Blaze (Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters Book 8)

by Ophelia Sexton

  Then she felt Dimitri's big hand cup her bare elbow and steer her around a puddle of spilled milkshake. A jolt of what felt like pure electricity ran up her arm, and she inhaled sharply. Her heart began to pound.

  Whatever had just happened, he felt it, too. His fingers tightened around her arm for a fraction of a second, then he yanked his hand away as if she'd burned him.

  She could still feel every place he'd made contact, though. And wanted more.

  I am in so much trouble.

  Chapter 6 – Out of the Box

  Grizzly Creek Ranch

  "And, what, exactly, does a human resources consultant for strip clubs and peep shows actually do?" Ash asked later that evening.

  He leaned back in his computer chair and looked up at Dimitri.

  One of the big flat-panel monitors on Ash's desk had a gaming engine open. The other monitor displayed a snarling werewolf with glowing red eyes bounding across a snowy field. It was an animated sequence from the game that Ash was currently developing.

  Dimitri felt bad about interrupting his brother-in-law while he was working, but not bad enough to stop himself from crossing the two hundred yards that separated their houses on the ranch.

  He felt compelled to make sure that Ash would interview Damaris before she returned to New York.

  Before Dimitri could answer, Ash added with a devilish grin, "Are you sure she's not actually a stripper?"

  Dimitri knew Ash was trying to be funny, but he felt a surge of protective anger at the disrespect towards Damaris.

  "Did you even bother to read her resume?" he snarled and saw Ash's brows go up in astonishment at his reaction. "You've been talking about needing an HR person for months now. I thought she'd be a good fit for our company."

  "Whoa, dude. I was just teasing," Ash said, his hazel eyes gleaming with mischief now. "Of course I read her resume! I was just wondering why you thought someone who worked in the adult entertainment industry would be a perfect fit our company…other than the fact that that you're head over heels for her, I mean."

  Is it that obvious?

  Dimitri released a breath and forced himself to relax.

  "Well, yeah, if we worked together, it would give me an excuse to keep seeing her," he confessed. "But she's got a business degree from City College of New York. And several years of actual experience running her own consulting company. I mean, being able to manage all of the colorful characters in a strip club means that she's probably very good at thinking out of the box and that she has the people skills to get along with any kind of employee, right?"

  "I guess so," Ash conceded, but he still sounded doubtful.

  "Look, just meet with her," Dimitri urged. "Maybe you and Steffi could schedule an interview with her before Sunday dinner at your mother's place?"

  "Did you invite her to the dinner?" Ash asked, still smiling.

  "Not yet, but I'm having dinner with her tomorrow night, so I'll ask her then…if you'll agree to interview her."

  Ash raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll coordinate with Steffi, and we'll get in touch with Damaris as soon as possible."

  "Thanks," Dimitri said with gratitude. "It means a lot to me. Uh, do you think your mom will mind if I bring Damaris to Sunday dinner?"

  Elle Swanson, Ash's mother and matriarch of the Swanson clan of bear shifters, hosted dinner every Sunday at the ranch's big Victorian house for her sons and their families as well as a rotating group of Swanson cousins and neighbors.

  "Mind? I'm telling you, Damaris had better say yes! Elle is going to be really disappointed if you don’t bring your new, uh, friend," Dimitri's sister Nika called from the living room.

  She had a shifter's preternaturally keen hearing. Of course she'd overheard everything.

  "What? Why?" Dimitri asked, confused.

  "Because we've all already heard that you had lunch with an Ordinary from out of town," Nika explained.

  "Yeah, I think Mom got a text message from someone as soon as you guys walked into the Dancing Cow," Ash added helpfully.

  Dimitri felt his face heat. "No shit?"

  "And I heard about it from three separate people," Nika said. Dimitri heard her walking from the living room as she continued to speak. "Telling me that my little brother was seen in the company of a very pretty out-of-towner with a cute little daughter. How did you two meet, anyway?"

  Dimitri groaned. As much as he loved living in Bearpaw Ridge, there were times when he missed the privacy of being just another anonymous face in a big-city crowd.

  "She ran out of gas on the highway. I stopped to help. It was going to take Mike a while to make it out our way, so I decided to treat her to a late lunch while we were waiting."

  "What kind of shifter is she?" Nika asked.

  She had now reached the office door and was leaning against the doorframe. Like Dimitri, she had black hair, and their noses were the same long, straight shape. Her skin was pale, though, and she wore bold makeup that accented her gray eyes.

  His older sister had blossomed into a confident woman over the past five years. She currently worked as a physician and board member at Bearpaw Ridge's new medical center, which had been designed to treat shifters as well as Ordinary humans. Everyone respected and liked her, and she was fondly known as "Doctor Nika."

  Nika came into the office and leaned over Ash, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek.

  He smiled up at his mate, and Dimitri saw the heat spark between them.

  I want that with Damaris, dammit!

  And he hadn't even kissed her yet. He intended to remedy that tomorrow night after the movie. He didn't think Damaris would object. This afternoon, he had sensed that she was attracted to him, and both he and his bear were eager to proceed to the next step of the courtship.

  "Damaris is, uh, an Ordinary," he confessed.

  "Oh, Mitya." Nika's long-lashed eyes clouded with dismay. "What about all those awful thugs who keep showing up here? What are you going to do with a girlfriend who can't defend herself properly?"

  "It's been over a year since the last incident," Dimitri defended himself. "Maybe Mama and Papa's enemies finally got the message."

  Ash quirked him a smile. "And if someone shows up to make trouble, you'll protect Damaris, won't you?"

  "Of course," Dimitri said. He didn't even have to think about it.

  Male bear shifters protected their mates. It was written into their DNA.

  "When did you two meet?" Nika asked.

  "This afternoon. I'm going to take Damaris and Sophie—that's Damaris's daughter—out to dinner and a movie tomorrow night.”

  Nika was studying him, her lips pursed slightly. "You just met her today? And you're already crazy about her?"

  She shook her head in disbelief, as if she hadn't fallen just as hard for Ash and risked everything to defy their parents and become Ash's mate.

  "Just wait until you meet Damaris," Dimitri assured her.

  Maybe they'd only just met, but deep in his gut, he knew that Damaris was The One. Together, they could build the family he had been longing for. Sophie was so funny and smart. And Damaris was…

  Ours, said his bear. Our mate. "She's…amazing. Perfect."

  Ash sighed loudly and shook his head. "Dimitri, bro, listen to yourself. You're already a lost cause."

  * * *

  Sophie and Damaris were relaxing in their newly renovated suite at the Riverside Inn when Damaris's phone dinged with incoming email.

  I hope to God it's not Tony, emailing to check up on me.

  She glanced nervously over at Sophie, who was sprawled on the neatly made bed and engrossed in her book. She never wanted her daughter to find out about her other job.

  She picked up her phone, opened the email app, and saw that the new message was from Dimitri. She had sent him the link to her resume as soon as they checked in to the motel. She honestly hadn't been expecting him to reply so quickly.

  A wave of dizzying happiness swept through her.

>   Great. I've got a crush on him. Nothing's going the way I expected on this job.

  Despite knowing it was a really bad idea to get attached to a target, she couldn't help enjoying the feeling. He was gorgeous. And more importantly, he was nice. And he wanted to take her out on a date.

  How long had it been since she'd met a man who wasn't a mobster?

  And I'm here to kill him.

  That stark reminder was enough to bring her feelings crashing back down to earth, like a soaring bird with lead weights suddenly attached to its legs.

  Sober now, she opened his email.

  Damaris,

  Great to meet you today, and please tell Sophie that I really enjoyed our conversation over lunch.

  My boss, Ash Swanson, and our marketing director, Steffi Tristan, would love to meet you. Can you come for an interview on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.? I've attached a map and directions to the Grizzly Creek Games headquarters, which are located on the ranch.

  Please bring Sophie and plan on staying for our family dinner afterwards. There will be plenty of kids around, and everyone wants to meet you.

  See you tomorrow at the Wildcat Springs Texas BBQ on Main Street. I'll be waiting in front of the restaurant at 6:00 p.m.

  Looking forward to seeing you again,

  Dimitri

  Damaris blinked as she finished reading. Her heart was pounding with excitement again. Dimitri had apparently been serious, both about the job opportunity—the one she knew she couldn't take, no matter how wonderful it turned out to be—and their date tomorrow evening.

  Then she read the message again, more slowly this time.

  Everyone wants to meet me? What on earth?

  Chapter 7 – Getting to Know You

  The Wildcat Springs Texas BBQ was located in a large brick-fronted building on the town's main street.

  When Damaris and Sophie walked up, they saw that Dimitri was already waiting for them. Behind him, a huge banner hung over one of the restaurant's giant plate-glass windows, proclaiming Voted Best Eats in Lemhi County Three Years in a Row!

  Damaris saw Dimitri brighten as he spotted them.

  The sight of him took her breath away as she approached. He was dressed in cowboy boots, new jeans and a royal blue shirt. His stubble had been carefully trimmed and his short black hair looked newly barbered, and he was just too ruggedly handsome to be true.

  He looked like the kind of guy who only dated Swedish models.

  Damaris remembered the old tabloid photographs of the sleek young banker with a succession of stunning women and gave an internal wince.

  What the hell does he see in me, anyway? I'm no model.

  It disturbed her that she hadn't been able to stop thinking about what his hand had felt like on her bare skin.

  He greeted them with a friendly wave before moving smoothly to hold the door open for them.

  "So, how was your day?" Dimitri asked as he ushered them inside. "You went to the Bearpaw Springs Resort, didn't you?"

  The restaurant was crowded with other families and kind of noisy. Not the most romantic venue, but somewhere that wouldn't make Sophie feel uncomfortable. Damaris wondered if Dimitri was always this thoughtful.

  "The springs were really crowded, and we didn't see any animals except for squirrels and crows," Sophie informed him.

  He nodded gravely as he led the way through the dining room. "With school out for the summer, it's a busy time of year around here. Lots of tourists."

  "Like us," Sophie said unhappily, as if she blamed herself for scaring away the animals.

  "Hey," Dimitri said gently. "We love it when people come to visit. In case you haven't noticed, this place is pretty special."

  A tall, blonde young man wearing a server's green apron smiled at them as they passed by him. "Hey, Mitya! Seat yourselves anywhere you like. I'll be with you guys in a moment."

  "Thanks, Ethan," Dimitri answered, coming to a halt in front of a round table near the front windows.

  With a gesture that looked automatic, he pulled out a chair for Damaris.

  Warmed by his unexpectedly chivalrous gesture, she seated herself and watched as he repeated the action for Sophie.

  Her daughter seated herself with self-conscious dignity.

  "Thank you," she said without being prompted, which pleased Damaris.

  "My pleasure," Dimitri said with grave courtesy. "And I'm sorry that you didn't have better luck with the local wildlife."

  Damaris studied him surreptitiously while he seated himself across from them. She knew she'd never get tired of looking at this gorgeous man, but she didn't want to weird him out by staring openly at him.

  Trying to tear her gaze away from him, she studied her surroundings.

  The inside of the restaurant was decorated in a rustic style, with wooden tables and chairs, and floors made from wide, weathered boards. Exposed ducting and steel header beams overhead added an industrial feel, which was counterbalanced by the framed photos and Texas-themed memorabilia covering the exposed brick walls.

  There was even a well-worn leather saddle mounted on one wall, along with a collection of cowboy hats in white, cream, tan, brown, and black.

  "Well, my offer stands," Dimitri told Sophie. "I know a place in the park that's off the beaten path. The hot springs there are just as nice, if you're willing to hike a bit from the parking lot. And you know what?"

  "What?" Sophie asked eagerly.

  "There's an osprey nest near the parking lot, with a chick in it. And I could show you and your mom a bald eagle nest in a dead tree a little bit further up the river."

  Sophie's face was pleading as she looked at Damaris.

  "I'll make sure to bring our binoculars," Damaris promised.

  Sophie's face shone with a smile that made Damaris's heart skip a beat. It feels so good to make her happy.

  And you'll get to spend more time with Dimitri, the little voice inside her head reminded her.

  There were a lot of things she needed to find out about him, and she had to make her questions sound natural instead of a set-up.

  At least, that's what she tried to tell herself.

  Right now, stunned by the sheer impact of his presence, she couldn't think of a single thing to ask him.

  "Why, howdy there, Mitya," someone greeted Dimitri in a voice flavored with a Texas drawl.

  Damaris looked up to see an older man wearing jeans and a pearl-buttoned cowboy shirt approach their table, a stack of menus in his hands. The newcomer had a lean, muscular build, graying dark blond hair, and striking aquamarine eyes set in a tanned, deeply weathered face.

  "Hey, Justin," Dimitri said, sounding surprised. "Didn't expect to see you waiting tables tonight."

  The newcomer grinned. "I saw you brought some friends, and I wanted to introduce myself."

  Damaris could swear that Dimitri's face turned red as he said, "Damaris, Sophie, I'd like you to meet Justin Long. He owns this restaurant. And he's also Elle Swanson's husband. Elle is Ash's mother and she owns the Grizzly Creek Ranch, where GCG Games is headquartered."

  "Damaris, Sophie, those sure are pretty names for a couple of pretty ladies," Justin said with a warm smile. "Pleased to meet y'all."

  "Hi, Mr. Long," Damaris said. "Pleased to meet you, too. Dimitri told me that you make the most delicious barbeque he's ever eaten. What do you recommend we order?"

  Justin looked pleased at her words, and his smile deepened. "Well, now, you can't go wrong with one of our sampler platters—it includes spareribs, house-made sausages, smoked brisket, and chicken, plus sides." He looked at Sophie. "Do you like macaroni and cheese? That's one of our most popular sides."

  "I love mac and cheese," Sophie assured him.

  And she did. She'd probably live off the boxed kind if Damaris wasn't around to make her daughter eat a balanced diet with lots of vegetables and fruits.

  "That sounds like an awful lot of food," Damaris said hesitantly, though the scents of grilling meat and baking cornbread dri
fting out of the kitchen were making her mouth water.

  It had been a long day of fresh air and sunshine, and the sandwich she'd eaten for lunch seemed like a long time ago.

  Justin's smile widened. "Don't worry. Mitya here will polish off anything you can't finish. I've seen him order one of those samplers just for himself."

  "I'd just finished a twelve-hour shift fighting a forest fire, and I was really hungry," Dimitri protested. "It's not like I eat that much all the time!"

  "And if you do, it looks like you turn it all into muscle," Damaris said without thinking.

  And was immediately embarrassed for sounding like such a dork.

  Dimitri only beamed at her, as if her comment had pleased him. Whew.

  "All righty, then," Justin said in a cheerful tone. "One sampler platter coming right up. What would you like to drink?"

  They placed their drink orders—local microbrews for Damaris and Dimitri and soda for Sophie—then Justin said, "It was sure nice to meet you both, Ms. Damaris and Sophie."

  "Same here," Damaris assured him.

  He sauntered away towards the kitchen at the back of the house. Dimitri sighed.

  "That's been the biggest adjustment to living here," he commented. "Everyone is really friendly and helpful, but that's partly because everyone knows everything that's going on. Not too many secrets in these parts."

  Damaris tried to imagine living in a place where people not only noticed what was going on around them but cared. And helped each other. She wondered what her life would have been like if she'd had anyone to rely on like that when she was younger.

  Instead, she'd had to struggle and survive on her own until she'd met Dan and James. That had fueled her determination to do whatever it took to ensure that she'd always be there for Sophie.

  "So, um, how many people know about this dinner tomorrow?" Damaris asked warily.

  What if Tony finds out that I'm having dinner with my target?

  She took a deep breath and forced down her irrational burst of panic. Tony's not going to find out. And even if he did, he'd just think I was scoping things out. Which I am.