Path of Cinders (Alternate Routes Book 9)

by Chapel Byrne

  “What the….” She stared, fascinated. She imagined that she was breathing into the fire, and it seemed to spread.

  “I don’t know what you are,” Shane said, and he seemed in awe. Then, in a more practical tone, he said, “I wouldn’t keep stoking it. Not when we’re sitting somewhere so flammable. Not if you don’t know how to control it.”

  “Is it dangerous?” It sounded like a stupid question as soon as it was out.

  “Well, I don’t tend to get burned, but your flames seem like they could do the job. So, by my estimation, yes.” He paused. “I don’t want you to imagine putting it out. Or, really, to visualize it. You should burn on. But maybe visualize that it’s compacted back behind whatever firewall it’s been behind.”

  With eyes closed, Lina imagined there was a core of fire and she was compacting it back, safely walling it off. She opened her eyes, and her chest no longer glowed.

  She felt Shane wrap his arms around her and kiss her cheek. “It looks like Lina is something more than she ever expected.”

  Her brain finally started working, and she asked, “But what am I? And what are you? Like, are you some kind of witch?”

  He laughed. “I honestly don’t know what you are. And I’m not a witch. I don’t need spells or charms. I’m just…a man born or fire and charm—the charisma kind, not the kind that makes good jewelry.”

  “I…I think maybe…How am I supposed to sleep now?” She could feel her brain spinning up.

  Shane was still holding her, so she eased down with him as he laid back on the bed. He smoothed her hair, lightly brushing his fingertips over her forehead and eyelids as well. He whispered, “You just close your eyes and let the darkness take you. Easy as that.”

  And, it turned out, the darkness was happy to let her fall into it.

  CHAPTER 5

  The next morning, over breakfast in a nearby café, Lina stared through her sunglasses at the fruit on her plate. Keeping her voice down, she asked, “What if this fire had come out before? What if I’d hurt someone?”

  Shane savored his bacon before he replied, “First, it didn’t happen. Second, I’m happy to help you figure out how to be the boss of your fire. Third, really, would it have been such a tragedy if that brute ex of yours had been burned?” His voice got a vicious edge. “I’m not going to pretend that I’m a saint, but there are certain kinds of things that I loathe. Certain things that, even if it’s what an artist wanted in order to join us, I wouldn’t be okay with. It’s a small list, if you want to know the truth. But if an abuser burns?” He snorted with disgust. “I say let him burn.”

  “As long as…You don’t think that I’m an actual danger, do you?” She tried not to focus on the way that, with Shane’s disgust, she found herself picturing a scene where Brad hit her and she incinerated him. It was a little too vindictively pleasing an image.

  “Oh, kind Lina…If what you went through, and I obviously don’t know details, but you were with an abusive boyfriend for a decade and it didn’t strike out? I’m pretty sure that you’re only a danger if you choose to be,” he reassured.

  “Am I, like, a superhero?” She picked at her food, trying to wrap her head around it in the light of day. The light that was a bit too bright for how hung over she felt.

  “Again, I think it’s your choice. Do you want to be a superhero?” He could have been asking her if she wanted to be something much more mundane, like an accountant or a doctor.

  “I want to say yes, but I’m pretty sure that I’m not in good enough shape. Or actually brave enough.” Her lips curled into an unhappy moue. “I guess cowardice is the story of my life.”

  Shane leaned forward and whispered intensely, “You’re no coward. You’re a woman of fire. You could save the world or burn it to ash.” He reached out to grip her hand, and repeated, “You’re no coward.”

  The heat of his hand and the flames of his eyes, not hidden by sunglasses, seemed to burn into her, to carry his words to her core. She nodded, not trusting her voice. She could feel tears trying to creep out.

  With his other hand, he reached across the table and slipped off her sunglasses, capturing her eyes with his. He raised an eyebrow as if to say, “And will you nod when your eyes aren’t hidden?”

  Lina nodded again, and he held the eye contact a moment. Then he nodded as well, satisfied, and somehow slipped her sunglasses back on as easily as he did everything else.

  He went back to eating, and she did the same. Under the table, she felt him move his foot forward, next to hers. It felt less like a come on and more like a reminder that he was there, with her, if she wanted it.

  After a few bites, she said, “I know you’re busy, but…Would you help me make sure I’m in control? I feel like I’ve just discovered I have a loaded gun in the house. And the only way to be safe with that is to know how to use it.”

  “Absolutely. Though I’m going to ask you for a favor in return.” He kept eating, but his eyes were on her, not the food.

  “Okay. What can I do for you? You seem to pretty much have your life nailed down.” She bet herself this was just a chance for him to suggest more sex.

  “It looks good if I have a beautiful woman on my arm. And, in the past, I’ve had a string of women who were…Well, they were beautiful, but I wouldn’t have spent time with them just to spend time with them.” He took a bite, let that hang in the air.

  Lina gaped, amused. “You even dated for your job? Like, do you have any actual work/life balance?”

  He chuckled. “Probably not. But I want that. And I don’t want to have any woman other than you on my arm.” He looked at her evenly.

  “Is this…Is this a job offer or a relationship status update?” She tried to act like she didn’t really care what the answer was.

  “I don’t think you’d have to pay taxes on what I’d pay you with.” He paused a moment as he heard his own words, then laughed, “Which I actually didn’t mean to sound dirty.” He gave her his crooked grin. “Though I’m also okay if you want it to be dirty.”

  “So, not a job…” she prompted.

  “Not a job. But it doesn’t have to be a formal commitment I’m asking for either, not if you don’t want that. I just know that you’re unlike any woman I’ve known and I like the idea of just seeing you. And of seeing you more often. So…” He laughed at himself. “So, I guess that sounds like maybe a relationship. But, also, I’m specifically asking you to put up with my job, to suffer through my charm, and hang out at shows and parties and the like.”

  “Would you teach me even if I didn’t want a relationship? If I were just willing to trade, say, hour for hour of time?” She didn’t meet his eyes as she asked. Instead, she poked at a strawberry slice and pushed it around her plate.

  His voice got the slightest bit quieter. “Now that you’ve put the idea in my head, I’d be disappointed. But it would still mean hanging out together. So, okay. Though I’d like if we could still date.”

  She considered the trails of juice she was leaving on the plate. Then she smiled up at him. “I mostly just wanted to make sure you weren’t the kind of guy who’d make me buy his help with a relationship or sex.” She set down the fork with its impaled strawberry slice, then reached across the table to take his hand. “I want to punch professionally charming you, but real you is…” She laughed. “If I say ‘hot,’ that’s a little too on the nose, isn’t it.”

  “Maybe a little,” he smiled.

  “But, yeah, authentic you is great. And you are definitely nice to look at. Um…My only question is whether this is too fast. Is it? I mean, you seem like a guy who should be afraid of commitment. So, like, what’s with the quick willingness to get into a, just to be clear, committed relationship with just one woman?” She examined his face, looking for truth or proof of lies.

  Shane spoke slowly, as if considering every word. “For me, the avoidance of commitment comes for a few reasons. I’m very devoted to my job, and I worry a relationship would hold me back. But, if y
ou can be the woman on my arm and if you can be okay with not having me around all the time…I also, frankly, consider myself challenging for anyone to have a real connection with. People happily just accept the charm. And, if someone pushes back, it’s later. It’s after we’ve already built our relationship around something else.” He laughed quietly. “You, obviously, don’t have that problem. And, most importantly…Because I’m arrogant and vain and fickle, I often look at women and wonder if there’s someone more spectacular in the world. And, if I commit to them, what happens if I meet that more spectacular person. You, again, obviously don’t have that problem.” He shrugged. “But maybe you’re right. We could just call it exclusively dating and then promote it to something else, something with a title, after a while.”

  “I don’t even know what to do with you,” Lina laughed, confused. “So, like, where we’re at is that we’re not a couple, but we’re also not seeing anyone else? And you’re going to help me figuring out how to handle my fire. And, in exchange, but also as part of dating you, I’m going to be your girl at…work stuff?”

  “Yes.” He gave a single nod. “Does that work?”

  “How often would I be your accessory? And, like, you know I have a job that involves working into the night a couple times a week, right?” She couldn’t remember how much she’d actually told him about her job.

  “I knew about your job. And we could text to work things out or set up a shared calendar or both. But, as for how often…That varies. It can be clubs, shows, parties, whatever a few nights a week, but it can also be every night when there’s a festival in town or if I’m really trying to nail down a client.” He opened his mouth as if to go on, closed it, then said, “And no punching me in the face. I have to stay pretty. But it’s probably okay if you hit me later for my charm.”

  “Can I stab you under the table if it’s totally killing me?” She managed to keep a straight face as she asked.

  “As long as you don’t ruin my trousers. Some of them are pretty expensive,” he replied with a smirk.

  She nodded sagely. “Those seem like fair terms. And it’s good to know the limits. No hitting in the face or ruining pants. Got it.” She smiled and shrugged. “Okay. As long as you’re not going to be a jerk about me working. Yeah, I guess it will at least make for scandalous stories to tell when I’m old.”

  Shane grinned broadly. “Excellent! In which case, do you work today?”

  She narrowed her eyes, and suspiciously replied, “I work dinner. Why?”

  “Because we’re going to charge your working wardrobe to the company.” He smiled triumphantly. “I’m afraid it’s a job requirement. And it probably lets you toss out a few drab things. If you want to be Lina, not Angie.” There was an air of challenge to his tone.

  “Oh, you’re a manipulative jerk. I want to refuse the gifts, but I also want to be Lina. And to not mess up your precious career by showing up in my old clothes.” She sighed, though it wasn’t an entirely unhappy sound. “You can have me until...2-ish. I have to work at 4 today.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you sure you can charge this to the company?”

  “One, yes. Two, even if I couldn’t, I could pay myself.”

  “No. I don’t think I’d be comfortable with that.” Lina folded her arms. She both wanted and feared large gifts.

  “It’s a good thing I’m not the one paying for it, then.” He winked. “Okay, let’s pay the bill and go play dress up with you.”

  It took Lina a while to be comfortable with the shopping spree. But, eventually, it just was what it was. And Shane was the perfect combination of complimentary and efficient—he had a great instinct for what she would like and look good in, so he could go straight for that—that it was so easy. So easy.

  And every time she hesitated because she saw a price tag, he’d nuzzle her neck and whisper, “You deserve this.” Then he’d step back and ask, “Do you like it? Does it feel good?” And he’d respond to her nods with a shrug, as if to say that there was only one logical action to take in that case.

  Towards the end of their shopping time, he ducked into a shop and she followed without looking. It was a chic underwear store. When she widened her eyes at him, he said, “Foundation garments are very important. Besides, as I hear it, knowing you’ve got something sexy on under your clothes is a special kind of confidence.”

  So, at the end of their trip, while he hadn’t completely replaced her current wardrobe, he’d certainly made it so that she could let go of most of it. She carefully hung everything in her closet or tucked it into her drawers, feeling overwhelmed all over again. Wondering how she’d gone from shutting down his pickup line to this in just two dates.

  As her dinner shift was wrapping up, Shane texted. “Come to my place for first lesson tonight?”

  Lina didn’t even have to think about it. She replied, “Yeah. That would be cool.”

  Almost as if he hadn’t waited for her reply, he texted, “So, if I happen to be sitting in the bar at your place of employ, I could just give you a ride?”

  She made sure to walk through the bar on her way to check on her last table. And there he was. She walked slowly so he had a chance to look up and see her raised eyebrow. He winked and grinned. She rolled her eyes but smiled and nodded at him.

  As she walked back through the bar with her guest’s check, she paused by Shane’s stool. “I can leave in about 20 minutes. But I have to leave through a side door. So, meet me on the street in 20?”

  “Absolutely.” He grinned, and she leaned against him briefly.

  One of the other servers grabbed her as she was about to take the credit card back to her customer. He leaned in to ask, “You know that guy at the bar? The hot one with wild eyes?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  The server whispered, “He’s some big deal record company rep or something, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Are you seeing him?” The awe and hunger for gossip were clear.

  Lina laughed. “We’re dating, yeah.”

  “Girl!” He high fived her. “Nice.”

  Lina decided she definitely wasn’t going to tell Shane about the conversation. His ego didn’t need it. She smiled to herself. Not until her ego could match his.

  When she met him on the sidewalk a few minutes later, he kissed her hello, quite thoroughly.

  He grinned down at her in his arms. “Hi.”

  “Hi yourself. Did you have someone cancel tonight or something?”

  He put an arm around her and steered her toward he car. “No, I had just planned to spend the evening doing some artist research. But I wrapped up sooner than expected. Thought I’d at least try to steal a little of your time.”

  Once they were both in the car, he said, “Also, if you want to join it, I set up a calendar. Though things can also change and evolve, and I hope we’ll see each other regularly enough that the calendar won’t be our main communication.”

  “You’re not all party, huh?” she teased.

  He threw her a quick grin, mostly keeping his eyes on the road so that he could speed a little. “In the past, I think you could rely more on partying and spontaneity, but I find that it’s a more productive situation if I treat it like business. And, as much as my job is fun, I still have to produce results.”

  “Good. Because party people seem to be horrible about letting other people work. And my job’s no party, but, like, I do enjoy food and a home.” She tapped at her phone, accepting the request to join the calendar Shane had set up and adding her work schedule as far out as she could.

  Shane drove them into a neighborhood where the houses were nice. Really nice. Lina made sure not to gape. Fortunately, he was driving quickly enough that she just got impressions. It was easier to play cool about impressions.

  He pulled into his own garage so quickly that she didn’t really see the front of the house. It wasn’t huge, but it was many times the size of her apartment.

  The back wall of the house, at least on the first
floor, was all glass. Through it, she could see a yard with a pool. A pool!

  Inside, everything was sleek and modern. Black wood, stainless steel, black leather. It was an open layout, so she could even see the gleaming kitchen appliances and the marble countertops.

  A staircase swept smoothly up to an upper level that must be only half as roomy as the first floor thanks to a vaulted ceiling. Shane had paused a moment as if to let her take it in. He flipped on a light, and some of the shadows crept back. She could now see the art on the walls, mostly dark or jewel tones, geometric shapes. Nothing realistic, nothing ornate. It was all solid and moody.

  Pointedly, she said, “I’m just pausing to figure out what your décor says about you.” She smirked and looked at him from the side of her eye.

  “Okay, but you’ll have to come up to the bedroom if you want to see the closet with my skeletons,” he teased.

  “Maybe after you teach me how to use my fire. Don’t want to get me hot and end up with a scar.” She snickered.

  “And that’s why we’re actually going back into the garage. You might have noticed that it’s concrete and there’s only the one car, so we have room. Just…Please, don’t hurt my car.” He waved for her to follow as he headed back.

  In the garage, he had her stand with her back to the car. “That should reduce the chances of you accidentally shooting flames at it,” he explained.

  He stood in front of her pondering. “Just to be completely transparent, I’ve had this fire my whole life. I grew up learning to use it, the same way you grow up learning to use your voice. So, it’s more that I think I can help you figure it out, not that I have official fire woman lessons.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, by the fact that you asked me what I was, I got the sense that maybe you weren’t my Yoda.”

  “Far too handsome to be Yoda,” he noted.

  Lina snorted a laugh, rolling her eyes at him. Then paused, and admitted, “Okay. True. I wouldn’t let Yoda do half the things to me you have.”