Hurricane Hearts (Storm MC Reloaded 1)

His eyes searched mine for a long few moments. They flickered with a myriad of emotions. And so many unknown thoughts. The one thought he had that wasn’t secret was that he wanted me. That blazed brightly from him, even when we were discussing something completely unrelated. This would be the undoing of me, because try as I might, I couldn’t deny how that knowledge made me feel.

I liked feeling wanted by Winter.

I liked that his desire for me was an open book.

It was these thoughts I was contemplating when he said, “You need to roll over and stop talking, Angel, otherwise I’m going to be that asshole you want.”

My entire body lit up. Lust coursed through me and I waged war between my mind and body over what each wanted. Winter thought that fucking me now was the asshole move. I didn’t share that sentiment, but I didn’t want him to do something he’d regret later. So I rolled over and stopped talking.

Silence sat between us for the longest time. It was probably only fifteen minutes, but it felt like forever. I closed my eyes and did my best to ignore his presence and drift off.

I wasn’t anywhere close to sleep when he spooned me, his arm wrapping tightly around my body. His lips brushed my ear when he said, “I suggest you don’t wear these shorts again, baby. They’re distracting as fuck.”

I should have told him to move back to his side of the bed.

I should have insisted he not touch me.

I should have done a lot of things.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I gripped his hand and kept it exactly where he’d placed it. And I finally fell asleep, feeling all kinds of safe and happy in his arms.

13

WINTER

Sleeping next to Birdie was what I needed. Waking up with her four hours later helped soften the blow when my new reality of life without my father hit me.

She was already awake when I stirred with an erection I had no hope in hell of doing anything with. Not that she wouldn’t go there with me if I wanted it. She’d made that clear earlier. But sleeping with her under these circumstances wasn’t what I wanted for us. When she finally gave herself to me again, I wanted it to be because she needed me as much as she needed air. Because being with me was the only choice she could make.

“Have you been awake long?” I asked as I tightened my hold on her. I wasn’t ready to let her go yet.

She didn’t resist me, allowing my arms to stay around her. “Only for about ten minutes or so.”

I pressed a kiss to her neck, not able to stop myself. I might have been holding out to fuck her, but that didn’t mean I’d keep my hands or mouth off her. Not now she’d shown me where she stood on our relationship. “Thank you for this.”

She wiggled in my hold, twisting her body to face me. She clearly didn’t have a handle on just how fucking much I wanted her, because situating herself like this made it hard for me to restrain myself. “For sleeping here with you?”

“Fuck,” I swore under my breath, letting her go. Rolling onto my back, I exhaled my frustrations. I’d wanted Birdie every day of my life since I’d known her, and being so damn close to having what I wanted but not taking it made it hard to breathe. “No, Angel, for being here. For being you and giving me what I need right now.”

She sat up, crossed her legs and looked down at me. The way she bit her lip and absently pulled stray hairs from her clothes told me she had something to say that she was unsure of. They were classic nervous-Birdie habits. “I don’t know what I’m doing here, Winter. Not as in here with you, but as in emotionally here. And I’m worried that I’m causing a whole lot of confusion for you while all you should be thinking about is your dad and your family. I don’t actually think I’m giving you what you need.”

“You’re giving me exactly what I need. Don’t doubt that. As for you figuring out what you’re doing here, I’m a patient man. You know this. And you know I’ll wait as long as you need.”

She stopped fidgeting with her hair and stilled as she asked, “What if that takes forever?”

“It won’t.”

“It might. And what if I don’t make the choice you want?”

“You won’t.”

She shook her head, piqued by what I’d said. “Don’t do that. Don’t always assume to know what I’m feeling. I’m trying to be honest with you here because I don’t want to give you the wrong idea about where this might go.”

I sat up and met her gaze, certainty radiating from every pore of my body. “And I’m being honest about what I’m seeing in you. Everything you’ve said and done has shown me I’m right in my assumptions about you wanting this as much as I do. And if that makes me an arrogant bastard, I’ll own that.” I paused for a beat. When she didn’t respond, I moved off the bed and added, “You let me worry about me, Birdie. I’m not getting the wrong idea about anything here.”

“Where are you going?” she asked as I headed for the door.