Hooked on a Phoenix

by Ashlyn Chase

  “I’ll bet you had a fire extinguisher handy, though.”

  “Of course. Several of them.”

  “Why does that not surprise me?” She took a deep breath and sighed. “I’d love to build a nice warm fire sometime, but I’m afraid the dragon lady doesn’t allow it.” She poured a glass of wine and handed it to him.

  The term dragon lady startled him at first. She couldn’t know about his sisters-in-law. Nah, it’s just an expression. The no-fire rule was probably a good idea, considering the landlord couldn’t keep an eye on what a tenant did.

  “Okay.” He extended an arm. “I’ll just have to keep you warm myself.” Holy shit. Where did that come from?

  She smiled as she poured some wine for herself and then snuggled into the space beside him. “Mmmm… This is nice and warm.”

  He took a sip and wondered how to approach the subject of her safety without coming off like a bossy boyfriend or big brother. “So, do you have a fire extinguisher?”

  “Yes. There’s one in the closet. And she put sprinklers in. See?”

  Gabe had already noticed the devices in the ceiling, but they might not be operable. People had been known to install the apparatus without hooking it up to any plumbing. It looked good enough to pass inspection, and that was all they wanted. Without making a hole in her ceiling or starting a fire, he couldn’t gauge their effectiveness. It was time to move on to the next part of her safety assessment.

  Her working in a bank.

  “Have you thought about trying some other type of job?”

  “I have to admit, I was kind of wishing I worked somewhere else a few hours ago.”

  “I think that’s an excellent idea.” He took a sip of his wine. It was rich, without a hint of bitterness. Unlike himself.

  She leaned away from him and studied his face. “I didn’t mean I was actually going to quit. It took about six months to get comfortable doing this teller thing. I can’t imagine starting all over again in some other job that requires training. Besides, I could be held up anywhere. Stores are robbed all the time.”

  “You could waitress.”

  She made a sound of disgust.

  “What?” He set down his wine glass on the ottoman. With the tray on top, he figured it could function as a coffee table, which is where he assumed a glass should go.

  “Is that all you think I’m good for? Waitressing?”

  “Not at all. I was just thinking…” After a brief hesitation, he realized he’d insulted her but didn’t know how or why. “There’s nothing wrong with serving the public. I do it myself, every day.”

  She snorted. “It’s hardly the same thing. I like to get dressed up and feel like a professional, not come home smelling like French fries.”

  “I wasn’t talking about fast food. There are some high-end…”

  She was scowling at him.

  “Never mind. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’re safe. I know it’s hard to get professional jobs with just a high school diploma. At least, I never heard about your going to college. Did you?”

  She seemed to stiffen, then set her wine next to his and crossed her arms. “No. I was taking care of my grandparents so they could die at home.”

  He felt terrible but didn’t know how to make it better.

  “You know, I had you pegged differently. When we were growing up, you didn’t treat me like a dumb girl. If you guys were playing a game, you treated me equally. It didn’t matter what the game was. Hide-and-seek. Battleship. Cards. Whatever. But now it seems like you’d be worried that I’d hide in the wrong place or sink my own battleship.”

  He laughed. “I don’t think that. You’re smart and plenty brave. But I also know you’re beautiful, and—” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence. He really didn’t. Was he being chauvinistic? He didn’t mean to be. He scratched his head. “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

  “Why? Before this afternoon you didn’t even know I worked in a bank. Or… Wait. Did Parker put you up to this?”

  “Parker?”

  “Yeah, Parker. My brother. Your good friend. Remember him?”

  Gabe tried for a casual chuckle, but it came out more like a nervous laugh.

  “Oh, shit. He did!”

  “No. I heard you moved back to Boston. He did tell me that.” He thought about how he could tell the truth without giving anything away. He didn’t want to outright lie to her, but pretending that he just happened to walk into her bank was pretty suspicious.

  She was staring at him like she wouldn’t believe whatever came out of his mouth next. He had to admit he wouldn’t believe it was a coincidence either. “I’m sorry, Misty. You’re too smart to believe anything but the truth. Yes, I promised your brother I’d be there for you if you needed anything. But he also asked me to keep it quiet.”

  “Why?”

  “He knows you want to rely on yourself. I admire you for wanting to be independent. For the record, I thought the secrecy thing was a terrible idea. I couldn’t think of a way to casually bump into you so you wouldn’t know I was keeping tabs on you. I should have realized you wouldn’t fall for it.”

  It was time to change the subject. Quickly. “You know, Noah suggested I invite you to Sunday dinner at our parents’ house.”

  “Noah, huh?”

  “Well, yeah. He mentioned it while we were down in the vault. But I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t agree with him.”

  “So apparently, you’re asking me?”

  This felt like a trap. He had the feeling there was some kind of right answer, something he wasn’t saying, but what exactly could it be? “Yeah, I think it’s a good idea. You could catch up with the rest of the family, and they’d love to see you.”

  “Just them? Not you?”

  Okay. He knew where this was going. “Sure. Me too.”

  She let out a long sigh.

  “Misty—”

  She held up one hand to stop him from saying any more. “Fine.”

  Uh-oh. He got the “fine” response. That usually meant something wasn’t fine. He didn’t understand woman-speak very well, but that one he knew. It was probably best to sidestep the trap at this point.

  “So, would you like to come?”

  She looked at him with a smirk and raised an eyebrow. He thought about what he had just said. Oh, shit… Is she coming on to me? Little Misty?

  “I’d love to come.”

  “When?”

  Another sparkle in her eye. He imagined she was thinking “right now.” Fuck. Little Misty was a femme fatale. And he’d do well to remember it.

  * * *

  Alone in his studio apartment near the theater district, Gabe called Parker on his computer. They had set up Skype so they could talk in case Misty was in trouble.

  “Parker, you’re an ass.”

  “What? I’m a million miles away in a dusty shithole, defending your freedom. What could I have possibly done?”

  “I thought you were still in some kind of specialty training stateside.”

  “Yeah, yeah. So what did I do?”

  “It’s what you didn’t do. You didn’t tell me your sister grew up to be a knockout.” Gabe leaned back in his desk chair, not caring if his buddy was being shot at. He’d like to shoot at him too right now.

  “She is?”

  “Oh, come on, man. Don’t pretend you don’t know it.”

  Parker shrugged his camo-uniformed shoulders. “Okay. I guess she’s pretty. But that’s why I wanted someone looking out for her. She doesn’t even realize it, and I see the way guys look at her.”

  “So you thought she’d be safe with me?”

  “Of course.” He leaned forward, and his brows contracted. “Why wouldn’t she be?”

  Gabe closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “
Christ, man, I’m only human.” He wasn’t, but Parker didn’t know that. Sometimes he wished he had paranormal libido control, but that wasn’t one of his powers.

  “Wait a minute.” Parker bristled. “Are you telling me you might…come on to my sister?”

  Gabe didn’t answer.

  Parker’s expression changed from confused to stormy. “Gabe?”

  “Look, something happened, but it’s not what you think.”

  “What do you mean? What happened?” When Gabe didn’t respond right away, Parker demanded, “What the hell happened, asshole?”

  “Nothing! I don’t want to worry you.” Gabe swore under his breath.

  “Too late, shithead. What did you do?”

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  Parker leaned back and crossed his arms. “So you’re saying she did something.”

  Gabe scratched the back of his neck. “Well, um…she did come on to me, but there were extenuating circumstances.”

  “Whoa. Be very careful, my friend. That’s my little sister you’re talking about. I know she’s a man magnet, but she’s not a slut.”

  “Of course not! That’s not what I was saying.”

  “Then what the fuck are you saying?”

  Gabe sighed. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “Well, you’ve achieved that!” Parker glared at him for several seconds.

  Finally, Gabe gave in. “Look, I didn’t want to worry you, but your little sister’s bank was robbed. I happened to be there at the time. You asked me to look out for her, and that’s what I did. She was grateful, and she kissed me.”

  Parker relaxed a bit, then he stiffened. “On the mouth?”

  Gabe laughed. “You’re not worried about the bank robbery, but you’re concerned that I kissed your sister on the mouth.”

  “Of course I’m worried about the bank robbery, but you said you were there and you kept her safe. She’s okay, isn’t she?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine. You’re welcome.”

  “Fuck.” Parker closed his eyes and shook his head. “I messed up. I should’ve thanked you first.”

  Gabe let out a sigh of relief. “That’s okay. It must be frustrating to be so far away. I think I understand now why you wanted someone nearby. Someone she could turn to in an emergency. She’s your little sister. But she’s not helpless.”

  “I didn’t expect her to need your help at all, never mind so soon.”

  “But she did. I don’t know about you, but I’d feel better if she wasn’t working in a bank.”

  “To be honest, I never thought a bank robbery would happen. It seemed like a pretty tame job to me. I guess now I have more to worry about.” He raised his eyes and seemed to gaze at the sky—or ceiling. It was hard to tell where he was.

  “Worrying won’t help anyone. I promised I’d look after her, and I will. I’ll do whatever I can to keep her safe and sound until you get back. Maybe even help her find a new job.”

  Parker inhaled deeply and let out a long breath. “I know you will. That’s why I asked you.”

  “She’s coming over for dinner Sunday at my parents’ house. Everybody will be happy to see her. She’ll have a lot of people to turn to besides me.”

  “That doesn’t let you off the hook, you know. I still want you to keep tabs on her—from a distance.”

  Gabe didn’t know how to tell his friend he’d blown the secret part of the mission. He yawned. “Sorry, it’s late over here. I should get some sleep. I go on duty at six tomorrow morning.”

  “Sure. Hey, listen, thanks for telling me what happened. I want to know everything, and I doubt Misty would’ve told me about it.”

  “Well, if she does, act surprised. I already feel like a snitch.”

  “And your country thanks you for your service.”

  “Don’t be an asshole.”

  Parker laughed. “No guarantees. Call me soon, okay?”

  “Yeah, whatever.” Gabe hung up with a smile on his face. At least they were still friends.

  For now.

  Chapter 5

  “Misty! It’s so good to see you.” Mrs. Fierro ran to the open front door and clasped Misty in a tight hug, then she stepped back and held her by her arms, looking up at her. “My, how you’ve grown up. When you left, you were about my size.”

  Misty giggled. “It’s nice to see you too, Mrs. Fierro.”

  “Oh, sweetheart. You can call me Gabriella now.”

  “Okay, Mrs. Fier—I mean Gabriella.”

  Gabe hoped his mother wouldn’t take his inviting Misty to dinner the wrong way. He hoped Misty wasn’t taking it the wrong way either. He had offered to borrow Dante’s car and come get her, but she said she’d be fine taking public transportation. Maybe she got the “just friends” message.

  But did his libido listen?

  She looked gorgeous. Even prettier than she had at work the other day. For one thing, she wasn’t wearing a suit. Her dress wasn’t exactly conservative but not trashy either. It hugged her curves and left little to the imagination. He supposed it would be called a little black dress. The neckline looked like the top of a heart and revealed a peek at what promised to be generous cleavage. A white pearl necklace lay across her glowing skin.

  He grabbed her coat and hung it next to his in the closet while his mother took her into the living room. Then he joined the rest of the family.

  Everybody was already there. Everyone who was still in town, that is. Jayce and Kristine were on their honeymoon in the eastern Caribbean. St. Thomas, or St. Martin, or some other sainted island. No one had heard from them since they called to say they’d arrived safely. On a honeymoon, no news was good news.

  Ryan and Chloe were living in Ireland, in a freakin’ castle, and working for the local volunteer fire department. So that left Miguel and Sandra, holding hands on one side of the couch, and their father, Antonio, next to them. Gabe’s three younger brothers were lounging beside the fireplace. His father rose with everyone else and welcomed Misty with open arms.

  As Noah and Dante hugged her, each of them glanced over her shoulder and gave Gabe a knowing smirk. Luca was the only one who seemed unaware of Gabe’s interest in her.

  He sighed. There had to be a way to explain his relationship to her without making it sound like he was her boyfriend or her babysitter.

  When she had been properly greeted, Dante gave up a comfortable armchair for her.

  “Can we get you a beer or glass of wine?” Antonio asked.

  “I’d love a glass of wine.”

  Antonio glanced at Gabe. “Go get the girl a glass of wine, Gabriel.” His father flopped back onto the couch.

  Uh-oh. His dad sounded annoyed. He must have thought Gabe was supposed to offer. But this wasn’t his house, so why should he? He wanted to make sure everyone knew he was just her friend. Not her date. But how could he do that right in front of her without insulting her?

  “So, what have you been up to?” Gabriella asked Misty as Gabe left the room to get two glasses of wine. One a little fuller than the other—for his nerves.

  He didn’t hear all of her answer. Mostly because Dante had followed him into the kitchen.

  “Do you think I need help to pour two glasses of Chablis?” Gabe offered him the corkscrew.

  “Nah.” Dante lowered his voice to a whisper. “I was wondering if you’d mind if I ask her out.”

  Gabe leaned away, shocked. “What the hell kind of question is that? First of all, she’s not my property, so you don’t need my permission. And second of all, if you do ask her, I’ll have to pound your bony ass into the pavement.”

  Dante burst out laughing. “I knew it.”

  Noah leaned around the corner of the kitchen. “He is, isn’t he?”

  “Oh yeah. You win.”

  Gabe glanced between his grinning
brothers. “Did you two have some kind of bet?”

  They just smirked at him.

  “Un-fucking-believable.” Gabe finished pouring two glasses of wine and ignored his brothers as he brought them into the living room.

  He handed Misty her glass, and she looked up at him with a smile.

  His cock hardened.

  Quickly taking a seat, Gabe tried to hide the evidence of his arousal. He no sooner got comfortable than his mother said she had to check on dinner and asked Gabe for help in the kitchen.

  He almost groaned aloud. That was never good. She liked to be alone in the kitchen when she was cooking, so she was probably cooking up something else altogether.

  “Misty was telling us about the bank robbery.”

  Gabe scratched his head. “Yeah. That was pretty frightening for her.”

  His mother smiled up at him with her usual empathy. “It must have been pretty frightening for you too, darling.”

  “Yeah, but only because I was worried about her. Thanks for that, by the way.” He crossed his arms.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You were the one who insisted I look after her.”

  “And I’m glad I did.” Gabriella stirred the simmering pasta sauce. “She would’ve been all alone after that horrible experience if you hadn’t been there. She was just saying you got her through it.”

  Gabe looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath. “I wasn’t thinking straight. I feel like an idiot for pushing her into that vault and locking us in. She was concerned about her coworkers, and I was only concerned about her.”

  Gabe’s mother smiled at him and put her arm around his waist. She had to look up at her six-foot son. “Someday, my darling, we’ll have to sit down so I can introduce you to yourself.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean by that?”

  She stroked the side of his face. “Only that you are probably the most sensitive of my sons and the least aware of it.”

  Gabe burst out laughing. “Someday, Ma, we’ll have to sit down so I can introduce you to myself. I think you’ve got me all wrong.”

  “Oh, no. I’ve got you pegged exactly right.” She pulled his face down and kissed his cheek. “Now, we’d better get this food on the table.”