Battle Hearts (Storm MC Reloaded 3)

“Yeah.”

“Winter—”

“Leave it, Birdie.” His voice is so dark and low I know that everything is not okay.

I push the covers off and pad out to the kitchen. Locating his bottle of whisky, I pour him a glass and take it and the bottle into him. He meets my gaze when I stand in front of him holding the glass out.

No words are exchanged as he takes the glass and downs the liquid. Still no words leave his mouth as he refills the glass and drinks it, too. Once it’s empty, he places it and the bottle on his bedside table before taking hold of my hips and pulling me to him.

Resting his head against my tummy and his hands on my ass, he says, “Thank you.”

I run my fingers through his hair while we stay like this for a long while. Not once, in the entire time I’ve known him, have I seen Winter like this. Not even during the times he came home from Afghanistan.

Finally, he lifts his head and looks at me. “Something’s come up for tomorrow, and as much as I wish I could move it, I can’t. I’m sorry, angel.”

Winter had planned to take tomorrow off to spend with me. I’m disappointed he can’t now, but I’ll never make him feel bad for having to take care of other stuff. He’s been amazing throughout this cycle; I couldn’t have asked for a better husband.

I cup his cheek, rubbing my thumb over his beard. “It’s good. You don’t need to apologise.” I smile. “This just means I can spend all your money on pampering myself without you knowing.”

I expect a smile from him or a smartass comment, but he doesn’t give me that. Instead, he searches my eyes and nods. “Spend it all.”

“Hey,” I say, crawling onto his lap and wrapping my arms around him, wanting to take his worries away. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. Honestly, I’m not upset. Life happens and plans are thrown out. It’s not the end of the world.”

He smooths his hand over my hair and brings his mouth to mine in a kiss that starts out slow and deepens with every passing second. He takes his time with it, his erection letting me know how much he wants me.

“Fuck,” he rasps, dragging his mouth from mine as his hands slip under my T-shirt. Lifting my shirt over my head, his gaze moves down my body to take in every inch of me. Flicking my bra undone, he removes it. He then brings his lips to my breast and takes my nipple into his mouth.

His touch lights me up even though sex is the last thing on my mind. I may not fuck him tonight, but I’ll show him how much I want him in other ways.

Dragging his mouth from my breast, I b

ring it back to mine and kiss him. He tastes like whisky with some anger on the side. “Baby,” I murmur in between kisses, “let it go. Be with me and let that shit go.”

His eyes question me, and I know what he’s asking. Am I up for this?

I push his boxers down, reach for his cock, and slowly slide off him to kneel. With my eyes firmly on his, I take him into my mouth, gliding my tongue over him in all the ways he loves. His deep growl of approval is all I need to know he’s getting out of his head, and I continue to suck him and work him with my hand to get him right out of it.

“Fuck,” he growls when I take his balls into my mouth. Scooping my hair into his hand, he pulls it back and grips it while I bring him closer to orgasm.

He comes down my throat, coming faster than ever. I swallow every drop even though it’s not my favourite thing to do. Tonight, I’d do anything he asked. Anything to make him feel good.

When he’s finished, I let him go and sit back. He leans forward and kisses me again. He still tastes like anger. Without saying anything, he leaves me to go into the en suite.

I stare after him, not fully recognising the man I married. I mean, he’s there for sure, but it feels like I’ve just been with a Winter I don’t really know. And when he comes back to bed, kisses me goodnight, and spoons me, still without a word, I know something serious has happened tonight; this is a new side of Winter. A side I’m not sure what to do with.

15

Winter

* * *

I exit the truck and make my way to where Javier Torres waits for me. Ransom is behind me, Hunt, behind him. We’ve also got men watching and ready to take action if Torres pulls anything.

“Winter, I see you brought many friends,” Torres says. “That was unnecessary.”

It was necessary. When I’ve got enemies that I can’t see coming at me, it’s fucking necessary. We lost a man last night; I’ll be fucked if we’ll lose another.

I pull my sunglasses off. “Let’s just get this the fuck over with so we can all leave.”