ALPHA ZANE

The moment I turned that corner and saw her, everything in me went still.

She had nearly walked straight into me, her eyes wide with surprise, her cheeks immediately flushing pink. She was in training clothes, her hair slightly damp at the edges from exertion, and even like that, even caught completely off guard, she was the most distracting thing I had seen all morning.

She held up her phone quickly. “Good morning, sir.”

I gave her a nod. That was all I could give her out here, in the open, where anyone could see. I felt the coldness settle over my face the way it always did...