Just This Once, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge #3) by J.H. Croix

frustrated.”
    She cut her eyes at him. Her anger went from a simmer to a low boil. “I seem frustrated? Really?” she asked archly.
    He didn’t break from her gaze. “A little.”
    She stood abruptly, crossing her arms and glaring at him. “Whatever. It’s not worth arguing about. Barry told me I either take a month off or handle admin duty at another courthouse all because of Morris running his mouth. I can’t believe he’d do that! Why? Because he’s worried about how I’ll respond to this bullshit. What did he say to you?”
    She began pacing in the few feet behind her desk. She heard Aidan take a breath before he spoke. “Look, I get that you’re pissed. I didn’t ask him about you, he just told me he thought it’d be best for you to take a break from here for a while because Morris can’t shut up. I took a look at the reports from the jail after I met with Barry. Too bad Morris didn’t decide to go into union organizing, or something. He’s damn good at getting people to listen to him. Guy’s running around talking trash about prosecutors left and right. You’re not the only one, but he ended up buddies with a few of the perps on your cases, so now they’re bitching you ignored evidence on why their charges should be dropped.”
    Her circle of pacing was so small she felt dizzy, so she strode out from behind her desk and pushed her hair away from her face. “Right. Morris is such an ass. I can’t believe this! I don’t want to take a break! It feels like I’m caving if I do. It’s such bullshit.”
    Aidan cleared his throat. “It might be bullshit, but I get Barry’s point.”
    She swung to him. “Of course you do! Because it’s the safe thing to do.”
    His eyes met hers. She couldn’t read his expression, and it infuriated her further. She felt hot all over, anger and desire wrestling inside as she looked at him.
    “Maybe it is the safe thing to do, I get it. I do. I would be furious if someone told me to take a forced vacation like this, but this way you can control the script instead of the other way around.”
    Becca paced past him and back again. She hated it when reason won when she was angry. Her emotions were taut and warring. She wanted to stay pissed with Aidan, but none of this was his fault. She paused in her rapid pacing and turned to face him.
    He watched her carefully. Heat flooded through her belly and spread through her limbs. This desire was so inconvenient. It wasn’t supposed to be like this—where she wanted him with a ferocity that overruled all reason. Even worse, it didn’t make sense. Not right now. She was furious and embarrassed, and now all she could think about was him. The air crackled with tension. His eyes darkened, but he didn’t move.

Chapter 11

    Aidan held still though his body was nearly vibrating. Becca had been pacing back and forth in front of him, anger pulsing from her as she vented about the situation. Suddenly, she stopped in front of him. Now, he was caught in her gaze, her blue eyes snapping with anger and something else. She closed the distance between them. Her arms were crossed tightly, but when she stepped close, they fell to her sides. Standing a hairsbreadth away from him, her breasts rose and fell with her breath. Lust jolted through him, but he forced himself to remain right where he was. The utilitarian steel door behind him was cool against his shoulders. He could hear the distant murmur of voices in the hallway. It was still a few hours before the offices would close.
    Becca took a shuddering breath and muttered something.
    He cleared his throat. “What was that?”
    She glared at him. “I said it doesn’t matter!”
    “What doesn’t matter?’
    Her cheeks flushed, and she shook her head sharply. “That I said just once.”
“You mean…?”
    He didn’t manage to finish his thought, much less his question, when she placed her hand on his chest and slid it up to curl around the nape of his neck. “Maybe just twice,”