Terror Mansion (Decorah Security Series, Book #12): A Paranormal Romantic Suspense Novella Read Online Free Page A
Author: REBECCA YORK
read the article, then went on to other sources. It appeared that Kate Kingston has sprung into being five years ago. Before that there was no record of her at all, which must mean she had assumed the identity.
Why?
She hadn’t wanted to hear that someone was poking around her workshop, but obviously there was a reason for going under cover.
The witness protection program? Or had she done it on her own?
He focused on that puzzle for several minutes and was pretty sure he wasn’t going to figure it out tonight.
He typed an e-mail to Teddy Granada, one of the Decorah IT guys, explaining the situation and asking for any information he could dig up.
A few minutes later, he got a query from Frank, asking why Wyatt was interested. He drafted a quick explanation, leaving out the personal urgency he’d felt. He knew Frank wouldn’t call him home, not when Wyatt was down here as the result of a dream.
He was leaning back in his chair, gazing toward the warehouse, when he saw a flicker of movement outside the building and sat up straighter. It was Kate. She had stepped outside and was looking around. From his window, he admired her lithe figure and graceful movements and was charmed as she unclipped the barrette at the back of her neck and shook her hair loose. The clip must keep it tamed while she worked, and now she was done.
She stretched, then went back inside the building.
He hadn’t solved the puzzle of who she was, but he couldn’t stop himself from going into a little fantasy.
What would happen if he walked into her workshop and reached for her? He laughed. Probably she’d pull her gun again. But this was his fantasy, he told himself, and he preferred to imagine that she would respond to him with the same need that he felt for her. He closed his eyes, seeing himself pulling her close and lowering his lips to hers for a long drugging kiss. He imagined her opening for him so that his tongue could sweep the inside of her mouth and taste her.
He grew hard as he let the scenario unspool in his mind, like a tantalizing YouTube video that he’d watched over and over.
Then he ordered himself to stop making himself hot and stick to business—which was protecting Kate, although she had been very clear that she thought she didn’t need his help.
She reminded him of a gritty pioneer woman who was willing to risk everything for a new start. But she was also vulnerable. From her reaction to him, he was sure someone had hurt her in the past—and that made it difficult for her to trust. He’d been the same way, until Frank Decorah had shown him he could open up with the right people. The Decorah family had given him the confidence that had been beaten out of him when he was growing up—being careful about everything he said for fear he’d be talking about some future event. He didn’t have to worry about that with Frank Decorah and the rest of the team. For the first time in his life, he had dared to be happy about his life.
He wanted that for Kate Kingston, too. Which sent him back to thinking about holding her in his arms and making her realize she didn’t have to push him away. Physically or any other way.
Again, he struggled to stop focusing on a relationship he wished he had with her. She was in trouble, even if she didn’t want to discuss it with him, and he couldn’t romance her until he’d made sure she was safe.
Romance? Was he actually using that word? It was pretty foreign to his vocabulary. When he thought about women it was generally in terms of sex. But this time sex was only a small part of what he craved from her.
The autumn light was fading, and there was a bit of a nip in the air. By the time he’d drunk half the beer and finished the meal, it was dark, and the traffic along the waterfront had slowed considerably. Apparently St. Stephens was a town that closed up early—at least at this time of year. He stayed in the dark by the window, looking toward the building with the weathered
Why?
She hadn’t wanted to hear that someone was poking around her workshop, but obviously there was a reason for going under cover.
The witness protection program? Or had she done it on her own?
He focused on that puzzle for several minutes and was pretty sure he wasn’t going to figure it out tonight.
He typed an e-mail to Teddy Granada, one of the Decorah IT guys, explaining the situation and asking for any information he could dig up.
A few minutes later, he got a query from Frank, asking why Wyatt was interested. He drafted a quick explanation, leaving out the personal urgency he’d felt. He knew Frank wouldn’t call him home, not when Wyatt was down here as the result of a dream.
He was leaning back in his chair, gazing toward the warehouse, when he saw a flicker of movement outside the building and sat up straighter. It was Kate. She had stepped outside and was looking around. From his window, he admired her lithe figure and graceful movements and was charmed as she unclipped the barrette at the back of her neck and shook her hair loose. The clip must keep it tamed while she worked, and now she was done.
She stretched, then went back inside the building.
He hadn’t solved the puzzle of who she was, but he couldn’t stop himself from going into a little fantasy.
What would happen if he walked into her workshop and reached for her? He laughed. Probably she’d pull her gun again. But this was his fantasy, he told himself, and he preferred to imagine that she would respond to him with the same need that he felt for her. He closed his eyes, seeing himself pulling her close and lowering his lips to hers for a long drugging kiss. He imagined her opening for him so that his tongue could sweep the inside of her mouth and taste her.
He grew hard as he let the scenario unspool in his mind, like a tantalizing YouTube video that he’d watched over and over.
Then he ordered himself to stop making himself hot and stick to business—which was protecting Kate, although she had been very clear that she thought she didn’t need his help.
She reminded him of a gritty pioneer woman who was willing to risk everything for a new start. But she was also vulnerable. From her reaction to him, he was sure someone had hurt her in the past—and that made it difficult for her to trust. He’d been the same way, until Frank Decorah had shown him he could open up with the right people. The Decorah family had given him the confidence that had been beaten out of him when he was growing up—being careful about everything he said for fear he’d be talking about some future event. He didn’t have to worry about that with Frank Decorah and the rest of the team. For the first time in his life, he had dared to be happy about his life.
He wanted that for Kate Kingston, too. Which sent him back to thinking about holding her in his arms and making her realize she didn’t have to push him away. Physically or any other way.
Again, he struggled to stop focusing on a relationship he wished he had with her. She was in trouble, even if she didn’t want to discuss it with him, and he couldn’t romance her until he’d made sure she was safe.
Romance? Was he actually using that word? It was pretty foreign to his vocabulary. When he thought about women it was generally in terms of sex. But this time sex was only a small part of what he craved from her.
The autumn light was fading, and there was a bit of a nip in the air. By the time he’d drunk half the beer and finished the meal, it was dark, and the traffic along the waterfront had slowed considerably. Apparently St. Stephens was a town that closed up early—at least at this time of year. He stayed in the dark by the window, looking toward the building with the weathered
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