Page 35 of Heat Force
She glanced at him in surprise. “You don’t have to. You must be exhausted, you’ve had a long day.”
“So have you.” He put his hands on his hips. “But I’m here, and I’ve got nothing else to do.” That simple statement shouldn’t have made her heart skip a beat, but it did.
They worked side by side, Hawk carrying the bucket of soapy water and wielding the mop like a pro.
“You’re full of surprises,” she said, when he got started.
“Military discipline,” he said with a growl. “Made me into the man I am today.”
“Remind me to thank them,” she teased, as he carried on cleaning the floor.
They finished in record time, and once they were done and had washed and dried their hands, she turned to face him. “Thanks for your help.”
“Don’t mention it.”
She hesitated, wanting to say something else but not finding the words.
“I should go,” he said, filling the gap.
Lexi glanced out of the glassless window. “It’s still pouring. You’ll get drenched again.”
He grinned. “I’ll survive.”
And then he was gone, swallowed up by the storm. Lexi stared after him, her heart pounding for reasons she wasn’t ready to admit.
Another week passed quietly,but the routines of the clinic continued at their usual frantic pace. One morning, just after six fifteen, she found Dan in the clearing outside, setting up his camera equipment. She had already been up for a while, having checked on the wounded silverback that Noah, the field vet, had brought in overnight. Pausing to watch Dan adjust his lens, she asked, “What are the cameras doing here?”
He straightened slightly, smiling at her before returning his focus to the camera. “We’re filming the building progress today.” He positioned the lens towards the clinic. “Rex wants a stage-by-stage account of the revamp.”
“You don’t mind, do you?” Hawk came up behind her, making her jump, or maybe it was just her heart. She hadn’t heard him approach.
“Of course not. I was just curious.” She smiled and nodded to the clinic. “Coffee?”
His early morning visits had become a habit—one she secretly looked forward to.
At first, they’d talked about their days, and what they had planned. He’d listened, really listened, in a way that most people didn’t, and their talks had begun to feel … comfortable. Intimate, even. But she’d kept up her guard, carefully steering away from anything too personal.
“I heard you had an eventful night,” he said, as they walked toward the clinic together.
“Yeah, a lone silverback showed up, ousted from Bongi’s clan. He’s got some nasty wounds on his neck—probably from challenging Bongi or another alpha. It was a long night. I just checked on him before I spotted Dan.”
“Was he trying to take over the clan?”
Lexi quirked an eyebrow. “You’ve been reading Robert’s books.”
A small grin tugging at his lips. “Figured it wouldn’t hurt to know what I’m talking about.”
“Well, you’re spot on. If a male’s strong enough, he can challenge the dominant silverback, especially if the leader’s aging, like Bongi. Otherwise, the only option is to go off and start his own clan.”
“That’s rough.” Hawk’s gaze was thoughtful. “Bongi must be on constant high alert now.”
“He has to be,” Lexi agreed, pouring the coffee. “I’ve asked the rangers in that area to keep an eye on him in case he’s injured, too.”
Hawk took the mug she handed him, their fingers brushing briefly. His voice dropped a little as he said, “Not so different from us humans, huh?”
Lexi chuckled. “Strip us down to the basics, and we’re not so different from our ancestors.”
They sipped their coffee in companionable silence for a moment before Hawk set his mug down, his expression shifting to something more serious. “Lexi, there’s something you should know.”