Deadly Storm

by Lily Harper Hart

  “What are you worried about?”

  “I’m worried that you’re bored with our life.” James wasn’t going to lie. They were going to hash this out, and they were going to do it now. He couldn’t go on living in constant fear. “I’m worried that you’re searching for something to plug some hole in your life. I’m worried I’m not enough for you.”

  “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Mandy sputtered.

  James was taken aback. “Excuse me?”

  “You’re … perfect,” Mandy said. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re all I ever want. How can you possibly doubt that?”

  “Then what’s the deal with this cooking class?” James asked. “Why are you so obsessed with learning how to cook instead of spending time with me?”

  Mandy faltered. “I didn’t think of it that way.”

  “How did you think about it?”

  “I … I need to be a better wife.” Mandy lowered her eyes, embarrassed.

  “What does that even mean?” James asked. “You’re the best wife in the world.”

  “Really?” Mandy lifted her chin and met his probing gaze. “What do I do for you that makes me a good wife?”

  “All the sex we have is a nice start,” James said, forcing a smile. When Mandy didn’t return the expression, he sobered. “Baby, cooking doesn’t make you a good wife. Do you know what makes a good wife? Listening. Loving. Laughing. Those are the things that make a good wife. You do all of those things in spades.”

  “But you do everything for me,” Mandy said. “You bring all the money into the house. Heck, you bought the house and gave it to me as part of an engagement gift. You always buy me gifts. You hired a maid. You surprise me with dinner almost every night. You massage me. You hold me when I have a bad dream. You … are everything. What do I do to deserve all that?”

  “You love me,” James said, reaching over so he could brush Mandy’s hair away from her face. “Baby, I don’t know what to think about this. Grady was right, though, and it’s killing me.”

  “What did Grady say?” Mandy asked, narrowing her eyes. “I didn’t say anything to him.”

  “He said you want to be the best at everything you do.”

  “I don’t want to be the best cook,” Mandy countered. “I just want to be able to fix you a nice dinner – just one nice dinner. Is that too much to ask?”

  “Mandy, if you cook me toast for dinner and then sit and talk to me while we’re eating it then it is a nice dinner,” James said. “It’s the best dinner. I don’t need pot roasts … and pasta … and potatoes. I just need you.”

  Tears filled Mandy’s eyes. “I … .”

  “Don’t cry, baby,” James said, reaching for her. “You don’t have to strive to be the best wife in the world. You already are. You’re my wife. You’re my heart.”

  Mandy rested her head against James’ chest as he stroked her back and kissed her forehead. “I can’t help but think there’s going to be a time in our lives when I’m not enough for you.”

  “That will never happen. It’s impossible,” James said.

  “What if … ?”

  “No.” James cupped Mandy’s chin and tipped her face up. “There are no what ifs. Not where we’re concerned. You’re always going to be everything I need. It’s you and me, baby. Forever.”

  “If you feel that way about me, then how come you were so doubtful about why I was taking the cooking class?” Mandy pressed.

  “Because I think we all get insecure from time to time,” he said. “When you love something as much as I love you, the idea of losing your heart can paralyze you. I don’t want you to ever doubt how much I love you. It kills me.”

  “Right back at you.”

  James smiled, the first real one he’d flashed in hours, and lowered his mouth to give Mandy a sensuous kiss. He pressed her tight against his chest, and when he finally pulled his lips from hers, he felt as if their world had shifted back into the right position after days of uncomfortable strife. “You’re always going to be the only woman for me.”

  “What if I can never cook?”

  “I wasn’t lying when I said I was happy with takeout.”

  “What if I want to finish the class?”

  James stilled, considering the question. After a moment, he realized he was fine with it now that they’d cleared the air. “Then I’ll stand by you. If you make something gross, though, I reserve the right not to eat it.”

  Mandy giggled. “Deal.”

  “Good.” James kissed her again. “Now, how about some dinner?”

  Mandy grinned. “I want three plates of food.”

  “There’s my baby,” James said.

  “Get a room!”

  James shifted his attention to the spot behind Mandy, holding her in place so she couldn’t turn and see the disdainful look on Ann’s face. “Don’t look,” James said.

  “I still think you guys are messing with me,” Ann said.

  “Well, in that case, you’re going to have a really unhappy life,” James replied. “Not everything is about you.”

  “I CAN’T believe you reserved the round booth so we could cuddle,” Mandy said, resting her head against James’ shoulder as she sipped from her wine glass.

  James dipped some bread in the hummus. “I’m not a novice.”

  “I noticed,” Mandy said, the weight from the past few days absent from her diminutive shoulders. “I know this is going to sound weird, but I can’t tell you how much better I’m feeling about everything now that we’ve talked about it.”

  “We should always talk about everything,” James agreed. “We keep saying it, and then we keep forgetting it. From now on, I want to know everything that goes on in your life.”

  “Really?”

  “I don’t care how minor you think it is,” James said.

  “Well, for starters, I’m not wearing any underwear,” Mandy purred, kissing the ridge of James’ ear.

  “And now we’re going to eat really fast,” James said, squirming as he imagined a few entertaining after-dinner activities they could engage in.

  “I think it’s going to storm again,” Mandy said. “It’s too bad we won’t be able to use the hot tub.”

  “I’ll draw you a bath. There are jets in that big tub, too.”

  Mandy snickered. “Are you okay? You’re okay, right?”

  “Baby, I haven’t felt this good in days,” James said. “I didn’t realize how twisted up my stomach was until we had our little talk.”

  “Me, too,” Mandy said.

  “Did you do anything at work today?” James asked, hoping a return to normal conversation would ease their transition back to everyday life.

  “Well … actually, yes,” Mandy said. “Clint and Heidi are moving in together.”

  James made a face. “Why?”

  “Because they love each other,” Mandy said.

  “I can see Clint falling in love with Heidi,” James said. “What does she see in him, though?”

  “He’s sweet … and he dotes on her.”

  “I think he still has a thing for you.”

  “He does not,” Mandy scoffed.

  “He does,” James said. “He may have feelings for Heidi, but if I died tomorrow, he’d be at our house trying to warm the widow’s form.”

  “That is a really odd saying,” Mandy chided.

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Just so you know, you can’t ever die,” Mandy said. “I need to go first. If you die on me, I’ll curl up into a ball and give up on a life. Let me go first.”

  “Oh, no,” James replied. “If you die before me I’m going to throw myself off of a bridge, and that’s going to be messy and gross. I need to go first. I thought we’d already agreed on that.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Well, that’s the way it has to be,” James said, kissing the tip of Mandy’s nose. “I’ll be nothing more than a zombie without you.”

  “How about we c
ompromise?”

  James waited.

  “We’ll die together.”

  “Like in The Notebook?”

  “We need a cooler movie than that to base our deaths on,” Mandy countered.

  “Like what?”

  “I need time to think.”

  “As long as we’re not eaten by sharks, I’ll agree to whatever you want,” James said.

  “I don’t want to be eaten by sharks either. I … huh.”

  James shifted his attention to the direction Mandy was staring. “She did this on purpose,” he groused, glaring at Ann as she moved toward a table on the same side of the restaurant where they were sitting. “She heard me say where I was taking you and … look, here she is.”

  “It looks like she’s moved her affections from you to our professor,” Mandy said, pursing her lips as she watched Professor Barnes settle on the other side of the table from Ann. “That has to be some sort of record.”

  “See, women get over me quite easily,” James said. “I had a right to be worried about you getting bored with me.”

  “You’re still an idiot where that’s concerned,” Mandy said. “Do you think she’s going to get graded better than me because she’s willing to sleep with him?”

  “She should probably get something out of this if she’s going to put out,” James said. “Just for the record, I don’t care how much you want to win, you’re not allowed to sleep with your professor.”

  “I don’t want to sleep with anyone but you,” Mandy said. “Don’t gross me out. Our food will be here any second, and I want to enjoy it. If you give me a stomachache, I’m going to be mean to you later.”

  James was intrigued. “Define mean.”

  “I’m going to make you rub me for an hour before I let you do anything else,” Mandy threatened. “I’ve been feeling tense. I need a massage.”

  “Oh, I’m going to rub you … .”

  “You are,” Mandy agreed. “You’re going to be confined to certain areas until I tell you otherwise.”

  “You’re such a little despot.”

  “You like it.”

  “I do,” James said, rubbing his nose against Mandy’s before dropping a sweet kiss on her lips. “I like it when you get all bossy. I just wish you were wearing your garters. Did you change after work?”

  “I did. I wasn’t sure how messy I would get.”

  “Oh, you’re going to get messy,” James said, his grin lazy.

  “You’re feeling pretty full of yourself right now, aren’t you?”

  “I am,” James said. “You’re going to be feeling pretty full of me in … exactly forty-five minutes.”

  “We still have to pick my car up at the college,” Mandy reminded him.

  “We’ll get it tomorrow.”

  “That’s completely impractical. I need my car to get to the courthouse and to class.”

  “I’ll be your dirty chauffeur.”

  “James … .”

  “Mandy.”

  Mandy sighed. “If you let me pick up my car, I’ll cut the massage down to a half hour and then I’ll rub something special of yours.”

  “Oh, we’re rubbing everything tonight,” James said. “Fine. We’ll pick up your car. As payment, you have to wear a skirt with garters tomorrow. Then you have to text me dirty suggestions on every courtroom break.”

  “Deal.”

  “You also have to go commando.”

  Mandy rolled her eyes. “Why does that get you going?”

  “I have no idea,” James admitted. “I can’t help myself. I keep picturing you naked under that skirt. You look like a naughty librarian in that thing. By the time you get home I’m pretty much in a frenzy.”

  “You’re like a shark.”

  “Just call me Jaws.”

  Mandy grinned. “I love you, Jaws.”

  James kept his smile in place, but his eyes were serious as they fixed on Mandy’s beautiful face. “I love you, too.”

  “I don’t suppose you’d be open to getting our food to go, would you?”

  It wasn’t part of his initial plan, but the change in agenda held a lot of promise. “Sold,” he said. “We’re eating in bed, though.”

  “Dinner and dessert, right?” Mandy teased.

  James cupped the back of her head. “Dinner and eight desserts, baby.” He kissed her.

  “Seriously, are you two in heat?” Ann was beside herself as she stared at her former boyfriend and nemesis.

  James ignored her. “Come on, love of my life,” he said. “I need to be alone and naked with you.”

  “That’s the best offer I’ve had all day.”

  “Me, too, baby. Me, too.”

  Seven

  Ally dropped her purse on the sofa table, jerking in surprise when Jake materialized out of nowhere. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a soft smile on his face.

  “You scared me,” Ally said, holding her hand to her heart. “You’re quiet like a cat sometimes.”

  Jake mock meowed and pressed the flowers into Ally’s hand.

  “These are beautiful,” Ally said, inhaling heavily as she lowered her face to the lilies. “What did you do?”

  Jake frowned. “What makes you think I did something?”

  “You only bring me flowers when you want to make me feel better,” Ally said, kicking off her shoes. “Sometimes I’ve screwed up and you want me to know it’s okay and not to dwell on it. Other times you’ve screwed up and you know I’m a sucker for lilies.

  “I know I haven’t screwed up today,” she continued. “That means you did.”

  Despite the accusation, Jake couldn’t hide his grin. “I love the way your mind works.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “I didn’t do anything, angel,” Jake said, leaning over so he could kiss Ally’s soft cheek. “I just wanted to buy you some flowers.”

  Ally narrowed her dark eyes, suspicious. “Tell me what’s really going on … but let me put these in water so they don’t wilt.”

  Jake followed Ally into the kitchen, settling on one of the stools next to the counter and watching her open the flowers and arrange them in a vase. “What makes you think something is going on?”

  “You have a look on your face,” Ally said.

  “Maybe I just love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Ally said, not missing a beat. “I still want to know what’s going on.”

  Jake sighed, running a hand through his dark hair as he regarded the woman who changed his world in the best way possible. “You’re not … bored with me, are you?”

  Ally made an incredulous face. “Excuse me?”

  “It’s just … James has been having a mini meltdown the past few days because he thinks Mandy is bored,” Jake said. “He’s really worried. I thought he was overreacting, but I can’t help but wonder if maybe he’s right. If he’s worried about Mandy being bored, and those two are always so in sync, what does that mean for us?”

  “Jake, every day is an adventure with you,” Ally said. “Every day is … amazing with you. If you doubt how happy I am, I think we have a few problems that flowers aren’t going to solve.”

  “I want you to be happy,” Jake said. “I just … when I look at Mandy and James, I think they’re one of the happiest couples I know. Your brother is miserable right now. He’s convinced Mandy is taking this cooking class because she’s bored with him.”

  “Let me tell you something about my brother and Mandy,” Ally said. “They’re their own worst enemies. Neither one of them is bored. They just like to amp up the drama from time to time because they get off on freaking each other out.”

  “I … that sounds odd.”

  “It does,” Ally agreed. “Mandy flips her own world every few months because she spent the bulk of her life wanting James. It was one of those dreams she never thought would come true. Now that it has, she’s convinced she doesn’t deserve him and that he’s going to go away. Flip.”

  “Okay, I guess I ca
n buy that,” Jake said. “What about your brother? He hasn’t carried a torch for Mandy for fifteen years. Why would he be plagued with doubts?”

  “James never loved anyone until Mandy came along,” Ally said. “When she did, it was like lightning struck. I can’t explain it. I didn’t see their first meeting after all those years apart, but Grady and Finn said it was like the air was on fire.

  “James was not looking for someone to love,” she continued. “In fact, he was perfectly happy running away from love. Mandy threw him.”

  “I didn’t meet your brother until after he was already in love with Mandy,” Jake said. “My first glimpse of the two of them was when Grady took me to their apartment. They were on the couch. James was on his back and Mandy was on top of him – literally on top of him – and she was sleeping. She was still recovering from the explosion.

  “I remember looking at them and thinking that I hoped I could find someone to be that content with,” he said. “I wasn’t looking for anyone either, and it was just a split second of … I don’t know … hope. They were so touching together.”

  “They’re still touching together,” Ally said. “If you ask me, Mandy has caused this flip again. She’s gotten it into her head that James needs a perfect wife. She’s convinced a perfect wife cooks. What she seems to forget is that James already has his perfect wife. He doesn’t want anything that he doesn’t already have.”

  “When will they flip back?”

  Ally’s smile was enigmatic. “They can’t stay away from one another, even if they’re in a funk. I’m betting they’ll be back to their lovey-dovey utopia in less than twenty-four hours.”

  Jake returned the smile. “Ally, just so you know, you’re already my perfect everything. I don’t ever want you to change.”

  After dropping the last bloom in the vase, Ally skirted around the end of the counter and slipped between Jake’s knees. He wrapped his arms around her as she kissed him, splaying his fingers across her back as he pressed her as close to him as humanly possible.

  “I don’t want you to ever change either,” Ally whispered before extending her tongue and licking his ear.