A Man For Tasha

By Beth Sadler

Teril Halidon fell in love with the beautiful Natasha James at first sight. The fact that he’d tracked her from Australia to Russia intending to run tests on her was probably going to ruin his chances though. What was an alien to do?

Tasha took one look at the hunky, Teeron and figured he was keeping secrets. But, what the hell, she was keeping a couple of her own that might send him running for the hills. What was romance without a bit of spice?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beth Sadler
• Release date: Apr 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301199914

Beth Sadler

Married for 49 years to my own Tall, Dark and Handsome Hero. A marriage that has produced three sons and four young grandchildren. Through all of life's ups and downs I have always found pleasure in jotting down the scenes that played out in my imagination. Now, I'm finally able to sit at my desk and let the stories flow, (Ah retirement feels good). Cheers, Beth Sadler

Book preview

A Man For Tasha

By

Beth Sadler

Copyright Beth Sadler 2013

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, Licence Notes

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This book is written in Australian English.

Cover copyright Beth Sadler 2013

Prologue

Tasha sat frozen to her seat in horror, the hairs on the nape of her neck tingling in the age old message of flight or fight. Unfortunately she couldn’t run or fight, she could only watch as, the danger rushed inevitably towards her and the others on the beat-up old bus.

The only other passengers were the pretty little four year old Polish girl and her young mother. Mother and daughter clung tightly to each other, blond heads so close their hair mingled in a froth of curls, forming one long shining halo around both heads as they watched the river bank’s fast approach. Little Violeta cried in great, gulping sobs, arms wrapped tightly around her mother’s neck in an attempt to save herself. The mother clung to the seat in front and tried to protect her daughter with her own body from the inevitable plunge over the edge into the rushing water.

The panic of mother and daughter was terrible to watch and Tasha felt a sorrow so deep she wished she could drag her eyes away from the scene, but, that was not to be. The fates had decided that Tasha would see the end of these two fragile lives before she too succumbed.

Finally, the rumbling bounce of the bus pushed its bonnet over the river bank and into the chill waters of the river. Water poured in through the open windows and doors, quickly filling the cab and then washing over the front seats where the young family huddled together in a final attempt to escape their fate. Tasha’s last view of little Violeta was of her big, frightened blue eyes, staring in shock out of her white face and trembling lips. She stared over her mother’s shoulder directly at Tasha with a pleading look for help, as finally the water swallowed her into its merciless depths. With one last grating, lurching heave, the bus settled deep into the river bed and surrendered to the water’s possession. The river flowed on with complete indifference to the devastation it had dealt.

Chapter 1

Slowly, steadily, shuddering in the after effects of her precognitive vision, the world and all its sounds returned to Natasha James. As usual it took a few minutes before she could move or speak, the vision had held her immobile while it played out in her mind. Now, she needed to get herself moving and try to stop what she had just visualised from happening.

Tasha had come to terms with her gift a long time ago; she knew that when she could stop a tragedy, then, it was worth the bad moments she lived through. The problem was that she couldn’t always stop the events from unfolding exactly as she had seen, and that was when she despaired and called it her curse.

Tasha had been eating lunch in the garden of the long distance bus stop in Poland just before the vision had hit. Now, she needed to get to where the bus was parked around the back of the restaurant and stop Violeta and her mother from boarding it. Fighting hard to get control of her legs she slowly rose from her seat and, in a staggering run, made her way as fast as she could to the car park. Oh God she had to get there in time.

Rounding a corner of the building she slammed into what felt like solid rock. Strong fingers gently, but firmly, steadied her as she looked up, way up into the handsome face of the very tall man that she had been catching tantalising glimpses of for the past three weeks.

He had first appeared in the lounge of the hostel in St. Petersburg, where she had stayed while she checked out her Russian ancestor’s home town, then, he had nodded to her as he passed her in the medieval square in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital. Her final sighting had been yesterday in Lithuania. She had been visiting the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, home to the three martyrs who had been tortured and then executed in thirteen forty seven. Their robed bodies were displayed in glass cases and were remarkably intact for such ancient remains. Devotees of their religion claimed their condition was due to their incorruptibility. Now here he was again.

She hadn’t attached too much significance to it, as this route was travelled by hundreds of backpackers. But, this meeting seemed eerily like one too many coincidences.

What is your worry, Natasha James? The man holding her between his strong hands wasn’t fluent in English, but Tasha followed his meaning. He knew her name and that probably wasn’t a good sign either, however, decided that was a problem for later. Right now she needed his help to save a family.

"Please we need to move quickly. The bus will crash into the river with