Sultry Storm (Kimani Romance)

by Norfleet, Celeste O.

  She felt completely safe on the old but stable wooden planks, as did a number of like-minded adventurers who joined her there. They had all come out to witness the splendor of nature’s rage. From the end of the pier the Gulf seemed massive. Waves churned and rolled, crashing against each other in a dramatic symphony of power and fury. Her heart soared at the spectacle. Compared to this, her life and everything else was insignificant.

  Beneath the planks she heard the high tide roll in closer and closer. Just a few slabs of wood separated her from the raging water below. She stood at the rail, the wind gusting around her. An occasional spritz of seawater sprayed her face sending a refreshing tingle against her skin.

  The rough and restless sea fought against itself. It seemed to be the same force fighting inside of her. She felt overjoyed and disheartened at the same time. She realized that she was in love with Stephen even as she’d lost her father’s house. Like the sea, the power of love was strong, undeniable. How do you beat a force like that? she wondered.

  Stephen knew it was her as soon as he saw the figure walking toward the pier. She wore a white dress with her back exposed. Long and flowing, the bottom half blew recklessly in the troubled breeze. She wore a white scarf around her neck and held sandals in her hand. Her hair was tossed erratically and her movements were slow and deliberate. She was beautiful. She had no idea he watched her, as he’d done many times before. Stephen opened the gate and like a moth to a flame, he headed right to her.

  Bare chested and barefoot, he walked down the steps that led to the beach and boardwalk. His eyes were focused solely on Mia, his vision in white. When he got to the boardwalk she had already reached the end of the pier. She stood looking out at the water as the wind gusts swirled around her.

  “You know you really shouldn’t be out here like this. It’s dangerous.”

  Mia smiled as the disconnected voice gently enveloped her even before he was close enough to touch her. She turned around and leaned back against the guardrail, her arms holding the metal bars firmly.

  He looked down at her low-cut dress. Her breasts were moistened by the sprays of seawater. “You’re wet,” he said.

  “Yes, I am. You know me so well,” she said boldly, then smiled at seeing his expression when he realized his comment could be construed a number of different ways.

  Stephen reached out, grabbed her waist and pulled her to his side. She leaned flush against his body and looked up into his dark midnight eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. She exhaled with extreme pleasure. This was what she wanted at the end of the day. She wanted to be in Stephen’s arms and let everything else that didn’t matter just disappear. “You are so beautiful. Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me?” he whispered, before gently touching his lips to hers. “So what are you doing out here?” he asked her.

  “I needed to escape for a while.”

  “Escape from what?”

  “Life, I guess. I was just remembering when I used to come out here years ago,” she began as she stepped out of his arms and walked over to the rail overlooking the beach and surf. He followed close and stood behind her, their bodies were pressed together as one. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned back against him, the protective feeling warming her heart.

  “When I was younger, Dad and I would walk the beach for hours. Then we’d sit. He’d write and I’d build a huge sand fortress around us so that we’d have to be there forever. I never wanted things to change or time to move on. But it didn’t work. The unstoppable tide would always come in and destroy my world.”

  She turned to him and looked up into his eyes. “They’re not black. I thought they were,” she said.

  “My eyes?” he asked. “No, I have very dark brown irises. They appear black at times, but they’re really brown.”

  “One of probably a thousand things I don’t know about you.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. When their lips parted he smiled lovingly. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You look sad.”

  “No, I’m not okay. It’s one of those days,” she said.

  “Do you want to tell me about it?”

  She shook her head, then turned and looked out to the darkening sky and angry waters. “The storm’s picking up again,” she said.

  “You’re right, it is.” He nodded his head slowly, knowing that they were talking about two different storms. She wasn’t ready to hear what he had to tell her. But he had no choice. It was time. “And it’s going to be a bad one,” he added.

  “The surf is so mesmerizing. I could stand here for hours just watching its awesome power. It’s scary and beautiful and tempting all at the same time.”

  He turned to follow her gaze. She was right. The fierce rage of water was hypnotic. They stood in silence looking out at the massive force, and Stephen could feel them lose themselves in their own thoughts as they let the power of the water and the storm on the horizon bring memories and banish fears.

  “This is where it all began for me,” he said, staring down the beach. She looked up at him. “See over there?” He pointed out over the diminishing dunes. “My great-grandfather came ashore right there.”

  “Came ashore from where?” she asked.

  “Cuba. He came here years ago, long before communist tyranny. He was poor in Cuba, so when he saw the riches in America he was enamored. He never returned. He moved his family here and they became American citizens. My grandfather worked hard to have the American dream. He was a busboy, a waiter, a bellhop, he fished, he did any job he could. He saved and he eventually bought an old flophouse. When the land was developed, he sold it and made more money than he’d ever seen before. Then he bought an apartment building, and another one, and another one. It became a business.

  “Later my father joined him and they purchased a hotel, then another one. In time the hotels got bigger and grander and the business became a hotel development company. My grandfather died, and eventually greed and deceit became the norm. I joined the family business right out of college.”

  “Wait, I thought the family business was law enforcement.”

  “That’s my mother’s family,” he said. “Anyway, my father and I pushed further and further, getting more and more while never seeing that we were losing everything that really mattered. And now betrayal, lies and greed is the only legacy left. It’s all there, just like a lousy made-for-TV movie.” He took a deep breath and shook his head sadly. “The business took our honor and everything else. That’s the Morales family history, my family.”

  “But you’re not working with your father anymore, right? That’s all behind you,” she said. He nodded. “Tell me something. Who takes over the business in the future now that you’re not there? Do you have brothers or sisters?”

  “I have two younger sisters, but neither is interested in the hotel development business at this point.”

  “That means the family business will eventually die away,” she said quietly.

  “I didn’t kill the business. My father did.”

  “But still…”

  “The business is fine. Better than fine at this point.”

  “Are your parents still together?”

  “My mother’s name is Whitney Coles Morales. She was a fashion model years ago. She is still the most beautiful woman I know, present company excluded, of course.” Mia smiled and blushed as he continued. “She loved my father fiercely. Through his flaws and arrogance, she only saw their love. Her influence on him was tremendous, but eventually it wasn’t enough. They divorced.

  “The strange thing is that my father still loves her. You can see it in his eyes and know that he’s thinking about her. He even keeps her photo on his office desk.”

  “It sounds like that kind of love is pretty powerful,” she said.

  “It is. Come on, let’s go. I need to show you something.”

  He took her hand and they began walking. When they got to the end of the pier he turned right instead of left. She stopped. “Wait, Dad’s ho
use is back that way,” she said, looking toward the other direction.

  “We’re not going to your dad’s house.”

  “So where are we going?”

  “You’ll see. Come on.”

  She stared at him oddly, but still followed. He had a troubling expression on his face. She knew instinctively that whatever he wanted to show her, she wouldn’t like.

  Chapter 14

  They walked down the pier to the boardwalk then took a shortcut across the beach through to a narrow pass. They climbed steps leading to a private walkway, then a secluded entrance. They rounded several curves until they came to what looked like a large beach house. Stephen opened the back gate, took Mia’s hand and led her up the back steps to his balcony. When they reached the upper level she turned and looked back.

  It wasn’t quite sunset, and even with the heavy cloud cover, the view took her breath away. It was astounding. “Wow, is this your house?” she asked. He nodded. “It’s amazing.” She was stunned by the sheer glamour and magnificence of his home.

  “Come on, this way.” He led her through the kitchen to the dining room then down through the sunken living room and finally to a large study. He turned on the light and walked over to the desk.

  “Wait. How do you have electricity?”

  “I have a generator.”

  “Stephen, this place is incredible.”

  “Thank you. A good friend of mine designed it.”

  “You’re a cop. How can you afford all this?”

  “I’m a cop with means. This was supposed to be my serenity at one time.”

  “Your serenity?”

  He nodded. “I guess for a time it was. I’d work eighty-hour weeks then once every few months I’d retreat here to Key West. That’s when I decided to build. I expected this to be the place where I’d find contentment.”

  “Was it?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “I started building it about five years ago. I stopped when I quit the business. I never intended to live here.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s built with blood money.”

  “What do you mean, like drug money?” she asked, following him across the room to a large mahogany desk.

  He didn’t respond, he just opened the top center drawer and pulled out a folder filled with newspaper articles and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  “Read them.”

  “What are they?” She opened the folder and glanced at the byline. The top article was written by her father almost four years earlier. “My dad wrote these.”

  “Just read them.” He pulled out the large comfortable swivel chair and gestured for her to sit behind the desk. She did. He turned the lamp on then walked out.

  A short while later Mia walked out reversing the same path back to the kitchen. Stephen was standing on the balcony looking out. “You look peaceful,” she said admiringly.

  “Looks are deceiving,” he said, turning and seeing the folder and article in her hand.

  “I see my dad really did a hatchet job on your family business.” Stephen nodded. “I suppose you had the IRS, INS and federal regulators on your back, not to mention the media.” He nodded again. “My father was vigilant for a cause.”

  “He did what he thought was right,” Stephen said.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly, feeling the strain of being her father’s daughter weigh heavily on her shoulders for the first time. Leo was a ferocious pit bull when he was on an investigative assignment. God help anyone he was going after. But for some reason this article seemed harsher than usual. This time, it was like a personal attack.

  “Did you read them all?” he asked.

  “No, I stopped after the first few. I got the general drift of his point. He alleged that your father bribed city officials and attempted to build hotels with low-grade material resulting in poor workmanship. Eventually there was a fire.”

  “The initial stage of construction was almost complete. We’d been approved up to that point. The first major assessment was to take place the following week. The fire happened that weekend. There was just a skeleton crew on site.”

  “Did anyone get hurt?” she asked.

  “Three people were sent to the hospital with smoke inhalation, two more with broken bones, having jumped from a platform. One man is still suffering through third-degree-burn surgeries.”

  “My dad claims in the articles that it was faulty subprime material that sparked the blaze.”

  “People could have died had that hotel continued to be built. I approved all the requisition orders. It was my fault.”

  “Did you know about the alleged bribes? Were you involved?”

  “No, of course not,” he said quickly.

  “Then how could it have been your fault?” She paused and looked at him. “This is why you quit working with your father, isn’t it?” she asked, holding the file out to him. He didn’t respond. “My father mentioned you prominently in these articles. Stephen, I’m so sorry for what he did to you.”

  “Don’t be. It was his job and he was right to do it.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Don’t say anything, Mia,” he promised. “Just read everything in the file, all of it. You need to know everything.”

  “I don’t need to read any more,” she said.

  “You need to read these. It’s important. There’s more to tell you, but I want to be here when you read them,” he assured her.

  “I will, later,” she said softly as she reached behind her neck and unfastened the clasp, releasing the top of her dress. It slipped down to her waist and she helped it the rest of the way. She stepped out and stood there smiling, in sandals and white panties.

  Stephen looked down the length of her body and forgot to breathe. She looked delicious and he was instantly hard.

  “You once told me that it wasn’t the right time to introduce yourself to me. I didn’t agree with you then, but I do now. I’m glad you waited. Timing is everything, isn’t it?”

  “Mia,” he began, his mouth as dry as Death Valley, “we can’t do this now. You need to see the rest of the file.”

  “I will, later, but first…” She walked over to him and stood so close, the tips of her nipples brushed against his skin. Even that light touch was enough for them to pebble instantly. She saw him watch in rapt attention. “I take it you approve this time,” she said, then wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his.

  She kissed him hard, sealing herself to the intensity of feelings she had for him. There was no denying it any longer. She loved him and in that love she wanted to forget all this, her father, his father, the articles, everything. All she wanted was to love him and for him to love her back.

  The kiss lasted an eternity. The fierceness of her driving hunger stoked her passion. He held on to her, gripping her bare back and grasping the nape of her neck to press her closer and deepen the kiss. The kiss was long and lustful, forging the passion that stirred in her. She touched his chest and smiled. She loved touching him, feeling him. Her nails skimmed across his skin, raking lightly. The back of her hand brushed his nipple. She noted that he stiffened.

  Breathing hard, Stephen jerked back, setting her away from him. “Mia, I can’t do this tonight,” he rasped faintly.

  She reached down and took hold of the steel hardness beaconing out to her and then smiled easily. “I think you can.”

  He took her hand away quickly before losing all control. “You don’t understand.” He looked into her eyes seeing love reflected back at him and the future he so desperately wanted with her. Maybe she will understand. Maybe her love will forgive me. His hunger was suddenly stoked beyond anything he’d ever experienced. He was hard as a rock and all he could think about was burying himself deep inside her body. He trembled as his penis throbbed and pulsated with need.

  She stepped back and took his nipple into her mouth a
nd sucked gently. His body tremored. She repeated the action and he shuddered. She nibbled him teasingly, then licked and suckled more. He grabbed her arms in an iron vise to hold her away. She looked up at him. His eyes were black as the storm raging in the distance. He had the strength, but she had his will.

  “Let go, Esteban,” she said sweetly, belying the insatiable intensity in her eyes. He released her instantly and she devoured his nipple again, this time with more fervor. She seemed to punish him for his impertinence. He shivered as his breathing increased. She felt his heart pound in his chest. The joy of controlling this man as he controlled her was exhilarating.

  A deep throaty groan escaped him as he quickly lifted her up. Their mouths met in a staggering kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her, to where she had no idea. Seconds, moments or hours later, when their lips finally parted, she looked up, no longer seeing the overcast sky above her. She was in bed, lying down with Stephen hovering over her. She tossed her head back giving him full access to all of her. He readily accepted her invitation devouring as much of her as he could.

  He greedily consumed one dark orb, suckling and drawing her deep into his mouth while caressing the other. She gasped, holding firm to his head and directing the pull of his mouth. The pleasure was mind-boggling, but she wanted even more. “Wait, wait,” she panted.

  He released her and leaned away, then rolled onto his back. She sat up and looked down at him. His eyes were closed and he was breathing hard. She looked around seeing that they were indeed in his bedroom lying on a large master bed. She saw his handcuffs on the dresser and decided to have a different kind of fun tonight. She got up.

  “Where are you going?” he muttered.

  “I’ll be right back.” Moments later she returned smiling menacingly as she got back on the bed. He opened his eyes seeing what she brought with her and knew exactly what she intended to do. She straddled him then lifted his hand above his head. She clicked one cuff onto his wrist. “I hope this is the key,” she whispered in his ear just before she nibbled the lobe. He barely nodded. “Good.” She threaded the chain part around the brass headboard. She drew his other hand up over his head and clicked the other cuff then placed the key on the table beside the bed. He lay helpless to her bidding and she liked it.