Dangerous Attraction Romantic Suspense Boxed Set (9 Novels from Bestselling Authors, plus Bonus Christmas Novella from NY Times Bestselling Author Rebecca York)

by Kaylea Cross

  “It is pretty spectacular,” he agreed.

  “Oh, and what a great view of the Space Needle,” she exclaimed, unable to hold back her delight. “I remember how Mom and Dad used to like coming here. Mom told me sometimes they’d just sit on one of the benches and take in the stars and the city lights, and talk about their future.”

  Kate noticed Ryan watching her as she spoke about her parents. She wondered what he saw in her face. The excitement of a child? Sadness? Joy? Maybe all of that. He fidgeted as if he wasn’t sure what he should do. He changed the subject, drawing her attention back to the beautiful view.

  “Do you see that tall building with the rounded top, just to the left of the Space Needle?” he asked, pointing toward the building.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s where my office is.”

  “You must have a great view of the city.”

  “There’s a view from some of the offices, unfortunately, not from mine. But it’s okay, I get to see it often enough.”

  “Well, I don’t. Thanks for bringing me up here, Ryan. It’s breathtaking.”

  “And to think you traded all this for Los Angeles,” he teased, making a wide sweeping motion with his hand, shaking his head. The gesture made her giggle.

  “I have one of my cameras with me. I think I’ll take a few shots so I can capture this and take it home with me.” Pulling a small digital camera out of her purse, she adjusted a few settings and clicked an array of shots of the skyline.

  Kate immersed herself in snapping photos, one of the few things that gave her pleasure these days. She felt Ryan’s gaze on her.

  She stuck her camera in her bag and turned to him. “I can’t wait to get home and see these shots on my thirty-two-inch computer monitor. I’ll have to show them to my friends back in L.A.”

  “Speaking of your friends in L.A., and I hope this isn’t too personal, Kate, but do you have anyone special waiting for you back there?”

  “Like a boyfriend?” she asked.

  “Boyfriend, fiancé, significant other?” he asked wearing a hopeful expression.

  “No, not at the moment.”

  “But there was someone?” he pried, seeming to sense there was more to the story.

  “There was.”

  “Don’t leave me hanging, Kate.”

  She wrapped her arms tight over her chest and turned back to the city view. “I don’t really want to talk about it right now.”

  “You’re right. It’s none of my business. Sorry I asked.”

  “No need to be sorry. Maybe I’ll tell you sometime. This evening has just been so lovely that I don’t want to ruin it.”

  “It has been, hasn’t it?” Ryan agreed. He draped his arm loosely around her shoulder and she leaned into him. They stood at the railing for a few minutes just gazing silently at the dazzling city lights.

  The rain began to fall once more, suggesting it was time to leave.

  Chapter Seven

  Ryan sat at the computer in his office, when he heard a voice outside his door.

  “Knock, knock.” The door eased open.

  He looked up with a smile that quickly disappeared when he saw that it was Vanessa. He would have preferred it was Kate’s face he saw.

  Vanessa’s own smile dropped, as she seemed to read the disappointment in his face. “Hello, Ryan. Are you busy?”

  “Just working on the paperwork to get Raj Patel’s condo purchase finalized and closed so…”

  “Raj Patel? I haven’t seen him in eons. How is he doing?”

  “He’s fine. What do you need, Vanessa?”

  “I just thought I’d stop by and say hi. It was so nice running into you last night.”

  Ryan looked back at his computer screen and began typing again, hoping she would get the hint that he didn’t want to talk to her. “Yeah, it was nice of you to come over to the table.”

  “I was wondering, if you’re not doing anything this evening, maybe you’d like to come by my place for dinner. I have a new recipe for scaloppini I’m dying to try out. What do you say?” She batted her eyes in typical Vanessa fashion.

  “I don’t think so.” He stopped typing and looked up from his computer to face her. “I don’t see the point.”

  “Just a friendly dinner, Ryan.”

  He could see she was working to keep her voice light and casual, likely hoping he could not see through her ploy, but she couldn’t help her voice rising. It was clear she was trying to reel him back in, but he was not having any of it. “No, I have other plans tonight. Sorry.”

  “You’re not sorry at all!” she shrieked.

  “Whoa, calm down.”

  “It’s that blonde, isn’t it?” Vanessa accused.

  “I told you, we’re just friends. I only met her yesterday morning on the plane from Boise.” He didn’t really want to go into too much detail with her, but he was trying to calm her down.

  “You went home to Boise?”

  “Yes, I flew home to see my folks over the weekend and was flying back. She sat across the aisle from me on the flight, and we had a little conversation.” Not that it was any of her business, but maybe explaining things would get her out of his office faster.

  “I don’t believe you,” she said, planting her hands on her hips.

  “That’s up to you.” He flipped through a file on his desk, then stuck it in a drawer.

  “There’s more to it than that, Ryan. I know there is.”

  Irritated, he stopped shuffling the papers on his desk and looked her in the eye. “Okay, I’ll bite. What do you know, Vanessa?”

  She leaned forward and placed both hands on his desk. “I saw the way you were looking at her, and the way she was looking at you. There was definitely something going on between the two of you.” She waggled her finger in his face to make her point.

  “You were watching us?” Ryan stood up from his desk, his eyebrows knitting together.

  She pulled upright, too, crossing her arms defensively. “I wouldn’t say I was watching you, more like I happened to notice you a few times.”

  He saw she was back peddling now. She knew she couldn’t insert herself back into Ryan’s life if she made him mad. He wanted to grin, but thought better of it. “It’s really none of your business.”

  “What’s none of my business?” Vanessa pressed.

  “Me and Kate.”

  “Aha! I knew there was something going on between you two.”

  “You’re not going to quit, are you?” He sat back down in his chair.

  “Quitting is not part of my DNA.”

  “All right, all right.” Ryan raised his hands in surrender. “I’ll tell you the truth so you’ll drop it. Kate is only in town for a little while. I didn’t want to tell you this last night, not in front of her, but—”

  “But what?” she interrupted.

  “She came to Seattle because her sister has gone missing. You may have heard about her disappearance on the news—Whitney McAllister?”

  “That sounds familiar.” Vanessa raised her eyes toward the ceiling, as if she was trying to remember something. “Wait! You said you met her on a flight from Boise?”

  “Yes, so?”

  “A story I read about a dead blonde woman…she was found in Boise.”

  “And?” He tried patiently to humor her, but his patience was running out.

  “Maybe Kate killed her sister and dropped the body on the banks of the river,” Vanessa exclaimed, as if she’d just solved a big mystery.

  “That’s enough, Vanessa! She didn’t kill her sister. The fact that the woman is blonde is purely coincidental. Kate is here, working with the police as much as she can, trying to help find Whitney, but mostly she’s just waiting for news from them.”

  “You sure jumped to her defense fast enough, didn’t you?”

  “I’m simply trying to be a friend.” Ryan turned back to his computer.

  “If you say so,” she said, pursing her lips. “I’d better let you get back to
work. Call me sometime, Ryan, won’t you? I miss seeing you.”

  He nonchalantly waived a hand in the air.

  “You know,” she said as she opened his door and spun back toward him, “it could be her sister. Even if Kate didn’t do it, someone could have kidnapped her and taken her out of state. You hear about it in the news all the time.”

  He raised his arm and pointed to the door without looking up from his work.

  “I’m just saying…someone should tell the police to look into it.” She sauntered out of his office, letting the door slam behind her.

  Chapter Eight

  Kate had enjoyed spending time with Ryan and had been grateful for the distraction. However, once she’d gotten home and was lying in Whitney’s bed, smelling her sister’s perfume in the room, she had a hard time going to sleep. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, finally dozing off in the wee hours of the morning.

  It was about ten o’clock the next morning when she’d dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom to throw cold water on her face. Now, Kate sleepily wandered barefoot into the kitchen in her pink camisole and pajama bottoms to see if there was any coffee.

  “Good morning, Kate.” Suki greeted her cheerfully from a seat at the table, looking like she had already been up for hours. “You were out late.”

  “Not too late, but you must have already gone to bed.” Kate stood by the table.

  “Yeah, I’m not a night person. I like to get up early.”

  “It was only about eleven or so when I got home. I just couldn’t sleep once I got into bed.” Kate glanced around the kitchen. “I could really use some coffee.”

  “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get you a cup,” Suki offered. “The sugar and creamer are on the table.” Suki poured the coffee and set it down in front of Kate. “How was your date?”

  “Oh, it wasn’t a date, it was just dinner,” she replied, looking off in the distance, a little smile curling on her lips.

  Kate set her cell phone down on the table, tore open a yellow Splenda packet and stirred it into her cup of coffee.

  “Spill,” Suki said, apparently interested in the details. “You were out pretty late for it to be just dinner.”

  Kate took a sip from her cup, and then set it down. “Well, there’s nothing to tell, really. We went to a nice restaurant just down the street, Yellowfin’s Seafood Grille.”

  “I’ve heard good things about that place.”

  “After dinner, we went and had frozen yogurt down by the water. Then, Ryan drove me up to Kerry Park to see the view of the Space Needle and the city lights.” Kate took another a sip of her coffee. She noticed Suki flinch a little when she mentioned the view, but she couldn’t imagine why.

  Kate suddenly recalled something else, running into Ryan’s old girlfriend. She was about to share the tidbit, but she decided to keep that to herself. The uneasiness she felt around Suki warned her that she’d better not disclose any more than necessary with the girl.

  “By the way,” Suki said, breaking into Kate’s thoughts, “I have to go to work today, and I was wondering if you’d like to meet me down at the Underground Tours later. I’ll show you around, it’s pretty interesting. And it’s definitely better than hanging out here all day waiting for the police to call you.”

  “I’ve always wondered what it was like down there in the creepy underground. Funny, I grew up here, but I’ve never been. What time should I come?”

  “My first tour starts about noon. Why don’t you meet me in the souvenir shop downstairs at eleven-thirty, and I’ll give you a private tour before the others begin?”

  “Sounds good,” Kate replied.

  “Hey, did you hear anything yet from the police?” Suki asked.

  “No, nothing last night. I was hoping they would call this morning.”

  No sooner did the words come out of Kate’s mouth than her cell phone began to ring. She picked it up from the table and saw it was Detective Patel calling.

  “Hello, this is Kate.”

  “Kate, this is Detective Patel. We received a call a few minutes ago from the Boise Police Department. They found a young woman’s body near the river that runs through their downtown. The woman matches Whitney’s description.”

  “What?” Kate asked, her eyes widening, looking fearfully across the table at Suki. “Oh, God, please don’t let it be Whitney,” she muttered under her breath.

  “Yes, a dead body and—” Patel started to say.

  “Wait. The Boise Police Department?” Kate wondered if she had heard him correctly.

  “Yes, Boise. Could Whitney have possibly gone to Boise for any reason?” he questioned.

  “Not that I know of,” she answered, her voice quivering, “but let me ask Suki. She’s right here.” Kate turned her attention to Suki. “Do you know of any reason my sister may have gone to Boise?”

  “Boise? No. What would she be doing there?” Suki looked confused as to why Kate was asking.

  Kate returned her attention to the phone. “Sorry, Detective, Suki says she doesn’t know why Whitney would be in Boise, and honestly, I can’t think of any possible reason either, unless…” Kate went silent and her bottom lip began to tremble.

  “Unless what?” Patel asked.

  “Unless someone kidnapped her and took her there against her will.” Kate’s voice cracked as she could barely get the words out.

  “Unfortunately, that’s what I was thinking, too.”

  Tears filled Kate’s eyes. “Oh, God,” she sighed.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Kate. It’s very likely that it’s not even her. So let’s slow down and take it a step at a time.”

  “You’re right, but I don’t understand why they would think that woman might be my sister?”

  “Well, the police got a tip this morning. A lady called saying she saw a young woman that looked a lot like Whitney in the park near the river a couple of days ago.”

  “Who said that? Wait…how would someone in Boise know what Whitney looked like?” Kate asked.

  “Anonymous caller, and I’m assuming from the television or the Internet. The caller must have seen a news report and remembered seeing someone that looked a lot like the pictures,” Patel explained.

  “I hope that person was wrong,” Kate replied, shaking her head.

  “So do I, but we need to know, one way or the other. The Boise Police would like you to come down there and take a look at the body. You know, see if it’s your sister. Can you do that as soon as possible, like today?”

  “Yes, yes, of course. I’ll get the first flight out of here.”

  “Okay then, I’ll call them back and let them know you’re on your way.”

  Kate hung up her phone, held it to her chest, and tears began running down her cheeks.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Suki asked, handing her a napkin.

  Kate filled Suki in on what Patel had said. She took a deep breath, trying to stifle her tears. “They want me to come down there right away to see if it’s Whitney or not.”

  “I’m so sorry, Kate,” said Suki, patting her shoulder, suddenly seeming overly caring, based on her lack of participation in the search for Whitney.

  “Thank you, but there’s no need to be sorry yet. Let’s hope it’s not Whitney.”

  Suki just nodded.

  Kate looked at the time on her phone. “I’d better call the airlines and see when the next flight is. I’m sure Horizon or Southwest must have several more flights going to Boise today.” Kate scurried down the hall to the bedroom and closed her door.

  She sat on the edge of the bed, and decided to phone Ryan before calling the airlines. If she had to go and identify her sister’s dead body, she wanted someone with her for emotional support. She had not known Ryan very long, but she didn’t have anyone else to ask. It was too long a trip for any of her L.A. friends, and there was no way she would ask Suki. That girl made her uneasy. There was something oddly familiar about her, but Kate just could
not put her finger on it.

  Recalling Ryan’s number recorded in her phone, she punched the call button.

  “Hello, this is Ryan Wilson, Keller Williams Realty. How can I help you?”

  “Ryan, this is Kate.”

  “Kate! What a nice surprise.”

  “I need your help,” Kate said.

  “You sound serious. What is it?”

  “I have to fly to Boise as soon as possible, and I’d like you to come with me, if you can.”

  “Boise? Why? What’s going on?”

  “Detective Patel just called me and said the Boise Police contacted him this morning. They have a body they want me to identify.” Her throat tightened and her voice began to crack. She swallowed hard to relax her throat and regain her composure. “They think it might be my sister.”

  “Oh, Kate. I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say.”

  “Say yes,” she pleaded. “Say you’ll come with me. I don’t want to do this by myself.”

  “Okay. Yes, I’ll come with you. I’ll just need to change a few things around.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a bother. You probably have clients to see today.”

  “No bother. I’ll just have my assistant reschedule a couple of appointments for me, nothing earth shattering,” he said, looking over his calendar, “and then I’m out of here. When is the flight?”

  “I haven’t called the airlines yet. I wanted to talk to you first, to see how many tickets I needed to get.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll call them. I have a bunch of frequent flyer miles I can use. After I book something, I’ll let you know when I’m coming to pick you up.”

  “Okay,” she replied weakly, wiping a stray tear away with her hand. “I really do appreciate your help.” Kate was glad she didn’t have to go through this alone, realizing that if she hadn’t met Ryan by chance on the plane, she would be.

  “No problem. I’m pulling up the airline reservation websites right now. I see a direct flight leaving Seattle in a few hours. Hang on.”

  Kate listened to the sound of Ryan tapping on his keyboard, and then he was back on the phone.