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Her mouth opens slowly, but then promptly snaps shut. She nods quickly before turning back to hustle to the locker room. I realize in that moment, the look I couldn’t read was fear. Which confirms there’s something more going on, but I can’t burst in and demand answers. I have no proof, nothing to base those concerns on. There’s no physical evidence, and she’s never asked for help, but I’ll make sure every adult in this building knows to keep an eye out for her.

I’ve done this enough times to know when a kid needs help.

“Oh, my god, Lezak! Get back here!”

Looking up from the clipboard in my hand, I see my dog sprinting toward me with something in his mouth. Not even a second later, Mia appears in the doorway, dark hair flying, and a frantic look on her face as she chases after him. My curiosity is instantly piqued.

“Lezak, stop!” The dog keeps running. “Lezak, heel!”

“We haven’t learned that one yet,” I call. Which only earns me a groan from her.

I squat down to meet the puppy at the same time Carter blows his whistle and yells, “Walk!”

Mia flips him off over her shoulder and speeds up. Thankfully, there are no kids here because we’d never get them to walk on the deck again. “Ronan, do not touch that!”

“Hey, boy,” I greet the pleased puppy once he reaches me. I pet him between his ears with one hand while I take what I now realize is a bra from his mouth. It’s deep purple and lacey. Well, shit. “Are you taking things that aren’t yours again?”

Mia slows to a stop right by us. “I’ll take that back.”

When I look up, she’s flushed, and holding her hand out. I’m not sure if it’s embarrassment or the jog that’s painted her cheeks. I stand, but keep the bra out of her reach.

“Ronan, come on!” She still has her hand out, toes tapping against the deck, but the red I can see on her ears confirms she’s embarrassed. “Give me the bra back. Your dog stole it!”

“‘Stole’ seems like a harsh word, don’t you think? He’s a retriever, he retrieves.” Being the glutton for punishment I am, I unfold the bra, and take a look at it, letting out a low whistle. “Damn.”

With a gasp, Mia lunges for it, but I move quicker. “Ronan, what the hell?”

I’m teasing her, making her squirm for fun. I’m definitely not picturing this against her pale skin or wondering why she has it at work but isn’t wearing it. That would be a bad idea.

“You’ve shown no proof of ownership. I’ve heard bras are expensive. How do I know—”

Smirking, she crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m at least a cup size bigger than both Kat and Josie, who are the only other women here. Does that suffice?”

Although the statement has some interesting information in it, I don’t want to think about the bras my friends’ girlfriends wear. I hand it over to her. “How did he even get it?”

Huffing, she awkwardly holds it in her hand, not having anywhere to put it. “The strap on my bag broke. Your dog decided it was a prized possession and took off with it before I could pick everything up.”

“Maybe he just has good taste.” Giddy flutters whirl in my stomach when I see the flush come up her cheeks again. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you usually wear bras? Not bring them with you to work?”

A small smirk tugs at the corners of her lips, and I’m suddenly less sure about my teasing. “Because I have a date tonight and I need to leave right from work to get there.”

My breath catches in my throat, forcing me to make an embarrassing sound I refuse to put a name on. Her smirk grows, and I clear my throat. “And you need this bra over the others you own?”

“Well, sure.” She shrugs. “It’s pretty, right? And a girl should always wear a pretty bra on a date—whether it’ll end in hooking up or not.”

Instinctively, I take a step closer, my senses being assaulted by the faintest fragrance of her perfume—something fresh and airy that blends with the chlorine. “And are you planning on the night ending with a hookup?”

Mia gnaws at the corner of her lip, looking a little less sure of herself. “Who knows? I haven’t met this person yet. I don’t know if I’ll connect with them.”

A quick glance around the deck tells me we’re the only ones here. No one is watching us. I reach out, pulling her closer. She allows me. “Well, just remember, there is someone you have a connection with.”

Her eyes flutter closed, and I fully expect her to close the distance between us, give into the growing tension. At the last second, she steps back, leaving me stunned. “What?”

“Let’s give this person a chance, Ronan,” she teases with a flirty smile. “Maybe I’ll find a connection with them. If not, I know where to find you.”

With a wink, she turns to head back toward the lobby, leaving me a stunned, sputtering mess. I’ve always been the one to flirt. Mia tends to go where I lead her, but this will-she-won’t-she thing is new. And I think I like it.

I look down at Lezak, who’s staring up at me with his tongue hanging out. “Next time you steal her bra, I better get a kiss out of it.”