In Deep Kimchi Read Free Page B

aisle of the smaller than she imagined plane. Dorothy, at fifty-five, was the oldest author at Kehoe Publishing, but there was nothing old about her mind. Dorothy created wonderful Regency and Historical novels. Her short, black hair was fashionably spiky, styled on the top of her head. Her alert brown eyes twinkled as she smiled.
    “Thanks. How long have I been out?”
    “Pretty much the entire trip,” Harper explained. “You woke up when we got to California to pick up some passengers and to refuel.”
    “I don’t remember that.”
    He chuckled. “I guess not. You woke up long enough to drug yourself up again.”
    Shaundra rose. “I have to go to the restroom before I get off of this tuna can.”
    “Perfectly understandable,” Riley Hymel said as he stood up from the seat in front of her. He reached up and took his carryon bag from the overhead compartment. He stood six foot tall with thick blond hair, baby blue eyes, and had a Texas accent. He was Kehoe’s resident paranormal romance writer and gorgeous pretty boy. He looked like he should grace the cover of one of Dorothy’s novels.
    The fourth author, Jackson Lopez, scooted out from the seat next to Riley. Jackson was a tad bit shorter than both Riley and Harper. He spoke with a rich Hispanic accent that he exaggerated when he tried to be funny. With dark brown hair that curled softly down his neck and sparkling green eyes, he was every gay man’s fantasy. At times, he could be catty and sarcastic, which he used to make the words burn the pages of his gay romance novels. Los Angeles born and raised, but Jackson loved New York, had moved there permanently, and refused to return to California.
    Shaundra scooted off to the restroom while the others gathered their things. Most of the passengers had already started getting off the plane. She opened the door. The place was so small she began to hyperventilate. Once she finished, she washed her hands and joined the others back by their seats. Harper handed her the smaller bag she’d brought along and he carried her precious laptop.
    “Let’s get off this thing,” he replied. “I need bath, food and sleep.”
    “Me too,” Jackson agreed.
    They didn’t have to tell her twice. Shaundra followed Harper off the plane, and the rest of their party followed. They hurried down the ramp and stepped into the terminal. Solid ground, Shaundra thought, thanking the Lord for getting all of them to Japan safely.
    The terminal was busy and bustling with life as they got the rest of their luggage on the second floor. Japanese, Americans, and just about every walk of life roamed the terminal boarding and disembarking from planes. Harper escorted them to customs on the first floor. After what seemed to be the longest hour of her life, they were finally ready to leave.
    “There’s our ride,” Harper said as he pointed to a chauffeur clothed in white, holding his name up on a sign.
    Shaundra and the others followed Harper over to the man, dragging their luggage behind them.
    The humidity smacked her dead in the face as the chauffer escorted them to a white limousine and began loading their luggage onboard.
    “Damn, it’s hotter than Texas,” Riley exclaimed as he helped her and Dorothy into the limousine. “I heard it was humid here, but this is ridiculous.”
    Harper entered the limousine from the left side, which put him right next to her with Dorothy on her right. Riley sat across from Harper and Jackson crawled in and sat next to Riley. The chauffer made sure both of the doors were secured before entering the front seat.
    Dorothy fanned herself furiously. “It’s like having hot flashes on top of hot flashes.”
    Shaundra chuckled. “You won’t melt, and besides, the driver just put on the air conditioner.”
    “You don’t seem too bothered by the heat,” Dorothy replied.
    “I grew up in the south where it’s hot six months of the year.” They left the loading area, traveled through the airport and then