Page 28 of Phoenix Rising

Reese frowned at her. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“Sadly, no. Jan . . . er, Paige was registered for a session. We have to check it out. There must be some reason she added it to her itinerary.”

“What are we talking about here? Dressing up as Civil War soldiers? I can get down with that if we get to shoot muskets and bayonets. Are we doing a reenactment or something?”

“Or something,” Audria agreed. “It’s furries.”

When Reese stared at her, she explained, “You dress up as an animal and play the part.”

He scoffed. “No, seriously.”

When she stared at him with a raised brow, he closed his eyes and groaned. “You have got to be kidding me. I can’t do that.”

“Relax. This is an introductory class to see what it’s about. Hopefully, we won’t have to dress up yet.”

“You are telling me people pretend to be gophers, armadillos, and porcupines, and this is an acceptable practice?”

“Yep. It’s a booming business.”

“For the love of God, why?”

She held out her hands. “That, I can’t answer. I don’t get it either.”

“I’ve heard of people pretending to be their favorite superhero like Wonder Woman or a Star Wars character like Luke Skywalker, but Pepé Le Pew? What the hell?”

“I guess we’ll see what it’s about tomorrow.”

Reese grunted. “Can’t wait.”

The bed dipped when he climbed in on his side. Audria tried not to notice him as he flicked on the television and surfed the channels. It seemed so normal, like something a married couple would do in the evening. When her mind tried to picture other things a husband and wife might do in bed, she ruthlessly ignored it and focused on her computer.

She glanced at Reese to find that he’d fallen asleep. He didn’t even snore. The man was perfect in every way. Darn it. It might’ve dampened her lust for him if he sawed logs like a burly lumberjack.

“Quit looking at me like that, or I won’t be responsible for what happens next.”

He hadn’t even opened his eyes. Heck, his back was to her! Audria almost asked what he might do, but she snapped her mouth shut. This was a job. They were coworkers trying to find a possible missing person. She could ignore her hormones. She’d been doing it around him for years.

Chapter Eight

Reese woke up after a fitful night of sleep, aroused and aching, and the woman next to him was the reason. Images of them entangled in the sheets, naked and sweaty, dominated his dreams. And, have mercy, they were graphic.

At one time, he never would’ve thought he’d have the opportunity to make love to Audria Giroux. He was her boss, and she was his most trusted agent. Now, it wasn’t a matter of if, but when. It would happen. Maybe not on this trip while they searched for Paige, but there was no denying the chemistry that sparked between them. Somehow, some way, he would know what it felt like to have her sexy body beneath him, writhing in ecstasy as he pleasured her.

Reese slid out of bed and strolled to the bathroom to change into his workout gear. Audria was also a runner, and despite the height difference, their strides matched. They’d often gone for long runs when on assignments during her time at the Bureau. Some days, they talked while the miles passed. Other times, they paced side by side in companionable silence.

That was another thing about Audria—she was so easy to talk to. Unlike him and Gennie, they shared many of the same interests, and she was knowledgeable about various subjects. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of chatting with her. She even loved sports. He could talk to her about a controversial call in a football game, and she would add her perspective. More often than not, he agreed with her.

Audria was up with her workout clothes in hand when he exited the bathroom. Once she changed, they headed out into the early morning. It was a perfect time to run, with the sun rising over the mountains and the lower temps. Few people were out and about.

They had a choice of the Cathedral Rock Trail, taking them past the path’s namesake, or Hangover Trail, which featured red rocks, alcoves, and stream crossings. He let Audria decide, and she chose the Hangover Trail. The scenery was incredible, and he felt rejuvenated and ready to tackle the day, even if he did have to dress like Scooby-Doo in a few hours.

They had time to kill before the first session in the afternoon, so after showering and changing, they caught up with emails for a few hours before walking back into town. They chose a café for lunch that featured homemade soup. The special was a loaded veggie bisque with wheat bread, and they both ordered it.

He laughed out loud as Audria told him a story about Kai Costa and how he’d shimmied up the rock wall in the COBRA Securities gym without a harness, despite repeated warnings about doing so. “I’m free soloing,” he’d insisted. However, he’d ended up getting his foot caught and had found himself hanging upside down. Instead of untangling him, one of Audria’s coworkers he’d yet to meet, Dan Bradley, had climbed up with a harness and made sure Kai hadn’t fallen, then called Kai’s dad, Dante, to let him know what had happened. As they’d waited for Dante to arrive, Kai had tried every bribe in the book to get Dan to release him to no avail.

“Needless to say, Kai was grounded, both physically and literally.”

Reese laughed heartily. “He sounds like a handful.”

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