None of his imaginings compared to the beauty of her passion. Not caring if her feet dangled in the air, he lifted her higher and deepened the kiss. She stiffened then wrapped her legs behind his knees. He pressed his advantage, thoroughly exploring her moist mouth, claiming his new territory.
Possession, raw and primal, seared through his soul. For this woman he would live or die, she belonged to him. With that thought, reality slammed him in the gut. More than an affirmation of love had been in her kiss, there had been desperation. Now, there was something more he needed to know. The fear in her eyes giving clear evidence he’d ignored, until now.
With gentle pressure, he separated their bodies. “Stormee, I’m taking you to my car, and when you’re ready, you can tell me what’s wrong.”
****
Dirk’s supportive arm stayed locked around her waist until he’d helped her into the car’s front seat. She sank into the soft leather and took a deep breath, her slender fingers clinched in her lap.
Dirk slid easily into the driver’s seat and turned in her direction. His gaze traveled over her face and searched her eyes.
She had to fight the urge to hide in his arms. She felt like a sand sculpture facing a rising tide.
He lifted his fingers to her chin and then slid them gently across her jaw to cup her face.
“Dirk, I’m so sorry for what I did before.” Stormee swallowed hard and rushed her words, hoping he would understand her regret. “I—I don’t know why it was so difficult for me to believe in you…”
“Stop.” His index finger pressed against her open mouth. “You will never owe me an apology for being who you are. It will be my job to make sure you feel safe enough to express those feelings to me. We’ll work on that together. The past is done, we have yet to write our future. Okay?”
Stormee nodded.
“Now, let’s take care of what has you so upset. Are you ready to share that?”
She related Josh’s circumstance and answered the pointed questions Dirk shot out in rapid succession. Word by word, she transferred her burden onto his shoulders, knowing with her whole being that no one was better suited to help Josh.
His countenance hardened with a dangerous edge.
This time, instead of anxiety, his commanding demeanor filled her with trust. Dirk might have an indomitable will and an assertive arrogance, much as the fearsome lion she so loved, but he could be gentled by the touch of a woman’s heart, as she’d proved when she’d entered his lair.
“Stormee, will you trust me and do as I say?”
“Yes.” Her nod was confident and firm.
His smile conveyed approval. “I’m going to make some phone calls, and then we’ll have a few minutes to talk before my team arrives. Will you be okay while I do that?”
“Yes. Please, don’t worry about me. We need to help Josh. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
She’d barely ended her sentence before he’d placed one hand behind her neck and the other on the side of her hip and pulled her across the leather seat in one smooth slide. His fingers fisted in the hair at her nape and tugged her head back.
“What I need you to do is trust me. And while I’m making those phone calls, I don’t want you thinking about Josh. I want you thinking about this.”
She felt the titillating pressure of his lips against her neck and in the pit of her stomach where it swirled in wild abandon. He lifted his head and she sighed in reprieve, but not for long. The hot breath he softly blew in the hollow of her throat before tasting her there with a wet, suckling kiss erased reality and transported her to a world of his making. Gently, he eased away from her, leaving a promissory kiss on her forehead before stepping from the car.
True to his words, Stormee could think of nothing but the rioting emotions swelling in her heart. She felt weak and willing, more than that, she wanted to give, and give, until nothing about her wasn’t his.
The sound of Dirk’s return jerked Stormee from her altered world. The car’s interior seemed to suddenly shrink, causing his closeness to send flames of heat into her cheeks. Looking at the satisfied smile softening his face made her even shyer.
“Nothing turns a man on more than seeing his reflection in his woman’s eyes.”
Stormee froze in place as her breath caught in her throat.
His hand palmed her cheek as his gaze drifted to her mouth. “I love the fact that you haven’t learned to guard your eyes. It makes you open to me in a way that’s very precious. And I make you a promise. What I see there, I’ll always protect. Because you’ve given me your heart, I’ll own you in ways that will scare you at times. But I will never abuse that gift. You are my home, my haven, my reason for living. Is that enough for you? Can you stay by my side and build a life with me?”
Stormee couldn’t bear another moment apart from this man who committed himself to her in such stark honesty. She surged toward him, burying her face in his chest, moaning her acceptance against the strong rhythm of his heart.
****
An hour later, six dangerous-looking men with a truck full of equipment had gathered at Dirk’s order. Separating from the group, he walked toward her. By the length and purpose of his stride, she could tell that he was in commander mode.
“Stormee, I’ll have one of my men take you home. He’ll stay with you until I return. Trust me. Josh will be safe with you in a few hours.” He wiped a residual tear from her cheek with his thumb.
After a bone-crushing embrace and a hard kiss that embarrassed Stormee to the very marrow of her bones, he said his goodbye. Since he had no compunction about kissing her in public, she foresaw a lot of embarrassing moments in her future. Elation and fear seized her heart as he disappeared into the night.
“If you’re ready, Miss Waters, I’ll drive you home. He’ll bring Josh to you soon.” Skeeter lifted a fisted hand and added, “Dirk’s a master at retrieval operations. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
Chapter Nine
Stormee stretched and yawned as she watched the testosterone-driven volleyball game on the opposite side of the pool.
The weekend, scheduled months earlier, served as a special training and strategizing event for the Strike Force Elite team members. The fact she and Dirk had returned from their three-week honeymoon just two days earlier made things a little awkward, but Dirk’s squad went out of their way to keep from embarrassing her. She wished she could say the same for Nana, who took delight in dropping provocative innuendos at every opportunity.
Stormee glanced to the side where her grandmother lay snoozing in a passion-plum bathing suit atop a chartreuse beach towel. She looked healthy and happy, all thanks to Dirk. In his Houston home, he’d set up an apartment for Nana, complete with twenty-four hour assisted care. The fact that Nana could see her Precious Boy on a daily basis gave her a great deal of joy. Not to mention, a mischievous compatriot. Though Nana’s mental state seemed to be more stable, she still exhibited early signs of dementia. Stormee’s heart swelled with gratitude for this gift of time with a woman she loved unreservedly.
Stormee turned her attention back to the game just in time to see Josh end up on the bottom of a three-man pile. The kidding he received from the older team members never bothered him—in fact, he loved being the team’s youngest member.
Since his kidnapping and rescue, he’d shown a marked change in his attitude toward Dirk, manifesting a measure of hero worship. Recently, he’d gone to Dirk for permission to take a three-day fishing trip with two of his friends. The small deflection hurt a little; she’d always been Josh’s guardian, of sorts. But she remembered how Dirk’s words eased the transition.
“Let go, Stormee. You’ve done all you can. He’s growing up. Trust me. I’ll take care of him and teach him to be the man you want him to be.”
The shadow cast across her midsection gave the first indication of Dirk’s presence at her side. He nodded toward the caregiver, who sat next to Nana’s lounger, and then lifted Stormee from her comf
ortable spot, pressing her close to his hot, sweaty chest.
She opened her mouth to protest, but a quick, purposeful kiss convinced her otherwise. She acquiesced, since she knew changing Dirk’s mind on these matters required skills she had yet to master. He carried her toward the back stairs leading to their bedroom. She nibbled his earlobe, loving the way his breath caught in his throat.
He stopped halfway up the stairway and lowered her to her feet. Standing barefoot next to him, she couldn’t contain the sudden need to hug him. Wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing with all her strength, she tried to tell him without words how adorable and necessary he was to her happiness. The pressure of his kiss against her temple and forehead validated her desire as achievable.
“You have more power than any woman should be allowed,” he said, scattering kisses along her jaw. “You penetrate my heart in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Do you know how much I love you?” The last question he whispered in her ear as he kissed the side of her neck.
Her budding sensuality responded eagerly, tingling in her stomach and surging through her like a hot summer breeze. The touch of his searching hands caressing her back and hips ignited her desire in the most satisfying way.
His lips recaptured hers, devouring her sweetness. With a painful groan, he lifted his head. “Baby, we need to get to the top of the stairs before I can no longer walk.”
The passion in his eyes burned away her shyness. A teasing giggle prefaced her words. “My big, bad tiger is ready to admit defeat?”
Dirk’s bemused expression turned to one of pure deviltry. “As long as you’re doing the taming, I’m willing to surrender.”
“Okay, just remember, I’m in charge.” She poked him in the side and bounded up the stairs. Pausing at the top, she turned to give him a mischievous wink and found him just two steps below. The hunger blazing in his dark eyes sucked every thought from her brain and nearly short-circuited her heart.
He fused their mouths with persuasive intensity, teasing and taunting her with his passion, leaving her with no doubt as to who was in control. She returned his kiss with reckless abandon.
A disjointed memory scrolled across her mind. Alpha Males…Desirable or Despicable? How would she answer that question now that she had one of her own?
Excitement sparked along her skin like electricity as she felt the male strength in the arms that lifted and carried her toward the bedroom.
“Desirable,” she whispered, “very, very, desirable.”
A word from the author…
I enjoy so many things about life, especially relationships of the heart. Family, friends, and a brotherhood that comes from shared beliefs and goals are just a few of the gifts in my life.
Writing sweet romance gives me the chance to peel back the layers that obscure the emotion we call love, revealing the complexities with each beat of the heart.
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You can learn more about Lynda and her writing at http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com
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Other Available Titles
Payback in Wayback
Return To Wayback
The Ocean Between
Thank you for purchasing
this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Stormee Waters Page 7
