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 Page A
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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time in the military that would enable him to compartmentalize such a horrific event so easily.
After pulling a third and final fragment out of her skin, Hunter pressed the washcloth to her foot until the bleeding stopped, then stood and rinsed the tweezers in the sink. His elbows were raw and bloody, the heels of his hands scraped raw. Her impulse was to tend to him in return, but knew he’d rebuff her help with some gruff comment that would make her feel even worse so she stayed silent.
He searched her eyes before speaking again, as if gauging her emotional state. She bit down hard to stop her jaw from trembling. “Make sure you wash out all those cuts and scrapes as best you can when you shower. With soap if you can handle it.”
Yeah, she could handle the sting of soap in her cuts and scrapes. What she couldn’t handle was what had just happened—what could have happened if they’d been any closer—and his calm apathy right now. She lowered the facecloth from her cheek, tossed it onto the granite vanity with a fleshy plop, and asked the question burning a hole in her brain. “That wasn’t… You don’t think that had anything to do with Fair Start, do you?”
Hunter shook his hands in the bowl of the sink and reached for the hand towel hanging from a ring in the wall next to the light switch. In the mirror, he met her gaze. “Highly doubt it. There are a lot of foreign dignitaries in town, so maybe the government buildings were a temptation too great to pass up. Whoever did it had it planned well in advance though. Packing two separate trucks with that amount of explosive and finding their way to an open route in that mess?” He shook his head, the light casting bronze-tinted highlights in his dark hair. “Either they got lucky with the accident clogging up traffic, or they set it up that way in the first place. My money’s on the second guess.”
She shivered at the certainty in his voice, in his eyes. She looked away before he could see the fear in her own. “Thanks for getting those splinters out.” Her feet stung and throbbed along with the rest of her, but mostly she just felt cold and tired and…numb.
Rather than answer, he leaned a hip against the edge of the vanity and folded his arms across his chest, regarding her in silence. After a long pause she looked up at him.
“You okay?” he asked quietly. The genuine concern in his voice nearly undid her.
Not even close. “Yeah.” What did he expect her to say? It had to be obvious how rattled she was. Maybe she was crazy, but for a second she thought she saw a gleam of admiration in his eyes.
“Trust me, a hot shower will help get rid of the shakes. Take your time and make sure you keep warm when you get out. I’ll send you some antibacterial ointment and band aids and something to eat.” She made a face at the thought of eating but he continued. “Ray will want to see you as soon as he gets back. You’ll need to eat, even if you don’t feel like it. It’ll help boost your blood sugar and counteract the shock.” He sounded like he spoke from experience and he likely did.
Nodding in reply, she held her breath while he crossed to the door where he paused and looked back at her. “You’re safe now and everything’s fine. Gage and I are just down the hall if you need anything, okay?”
That glimpse of understanding, of that tiny bit of softness from him made her throat tighten. “Okay.” It came out a mere whisper.
When the door closed behind him with a solid click, Khalia gave up the pretense of being brave and slumped forward. She buried her face in her trembling hands and let the shudders and tears run through her.
By the time she’d calmed enough to shower and finish dressing, almost half an hour had passed. A knock came at the door. Expecting it to be Ray, she was surprised to find Gage standing on the other side of the peephole. “Hey,” she said, standing back to let him in.
His bright blue gaze swept over her in a
After pulling a third and final fragment out of her skin, Hunter pressed the washcloth to her foot until the bleeding stopped, then stood and rinsed the tweezers in the sink. His elbows were raw and bloody, the heels of his hands scraped raw. Her impulse was to tend to him in return, but knew he’d rebuff her help with some gruff comment that would make her feel even worse so she stayed silent.
He searched her eyes before speaking again, as if gauging her emotional state. She bit down hard to stop her jaw from trembling. “Make sure you wash out all those cuts and scrapes as best you can when you shower. With soap if you can handle it.”
Yeah, she could handle the sting of soap in her cuts and scrapes. What she couldn’t handle was what had just happened—what could have happened if they’d been any closer—and his calm apathy right now. She lowered the facecloth from her cheek, tossed it onto the granite vanity with a fleshy plop, and asked the question burning a hole in her brain. “That wasn’t… You don’t think that had anything to do with Fair Start, do you?”
Hunter shook his hands in the bowl of the sink and reached for the hand towel hanging from a ring in the wall next to the light switch. In the mirror, he met her gaze. “Highly doubt it. There are a lot of foreign dignitaries in town, so maybe the government buildings were a temptation too great to pass up. Whoever did it had it planned well in advance though. Packing two separate trucks with that amount of explosive and finding their way to an open route in that mess?” He shook his head, the light casting bronze-tinted highlights in his dark hair. “Either they got lucky with the accident clogging up traffic, or they set it up that way in the first place. My money’s on the second guess.”
She shivered at the certainty in his voice, in his eyes. She looked away before he could see the fear in her own. “Thanks for getting those splinters out.” Her feet stung and throbbed along with the rest of her, but mostly she just felt cold and tired and…numb.
Rather than answer, he leaned a hip against the edge of the vanity and folded his arms across his chest, regarding her in silence. After a long pause she looked up at him.
“You okay?” he asked quietly. The genuine concern in his voice nearly undid her.
Not even close. “Yeah.” What did he expect her to say? It had to be obvious how rattled she was. Maybe she was crazy, but for a second she thought she saw a gleam of admiration in his eyes.
“Trust me, a hot shower will help get rid of the shakes. Take your time and make sure you keep warm when you get out. I’ll send you some antibacterial ointment and band aids and something to eat.” She made a face at the thought of eating but he continued. “Ray will want to see you as soon as he gets back. You’ll need to eat, even if you don’t feel like it. It’ll help boost your blood sugar and counteract the shock.” He sounded like he spoke from experience and he likely did.
Nodding in reply, she held her breath while he crossed to the door where he paused and looked back at her. “You’re safe now and everything’s fine. Gage and I are just down the hall if you need anything, okay?”
That glimpse of understanding, of that tiny bit of softness from him made her throat tighten. “Okay.” It came out a mere whisper.
When the door closed behind him with a solid click, Khalia gave up the pretense of being brave and slumped forward. She buried her face in her trembling hands and let the shudders and tears run through her.
By the time she’d calmed enough to shower and finish dressing, almost half an hour had passed. A knock came at the door. Expecting it to be Ray, she was surprised to find Gage standing on the other side of the peephole. “Hey,” she said, standing back to let him in.
His bright blue gaze swept over her in a
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