The Complete Tempest World Box Set

by Mankin, Michelle

  “Yeah.” I continued to stare into his darkened eyes. “I cut it every year on the anniversary of her death.” Why I admitted that to him, I did not know. “She had beautiful long hair. We both used to grow ours out really long and donate the strands to Locks of Love in honor of her favorite ballet instructor. It makes me feel closer to her to continue the tradition.” My cheeks warmed as I babbled and my gaze slid to the side. “It’s silly. I should stop doing it.”

  His wonderful gentle fingers curled underneath my chin as he turned my face. “It’s not silly. It’s perfect.” His burning eyes blazed into mine. “You’re perfect.”

  Before I had a chance to disabuse him of that erroneous notion, especially in lieu of my recent behavior, the elevator slid open. Thankfully both my sanity and self-preservation reasserted themselves as well.

  “This is my floor, War. This is where I get off. You’re not coming inside my room, if that’s what you think. You need to go.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Shaina Marie Bentley.” He came forward. I took a step back. His eyes went from half-masted and seductive to wide and blazing with determination in just that short amount of time. “You are going to let me in and you are going to listen to what I have to say. We need to straighten out this shit that you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  I frowned and defiantly stuck my chin up in the air. “Who the hell did you think you are? You of all people should talk.” I had a feeling that was why he was here. Deep down I could admit that I knew all those pictures were being taken and that I had wanted him to see them. I had wanted, no I had hoped, it might provoke some kind of reaction from him. I don’t know what that said about my chances of getting completely over him anytime soon, when even now he was still factored into everything I did. “You have no right to tell me anything,” I insisted, wobbling a little inside as he leaned in, looming intimidatingly over me.

  “Oh, no?” He lifted a sardonic brow. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t. But I think I know someone who does.” He slid his cell out of his pocket. “Treyall thought it might come to this so he gave me his number. You want to say hi to your father before or after I talk to him?”

  “No wait!” Shit. I put my hand on his arm. My teeth clenched tight together. My father probably already had an inkling what I was doing, but that didn’t mean I wanted him coming up here and getting all up in my face about it. “Ok. You win. You can come in, but only for a few minutes.” I sidestepped around him and moved to my door. I heard his heavy footfalls close behind me and it took all the poise I possessed not to run inside my room and shut the door in his face. Consequences be damned.

  My Dad or Warren. Two impossible choices.

  I held it together, drawing on my years of practice feeling one way and acting another, and entered the suite. I dropped my key card on the bar and put my bag on the barstool, tugging the edges together so he couldn’t see that it concealed the red bandana of his that I’d kept as a sad testimony of my inability to completely let him go.

  Keeping my hoodie on, I marched deeper into the suite only coming to a stop when I reached the modular seating area that was arranged in a semicircle to take advantage of the gorgeous view. I put my back to the window and turned to face him, arms crossed and mentally bracing to face the man who’d stomped all over my heart.

  He’d been closer behind me than I’d realized. I took a couple of furtive steps back while trying to ignore the way my body reacted to him as he watched me. His expression lightened and his lip twitched when my back hit the cold floor to ceiling glass.

  “Remind you of anything, Sweetness?”

  Of course it did, but I didn’t respond. That seemed like a lifetime ago.

  We contemplated each other as the bright afternoon sunlight streamed in the windows. I don’t think either one of us were successful hiding anything from the other. I found him just as handsome, just as captivating as I had before. He seemed to my wishful imagination just as intrigued by me, but I noticed faint lines around his mouth and between his brows that I’d never noticed before.

  “Shaina?”

  “Huh?” I lifted my gaze from the hollow of his masculine throat. I’d been remembering how he’d groan when I’d kiss him there. Seeing my sister’s necklace nestled in that place was almost as unsettling as his sudden appearance in Vancouver.

  “I’m worried about you. Treyall is too.”

  “Wait a minute.” I felt my brows come together. I was so tired, and I’d been so distracted by him being here that I’d overlooked the fact that he and my best friend seemed to be working together against me, however farfetched that seemed. “You mentioned Alex before. Do you really expect me to believe he’s in league with you after what you did to me?”

  “Believe it or not, I don’t really care.” He came closer, hands coming up to gently frame my face, ringed thumb sweeping slowly across the round of my cheek. “I think it’s partly a matter of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. But mostly it’s that we share a common cause.”

  “Oh, yeah? What cause is that?” I asked disaffectedly. I could barely keep my head above water. I was drowning in his soft touch and in the depths of his intense gaze.

  “Getting you back on track.” His voice was a deep rumble.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I whispered.

  His eyes focused on my mouth, he smoothed his thumb across my bottom lip. Desire hummed through me as if I was a tuning fork he’d just activated by his touch.

  “You’re off the rails, Sweetness. I’m not making the mistake of doing nothing while another girlfriend of mine does the kind of shit you’re doing. And while we’re on the subject of mistakes, I’ll also let you know I don’t care for you hanging out with other guys, especially the two rejects you’ve been with lately.”

  I blinked, his words breaking the spell his caresses had woven around me.

  Wasn’t that so often the case with him?

  “I’m not your girlfriend, War. I never was. You told me so yourself. And I’m not your booty call anymore, either. I’m not even your friend. Not after the way you treated me.” I bit my lip. I wouldn’t show him weakness. “No one’s ever hurt me the way you did. I trusted you, and you treated me like a whore.”

  His body jerked as if I’d slapped him and he paled. “I know.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but clamped his jaw shut. His eyes brightened with the intensity of whatever it was he held back. “It was wrong what I did, and you were right the things you said about me after.” He ran his hand down my arm, his eyes following the movement. “I can’t take it back. I wish to God that I could. It’s all I think about. You’re all I think about. But all I can do is tell you how sorry I am.”

  His gaze lifted. Easy to read that ever present flicker of self-loathing. Maybe back in Seattle if he would’ve come crawling back and said those words things would’ve turned out differently, but it was too late now. These past two weeks had shown me the folly of loving him. Look at what a mess I’d made of my life. If I trusted him and he let me down again, I could end up as broken as he was.

  “Apology accepted,” I said coldly.

  “Shaina,” he breathed my name as if my forgiveness was the most precious gift he’d ever received, and maybe it was, but that was all I was going to give him.

  “But nothing has changed. I thought you could love me, but you proved I was wrong.” I wanted to curl my fingers into his warm skin. Touch him and be held by him one last time, but I made myself step away from him instead. I moved to the windows, giving him my back, keeping him from seeing the gathering tears in my eyes.

  “You said your piece, and I kept my side of the bargain and let you. Now it’s your turn to listen.” My acting skills served me well. My voice gave nothing away. I wouldn’t soften. I wouldn’t think about the fact that I was rejecting him like everyone else had done. I had to protect myself. I was doing the right thing. “I’ll live my life as I damn well please. I don’t care what you think. I’ll do whateve
r, whomever, however I chose. And right now I want you to leave. And I want you to stay out of my life for real this time.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  War

  “Whoa, dude!” Dizzy took one look at my face and hopped out of the way as I stormed into his apartment.

  Good plan. My fingers tightened into fists. I wanted to hit something, fuckin’ hard, but I paced the length of the room, instead stopping in front of the windows with my back to him. I shoved my hands deep into my pockets and tried to keep myself from breaking my fuckin’ knuckles on the glass in front of me.

  “Guess it didn’t go so well, huh?”

  “What was your first clue?” I turned my head slightly, then went back to staring blankly out at the city street below.

  “Did you really expect it to? I mean the two of you together make no sense at all. It’s like putting the Easter Bunny together with a crocodile. At first everyone’s all nervous and shit like ‘Oh, how cute. Look how they’re getting along.’ And then of course the predictable happens, the rabbit’s a reptile snack and all the kids are cryin’ ’cause Easter ain’t comin’ next year.”

  I frowned. He was right of course. I knew that, but I was screwed because this croc had it bad for that bunny. So bad that I’d been more impressed than pissed when she’d thrown my bullshit back in my face and sent me packing.

  I’d already gotten to know her sweet, kind, caring, light up the world side. She’d cracked open the tower door for me, let down that beautiful hair, and shown me her heart. But today, she’d kicked that door wide open, and run a sword right though my black heart on her way down. She had the world at her feet, and I wanted to be there with her all the more.

  I wanted her back more than I wanted anything else. More than my friendship with Bryan, even more than I wanted to fix Tempest. I couldn’t walk away from her. I didn’t want to stumble around blind and alone in the dark anymore.

  Dizzy came and stood next to me, his gaze speculative. “You’re not gonna give up, are you?”

  “Fuck no.” But I was at a complete loss on what to do next. I dropped into an overstuffed chair and put my head in my hands. I’d never been the smooth one with women like Diz. He always knew the right things to say. Chicks had always come to me. I’d never had to play the hero before, and wasn’t at all sure that I could be the romantic lead that Shaina needed. Not without a little help.

  A loud knock on the door jarred me from my introspection.

  “I’ll get it,” Diz insisted though I hadn’t made a move to get it myself, I was rooted in place by my own indecision.

  “Is he here?”

  “Lacey.” I stood, feeling more than a little awkward, but mostly glad to see her again. I was in a whole different place now and it seemed like a life time had passed since I last saw her.

  “Warren.” She lowered the hood on her jacket, frowning as she studied my face. “I take it things didn’t go so well.”

  I shook my head. “Seems like everyone knows my business these days.”

  “I know I’m probably the last one you want interfering in your love life,” she said.

  “No, I actually really appreciate you having Dizzy call me to let me know what’s been going on,” I told her honestly.

  “All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Warren.”

  “I know that now.” I twisted my thumb ring and sighed before locking eyes with her. “Lacey, I need to tell you how sorry I am that I never treated you the way that you truly deserved. Like a person, instead of some prize on my shelf.”

  “Don’t kick yourself about it. It was never going to last between the two of us. We’re too much alike.”

  She was right about that. We each had too much darkness in us to be the light for each other.

  Lace’s expression remained thoughtful as I began to rub Cass’ pendant between my fingers the way I’d seen Shaina do.

  “So what’s your next move with this girl?” she asked.

  “That’s what I’m trying to sort out.” I shrugged my shoulders and reclaimed my seat.

  Lace flopped down on the couch, settling in next to her brother. “What’d you do to get so high on her shit list, anyway?”

  “I fucked things up. It’s what I do best. Like I did with you and Bryan.”

  “Was that an apology, Warren Jinkins?” Her eyes widened.

  I barked out a laugh. “Is that what it sounded like? Then I guess it was.”

  “Well from you, that’s practically a Hallmark moment. And I’ll take it.” She smiled warmly and I began to see through all the bitterness, remembering how much I really liked her, that is when we weren’t yelling at each other or both trying to get our own way, which was too damn often.

  “Dizzy?” she asked. “You spent some time with her. You have any bright ideas?”

  “Me?” Diz’ pierced brow rose. “You’ve got to be kidding. Relational shit is not my area of expertise.”

  “Yeah, guess not. But I just keep hoping.” Her assessing eyes came back to me. “I get the feeling maybe some of this stuff Shaina’s doing might be to get back at you.”

  I’d considered that possibility, mostly dismissing it because if that were true then it would mean she still cared. Her behavior was completely out of character though, and surely, she didn’t really like those two dickheads she’d been hanging out with.

  “Maybe it’d help if you told me exactly what you did to piss her off?”

  “No way, Lacey.” This was weird enough already. “Let’s just say I did something that made her think she was just a piece of ass to me.”

  “Shit, War.” Her voice rang with condemnation that I deserved.

  “I know.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. “I don’t know what else to do. I apologized. I had the crap beaten out of me by her best friend. I’ve apologized again. I came up here to try to help her.”

  “Then it’s simple really.

  Was she fuckin’ serious?

  “You just need to do something really big to prove to her that you didn’t mean it.”

  “Oh yeah, like what?”

  “Hell if I know. You know her best. We just need to get you close enough to her to make your move. She seems to like hanging out at the Diamond Mine.” She turned to Dizzy again. “You know the brunette bartender pretty well, don’t you? You’re always talking to her and checking her out every time we go in there.”

  “You’re mistaken.” His expression hardened. “It’s not like that with her.” A shutter came down over his eyes. Which was weird since Diz was usually the most easy to read and the most easy going in the group. “We’re just friends.” Even to my unpracticed ear his reply seemed more than a little defensive.

  Lace and I exchanged a look. Dizzy never had chicks as friends.

  “Whatever you say.” She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and then shifted her attention back to me. “We’ve got your rendezvous point. Diz will talk to his friend April and get her to call us the next time Shaina comes in. The rest is up to you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Shaina

  I felt weird. Really weird.

  It was more than just the morning’s encounter with War that had me unsettled. There was something else going on with my head. I just couldn’t figure out what it was.

  The pulsating lights of the Mine were leaving florescent tracers like jet contrails from my fingertips as I danced. They fascinated me and I stared at them instead of at Joel and Brandon who were in their customary positions on either side of me. As much effort as I was putting into having a good time tonight, I should have been enjoying myself more, but I found myself less and less able to enjoy acting out my wild side these days.

  Desperate to get my mind off of Warren I’d agreed to ramp it up even more. We were going to a place I had never been, a new place Brandon and Joel were being very secretive about, which should have thrown up red flags but right now, I couldn’t focus clearly enough to analyze why.

  “You want another drink before w
e go?” Joel asked his breath seductively warm against my neck, his mouth close to my ear so I could hear him over the music.

  “No. Just water. I’ll get it myself.” I needed to get off the dance floor, put some space between them and me. I was more than a little freaked by the intense desire that was suddenly pulsating through my blood, a desire so strong it was making me ache. It had me seriously considering rubbing myself all over them for relief. But before I went that far, I was going to try sobering up a bit first.

  “One bottled water,” I asked taking a seat on the barstool in front of one of the bartenders, a tall beautiful brunette with stunning green eyes that tipped up at the corners giving her an exotic look that I’m sure every man who came into the bar found alluring.

  She reached behind the bar, its shiny mahogany surface reminding me of someone’s eyes that I’d just as soon forget, retrieved one, and slid it toward me. “You ok, honey?” she asked, her gaze steady on me as she took my credit card and rang up the sale. “I’ve seen you in here a lot recently, but you look a little under the weather tonight.”

  “I’m alright.” That wasn’t true, but I wasn’t going to let on. I was on a mission. One that I was afraid was doomed to fail. I uncapped the bottle and tipped it back, letting the refreshingly cold liquid trickle down my parched throat.

  The bartender’s gaze lifted as I drank seemingly fixed on a spot over my shoulder. “Those guys bothering you?”

  I shook my head, wondering if that was a question she asked very often.

  “Cause if they are,” she continued, eyes narrowing as she let the statement hang waiting on my response.

  “No. They’re ok. I came with them.”

  “You sure?” Her brows rose. She looked unconvinced. Had I slurred my words? “I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine.” I found myself saying that a lot lately, mostly trying to convince myself.

  Fine. Fine. Fine.

  The lie echoed endlessly in my mind. I wasn’t. Far from it. But I was trying to be fine, trying so hard to dance and drink one mesmerizing man out of my system.