Page 16 of Built of Flames
“Knock, knock.” Mitch called out from the other room, and then he appeared in the doorway.
Bella’s heart raced, and she was smiling before she looked up. Apparently her crush on the man hadn’t dissipated overnight. Or over the years.
Mitch leaned against the doorjamb and tucked his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Bella kept the happy sigh internal. The t-shirt emphasized his muscles, and the pose screamed casual and delectable.
She was ridiculous.
But his eyes sparkled, and his eyes roved over her as well. “Good morning. Hope it’s okay that I walked right in.”
“Of course. I told you I’d leave the door open.”
Mitch looked around the room and then down at her and the papers all over the ground. “What are you planning in here?”
“This is going to be my fire lab. I want to recreate fire scenes in here and use it to figure out arsonist’s patterns and preferences.”
Mitch grinned and moved to squat down beside her. “Just like at the big forensic labs, but on a smaller scale.”
His freshly-showered scent made her want to lean in. No. It didn’t. It couldn’t. They’d only touched base yesterday, after years. The reunion’s happy vibes were still running through her. Between that and the lack of sleep, she was throwing herself intoWhat if?territory with a vengeance and she needed to stop.
Bella pulled her thoughts back to the sketches. “Exactly. Aisling has ordered the materials and is going to create the room as soon as they arrive. I’m just looking over the options and making sure everything is as I want it.”
Mitch reached out to tap the design she and Aisling had figured was best. “This one gives you the most options.”
She grinned. “That’s the one we’ve chosen. It’s got the best ventilation options. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t make a mistake.”
Mitch looked over the others. “You didn’t. Good choice.”
She stacked those sketches. His confirmation helped. She hadn’t talked with other fire personnel about the idea, and having his input helped.
“You’re going to work in miniatures?” He grabbed the other sketches and stood with them in his hand. When she started to rise, he held out a hand to help her up.
At his touch, her hand tingled, and those tingles reached right to her toes. And her heart.
Mitch didn’t let her hand go once they were standing. His brown eyes warmed as he smiled down at her. “I missed you, Izzy. I’m so glad Marcus invited me out this week.”
Her voice was shaky when she replied. “Me too. I haven’t been brave enough to make the step on my own.”
He pulled her in for a hug, and she went willingly. He was solid in so many ways, and the firmness of his arms around her helped her settle the nerves.
“I was so overwhelmed. I didn’t sleep at all last night.” Her confession slipped out without thought.
A chuckle rumbled through him. “I know exactly what you mean. I wasn’t quite sure yesterday was real. Then I worried this morning would be awkward. And that you’d remember how angry you were at me. Maybe kick me off the grounds. Or just kick my ass.”
Bella laughed and tightened the hug. “It’s very surreal. It’s going to take some time to believe. I wish I’d called before. Or at least kept my old phone number. Although I probably wouldn’t have been brave enough to listen to any messages.”
Mitch leaned back and frowned. “You didn’t listen to any of them?”
A flush covered her face as shame filled her. “No. I figured you all blamed me for Roberto’s injuries. When I looked around, all I saw was anger and distrust. I couldn’t bear to hear any more blame.”
Mitch kissed her forehead. “I’m so damn sorry about that day.”
“Me too. If I’d stuck around instead of running away, I’d have avoided a lot of mess.”
“But you would have missed out on the amazing opportunities you’ve had. You’re pretty impressive, Isabella, you know that, right?”
She snorted out a laugh. “Right.”
He squeezed her again. “I mean that. And I need some of that impressive to help me. You ready to talk work?”