Chapter 9 - Vadik
I was relieved when she offered her service, and I didn’t have to ask. The job went down without any issues, and we got what we needed. I slept like a baby and felt refreshed when I got up.
“Can you please send up a pot of coffee, two cups, and some muffins to my office,” I said as the maid answered the kitchen intercom.
“Sure thing,” she replied swiftly.
I knocked on Tasha’s door and listened.
“Yes,” she called out from inside.
“Come to my office once you’re up,” I replied smiling.
I heard movement inside before she responded. “Okay, on my way.”
Tasha came in as the maid placed the tray down on my desk. “Good morning,” I said pulling out one of the chairs on the front of my desk.
“Morning,” she replied taking her seat.
Moving back around, I sat down and poured some coffee. Staring at her across the table. I was mesmerized by the amazing abilities she had shown yesterday.
As if sensing my gaze, she shifted uncomfortably. Looking at me, her expression told me she was annoyed at the attention. I could see she wouldn’t be able to take it any longer, and I was right. She sat up instantly, narrowed her eyes, and spat at me, “Is there something wrong?”
Swallowing the laugh pushing up in me, I kept staring. The grin forming on my lips couldn’t be helped as I replied. “Tasha, sorry for staring but I can’t help it. I was just wondering about your skills. Would you mind telling me more about how you learned so much at such a young age?”
She mumbled something under her breath and then looked me in the eyes as she spoke. “In all honesty, it came to me naturally. I realized I had a gift at a young age.”
“A gift?” I asked a bit too cynical.
She glared at me, her eyes narrowing as she replied. “Yes, I had a skill working with electronic things.” She sighed pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“That doesn’t really tell me anything,” I said.
“I will share with you how I discovered my gift, but,” Tasha lowered her gaze breathing in loudly before continuing. “You have to promise not to make fun of me, and no laughing.”
I watched as she folded her arms across her chest as if protecting herself. I nodded in agreement and waited for her to explain her story. “It was the beginning of my High School career. I yearned to be part of the popular kids. So, I decided to join the cheerleaders.” Tasha breathed in sharply. “Yet, there was a requirement to be met to join.”
She covered her face with her hands, but I could see the blush forming on her cheeks. “What was the requirement?” I asked softly.
“Well,” Tasha replied smiling. “The sign-up sheet stated that there was a dance routine we needed to know. We had to perform it for the interview. They listed the name and had a link to a YouTube video as an example.”
“Sounds easy enough,” I interrupted.
“It wasn’t the problem,” Tasha added so I sat back listening. “I didn’t have a speaker, so I borrowed Abram’s one. He could never say no to me, it is one of the things that make him special.” Tasha fell silent momentarily as she stared out the window, seemingly in a dream world.
Shaking her head, she continued. “So, I went to my room with his speaker in hand. I placed it down on the floor and connected my phone so I could play the music while watching the video. I was so focused on getting the moves right, I didn’t notice how close I was to the speaker,”
“Oh, no,” I huffed realizing what was about to happen in her story.
“Yes, yes, shhh so I can continue,” Tasha stated waving her hands around. She was so sweet I felt like hugging her.
But I kept quiet and listened as she continued. “As I was jumping, I landed on top of the speaker. The room filled with silence. I stared at it for a moment before realizing I had broken it. I tried putting it on and off, but it didn’t work. I was so scared that Abram was going to fight with me or ever lend me anything again, I shoved it under my bed.”
“And then, what did he do?” I asked curiously.
“First, I thought of putting it back and telling him I never took it, but I knew he would see through my lies. So, I went on my phone and looked up how to fix it. After opening it, I found a wire had come loose, I realized I liked working on it. Fixing it came easy. Then I started playing around with other electronic things and found I had a gift for it,” she finally finished.
Placing my hand over my mouth, I tried to control the laughter bubbling up. “So, did you get in?” I asked, breathing out slowly.
“Get into what?” Tasha replied looking slightly confused.
Clearing my throat so I didn’t laugh, I spoke softly. “Into the cheerleading team?” I felt the smile on my lips widening as she narrowed her brows.
Tasha lightly slammed her fist on the table and pulled up her tiny nose as she spoke, “No, dumb ass, and by the way, that wasn’t the point of the story. You asked how I discovered my gift.”
I laughed softly as I replied, “I know, I was just pulling your leg.”
Taking a deep breath, she started again. “Once I started fiddling with other things, I couldn’t stop. I developed an obsession of sorts to fix things. There were so many items my brothers chucked as they thought were broken. I started collecting these to play with. It changed my life.”
“Once my brothers realized what I could do, well,” Tasha beamed as she continued. “They bought me what I needed, and I took a couple of courses to hone my skills. I had more than I needed to practice. It kind of came to me as I grew, everything was easy. It was like I knew everything even before I started.”
I sat back stunned. I had heard of people who had gifts like hers but never met one. We just stared at each other for a while. I was trying to imagine knowing something without having to spend hours studying.
Tasha sighed as she shifted in her chair. “Look,” she said. “I am good at what I do but, I’ve never been good at any physical activities. I lack strength as my brothers would say. So, I used what I had, a strong mind to compensate for what I didn’t, a lack of physical abilities.”
I was surprised at her words. Looking her up and down, I found it hard to believe she wasn’t fit with a boy like hers. Yes, there were curves, but she was gorgeous.
Tasha looked at me with a sly smile. She had a cockiness about her that I knew all too well. “So, like I said, I’m a natural.” Her voice was dripping with confidence. Wanting to tease her and bring her back to reality, I decided to play a little game with her.
“Okay,” I breathed out as I walked to my desk. “Let’s play a little game then and see.”
Tasha smirked as she replied. “Sure, give it your best shot.”
Opening the drawer, I pulled out a pair of cuffs. Closing them in my hand I walked back to her. Taking the chair next to her, I placed it down before her. Sitting down, I looked into her shining blue eyes.
Leaning forward I cuffed her to the chair’s arm at lightning speed. Tasha gave me an adorable glare as she uncuffed herself. She was quick, but as soon as the cuff clicked, I had taken them back and cuffed her other hand to the same arm.
I grinned as she shifted sitting sideways now. There was a notable annoyance in her eyes as she glanced at the cuffs and back at me. She unlocked them a little faster this time, but she was no match for me.
As she attempted to lift the cuffs into the air, I grabbed her arm and cuffed her to the other side. Tasha huffed as she moved faster, still uncuffing herself again.
Yet, she was still not fast enough. As the cuffs clicked, I had her other wrist in them, and she was cuffed to the other side of the chair. Tasha grumbled as she gazed into my eyes. This was the sixth time and every time I was quicker than her.
At this point, I felt like I was showing off my reaction speed. I hoped it would humble her a tad. I could see a grudging respect in her frown and knew I was getting my point through.
Moving faster and faster, I misjudged my next move. I was going so fast before I realized what was happening, I felt the cuff closing around my wrist and the other side around her wrist.
Standing against each other, our eyes met. There was a spark in hers that pulled me in. A mixture of feelings surged through me. Tension, anticipation, and shock were fighting within my mind as I leaned in. I couldn’t fight my emotions any longer. She inhaled sharply as I captured her lips with mine.
Tasha didn’t resist, her hand came up my back and slid into my hair. Our kiss deepened as our lips glided in harmony. I could taste her innocence as her mouth opened and my tongue flowed into her as lust overtook me.
I wanted more, she tasted like a bite of the sweetest juiciest peach on earth. Sliding my free hand around her waist, I pulled her closer. It felt like I was snuggling next to a cozy fire as her body heat warmed me.
As the kiss heated up her tongue sought out mine, and I felt a spark inside me. Our tongues played rhythmically with each other as they touched and tangled. My senses lit up like July fireworks as my eyes closed.
She was breathing heavily in my arm. Tasha’s soft hand came to my cheek as she was absorbed by the desire we appeared to share. Suddenly my mind screamed at me. Opening my eyes, I pulled back gently. We could be doing this.
Her blue eyes looked like the ocean as desire swam in them. I wanted nothing more than to devour her. But my mind was clearing, and I knew this couldn’t be happening. Pulling my free hand back, I cleared my throat, speaking softly. “Sorry.”
Uncuffing us, I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I got a little carried away.” Stepping back, I gave her a slight smile.
Tasha nodded, turned, and headed upstairs. Exhaling hard, I flopped down in the chair chastising myself for my actions. I had no idea if I could trust her. I reminded myself that she wasn’t a comrade, she was the sister of the enemy. We aimed to get to Nadia, and nothing else.
Leaning back in the chair, I gently touched my lips. That kiss was something else. I sat staring at the door, trying to deal with the shock the kiss left me with. I had to shake these emotions rushing through me. These feelings didn’t belong, and I had to shake them.
I had to ensure the Chernykh’s received the intel. Heading to my office, I decided I would ask her if she wanted some combat training later. She was good at hacking and would surely be useful during her stay here. But I was responsible for her life. Training her will increase her chances if we ever get caught.