Hurricane Hearts (Storm MC Reloaded 1)

I stared at myself in the mirror for a long moment, taking in the tiredness lining my eyes. Thank goodness I’d already showered and done my hair. Winter wanted to leave the hotel soon to head over to his dad’s place, which wouldn’t leave me much time to fix my face. And it needed a lot of fixing. “I think we need some time to figure this all out first. Like, I’m committed, but it’s been five years and a lot has changed for each of us. We need to talk about all this and make plans slowly rather than rush into things.”

Cleo sounded like she was choking on something when she said, “Ah, babe, I’ve got news for you and it’s all bad. Your man doesn’t know the meaning of slow.”

The sound of the hotel door opening alerted me to the fact Winter was back. “Shit,” I said softly, “I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later to chat more about how work is going. Love you.”

“Don’t worry about work. We’ve got everything under control. But I wanna know how today goes with Winter, so either call or text. Love you, too,” she said.

I met Winter’s eyes in the mirror as I tapped my phone to end the call. “Was that Cleo, or your mum?” he asked. “Or Carey?”

He knew me as well as Cleo did, so of course he knew I was overthinking everything. “Cleo.”

Handing me a coffee, he rested against the vanity and drank some of his before saying, “Talk to me, Angel. What’s running through that beautiful mind of yours?”

I drank some coffee, mostly to stall this conversation, but also because I craved the caffeine and hoped it gave me a jolt of energy. Winter had worn me out last night, keeping me awake until the very early hours of the morning. After only four hours of sleep, he’d woken me looking for more sex. I’d told him no, my vagina was closed to him for the day. I was too damn sore to have him anywhere near me. “You can sort your own dick out today,” I’d grumbled. “I’d forgotten how big it is and how much you like to use it.” He’d pulled me close and growled against my ear, “Clearly if you’d forgotten, I need to up my game so you never forget again.”

He did not need to do any such thing. I would never forget last night.

Finally, after stalling for as long as I could, I answered his question. My words tumbled out in a hot freaking mess. “We need to start dating.”

His brows raised as he shifted his ass against the vanity and crossed one foot over the other. “Not at all what I expected you to say, but I’m listening.”

The intense way he watched me threw me off more than I already was. Diverting my gaze to avoid his intensity, I spied the pink lipstick I’d been searching for. Grabbing it, I said, “Well, don’t you think that’s the best next step? It’s been five years. We need to get to know each other again.”

As I set the lipstick aside for later use and picked up my foundation, he curled his hand around my wrist and drew my attention back to him. “Stop what you’re doing and talk to me.”

“I can put make-up on and talk at the same time.”

“Yeah, I know you can, but not for this conversation. I want your full attention for this.”

“Winter—”

“Birdie.”

I placed the foundation down and turned to face him. “This will delay our departure. Just so you’re aware.”

His brows arched again at my attitude, but he didn’t call me out on it. “I am aware. But so you’re aware, you don’t need that stuff on your face.”

And just like that, Winter managed to send a thousand butterflies to my tummy and turn my anxious mood on its head. This had always been his superpower. It was one reason why we worked so well as a couple. He had a way of helping me find the calm I desperately sought.

Now that he had my attention, he answered my question about what he felt was our next step. “I agree that things have changed in the last five years, but I don’t think it’s necessary for us to go all the way back to dating.”

“Well, I don’t mean dating as in seeing each other a few times a week for dinner and movies. I’m thinking something a little more than that.”

“I should fucking hope so, Angel, because I’m thinking a whole lot more than that.”

“Like what?”

“Like, we move in together and start making plans for the future.”

My mind raced almost as fast as my heart did at that statement. I wanted all of that with Winter, but I needed a moment to catch my breath here. I needed a moment—the perfect moment—to tell him that we could never have what he wanted in life. That maybe he shouldn’t choose me at all.

A knock on the door interrupted us.

Winter pushed off from the vanity. “Hold that thought.”

I watched him exit the bathroom, and when I could no longer see him, I gripped the edge of the vanity, bent my head, and sucked in some long breaths.

I’m just going to tell him.