Riding the Storm (42 page)

Read Riding the Storm Online

Authors: Brenda Jackson

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Arts&Photography

Tara
reached
across
the
table
and
touched
her
hand.
“No
need
to
explain,
Jayla.
I’m
married
to
a
Westmoreland
so
I
understand.”

Jayla
pulled
in
a
deep
breath,
wondering
how
could
Tara
possibly
understand
when
she
didn’t
understand
her

feelings
for
Storm.
“It’s
nothing
but
simple
chemistry,”
she
decided
to
say
to
explain.

Tara
smiled,
thinking
of
her
reaction
to
Thorn

Westmoreland
the
first
time
she
had
seen
him.
“Happens
to
the
best
of
us,
trust
me.’’

Jayla
laughed,
suddenly
feeling
relaxed
and
thinking
that,
yes,
she
really
did
like
Tara
Westmoreland.

Chase
shook
his
head
as
he
stared
at
his
brother.
“Are
you
going
to
stand
there
all
day
and
stare
at
that
woman
with

Tara?”

Storm
met
Chase’s
gaze
and
grinned.
“I
like
watching
her
eat.
I
love
the
way
her
mouth
moves.”

Chase’s
gaze
followed
Storm
and
he
didn’t
see
anything
fascinating
about
the
way
she
was
eating,
although
he

would
be
the
first
to
admit
that
she
was
good-looking.
He
turned
his
attention
back
to
Storm.
“Who
is
she?”

“Adam’s
daughter.”

Chase
snapped
his
gaze
back
to
the
table
where
Tara
and
the
woman
were
sitting.
“Are
you
saying
that’s
Adam

Cole’s
girl,
all
grown
up?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.
I
haven’t
seen
her
since
she
was
in
high
school.
He
would
bring
her
in
here
every
once
and
a
while
for
dinner.”
He
let
out
a
low
whistle.
“Boy,
has
she
changed.
She
was
a
cute
kid,
but
now
she
is
definitely
a
looker.
I’d
say
she
is
a
woman
who
looks
ripe
for
loving.”

Storm
turned
and
glared
at
his
brother
as
he
leaned

against
the
counter
and
shoved
his
hands
deep
into
his
pants
pockets.
“I’m
going
to
ignore
the
fact
that
you
said
that.”

Chase
smiled.
“Hey,
man,
I
didn’t
know
things
were
that
way
with
her,”
he
offered
by
way
of
apology.

Storm’s
glare
deepened.
“And
what
do
you
perceive
as
that
way?”

Chase’s
smile
widened.
Storm
was
so
used
to
getting
a

rise
out
of
people
that
he
couldn’t
recognize
when
someone
was
trying
to
get
a
rise
out
of
him.
“You’re
interested
in
her.
That’s
obvious.”

Storm
shrugged.
“Of
course
I’m
interested
in
her.
Adam
was
someone
I
cared
a
lot
about.
He
was
like
a
second
father
to
me.
He
was—”

“We’re
not
talking
about
Adam,
Storm.
We’re
talking
about
his
daughter.
Come
on
and
admit
it.
You’re
interested
in

her
as
a
woman
and
not
as
Adam’s
daughter.”

Storm
frowned.
“I’m
not
going
to
admit
anything.”

Chase
chuckled.
“Then
why
did
you
get
jealous
a
few
minutes
ago?”

Storm
blinked,
then
looked
at
his
twin
as
if
he
were
stone
crazy,
definitely
had
gone
off
the
deep
end.
“Jealous?”
he
repeated,
wondering
how
Chase
could
think
such
a
thing.
“The
word
jealous
is
not
in
my
vocabulary.”

Chase
studied
his
brother’s
face
and
knew
he
had
pushed
him
enough
for
one
day,
but
couldn’t
resist
taking
one
final
dig.
“Then
it
must
have
been
added
rather
recently.
Not
only
is
it
now
in
your
vocabulary,
you
should
spell
the
word
with
a
capital
J.
And
I
thought
the
reason
you
were
acting
strange
had
to
do
with
work.
The
way
I
see
it,
that
woman
sitting

over
there
definitely
has
her
hook
in
and
is
reeling
you
in.”

Storm
drew
in
a
deep
breath,
squared
his
shoulders.
The
eyes
that
stared
at
his
twin
were
hard,
ice
cold.
“You’re

going
to
regret
the
day
you
said
that.”

Chase
laughed.
“And
I
have
a
feeling
that
you’re
going
to
regret
the
day
you
didn’t
figure
it
out
for
yourself.”

Jayla
slipped
off
her
pumps
as
soon
as
she
walked
into
the
house
and
closed
the
door
behind
her.
She
let
out
a
deep
breath.
Lunch
with
Tara
Westmoreland
had
gone
well
and
they
had
finalized
a
lot
of
items
for
the
charity
benefit.
But
what
stood
out
in
her
mind
more
than
anything
was
seeing
Storm
again.

More
than
once
she
had
glanced
his
way.
The
heat
in
his

eyes
had
ignited
a
slow,
sensual
burn
within
her.
Across
the
distance
of
the
room,
he
had
silently
yet
expertly
aroused

her,
almost
making
concentration
on
her
discussion
with

Tara
impossible.

And
when
he
had
placed
their
meals
on
the
table,
her
eyes
had
been
drawn
to
his
hands
and
it
didn’t
take
much
to

remember
how
skilled
his
fingers
were,
and
how
those

fingers
had
known
just
the
right
places
on
her
body
to
touch
to
drive
her
crazy.
It
was
only
when
he
had
left
the

restaurant,
shortly
after
serving
their
lunch,
that
her
mind

had
become
functional.
Only
then
had
she
been
able
to

zero
in
on
the
business
that
she
and
Tara
had
needed
to

accomplish.

On
her
drive
back
to
the
office,
she
had
to
remind
herself

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