Authors: Wendi Zwaduk
“Why don’t you?”
Storm coughed. “Come again?” How did the man seem to know just what to say to make him feel like shit?
Because he spoke the truth.
John cocked his head. “You came in here to forget a woman who’s unforgettable. I can see it in your eyes and the way you grin, just thinking about her. Instead of running from her, go back and beg forgiveness.”
Storm averted his gaze. “I can’t.”
She doesn’t want me.
“Pride?”
If only pride was the root problem. “She doesn’t understand me.”
“Who really understands anyone? She’s in love with you but she’s probably scared. Love’s a big step I’m willing to assume she’s never taken before. She needs you even if she can’t vocalise it.”
Loving a vampire took guts and strength. Hell, John was right. Being in love with anyone took work. Storm waved to the bartender. “How’d you get so smart?”
“I’ve been around and seen too many strong loves go to hell because people are set in their ways.” John sighed. “So why don’t I go talk to my wife and you beg your girl for a second chance? We might both get what we want.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Storm dropped a twenty on the bar and slapped John on the back. “Sounds like a plan, man. You take it easy.”
“She needs you. Go to her.” John nodded.
Storm rolled his shoulders and shoved the door open. He took a long drag of night air to digest John’s words. Did Stevie really need him as much as he wanted her? Did she truly love him? He closed his eyes and sat behind the wheel of his truck. He opened his mind to track her thoughts. Her pain radiated to him as if it were his own. Hurt and regret combined with longing swarmed around her. He shivered. Raw fear slid into his consciousness. At least she wasn’t blocking him completely. But she was with another man—her handsome next door neighbour, Kendall Green. Storm tensed and peered farther into her thoughts. She didn’t want Kendall. She wanted Storm, once she found the words to tell him how she felt. At the same time, she was scared to let go of all the things she knew to be true.
He needed to go to her and make things right.
Now.
* * * *
Stevie stared at the television screen as a black and white movie played. The sound ricocheted off her bland walls as Jean Arthur continued to argue to the judge as to why she couldn’t love a man like Jimmy Stewart.
Stevie tugged the navy wool blanket tighter around her body and wiped the tears away with the back of her hands. No pictures decorated the space or offered any glimpse into her personality. She felt like a stranger in her own one bedroom apartment.
The chill enveloped Stevie and sunk into her bones. She missed Storm’s warmth and laughter.
Correction.
She missed Storm. At least Kendall hadn’t lingered. He wasn’t the man in her heart.
“I walked away from the man of my dreams.” She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. “I have to find another job because I can’t work with him. I can’t work with memories crowding around me.”
Stevie flicked the buttons on the remote to turn the screen off. “Even if I run from Storm because I’m afraid of what he is, I can’t run away from another job.” That thought tore her in half.
When she’d resigned from the NHPD, she’d strode out with her head held high, knowing she was innocent. How was she supposed to divorce herself from her job with Storm? She didn’t do anything wrong except fall in love with the wrong guy.
Love.
What a joke! Love didn’t exist.
Her mind wandered back to the look on Storm’s face when he admitted he loved her. Did vampires feel admiration for anything other than blood? She wasn’t sure.
Why did he have to be one of the undead?
The miserable feelings engulfed Stevie. The scent of her favourite candles only reminded her of Storm. Trips through town were like highlight reels of the last five years. Each building held some sort of significance. Like the time Storm told her he liked her laugh in front of Dorgan’s. That brought a small smile to her lips.
Or the time he drove to the Dairy Delight Convenience store to buy ice cream at eleven o’clock so they could watch the New Year come in without being alone. She’d licked the dribbling chocolate off his chin and ended up kissing him at the exact stroke of midnight.
Then there was the time they threw pennies in the courthouse fountain. Stevie had wished she’d find a man like Storm to scorch her nights. His wish seared her memory.
A woman like you to understand me.
Fresh tears pricked her dry eyes. How did you understand what it was like to be a vampire? She didn’t possess a single clue. That hurt even more. She wanted to understand, needed to understand. Despite her fears, Storm’s, what…race? Were vampires a race?
Didn’t matter.
The more she thought about him, the more she missed him. The more she needed him.
Stevie stared at the text message he’d sent shortly after she walked out of his house three days before.
Don’t
give up on us.
The message accompanied the picture of them dancing at the Chatty Catty Club.
“I left like a foolish kid. He deserves better than me, but I don’t want him to find someone else. I want him to love me again.”
Stevie chided herself. How selfish! She didn’t deserve a second chance. One look at her rumpled sweatshirt and tattered pyjama bottoms spoke volumes. “I need to get myself cleaned up and over to his house, but first, I need a plan and the courage to tell him how I feel.
A knock at her door interrupted her scheming. She glanced at the clock, twelve forty-five a.m. Her heart leapt.
Storm?
Had he read her emotions to know she wanted to be with him? Stevie peeked through the peephole. A wave of nausea swept through her. She squared her shoulders and opened the door.
“What do you want, Ace? It’s after midnight.”
Her ex-boyfriend shuffled in the hallway. The clean cut, boy-next-door appeal she once desired didn’t faze her. He wasn’t the man she wanted. “I wanted to talk to you, Stephie. I think we should consider giving our relationship another go.”
“At midnight?
No. And don’t call me Stephie.” Her sixth sense prickled and shivers skittered up her spine. She’d never try again with this man if he was the proverbial last man on Earth. Why couldn’t Kendal materialise in the nick of time? Better yet, where was Storm when she needed him? Oh right, she walked out on him. Dammit.
“Give me another chance and five minutes to change your mind. I’m going crazy without you.” He leaned on the doorframe and stuck his face in hers. “What do you say?”
She cocked a brow and exhaled. She knew how to use her weapon if he tried anything funny.
“Fine.”
He shoved forward, but she held fast. “We’ll talk downstairs in the parking lot. I didn’t clean the apartment and don’t want company, Ace.”
Hope lit in his dull brown eyes. “I’ll help you tidy up. We can bond and snuggle like we used to.”
Bile rose in her throat. “No.” With that, she closed the door and engaged the chain.
Okay, so that was harsh. Still, a niggling in her mind told her to change and grab her pepper spray. She did both. Ace wasn’t going away without a fight. She just hoped one of her neighbours chose today to play nosy.
Five minutes later, she bounded into the hallway. Ace stood next to the elevator. “Honey, you look fantastic. I pressed the call button.” The bell rang and he stepped into the open car. “Have you been on a diet?”
“Oh, no.
It’s a comfy shirt.” Stevie glanced at the faced vintage T-shirt and ratty jeans.
But I usually wear makeup to meet men I like. Oh, right. I hate your guts.
The words hovered on her tongue, yet she kept silent. She needed witnesses. “I’ll head down the stairs. It’s a nice evening and I don’t want to leave a huge carbon footprint.”
He surged forward, but the doors shut before he could push his way out of the elevator.
Stevie grinned and strode away from the chrome doors. She peeked out the windows. A familiar black truck sat in the parking lot under one of the bright white security lights.
Storm?
She ran down the three flights of steps and threw open the fire door. Was he there? Did she have another chance? Here was Ace expecting another go at a relationship and she wanted to fall into the arms of another man. Sheesh!
As she got closer, she noticed a green and blue wave painted on the side of the truck. Not Storm. He went for basic black without ornamentation. Her joy dipped.
“Honey, you ran down those stairs in record time. I didn’t think you moved that fast with the extra weight on your hips. Maybe that diet is doing you some good.”
“I like using the steps.” Stevie clenched her fists and whipped around. Ace possessed no tact, true, but to use those words to woo her? Was he joking?
“I put it into high gear to get out here and catch you.” He puffed and bent to catch his breath.
Stevie crossed her arms. “This won’t work.” He held his hands out her, but she pushed forward. “I don’t want this. I want a relationship where I’m cherished.
To know that my man won’t cheat on me because of my past or my size.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I cherished you. Any man who’d date a woman who acted as frigid as you deserves a medal. You could still stand to lose a few pounds, but my love for you hasn’t waned.”
“You’re delirious. You never loved me,” she spat and took a step back. “I was second team because you wanted my sister all along. Or was your drunken confession a lie as well?”
“I wanted the both of you at the same time. Doing a set of sisters is really hot.”
“That’s disgusting.” She crinkled her nose.
Eww.
Ace cocked his head. The vein in his forehead bulged. She cringed. The gentle curve of his lips twisted into a sinister smile. “It isn’t revolting when you cooperate. It’s my fantasy, kinda like you and the vampire. Some people would think you’re a freak and a whore. Not me. I like an adventurous girl.” He inched towards her. “Maybe you’d let me bite you while we fuck.”
Her lunch and the pint of chocolate ice cream in her stomach reversed course in digestion.
“I’m sure that if
your
precious Storm asked you to service another man, you would.”
“He’s got more sense.” Stevie stood her ground and stared at him.
Ace surged forward and grabbed both her arms. His fingers cut into her flesh. Welts rose on her skin. “Why don’t you ask him? He’ll tell you that you don’t matter.
If you did, he wouldn’t have let you go and taken up with that hot ass waitress.
Too bad and now it’s my gain.”
Stevie braced her left foot and brought her right knee in direct contact with Ace’s family jewels. “Take that, you son of a bitch,” she screamed and kicked again. His grasp tightened around her. “Let me go or I’ll rip your cock off with my bare hands.”
“You don’t have the nerve.” He shook her, digging his fingers into her upper arms. “You want me too much to hurt me. Jamison told me so.”
Jamison told him? Who the hell was Jamison to disclose her personal needs? He knew nothing about her, including the person she wanted. “He lied.”
Thunder split the silent, dark night. She froze.
“I want you gone.”
Her stomach roiled. She knew that voice, but wouldn’t argue because it meant she’d have to open her mouth. If she spoke, she’d throw up. Stevie twisted in Ace’s grasp to prove to herself that Storm was real and standing there.
Ace tossed her onto the ground with a thud. Her teeth clunked together. Iron-rich blood filled her mouth from biting her tongue.
“So Storm’s came back to claim his woman? How sweet. Too bad, vampire, she just consented to be my wife.” Her ex-boyfriend’s voice dropped to a growl.
Another peal of thunder crashed. Nauseated feeling gone, Stevie sprang up from the ground. “Get out of my life.”
“See, Richardson. She wants you to leave.” Ace shook his head. “Go play with your new toy.”
His smug voice grated her nerves. Stevie clenched her fists. “I meant you, Ace.”
Storm cocked his head and folded his arms. The parking lot lights glittered in his eyes. He braced his large feet shoulder’s width apart. His tone remained level and calm. “Leave the lady alone.”
Ace adjusted his clothes as if Storm wrestled with him and sucked in a deep breath.
“Fine.
You lost your chance, Stephie. You deserve to be alone, just like Jamison said.
All fucking alone!”
He wiped his hands on his chinos. “Stick to your new hottie, Storm. This woman’s on permanent PMS.”
Stevie surged forward to cold cock him and Storm touched her arm with a gentle hand, preventing the assault.
Ace clucked his tongue. “It’s a good thing he stopped you. I’d hate to have you arrested, but then again, Cole and Marello might love it.”
“It’s a better thing that I didn’t let her kick your ass.” Storm stepped in front of Stevie. “It’s hard to shake the reputation when people find out you got your nads handed to you on a plate by a woman.”
Ace stuck his chin in the air and stomped to his foreign car. At the last second, he whipped around. “Obey Jamison and this will all go away. If you don’t, he will win and you’ll both pay the price.” Warning sent, he slid into the driver’s seat and peeled out of the parking lot. Stevie heaved a sigh of relief and turned to thank Storm, but he wasn’t there. She glanced around the crowded lot. Where was he?