Against the Fire by Kat Martin Read Free Book Online Page A

her gaze away. Finally, she looked at him and shook her head. “I had no idea.” She turned to Angel. “Enrique has incredible talent.”
    “You were right, Angel,” Gabe said. “This isn’t vandalizing. It’s beautifying. Maybe this will give your friend the break he needs.” Gabe thought maybe he could do something to help. The city had been looking for some open space to purchase. They needed more parks, more green space, and this lot, done the way Angel’s friend had painted it, would be perfect.
    “I didn’t set the fire,” Angel repeated. “I just wanted to help Enrique.”
    Gabe rested a hand on the boy’s stout shoulder. “I believe you, son. Mattie and I will talk to the police, see if there’s something we can do to convince them and get them back on the track of finding the real arsonist.”
    Angel’s relieved smile was so full of gratitude that Gabe felt a tightening in his chest.
    “Thank you, sir.”
    Gabe just nodded. When he looked over at Mattie, he caught the glint of tears. More of a woman than she wanted to admit, he thought. Interesting.
    They walked back to the center and Angel went inside to speak to his attorney, leaving Gabe and Mattie on the sidewalk out in front.
    “I’ve got to get back to work,” Mattie said.
    “Where’s your car?” Gabe asked.
    “In the lot behind the building.”
    “So’s mine.” He started walking beside her, both of them heading toward the lot. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in having dinner tonight? We could talk about the boys. I’ve got a couple of ideas that might help Enrique. He’s an amazingly talented kid.”
    He could tell she wanted to say no. But Angel meant a lot to her and now it seemed she was concerned about Enrique.
    “We’ll go anywhere you want,” he said, his stomach quietly rebelling at the thought of a plateful of vegetables for supper.
    “All right. I’ve got to work late, but I could meet you at the Taj about eight.”
    “The Taj?”
    “Indian food. I think you’ll find something on the menu you’ll enjoy.”
    He wasn’t much on ethnic food. He was more a meat and potatoes kind of guy. “Where is it?”
    She gave him the address and he agreed to meet her, not quite certain himself it was a good idea. The lady was a vegetarian, a little too independent to suit him, and probably a raging liberal. Still, politics and palates aside, Mattie attracted him as no lady had in a very long time.
    It might prove an interesting evening.
    Five
    Mattie kicked herself all the way back to her office. What in the world was wrong with her? The last person she wanted to spend time with was Gabriel Raines.
    As the elevator took her to her floor, she paused. Why was she so determined to avoid him? Gabe was obviously intelligent and from what she had read, a successful businessman. He had built his company from the ground up and become an upstanding member of the downtown community.
    The truth was, she was more than a little attracted to Gabe Raines and that scared her to death. She hadn’t had sex in more than a year and Gabe was a man whose every glance made it clear sex was extremely important to him. Though she admired his powerful body, macho men just weren’t her type. At least they never had been before.
    She stepped out of the elevator thinking of Gabe and her reaction to him, thinking of Angel and grateful that Gabe had agreed to help him. Now he was trying to help Enrique. As she passed the reception desk, her mind was on the dinner she had agreed to share with him and she jostled into someone. It was Mel Freeman, one of her coworkers.
    “Sorry,” she said.
    “That’s all right, Mattie. I never mind bumping a little female flesh.”
    Mattie bristled. Mel was a true male chauvinist pig. Six feet tall and fairly good looking, he believed he was God’s gift to women, though at forty, his light brown hair had begun to recede and a slight paunch jiggled at his waistline.
    Mattie had gone head-to-head with Mel a