Page 141 of Smoke and Fire
I smiled just to test the waters. As expected, the full effect made him blink, then look away. A hint of a blush lingered on top of his cheeks, and I felt a thrill zip all the way to my spine. Was it possible that this guy had the beginnings of a crush on me? Hope made my head momentarily woozy. Maybe I liked that idea a little bit too much. How many years had passed since I’d been in this position?
Doesn’t matter,Inner Me sang.Just go with it now.
Apparently, I couldn’t help myself.
The draw of my attraction to him was too strong. I metaphorically let go of thoughts of Jakob and positioned myself in front of Bastian. When I did that, Bastian took up all my mental space anyway.
Jakob had never done that,Inner Me whispered.
“Great,” Bastian said, drawing me from my thoughts. “I’ll be in Jackson City all day tomorrow taking care of a few things. Then, we’ll leave early the next morning for an unknown assignment. No rush getting started. Just text as you need to.”
With a nod, he headed for the door. I shot to my feet.
“One final question.”
He paused, halfway out. When he looked back at me, my breath caught. The raw edge of fire in his eyes startled me. The stress and terror had faded from his body, leaving a tired man in its wake. Tired, but beautiful. There was something alluring about his calmer state. I wanted to wrap my hands around a mug of coffee and talk to him for the rest of the night.
“Why did you trust me so quickly?” I asked. “You don’t know me. I could have been a crazy fan that outed you, or something.”
“Dunno,” he murmured. “Guess I just had a feeling.”
With that, he disappeared.
8
BASTIAN
Dad’s quiet house met me with silence.
I sat down at the table and exhaled the longest breath I’d ever taken. It trailed out of me until my head swam. I leaned forward, put my head on the flat, cool tabletop, and let my stress unwind.
She’s got this,I thought.This will be fine.
Dahlia’s confidence—one could almost call it arrogance—set me at ease. When she said she had this under control, I believed her. My review of the emails, the social media accounts, and what people said, had been quick. Simple. Maybe not detailed enough, but she had a fast mind and a willing work ethic. I had every reason to believe it would be just fine. My stress over the launch had all but crumbled to the floor.
Now?
Now I couldn’t stop thinking abouther.Dahlia. Romantic subplots and ideas whirred through my mind like a busy interstate. Things I’d described happening for the last twenty books suddenly played out in my own body. A wary uncertainty. An inability to look away. Obsession with how I presented myself because I wanted her to pay attention to me.
Damn, but I liked her.
Writing out a twitterpation and experiencing it myself were two different things all together. I’d just brought her into my world, my novels. As she noted at the end, she could turn my entire life upside down.
Yet . . . I sensed that she wouldn’t. Underneath all that glittering brightness and confidence was a woman that, I suspected, was also a little bit broken. The wariness to take the job, her constant study of me. She’d mentioned a bad relationship in the recent past. Her ex burned her for men, perhaps?
No. The smoke that filled me when we accidentally touched wasn’t contrived. She felt it too, I could tell.
I closed my eyes, grateful to turn thoughts of Dahlia with a different guy away. I had no claim on her. No right to bristle at the thought, yet I definitely didn’t want to think about another guy with his hands on her. I wanted that for myself. A touch on the spot where her neck turned to the gentle slope of her collarbone. The edge of her cheek. Graceful curve of her ear. I shook away thoughts of trailing my hand from her shoulder to her lips with a shudder.
Torturing myself.
Giving away my computer and explaining the process felt like gaining back my soul. Let Dahlia have it. I didn’t want the weight on my shoulders right now. Not with Dad and Inessa hovering there, too.
After tomorrow, I could focus on the fire and let the rest fade into the background for the next two weeks.
Really, I could center my attention on myself while I did what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. A very competent woman was just about to take over the generalities and could save my family in the process. I’d forget all that stress and Dahlia while I focused on staying alive in the forest. The launch would take care of itself with Dahlia’s help.
Goal achieved.
