asked me on dates in order to get to her. I was second team all the way.”
Indeed, he knew Stevie’s parents. Mr. All-American football jock and the local homecoming queen. They didn’t value their eldest daughter as a remarkable individual. Storm inched across the water to close the separation between them. “You’re jealous?”
She stared at the glass block window on the east side of his house. “No. She got attention for all the reckless things she did and how she looked.” Her stare switched to him. “I wanted recognition for being me, simple as that.”
Storm nodded and scooted next to her. “I respect everything about you.” He gathered her into his arms so her back rested against his chest. Smoothing his hands over her thighs, he secured her in his embrace. “You’re beautiful inside and out. Gypsy can’t claim that.”
He understood her struggle to belong, more than she could begin to imagine. Vampires didn’t exactly fit into a pleasant societal mould. Not when creeps like Jamison O’Toole walked the earth. Storm forced the angry feeling down to the pit of his stomach. All he wanted now was to enjoy Stevie.
The bubbles flicked around her fingers as she ran her hand over the jets. He licked his lips. Lucky bubbles.
“Then how do you explain Gypsy’s triumph as Miss July in that nudie magazine?” She dropped her head back onto his shoulder. “I can’t compare to that.”
His erection pressed against the crack of her ass. Storm nudged her legs open and arranged her feet around his calves, locking her in place. He toyed with the butterfly barbell she wore in her navel, her secret act of rebellion.
“Stevie, I saw that picture. It did nothing for me. But you…you make me think things that no investigator should consider concerning a partner. You make my job and my dick hard. From your dark hair to your toes, I’m hooked.”
She turned to gaze at him. Surprise flickered in her eyes. “What do you think about, when you aren’t supposed to?”
“I think about what you’re doing and how much I want to kiss you. I think about your bravery, how you love to help others, even before you help yourself. I wonder if you’d be supportive with me. I think the answer is yes. Most of the time, I wonder what you taste like—” he pierced her slick nether lips with his index finger, making her gasp, “—right here.”
Stevie moaned and panted her response. “You don’t think about baseball or the state of the union or something else neutral?”
Storm grazed the throbbing bead of her clit. She smelled like sex and roses, sin and innocence. With his left hand, he plucked her nipple and drew it into a sharp point. She moaned. His skin tingled at her reactions to his touch. “Babe, you consume me and I don’t want anyone else. Just you.” He slipped two fingers into her core and stroked as her muscles clamped him into place. “You’re made for me.”
“Let go.” Stevie shuddered and moaned. Her hands clawed his arms.
“That’s right. Let it go and let the rush take you.” Storm nipped her earlobe and fanned kisses on her neck.
“No, let go. We can’t do this.” She dug her nails into his skin and scrambled off his lap.
“We can’t have sex?” He cocked his head. “Honey, we initiated my couch not a half hour ago. What’s so wrong about exploring each other in the steamy water?”
Stevie covered her breasts and fumbled her way out of the tub. “I gotta go.” She grabbed a fluffy tan towel and raced back into the house.
Perplexed by her sudden change in demeanour, Storm turned off the jets and stepped out of the hot tub. Forgoing a towel, he burst into the bedroom, soaking wet. He found her struggling into a soggy T-shirt that suctioned itself to her heaving breasts. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“What’s going on, Stevie?” Too many of her thoughts bombarded him.
“It’s nothing.” She froze and her shoulders slumped.
He stepped before her and rubbed her chilled