The Mighty Storm (The Storm 1)

“What? No! Where is this even coming from?” I grip my head frustrated. “I chose you! And I would choose you every single time! But I broke Will’s heart in doing so. The very least I can do is try and make things a little easier for him.”

“You didn’t choose me.” His tone is low and cold. “Will made the decision for you when you told him the truth. You never said to him, ‘I’m ending this with you because I want to be with Jake’. I was just your fuckin’ consolation prize.”

I feel like he’s just slapped me.

“Screw you, Jake.”

I storm into his bedroom, get my room key off the nightstand and head straight for the main door.

Jake’s still standing where I left him.

“Where are you going? Running off back to Will?” he says bitterly from behind me.

I stop at the door.

“No, I’m just getting as far away as possible from you and your goddamn self-destruct button!”

I slam the door loudly behind me, then run to my room, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Look at us. Two minutes into our relationship and we’re already fighting.

I just wish he could see things from my point of view. I’m not trying to hurt him, but I don’t want to cause Will any more pain than I already have.

Is this going to be Jake and I? When it’s good it’s great and when it’s bad it’s really awful.

We never used to fight like this when we were younger.

But I guess back then, sex and passion weren’t part of our relationship, and those two things can go a long way to flaring up arguments. I don’t know, maybe we’ve just moved too fast together.

I’m in my bed, where I’ve been for the last hour and a half, staring blankly at the TV, stewing and crying over my fight with Jake.

I wonder if he’s gone out with Simone and Denny?

Part of me wants to go and see him and sort this out. But I’m still majorly pissed off with him, and my pride just won’t let me.

I’ve done nothing wrong so I’m definitely sitting this one out.

Adele suddenly starts to ring on my nightstand. I haven’t checked my phone in days.

As I pick it up, I see there’s a load of missed calls, voicemail messages and texts.

Will I’m guessing.

I’ll deal with them later, because right now, Jake is calling me.

“You’re calling me?” I say in ‘still angry Tru’ mode.

I’m not ready to forgive him just yet, even if him calling me is just so ridiculously sweet considering he’s only down the hall. Well I hope he is.

“Well, you were massively pissed off at me for good reason,” he adds quietly. “And I thought I’d try calling first, see how the land lies … see if you’ve calmed down yet … so have you?”

“What?”

“Calmed down.”

“Maybe.”

“Can I come and see you?”

“No.” I grin.

“Why?”

“Because you’re a dick, Jake Wethers.”

“I know. But I’m a dick who’s crazy in love with you … if I said I was sorry would that make us okay?”

I sigh, keeping up the pretence of my anger, which disappeared the second he said ‘crazy in love’.

“It’d be a start.”

“What about some flowers?”

“They wouldn’t hurt.”

“How about me, on my knees outside your door holding a bunch of flowers?”

“You’re outside my door aren’t you?” My skin shivers in delight.

“Maybe,” he murmurs. I can hear his smile down the line, and it touches me.

With butterflies swishing through my stomach, I climb out of bed and pad my way across the room, through the living room and swing the door open to find Jake on his knees outside my door with a huge bouquet of flowers in his hand.

He looks up at me with his gorgeous blue, puppy dog eyes.

“You look beautiful,” he says.

“And you look like an idiot, get up,” I say, suppressing the huge smile I feel.

He gets to his feet and holds the flowers out for me to take.

Taking them, I hold them to my nose and inhale. They are absolutely beautiful. All pinks, purples and creams. Roses, peonies, lilies and gerberas, and some I don’t even recognise. They look expensive.

“So you bought me flowers by way of an apology.” I lift an eyebrow.

“I did,” he smiles, a careful smile.

“Did you order them in?” I’m not ready to let him off the hook just yet.

His brow furrows. “No.”

“Send Stuart out for them?”

“No,” he says clearly affronted. “I went out to the flower shop down the street and bought and picked them myself.”

“I didn’t hear any screaming from your fans when they spotted you in the street.”

He grins. “I put a disguise on.”

I squint at him, cocking my head to the side.

“Sunglasses and a hat.”

“And no one recognised you?”

“Nope,” he shakes his head.

“Thank you,” I say, softly. “They’re beautiful.”

He reaches for my hand. “I’m sorry I was being a jerk.”

“You weren’t being a jerk, you were being irrational.”

“I was. It’s just because I love you so much.” He moves his hand from mine, and strokes his fingers down my cheek.

“I love you too,” I whisper.

He stares into my eyes, a serious look on his face. “I thought about it after you left, what you were saying, and I talked to Stuart … and I get where you’re coming from,” he sighs. “I understand what you’re saying, and … I’m sorry for the way I acted and the things I said. I know you chose me, and that you want to be with me. I don’t even know why I said any of it.” He runs his hand through his hair.

He looks nervous, confused, and totally out of his comfort zone. And I guess he is. Jake’s never had to consider anyone but himself before now.

“It’s because you’re irrational.” I give him a small, teasing smile.

He nods gravely. “I am, and I deserve whatever punishment you see fit to give me.”

Curling my fingers into his T-shirt, I pull him into the room, shutting the door behind him, and put the flowers down on the table by the door.

“I’m sure I can come up with a suitable punishment,” I murmur, cocking my head to the side.

He grins his sly grin at me and my stomach free falls.

Walking backwards, my fingers still firmly hooked into his T-shirt, I lead Jake toward the bedroom.

When we reach the bed, he grabs hold of my waist and yanks me firmly against his body and kisses me hard.

Easing me out of my vest, he drops it to the floor.

I pull his T-shirt off over his head and run my fingers over his bare chest, touching his tattoos, tracing my fingers lightly over them.

He shudders under my touch and I love the feeling.

Jake lifts me up on to the bed, and I edge backwards as he climbs over me, then leans down and begins kissing my neck.

“I don’t like fighting with you,” he murmurs, tracing kisses over my skin.

“I don’t either, but the making up is pretty good.”

Jake lifts his head, looking at me. “I’d say it’s awesome.”

He sits up and yanks my pyjama bottoms off, and grinning over at me, he takes hold of my panties and tears them in two.

I start giggling.

Then he’s cutting my laughter off when he dips his head low, using his mouth to turn my laughter into groans of his name, as he sets to work on our making up session.

“We should go out today,” I say, lifting my head up from his chest.

We’re laid in bed after a very long making up session, me draped across Jake, while he strokes his fingers over the skin on my back, his own skin rough and tickly on mine.

“We don’t have to, beautiful. We’ll just stay in here, and that means I can ravish you all day long.”

“As good as that sounds, I think we should go out.” I sit up. “We can’t hide away forever,” I say, thinking on it. “There’s always going to be that day when our picture ends up in the paper, so let’s just let that day be today. We’re in one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. We should make the most of it.”

“You’re sure?” he says, looking across at me hopefully.

“I am.”

“So I can take my girl out on a proper first date?”

Ah, so that’s what this has all been about. He wanted to take me out on a first date.

And now I just love him even more if that’s at all possible.

“A first date sounds perfect to me.”

“God, I love you, Trudy Bennett,” he says, pulling me back down onto him, kissing me firmly on the lips.

“And I love you, my little storm.”

He pulls a face at me, eyebrow raised, then flicks his gaze downwards, to his sizeable manhood.

“Okay, well maybe not small,” I giggle.

“That’s more like it. Now move your hot ass off this bed and get ready. I’m taking you out to show the world that you’re mine.” He smacks my ass with his hand.

“Oww!” I squeal. “Okay, I’m going!” I climb off the bed, leaving Jake laying there in all his beautiful glory, as I go to take a shower.

Chapter Twenty-Two

It took us a little while longer to get out as Jake decided to join me in the shower, and we … um … well, you know.

We’ve decided to go to the Louvre, because neither of us has ever been and I’ve always wanted to go, and I love that it’s something brand new we can do together.

So we’re in the back of the Merc with Dave driving us and Ben in the passenger seat.

Two lots of security are needed today apparently.

That fact makes me feel a little weird, but I’m trying to push it to the back of my mind, because I’m going to have to get used to this kind of thing being with Jake.

Stuart has also called ahead to let the staff at the Louvre know Jake is visiting today.

Apparently this is how it works in celeb world. You have to preannounce your arrival.

Good to know.

It’s weird living like this. Pre-Jake if I wanted to go somewhere I did, without having to plan everything or bring security along for the ride.

So basically, we’re going on our first date with Dave and Ben.

Kind of kills the feel of it, but I don’t want to say anything to Jake and upset him, because this is life with Jake. Everything has to be structured, security with us all the time, and the places we go have to be informed in advance of his arrival.

It’s a lot crazy. And it’s going to take some serious getting used to.

Jake is holding my hand, running his thumb over my skin. I think he knows I’m nervous about going on our first outing together as a couple.

Honestly, my stomach is popping over.

People are soon going to know I’m his girlfriend. And I’m going to become public enemy number one with his female fans.

My insides start to tremble, and not in a good way.