by Selena Scott
CHAPTER SIX
“Hugo is not going to work for me.”
“Oh for cripes sakes.” Diana had jolted when Orion came bursting into her office, startling her out of the document she’d been reading. Immediate and acute frustration swamped her the second he’d started talking. “What do you mean Hugo isn’t going to work for you?”
“I mean that you’ve matched me up with a deer shifter.” His large body filled the doorway frame to frame.
“Come in and close the door.”
Diana frowned at her own words because wasn’t that exactly what she’d been attempting to avoid for the few weeks since she’d met Orion Wolf? Being alone with him?
There was just something about this guy that put her on edge. Awoke a certain awareness in her. She’d been happier when that awareness had been soundly snoring within her.
Frankly, she hadn’t blamed Rose for bailing on the assignment. He was a tough client. And now he already had complaints about his second mentor. Whom he’d known for a whopping forty five minutes.
Orion sat down on the chair across from her desk and made it creak. The man was built like a breathing, heartbeating SUV.
“Your complaint about Hugo is that he’s a deer shifter?” She leaned back in her chair. “I didn’t take you for someone with prejudices.”
“Prejudices,” he repeated. “You mean that I don’t like him because he’s a deer shifter? No. That’s not what’s going on. He doesn’t like me. He jumps out of his skin every time I move.”
“And you think that’s because he’s a deer shifter?”
“I know it is,” he corrected her. “Think about it. Deer and wolves are natural enemies. I’m higher up on the food chain than he is.”
“Oh, lord.” She dropped her head back in the chair to stare at the ceiling, praying for patience. “That’s a myth, you know, that certain shifters don’t get along in their human forms because of what form they take when they shift.”
He scoffed. “Tell that to the animal kingdom. Better yet, tell that to Hugo. Seriously, I almost made him cry.”
Diana sat up and did something she’d avoided doing pretty much since the moment she’d met him. She really studied Orion.
He was big and blunt and vaguely handsome. Undeniably attractive. He was the kind of man a woman would want to be stranded on a desert island with. A big, strapping boy who could build you a treehouse and shake coconuts out of a tree. He looked like he drank a gallon of milk for breakfast, bench-pressed pretty girls in pretty skirts, dropped trou in a locker room with absolutely zero reservations.
Yeah. She guessed she could see why he’d made Hugo skittish. Hugo wasn’t exactly assertive. It wasn’t like she’d thought they’d make the best mentor/mentee pairing of all time, it was that Hugo was the only one who could add someone else to his schedule.
She sighed. That was her mistake.
She couldn’t back into this and just hope for the best results. She was really going to have to put thought into matching Orion. Ugh. She was really going to have to put thought into Orion.
“I’ll talk to Hugo. If it really is a no-go, I’ll find you another mentor.”
“You know, this could all be solved quite easily.”
She pursed her lips. His eyes were wide and guileless, so she knew that he wasn’t trying to wind her up, but damn if he didn’t wind her up. “I’m not going to be your mentor, Orion. I told you, I don’t do that anymore, and besides, there are plenty of mentors on my roster. I’ll find you someone.”
He looked like he was going to argue with her but then there was a knock on Diana’s door and Ida poked her head in. “Oh! Sorry to interrupt! I’ll come back later.”
“No, no! Come in. Orion and I were just finishing our conversation.” Diana rose and pointedly stuck her hand out for Orion to shake.
He looked vaguely amused and vaguely frustrated by the gesture, but he rose as well and then his large rough hand swallowed hers up.
She purposefully put her entire attention on Ida even before Orion had fully left the room.
“How can I help you?”
Ida slid into the same chair that Orion had just been sitting in which only accented just how large Orion really was. He’d dwarfed the chair while the chair dwarfed Ida.
Ida chewed her lip and looked like she was struggling to gather her thoughts. “Diana, have you ever had a crush on a client?”
“What?” Diana jolted. She suddenly felt hot and exposed, like all the buttons on her shirt would have just popped right open without warning. “No. Of course not.”
“Oh.” Ida sagged, looking immediately ashamed and disappointed in herself.
Crap. Diana kicked herself. This wasn’t the time for pride. This was the time for honesty. Ida was Diana’s best mentor, and if she were struggling with a personal problem in regards to a client and had openly come to Diana for help and advice, it would be the height of hypocrisy for Diana to turn her away under the guise of a lie.
Diana sighed. “Sorry, that was a knee jerk reaction. I’ve never had a relationship with a client. But to answer your question, yes. I’ve had a crush on a client.”
Ida’s eyes zoomed to hers.
“I think it’s natural,” Diana reassured her. “Our line of work is so personal. You’re helping people with every aspect of their lives. It makes sense that you might catch feelings every once in a while.”
Ida chewed on her lip and the silence stretched on. “When is it crossing a line?”
Diana blinked. “You should not be engaging in a physical relationship with a client. And if your emotional relationship starts to get in the way of their growth, or it interferes with your other client relationships, then that would be crossing a line as well.”
Ida looked immensely relieved. “So, as long as I keep my hands to myself and keep it profesh, you’re not going to fire me?”
Diana nearly laughed at the absurdity of that question. “Ida, you’re a talented and valued member of my team. You’ve never been inappropriate or made a mistake before. I trust you to do what’s right. And if you feel yourself struggling or slipping or you need help, come to me and we’ll make a plan. It could be that you’re not the right match for Phoenix. Or, um, whoever it is you’re having feelings for.”
Ida groaned and dropped her face into her palm. “That obvious, huh?”
“He’s very handsome,” Diana said tactfully.
“Ugh, I know. But it’s not a problem. I’ve got everything under control.”
***
It was with that conversation on her mind that Ida planned their next outing. She figured a group date with Dawn and Quill would be a little less potent than one on one time with Phoenix.
No, Ida! This is not a group date! She tersely reminded herself while she idled in the parking lot out in front of Phoenix and Dawn’s apartments. Group date implies date. And this is not a date!
“Eep!” She nearly had the ghost scared out of her when Phoenix knocked brusquely on the passenger side window.
His dark, frowny face ducked down to look at her through the glass. “Are you going to let us in?” His voice was muffled by the closed window. “Or are you just going to keep talking to yourself?”
He’d seen that?
Great.
Greatgreatgreatgreatgreat. No problem. Nothing to see here. Everything was going according to plan.
She was a crazy person.
She unlocked the car and Phoenix immediately hopped and folded into the front seat, stowing his crutches between his legs. Dawn slid quietly into the back, all round green eyes and silence, her hair a dark curtain between her and the world.
Ida knew that all she’d have to do would be to get Wren and Dawn within fifty feet of one another and Dawn would have a bangin’ new hairdo. Wren could never resist a challenge and despite the lack of a style, Dawn had beautiful hair.
But that was for another day.
Today was about getting to know Dawn.
“Hi, guys!�
�� Ida chirped. “Sorry about locking you out of the car. I didn’t see you there waiting for me. And I wasn’t really talking to myself.” She shot Phoenix a look.
“Then what were you doing?” he asked drily, gripping the handle at the top of the window and looking so hot Ida’s eyes nearly crossed.
Yeah, it was better if she didn’t glance at him while she was driving.
looking away vastly decreased the chances of her driving them off a bridge by accident.
"I was … thinking. With my mouth and voice.”
Dawn made a funny little noise in the backseat and Ida caught the tail end of a smile in the rear view mirror. That was a good sign, right? That she could make Dawn laugh?
She and Phoenix chatted during the drive and Ida made sure to include Dawn in everything she was saying. But she did it strategically. She never point-blank asked Dawn a question, thereby precluding the possibility of Dawn straight-up not answering her. It was clear as day to her that Dawn didn’t enjoy being in the spotlight, even if that just meant answering a single question.
So, Ida included all sorts of observations and comments about the landmarks they were passing, making sure to draw Dawn’s attention there. “I think you’d really enjoy that restaurant, Dawn. I’d take your brother there, but I'm scared he’d terrify the other patrons when he licked his plate clear through to the table.” That one got a split second of a smile from Dawn and a dark glare from Phoenix. But Ida didn’t care. Phoenix was a big boy. He could handle a few jokes at his expense if they were the key to getting Dawn to open up.
She tried other tactics as well. “That place has a cool backyard bar in the warm weather. They’ve got all these different games you can play so it makes it really easy to meet people.”
Dawn didn't even acknowledge she’d spoken that time and Ida made a note that Dawn was not, in the least, interested in meeting people.
“Who do you meet when you go there?” Phoenix asked, his stare as penetrating and unnerving as usual. “Men?”
“People, Phoenix. I’ve met people there.” She paused. “And some of those people happened to have Y chromosomes. Yes.”
“I don’t know what a why chrome-zone is.”
“It’s a part of your DNA or something. It’s like the thing that, you know. Well, I guess I don’t really know what it is either. Let’s just say that you didn’t miss much from our public school system. But basically, men have Y chromosomes and women do not. It’s what makes our bodies different.”
“It’s what makes our bodies different from one another?” he asked in blunt, steely-eyed confusion. “Are you talking about dicks? A why chrome-zone is a dick?”
“No!” Ida nearly swerved off the road as she fought back a maniacal laugh. “That is not what I'm talking about. You know what? Just ask Quill. He’ll explain it to you.”
Ida glanced in the rear view. She’d noticed Dawn’s head bouncing back and forth, tracking the volley between Ida and Phoenix. But at the mention of Quill, mirth evaporated from Dawn’s face. Her lips pursed and she was once again hidden by the curtain of her own hair.
Hmmm. Interesting. What was that all about? Ida could think of two reasons why a woman might react like that to the mention of a certain man’s name. Either she had the hots for him. Or she was scared shitless of him. Ida glanced at Phoenix’s gorgeous profile. His wide hand gripping the bar above the window, his huge legs spread and confident.
Or both. She reflected that it was, indeed, very possible to be deeply attracted and scared out of your mind at the same damn time.
She cleared her throat and searched for something else. Any other topic. Really, anything would do.
“Dawn, that shop has the cutest rompers of all time. I love wearing rompers. It’s like being allowed to wear pajamas all day. Although it’s a real bitch to go pee when you’re wearing one.” She turned to Phoenix. “You have to take the whole thing down to your knees to be able to sit on the toilet and I always end up having this moment that’s like, why the hell am I going topless in this public restroom?”
“As usual,” he informed her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He twisted in his seat. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”
“They’re like a dress, but with pants on the bottom instead of a skirt,” Dawn said in a low, husky voice. “They’re cute. I’ve seen human women wear them.”
Ida’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Dawn spoke. First of all, that was way more than the cursory grunt she’d been expecting. It was an entire sentence. Second of all, it showed that Dawn observed -or maybe even cared about- things like fashion. And third, most of all, Dawn’s voice was hot. Like some kind of smoky-voiced movie vixen. A villainess attempting to get the good guy to do very bad things. There was a freaking Catwoman hiding behind that mop of dark hair.
But before Ida could do any more investigation into the phenomenon, they were pulling up to the flea market where they were headed.
Quill was standing in the sun, leaning against his car, arms crossed over his chest and looking like a movie star if Ida did say so herself. She didn’t even have to check the backseat to know that Dawn would no doubt be hidden behind a curtain of hair, a frown on her face.
But it wouldn’t last long. Ida was determined! Phoenix had asked her to befriend his sister and that’s exactly what she was going to do. She felt it was her personal mission both as a mentor at the Center and as Phoenix’s, uh, friend? Well, whatever she was to Phoenix, it didn’t really matter. She was determined that Dawn would have fun today.
Ida hopped out of the car, gave Quill a fierce high five and pulled the door open for Dawn.
“Explain about Y chromosomes to Phoenix, would you? See you later, boys!”
And then she tugged Dawn to the market.
***
Well, it certainly seemed that Dawn and Ida were getting along. Quill wasn’t quite sure why that irritated him so much.
He’d actually blinked in disbelief when, across from across the flea market, he’d seen Dawn’s lips moving while Ida threw her head back and laughed.
Come on! Not only had Ida popped the soda can and gotten Dawn to talk, she was actually getting Dawn to joke?
“What’s Ida like as a mentor?” Quill asked Phoenix as the two of them strolled through the food carts at one end of the market. As shifters, they naturally had very strong appetites, but even so, Quill was impressed when Phoenix circled back to get a second burger.
Phoenix cocked his head, his expression fairly unreadable. Apparently that was a trait in their family.
“Good. Clumsy. Sweet.” He balanced his crutches and took the basket of food, using some impressive multi-tasking skills to get back to the picnic table where they popped a squat so that he could eat. Quill knew better than to offer Phoenix a hand. He’d already learned quite a bit about him in just the short hour that they’d been paired up today. He wasn’t nearly as hard to access as Dawn was.
“Seems like she’s a good match for Dawn,” Quill said, eyeing them across the market. When he turned back to Phoenix, it was to see his dark eyes scrutinizing Quill. The burger sitting in his hand, an un-chewed bite sitting in his cheek.
“No," Phoenix said, his eyes narrowed. “Ida is a good match for me.”
Okay, then. Apparently something else to know about Phoenix Wolf was that he was not amenable to switching around mentors. Quill inwardly groaned. He’d taken on Dawn because he’d figured she’d be easier to handle than Phoenix or Orion. Yeah freaking right.
Served him right for relying on his looks. Quill didn’t normally care very much about the fact that he was good looking, but he’d had a rough upbringing and he wasn’t about to turn his back on anything that could give him a leg up in this world. So, maybe he’d seen shy, insular Dawn, hidden behind her hair and thought, piece of cake. Maybe he’d figured he’d be able to flirt with her a little bit, clock in, clock out, get his paycheck.
Yeah. No.
Phoenix was still eyeing hi
m suspiciously so Quill raised his hands. “Not saying that she isn’t a good match for you.”
“We’re not switching,” Phoenix said gruffly. “Just be nicer to Dawn. She’ll come around.”
When he’d first signed up to work with Dawn, Quill hadn’t pictured having to utilize one of her brothers to figure her out. In fact, he’d kind of figured he’d be able to utilize Dawn to figure her brothers out. But that was neither here nor there right now.
“I am nice to her.”
“No, I mean be nice to her the way Ida is being nice to her.”
Quill had no freaking idea what that even meant. Which, he guessed, was probably a major part of the problem.
“I guess I better go observe, then.”
Phoenix finished his burger in two gigantic bites, swigged down his water and balled up all his trash into a tight little wad. “Yeah.”
The two of them caught up with the girls while they were lingering in a booth filled with all different kinds of antiques. Ida was combing through a rack of old, sequined dresses, jabbering away to Dawn.
Dawn was obscured behind a stained glass window that was for sale. She was just a shadow of light and color from where Quill was standing. He could tell she was lifting and lowering items, obviously interested in them. He took a few steps around the edge of the window, curious about what had caught her attention. He froze when he caught sight of her.
The light through the colored glass left streaks of color across her hair and fair skin. She was, for once, standing with no obstruction to her face. She was plain, in a pretty sort of way, except for those green, green eyes. Which were alight with interest and curiosity as she thumbed through the pages of a book.
She was standing in front of a shelf of old, crumbly books that were giving off that very distinct scent that aged paper seemed to do. But the look on her face was one of an adventurer who’d just discovered a great treasure. She set the book back on the shelf and picked up another. This one, he could see from where he stood, had illustrations with captions beneath. She smiled at the illustrations, one of her slender fingers dragging along the text at the bottom.