Page 46 of Jason Bourne (Seals on Fraiser Mountain #7)

Zoe

T he precinct lights hummed overhead, casting everything in sterile white. Cal Harris was locked in an interrogation cell, smug as ever, and the file in front of me was thicker than my patience.

I told myself I didn’t need backup. I told myself I didn’t need anyone.

Then the door opened, and in walked Forest Reed.

Dark eyes, steady stride, built like a man who carried the weight of the world and made it look easy. He didn’t belong in the city—Frasier Mountain was stamped into his bones—but the second I saw him, my pulse betrayed me.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded, sharper than I meant to.

“Making sure you don’t get yourself killed,” he said calmly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I hated the way my heart skipped. Hated it. Because this wasn’t supposed to be anything. That night in the closet and the many other places we pulled each other into—heat, adrenaline, lust—wasn’t supposed to follow me here.

But Forest’s gaze pinned me, steady and unshakable.

And deep down, I knew I was lying to myself.

First Look (continued): Zoe Brewer & Forest Reed