Playing With Fire: Paranormal Dating Agency (Otherworld Shifters Book 4)

by Godiva Glenn

  “Sure. The thing is, I talked to Chell about you, and she did that vague thing. Where she answers the question but it’s almost low-key lawyer maneuvering.”

  “Meaning?”

  “She said she ‘believed that interest was fleeting,’ and I don’t think she was lying, but now I realize she didn’t say whether she meant your interest or hers. She also suggested that you hook-up with Mara, but I wouldn’t recommend that either way.”

  Gabe’s eyes narrowed on the road as he turned onto the interstate and tried to decipher Chell’s words. “Unless Mara is the spitting image of Chell, hard pass.”

  “You seem fixated on Chell.”

  Gabe smirked at the tone of ownership in Troy’s voice. “I’m still trying to figure out if I’m allowed to be.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Yeah, you do.”

  Troy groaned. “I had to think it over, but yeah, I’m okay with you and Chell. That isn’t the real question. I can’t tell if she’s okay with us,” he whispered. “I hinted at it, thinking it would start a conversation. She didn’t pick up the bait.”

  “Why are you whispering all of a sudden?”

  “Super bear ears. Mara just came in the next room.”

  “Look, I can figure out if Chell is interested in me fairly easily.”

  There was a shuffling and a door pulling closed before Troy responded, “I think she’s eye-banged you, so we need to know if there’s more than interest. Interest is easy.”

  “When did she eye-bang me?” Gabe asked grinning.

  “Focus,” Troy hissed.

  “I’ll get her talking, promise.”

  “Since when do you talk? It sounds like you’ll molest her in the kitchen again.”

  “I have smoother moves than that,” Gabe replied, a bit defensive. “I can talk. Better yet, I can feel out the situation and we’ll go from there. Either she’s down with things or I’ll apologize. That way I’m the ass, not you.”

  Troy’s considering sigh slid through the speakers. “I guess. But if you wind up injured, I’m not rescuing you.”

  “She wouldn’t hurt me. I’m too pretty,” Gabe half-joked.

  “Famous last words.”

  Gabe rolled his eyes, even if Troy couldn’t see it. “Don’t you believe in Gerri?”

  Troy scoffed. “Since when do you?”

  “I’m just saying. You did ask for a woman who’d want us both, didn’t you?”

  The speakers crackled with empty static for a moment. “How’d you know?”

  Finally, confirmation of what Gabe had suspected. “Because if I had met a matchmaker—and granted, I’d have to be pretty drunk to go that way—I wouldn’t want the perfect woman if you were left out.”

  “Sap.”

  “Kettle.”

  “It doesn’t seem like Gerri mentioned it to Chell. She didn’t tell me Chell was a super shifter, and she didn’t tell Chell I was a human.”

  “Yet that didn’t really matter, did it?” Gabe reasoned. “Sometimes things work out.”

  “If you say so.”

  The sound of the drive filled the truck. He wasn’t usually the optimistic one, but something about Chell made him want to be. What better time than the lowest point in his life could the perfect woman walk in and make everything all right?

  Chapter Eleven

  Chell

  Because Chell was a foreign leader, she’d received the best accommodations for her stay on Earth. It was a full home, really, complete with five luxury bedrooms and spacious shared areas. She didn’t see the harm in having company. After all, that allowed her to socialize without driving into the city. Less dealing with strangers and their odd customs. Even food could be delivered, which was nice indeed.

  Currently, she was on the rooftop balcony, watching the sunset. Troy was inside, talking with Gabe on the phone while he drove over. There were things he wanted to explain to Gabe, mostly about shifters, and Chell didn’t see the need to listen in on what she already knew.

  She’d misled Troy, and it wasn’t her original intention but neither had she clarified it.

  One, she could still not see him as her mate. He was strong, confident, charming, but would he last a duel against a shifter? Unlikely. And would he be challenged? She thought so. Before she’d left Solara, she’d impressed upon the males that she was still a female worth longing for. No doubt that by the time she returned, those same males would be ready to step forward and seek time with her. If she brought Troy home, they would feel slighted.

  She couldn’t let him go, however. She wanted him around, not just for entertainment but for the way he made her feel. She kept hoping for a way for it to work. If she saw any possible sign that she could care for him and not be faced with his death, she knew she could fall for him.

  But perhaps that wasn’t her biggest crime. She’d told him that between herself and Gabe the interest had passed. What she meant was that she assumed Gabe’s interest had passed—not her own.

  On Solara, it was normal for many males to try for her attention at once. That didn’t mean she slept with them all—far from it. She’d been with less than a handful of males sexually, and only one had ever made it further than Troy.

  And that one was the reason finding a mate had become difficult. Because the first love she’d experienced had left a mark. Valdus. Their union was meant to be. Patiently built and nourished, but right before they had officially mated, he left. The only message he left was that he was needed somewhere else.

  She had no choice but to move on, but two years without him and he still kept a piece of her heart reserved.

  “It’s a shame we can’t fly,” Mara observed, joining Chell on the balcony.

  “I don’t think I’d like it.”

  “I’d love it. Faster traveling.”

  Chell scoffed. “Perhaps, but I hate being cold. Nor could I tolerate being delicate.”

  Mara shrugged and stared forward.

  Chell glanced at her cousin for a moment, but the words she’d thought to say had shrunk back down inside. She didn’t want to burden Mara with the doubts that tended to surface when she thought of the past. Mainly, were she and Valdus as happy as she’d believed? Or had it all been one-sided? It was as if she couldn’t trust her own memories or heart.

  Mara pointed down. “That would be our second guest.”

  “He’s all yours.”

  “You assume he’s my type.”

  “Isn’t he?”

  Mara squinted. “I think he looks more of your type.”

  “I have Troy.”

  “And I just listened to Troy speak to that one for nearly an hour. I don’t think I want someone that chatty.”

  Chell chuckled. “I didn’t say to talk to him.”

  “I will give you all some time to settle in. I should go check on Solomon now that the night comes.” Mara scratched her cheek. “Something strange is going on, but I can’t quite narrow it down. Until I figure it out, I’m hardly in the mood for company.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “About which?”

  “Both.”

  “You told me yourself that Gabe was appealing. I’m not standing between the two of you, even if you think there is nothing there. You’re my cousin, and also my leader. I’m no fool.”

  Chell rolled her eyes. “And Solomon?”

  “The second I have something solid to report, you’ll know.” Mara stretched her arms high and left.

  After a few moments, Chell headed downstairs. She hadn’t expected it to be just the three of them.

  “Ladder 49,” Troy insisted.

  “Backdraft,” Gabe countered.

  Chell diced an onion while she listened to the spirited debate. She’d asked them to further explain their jobs—what she’d gathered from Troy was simple enough, but she sought something more complex. She couldn’t see the appeal of running into burning buildings, though they insisted they did plenty more than that.

  The discussion had dr
ifted, and now the men were trying to decide which movie would best entertain her while somewhat chronicling their dangerous profession. Meanwhile, she’d decided to try her hand and cooking with Earth vegetation.

  A simple dish of vegetables, chicken, and sauce, over grains was her plan.

  “Chell?” Troy asked, voice suspicious.

  She glanced up. “Yes?”

  “Does the onion bother you?”

  What a ridiculous question. “No. I’m chopping it because I plan to use it, not because it offends me.”

  “That’s not what he meant,” Gabe explained. “Onions usually make a person cry.”

  She arched a brow and glanced down at the white chunks on the cutting board. “I don’t cry over plants.”

  “I want that superpower,” Troy mused. “Wonder if it’s all shifters or just super shifters from another planet.”

  “It’s not a superpower.” Chell tossed the onions into the pot where the sauce gently bubbled. “And I’m not sure how this will turn out.”

  “It smells good so far,” Gabe said. “What are you worried about?”

  She opened a bag labeled celery and examined the stalks. “Some of these items look like they would taste a different way. I’m not a skilled enough cook to anticipate how the unfamiliar flavors will blend. There is a reason why Mara usually cooks, or why I make use of the meal services.”

  “You could have said something. We can cook.” Gabe walked around the island and stood beside her, looking over the rest of the ingredients she’d pulled out.

  “You two were busy choosing our entertainment. I wanted to do something as well.”

  Troy opened the fridge and grabbed a beer, which he brought to Chell. “Here. How about you let us take over?”

  “You act like I’m incapable,” she accused.

  “No, but I just realized that you diced an orange before that onion, and I’m hoping we can salvage this dinner.”

  “Oh… what’s wrong with the orange?”

  Gabe stirred the sauce. “Well, for starters, on Earth, we peel them.”

  Chell’s face grew heated. Truthfully, her cooking had never been impressive, but Mara made it look simple. “I see.”

  “Hey.” Troy placed the beer in her hand and smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it. Give us a chance to dazzle you, since you’ve made it repeatedly clear how amazing you already are.”

  Sipping her beer, Chell sat on a stool and watched them maneuver around the kitchen, seeming to anticipate exactly what needed to be done and working as a team.

  “You’ve done this before,” she observed.

  “Troy’s mom can’t cook,” Gabe said.

  “But she always tried,” Troy added. “When she would work late, Gabe and I would make dinner so she could relax instead of burning down the kitchen.”

  “You grew up together?”

  Gabe sifted through the sauce, pulling out the bright orange pieces. “We met around sixth grade. Don’t remember why we started hanging out, but obviously, it stuck.”

  “I remember. My mom was late picking me up from school. And your dad just forgot about you.”

  “Ah.” Gabe nodded. “That sounds vaguely familiar. Your mom brought me home because she didn’t know what else to do. Best move ever. The more time I spent with you guys, the less my parents cared.”

  “What?” Chell asked.

  “My parents were the hands-off parenting sort. They liked to leave me with aunts and uncles and cousins. Basically, they had no idea where I was most of the time.”

  Chell had never heard of such a thing. “That’s terrible. Why wouldn’t they want you around?”

  Gabe dumped the orange remnants in the trash and grabbed a long green vegetable. “Who knows. But it was the best thing that happened to me, really.”

  “And I benefited too,” Troy pointed out. “My mom hated leaving me alone, but babysitters weren’t always reliable. If Gabe came over, she’d let us take care of ourselves. For some reason, she thought he was the responsible one.”

  “I’m incredibly responsible.”

  Chell chuckled and took another sip of beer. It was an acquired taste, certainly, and she hadn’t acquired it just yet. The bubbles were refreshing, however.

  Her phone rang, interrupting the moment. Only a handful had her number, so she picked it up curiously, finding Mara on the other end. She walked from the room, excusing herself with an apologetic wave.

  “Yes?” she asked.

  “I know my task is Solomon, but I have taken initiative and followed Dagger tonight,” Mara said.

  “For what reason?”

  “One of his clan members brought him an oversized truck, which I looked into. It is the sort often used for moving furniture.”

  “Dagger owns a truck, I thought.”

  “Yes, but these moving trucks are covered. There are any number of explanations for him needing, it, none suspicious, but it made me curious. After all, Solomon is to be staying with him for at least a year.”

  “You think perhaps he was moving something he shouldn’t?” Chell furrowed her brow.

  “I assume he’s moving something suspicious. He just loaded a crate into the truck, and I believe is going to bring it home.”

  “That’s not much to go on. Perhaps furniture he ordered. He has a large enough house for it.”

  “No. Something was off about the entire arrangement. Picking up something that large, at night? And it was handed off to him by another group of shifters. Whatever it was, they had a rough time getting it loaded, and though the crate was marked fragile, they knocked it around quite a bit. Laughed while they did so.”

  “None of that makes sense, Mara,” Chell said, pointing out the obvious. “Perhaps this is some strange Earth thing.”

  “Maybe. I’m going to continue following him unless you tell me otherwise. I think we’re heading back to the city, but I’m not completely sure.”

  Chell bit her lip, considering everything up to this point. The situation seemed odd, but did it warrant Mara’s time? “Follow him, and if anything else comes up, let me know. And be careful.”

  “Of course.”

  They hung up and Chell spent a few seconds staring at her phone, wondering if she’d done the right thing. It was entirely possible that both she and Mara were being paranoid for no reason.

  While they’d spoken, Chell had wandered to her bedroom. Now she dug around the top drawer of her dresser and found the small, metal communicator that would allow her to contact Nova Solara. Mara’s twin brother, Berge, was watching the clan in Chell’s stead. She could check with him and… and what? There was nothing to tell him unless she wanted to share her unfounded suspicions with him, and that would do little to ease her mind.

  She placed the communicator down. They could have been chasing a ghost. Perhaps, however, it was time to take Dagger up on his offer for lunch. Spending more time with him, face-to-face could give her more to go on than hunches, or at the very least, calm her nerves and prove that he was nothing to worry about.

  A tapping sounded behind her. She hadn’t remembered closing her door. “Come in.”

  The door opened and a tall, dark silhouette filled the doorway.

  “You’re in the dark,” Gabe commented.

  “I can see.”

  He flipped the light on. “Troy went out to grab a few things. Dinner will be saved, but it’s going to require a little more effort.”

  “Damn.”

  “It’s fine. He’ll probably be back soon. But next time, maybe don’t chop a dozen jalapenos and mix them with apples as a side dish.”

  She nodded and shut the drawer she stood in front of. She avoided looking at him, but not over embarrassment for her lacking culinary skills. The moment he’d arrived, she’d gotten a flutter low in her belly that told her she didn’t want him hooking up with Mara after all. But she didn’t understand the greed she felt for him, only that it was somewhat suppressed when Troy was around.

  Now she had
no protection for her hunger. It wasn’t like her to have wanton thoughts, and though she didn’t want to be ashamed of healthy desires, she knew that there was shame in not being able to control those desires.

  Looking was one thing. Imagining was one thing. Touching was another.

  “Then, oh. Did you two decide on a movie?” she asked.

  He crossed the room and took her hand. “Chell?”

  “Yes?” She stared at her hand in his.

  “Did you and Troy talk about me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do I owe you another apology?”

  She wasn’t sure what he meant. She met his dark eyes. “No?”

  “I wonder what would have happened if I’d met Gerri too,” he said. “Troy and I have similar tastes. Actually, identical.”

  “And you think Gerri would have matched me with you instead of Troy?”

  Gabe smiled, and it started gentle but grew mischievous. “No. I think she would have matched you with us both.”

  “Both?”

  “I’m not an expert on shifters but I know that those types of relationships aren’t unheard of.”

  She pulled her hand free of his. “Of course. But you think just because you’re attracted to me, that we should be disloyal to Troy?”

  “He wants it too.”

  “He never said as much to me.”

  “Because he already has you, and with such a suggestion could lose you. But I have nothing to lose. If you aren’t interested, then I move on.”

  She wanted to laugh at the simplicity of his rationale. “I don’t even know what to say to that. But if you think we just move on and pretend this conversation didn’t happen, you’re mistaken.”

  Gabe stepped forward and looked down into her eyes. “Tell me to leave, then.”

  Her mouth opened, but the words didn’t come. It was easy to get lost in the dark pools that studied her. This close, she could see herself reflected in them as if trapped in his gaze. His plan seemed both ridiculous and an interesting prospect. Two mates? There was no rule that said she couldn’t have it that way. “Why are you telling me this when Troy isn’t even around to confirm?”

  “I didn’t want him involved, in case you said no, but I promise he’s okay with it.”