t know what Cassie wanted. Their relationship had not progressed far enough for him to find out. Hell, they just started dating. Even though they’d shared a hell of a lot more than a date. He wouldn’t get his hopes up. She wouldn’t stick around.
“My job is too dangerous.”