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 B
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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quick assessment, taking in her damp hair and yoga pants, the thick knit sweater she’d wrapped around herself to keep warm. “Brought you some stuff for your feet.” He handed her the ointment and bandages Hunter had promised. The pang of disappointment that he’s sent Gage instead of bringing them himself caught her off guard. He’s not going to come back and coddle you, for crying out loud. Get over it.
“Thanks.” She sat on the edge of her queen-size bed and started bandaging the cuts on her feet.
Gage stuck his hands in his back pockets, obviously in no hurry to leave. Had Hunter asked him to stay with her? “So, how you holding up?”
She stopped what she was doing to meet his eyes. Did he want her to lie? “Honestly? I’m not sure.”
A wry grin curved his mouth. “Not the nicest introduction to Pakistan.”
“No.” Worse than she’d ever imagined, and she’d imagined plenty of awful things in the past few weeks.
“Well if it’s any consolation, you held it together better than most civilians would have under the circumstances. You impressed the hell out of Hunt, and that’s not easy to do.”
That piqued her curiosity. She set the tube of ointment aside. “He said that?”
“Pretty much.” He lowered his tall, muscular body into a wing chair near the bed, leaned back into it. “We called Ray to tell him you were all right. You want something to eat while you wait for him to get back?”
“I couldn’t eat right now, but thanks.” Her stomach was way too iffy at the moment to even contemplate putting anything in it, despite Hunter’s earlier advice.
Gage nodded and opened his mouth to say something else when his cell beeped. Pulling it out of a front pocket in his cargo pants, he checked it and looked up at her with a grin. “My daughter, checking in on me. Must’ve seen the bombings on the news and got worried about her old man.”
God, how scary for her. Khalia knew all too well what it felt like to know your father was in harm’s way and see it splashed all over the news. To stop that line of thought, she wrapped the folds of her sweater tighter around her body and changed the subject. “You have a daughter?”
“Thirteen. Going on twenty-five.” He was smiling as he texted his daughter back.
She waited until he was done before speaking, curious about him and desperate for a distraction. “Do you see her often?” He had to be close to forty. How much longer did he want to live this kind of life?
Gage shook his head, regret evident in his expression. “Not as often as I’d like. This line of work means I travel a lot. Even when I’m stateside I teach training courses, things like that.”
“That must be hard on her.”
“Yeah, especially when I miss birthdays and holidays with her. She’s a great kid, though that’s more her mother’s doing than mine, I’m afraid.”
“Oh. Are you still…together?” From what she understood, a lot of marriages didn’t work out for Special Operations members.
His smile turned rueful. “No, and we’re both better off apart.” He shrugged as he set his phone down on one muscular thigh. “We were young and thought everything would magically work out in the wash, but the truth was we never should have gotten married in the first place. Now Janelle lives with her full time.” He tilted his head. “What about you?”
“Never been married. Came close to getting engaged a few months ago though. I would have gone through with the wedding, too, if my father hadn’t stepped up and pointed out how incompatible we were. Couldn’t have been easy for him to say it to me, but thankfully it made me open my eyes before it was too late.” Though deep down she had to admit she’d known there was something wrong with the relationship. She just hadn’t wanted to face it until her father confronted her.
Gage grinned, his manner completely disarming. “Disaster averted.”
“Exactly.” She smiled wistfully and shook her head.
“Thanks.” She sat on the edge of her queen-size bed and started bandaging the cuts on her feet.
Gage stuck his hands in his back pockets, obviously in no hurry to leave. Had Hunter asked him to stay with her? “So, how you holding up?”
She stopped what she was doing to meet his eyes. Did he want her to lie? “Honestly? I’m not sure.”
A wry grin curved his mouth. “Not the nicest introduction to Pakistan.”
“No.” Worse than she’d ever imagined, and she’d imagined plenty of awful things in the past few weeks.
“Well if it’s any consolation, you held it together better than most civilians would have under the circumstances. You impressed the hell out of Hunt, and that’s not easy to do.”
That piqued her curiosity. She set the tube of ointment aside. “He said that?”
“Pretty much.” He lowered his tall, muscular body into a wing chair near the bed, leaned back into it. “We called Ray to tell him you were all right. You want something to eat while you wait for him to get back?”
“I couldn’t eat right now, but thanks.” Her stomach was way too iffy at the moment to even contemplate putting anything in it, despite Hunter’s earlier advice.
Gage nodded and opened his mouth to say something else when his cell beeped. Pulling it out of a front pocket in his cargo pants, he checked it and looked up at her with a grin. “My daughter, checking in on me. Must’ve seen the bombings on the news and got worried about her old man.”
God, how scary for her. Khalia knew all too well what it felt like to know your father was in harm’s way and see it splashed all over the news. To stop that line of thought, she wrapped the folds of her sweater tighter around her body and changed the subject. “You have a daughter?”
“Thirteen. Going on twenty-five.” He was smiling as he texted his daughter back.
She waited until he was done before speaking, curious about him and desperate for a distraction. “Do you see her often?” He had to be close to forty. How much longer did he want to live this kind of life?
Gage shook his head, regret evident in his expression. “Not as often as I’d like. This line of work means I travel a lot. Even when I’m stateside I teach training courses, things like that.”
“That must be hard on her.”
“Yeah, especially when I miss birthdays and holidays with her. She’s a great kid, though that’s more her mother’s doing than mine, I’m afraid.”
“Oh. Are you still…together?” From what she understood, a lot of marriages didn’t work out for Special Operations members.
His smile turned rueful. “No, and we’re both better off apart.” He shrugged as he set his phone down on one muscular thigh. “We were young and thought everything would magically work out in the wash, but the truth was we never should have gotten married in the first place. Now Janelle lives with her full time.” He tilted his head. “What about you?”
“Never been married. Came close to getting engaged a few months ago though. I would have gone through with the wedding, too, if my father hadn’t stepped up and pointed out how incompatible we were. Couldn’t have been easy for him to say it to me, but thankfully it made me open my eyes before it was too late.” Though deep down she had to admit she’d known there was something wrong with the relationship. She just hadn’t wanted to face it until her father confronted her.
Gage grinned, his manner completely disarming. “Disaster averted.”
“Exactly.” She smiled wistfully and shook her head.
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