Goodbye,
Tracy
Storm shook his head, remembering that terrible day. Don’t try to find her? There was no chance of that. If she wanted out, so be it. Once she left, he never had the time nor, as time passed, the inclination to find her. What a fool he’d been over her. He’d wanted her the first minute he saw her. She’d come on to him one night in the Fireside, and they had spent the night together. It didn’t take long before he thought he was in love. Looking back, he was sure it was just lust. Oh, she was beautiful but she used that to play him for a fool. She knew he was a rich rancher and money was all she loved. She didn’t even love her own child. In all the time since that day, he’d never heard from her at all, just as she’d written. He couldn’t understand how a mother could leave her child behind. Even if she didn’t want to have a baby to begin with, hadn’t she ever felt any love for Mandy at all?
He did his best with caring for his daughter on his own because he would walk through fire for his little girl. It had been rough at first because he had to run the ranch too, but then Jimmy mentioned that Claire was willing to help out with her. She was great. Either she’d come to the house or he’d take Mandy to her. Storm didn’t know what he would have done without her in the beginning. He’d deliberately worked himself so hard so he wouldn’t think of Tracy and eventually, she no longer invaded his thoughts. Eventually, he got to the point where he was nothing but angry for having played the fool and being taken in by a pretty face. Never again, he promised himself. Storm had all he needed with Mandy. She was the most important person in his life and he wouldn’t let her be hurt by anyone, and especially by a woman who would leave her again. He had no desire to go through that hurt again—with anyone. Chloe included. It was the major reason he didn’t want to get involved with anyone. It was not only his heart at stake. It was Mandy’s too. He knew now, that the sooner he got Chloe out of here, the better.
Chapter Eight
Chloe finished stuffing the turkey and shoved it into the oven with a little more force than was necessary. What she’d really like to do was shove Storm in there with it. Damn him. However, she really shouldn’t put all the blame on him. Ever thinking he’d change was her fault. She should have learned her lesson two years ago. When he walked away from her after the best sex she’d ever had, and ignored her afterward, that spoke volumes about him. Then at Dakota and Megan’s wedding reception, she’d gotten into an argument with him about the night they’d been together. At that time, he told her it had been a mistake, and her heart broke knowing she’d never have him so why had she thought he’d change now. There is no second chance with Storm Bateman and he was never going to want more from her than just sex.
When she’d left Dry River the next day, she thought she’d never return. She reconciled never seeing Storm again. Her decision to return to the little town had made her happy, but now she was only going to end up with him hurting her again. In fact, if it were possible, she was going to be hurt more than she was before.
Just then, the back door opened and Storm entered the kitchen. They’d hardly spoken to each other this week except in regards to Mandy.
“Smells good,” he said as he took his gloves, hat, and coat off. After he came out of the mudroom, he leaned against the counter and stared at her.
“I’d rather you not be in the kitchen while I’m cooking.”
“Really? I’ve been in here several times when you’ve been cooking.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got a lot to do and...we were...talking then.”
He pushed himself away from the counter and walked to her then stopped in front of her.
“I miss you, Chloe,” he whispered as he lowered his head and kissed her neck.
“You miss the sex,” she said in anger and stepped away from him.
Storm blew out a breath. “I can’t win with you, can I?”
“No. So stop trying. The weather is supposed to clear next week, so I’ll be leaving and I won’t be seeing you anymore. You should be happy with that.” She moved to the counter to start peeling potatoes.
“You will see me when I’m working on your apartment or did you forget about that? I already asked the guys and they’re all willing to help. Once the holidays are over, we’ll begin the work.”
“Fine. I’ll give the keys to Kennie and she can give them to Cooper. The less I see of you, the better.”
Chloe could feel him staring at her through her back. She released a tense sigh when she heard him leave the room. Wiping away a tear, she continued making dinner and tried not to think about Storm.
Dinner was a loud affair only because Claire and Jimmy were there and kept the conversation going. Mandy talked about Christmas almost non-stop. Chloe rarely spoke and kept her head down. She’d never felt so uncomfortable in her life, even worse than dinner with her parents. She noticed Storm didn’t speak much either. Chloe could tell Claire thought something was up by the way she kept glancing in her direction and then Storm’s. This dinner couldn’t be over soon enough.
A while later, Chloe and Claire stood in the kitchen cleaning up and loading the dishwasher.
“Everything okay, Chloe?” Claire asked her.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.” She gave her feigned smile.
“Okay. If you ever need to talk—I’m here.”
“Thank...” Chloe cleared her throat. “Thank you. I guess it’s just that I’ll be leaving next week. I’m going to miss Mandy.”
“And Storm?” Claire said quietly.
Chloe let out a breath. “A little—perhaps.”
Claire laughed. “Sure. Okay, I won’t call you on that but I can see the way you look at him. He looks at you the same way.”
“No, you’re mistaken, Claire. Not Storm. He’s made it quite clear...he doesn’t want to get involved with anyone after what Tracy did to him.”
“Tracy was a bitch and he’s better off without her.” Chloe paused what she was doing and looked at Claire, who shrugged. “Oh, he knows that now but I think he’s scared to take a chance, and I suspect he’d rather die than see Mandy hurt ever again.”
“I know, and I guess I understand that. I’ll be all right. I’m moving back to town to run my restaurant and get on with my life.”
“Wonderful. I love Zellene’s. Jimmy and I eat there at least once a week. It’s a great place.”
“Thank you.” Chloe smiled for real for the first time in hours. She was very proud of Zellene’s.
“Let’s finish up in here. I’m tired and still getting over that cold.”
Chloe nodded and they hurried to finish up so they could call it a night. After Jimmy and Claire left, she walked to the living room and sat on the sofa. Storm was taking a shower and Mandy was asleep in the recliner. She hated the idea of leaving here. She really was going to miss everything about being here. Mandy. The ranch. And Storm. Who knew she’d fall in love with the cowboy, his little girl, and his ranch? Okay, she admitted it. She was in love with Storm, and had been for a long time. The idea of finding anyone new, anyone better, was foreign to her.
She jerked when Mandy crawled into her lap.
“I thought you were sleeping?”
“Just a nap. Daddy says turkey makes you sleepy. Where is he?”
“Taking a shower. He should be out soon. I’m sure there’s a Christmas movie we could watch.”
“Okay.” Mandy laid her head against her shoulder and Chloe choked up. She’d truly grown to love this little girl.
“You’ll have to have your daddy bring you to visit me after I go home.”
Mandy sat up and stared at her. “No. You can’t leave us, Chloe.”
“Oh, honey. I have a job to go to...a restaurant to run. I’m only here until the weather clears up. Hey, I won’t be that far away and you can visit me.”
Mandy hugged her. “Promise you’ll come see me on Christmas.”
“I promise,” Chloe whispered and kissed her on top of her head. She glanced up when she realized Stor
m had entered the living room.
“Is everything all right?” he asked, his brows knitted together with obvious concern.
“Yes.”
“No! Chloe’s leaving.” Mandy jumped down from her seat and ran to Storm, who picked her up into his arms.
“Amanda, you knew she wasn’t staying very long. She’s just visiting.”
“I want her to stay.”
Storm sat in the recliner and held his daughter on his lap, her head against his chest. He looked at Chloe over her head.
“I told her I’d see her on Christmas.”
Storm nodded. “See, Chloe will come out Christmas day. How’s that?”
“Okay. I’m sleepy, Daddy. I want to take a bath and go to bed.”
“It has been a long day.” He stood. “Let’s get you a bath. I’m kind of tired myself. Chloe, we’ll see you in the morning.”
“Sure. Goodnight.” Chloe watched as they disappeared down the hallway and couldn’t help but wish this could all be different.
She hadn’t realized how long she’d sat there alone until she glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. It was almost nine. No wonder she was so tired. She’d been up since five to start dinner preparations. She pushed herself up from the sofa and headed down the hallway. When she passed Mandy’s room, she could hear the little girl laughing and Storm’s deep voice talking to her. Chloe walked on to her room and closed the door behind her. She headed to the bathroom where she turned the shower on then stripped her clothes off as the bathroom filled with steam.
Stepping under the spray, she moaned as the hot water slid down over her. Turning her back, she let the water hit between her shoulder blades. Tension had taken up residence there and she hoped it would help. The thought of leaving here soon was stressing her out. But she had to go, Storm didn’t want her here any longer.
When the shower door suddenly opened letting cold air invade, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Pushing the water out of her eyes, she saw Storm standing there staring at her.
“What do you think you’re doing, Storm?”
“Watching you shower?”
“Go away.” She turned her back to him and tried not to let tears well up in her eyes.
“If you really want me to go, I will...but turn around and tell me to my face.”
Chloe shook her head. There was no way she could look into his handsome face and tell him to go. She wanted him too much. Then again, why not take what she could get with him. She spun around to look at him, and her gaze met his sexy dark eyes. She watched as he allowed his gaze to run down over her body. When his eyes lingered on her breasts, her nipples hardened in reaction. Down his eyes traveled to her flat stomach, her curls, and down her legs before they came back up to meet her eyes.
“What do you want me to do, Chloe?”
“Get in here with me.” She groaned chastising her body for not being able to resist him then smiled when he quickly stripped his clothes off. When he pulled a condom from his wallet and grinned at her, her knees went weak so she turned her back to him.
He stepped in behind her and picked up the soap. After lathering it up, he ran his hands easily over her breasts and rubbed the pads of his thumbs over her nipples making her moan. He moved his mouth along her shoulder and up her neck and she dropped her head back against him, allowing him access.
“I love your breasts. I swear they’re perfect. Just like the rest of you,” he whispered in her ear.
She tried to turn around but he wouldn’t let her. “Storm,” she pleaded.
“Soon.” He nipped her neck then moved one hand down her stomach to her curls and rubbed his fingertip against her clitoris making her buck against him. “I love how responsive you are to my touch.”
Chloe groaned, wishing his touch didn’t affect her so, as he kept moving his finger against her. His other hand was still on her breast, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her nipple. She pushed back against him and felt his hard shaft against her back. She laughed low in her throat.
“It seems you’re responsive to me too.”
Storm chuckled. “You have no idea.” He removed his hand from her breast and moved it along her side around to her butt. He slipped his hand between her legs from behind and inched two fingers into her.
Chloe gasped as his fingers hit her G-spot. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath as she placed her hand over his finger on her clitoris.
“Harder?” he whispered.
“God, yes.” She groaned as her orgasm hit her making her knees buckle.
Storm quickly removed his hand and caught her then spun her around to face him. “You are so fucking hot.”
He picked her up and set her on her feet outside the shower. He reached for a towel and dried her off. When he started to dry himself off, she took the towel from him and started drying him herself. As she moved the towel down his stomach, his dick protruded out. She looked up into his eyes.
“I think this...” She wrapped her hand around his length. “Needs to be blow dried.”
Dropping to her knees in front of him, and still looking up into his face, she placed her mouth over him. Storm didn’t take his eyes from hers as his hands clutched fistfuls of her wet hair. Chloe pulled back from him and licked his hard length. She ran her tongue over his balls and smiled when he growled. Moving back up, she ran her tongue to the tip and swirled it around the head and all the while, pumping her hand up and down along him. She moaned and grinned when he shuddered. With her other hand, she cupped his balls and massaged them gently. His hands tightened even more in her hair.
“Chloe,” he groaned. “I’m too close. It’s too fast and too fucking soon. Stop.”
She laughed. “Nope. Enjoy.”
“I want to fuck you.”
“We have all night...if you want.” His lack of denial told her all she needed. “So shut up, Storm.”
Storm blew out a laugh. “Yeah, right.”
Chloe put her mouth down over him again and sucked hard, making him tense beneath her fingers. A deep growl tore from his chest as he came in her mouth. His hips pumped against her as she took all of him. Once he relaxed, Chloe pulled away from him and kissed her way up his six-pack stomach, hard pecs and finally, to his lips. He took control of the kiss and deepened it then he picked her up, carried her out of the bathroom, out through her bedroom, and entered his after looking toward Mandy’s door. He closed the door tight behind them and placed her on the edge of the bed. He ran his hands down her legs to her ankles, wrapped his hands around them, and tugged her to the edge of the bed. Dropping to his knees between her legs, and after spreading them wide, he kissed the inside of her thigh then he blew on her curls.
Chloe gasped as he pulled her slit apart with his thumbs and moved his tongue over her clitoris. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair as her already aroused body rolled with pleasure.
“Don’t stop,” she pleaded.
He chuckled and flicked his tongue against her then placed his mouth over her and suckled.
Chloe couldn’t stop the groan from bursting from her throat. He was slowly killing her with his administrations, and as his tongue moved down along her slit and back to her clitoris, she knew no man would ever make her body soar like he could.
“I’m going to make you come, Chloe, with just my mouth,” he said against her.
Blindly nodding, she didn’t doubt that he could do it because she was already very close. When he pushed his tongue hard against her clitoris, she pulled his hair harder. Then he put his mouth over her and sucked.
“Storm...” She moaned and then began to draw in deep breaths feeling as if there wasn’t enough air in the world, and it was amazing.
“Yes, baby.” He sucked harder, making her body arch closer to his mouth.
Chloe reached for the pillow to muffle her scream as her orgasm ripped through her. Stars burst behind her eyelids and she shattered into a thousand pieces. Tossing the pillow aside, she lay flat with her arms outstretched, and tried to ca
tch her breath. She could feel him kissing his way up her stomach to her breasts and when he finally reached her lips, she tasted her arousal on his tongue keeping her arousal heightened enough that she was thrilled when she heard him tear open a condom. She was on the verge of coming almost immediately again when he inched his tongue into her mouth as he inched his cock into her.
“Hold on, this is going to be hard and fast,” Storm told her and then took them both soaring over the edge. It was the best Thanksgiving of her life.
STORM AWOKE WITH A jerk, sat up, and listened. He swung his legs out of the bed and pulled his jeans on. It was probably just his imagination or part of a dream, but his gut told him he needed to check the house.
“What is it?” Chloe asked from behind him.
“I don’t know. I heard something. Could be nothing. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
When he reached the door leading to the hallway, he pulled the door open and listened. He didn’t hear anything but he needed to check around anyway. He’d just feel better. Pulling the door closed behind him, he walked down the hallway to Mandy’s door. He opened it quietly and peeked in. She was asleep like an angel, hugging Boo. Storm smiled and closed the door then walked to the kitchen. Nothing seemed amiss in any part of the house.
Peering out the back door to the barns, he saw they were dark. He blew out a relieved breath. He wasn’t sure what he’d heard but nothing was out of place anywhere. Maybe he’d been dreaming after all. He walked back down the hallway, and entered his bedroom closing the door behind him.
“Storm?” Chloe whispered.
“Yeah, it’s all right...nothing’s wrong.”
“I wouldn’t say that...” She pointed toward the yard outside the patio doors. “...is nothing.”
Storm walked to the doors and looked out. The full moon’s bright beams lit up the area and his gut clenched when he saw a cougar standing by the pool. “Shit. I need to get him out of here. This is one reason I keep the barns closed up at night.”
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