Chapter 6
After making love for a second time, Kristine lay in the warmth of Jayce’s arms and basked in the afterglow. She needed to know a little more about this guy. Who was he?Whatwas he?
“Jayce?”
“Yeah, hon?”
Even the endearment was strange for her. She had been called Scott or Scotty for so long, it felt strange when anyone called her Kristine again. The only one who called herhonwas her mother, and now…
“Jayce…”
“Mmm?”
“Can you explain what phoenixes are? You and your brothers are supernatural, obviously, but what are your unique abilities—exactly?”
Jayce caressed her hair and held her in his arms, breathing steadily. After a short hesitation, he said, “We have an advantage as firefighters, like you have. My kind may not be fireproof, but if worst comes to worst, we can reincarnate from the flames. We are known as firebirds. The phoenix is not as mythical as some people think.”
“So you call yourselves firebirds?”
Jayce turned her face so he could see into her eyes. “What my family and I call ourselves doesn’t really matter. What matters is what you and I call each other—I’m referring to what we have together.”
Kristine squirmed uncomfortably. What did he mean by that? She pulled away from his arms and sat up, using the sheet to cover her breasts.
Kristine wasn’t feeling shy, exactly. She just didn’t know how to respond. “What do you mean when you say ‘what we have together’? What do you want me to say?”
Jayce propped himself up on his elbow and tugged the sheet. “Please don’t be shy around me. After what we just shared, especially.”
Kristine let the sheet drop, watching as he appreciated her chest, which was a little on the small side—according to her mother. She was just as happy not to have huge boobs getting in the way of her active lifestyle. “All right. I’ll try not to be shy. It’s more like self-consciousness than shyness, anyway.”
“What do you have to be self-conscious about? I hope you’re not talking about your body. It’s beautiful, just like the rest of you.”
She laced her fingers with his and worried her lip. At last she took a deep breath and launched into it. “I have a hard time trusting men. I know that may sound ridiculous since I’m putting my life into the hands of my fellow firefighters every day, but that’s not an emotional thing.”
Jayce stared at her for a moment. “I think I understand what you’re saying. Of course emotions can run high during a fire, but those aren’t romantic feelings. I think that must be what you’re talking about as far as trust is concerned. Am I right?”
Kristine rubbed his knuckles with her thumb. “To an extent, yes. But it’s not just that. I think being abandoned by a father I never knew is part of the problem.”
Jayce’s brow furrowed as he held her gaze. “Explain, please.”
Kristine sighed. “Remember how I said I had a fight with my mother, just before she disappeared?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“The fight was about my father. I don’t know why he wasn’t in my life, and she won’t tell me. All I know is that she absolutely does know who he is because, in her words, ‘I’m not a slut.’”
“Why won’t she tell you?” Jayce asked.
“She won’t even tell me that much. It’s frustrating as hell. I feel like a part of me is missing, even though she has provided for me in every possible way.”
“I can’t imagine what that would be like. I have a big, boisterous family…half Italian, half Spanish. A mother and father, six brothers, and two sisters-in-law. And we’re close. We try to keep our schedules the same so all of us can get together for as many Sunday dinners as possible. Recently my parents had to buy a new dining room table to accommodate everyone.”
She chuckled. “It must be wild when you all get together.”
“That’s just it—our father keeps it from becoming too crazy. He rules the roost, pardon the pun, but in a gentle, loving, and joking way. Sort of like a benevolent dictatorship. Although he’s been a lot more serious lately—especially with me. When they move to the Caribbean for retirement, I’m supposed to take over as head of the family.”
Kristine smiled sadly. “And that’s why you can’t leave Boston.”
“You remembered.” Jayce rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. “I’d like you to come to Boston and meet everybody at one of our Sunday dinners.”
