Read Online Rendezvous with Danger (Reunited Series) by Sharon C. Cooper - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sharon C. Cooper
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that deadly night in Tzbekystan and then send him on his way.
Alandra dragged herself up two flights of stairs to her tiny one-bedroom apartment with Quinn close behind. It was a good thing she didn’t need a lot of light to see. The hallway was lit by one dangling bulb. Even after living there for four months, she still hadn’t gotten used to the semi-dark hallways, thin walls, and loud neighbors, but it was home.
****
Quinn followed her into her apartment, but he pulled up short when he stepped further into her modest living quarters. The place, so unlike Alandra, didn’t encompass her vibrant, adventurous, and outgoing personality. Instead, it was downright depressing and definitely unsafe with the raggedy lock and paint-chipped ceiling. She tried to make it a home with sheer window coverings and throw rugs over the stained carpet, but it fell short. Despite the neatness of the space, the dingy walls, a boarded up window and a hole in the wall that was partially covered by a hideous painting, the apartment was inhabitable as far as he was concerned.
He turned to her. “Why are you living here?”
She shrugged out of her jacket and hung it with her bag on a wall hook near the door. “When I first moved to Chicago, I stayed with my sister. But I didn’t want to bring any trouble to her doorstep, so I moved here a few months ago. Not a lot of choices when you don’t have much money and you’re trying to keep a low profile.”
As fine as she was, it would be hard not to bring attention to herself. Even the makeshift disguise of red straight hair and green contacts didn’t deter her allure. In perfect physical condition at five-four, a slim but curvaceous body, beautiful smooth skin, and large expressive eyes, there was no way she wasn’t bringing attention to herself. If nothing else, people probably wondered about her ethnic makeup, knowing she was African American, but mixed with something else.
Alandra rinsed her hands in the kitchen sink, and then opened the refrigerator. “Would you like a beer or some water? Or pizza?” She pulled out a bottle of water for herself and a slice of cold pizza.
“No, I’m good, but I do want to know what the hell happened tonight.”
She took a bite of her pizza and carried the plate over to a small table in the living room. As slow as she was moving, she was either very tired or the drama they just experienced had totally freaked her out. She dropped down in a tattered chair that had seen better days, and curled her legs up under her. Quinn settled on the nearby floral sofa that creaked under his weight.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Why don’t we start from the beginning, and Alandra,” he said leaning forward, “I need the truth.” Knowing she was a professional liar will make it hard for him to believe anything she’d say, but he was willing to try.
Alandra squeezed her eyes shut and blew out a ragged breath. “Despite what you might think of me, I have never lied to you.”
She stared him down as if daring him to disagree. He couldn’t. When they were together, he never had reason to believe she would lie to him, but now, he wasn’t so sure.
“Okay. Why don’t you start from when we parted in Vegas, where I was leaving the country on a mission and you were supposed to be heading back to D.C.? No, better yet, let’s start with why I almost got my ass killed a little while ago.”
She took a slow drink of her water, not making eye contact. Her chest rose as she sucked in a deep breath, then she released it slowly. Quinn knew she wasn’t trying to turn him on, but the way her turtleneck hugged her enticing breasts with that simple move, he wanted nothing more than to relieve her of the restrictive shirt, as well as anything else she had underneath it.
He discreetly adjusted his pants, sat back on the sofa and remembered the first time he’d ever seen her. They had both been invited to a black-tie event at the White House and were summoned
Alandra dragged herself up two flights of stairs to her tiny one-bedroom apartment with Quinn close behind. It was a good thing she didn’t need a lot of light to see. The hallway was lit by one dangling bulb. Even after living there for four months, she still hadn’t gotten used to the semi-dark hallways, thin walls, and loud neighbors, but it was home.
****
Quinn followed her into her apartment, but he pulled up short when he stepped further into her modest living quarters. The place, so unlike Alandra, didn’t encompass her vibrant, adventurous, and outgoing personality. Instead, it was downright depressing and definitely unsafe with the raggedy lock and paint-chipped ceiling. She tried to make it a home with sheer window coverings and throw rugs over the stained carpet, but it fell short. Despite the neatness of the space, the dingy walls, a boarded up window and a hole in the wall that was partially covered by a hideous painting, the apartment was inhabitable as far as he was concerned.
He turned to her. “Why are you living here?”
She shrugged out of her jacket and hung it with her bag on a wall hook near the door. “When I first moved to Chicago, I stayed with my sister. But I didn’t want to bring any trouble to her doorstep, so I moved here a few months ago. Not a lot of choices when you don’t have much money and you’re trying to keep a low profile.”
As fine as she was, it would be hard not to bring attention to herself. Even the makeshift disguise of red straight hair and green contacts didn’t deter her allure. In perfect physical condition at five-four, a slim but curvaceous body, beautiful smooth skin, and large expressive eyes, there was no way she wasn’t bringing attention to herself. If nothing else, people probably wondered about her ethnic makeup, knowing she was African American, but mixed with something else.
Alandra rinsed her hands in the kitchen sink, and then opened the refrigerator. “Would you like a beer or some water? Or pizza?” She pulled out a bottle of water for herself and a slice of cold pizza.
“No, I’m good, but I do want to know what the hell happened tonight.”
She took a bite of her pizza and carried the plate over to a small table in the living room. As slow as she was moving, she was either very tired or the drama they just experienced had totally freaked her out. She dropped down in a tattered chair that had seen better days, and curled her legs up under her. Quinn settled on the nearby floral sofa that creaked under his weight.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Why don’t we start from the beginning, and Alandra,” he said leaning forward, “I need the truth.” Knowing she was a professional liar will make it hard for him to believe anything she’d say, but he was willing to try.
Alandra squeezed her eyes shut and blew out a ragged breath. “Despite what you might think of me, I have never lied to you.”
She stared him down as if daring him to disagree. He couldn’t. When they were together, he never had reason to believe she would lie to him, but now, he wasn’t so sure.
“Okay. Why don’t you start from when we parted in Vegas, where I was leaving the country on a mission and you were supposed to be heading back to D.C.? No, better yet, let’s start with why I almost got my ass killed a little while ago.”
She took a slow drink of her water, not making eye contact. Her chest rose as she sucked in a deep breath, then she released it slowly. Quinn knew she wasn’t trying to turn him on, but the way her turtleneck hugged her enticing breasts with that simple move, he wanted nothing more than to relieve her of the restrictive shirt, as well as anything else she had underneath it.
He discreetly adjusted his pants, sat back on the sofa and remembered the first time he’d ever seen her. They had both been invited to a black-tie event at the White House and were summoned
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