by Melody Anne
She would miss this place beyond expression, but at least she’d have amazing memories to take home with her. The steamy nights with Crew, and this precious week with his father and his new uncles. It was as if she was getting a taste of what a normal family was like and oh how she longed for such.
What a story, a beautiful story — triplets reunited after more than sixty years. And a few days was all it had taken for them to bond. Haley was delighted that both Joseph and George were happily married men, and she simply didn’t understand how Crew’s father could be single.
Richard was suave and adventurous, and had a devilish attitude. She could certainly see where Crew had inherited not only his good looks, but also his casual but polished manners. She was in over her head with this Anderson/Storm family.
And when she didn’t get to see any of them anymore…?
“I’ve always said a woman who can gamble is a force to be reckoned with. We are leaving in two days, but I expect you to come and visit us, young lady,” George said as he looked her in the eye.
Haley didn’t want to ruin the mood.
“I think you only want to earn back your candy. You keep trying, but you just can’t beat me,” she joked as she lifted a few brightly colored pieces and slid them into her mouth.
“You quit trying to change the subject,” Joseph pointedly replied, not fooled by her tactics. “You’ve yet to tell me you’ll be there for Thanksgiving. It’s only a couple months away and I like a lot of pretty ladies sitting around my table.”
“I will come if I can,” she said without elaboration. She so wanted to say she’d be there, but she had to remember that this wasn’t her family. She was simply borrowing them for a very short time.
“Yes, Haley, I want you to be there, as well. You have brought a sparkle to my ornery son’s eyes that I haven’t seen in years. You’re good for him,” Richard said. He was the quietest of the three brothers, but that didn’t dim his power in the least.
“That’s because I give him so much trouble. Now, if you want to run away with me, we can find a deserted island and hide away forever,” she added with a wink, making Richard blush.
“Oh, if I were thirty years younger, I’d throw you over my shoulder and take you to paradise any time,” he said with a laugh; Joseph and George joined in.
“This one’s taken, Dad,” Crew said, surprising Haley with his quiet approach. She peered up at his smiling features.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t duel you for her,” Richard told his son.
“I would be sure to lose to such a smooth man,” Crew said before lifting Haley from her chair and seizing her mouth with his so swiftly that she didn’t have time even to think about protesting.
As his lips covered hers, she forgot about her three favorite men and melted into her lover’s arms. Losing all sense of time or place, she just held on for the ride as he made her body soar.
“Now, that’s a kiss,” Richard said with a chuckle. Haley plummeted back to solid ground. It was her turn to blush as Crew slowly released her.
“I hate to take Haley away, but I have plans that don’t involve three meddlesome men,” Crew said as he clasped her hand. Haley tried to pull back, uneasy at the wicked gleam in his eye.
“Thatta boy. You give this girl some good romance. And don’t you dare let her go. I didn’t raise a fool for a son,” Richard said.
Joseph emphatically agreed. “A good woman is not something to treat lightly. You hold on tight and pray she never lets you go. I’ve been with my Katherine for over forty years now, and not a day goes by that I’m not grateful to have found her.”
“Yes, I’ve been blessed by having two great loves in my life. The last ten years with Esther have been a blessing, and I don’t know what I’d do without her,” George added.
“I’d give anything to have a woman to hold my heart close to hers. I haven’t given up,” Richard added with sadness.
“Don’t you worry, Brother! We’ll find you a bride,” Joseph said with excitement.
“Oh, no you won’t, Joseph. If love finds me, then it does, but I don’t need my brothers meddling in my life,” Richard said with a glare.
“You three argue about it. I’ll see you tonight.” With that, Crew picked Haley up in his arms and left the room. The sound of the men whistling followed them to the door.
Crew’s he-man act embarrassed her, but she melted against him. The strength of his arms as they flexed beneath her back, the feel of his tight abs pressing against her side, and the look of hunger in his eyes had her breath trapped in her throat.
“You are in quite the mood, aren’t you?” she teased as he rounded a corridor behind the bar and headed to his office.
“I’ve missed you,” he answered simply.
Her heart warmed at the thought.
“I like spending time with your dad and uncles. They are stubborn and ornery and I love every minute of it.”
“I love being with them, too, but right now I’m going to love being with you,” he said as he walked through his office door, quickly shutting it and latching it behind him.
After he put her down on his desk, his mouth quickly seized hers, and she forgot all about scotch, poker, and amusing old threes of a kind. Hunger washed through her as Crew unbuttoned her blouse, exposing her lace bra within seconds.
“Well, why didn’t you just say so?” she gasped as his mouth moved down her throat, and then sucked a hardening nipple through the delicate lace. She leaned back and cried out in pleasure.
He was moving quickly, and Haley wouldn’t have had it, or him, any other way. She wanted him to take her fast and hard, make her scream in pleasure again and again.
His hand found her front clasp and released her breasts so he could stroke them, tease them, and make her stomach ripple with need.
Running his arm across the surface of the desk, he flung everything there to the floor, then lay her down, unbuttoning her skirt and yanking it and her panties free, leaving her bare before him.
“I can’t ever get over how breathtaking you are. I look upon you and wonder how I ever got to be the lucky one who gets to bury myself deep within your heat, kiss every delicate piece of your skin, and then hold you all night while you dream of tomorrow,” he whispered, his eyes slowly moving across her body.
Oh, my gosh, the man knew what to say. She was a quivering mess as he ran his hands up her thighs and pushed them apart, leaving her wide open for his hungry gaze.
Suddenly his mouth descended, and she did indeed cry out when he fastened on to her swollen womanhood and turned her heat into an inferno. Lying back on her elbows, she called out his name as he stroked her flames higher, bringing her to the brink of pleasure before…stopping.
“Kiss me,” he demanded as he moved up her body, his clothing gone. When on earth had that happened? She didn’t know.
Instead of plundering her mouth as he’d done earlier — which she happened to like, a lot —he hovered over her, lightly brushing his lips across hers as his hands framed her face. The sweet moment brought tears to her eyes.
Heat and passion she could take, and take, and take. This loving, slow exploration of her mouth and mind dropped her to her knees. Trying not to shout her love for him, she deepened the kiss, knowing he was close to losing all control.
“I need you, Haley. I always need you,” he said as he aligned their bodies together. As he rested the thick head of his erection against her for just a moment, their eyes connected, and they were one.
She was his for the taking, and she wouldn’t let go until the moment he forced her to.
Flames ripped through her again as he slowly sank deep within her folds, and then pounded against her flesh, rocking her closer and closer to the edge of pure pleasure. She felt the muscles in his back flexing as he pushed inside her, and she sucked in his moans of desire as their tongues twined together.
The faster and harder he thrust against her, the louder she cried out. More. Always more. She couldn’
t get enough of him.
Just before she came apart, Crew lifted his mouth and looked deep into her eyes. “Mine, Haley. You are mine. Today. Tomorrow. The day after. I won’t let you go.”
She tried to refuse his words, tried to not let them plant within her heart, but as they shattered together, she felt her tears threatening to spill. Yes. She wanted to be his forever.
But wasn’t that what people said in the heat of passion? They felt emotions on a much deeper level, but those emotions burned out swiftly. Still, she allowed herself to cherish a tiny hope of forever as he wrapped her in his arms and carried her to his oversized chair in the corner, holding her as she pulled herself together.
Maybe she wouldn’t have to let him go. Maybe her today would last an eternity.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“What are you so afraid of, Haley?”
Grabbing her shirt and covering herself, she turned away as she searched for her panties. Where were the stupid things? There was no way she would leave this office without them and risk the embarrassment of having a resort maid suck them up into her vacuum.
It had been bad enough when they’d been caught making out in the sauna like a couple of teenagers. She’d been utterly mortified. Crew, darn him, had just sat back with a big grin on his face while his poor employee had run from the room with excuses and a flushed face. But really, why was she thinking of that incident now?
Probably because she was afraid to face the conversation he was attempting to have. If she opened up to him only to be let down, she would be hurt, just as she always was. He had a family he could lean on — she had nobody. Why couldn’t he understand that?
Even knowing all along it wasn’t smart to do anything with him other than take him on as a teacher, she’d still managed to let her heart get involved. So now she was scrambling to build up some sort of defense against the inevitable pain.
He was selling the resort, probably in a matter of days, and after the sale closed, he’d move on to his next big adventure and she’d be by herself again. She used to deal with that just fine, but that was before meeting Crew.
“I’m not afraid of anything, Crew. I like the way things are with us, and I don’t see why you keep pushing me,” she finally said when he blocked the door.
“What is wrong with admitting that we’re good together?” His face was earnest, but she’d shared so much already. What would he think if he knew the depth of her feelings? He was the man out for a good time — not a happily-ever-after.
“We are good together. I don’t deny that,” she said, giving him something so he’d hopefully let the subject drop. She tried to make her tone light, but her soaring stress levels weren’t making it easy.
“I love being with you, Haley,” he told her as he grabbed her from behind and slid his hand around her waist, his fingers spanning across the flat of her stomach as he pulled her back against his chest. The way his thumb rested just below her breast had her body heating up again.
This was unbelievable torture. She needed some time to think — to pull herself together, and to try to figure out what all of this meant.
“And I love being with you, too, Crew. I do, honestly. I just don’t think we should try and put a label on what we have. We’re both in an unstable point in our lives and this is supposed to be fun and carefree. You’re my teacher, remember?” she said with an attempt at humor.
It fell flat.
“Do you want poems and chocolates?” he asked, sincerely perplexed. “I’m not being sarcastic, Haley. I need to know.”
The genuine confusion in his voice almost melted her. He was so good to her, anticipating her needs, caring about how she felt, and making her body sing for him. If only she could hold on to him forever.
“Doesn’t every woman?” she laughed as she turned in his arms and slid her lips across his in slow motion.
“Done. I’ll clear out the candy shop and have a poet flown in tonight.”
She wished she knew whether he was kidding or not.
“How about you just surprise me with a large Dove Bar and we don’t stalk writers,” she replied while his hands slid down her back. Then he took hold of her head and turned her gentle caress of the lips into a full-scaled attack on her mouth. It looked as if she’d done a good job of distracting him; she didn’t know, however, whether to be happy at her success.
When his phone rang just then, Haley felt a mixture of relief and frustration. Her body had just begun to warm up again, but she was glad that she could escape this awkward conversation.
“You take your call, and I’ll go for a swim,” Haley told him. Fire was just starting to flare in his eyes, so she retreated several feet, to keep temptation from winning her over.
She’d made it to the door before his voice stopped her. “Haley.” He paused while she turned. “This conversation is far from over.”
As she left the office, she felt fear battle with hope. The hope was more terrifying. If she let herself think of a real future with him, she’d be swimming without a life jacket in the middle of a stormy ocean, and it would probably be easier to just give in and let the water drag her under.
With a shake of her head, she suppressed her confused tears and made her way to their suite to change. A good swim and workout would put her mind back on track. That was all she needed, she convinced herself.
*****
Crew got off the phone, and then rested his head in his hands. He knew and understood her fears of the future, but he’d hoped she’d have a bit more trust in him by now. He would give her a week or two to work through her emotions, and then he’d pounce.
Haley had changed his life for the better; he couldn’t possibly let her go now. Did everyone have a one perfect mate out there somewhere? He only knew that without her, his life would be emptier.
The two of them could have a good life together. Her insecurity still held her back, but over the last couple of months, he’d watched as she’d come alive, opened up and faced so many of the demons that littered her past.
One by one, she was slaying her dragons, and he vowed to be there fighting by her side.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Crew ended up giving Haley a break for only a day. He’d planned to give her more time, but he had news, and he couldn’t wait to tell her.
His lawyers and those hired by the buyers had pushed through the paperwork, and he needed to let Haley know that at the end of the month it was time to move on. He hoped she wouldn’t mind going off with him to a new location. Though she had her schooling to finish, she was taking this semester off, and he’d find her the best school possible. What was important to her was important to him, too.
Crew had decided that his next business venture was going to be in Oregon. There was a great resort on the beaches of Tillamook, and he wanted to restore it. He’d be closer to his newfound family and get to know the cousins he’d never met.
Haley should love it there. The weather was almost identical to that in Seattle, plus she’d still be on the beach, he reasoned.
This kind of news required a candlelit dinner with at least a few dozen roses, and a lot of chocolate. Women, he’d theorized, were a lot more likely to listen if they had good chocolate in their hands. Haley had certainly proved that often.
A flashback to one night when they’d experimented with chocolate syrup and whipped cream flooded his memory, and Crew lost his train of thought. Dammit. Shaking his head, he got back to work. There was a lot to plan, and it needed to be just right.
“Mr. Storm.”
“Mr. Storm.”
Crew turned to find the Stanther twins wobbling toward him. The two old ladies were in their eighties and full of life, though doubtless a bit slower than they’d been in years gone by.
They must have been true beauties in their day. Knowledge and laughter glowed in their eyes, and he’d delighted in having them at the resort for the past week. He rarely became attached to guests, but he’d made an exception with the two spit
fires.
“How can I help you beautiful ladies?” he said as he gave each woman a kiss on the hand.
“Oh, you’re such a charmer. If I had the energy that I used to,” Bertha Stanther said, “I’d drag you up to my nice big suite with me. It’s just too bad age has caught up to me.”
“Ah, age has made you only more striking,” he said with a wink.
The two ladies giggled, and soft blushes stole over their cheeks. Penelope now spoke: “We just wanted to say goodbye. Our grandnephew is picking us up today and taking us back home. We’ve so enjoyed our time with you, Mr. Storm. I do hope to see you again in a couple of months.”
“Sadly, I won’t be here, ladies. But when I get my next resort up and running, you have a free week on me,” he promised, handing them each his personal business card.
“Ooh, we’ll certainly take you up on that. A free vacation sounds divine,” Bertha said. The women were dripping in jewels and had more money than they’d ever need to spend, but they’d been through hard times in their lives, and pinched pennies where it counted. He was honored to give them a week vacation at his cost.
“You’d better come, because I will miss you both. How about a kiss?” He leaned down so each of them could give him a pink-lipstick-stained kiss on his cheek.
“We’ll see you soon, Mr. Storm,” they called out as they turned to walk toward the nicely dressed young man who gave each of them a hug and began asking how their trip had been. Crew hoped to see them again. He really had enjoyed their sense of humor and positive attitudes. Neither of them was letting age stop them from enjoying life, and he hoped he was just the same when he hit his eighties.
After watching the sisters safely escorted away, Crew turned to hunt down his father and uncles. His family was leaving the next day and, though he hated to confess it, the ease with which they’d snuck into Haley’s heart made him the slightest bit jealous.
Every moment she could find, she was with the three old men, and she and his sister had really hit it off, even teaming up with some of his staff to cause chaos for him.
