Snowfall and Secrets (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 1)

by Kimberly Loth

  Jessica sighed. There were all these unspoken rules she’d have to learn all over again. She’d just gotten the hang of it in Moscow. Plus, there she knew the language. Here, she didn’t have a clue what was being said.

  “You must be exhausted.” Molly’s mop of curls bounced as she patted Jessica’s hand. “Traveling always does a number on me.”

  “Yeah, sorry. In spite of the fact that I should be good at this, I’m not,” said Jessica.

  “Don’t be sorry,” Marcy said and patted Jessica’s other hand. “At least you’ve got a few days until you have to be to work.”

  That was true. It was Wednesday, and she didn’t have to report to work until Monday.

  “A few days rest and you’ll be right as rain,” Melinda added from the front seat.

  The cars around them honked and swerved. Traffic laws didn’t seem to apply. It was like a school of fish all moving around each other. Terrifying. She laughed out loud when a small sedan passed them, and she saw no less than ten people crammed into the small space, with another three sitting on the trunk.

  Melinda pointed. “You’ll see stuff like that all the time here. I hope you have a good camera.”

  Jeff had achieved expert level at navigating the crazy streets. He turned just in time to avoid a collision with a small truck and a tiny car. Lots of honking and shouting, but it didn’t faze him in the slightest. Another turn, another near miss, with a group of pedestrians this time. Still Jeff was as cool as could be.

  “How long have you guys been here?” Jessica asked on a particularly stomach-churning curve.

  “Two years.” Melinda leaned into the curve and shouted over her shoulder as Jeff laid on the horn. “We were supposed to be moving on next year, but we asked for an extension because our oldest wants to graduate here.”

  “How old are your kids?”

  “Ten, fifteen, and seventeen. All girls.”

  Poor Jeff. He had no male backup in his house. No wonder he looked exhausted.

  “We’ve been here a year and have two boys,” said Marcy. “They’re eight and four.”

  “And like they said, we’re the new kids. Only been here six months. Some things we’ll learn together.” Molly looked as green as Jessica felt as they rounded yet another curve on two wheels and screeched to a halt in front of a tired-looking building. Then again, all the buildings around her either looked tired or under construction.

  Jessica and the Ms took the elevator. It was small, and there was no way Jeff and the bags would fit with them. He said he’d catch the next one up. Melinda unlocked the door and handed the key to Jessica with a smile.

  “You do the honors.” She stepped back so that Jessica could open the door.

  Dozens of Gerbera daisies littered every available surface.

  Jessica sucked in a breath as all three of the Ms breathed out an excited sigh. Vases full of the daisies vibrantly colored and varied as the rainbow had been expertly arranged. Jessica wanted to back up and shut the door. To her, it was like coming home to a crime scene. Melinda, Marcy, and Molly stood right behind her, and she had no choice but to go inside.

  “Someone is very glad that you’re here.” Melinda’s eyes sparkled with delight as she stooped to sniff a pretty pink daisy. Most people would love to receive a welcome like this. But to Jessica, it meant that her problem had followed her straight to Cairo. She knew Rick would find her. They both worked for the State Department. She had hoped it would take a little longer than her flight for him to track down her apartment.

  “They are absolutely gorgeous,” said Marcy.

  “Gerberas are my favorite.” Molly gently petted yellow petals that matched her dress.

  How did Rick get all of this delivered? Jessica shook her head and dropped her bag. State Department. He could get just about anything. If she tried to get another apartment, he would just figure that out and do this again. This, all the flowers, was to remind Jess that he could find her.

  She turned her back and wound her way through the rest of her apartment. Her bedroom was flower free, and her kitchen was American, thank goodness. In Russia, it hadn’t been, and cooking was a challenge.

  “CLO made sure your fridge was stocked.” Melinda followed her. “They left some cereal and bread in the pantry. We’ll need to take you shopping tonight or tomorrow. We can drive you to the commissary.”

  “That’ll be fun.” Marcy clapped.

  “I need to pick up a couple things.” Molly nodded.

  “We have a commissary?” Jessica asked, surprised. Most posts didn’t have one.

  “Yes, it’s a huge perk. A lot of people still order some things from Amazon or Walmart. If you plan it right, you never have to shop at the local markets, but the produce is fresh here. If you buy it at the commissary, it’s shipped in from Europe.”

  Jessica leaned against the counter. Her shoulders slumped with exhaustion and disappointment. It had been silly of her to think a move like this would completely free her of Rick.

  Melinda gave her an understanding smile. She was obviously the leader of this band of merry ladies. “We’re going to leave you alone. Get some rest and enjoy your beautiful flowers. Would you like to go shopping tonight or tomorrow?”

  Jessica rubbed her eyes. “Tomorrow please. Is my internet hooked up?”

  Molly nodded. “Yep. The password and things are on your desk.”

  “Shall we pick you up at noon?” asked Melinda.

  “That would be wonderful. Thanks for being understanding.”

  “We’ve all been there, dear. See you tomorrow.”

  As soon as they were gone, the flowers went in the trash. It took three bags to get them all. The vases she washed out and lined up on the kitchen counter.

  She didn’t call her sister. Rick’s stunt had exhausted her. There had been a card in one of the bouquets. It went into the trash unread. Probably more drivel about how he missed her, and she needed to come home, back to Russia. He really didn’t understand what a divorce meant.

  After checking the locks for the fourth time and deciding against pushing her couch in front of the door, she found her new bed, which had been beautifully made up, probably by the three Ms, and crashed.

  Chapter 2

  Conner preferred his own pool, but the heater had busted, and he’d nearly frozen the last time he tried to do laps. There were several private clubs in Maadi, but this one was the only place where he wouldn’t run into Nour. Unfortunately, it was the most family friendly of the clubs, and so he had to put up with kids screaming and splashing in the pool. There was a woman already swimming in the one lane they roped off for laps. He frowned, grabbed a bottle of water, and settled in to wait as far from the splashing kids as he could.

  The lifeguard called adult time, and she was still swimming. He began his laps during those fifteen minutes, with the hopes that she’d be done soon.

  She hadn’t finished when the kids descended again. Was she training for a freaking triathlon? Conner tried to maintain his laps, but of course that was impossible. A few people bumped into him, most without an attempt at an apology. He didn’t think it’d be that busy on a Thursday night.

  He waited at the edge of the pool. The lane hog finally stood up, her blonde hair hung wet down her back. She smiled at him as she climbed out, and his heart skipped a beat.

  Nour.

  Here.

  The one woman he was hoping to avoid.

  He touched her on the shoulder. “Nour.”

  Conner hadn’t realized he spoke her name aloud until she blinked those amazing blue eyes at him.

  “I’m sorry?” she asked.

  His ability to breathe abandoned him. Her voice sounded so light and airy. Definitely not Nour. Her voice was husky, just made for a late night rendezvous. All he could do was shake his head at the woman. She smiled again and walked past him.

  He turned to watch her. The resemblance was striking. He wondered if she could be related to Nour somehow. They had to be. A cousin
, maybe. Nour was Egyptian, but her mother was American. Thus the blonde hair and blue eyes. He’d get Tommy to see if the family was having a reunion or out of town guests. As he watched, the woman grabbed a towel and disappeared into the crowd.

  He began his laps again, trying to clear his head. That woman left him feeling rattled and agitated. She hadn’t been Nour, but he felt as shaken as if it had been her. He propelled himself through the water, pushing much harder than he should have. If it had been Nour, he’d have looked like a love-sick fool unable to think or speak.

  It had been months since he’d actually seen her. Not that it mattered. He’d never get over her. At first, he thought he could, but as time went on, he found his love for her had only gotten stronger.

  Thirty minutes later he climbed out of the pool, exhausted and with sore muscles. Tomorrow morning, he would ache like the devil. He dried off and dressed. He might as well grab a drink before he went home. Visions of Nour would be tormenting him for hours. He could get a jump-start on getting drunk before he headed home.

  Conner stopped dead on the patio. That woman, the Nour lookalike, sat at a table, alone, with a fruity drink in her hand. While swimming, he managed to convince himself that he was kidding himself about the woman. That she hadn’t looked that much like Nour. But the resemblance was even more pronounced now. He stopped a waiter and asked him for a Tom Collins.

  Cautiously, he approached the woman’s table. She had no phone in her hand or a book. Nothing to distract her from being alone. She seemed content just sitting there.

  He sat down without asking permission.

  “Are you new around here?” he asked before she could tell him to get lost. Her eyes. They were exactly the same heart-stopping shade of blue.

  She gave him a tired smile. “Yeah, landed yesterday. Is it that obvious?”

  “Not at all. It’s just that if you come here often enough, you start seeing the same faces. Are you embassy?”

  “Yep. What about you?”

  “Oil. I’m Conner.” He stretched out to shake her hand, but she lifted her glass.

  “Jessica,” she said. “How long have you been here?”

  “In Egypt, five years. I’ll probably be here for life. Though I suppose I could end up in another part of the Middle East. I like it here.”

  That and he would never leave because Nour was here. She couldn’t be his. He knew that now, but there was always an off chance, and he would be here if it came up.

  Jessica nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “What’s your impression of Cairo so far?”

  “It’s loud and chaotic. Honestly, this wasn’t a place I wanted to come.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s a dry hot desert with nothing to do.”

  Conner shrugged. “I can understand that. But everyone has read about Egypt at one point. Come on, what’s the one thing you’ve always wanted to see?”

  “Valley of the Kings.”

  She surprised him. He asked almost every reluctant, and even eager, expat he met the exact same question. They always answered—“The pyramids.”

  “You know that’s an unusual response.”

  She grinned, and he felt his insides warm. It was exactly like staring at Nour.

  “Yes, but when I was a kid, I read a book that was set in the Valley of the Kings, and I’ve wanted to see it ever since. I was actually going to try to find a tour guide tomorrow or Friday to take me.”

  He thought about telling her that it wasn’t close, but at the last second something possessed him. He changed his mind.

  “I could take you.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

  “Sure, but I have work tomorrow, so it will need to be on Friday. One of the best things to do there is to take a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Queens. But the balloons only go up first thing in the morning. Like five a.m., so if you want to do that, we’ll need to stay overnight near there.”

  “I’ve never heard of the Valley of the Queens.”

  “It’s right next to the Valley of the Kings. We can’t take a balloon over the Kings.”

  Jessica played with her drink for a few seconds. Her blue eyes clouded over, and he could feel her hesitation.

  Conner laughed. “I’ll book us separate hotel rooms.”

  She let out a breath. “Okay. Sorry, I’m not good at this stuff. I wasn’t sure if you implying something more.”

  “Maybe I was.” He gave her a wicked grin, and her cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink. “But you looked like you were considering turning me down. So now I only offer you my services as a tour guide. Can I pick you up tomorrow evening around six?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay, I gotta go.” He handed her a napkin. “Write down your address.”

  Her hands were shaking when she took the pen from him. He wondered what had made her so skittish. Though, he supposed he did just offer to take her to a hotel, and they’d only met fifteen minutes before. He’d be careful with her, do his best to draw her out of her shell, find out what her fears were and be better. If he could win her over, and if he couldn’t have Nour, maybe he could have the next best thing.

  Want to keep reading for free?

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  Contact me

  http://www.kimberlyloth.com

  Email Me: kimberly@kimberlyloth.com

  Also, if you loved the book (and even if you didn’t) please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

  Thanks go first to my awesome editor Suzi Ratcliff. Seriously girl, you cleaned it up good. Also, a huge shout out to Rebecca Frank, the cover is amazing. As always, Coleen Sheehan, the book wouldn’t look pretty without you.

  Thanks to the early beta readers for your input and love.

  Also, a big thank you to my husband for his unflinching support (and sometimes inappropriate comments) and willingness to eat Quaker oatmeal so that I could finish the book.

  Virginia dear, you surprised me. Thanks for loving adult romance too.

  Of course, I can’t leave out my two biggest supporters, Kristin and Karen. Seriously, how did I ever write before I met you?

  Michelle, for all the rants and raves and pics of Daryl that push me through, you always have my back with a crossbow, a hot movie star and a dragon.

  Deb, there are just no words. For every ounce of energy you have spent believing in me more than I ever could, thank you feels so inadequate.

  Kimberly Loth can’t decide where she wants to settle down. She’s lived in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon, and South Carolina. She finally decided to make the leap and leave the U.S. behind for a few years. She spent two wild years in Cairo, Egypt. Currently, she lives in Shenzhen, China with her husband and two kids as a full time author. She loves romantic movies, chocolate, roses, and crazy adventures. She’s the author of Amazon bestselling series The Dragon Kings. Snowfall and Secrets is her first romance novel.

  Also by Kimberly Loth

  The Thorn Chronicles

  Kissed

  Destroyed

  Secrets

  Lies

  The Dragon Kings

  Obsidian

  Aspen

  Skye (Coming Oct 2016)

  The Kings (Coming Dec 2016)

  Omega Mu Alpha Brothers

  Snowfall and Secrets

  Pyramids and Promises

  Folly and Forever (Coming Nov 2016)

  Monkeys and Mayhem (Coming Jan 2017)

 

 

 
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