The Guardian Chronicles 1: Rise of the Phoenix by Matthew Burkey Page B

asked, with a raised eyebrow. “I thought that it might be rhinos in heat or something.”
    Gabriel laughed. “They told me that he was bad, I didn’t believe them so I got to share a tent with him, next time I suppose I should listen.”
    “You know when I met you, I told you that you were cute... I wasn’t lying.”
    Gabriel blushed, he wasn’t used to being complimented, especially from a guy that looked like Alex. Then again, he wasn’t used to being complimented on his looks regardless of who it was. He suppressed the urge to let out a nervous giggle.
    “Thanks.”
    “You haven’t dated much, have you?”
    Gabriel gulped. “I haven’t dated at all.”
    “Are you kidding me?” Alex asked, eyebrows raised. “A smart, cute, witty guy like you and you haven’t been on any dates?”
    “There aren’t exactly an abundance of gay guys at my school,” Gabriel sighed, kicking at the sand. “It’s hard to find anyone else that’s out let alone anyone to actually go on a date with.”
    “We could change that.”
    Uh oh, did a smooth and very good looking guy just ask you out on a date? No, not guy, vampire, Gabriel corrected himself.
    “Are you asking me out on a date?” Gabriel finally managed to get out.
    “Yes,” Alex nodded. “I thought that part was pretty obvious.”
    “Wow...it’s just that...well I’m not entirely sure that we should see each other like that.”
    “Worried that I might be a spy or something? Guess Ethan really did get to you.”
    “It’s not that!” Gabriel blurted out, instantly feeling not only annoyed at himself but extremely stupid for not jumping at the chance to go an actual date. With a good looking guy. That was into guys. So what if he happened to be vampire.
    “Look, I’m just not sure that it’s allowed.”
    “I didn't realize that they controlled all aspects of your life.”
    “They don’t!”
    “Then why won’t you even think about a date with me?” Alex asked, smirking slightly. “I mean I know that you were practically drooling all over me back in Montana.”
    “Well I guess that part is true.”
    Alex chuckled. “Look, I wouldn’t be bothering you with this except I know that you are attracted to me and you just admitted that you haven’t really had any experience dating so here is a chance to fix that. And if I do say so so myself, I am pretty damn hot.”
    “Wow, you sound like Ethan when you say stuff like that.”
    “Well, he is pretty hot too,” Alex admitted. “You know that it would be a line to tell you that you are way better looking than him, right?”
    “I am?”
    Alex rolled his eyes. “Yes, you are. And you are nicer and you don’t want to stake me on sight for something that I didn’t really have anything to do with.”
    “Ethan is…”
    “Complicated,” Alex suggested. “A bad boy? All deep and brooding?”
    “That’s a nice way of putting it,” Gabriel responded. “I assumed you would have said jerk.”
    “Oh a lot of things to call him crossed my mind,” Alex said with a grin. “I just happen to want you to like me so I thought that I probably shouldn’t start off disparaging your friends.”
    Again Gabriel had to resist the urge to giggle.
    Good lord, what the hell is wrong with me, he thought. One cute guy starts complimenting me and flirting with me and I go all valley girl stupid. Pull yourself together!
    “He takes some getting to know,” Gabriel acknowledged. “But he’s really not a bad guy, I promise. After what happened with your dad and that bad intelligence, well he did lose his best friend and then shortly afterwards he broke up with his girlfriend.”
    “Who is still on the team with him, right?”
    Gabriel nodded, kicking a rock as they came around a bend in the shoreline. “Yeah, they have a good working relationship though.”
    “My father never meant for things to go that badly,” Alex admitted. “He got betrayed too.”
    “I know that and I think deep down so does Ethan. I doubt