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Category: Romance
Description: Top Secret! Catch the romance in the I&A, DEA, NSA, FBI and Treasury Five romantic stories delving into the world of the U.S. Intelligence community. There's action and adventure, espionage and escapades in GOOD VIBRATIONS, MINDWARP, LOVE ACTS, DECODING LOVE, and A FATED HEART. Uncover the secret, and therein lies the path to freedom and . . . love. Anne Elizabeth, Leslie Wainger, DC DeVane, Chryssa Carson, and Tara Nina ~ It's For Your Heart Only!~
eBook Publisher: Highland Press/A Wee Dram, 2010 2010
eBookwise Release Date: February 2010

1 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [369 KB]
Words: 79732
Reading time: 227-318 min.

"An anthology by amazing women with character and grace--incredible writers, wonderful stories! Not to be missed!"--Heather Graham, NYT Best Seller

"Wonderful reads! Fast-paced and smart."--Cathy Maxwell, NYT Best Seller

Good Vibrations

Dedication

This story is dedicated to the outstanding men and women of our intelligence community and our military--past, present & future. Much gratitude always to those who protect and serve. Enjoy the fiction and romance! Eternally we salute you with the greatest respect and praise we may share. Thank you!

With many thanks to Tara Nina, DC DeVane, Chryssa Carson, and Leslie Wainger for participating in the collection, and to Heather Graham and Cathy Maxwell for their superb cover quotes; to Leanne Burroughs for her vision, support, and belief in the collection and the anthology series, and for allowing us to continue to donate to the SOWF; to Patty Howell for her terrific edits; to Charles DeVane who masterfully solved all things computer-oriented; to my brilliant mentor; to my cherished and enduring friends; to my talented agent; an enormous HOOYAH to the unnamed fount of all things SS and IC-I appreciate the guidance for making fact into fiction; to my blessed brother--I miss you; to my parents--I love you, Mom & Dad--YOU are the BEST; and to the Love of My Life, my husband Carl who reminds me every day that life must hold pleasure, joy, fun, smiles, and wonderful bouts of laughter.

Chapter One

Handling a wild monkey is a lot like using your heart as a punching bag. The adrenaline rushes, your pulse races, and your eyes are glued to the miniscule pounds of fluff about to pounce on you

"Come on, Stanley, you can do it. You enjoy being calm, relaxed, and at peace. Find your Chi, Stanley. Find your happy place." Annabelle gently urged the monkey to comply.

Her gaze remained glued to the creature and nothing short of a natural disaster would force it away. Rule Three: Be aware of the surrounding environment. Rule Two: When working with wild animals keep an eye on the subject. Rule One: Safety first. As much as everyone wanted the cute, furry creatures in a zoo and at a park to be tame, they were still primal natured. She knew firsthand just how dangerous they could be, and she didn't need more scars today to prove the validity of this lesson.

The monkey threw up its arms and lunged at her. She ducked and quickly sidestepped. Years of Judo and Kenpo kept her on her toes. Jogging every day helped too. There was little she wouldn't do to stay fit and in optimal physical condition, especially given the ferocity of the 'human' competition in the zoo world. Darwin summed it up best with his theory on the 'Survival of The Fittest.' Psychology was a cut throat field. It had taken her nearly a decade to land this job--Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist to a struggling species within the San Diego Zoo's monkey area--and she was holding onto it like it was the Queen's Jewels.

The monkey spit at her. Spray flew, landing just left of her position.

Maybe she should call it a day or maybe she should say what was really on her mind--along the lines of, Chill-out, you neurotic monkey! But she was a therapist and that wasn't exactly how one should treat a patient. The idea was to provide models to the monkey on how to change its behavior and thus get a new outcome. The ultimate goal for this particular monkey was to procreate, or at the very least to become frisky and mate with the female of his species. Right now, she wasn't having much luck with him on the most basic steps such as interaction and curiosity. Then again, she hadn't had much luck with the males in her species either. But, she never said die and she never gave up.

Flipping through her mental file cabinet, she remembered a rudimentary study on physical presentation. Use your body and voice in conjunction to show how they are one. For example, open arms with positive speak carried warm, fuzzy, happy vibes and negative speak with hunched shoulders and arms crossed . . . well, that was just a serious downer and terminated your energy moving forward.

Of course, whoever said it had to be believable was dead right. At the moment she didn't believe one syllable of what she was saying and she had to. If she didn't believe, the monkey wouldn't. Always the problem with human beings. They say one thing and do another. What was needed now had to be the unification of heart, soul, and mind without the transcendental meditative hour prep. Right now, she needed instant truth and positive vibes.

Reaching inside of herself, Annabelle wrapped her core sensibilities around the image of an inner glow like a flame on a candle, allowing the feeling to permeate her with pleasure, warmth, joy, and home. She thought of the animals she'd loved throughout her life, her parents, her beloved and departed brother, and the few friends who had stayed with her through thick-and-thin. The flame grew brighter and bigger until her entire body flowed with the sense of this blissful happiness.

When the pleasure connected with her energy, she pushed it up and into her eyes. She focused and wished loving waves toward the monkey. Then, she took a step.

He watched her. Lips that had been curled in anger smoothed as his facial muscles relaxed. His tail slowly lowered and his head turned ever so slightly to the side as if he needed to look at her from a different angle.

She took another step toward him, and then one off to the side. She'd met him halfway. He would have to cross the distance, show that he wanted contact, if she was to continue.