Ablaze (9 page)

Chapter Eight

Angel woke up in a dark room with just a
faint light coming through the blinds. How long did she sleep? She looked at
the chair where she last saw Dylan sitting. Wow. Did he really help her sleep?
Of course not. She'd been so tired from walking. After the cool shower, of
course she would fall asleep. She couldn't see why a man sitting by her bed
would help her sleep anyway. But then she'd followed all kinds of advice on how
to catch a good sleep including long showers, bathing, exercise, eating the
right food. None worked. Maybe the thought of someone watching over her helped.
Crazy.

Angel stretched her arms over her head. She
couldn't even remember sleeping this good and this long. She felt so rested.

The faint sound of music floated in her
room. Angel listened while staring at the clean white ceiling. Whoever picked
the song must be a fan of Perishers. The restaurant must be open. Dylan said they
serve dinner at six. She looked to the left and to the right, but found no
clock in the room.
What time is it?
Oh, well. She rolled on her side and
listened to the music. Nice.

She would have had been content laying there
except her stomach started grumbling. She'd only had a slice of cake all day
and her stomach felt so empty. She should go downstairs and find something to
eat. Yeah. Italian sounds good right now.

With a buoyant mood, she tossed the blanket
aside and hopped off the bed. She went to the bathroom, washed her face,
brushed her teeth, and then gathered her hair with both hands and put it in a
high messy bun. She searched for the white ribbon she kept in her toiletry bag.
Finding it, she wrapped it around the bun and tied it in a bow. Happy with the
result, she applied a thin lipstick and natural colored eye shadow. She brought
out her strapless green silk dress. Pretty perfect for a night like this. Cool
and, well, silk was just the thing, especially when one was in a good mood. Now,
which shoes should she use to match her dress? The one that she ruined today could
rest in peace. Luckily, she brought two more pair of shoes--black leather flats
and high heel sandals. She'd go for the high heels. She loved the decorative
ankle strap and silver-tone buckle. The insoles were cushioned, too. She
remembered that she left her purse downstairs. Well, she would just ask Dylan
if he kept it. After checking her reflection in the mirror one more time, she
left her room and went downstairs.

Laughter, loud chattering, and clinking of
dishes made Angel smile. It had been a long time since she left her house and
enjoyed a night out. Well, she wasn't really
going out
since she
occupied the room upstairs, but this was great. Angel stood at the bottom of
the stairs and looked at the big empty room with one wooden round table in the
middle that looked big enough to accommodate ten people. A wide screen
television hung on the wall with five speakers above it. She noticed this room
earlier, but thought it to be a conference room. She could be right.

From where she stood, she could see
customers dining through the opened double doors that led to the main room. So
this was how it looked like during dinnertime. Lots of people, votive candles
and small flowers in crystal vases decorated the tables. Nice. She didn't see
Dylan, but he could be behind the bar or somewhere.

Pulling her dress down a bit, she left her
spot and stood by the double doors. She didn't have to look around for Dylan.
He stood out like a peacock in a clearing. He sat with a group of women who
were laughing. Tonight, he wore black slacks and a blue polo shirt. His hair
was combed back with a swath of his long bangs falling to the side of his face.
Lordy, he dressed casually and yet he looked so deadly handsome. She bet Dylan
could wrap himself in a towel and he would still look delicious--maybe even
better if he was naked. Oh, yeah. She could imagine him standing in his full
glory, muscles rippling each time he moved and his…

Angel swallowed. Where her mind was going
made her mouth water. She wasn't sexually deprived, oh no, not at all. So why
oh why did she feel like it had been years since she last touched a man? Not
good. Angel swallowed again. "Don't drool and, for God's sake, get a hold
of yourself," she whispered. However, that sweet feeling deep in her belly
brought by her wild imagination had already simmered and the steam brought heat
all over her body. She wanted to fan herself with her hand, but that would be
stupid. Holy Grandma, why have these wanton feelings? She was never wanton.
Well, of course she had urges, but not toward a man she barely knew.

Her cheeks were still hot when Dylan looked in
her direction. Blue eyes met her green ones. As if she suddenly lost her
hearing, laughter, music, even the siren coming from somewhere seemed to
disappear. Everything around her turned blurry except for Dylan.

Wow. This was definitely an attraction to
its very definition.

Dylan rose from his chair without breaking
eye contact. His grin was irresistibly devastating. And that
grin
, Angel
happily thought, was directed to her. Wow.

Swallowing, Angel returned Dylan's with one
of her own.

"Hey," Dylan greeted.

"Hey back."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby. Thanks to you."

"Anytime you feel sleepy, just let me
know and I'll sit by your bed until you fall asleep."

Angel laughed. "Thanks. Maybe if you
sing me a lullaby, I'll even fall asleep faster."

"Baby, singing is one of the few things
I can't do."

"Well, you can hum then. Although, my
friend Bianca told me that lunatics like to hum because they hear things in
their heads.

"That explains why Tony hums when
cooking. He hears things."

"Poor Tony. Did you stay with me the
whole time or you left as soon as I started snoring?"

"No. I left when you started kicking
the blanket and lifting your shirt up."

Angel punched Dylan in the stomach. "I
didn't."

He caught her hand and didn't let go.
Instead, he laced their fingers together. "No, you didn't. I wish you did
though."

"You're a flirt."

"My forte."

For a second they just stared at each other.
Angel liked it. Staring at Dylan made her feel as if he was really seeing her.
Weird, Willy never looked at her this way. Never.

"How's your knees?"

"Attached and still holding me up."

"Manfred was right."

"About what?"

"You're a sassy brat."

Angel wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Not
fair. He didn't tell me anything about you."

"He's obnoxious and smells bad
especially in the morning."

Taking her gaze off Dylan's face, she looked
past him to see two amazingly handsome men. Both were smiling. If Angel would
take a guess, she'd say they were Dylan's brothers. They also had dark blue
mesmerizing eyes that looked as if they had a couple drinks. Sleepy, bedroom
eyes, inviting. She made a quick scan. Dylan was only a few inches taller than
his brothers who were also beautifully proportioned. Holy pineapple! These guys
were so hot, they could melt her with their stare. However, the funny
fluttering feeling in her stomach was missing when she looked at Dylan's
brothers.

Angel smiled at Dylan. Yup, there it was
again. Maybe this was how it felt to fall in love with one of the identical
twin brothers. Both handsome, and yet, you love only one. Wait! Her analogy was
too much. She wasn't, by any means, in love. Attracted, yes, but definitely not
in love.

Sweet caramel cream pie, she needed food.

"Angel, meet my atrocious brothers.
Marley and Tyler."

Angel made a move to shake hands with
Marley, but realized Dylan still had his fingers laced with hers.

Dylan must have forgotten it, too--although
it would be hard to forget holding someone's hand--because a hint of blush
appeared on his cheeks. Maybe the blush was from the brother's joke about
smelling bad in the morning. Slowly, he let go of her hand.

"Nice to meet you both. Thanks for the
warning about Dylan. I'll make sure I stay away from him in the morning."

Marley smacked Tyler's back. "Finally,
a beautiful reason to come by here every day."

"Same--" Angel grabbed her stomach
to stop it from growling. "You didn't hear that."

The three men all nodded simultaneously.

"Time for you to eat." Dylan
placed his hand at the small of her back. Instead of sitting her in the main
dining room, he guided her back toward the round table.

* * * *

Angel wore a simple greed strapless dress,
but the effect was enough to make him think about good things. Like making love
with her in the morning or sharing toothpaste with her. Earlier, when she
walked in the restaurant, his chest tightened at the sight of her--windblown,
tired, and lovely. When he watched her sleep, the urge to lie down beside her
and cuddle was more than he could handle. When he saw her standing by the door,
he wanted to run to her, sweep her off her feet and take her somewhere so he
could… Good fucking duck. He'd never had this strong attraction before. What
the heck was this feeling? Infatuation at first sight?

Dylan focused his gaze on the table. He'd
been with different women and had managed to keep his emotions separated from
his physical needs. It wouldn't be hard to do it again. Right now, he'd enjoy
his time with her, stick to his plan, avoid unnecessary conversations, spend
his free time writing and a month would be over before he knew it. One month,
he thought. Just one month and then he'd be alone upstairs again and his
infatuation would dissipate. Yup. Simple plan. Doable. Dylan glanced at Angel
sitting beside Tyler, laughing at something his brother whispered in her ear.
When the weird tightening in his chest came back, he knew he'd have to work
harder this time.

How could he distance himself with Angel?
Just look at her eyes and lips. Jesus, he really wanted to kiss her right now.

Shit. He'd been happy living without a
regular woman in his life. After a quick tumble in bed, he didn't have to look
back. No pressure about calling the woman the next day or marking his calendar
so he wouldn't forget a special day. Yet, with Angel, he wanted the opposite.
All afternoon his stomach clenched at the thought of seeing her, of talking to
her. He even caught himself standing outside her bedroom with his hand around
the doorknob because he wanted to check in on her. Holy fuck, she turned his
whole world upside down. She was like a heavy pan that smacked him straight on
the cheek. She struck him blind! Well, maybe he was getting ahead of himself
here, but Angel definitely did something--unknowingly--to him. Whatever it was,
he must shake it off--soon. He didn't need a distraction. Yeah, women were just
that. A distraction.

"Hey, bro. What's up with the hideous
scowl? You're scaring me here." Marley grinned as if he just read his
mind. Still holding his beer bottle, he leaned toward Angel, then whispered
something again.

Angel looked at Dylan, obviously trying to
suppress a laugh although her lips quirked traitorously.

"Stop whispering, Marley. It's rude."

"He didn't say anything bad at all,"
Angel said, quickly defending Marley.

Dylan noticed Angel glance down his crotch. "Care
to tell me what's so funny?"

Tyler who'd been watching the big screen
television, turned around and said, "Marley just told Angel your deep dark
secret."

Blood pounded in his temples. Dylan wanted
to plant his fist in Marley's face. His brothers had been teasing him about
being a writer since he sold his first book, but this wasn't funny. "What
secret?"

"Your secret, bro."

"The fuck, Marley. I'm going to fucking
kill you." His brothers proved themselves to be more than annoying. They
were acting like big fucking asses.

"Dylan, there is nothing to be shameful
about--"

"About what?"

"About being uncircumcised."

Chapter Nine

Dylan wanted to strangle his brothers' guffawing
like morons. If it weren't a crime to poison one's brothers, he would do it. He
crossed his arms against his chest and gave his brothers a dull look. For a
minute there, he thought Marley divulged his secret about being a writer. Of
course he wouldn't, but the thought had crossed his mind, causing him alarm. "Not
funny."

Marley and Tyler gave each other a high five
while Angel watched, looking like she missed something about the joke. She gave
him a questioning look, but he just shook his head.

"Tyler, why don't you go find Suzy. And
tell Raz to bring us drinks."

"Why me?"

"Because I asked you to. Don't be such
an ass and get off your chair." To Angel he said, "Sorry about these
buffoons. They don't know when and how to act properly. Especially in front of
a woman."

"But she's one of us. Right, Angel?"
Marley made a fist and pointed it to Angel. "We call this knucks."

"Cool." Angel caught on, made a
fist with one hand and then lightly tapped Marley's fist. "I'm one of you.
I'm the muse. The inspiration. The goddess among the gods."

"Alright!" Marley and Tyler said
simultaneously.

Dylan couldn't believe it. How could she
talk to his brothers like this as if they'd known each other forever. So
trusting.

"Okay, God, Tyler. Find Suzy and Raz."
He pointed his thumb toward the door and then pulled out the chair in front of
Angel.

Tyler sighed and slowly got to his feet. "Would
you like something to drink, Angel?"

"Sure. Anything non-alcoholic is fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I turn weird when I sniff
alcohol."

"What kind of weird? Like taking off
your clothes or something? In that case, I'll give you vodka."

"Ha-ha. I turn bright pink, giggle a
lot, my tongue loosens and forgets everything."

"You're a cheap date. Alright, be right
back."

Dylan sat down on his chair and met Angel's
eyes. They were still glowing with mirth. Damn. Any man could drown in those
big green eyes. He wondered what they would look like when she reached her
orgasm? Cloudy, bright with unshed tears or-- "Ow!"

Marley kicked him on the shin. "Sheez,
take a picture, Dylan. She'll last longer."

"I was just…never mind."

Marley smiled at Angel. "See, he's not
perfect. He just pretends to be because he's old." Marley placed the
remote control on the table, then stood up. "I'm hungry. I'll grab our crab
and artichoke dip and bread. Be right back."

Left alone with Angel, Dylan took a deep
breath. "Manfred met them all. Did he tell you?"

"He said he met nice kids and he's
right."

"You haven't met the other two yet."

"If they are anything like Marley and
Tyler, I'm sure I will like them. I look forward to meeting them."

As if on cue, Morrison and Hendrix showed
up. Morrison wore his tight white Hane's shirt, low hip-hugger jeans with
tattered hem and black boots. Behind him was Hendrix in his perpetually messy
wavy hair that he habitually raked, carrying his backpack.

"Hey, bro. Sorry were late. Princess
here had to print his homework."

Dylan clapped hands with Morrison. "It's
all right. School's important," he said, but his brothers weren't looking
at him anymore. "Guys, this is--"

"Angel," Morrison said. "Good
to meet you. Tony said you have an amazing face. For the first time, he isn't
lying."

"Thanks."

"Angel, these are my brothers Morrison
and Hendrix."

"Hello."

"Dang. A simple hello and I could
already feel my--"

"Shut it, Morrison."

"What? I was just going to say my chest
beating fast. What's wrong with that?"

Morrison grinned at Dylan, then sat down at
the table. Hendrix's scowl turned deeper.

"Angel. Tony said you had my brother
under your spell this afternoon."

 "Hen. What the fuck." Dylan
speared his brother with an angry look, but Hendrix just scoffed at him.

"I didn't know that, Hendrix."

"Ah. Are you a prude, Angel?"
Hendrix asked.

"Hendrix, knock it off. You're being
rude." What the hell had gotten into his brother's brain?

 "I'm just asking her a simple
question, Dylan."

"It's okay." Angel smiled. "No,
Hendrix. I'm not a prude."

"If you stay here, you'll hear the word
fuck on a regular basis and words worse than that."

"It doesn't bother me. Minnie, my aunt,
talks worse than a drunken Irish on payday when she's deep into her cups. She
owns a copy of Kama Sutra that I accidentally found in her bedroom. It was wide
open on a page that maybe even you haven't tried or seen. Let me tell you, it
wasn't the first time that I've seen it. I've
heard and seen
it all,
Hendrix. Nothing you say will shock me."

"Well, cock-sucking-pussy-licking son
of a bitch. Glad to hear that."

Angel's face turned deep red, but she didn't
cringe or shy away.

"Can you hack at the back of your
throat and spit?"

"Learned it in fifth grade."

"Do you scream and get all hussy
whenever you find the toilet seat up?"

"No. I've been to the Philippines and
other third world countries. I've used toilets, out houses, and a hole on the
ground you've probably wouldn't dare use."

Hendrix's face lit up. He extended his hand
to Angel, then said, "Welcome to the group."

"I passed the initiation?"

Morrison and Hendrix laughed.

Dylan couldn't believe it. Everything that
Hendrix asked were the things that he didn't like about Camille. But what
shocked him most was what she'd said. She looked at a Kama Sutra book and used
a hole to… Well, hell. To Angel he said, "Now you met the Band brothers.
So unfortunate, isn't it?"

"No. It's a pleasure, really."

Morrison smacked his hand on the table. "That's
what I said. Anyone who meets any of the Band is lucky."

Marley came back and placed a tray on the
table with six white medium sized ramekins and a breadbasket.

"Hmm, yummy. Why lucky, Morrison?"

"Because we are a Band."

Angel laughed. "I've heard that before.
Now, tell me if I'm wrong. You're all named after a singer in a band--Bob
Dylan, Jim Morrison, Steven Tyler, Jimmy Hendrix, and Bob Marley."

"Yup. Our mother was a hippie,"
Tyler answered.

Dylan placed a bowl in front of Angel and
handed her the breadbasket. "What about you? Did your parents name you Angel
because you have a face of an angel?"

"Thank you. I really don't know. My
parents died when I was young. I never got a chance to ask them."

The room's atmosphere changed in a hurry.
Marley gave everyone their bowl of dip without saying anything. They were all
in that solemn mood when Suzy and Raz came.

"What in the world happened? Got a lady
in your group so you're all pretending to be polite and with good manners?
Hello there, young lady. I'm Suzy, the cashier slash waitress slash manager,
accountant, and these boys' maid. And this young man here is Raz."

"Nice to meet you, Suzy, Raz."

Raz smiled big, showing his white gapped
teeth. "Hello. Welcome to Pink Door. You're really…welcome here. I
hope
you'll feel welcome. Here." Raz cleared his throat. "Anytime you need
anything, I'm here."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome.

"You're wonderfully welcome."

"Hey, Raz. What's that stain on your
pants?" Marley asked.

"What?" Raz looked down, nearly
dropping the tray that he was holding.

Suzy rolled her eyes. "He's joking. Drinks,
Raz."

"Right. Here's your drinks." Raz placed
ten bottles of beer on the table, picking up the empty ones and placing them on
the tray and then left in a hurry.

"Thanks, Raz," everyone said.

"You're an ass, Marley," Dylan
snarled.

"I'm just kidding. The boy was
hypnotized."

Dylan glanced at Angel eyeing everyone. She
sat on her chair like a deity with unnatural beauty who'd seen a Kama Sutra.
Who wouldn't be hypnotized. Maybe when Angel looked at the book, she had unknowingly
unlocked the sensual side of her, now screaming to be tested. Because her ex
was a fucking lunatic, he didn't--

 Suzy clapped her hands, interrupting his
thoughts.

"So, boys and girl. What's it going to
be tonight?" Suzy tapped her notepad with a pen.

"Chinese. Is Chinese fine with you,
Angel?" Tyler asked.

"Oh, yeah. I love Chinese, Japanese,
Thai, Greek. Name it."

"Good. Chinese then. I want Mongolian
beef."

"Chow Mein."

"Special fried rice."

"Orange chicken."

Dylan listened to his brothers order their
food simultaneously.

Suzy tapped her pen on the small pad of
paper she was holding to quiet down the brothers. "One at a time, boys. I
don't want to miss an order and then go back to the Asian Wok again."

Dylan's brothers repeated their order. When
they were done, he asked Angel, "What about you, Angel?"

"I love Chinese, but aren't we going to
order from the restaurant menu?"

"No," all the men said at the same
time.

"What about Tony?"

"Forget about that dirty ass, Marley
said.

"I think he's adorable."

"If you hear him snore, you'd think
twice about him being adorable. So what's it gonna be?"

"What--oh my order?"

"Yup."

"Okay. I'll have tofu with mixed
vegetables and spinach salad with oil and vinegar, please."

"What? If you want to have this,"
Morrison raised his arm, bent it at the elbow and flexed his muscles. "You
got to eat Mongolian beef."

"You call those things muscles?"
Tyler laughed.

"They're bigger than your dick, aren't
they?"

Insults started flying across the table.
There were shoving and kicking from
under
the table. Dylan watched. His
brothers may be over six feet tall, with the exception of Hendrix, but they
were still children at times. He glanced at Angel to see how she was taking the
scene. Dylan wasn't surprised to see her smiling, enjoying the spectacle. She
even raised her own arm to show her muscle, which looked as soft as butter. His
brothers teased her mercilessly, but she held her own.

Dylan laughed when Morrison called Angel's
arm parsnip. He was so glad that the bit about her dead parents was all but
forgotten. Thanks to the angel in their midst.