Read Online Submit (The Underground Book 4) by Becca Jameson - Free Book Online
Authors: Becca Jameson
Ads: Link
damn sexy that he cares .
Taylor responded. “Thank you. And it would be helpful if you would stay here in this apartment. Is that going to work for you?”
Belinda hesitated. She knew this was coming. Nikolav had already insinuated so. But the testosterone in this place was thick. And the reality was she didn’t know how she could spend another night in the same space as Nikolav without attacking him.
And that thought scared her more than anything because it was unlike her to feel compelled to put herself out there so blatantly. She had no idea if the man even returned the level of sexual attraction she felt for him. He seemed interested, but maybe she was telling herself that to boost her ego.
Stay in his apartment? Lord.
Taylor spoke again. “If it’s a problem, we can move you to a safe house, but then you’ll be trapped there for the duration of the case without outside contact.”
“She’ll stay here,” Nikolav stated.
Belinda jerked her attention to him again. This time she did explode. “You can stop speaking for me any time. I’m a big girl.” He might be sexy all domineering like that, but she needed to speak up before he steamrolled her.
He grinned, lifting an eyebrow. “Okay, you tell her.” He held out an open palm toward Taylor, gesturing for Belinda to repeat his words.
She narrowed her gaze, her face heating before she turned back to face Taylor. “I’ll stay here for tonight, but only because I know it’s easier. I’ve only known Nikolav since yesterday, and I met his roommates a few minutes ago. I’m intruding here.”
“You’re not intruding,” he added.
Alena cleared her throat and agreed. “You’re welcome here as long as you need.”
Taylor held Belinda’s gaze. “I’ll be in touch with you directly and often. If we need to make any changes, we’ll address those as they come. For now, if you could stay here tonight, it would be helpful. The agency’s people are stretched thin. We’ll speak again tomorrow.”
“Understandable.”
Belinda needed to shake off whatever leftover adrenaline rush she had left and get to work. She needed to document everything she’d witnessed tonight while it was still fresh. Shit. Her computer. “I left my computer in Haley’s office.”
“We’ll get it tomorrow,” Nikolav said. “If you need one tonight, you can use ours.”
Belinda glanced at her watch. It was late. She needed to call Dale and touch base with him. She couldn’t wait to hear what Taylor said to him and how he’d responded.
Taylor stood. “You’re safe here. But don’t leave the apartment without anyone knowing. None of you.” She glanced at Nikolav and then Ivan and Alena. “Sergei’s on his way here. He was at the gym. I stopped there and spoke with him earlier.”
This woman seemed to know more about everyone’s whereabouts than each of them knew about themselves.
Nikolav stood to let Taylor out.
Belinda took a deep breath and tugged her phone out of her pocket. Thank God she hadn’t been carrying a purse, nor had she lost her phone when they ran. She turned it on to find she had dozens of texts and phone messages. “I need to work for a few hours,” she told Nikolav. “And call my boss.”
“Of course. What can I do? What sort of space do you need? I’ve been staying in Mikhail’s room since he moved in with Haley. There’s a desk in there. Will that help?”
“Yes. And coffee.” She stood, smiling. “And stop speaking for me,” she informed him. “I have my own voice box.”
In her peripheral vision, she noticed Ivan and Alena slip down the hall.
Nikolav growled as he turned to step into the attached kitchen area. The apartment was large, and the great room spacious enough for several people, but she still worried about five adults in tight quarters for long lengths of time. Days? Weeks? She was imposing on their space.
But most importantly, she needed Nikolav to understand she didn’t like to be bossed around. It unnerved
Taylor responded. “Thank you. And it would be helpful if you would stay here in this apartment. Is that going to work for you?”
Belinda hesitated. She knew this was coming. Nikolav had already insinuated so. But the testosterone in this place was thick. And the reality was she didn’t know how she could spend another night in the same space as Nikolav without attacking him.
And that thought scared her more than anything because it was unlike her to feel compelled to put herself out there so blatantly. She had no idea if the man even returned the level of sexual attraction she felt for him. He seemed interested, but maybe she was telling herself that to boost her ego.
Stay in his apartment? Lord.
Taylor spoke again. “If it’s a problem, we can move you to a safe house, but then you’ll be trapped there for the duration of the case without outside contact.”
“She’ll stay here,” Nikolav stated.
Belinda jerked her attention to him again. This time she did explode. “You can stop speaking for me any time. I’m a big girl.” He might be sexy all domineering like that, but she needed to speak up before he steamrolled her.
He grinned, lifting an eyebrow. “Okay, you tell her.” He held out an open palm toward Taylor, gesturing for Belinda to repeat his words.
She narrowed her gaze, her face heating before she turned back to face Taylor. “I’ll stay here for tonight, but only because I know it’s easier. I’ve only known Nikolav since yesterday, and I met his roommates a few minutes ago. I’m intruding here.”
“You’re not intruding,” he added.
Alena cleared her throat and agreed. “You’re welcome here as long as you need.”
Taylor held Belinda’s gaze. “I’ll be in touch with you directly and often. If we need to make any changes, we’ll address those as they come. For now, if you could stay here tonight, it would be helpful. The agency’s people are stretched thin. We’ll speak again tomorrow.”
“Understandable.”
Belinda needed to shake off whatever leftover adrenaline rush she had left and get to work. She needed to document everything she’d witnessed tonight while it was still fresh. Shit. Her computer. “I left my computer in Haley’s office.”
“We’ll get it tomorrow,” Nikolav said. “If you need one tonight, you can use ours.”
Belinda glanced at her watch. It was late. She needed to call Dale and touch base with him. She couldn’t wait to hear what Taylor said to him and how he’d responded.
Taylor stood. “You’re safe here. But don’t leave the apartment without anyone knowing. None of you.” She glanced at Nikolav and then Ivan and Alena. “Sergei’s on his way here. He was at the gym. I stopped there and spoke with him earlier.”
This woman seemed to know more about everyone’s whereabouts than each of them knew about themselves.
Nikolav stood to let Taylor out.
Belinda took a deep breath and tugged her phone out of her pocket. Thank God she hadn’t been carrying a purse, nor had she lost her phone when they ran. She turned it on to find she had dozens of texts and phone messages. “I need to work for a few hours,” she told Nikolav. “And call my boss.”
“Of course. What can I do? What sort of space do you need? I’ve been staying in Mikhail’s room since he moved in with Haley. There’s a desk in there. Will that help?”
“Yes. And coffee.” She stood, smiling. “And stop speaking for me,” she informed him. “I have my own voice box.”
In her peripheral vision, she noticed Ivan and Alena slip down the hall.
Nikolav growled as he turned to step into the attached kitchen area. The apartment was large, and the great room spacious enough for several people, but she still worried about five adults in tight quarters for long lengths of time. Days? Weeks? She was imposing on their space.
But most importantly, she needed Nikolav to understand she didn’t like to be bossed around. It unnerved
Similar Books
