Read Online Tales of Chills and Thrills: The Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set (7 Mystery Thriller Horror Novels) by J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Taylor Lee, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrissey, David F. Weisman - Free Book Online
Authors: J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Taylor Lee, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrissey, David F. Weisman
Ads: Link
Caleb loped over to them, a goofy grin on his face. He gazed from Katya to Nicki.
“Damn. Now I’m really fucked. How the hell am I going to get my pants zipped in the morning? Hell, the thought alone is a hard one.”
Katya laughed out loud, a delicious peal.
“You must be Caleb. Your reputation precedes you. Only I have been told that your outrageousness is a deceptive cover for the fearsome warrior beneath.”
Caleb’s eyes darkened as he bowed slightly.
“Ah, lovely lady, don’t believe everything you hear. And how the hell is that Genghis Kahn wannabe, who has the Russian mafia pissing their pants at the thought of him on their tail?”
Rafe shook his head in mock despair but couldn’t hide his amusement at Caleb’s antics.
Katya lifted a saucy brow.
“You must be referring to Vlad. He is well and sends you all his good wishes.”
Rafe smiled at Katya then graciously pulled out the chair next to him motioning to her to be seated. She looked up at him and returned his smile, whispering politely, “Thank you, Rafe.”
Nicki swallowed around the painful lump in her throat and gazed longingly at the doorway. She started when she realized that Rafe was talking to her.
“Please, Nicki, sit here.” He pointed to the chair on his other side, across from Katya.
“No.”
Her voice was harsh, rude. She did her best to cover her embarrassment in the silence that followed her outburst.
“I…I planned to sit there.” She waved to the other end of the table then hurried down the row of chairs and sunk into the one next to Grayson. She didn’t have to look over her shoulder to see Rafe’s heated gaze. It burned her back.
Grabbing her napkin, she clenched her teeth and stared at her hands, twisting the napkin in her lap. She knew everyone was looking at her. She couldn’t bear to see their confused stares.
It took her a moment to feel Grayson’s hand on her knee. She peeked up to see him gazing at her, his hooded eyes dark with concern.
He smiled at her and drawled in his deep voice tinged with the Appalachian high country he called home: “How’re you doing this morning, Sugar?”
She snapped, “Fine! Why?”
His grin broadened.
“Why? Becuz, it’s not often I have the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known sitting next to me. I’m making conversation, Sugar.”
Nicki took a deep breath. From the way he was studying her, she knew Grayson had observed the scene in the front of the room. He looked like he knew how she felt. If he did, she wished he would tell her. All she knew was that in any moment she was going to scream, or, God forbid, burst into tears. What was wrong with her? She had to get control of herself. She couldn’t let Rafe do this to her. Shatter her confidence. Undermine her courage. She squinted at Grayson’s hand gently rubbing her knee. She swallowed and said, “I’m fine, Grayson. Really, I am.”
He smiled at her, a soft sexy smile. Raking his eyes over her, he replied. “Yeah, darlin’ that you are. That you are.”
His open admiration was a balm of silent support that sucked the tension out of her, capturing her anger and her hurt. She drew a calming breath and returned his smile.
“Thank you.”
He nodded. “Any time, Sugar. Any time you need me, I’m right here.”
~~~
Rafe stood at the head of the table and formally introduced Katya to the team.
“All of you know Vlad. Katya Yashim is Vlad’s right hand “man.”
At the appreciative chuckles from the men, he grinned at her.
“Don’t let her looks fool you. Katya is as tough as they come. In addition, she is brilliant. At my instigation, Vlad brought her on the team for a number of reasons, primarily because of her prodigious language abilities. I was wrong when I told you last night that she speaks five languages. She speaks seven. Among them are Chinese, Pashtun, Arabic, and, critical to our current needs, she is fluent in Russian.”
He glanced around the table.
“Any questions—from
“Damn. Now I’m really fucked. How the hell am I going to get my pants zipped in the morning? Hell, the thought alone is a hard one.”
Katya laughed out loud, a delicious peal.
“You must be Caleb. Your reputation precedes you. Only I have been told that your outrageousness is a deceptive cover for the fearsome warrior beneath.”
Caleb’s eyes darkened as he bowed slightly.
“Ah, lovely lady, don’t believe everything you hear. And how the hell is that Genghis Kahn wannabe, who has the Russian mafia pissing their pants at the thought of him on their tail?”
Rafe shook his head in mock despair but couldn’t hide his amusement at Caleb’s antics.
Katya lifted a saucy brow.
“You must be referring to Vlad. He is well and sends you all his good wishes.”
Rafe smiled at Katya then graciously pulled out the chair next to him motioning to her to be seated. She looked up at him and returned his smile, whispering politely, “Thank you, Rafe.”
Nicki swallowed around the painful lump in her throat and gazed longingly at the doorway. She started when she realized that Rafe was talking to her.
“Please, Nicki, sit here.” He pointed to the chair on his other side, across from Katya.
“No.”
Her voice was harsh, rude. She did her best to cover her embarrassment in the silence that followed her outburst.
“I…I planned to sit there.” She waved to the other end of the table then hurried down the row of chairs and sunk into the one next to Grayson. She didn’t have to look over her shoulder to see Rafe’s heated gaze. It burned her back.
Grabbing her napkin, she clenched her teeth and stared at her hands, twisting the napkin in her lap. She knew everyone was looking at her. She couldn’t bear to see their confused stares.
It took her a moment to feel Grayson’s hand on her knee. She peeked up to see him gazing at her, his hooded eyes dark with concern.
He smiled at her and drawled in his deep voice tinged with the Appalachian high country he called home: “How’re you doing this morning, Sugar?”
She snapped, “Fine! Why?”
His grin broadened.
“Why? Becuz, it’s not often I have the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known sitting next to me. I’m making conversation, Sugar.”
Nicki took a deep breath. From the way he was studying her, she knew Grayson had observed the scene in the front of the room. He looked like he knew how she felt. If he did, she wished he would tell her. All she knew was that in any moment she was going to scream, or, God forbid, burst into tears. What was wrong with her? She had to get control of herself. She couldn’t let Rafe do this to her. Shatter her confidence. Undermine her courage. She squinted at Grayson’s hand gently rubbing her knee. She swallowed and said, “I’m fine, Grayson. Really, I am.”
He smiled at her, a soft sexy smile. Raking his eyes over her, he replied. “Yeah, darlin’ that you are. That you are.”
His open admiration was a balm of silent support that sucked the tension out of her, capturing her anger and her hurt. She drew a calming breath and returned his smile.
“Thank you.”
He nodded. “Any time, Sugar. Any time you need me, I’m right here.”
~~~
Rafe stood at the head of the table and formally introduced Katya to the team.
“All of you know Vlad. Katya Yashim is Vlad’s right hand “man.”
At the appreciative chuckles from the men, he grinned at her.
“Don’t let her looks fool you. Katya is as tough as they come. In addition, she is brilliant. At my instigation, Vlad brought her on the team for a number of reasons, primarily because of her prodigious language abilities. I was wrong when I told you last night that she speaks five languages. She speaks seven. Among them are Chinese, Pashtun, Arabic, and, critical to our current needs, she is fluent in Russian.”
He glanced around the table.
“Any questions—from
Similar Books
