Read Online Dangerous Attraction Romantic Suspense Boxed Set by Patricia Rosemoor, Toni Anderson, REBECCA YORK, Dana Marton, Sharon Hamilton, Kaylea Cross, Debra Burroughs, Lori Ryan, Jill Sanders, Marie Astor - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Rosemoor, Toni Anderson, REBECCA YORK, Dana Marton, Sharon Hamilton, Kaylea Cross, Debra Burroughs, Lori Ryan, Jill Sanders, Marie Astor
Tags: Suspense, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Military, romantic suspense, Mystery & Suspense, Dangerous Attraction
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and steady when it felt like she was going to shake apart? It was easier to keep a leash on her emotions when there wasn’t any physical contact between them.
The way he touched her, so gently despite his rough exterior, made her ache to lean forward and wrap her arms around that sturdy neck. She longed to feel his strong arms around her in return, locking out the rest of the world. She wanted that so badly she almost gave into the urge to reach for him.
He killed the impulse by stretching an arm out above her for another facecloth, wetting it also before turning his attention back to her right foot. “It’s scraped up some.” After wiping the sensitive bottom of her foot he took the left one in his large hand, holding it up so he could see the sole in the light. “There’s a splinter of something,” he murmured, and a moment later pulled something sharp out of her foot.
Her toes pointed in reflex and she sucked in a breath. A tiny shard of metal glinted between his fingers as he held it up for her to see. Then he turned her left hand over and set it in her scraped palm before going back to search for others.
She stared at the fragment with detached revulsion, wondering where it had come from. The building? One of the exploding trucks? A first responder’s vehicle? Feeling sick again, she dumped it on the counter with a tiny rattling sound.
“One more, but it’s deeper. Hang on a sec.” He shifted onto one knee and dug in his back pocket, coming up with a jackknife loaded with all sorts of tools. With a pair of tweezers at the ready he took hold of her foot again and looked up at her. “This is gonna hurt, but I need to get it out before it buries itself in there and causes more problems.”
Khalia nodded and clenched her hands in the folds of her dress. The light blue cotton was torn in several places and stained with dirt from where she’d hit the ground. The right shoulder seam was barely holding together. She pressed her lips together and fought not to wriggle when the tips of the tweezers dug into her tender flesh.
“Sorry,” he said without glancing up at her, forehead furrowed in concentration. “It’s a ways in there.”
“It’s fine,” she murmured, wishing he’d just hurry up and get it over with already. Having him kneeling at her feet made her feel silly and only intensified the need for the feel of his arms around her. But he’d made it clear where the line between them stood, so she wanted him to leave so she could lock the door and be alone for a while to get herself together.
It took a few minutes for Hunter to get the remaining fragment out of the side of her instep. This one hurt more than the other and she tensed. He set the shard on the vanity and she relaxed, ignoring the painful stinging. “Your tetanus vaccines up to date?”
“Yes.” This was such an insane conversation. Untold numbers of people had just been blown up, and she and Hunter almost with them. If they’d been any closer to the blasts… She swallowed and wrapped her arms around herself, fighting off another bout of shivers that kept rolling through her.
Hunter didn’t miss her reaction. “If your legs are steady enough after this I’d recommend a hot shower. It’ll help with the shaking,” he offered, again without looking at her. She was glad for the small amount of privacy it afforded her. The truth was she was freaking terrified and barely holding her emotions in check. Only the fear of humiliating herself in front of Hunter kept her true reaction at bay. He’d protected her with his own body and she hated the thought of seeming weak and emotional in front of him. He was calm, decisive, had been even during the bombings. His hands were completely steady as he tended to her feet. The pulse in his throat was slow and steady.
It was as though the explosions hadn’t affected him at all.
She didn’t even want to think about what sort of training, or what he must have seen in the field during his
The way he touched her, so gently despite his rough exterior, made her ache to lean forward and wrap her arms around that sturdy neck. She longed to feel his strong arms around her in return, locking out the rest of the world. She wanted that so badly she almost gave into the urge to reach for him.
He killed the impulse by stretching an arm out above her for another facecloth, wetting it also before turning his attention back to her right foot. “It’s scraped up some.” After wiping the sensitive bottom of her foot he took the left one in his large hand, holding it up so he could see the sole in the light. “There’s a splinter of something,” he murmured, and a moment later pulled something sharp out of her foot.
Her toes pointed in reflex and she sucked in a breath. A tiny shard of metal glinted between his fingers as he held it up for her to see. Then he turned her left hand over and set it in her scraped palm before going back to search for others.
She stared at the fragment with detached revulsion, wondering where it had come from. The building? One of the exploding trucks? A first responder’s vehicle? Feeling sick again, she dumped it on the counter with a tiny rattling sound.
“One more, but it’s deeper. Hang on a sec.” He shifted onto one knee and dug in his back pocket, coming up with a jackknife loaded with all sorts of tools. With a pair of tweezers at the ready he took hold of her foot again and looked up at her. “This is gonna hurt, but I need to get it out before it buries itself in there and causes more problems.”
Khalia nodded and clenched her hands in the folds of her dress. The light blue cotton was torn in several places and stained with dirt from where she’d hit the ground. The right shoulder seam was barely holding together. She pressed her lips together and fought not to wriggle when the tips of the tweezers dug into her tender flesh.
“Sorry,” he said without glancing up at her, forehead furrowed in concentration. “It’s a ways in there.”
“It’s fine,” she murmured, wishing he’d just hurry up and get it over with already. Having him kneeling at her feet made her feel silly and only intensified the need for the feel of his arms around her. But he’d made it clear where the line between them stood, so she wanted him to leave so she could lock the door and be alone for a while to get herself together.
It took a few minutes for Hunter to get the remaining fragment out of the side of her instep. This one hurt more than the other and she tensed. He set the shard on the vanity and she relaxed, ignoring the painful stinging. “Your tetanus vaccines up to date?”
“Yes.” This was such an insane conversation. Untold numbers of people had just been blown up, and she and Hunter almost with them. If they’d been any closer to the blasts… She swallowed and wrapped her arms around herself, fighting off another bout of shivers that kept rolling through her.
Hunter didn’t miss her reaction. “If your legs are steady enough after this I’d recommend a hot shower. It’ll help with the shaking,” he offered, again without looking at her. She was glad for the small amount of privacy it afforded her. The truth was she was freaking terrified and barely holding her emotions in check. Only the fear of humiliating herself in front of Hunter kept her true reaction at bay. He’d protected her with his own body and she hated the thought of seeming weak and emotional in front of him. He was calm, decisive, had been even during the bombings. His hands were completely steady as he tended to her feet. The pulse in his throat was slow and steady.
It was as though the explosions hadn’t affected him at all.
She didn’t even want to think about what sort of training, or what he must have seen in the field during his
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