Riding the Storm (48 page)

would
have
been
ecstatic
that
Storm
had
deemed
them

special
enough
to
grace
their
bed
a
second
time,
to
her
he
was
a
distraction.
And
a
distraction
was
the
last
thing
she
needed
now,
especially
with
her
upcoming
appointment
at
the
fertility
clinic.
If
he
were
to
find
out
about
her
plans,
like
Lisa
he
would
probably
try
and
talk
her
out
of
it.
But
unlike
Lisa,
he
wouldn’t
understand
her
decision,
or
support
her
anyway,
even
if
he
disagreed
with
her.

She
took
a
quick
glance
at
him
and
wondered
why
it

mattered
to
her
that
he
might
not
support
what
she
planned
to
do?
Jayla
was
pretty
sure
Storm
would
frown
upon
the

idea
of
her
having
a
baby
by
artificial
insemination.
Like
her
father,
Storm
was
a
traditionalist.
He
believed
in
doing

things
the
old-fashioned
way.
She
had
to
admit
that
at
least
in
the
bedroom
she
found
Storm’s
old-fashioned,
always-

remain-a-gentleman
ways
endearing.
Being
a
gentleman

didn’t
mean
he
wouldn’t
engage
in
some
off-the-charts,

blow-your-mind
hot
sex
like
they
had
definitely
shared
last
night.
It
simply
meant
that
he
would
never
try
anything
that

made
her
feel
uncomfortable.
Nor
would
he
ever
assume

anything.
The
only
reason
he
was
still
in
her
bed
at
the

crack
of
dawn
was
because
he
had
asked
if
it
was
okay
for
him
to
stay
the
night.
He
hadn’t
just
assumed
that
it
was.
If
only
she
could
shake
his
belief
that
a
woman
could
not

manage
both
a
career
and
motherhood.
How
primitive
was
it
for
someone
to
think
that
way
in
this
day
and
time?

She
shook
her
head
as
she
quietly
slipped
out
of
bed

thinking
Storm
had
definitely
earned
his
rest.
The
man
had
energy
that
she
wished
she
could
bottle.
No
sooner
had

they
completed
one
climax,
he
was
going
down
for
another,
and
somehow
he
always
managed
to
take
her
with
him.
It
was
as
if
his
orgasms—and
the
man
had
plenty—always

triggered
hers.
Multiple
orgasms
were
something
she’d

read
about
and
at
the
time,
the
thought
of
it
happening
to

anyone
seemed
too
far-fetched
to
consider.
But
she
was

living
witness
that
it
was
possible.
She
smiled
thinking

Storm
had
spoiled
her.
She
wouldn’t
know
how
to
act
if

another
man
ever
made
love
to
her.

Her
smile
slowly
died
at
the
thought
of
making
love
to

another
man.
Would
she
spend
the
rest
of
her
life

comparing
every
future
lover
to
The
Perfect
Storm?
She

shook
her
head
as
she
made
her
way
into
the
bathroom
for
a
shower.
She
was
getting
in
deeper
by
the
minute.

Storm
woke
slowly
to
the
sound
of
running
water
and
the
scent
of
jasmine.
He
smiled,
closing
his
eyes
again
as

visions
of
what
he
and
Jayla
had
done
played
through
his
mind
like
a
finely
tuned
piano.

He
reopened
his
eyes,
thinking
he
was
just
as
confused
now
as
he’d
been
the
night
before.
He
wasn’t
sure
why
he
was
here
in
Jayla’s
bed
instead
of
his
own
bed.
Then
he
remembered.
He’d
had
to
be
with
her
last
night.
He
had

been
willing
to
say
or
do
anything
to
get
back
into
her
bed.
Even
if
it
had
meant
begging.

He
glanced
at
the
clock
on
her
nightstand.
It
was
early,
but
time
for
him
to
go.
He
had
to
report
to
the
station
today
to
pull
a
twenty-four
hour
shift.
He
thoroughly
enjoyed
his
new
position
of
fire
captain.
To
move
from
the
ranks
of

lieutenant
had
meant
many
nights
and
weekends
of

studying
for
the
fire
department’s
promotional
exam.
During
that
time,
he
had
given
up
a
lot
of
things,
including
women.
And
even
then,
the
thought
of
going
without
one
hadn’t

bothered
him.
There
hadn’t
been
one
single
woman
that
he
could
name
that
he
had
missed
making
love
to
during
all

that
time.

He
closed
his
eyes
again,
not
ready
to
move,
not
sure
that
he
could
if
he
wanted
to.
But
the
thought
of
Jayla,
naked,
wet
and
standing
beneath
a
shower
of
water
suddenly

made
him
go
hard,
as
if
his
body
could
do
anything
else
around
her.

He
sighed
deeply
and
suddenly
the
features
of
that
old

woman,
the
one
who
had
read
his
palm
in
New
Orleans,

flitted
across
his
mind
at
the
same
time
the
words
she
had
spoken
rang
through
his
ears:
You
are
about
to
make

unexpected
changes
in
your
life
and
although
you
yearn
for
peace,
turbulence
is
in
your
future.
Keep
your
sights
high,
be
patient
and
let
destiny
take
its
course.