Riding the Storm (62 page)

didn’t
when
she
overheard
the
conversation
between
two
women
standing
not
far
away.

“Hey,
I’m
going
to
make
it
my
business
to
go
after
‘The
Perfect
Storm’
tonight,”
the
more
statuesque
of
the
two
said.

The
other
women
giggled
and
said.
“Storm
Westmoreland
has
a
reputation
of
not
doing
the
same
woman
twice.”

“Yeah,
but
I
heard
that
just
once
is
all
it
takes
to
blow
your
mind
and
I
definitely
intend
to
have
that
one
time,”
the

statuesque
one
countered.

A
flash
of
jealousy
raced
through
Jayla,
and
she
started
to
turn
to
the
woman
and
tell
her
that
when
it
came
to
Storm,
hands
off.
But
she
couldn’t
do
that.
She
didn’t
have
the

right.

She
glanced
up
when
she
felt
someone
gently
touch
her

arm.
“I
wouldn’t
worry
about
what
the
‘hottie
duo’
are
saying
if
I
were
you,”
Shelly
Westmoreland
whispered,
smiling.
“I
heard
from
a
very
reliable
source
that
Storm
has
found
a

special
lady
and
only
has
eyes
for
her.”

Jayla
blinked
in
surprise
at
Shelly’s
words
and
glanced
at
the
other
women
standing
beside
her.
They
all
nodded;

evidently,
they’d
heard
the
same
thing.
Was
it
possible
that
they
knew
she
and
Storm
had
been
seeing
each
other?

And
who
was
this
reliable
source
Shelly
Westmoreland
was

talking
about?
Had
Storm
mentioned
her
to
members
of
his
family?

Her
heart
stopped
and
she
wasn’t
sure
what
to
say
to
the
four
women
who
were
staring
at
her
with
such
genuine
and
sincere
smiles
on
their
faces.
Tears
pressed
at
the
corner
of
her
eyes.

“I
may
have
lost
him,”
she
whispered,
as
her
mind
was
suddenly
filled
with
doubt
and
regret.

Delaney
Yasir
chuckled
and
placed
an
arm
around
Jayla’s
shoulder.
“I
doubt
that.
My
brother
hasn’t
taken
his
eyes
off
of
you
since
he
arrived.”

Hope
ran
through
Jayla.
“Really?”
She
was
standing
with
her
back
to
Storm
so
she
couldn’t
see
him.

Madison
Westmoreland
grinned.
“Yes,
really.”

“Hey,
Storm,
you
want
something
to
drink?”
Jared

Westmoreland
asked
his
cousin
as
he
grabbed
a
glass
a
wine
off
the
tray
of
a
passing
waiter.

“Storm
doesn’t
want
anything
to
drink,”
Ian
said,
grinning.
“The
only
thing
Storm
wants
is
that
woman
who’s
standing
over
there
talking
to
the
Westmoreland
women.”

Stone
Westmoreland
lifted
a
brow
and
glanced
across
the
room.
The
woman’s
back
was
to
them,
so
he
couldn’t
get
a
look
at
her.
“You’ve
met
her?”
he
asked
in
surprise.

Ian
chuckled.
“Yes,
Storm
introduced
us
in
New
Orleans.”

That
comment
got
everyone’s
attention.
Chase
stared
at
Storm.
“You
took
her
to
New
Orleans
with
you?”

Before
Storm
could
respond,
not
that
he
would
have

anyway,
Ian
spoke
up.
“Of
course
he
didn’t
take
her
to
New
Orleans
with
him,”
he
said,
as
if
the
thought
of
Storm
taking
any
woman
out
of
town
with
him
were
ludicrous.
“They
just
happened
to
be
in
the
same
place
at
the
same
time.
Her
father
was
Storm’s
old
boss,
Adam
Cole.”

Thorn
Westmoreland
took
a
slow
sip
of
his
drink
and
said,
“Her
parentage
is
old
news,
Ian,
but
her
being
in
New

Orleans
with
Storm
is
definitely
something
that
we
didn’t
know
about.”

“And
something
all
of
you
are
going
to
forget
you
heard,”

Storm
said.
The
tone
of
his
voice
matched
the
look
on
his
face.
Highly
irritated.
Totally
annoyed.
Deadly
serious.
“And
I
thought
I
told
you
guys
that
I
don’t
like
you
discussing
my
business
like
I’m
not
here.”

Chase
gave
his
twin
a
dismissive
shrug
and
said,
“Yeah,
whatever.”
He
then
turned
his
attention
back
to
Ian.
“So
what
else
can
you
tell
us
about
Storm’s
lady?”

Ian
met
Storm’s
gaze
and
got
the
message
loud
and
clear,
although
it
was
obvious
his
brothers
hadn’t…or
they
chose
no
to.
Ian
grinned
and
decided
to
play
dumb.
“I
forget.”

Storm
smiled.
He
knew
he
could
count
on
Ian
to
keep
his
secrets,
just
as
Ian
knew
he
could
count
on
him
to
keep
his.
Things
had
always
been
that
way
between
them.
He
then
turned
his
attention
back
to
Jayla
and
wished
the
crowd

would
thin
out
so
his
view
wasn’t
as
blocked,
or
that
she

would
at
least
turn
around
so
he
could
see
her.
He
wanted
to
look
into
her
eyes
to
let
her
know
that
no
matter
how

much
she
might
want
him
out
of
her
life,
he
was
there
to

stay.

Moments
later,
as
if
he
had
willed
it
to
be
so,
the
crowd

thinned
out
and
she
turned
and
met
his
gaze.
His
heart

almost
stopped
when
he
saw
how
radiant
she
looked.
And
what
made
her
even
more
beautiful
was
the
fact
that
she
was
wearing
that
red
dress.

His
dress.

It
was
the
same
one
he
had
picked
out
for
her
in
New

Orleans.
He
wondered,
hoped
and
prayed
that
there
was
a
hidden
meaning
behind
her
wearing
that
dress.
Could
he
dare
hope
she
might
realize
that
he
was
her
Mr.
Right?

Knowing
there
was
only
one
way
to
find
out,
he
walked

away
from
the
group.