Joanne threw the flowers on the ground and hustled after her daughter, jumping in the car and driving away as fast as she could. “I’m so sorry, Dakota.”
Her daughter flipped her dark blonde hair and shrugged, her face flaming. “He was an asshole.”
“Yes, he was.” Joanne drove faster into town. “I like how you face down bullies.” The words slipped out of her.
Dakota jerked. “Really?”
“Yes.” Joanne lifted her chin. “You’re a brave woman, and I’m excited to see what you do with your life.” Once she grew up a little bit more. Maybe having faith in the girl was what she needed.
“Thanks.” Dakota played idly with a string on her jeans. “Does everyone think I’m a whore? Because of the senator?”
“No.” Joanne reached over to pat her hand. “Of course not. He’s a dirty old man who took advantage of young girls, and he should be held accountable.”
“That’s what I was trying to do.” Dakota pushed her shoulders back. “Although I didn’t think about all the repercussions.”
Joanne nodded but kept silent. Either Dakota would understand that she went about it the wrong way or she wouldn’t. At least she was finally starting to see that she’d harmed herself in the process, as well. “Here we are.” She pulled up to the nail salon, the placard advertising the weekly event on the sidewalk out front.
“Thanks.” Dakota reached for her purse in the back seat. “You’d think that everyone would be talking about the huge fight Tate and Tucker Johnson got into the other day.”
“They are,” Joanne said softly.
“Yeah, but those guys probably won’t even get in trouble. I mean, they got arrested, but since they’re the sheriff’s cousins, I’m sure the charges will be dropped.” Dakota slipped from the car. “It just figures.” She shut the door.
Joanne paused. Wait a minute. Tate and Tucker were Dillon’s cousins. The job offer from Tate had been completely out of the blue, and how unrealistic was it to think that he’d just thought of hiring her on his own? Dillon had interfered. Again.
It was dinnertime, and she knew exactly where to find him. She carefully executed a U-turn and drove toward Murphy’s Pub, seeing the sheriff’s car in front.
Not sure what she was going to say, she smoothed her hair away from her face and quickly applied lipstick. Then she left her car and went inside, knowing she should just go home.
Dillon was sitting in the back booth by himself, eating meatloaf. He looked up as she entered and then half stood.
She kept his gaze and ignored his youngest brother behind the bar. When she reached him, she took a deep breath. “Can we talk?”
He stood all the way up. “Is there something wrong?”
“I’m not sure. Can we talk?” Shoot. She’d just repeated herself. Dillon Murphy was too handsome with his dark black hair, stunning blue eyes, and hard body. Her mind just short-circuited when he was around. “Please?”
He nodded and reached for her arm, assisting her beyond the bar to the kitchen. The door closed behind them. “What’s wrong, Joanne?” He looked down a long way at her.
She should be scared. A man like him, so fit and strong, could probably break her in two without even taking a deep breath. But something about Dillon almost made her brave. Well, not brave exactly, but she didn’t feel like running when he stood close to her. If he moved suddenly, she probably wouldn’t even flinch.
“Joanne?” Even his voice was sexy.
“Did you get me the job with Tate?” she asked quietly. “I know he’s your cousin, but I didn’t put it together until a few minutes ago.”
Dillon studied her. “Put what together?”
“That you asked him to give me a job.” She tightened her grip on her purse.
“I just made a suggestion,” Dillon said quietly. “You needed a job, and Tate really needs somebody to organize his campaign. The idea made sense.”
“You can’t look out for me all the time,” she whispered.
His head tilted slightly to the side. “Why not?”
“Because.” Yeah, that was lame. She wanted to be angry at his interference, to challenge him with defiance, to push him to break that rigid control. But instead, she just spoke. “I don’t deserve it.”
“Ah, hell.” He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting her face.
His touch felt like heaven. Strong and male and somehow protective. “Dillon?”
“Whatever bad thought you have about yourself, whatever he said to you that you now believe, get rid of it. You do deserve everything good, Joanne. It’s time you realized that.”
No, she didn’t, because Dillon Murphy was everything, and she sure as hell didn’t deserve him. Her gaze dropped to his full mouth. What if?
He moved toward her.
She stayed put.
He stepped closer.
She didn’t flinch.
“Joanne?” he asked.
She licked her lips. “Yes.”
Only holding her chin, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers.
Warmth and male. Heat and passion. In just the slightest of touches. She made a noise, one deep in her throat.
His mouth settled over hers, the touch light but the lips firm. Slowly, he applied pressure, deepening the kiss until she tentatively kissed him back. His grip tightened just a little, and he kissed her harder.
Passion rippled through her so quickly, she swayed.
What was she doing?
She broke contact and stepped back, her entire body tingling. He looked at her, his eyes turning a dark midnight, a new determination hardening his jaw.
She shivered. What in the world had she just unleashed?
* * * *
The story continues with Episode 2, Storm Warning by Larissa Ione. Click here to purchase.
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Rising Storm story
Storm Season: Ginny & Jacob – the Prequel
by Dee Davis
Rising Storm
Storm, Texas.
Where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy…
Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection.
But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.
Rising Storm is a series conceived by Julie Kenner and Dee Davis to read like an on-going drama. Set in a small Texas town, Rising Storm is full of scandal, deceit, romance, passion, and secrets. Lots of secrets.
Look for other Rising Storm Season 2 titles, now available! (And if you missed Season 1 and the midseason episodes, you can find those titles here!)
Click to purchase.
Rising Storm, Season Two
Against the Wind by Rebecca Zanetti
As Tate Johnson works to find a balance between his ambitions for political office and the fallout of his brother’s betrayal, Zeke is confronted with his brother Chase’s return home. And while Bryce and Tara Daniels try to hold onto their marriage, Kristin continues to entice Travis into breaking his vows…
Storm Warning by Larissa Ione
As Joanne Alvarez settles into life without Hector, her children still struggle with the fallout. Marcus confronts the differences between him and Brittany, while Dakota tries to find a new equilibrium. Meanwhile, the Johnson’s grapple with war between two sets of brothers, and Ian Briggs rides into town…
As Senator Rush’s poll numbers free fall, Marylee tries to drive a wedge between Brittany and Marcus. Across town, Anna Mae and Chase dance toward reconciliation. Ginny longs for Logan, while he fights against Sebastian’s maneuvering. And Hector, newly freed from prison, heads back to Storm…
Lightning Strikes by Lexi Blake
As Ian Briggs begins to fall for Marisol, Joanne and Dillon also grow closer. Joanne’s new confidence spreads to Dakota but Hector’s return upends everything. A public confrontation between Marcus and Hector endangers his relationship with Brittany, and Dakota reverts to form. Meanwhile, the Senator threatens Ginny and the baby…
Fire and Rain by R.K. Lilley
As Celeste Salt continues to unravel in the wake of Jacob’s death, Travis grows closer with Kristin. Lacey realizes the error of her ways but is afraid it’s too late for reconciliation with her friends. Marcus and Brittany struggle with the continued fallout of Hector’s return, while Chase and Anna Mae face some hard truths about their past…
Quiet Storm by Julie Kenner
As Mallory Alvarez and Luis Moreno grow closer, Lacey longs for forgiveness. Brittany and Marcus have a true meeting of hearts. Meanwhile, Jeffry grapples with his father’s failures and finds solace in unexpected arms. When things take a dangerous turn, Jeffry’s mother and sister, as well as his friends, unite behind him as the Senator threatens his son…
Blinding Rain by Elisabeth Naughton
As Tate Johnson struggles to deal with his brother’s relationship with Hannah, hope asserts itself in an unexpected way. With the return of Delia Burke, Logan’s old flame, Brittany and Marcus see an opportunity to help their friend. But when the evening takes an unexpected turn, Brittany finds herself doing the last thing she expected—coming face to face with Ginny…
Blue Skies by Dee Davis
As Celeste Salt struggles to pull herself and her family together, Dillon is called to the scene of a domestic dispute where Dakota is forced to face the truth about her father. While the Johnson’s celebrate a big announcement, Ginny is rushed to the hospital where her baby’s father is finally revealed…
Rising Storm, Midseason
After the Storm by Lexi Blake
In the wake of Dakota’s revelations, the whole town is reeling. Ginny Moreno has lost everything. Logan Murphy is devastated by her lies. Brittany Rush sees her family in a horrifying new light. And nothing will ever be the same…
Distant Thunder by Larissa Ione
As Sebastian and Marylee plot to cover up Sebastian’s sexual escapade, Ginny and Dakota continue to reel from the fallout of Dakota’s announcement. But it is the Rush family that’s left to pick up the pieces as Payton, Brittany and Jeffry each cope with Sebastian’s betrayal in their own way…
Rising Storm, Season One
Tempest Rising by Julie Kenner
Ginny Moreno didn’t mean to do it, but when she came home to Storm, she brought the tempest with her. And now everyone will be caught in its fury…
White Lightning by Lexi Blake
As the citizens of Storm, Texas, sway in the wake of the death of one of their own, Daddy's girl Dakota Alvarez also reels from an unexpected family crisis ... and finds consolation in a most unexpected place.
Crosswinds by Elisabeth Naughton
Lacey Salt's world shattered with the death of her brother, and now the usually sweet-tempered girl is determined to take back some control—even if that means sabotaging her best friend, Mallory, and Mallory's new boyfriend, Luis.
Dance in the Wind by Jennifer Probst
During his time in Afghanistan, Logan Murphy has endured the unthinkable, but reentering civilian life in Storm is harder than he imagined. But when he is reacquainted with Ginny Moreno, a woman who has survived terrors of her own, he feels the first stirrings of hope.
Calm Before the Storm by Larissa Ione
Marcus Alvarez fled Storm when his father’s drinking drove him over the edge. With his mother and sisters in crisis, Marcus is forced to return to the town he thought he’d left behind. But it is his attraction to a very grown up Brittany Rush that just might be enough to guarantee that he stays.
Take the Storm by Rebecca Zanetti
Marisol Moreno has spent her youth taking care of her younger siblings. Now, with her sister, Ginny, in crisis, and her brother in the throes of his first real relationship, she doesn’t have time for anything else. Especially not the overtures of the incredibly compelling Patrick Murphy.
Weather the Storm by Lisa Mondello
Bryce Douglas faces a crisis of faith when his idyllic view of his family is challenged with his son’s diagnosis of autism. Instead of accepting his wife and her tight-knit family’s comfort, he pushes them away, fears from his past threatening to undo the happiness he’s found in his present.
Thunder Rolls by Dee Davis
In the season finale …
As Hannah Grossman grapples with the very real possibility that she is dating one Johnson brother while secretly in love with another, the entire town prepares for Founders Day. The building tempest threatens not just Hannah’s relationship with Tucker and Tate, but everyone in Storm as dire revelations threaten to tear the town apart.
Storm Warning
Rising Storm, Season 2, Episode 2
By Larissa Ione
Now Available
Click here to purchase
Secrets, Sex and Scandals …
Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy… Get ready. The storm is coming.
As Celeste Salt continues to unravel in the wake of Jacob’s death, Travis grows closer with Kristin. Lacey realizes the error of her ways but is afraid it’s too late for reconciliation with her friends. Marcus and Brittany struggle with the continued fallout of Hector’s return, while Chase and Anna Mae face some hard truths about their past…
* * * *
As Ian Briggs drove through the heart of Storm, Texas, he wondered how such a quaint, quiet town had gotten its name.
He also wondered how he could get so lost in such a small town.
Keeping one hand on the wheel of his obnoxiously candy-apple red rental car, he tapped the screen of the non-functional GPS and cursed. Still frozen. The thing had been working fine when he'd picked up the mid-size Ford at the Austin airport, but it had gone on the fritz right after he checked into the bed and breakfast he'd probably never be able to find again. Now he was driving aimlessly around town, hoping to find Franklin Street.
As he passed by the Cuppa Joe cafe for what must have been the fifteenth time, he gave up being stubbornly male and pulled over to ask directions. He stepped out of the air-conditioned interior and nearly choked on the heat and humidity. In Montana, it was already cold, even for late October. But here...God, how did people stand it? It felt wrong to be wearing jeans and a T-shirt when he'd gotten on a plane this morning wearing a parka.
A refreshing blast of cool air and the rich aroma of coffee hit him as he entered the quaint shop. A few people seated at the handful of tables eyed him with varying levels of curiosity or suspicion as he moved to the counter. He nodded in greeting, but it was the curvy woman with the shiny black ponytail behind it who drew his interest.
She poured coffee into a big, lime-green mug and slid it to a guy wearing a Double J Ranch baseball cap at the other end of the counter.
"Thanks, darlin'." Double J guy took his coffee to a table, and she turned to Ian.
"Hi," she said, her smile reaching all the way to eyes the color of smooth, dark chocolate. "Can I help you?" She gestured to a blackboard with the daily specials. "The salted caramel latte is to die for."
Her voice was to die for. Light and cheery, with a musical lilt and a cute Texas accent. "Actually," he said, "I was hoping you could point the way to Franklin Street."
Cocking her head, she narrowed her eyes at him. "You from the media?"
"Montana."<
br />
She grinned, and he swore the entire cafe got a little brighter. "In that case, I'll draw you a map."
She turned around to put down the coffee pot, giving him a brief but tantalizing view of her denim-hugged backside. The apron tied at the small of her back in a neat little bow emphasized her hourglass figure, which he admired as she dug into the apron pocket for a pen and notepad and pivoted back around to him.
"Now, this little square is Cuppa Joe..." She gave him directions as she drew little lines, but he didn't hear most of it because he was too distracted by her voice and the way her lips moved as she talked. "...And Franklin Street is right there." She marked an X on the napkin with a flourish of her slender hand.
And look at that, she wasn't wearing a wedding ring.
Idiot. You're not here for a fling.
1001 Dark Nights
Welcome to 1001 Dark Nights… a collection of novellas that are breathtakingly sexy and magically romantic. Some are paranormal, some are erotic. Each and every one is compelling and page turning.
Inspired by the exotic tales of The Arabian Nights, 1001 Dark Nights features New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors.
In the original, Scheherazade desperately attempts to entertain her husband, the King of Persia, with nightly stories so that he will postpone her execution.
In our version, month after month, each of our fabulous authors puts a unique spin on the premise and creates a tale that a new Scheherazade tells long into the dark, dark night.
Against the Wind, Season 2, Episode 1 (Rising Storm) Page 8