Read Online Into Her Fire (Fantasy Heights) by Meg Silver - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Meg Silver
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longer answer is that after Neil—your blue-chip client, by the way—got Thomas patched up and walking again, he was still a mess, inside and out. I can’t prove this, but I think at first they started him performing for the adrenaline and endorphins.”
“You mean they medicated him with his own chemicals.”
“Yeah. It was pretty bad, back then, but he’s pulled himself together, and ruled this place without so much as a ripple until recently. Something caught his interest about three months before you showed up. He started making inquiries, and he’s been spending a lot of time at the branch office, doing favors to get favors.”
“Hence the haircut.”
Josh smirked. “The Bureau gave him no end of shit about the hair. As for the rest of it, I sure wish I knew what was going on with him lately. He’s my best friend, and he’s not talking.”
To Amanda, it felt as if a question hung from the end of that statement. Certainly the look Josh gave her asked if she knew anything more than he did, but there was no question of telling him what had happened the other night in Haynes House, or repeating the accusations Thomas had made. She had learned the hard way that little filter existed between Josh and Thomas. If Thomas hadn’t told Josh what happened, then something had changed. She was neither obligated nor entitled to share.
Testing the strength of Josh’s good will, she steered him onto a different topic. “I overheard something a couple days ago, and I was wondering. What’s the Paramour Project?”
Josh winced. “Ask me again after the Accord raises your security clearance.”
“Got it,” she said. “And what about DriveRate?”
He turned sideways in his chaise. “Has Eric been letting you run wild? Where are you hearing this stuff?”
“It’s not Eric’s fault. I just hear things, is all.”
“Yes, well, stop. Forget DriveRate. Forget you ever heard the name, and if anyone approaches you about it, call me, and I promise they will never bother you again.”
That was the closest to angry she had ever seen Josh Taylor.
She apologized and expressed her gratitude for the history lesson by straddling him on his chaise. She appreciated Josh more than ever for taking the time to explain, especially when words weren’t his strong suit. He expressed himself physically with much more ease, and the two of them exhausted themselves into the wee hours before Josh decided to break a few rules. He drove her home, sent Eric off duty, and stayed with her until morning.
She made them breakfast, knowing that after Josh left, they would go back to acquaintances with no ill will. Josh borrowed intimacy from her. That was all he wanted, and the arrangement suited Amanda just fine.
They were still sitting on the couch together, finishing their coffee when her alarm system chirped.
Josh sat up. “What’s that?”
“I think it does that when someone pulls into the driveway. I’ll go check.”
“No, I got this. You stay put.”
He headed for the foyer, and a moment later, Jerod Hughes and a frazzled Derek came strolling in.
Derek was all apologies for the interruption. He needed to talk to Josh, who had deliberately left his phone back at the Palace.
Josh did not look happy. Neither did Jerod, and she could see the very edge of a dark purple bruise peeking out from beneath his t-shirt sleeve.
Without thinking, she asked, “How’s your arm?”
He raised his eyebrows, and when she reached out to lift his sleeve, he stepped back as if she were made of poisonous spikes.
Jeez. Jumpy. “Must be sore, I take it.”
Jerod glanced down at the bruise, and then looked back to her. “How did you know I got hurt?”
“I spied on the auditions. Eric wouldn’t let me talk to anyone, so I watched from an observation booth. You and Ben were impressive.”
Amanda didn’t realize how upset Derek was until he lost his patience. He raised his voice at Josh. “I told you something wasn’t right. Nic never
“You mean they medicated him with his own chemicals.”
“Yeah. It was pretty bad, back then, but he’s pulled himself together, and ruled this place without so much as a ripple until recently. Something caught his interest about three months before you showed up. He started making inquiries, and he’s been spending a lot of time at the branch office, doing favors to get favors.”
“Hence the haircut.”
Josh smirked. “The Bureau gave him no end of shit about the hair. As for the rest of it, I sure wish I knew what was going on with him lately. He’s my best friend, and he’s not talking.”
To Amanda, it felt as if a question hung from the end of that statement. Certainly the look Josh gave her asked if she knew anything more than he did, but there was no question of telling him what had happened the other night in Haynes House, or repeating the accusations Thomas had made. She had learned the hard way that little filter existed between Josh and Thomas. If Thomas hadn’t told Josh what happened, then something had changed. She was neither obligated nor entitled to share.
Testing the strength of Josh’s good will, she steered him onto a different topic. “I overheard something a couple days ago, and I was wondering. What’s the Paramour Project?”
Josh winced. “Ask me again after the Accord raises your security clearance.”
“Got it,” she said. “And what about DriveRate?”
He turned sideways in his chaise. “Has Eric been letting you run wild? Where are you hearing this stuff?”
“It’s not Eric’s fault. I just hear things, is all.”
“Yes, well, stop. Forget DriveRate. Forget you ever heard the name, and if anyone approaches you about it, call me, and I promise they will never bother you again.”
That was the closest to angry she had ever seen Josh Taylor.
She apologized and expressed her gratitude for the history lesson by straddling him on his chaise. She appreciated Josh more than ever for taking the time to explain, especially when words weren’t his strong suit. He expressed himself physically with much more ease, and the two of them exhausted themselves into the wee hours before Josh decided to break a few rules. He drove her home, sent Eric off duty, and stayed with her until morning.
She made them breakfast, knowing that after Josh left, they would go back to acquaintances with no ill will. Josh borrowed intimacy from her. That was all he wanted, and the arrangement suited Amanda just fine.
They were still sitting on the couch together, finishing their coffee when her alarm system chirped.
Josh sat up. “What’s that?”
“I think it does that when someone pulls into the driveway. I’ll go check.”
“No, I got this. You stay put.”
He headed for the foyer, and a moment later, Jerod Hughes and a frazzled Derek came strolling in.
Derek was all apologies for the interruption. He needed to talk to Josh, who had deliberately left his phone back at the Palace.
Josh did not look happy. Neither did Jerod, and she could see the very edge of a dark purple bruise peeking out from beneath his t-shirt sleeve.
Without thinking, she asked, “How’s your arm?”
He raised his eyebrows, and when she reached out to lift his sleeve, he stepped back as if she were made of poisonous spikes.
Jeez. Jumpy. “Must be sore, I take it.”
Jerod glanced down at the bruise, and then looked back to her. “How did you know I got hurt?”
“I spied on the auditions. Eric wouldn’t let me talk to anyone, so I watched from an observation booth. You and Ben were impressive.”
Amanda didn’t realize how upset Derek was until he lost his patience. He raised his voice at Josh. “I told you something wasn’t right. Nic never
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