“Are you saying the FBI couldn’t even get us out? This is a federal crime, so the feds will take over from the local police. TV doesn’t lie about that.”
“The feds have no more access to this vault than I do.” She swayed, then caught herself and laid her head on his chest. He didn’t hug her. In fact, he stiffened.
What’s that about?
* * *
“Gabe, do you still see me as a little girl? Is that the problem?”
Jesus.Gabe backed away a step. “What problem? There’s no problem. Well, other than being stuck in a safe.”
“I was just looking for a little comfort, and you backed away. All I can figure is that you still see me as Parker’s little sister.”
“I can’t see you at all.” Gabe hoped sidestepping the question with humor would kill the topic. How could this woman think he perceived her as a little girl? She was a full-grown, gorgeous, well-developed female. “Let’s try to find a light switch. I’ll take the right side of the vault. You take the left.”
“My left or your left? I think I’m facing the door, and you’re facing the back wall. Wait. Actually, I don’t know where I am.”
“Just slide your hands along any wall, and we can play Marco Polo until we find each other again.”
“Fine.” She didn’t laugh.
Parker hadn’t mentioned anything aboutnothooking up with his sister, but Gabe couldn’t imagine that he’d condone that.
Patting the wall next to him, working his way toward the back, he figured they could just talk and keep track of each other that way. “Look, Misty. I don’t think of you as that little girl. Not anymore. I’ll admit, until I saw you today, the picture of you I had in my head was more like a cute twelve-year-old kid. But you’ve obviously…changed.”
“So have you.”
“Not as much as you have.”
“Well, I guess…” She sighed. “Never mind.”
“No. What?”
“I guess I’ll just have to hug myself.”
Gabe slapped his forehead. “Misty, I…” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence.I’m afraid to? You turn me on, and you’re not ready for what I might want?
“You what?”
“Where are you?” Gabe reached out a hand and grabbed something soft and round. “Oops. I was looking for your arm, not your… Sorry.”
Misty giggled.
“Okay. You reach for my arm, and I’ll find yours,” he said.
“What for?”
“I want to give you that hug.”I’d be an ass not to.
“Okay.” He felt a soft touch on his upper arm and slid his hand along it until he found her shoulder. Then he enveloped her in a warm hug. Holding her close, he tried to visualize the little girl she once was. Maybe that way, he could keep a lid on his libido.
She grasped him tight and leaned against his chest. He felt protective of her, and in some ways, he liked it.Shit. This is not good.He still didn’t want her dependent upon him, long term, but this was one of those temporary circumstances in which his first responder traits wouldn’t rebel.
“Don’t worry, Misty. I’m sure they’ll have us out of here before long.”
“I still doubt that.” After a long silence, she added, “I hope we have enough air to survive in here until morning. Do firefighters have any idea how much oxygen a person needs?”
There was an exact formula for that, and it took him a minute to remember it. “How big is this vault?” he asked.
