Page 54 of What Comes Around

By lunch I desperately needed caffeine, so I escaped to the break room and started the coffee machine. The small container of cream slipped from my fingers and rolled under the table.

I bent down to retrieve it.

“Holy mother of God.”

The voice came out of nowhere.

I jerked upright too fast and cracked my head against the underside of the counter with a loud bang.

“Ow.”

“Shit! Are you okay?” someone said immediately. Hands reached for me, steadying my arm. “I am so sorry. I did not mean to scare you.”

“I’m fine,” I muttered, rubbing the top of my head. “You just startled me.”

Then I looked up.

Crystal-clear blue eyes. Blond hair falling onto his forehead. Smile lines creasing his face like he laughed often.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m Jonah.”

He offered a hand to help me up.

I took it.

Before I could say anything else, a familiar voice cut in behind me.

“What the hell is going on here?”

I pulled my hand back and turned.

Knox stood in the doorway, hands on his hips. A muscle jumped in his jaw. The vein in his neck twitched.

Jonah straightened immediately. “My fault,” he said easily. “I walked in and surprised her. She knocked her head under the desk. I was just helping her up.”

He stepped past me and went right up to Knox, clapping him on the shoulder like they were old friends.

“I was actually coming to see if you wanted to grab lunch.”

Knox’s eyes flicked to me.

“What are you doing here?” he asked sharply.

“I was getting coffee,” I said, blinking at him.

Jonah frowned slightly. “Did I walk into something?”

Knox finally turned on him. “I don’t appreciate you coming down here and flirting with my employees.”

Jonah laughed. “Flirting? I was apologizing for nearly giving her a concussion.”

He looked at me and gave an exaggerated wink.

Knox’s expression darkened instantly.

“Come,” he growled to Jonah, already turning toward his office.

Jonah lifted both hands. “Alright, alright. Touchy today.”