Stealing Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 5) Read Free Page B

night.”
    He snorted but said nothing.
    They continued in silence for a few minutes before she couldn’t stand the quiet anymore. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but women these days try to avoid being damsels in distress.”
    “Well, you’re obviously not a damsel in distress,” he assured her.
    Ella thought back to all the embarrassing things she’d already done in front of him. “What makes you say that?”
    “You’re the knight in shining armor, riding into enemy territory to save your father.”
    She smiled. She hadn’t thought of it like that. What did he mean by “enemy territory”?
    As they approached a cluster of pines, Ella moved to go around, but Lucian held the branches aside for her to pass through. “So, what is your father like? He obviously means a great deal to you.”
    How did she explain Dad to a stranger? “He’s...unique. He is a scientist, but he started out as a medical doctor. An OB/GYN, actually. He specialized in helping women who couldn’t get pregnant. Then he suddenly decided he hated people and switched to biology, focusing on various small mammals.”
    “That’s quite a switch,” he murmured.
    “Well, when he puts his mind to something, he gets it done.”
    “That must’ve been difficult on you and your mother.”
    Ella shrugged. She hadn’t intended for the conversation to get so personal, but she supposed conversation about her family was probably inevitable considering why she was trespassing on his land to begin with. “It’s just me and Dad. My mother was never really in the picture.”
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d lost her,” he said, not truly sounding remorseful.
    “She’s not dead or anything. Well, she could be, but that’s not why she wasn’t there. Dad doesn’t talk about her much. He just said they weren’t on the same page when it came to kids and we were better off without her.” It was probably too much information, but she didn’t like people feeling sorry for her. She was glad her mother wasn’t around. If she was half as bad as Dad made her sound, Ella didn’t want to ever meet the woman.
    “My mother wasn’t around either. I guess she couldn’t handle the craziness that was my father, and she was afraid I’d turn out like him.” The words held no remorse or emotion. Just the facts of his upbringing. It was at least one thing they had in common. They hadn’t had “traditional” upbringings, but they weren’t ashamed or damaged from their childhood.
    “Do you look like him?”
    Ella bit back a laugh at the question. “Not really. He was a bit of a cradle robber and was forty-one when I was born. So he has crazy white hair and white beard, because if you’re going to be an eccentric scientist, you might as well look the part.”
    Lucian looked back at her. His eyes roamed over her face and briefly skimmed over her body. “I definitely don’t see eccentric scientist when I look at you.”
    “Good to know,” she muttered.
    Once again, they walked in silence, the awkwardness of their meeting at odds with the casual and personal banter. Was that flirting? She was so used to Gus’s outright advances, and all the other eligible bachelors seemed to assume she was going to marry Gus. She’d almost forgotten the casual fun of flirting.
    She shook her head at the thought. Lucian wasn’t flirting with her. She’d called the cops just minutes ago in case he planned to murder her. That was hardly the kind of behavior that had guys drooling for a date.
    Not that she wanted a date. The last thing she needed was another man in her life. Dad already took enough time and all men were mostly the same: looking for someone to cook and clean and raise children. No thanks. She had her own plans.
    She’d just about saved enough from her modest bookstore income to put a down payment on one of the tiny houses on the outskirts of Pine Springs. They were nothing special, but they would fit plenty of bookshelves and had a yard big