AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey, Bumble Bee,” he said, facing her after kissing Abbe in greeting.
Bianca crossed her arms. “Hey.” She waited for her brother to start the conversation, but he looked uncharacteristically hesitant, so she began. “I know the family is in a strange place right now, but I can still date whoever I want,” she said defiantly.
Rafe leaned against Abbe’s desk, thinking through what he was going to say. “What do you know about this guy?” he asked, more uncertain than confrontational.
“What do you mean?” she asked. It threw Bianca to see her eldest brother this way. He usually acted like he knew best in every situation.
“Cass said he’s FBI,” Rafe said.
“I know,” Bianca replied, her tone muted now rather than defensive. The fact that her brother wasn’t cutting right to the point like he usually did was very disconcerting.
“Cass is still digging into his background, trying to find out what he’s doing, but he’s concerned,” Rafe continued.
“Cass is always concerned,” Bianca said, trying to sound flippant and failing when her laugh came out nervously.
“He can’t find out what case Elias is working on. Do you know what that means?” Rafe asked. Bianca swallowed and shrugged. “Neither do we. Cass has never had a problem getting information before.”
Bianca shifted uneasily on her feet. “Elias is trying to keep me out of it,” she said. “He said he doesn’t want me involved.”
Rafe nodded, his eyes trailing off as he thought about that. “I hope that’s true.” He looked back at Bianca. “Are you being careful about what you’re telling him?” he asked with quiet intensity.
Bianca nodded, her throat suddenly tightening. She didn’t want to think about what she would be forced to do if her brothers insisted that she stop seeing him.
“I really like him,” she said, trying not to get too emotional. Now that she was faced with the possibility of having to make a choice between him and her family, she realized how much Elias was starting to mean to her.
Rafe frowned. “I know, Bumble Bee. I could see that when I met him. That’s why we’re all so worried. You’ve never taken any guy seriously before.” He made a frustrated sound. “If you were the type of girl to fall for every douchebag who chased you, this would be easier, but you’ve never been like that. You’ve always kept your distance emotionally. Kept a level head.”.
“I’ve never met anyone worth losing my head over,” she mumbled. It was so awkward having this conversation with her big brother.
“That’s why I’m here to ask you. Are you sure about this guy?”
She shrugged, trying to pull herself together, but she suddenly felt like she was about to cry. “I don’t know how he feels about me, but Ireallylike him,” she said. “I don’t want you to scare him away.”
Rafe sighed, thinking it through, before finally nodding in agreement. “I’ll tell Cass and Uncle Gabriel to back off. It’ll be okay,” he promised, pushing off the desk to come and give her a hug. “I’ll take care of it.”
Bianca hugged her brother back, hoping he was right, but also knowing all of his and Cassiel’s and her Uncle Gabriel’s worrying could be for nothing. If Elias had any idea how complicated her life was, he might not stay with her no matter how much she made him laugh or how amazing their chemistry was. Having great sex and the same sense of humor was one thing. Being in a relationship with someone who had a family like Bianca’s was something else entirely.
Seven
It wasn’t until later that day when Bianca got back home and was going through her mail that she realized she had no way to contact Elias.
She was standing on her front stoop holding herSave the Datereminder for next weekend’s charity ball for Children’s Hospital, wondering if she should ask Elias to come with her when it hit her that she couldn’t just call him and ask. And she was still standing there on her stoop contemplating the possibility that he could simply disappear from her life, and she couldn’t even call him and leave a snarky message when she saw him get out of a BMW and come toward her.
He looked like he was walking out of a magazine. He was wearing a simple but high-quality long-sleeved shirt, lean-lined slacks, and a three-quarter-length wool coat that was just the right combination of relaxed and tailored to show off how fit he was. She took a moment to enjoy just watching him walk toward her.
“What’s that?” he asked, smiling at her as he pocketed his keys. He gestured to the invitation in her hand.
She needed a moment to reset. “Whose car is that?” she asked, pointing to the silver 7 series that he had just stepped out of.
“Mine,” he replied. He tilted his head to the side curiously, reading her. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. Come in,” she said, pushing her front door open. “What happened to the black car with the loud engine?” He just smiled at her and shut the door behind him. “Ah-ha,” Bianca said, nodding succinctly. “Is having multiple expensive cars one of your work mysteries that you can’t discuss?”
“No. I have a few cars,” he replied.
“Wow. What’s the FBI paying these days?” she asked, but he didn’t laugh at her teasing.
He was regarding her in an assessing way. Bianca was starting to understand that when he got that expression it meant he was deciding how much of his life he was going to share with her.
