by Shelly Bell
Today’s tornado was perfect. Sometimes it was difficult to make out the details because of the rain, but luckily the precipitation stayed in front of it, allowing his tourists a clear glimpse of the long snakelike funnel that appeared almost white against the charcoal sky.
He caught a quick peek at Allie.
Big mistake.
The two insurance agents had her sandwiched between them. A strained smile on her face, she kept her gaze on the tornado while she nodded at the men. This tornado meant more to her than just a moment to boast about to her friends, like so many of the others who came on these tours. She’d survived cancer, and out of everything she could’ve chosen to do in celebration of her life, she’d picked this experience. His tour. That had to mean something.
No way would he allow these two clowns to ruin it for her.
He looked around and spied Taryn over by Jack, the rigidness of her spine and the fists on her hips indicating she was mad at the technology expert. His sister had one hell of a temper, and thankfully it wasn’t directed at him this time. But she was oblivious to her best friend’s current situation.
He stalked to Allie and stepped directly behind her, listening as the two guys explained the basics of tornadoes, information found in the tour’s welcome packet. How could he get rid of them without making a scene?
Ignoring his gut that told him once he touched Allie, he’d have a hell of a time letting go, he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her into his chest. “Sorry I left you alone, babe.” He buried his nose in the side of her neck and fought the urge to nibble on that silky cherry-scented skin. “I promise it won’t happen again.”
She momentarily stiffened before relaxing against him. She turned her head around and peered up at him with an electric smile he felt all the way to his cock. “I missed you. Alex and Tony were telling me that based on the size of the tornado, it’s obviously an F-0.”
“Actually, Alex, Tony, the size of the tornado has no bearing on the categorization of the strength. The Enhanced Fujita System is a wind estimate based on damage. Even this tube tornado can do significant damage.” Enjoying the feel of Allie in his arms, he decided he couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this. With a back-and-forth motion, he lazily massaged her abdomen over her T-shirt. Spurred on by her small gasp, he slipped his hand underneath and brushed his fingers across her hot flesh.
Her stomach rippled under his hand as she surrendered in his hold, her breath growing rapid and shallow. His cock hardened at her natural submission. He needed to get rid of these guys pronto. “I’d be happy to give both of you a complimentary book on extreme weather which will explain it in detail. If you give Cole your information right now, he’d be happy to set it up for you. Just tell him Drake said to prepare a Blow Me Package for you when we return to the hotel.”
Whether they bought it or not, he didn’t care. They thanked him and headed over to Cole. His friend would no doubt rib Drake for cock blocking the guys, but frankly, Drake didn’t give a shit what he thought, because at the moment, the woman who’d starred in his dreams every night this week was pliant in his arms, and judging by her breathing, she was enjoying it every bit as much as he.
“Thanks for getting rid of them,” she murmured as she began to pull away. He didn’t give her a chance before he yanked her back.
If she’d protested even a little, he would’ve released her. Instead she surprised the hell out of him by resting her head against his chest and wrapping her arms in front of her to take one of his hands.
Was there a chance his sister’s friend wasn’t as innocent as she appeared?
He nuzzled her ear. “I didn’t want you to miss out on your tornado.”
She shivered. “Is that the only reason?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her the truth. That his territorial caveman act wasn’t an act at all. That he wanted far more from her than a couple of hugs and handshakes.
But he couldn’t do it. They lived in different states, and he was starting his new job at the end of the month. She deserved more than a kinky one-night stand. Even though he’d make it a night she’d never forget.
A cool, light rain fell as he reluctantly released his hold. “It’s my job to protect my guests.”
She moved beside him, giving him the same tight smile she’d given the insurance agents. “You did your job. They’re not going to bother me again. I’m sure you need to check on the other guests, and I want to enjoy this moment.” Her soulful brown eyes locked onto his, and he realized at once he’d made a colossal mistake. “Alone.”
He took a step closer, lifting his hand to touch her face before dropping it to his side. “Allie, if things were different—”
The rain went horizontal, and his blood ran cold.
The winds had shifted. The tornado was being pulled into the core.
“Get back in the minivan,” he said in a firm voice. She opened her mouth to speak, and he cut her off. “Now. We have to get out of here.” Obviously realizing the seriousness of the situation, her eyes widened, and she ran toward the vehicles.
Despite his urge to carry her off and take her somewhere safe, he had a job to do. Another sixteen lives depended on him, including his sister’s.
“I need everyone to return to the van,” he shouted over the roar of the winds. The distant tornado wasn’t distant anymore.
Cole quickly herded the panicked guests to the vehicles. They had a few precious minutes to outrun the twister.
A tug on his arm surprised him. Out of breath, Allie gazed up at him with worry. “I can’t find Taryn.”
“Maybe she’s already back in the van.”
She shook her head. “I checked all three of them. She’s not there and neither is—”
“Jack.” The last time Drake had seen Taryn she was yelling at his best friend. He scanned the fields and spotted a small structure. He could think of only one reason for Jack and Taryn to have gone inside, especially after witnessing in the past few days the heated way his friend had gazed at Taryn when he’d thought no one was looking. “Allie, tell Cole to get his van out of here and head west.” He fished out the extra keys from his pocket and handed them to her. “Get Mary and Eric, and you drive Jack’s vehicle. Follow Cole. I’ll find Taryn and Jack and meet up with you.”
She looked as if she wanted to say something, but she smartly ran for the minivans. He clenched his fists as he headed toward the shed. He’d better not find Jack fooling around with Taryn, because if the tornado didn’t kill Jack, he just might.
While Drake had honored their agreement not to get involved with the guests, Jack had to go and risk everyone’s life because he couldn’t keep it in his pants.
With Drake’s sister.
Gritting his teeth, he crossed the wheat field, the rain and wind battering him as he cursed under his breath. Out of nowhere, Allie appeared at his side, and his anger at his friend immediately morphed into fear. “I thought I told you to take the van and get out of here.” The rumble of the wind grew louder, and the ground shook as the tornado approached.
“Taryn is my best friend. I’m not leaving her behind,” she shouted over the noise. “Where is she?”
He pointed at the wooden structure located about a hundred feet ahead of them. “I’m guessing she and Jack are inside that shed.”
If they couldn’t get out in time, they’d have to take shelter there, but he wouldn’t trust it to withstand winds over seventy miles an hour. It was a gamble. One he didn’t want to take with Taryn and Allie’s lives.
He grabbed Allie’s hand, and they dashed the remaining distance to the building.
There was always a risk when chasing storms. He knew it and made certain the participants of the tour knew it. They signed three different waivers printed in bold. Yet despite the risks, he never thought he’d ever find himself or the participants in any real danger. He took all the necessary precautions, and in the years he’d chased tornadoes, they’d never come this close. He’d
assumed science and technology would give him the ability to keep them safe. He never thought his obsession with storms would lead to injuries of the ones he cared about the most.
The guilt of placing his sister and Allie in the tornado’s path soured his stomach. When they got out of this alive—and there was no other option—he’d make it up to both of them. He’d do whatever it took to ensure Taryn’s happiness, even if it meant giving his blessing to date his best friend. As for Allie, if he had the chance, he’d hand her the world on a silver platter. She deserved happiness after everything she’d been through.
He’d played by the rules and honored the company’s damn non-fraternization clause of their contract, but if they got out of this situation safe and sound, he was going to make his move.
As they got to the front door, it flung open, and Taryn stormed out with Jack hot on her tail.
Seeing Drake and Allie, they stopped, Taryn flushed and Jack looking like a kid who had gotten caught with his hands in his girlfriend’s cookie jar.
A sound similar to a train whistle warned of the impending danger.
“What is that?” Taryn covered her ears.
“The finger of God announcing its presence,” Jack said, his long black hair blowing in every direction. He grimaced. “Do we have time?”
“I don’t think we have a choice,” Drake said. “Let’s go.”
As they raced to the van, the sky darkened to an eerie onyx tinged with green and the storm raged, cloud-to-cloud lightning cracking over their heads, letting Drake know they weren’t going to escape the twister’s wrath.
The air had grown so thick it was as if he was wading through the ocean against eight-foot waves. The pressure squeezed him like a vise, making it difficult to take a deep breath. He tightened his grasp on Allie’s hand, worried the wind would blow her away from him.
His ears popped almost continuously. Bits of wheat, grass, and earth slapped at his skin. His eyes and mouth were dry and gritty. He slid his tongue over his gums, disgusted by the amount of dirt it collected.
He heard his sister’s shout and fought against the wind to turn his head in her direction. She’d fallen to her knees, but before he could react, Jack hoisted her off the ground and took her hand.
As they approached the van, the rain stopped and, oddly, the air smelled like freshly baked bread.
The wind’s roar grew louder. He’d once taken a boat ride near the Niagara Falls. This tornado sounded similar to that giant waterfall. He didn’t feel any of the excitement he’d felt standing near one of nature’s greatest wonders—only fear, knowing they were too late to outrun the cyclone.
They struggled to open the doors of the van and jumped into the vehicle. Half-dollar-sized hail battered the windshield. Drake punched the gas. He’d driven no more than a block before the outer winds hit. Helpless, he said a silent prayer, knowing they were at Mother Nature’s mercy.
The tornado lifted the front of the minivan into the air. They hovered above the ground for a moment before crashing back down. The winds pitched them back and forth, tilting the vehicle on its sides, and then it spun them in circles.
Taryn and Allie screamed in the backseat. His breath stalled in his chest, and his heart accelerated into a triple-time beat. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he wrestled the wind for control of the van.
He should’ve never allowed Taryn and Allie to come on the storm-chasing tour.
A lifetime later, the twister tossed them to the side of the road and continued its journey into another field. The winds slowed, and the noise quieted to a low rumble.
He took a deep inhalation to steady his nerves and tore his fingers from their tight grip on the steering wheel. “Is everybody okay?”
“Yeah, man, I’m golden,” Jack said. “That was one hell of a ride. Too bad we didn’t get the chance to record it. Taryn, you kosher?”
“I think so. I’ll let you know as soon as my heart starts beating again. What about you, Allie?”
Allie didn’t respond.
He didn’t think it was possible, but his heart raced even faster. Was Allie injured? Why wasn’t she answering? He swallowed down the lump in his throat and jumped out of the van.
He didn’t bother to assess the damage to his vehicle, but there was no missing the dent in the driver-side passenger door. His stomach plummeted to his feet.
He’d never forgive himself if she’d been harmed.
Sliding open the door, he held his breath.
Allie snapped her head to the left, her eyes wide.
Thank God she was conscious.
He exhaled and raked his gaze over her, assessing her for injuries. She had a small scratch on her cheek, grass in her hair, and she was covered in dirt, but he didn’t see any bruises or blood.
He released her seat belt and took her hand. “Are you okay?”
She blinked several times and parted her lips but didn’t speak.
Was she in shock? All the information he’d learned in his emergency medical care class about the condition came rushing back to him.
He placed his thumb over the pulse point in her wrist, relieved to discover it strong and steady. Her complexion was rosy, her skin was warm, and her pupils looked normal and responsive.
She wasn’t in shock, at least not the physically dangerous kind. So, why then was she not responding?
He dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell. “I’m calling 9-1-1.”
She reached out and tugged on his shirt. She pressed her lips together, but a giggle escaped. Then as if someone had replaced the oxygen with nitrous oxide, she tossed back her head and laughed so hard, tears rolled down her cheeks.
Taryn moved closer to her. “I think she’s lost it.”
“Maybe we should check for a head injury,” Jack said.
Drake stared at her for a long minute. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. When his sister introduced them a few days ago, it was as if he’d been punched in the gut. For a few moments, he hadn’t been able to breathe.
This was the friend Taryn had told him about? Honestly, he still thought of his sister as a child, so her friends were automatically lumped into the same category. But Allie was all woman. Had her beauty been limited to her outer appearance, he wouldn’t have given her another thought, but hers went bone-deep. It hadn’t taken more than a brief conversation with her about her experience with cancer to see her strength and her enthusiasm for life. She hadn’t allowed her illness to break her spirit, and she hadn’t let a little tornado break her either. He admired her for it.
Shaking his head, he smiled and laughed right along with her, releasing all the stress of the last ten minutes. The more he laughed, the more relaxed he became. Apparently, laughter was contagious, because Jack and Taryn joined them.
They’d survived the tornado without anything more than a couple scratches and dents. If he’d learned anything today, it was that he’d better seize his opportunity before he lost his chance. Life was short. It was time to put his promise into action. Tonight, he’d do everything in his power to make Allie his.
2
“Hey, it’s Tornado Allie,” called Eric as he and his wife spotted her sitting on a high stool at the hotel bar.
She gave a small wave, her cheeks heating as the other storm-chasing guests hooted and hollered for the fifth time since she and Taryn had shown up for a celebratory drink. Apparently the story of their dangerous brush with the tornado and her subsequent laughter had made its rounds before they’d returned to the hotel.
Now everyone called her Tornado Allie.
She’d been called worse.
They were lucky. A different tornado had hit a nearby town and destroyed several homes and a school.
Allie sipped on her second mojito, already feeling the effects of the first. In the past, she’d merely slammed shots for the sole purpose of getting buzzed. Now she planned to actually taste her drinks.
Mojitos were yummy.
A husky rumbl
e of laughter from across the room made her stomach drop and her nipples harden underneath her tank top. She pivoted on her chair and glanced over her shoulder at Drake standing between Miranda and Natalie like the filling in the middle of their sandwich. She didn’t doubt for a second the girls were thinking the exact same. She couldn’t blame them.
Mojitos weren’t the only yummy thing in here.
Like her, he had taken a shower to wash away the grime and dirt from the accident. Still wet, his hair was a couple shades darker than his normal caramel color, and it curled at the ends, especially around his ears. Rather than wearing another one of his official Blow Me Away shirts, he’d thrown on a simple white tee that accentuated his thick, ropy biceps.
The guy would look great on television. He had a straight nose, high cheekbones, full lips, and long eyelashes, all of which taken individually would appear quite feminine, but together on Drake—100 percent tasty alpha-male goodness.
How did a storm chaser get such a hot body? What did she really know about him other than he was Taryn’s older brother?
Since they’d met, she hadn’t seen him lose his cool once, and with more than a dozen guests—several of them at one time or another complaining to him about mundane things that would have driven Allie crazy—it couldn’t be easy. Yet through it all, he’d remained controlled. Even when the tornado had thrown their van like a die-cast car, he’d stayed calm.
What would it be like to have all that control concentrated on her?
“Earth to Allie. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?” Taryn waved her hand in front of Allie’s face.
She realized she’d missed what her friend had said. “Sorry. I was lost in thought.”
“Care to share?”
“Care to share what you and Jack were doing in the shed?”
Allie had seen all the signs of Taryn having the hots for Jack. Every time those two were within twenty feet of each other, the chemistry was so combustible, Allie was surprised it didn’t end in a chemical meltdown.
