Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Read Online Books/Novels: | Treasured (Masters and Mercenaries #22.5) |
|---|---|
Author/Writer of Book/Novel: | Lexi Blake |
| Language: | English |
| ISBN/ ASIN: | B08G55YG57 |
| Book Information: | |
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series… David Hawthorne has a great life. His job as a professor at a prestigious Dallas college is everything he hoped for. Now that his brother is back from the Navy, life seems to be settling down. All he needs to do is finish the book he’s working on and his tenure will be assured. When he gets invited to interview a reclusive expert, he knows he’s gotten lucky. But being the stepson of Sean Taggart comes with its drawbacks, including an overprotective mom who sends a security detail to keep him safe. He doesn’t need a bodyguard, but when Tessa Santiago shows up on his doorstep, the idea of her giving him close cover doesn’t seem so bad. Tessa has always excelled at most anything she tried, except romance. The whole relationship thing just didn’t work out for her. She’s not looking for love, and she’s certainly not looking for it with an academic who happens to be connected to her boss’s family. The last thing she wants is to escort an overly pampered pretentious man-child around South America to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble. Still, there’s something about David that calls to her. In addition to watching his back, she will have to avoid falling into the trap of soulful eyes and a deep voice that gets her heart racing. But when the seemingly simple mission turns into a treacherous race for a hidden artifact, David and Tess know this assignment could cost them far more than their jobs. If they can overcome the odds, the lost treasure might not be their most valuable reward. **Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.** | |
| Books in Series: | Masters and Mercenaries Series by Lexi Blake |
| Books by Author: | Lexi Blake |
One Thousand and One Dark Nights
Once upon a time, in the future…
I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.
I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and
the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast
library at my father’s home and collected thousands
of volumes of fantastic tales.
I learned all about ancient races and bygone
times. About myths and legends and dreams of all
people through the millennium. And the more I read
the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered
that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually
become part of them.
I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher
and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I
would not be telling you this tale now.
But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off
with bravery.
One afternoon, curious about the myth of the
Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to
see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar
(Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then
sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written
and I had read that by the time he met Scheherazade,
the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand
women.
Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived
in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged
places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had
never occurred before and that still to this day, I
cannot explain.
Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have
taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can
protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to
protect herself and stay alive.
Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.
And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a
point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.
And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that
he might hear the rest of my dark tale.
As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new
one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before
you now.
Chapter One
Tessa Santiago stepped into the lobby of the restaurant and wondered if she could still beg off. No one had seen her yet. She could slip back out and text her host that she’d gotten caught in traffic or something.
It was weird to be invited to an anniversary party for an ex-fiancé’s twin brother and his wife, wasn’t it? Who did this? There were definitely times she wished her breakup had been way less chill. If she’d thrown a couple of dishes at his head, maybe left some nasty messages, she wouldn’t be here. But no, she’d had to stay friends with the man because at the end there hadn’t been passion between them. It hadn’t been his fault or her fault.
But this awkwardness was definitely his fault.
“Tessa! Hey, I’m so glad you came.” Nina Malone was a gorgeous woman with a smile a mile wide, but then what did she have to frown about? She was happily married to the CEO of a billion dollar company and had the most adorable kids. Nina wore the kind of designer gown that probably could feed a small country, and killer heels that made Tessa’s feet ache looking at them.
Yeah, Nina was the kind of woman who invited exes to parties because she stayed friends with everyone. Nina was one of the reasons Tessa wished things had worked out with Michael Malone.
He was a genuinely great guy. His family had been awesome, and she’d loved them all, but the truth was there hadn’t been a spark between her and Michael. That lack of true passion had been the reason they’d ended the engagement. Lately she’d been wondering if she was the problem, if she didn’t have any passion at all.
Even as she hugged Nina, she caught sight of her ex. Michael stood across the private dining room looking stunning in his custom-made tuxedo.
Why, oh why, couldn’t she have truly loved that man?
“Happy anniversary,” Tessa said, stepping back. “You look amazing, as always.”
“So do you,” Nina said in her British accent. That accent, Tessa had been told, had softened over the years Nina had lived in Texas. She’d been a McKay-Taggart employee when she’d met JT Malone and fallen in love, and now Nina ran security for Malone Oil.
Nina had been the one who had tried to help Tessa fit into the Malones’ wealthy world. They’d come from similar backgrounds, though Tessa had grown up in Dallas and Nina in London. The middle class was still the middle class, and it was a big step up into the world the Malones ran in.
Or her current bosses, the Taggarts. Tessa worked in the personal security department of McKay-Taggart. While Ian Taggart might have started out middle class, he hadn’t stayed there. None of the Taggarts had. After all, this party was being held in the cornerstone of Sean Taggart’s restaurant empire. Top was one of Dallas’s celebrated fine dining spots. It was the kind of place the wealthy frequented and the not so wealthy aspired to go.