Read Online The Russian's Dangerous Game by Elizabeth Lennox - Free Book Online
Authors: Elizabeth Lennox
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and efficient, good with words and the turn of a phrase. But after last night, her world seemed different and her fingers were frozen over the keys. She wasn’t able to form coherent sentences like she normally pushed out.
Her editor appeared by her side, his eyes concerned and his mouth turned down to a frown. “What’s going on?” Drew said as he rested a heavy hip on the corner of her desk.
Brianna’s startled eyes lifted to his, not sure what she’d done or said that would give her inner turmoil away. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
His eyes narrowed even more at her uncharacteristic response as well as the forced smile. “You’re acting all jumpy today and you’re late getting your report in,” he said in a fatherly voice with concern in his eyes.
Brianna looked at the clock on her desk and gasped. “Oh no!” she said and turned back to her computer. How had she let the time slip away from her? She couldn’t believe that she’d just been thinking about how she never missed a deadline and here she was, idling stupidly while her deadline came and went. “I’m on it,” she replied in a horrified rush.
When the gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her, she sighed and turned back to her editor. “I’m sorry, sir.”
Drew was generally pretty harsh with his reporters, but Brianna had never had to endure his wrath. He always treated her more kindly because she accepted all the assignments he tossed over to her, brought the story in on time and with lively language that engaged the reader. Yesterday, she would have bristled at his gentle tone but today, she genuinely appreciated his restraint. “Brianna, what’s going on? You’ve been jumpy and out of sorts today. Definitely not like yourself.”
She blushed and looked away, not willing to tell this kind but often brusque man what she’d done last night. She couldn’t even say it was in pursuit of a story because she hadn’t thought about the story or the investigation after walking up that staircase with Rocco. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”
Drew s ighed heavily and looked down at the gentle woman. She was always the bright sunshine in a room full of cloudy cynics. But here she was, looking gloomier than the worst of his reporters, but obviously not for the same reason. “You haven’t had a vacation in a long time. Why don’t you take a long weekend and go do something fun?” he suggested.
Brianna swallowed, worried that he thought she might not be able to handle her job. “I’m fine, sir. I won’t let you down.” With everything else that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, she couldn’t handle her boss losing faith in her as well.
Drew chuckled. “I’m sure you won’t but why don’t you just go somewhere and relax? Call up Nikki and Rachel; see if either of them could take some time off with you. Relax, enjoy the changing leaves and drink a bottle of wine.”
Brianna thought that sounded heavenly, but she still had a hard time keeping her tears at bay. “I’ll get this report done quickly.”
He stood up and cleared his throat. “And then you’ll take a long weekend. That’s an order. You’ll be amazed a t how much better things will look when you come back next week.”
Brianna bit her lip and stared at her computer for a long time after he left. When someone shouted across the roo m, she jumped and forced herself to focus on her report. She had to get this in fast. Her fingers flew over the keyboard and she finished, pressing the send button only thirty minutes late. When she picked up her purse, preparing to leave, she found that the rest of the newsroom was already packed up and heading out for the weekend. It was Friday, after all. Everyone was getting ready to head out on the town, have some laughs and a few drinks, and enjoy their weekend. But what did she have to look forward to?
She stepped out of the building and looked around, trying to think of what she could do over her unexpected long
Her editor appeared by her side, his eyes concerned and his mouth turned down to a frown. “What’s going on?” Drew said as he rested a heavy hip on the corner of her desk.
Brianna’s startled eyes lifted to his, not sure what she’d done or said that would give her inner turmoil away. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
His eyes narrowed even more at her uncharacteristic response as well as the forced smile. “You’re acting all jumpy today and you’re late getting your report in,” he said in a fatherly voice with concern in his eyes.
Brianna looked at the clock on her desk and gasped. “Oh no!” she said and turned back to her computer. How had she let the time slip away from her? She couldn’t believe that she’d just been thinking about how she never missed a deadline and here she was, idling stupidly while her deadline came and went. “I’m on it,” she replied in a horrified rush.
When the gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her, she sighed and turned back to her editor. “I’m sorry, sir.”
Drew was generally pretty harsh with his reporters, but Brianna had never had to endure his wrath. He always treated her more kindly because she accepted all the assignments he tossed over to her, brought the story in on time and with lively language that engaged the reader. Yesterday, she would have bristled at his gentle tone but today, she genuinely appreciated his restraint. “Brianna, what’s going on? You’ve been jumpy and out of sorts today. Definitely not like yourself.”
She blushed and looked away, not willing to tell this kind but often brusque man what she’d done last night. She couldn’t even say it was in pursuit of a story because she hadn’t thought about the story or the investigation after walking up that staircase with Rocco. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”
Drew s ighed heavily and looked down at the gentle woman. She was always the bright sunshine in a room full of cloudy cynics. But here she was, looking gloomier than the worst of his reporters, but obviously not for the same reason. “You haven’t had a vacation in a long time. Why don’t you take a long weekend and go do something fun?” he suggested.
Brianna swallowed, worried that he thought she might not be able to handle her job. “I’m fine, sir. I won’t let you down.” With everything else that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, she couldn’t handle her boss losing faith in her as well.
Drew chuckled. “I’m sure you won’t but why don’t you just go somewhere and relax? Call up Nikki and Rachel; see if either of them could take some time off with you. Relax, enjoy the changing leaves and drink a bottle of wine.”
Brianna thought that sounded heavenly, but she still had a hard time keeping her tears at bay. “I’ll get this report done quickly.”
He stood up and cleared his throat. “And then you’ll take a long weekend. That’s an order. You’ll be amazed a t how much better things will look when you come back next week.”
Brianna bit her lip and stared at her computer for a long time after he left. When someone shouted across the roo m, she jumped and forced herself to focus on her report. She had to get this in fast. Her fingers flew over the keyboard and she finished, pressing the send button only thirty minutes late. When she picked up her purse, preparing to leave, she found that the rest of the newsroom was already packed up and heading out for the weekend. It was Friday, after all. Everyone was getting ready to head out on the town, have some laughs and a few drinks, and enjoy their weekend. But what did she have to look forward to?
She stepped out of the building and looked around, trying to think of what she could do over her unexpected long
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