LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER THREE

      HE WAS ALREADY there when she arrived for duty the next morning.

      And yep. She liked him just as much in his scrubs as she did in his dress uniform. Darn it.

      ‘How did you get on last night?’ Frank nudged her at the front desk.

      ‘What do you mean?’

      The old rogue’s eyes were twinkling and she felt herself start to bristle. She had a horrible feeling she knew where this would go. Nothing on this base was a secret. ‘I heard you took the new boy out for something to eat, then showed him back to his place. Get back late last night?’ He nudged her again. Twice.

      There was a giggle behind her. Seiko. The aerospace medical technician who had seen her with Avery outside the changing rooms.

      ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Nothing happened.’ She glared at Seiko and turned back to Frank. ‘And if I find out you’re saying anything else...’

      Frank held up his hands and laughed as he walked away. ‘He’s a good-looking guy. Got to get in there quick. Who knows who else might decide to get friendly with him?’

      Something uncomfortable crept down her spine. She didn’t even want to think about that. And that was even more ridiculous because she hadn’t even thought to ask him last night about his family. Or any attachments. Or any children.

      She felt sick. For a few seconds last night she’d thought he might actually kiss her. Even more ridiculous. You couldn’t just meet a guy and let him kiss you. News like that would sweep around the base quicker than a new karaoke song. She’d no intention of being the subject of anyone’s gossip. Her father would flip.

      He’d intervened twice that she knew of. And even though she’d joked with Avery last night, she’d never asked him to intervene. One guy had been boasting about dating the General’s daughter—and boasting about a bit more than that. He’d ended up at a different base in Japan. Another guy who’d told her he was single had been mysteriously transferred after a few months of heavy dating. She’d heard later through the grapevine that he’d had a pregnant fiancée back in the US who was also in the service.

      Neither guy had ever been mentioned but the General didn’t take kindly to anyone making a fool of her.

      Trouble was, Avery was kind of fun. And fun was what she needed right now. She might even have to warn the General off.

      She’d heard Blake mention earlier that they weren’t even sure how long his posting would be as he was covering for someone else. Her brain was telling her to back off. But she couldn’t get over how comfortable she’d been around him—or how one look had given her a tiny buzz she’d never experienced before.

      Even if it was only for a few weeks or months, what was the harm in seeing Avery Flynn?

      She stalked down the corridor and checked the board to see how many patients were in the ER. A little voice drifted down the corridor towards her. ‘You smell funny.’

      ‘Do I?’

      She almost laughed out loud. She peeked around into the cubicle. Avery was talking to a little girl with blonde curly hair. She was sitting on her father’s knee as Avery bent in front of her. The father, First Lieutenant Bruce, caught Katsuko’s eye and cringed.

      ‘Hi, Abigail. What is it today?’

      She walked behind the curtain and knelt down next to Avery. The tidal wave of fresh aftershave swept over her. She tried to keep her face straight as she mumbled under her breath. ‘Wow. You’ve overdone that a bit.’