The Unexpected Storm

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  He didn’t miss the way she changed the subject. She was good at changing the focus of attention on her. Most women loved the spotlight, but Candy loathed it. There was a lot he was beginning to discover about Candy that was a window to her soul. He supposed that was why she hid on her property, all by herself. She was scared, and she thought she was alone. No one should ever be alone.

  Neil slid off his wet coat and set the radio on the counter. “You know, you bottle things up so tight inside yourself. I’m here with you. You’re not alone, Candy. It’s not going to kill you to talk to me, so tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”

  He tuned the radio, searching for a station but picking up nothing but static. He shone his light on the dial and turned it until he picked up something; he could hear music in the background and left it there, hoping an announcer would come on and give a storm update.

  He listened to Candy’s breath, her soft sound rustling behind him. He set the flashlight on the counter, shining the light at the ceiling, and turned to Candy, and she was sitting there, so childlike, staring at her hands.

  Neil grabbed the flashlight and moved beside her on the floor. “Let me take a look at your leg. Come on, scoot down.” He held his hand out to help her, and when she finally glanced up, there was enough light that he didn’t miss the tears she was trying to hide. Whoa, what the hell? “Candy, is it worse? Does it hurt? Let me see.” He lifted the hem of the shirt and pulled the bandage away, but it wasn’t as puffy and swollen as it had been earlier, although it was red around the edges. He glanced up at her, and she seemed to be fighting to hold herself together. “This looks better. Do you need more Tylenol?”

  She shook her head. “No, Neil, it actually doesn’t hurt as bad. Don’t worry about it. It’s silly, really. I’m sorry.”

  If he heard her say “I’m sorry” one more time, he thought he’d scream or yell or something. “Candy, stop with the apologies, already. What is it?” He forced the words through teeth he’d jammed together, because shaking her and yelling at her right now was something Brad or Jed would likely do, not level-headed Neil who had graduated Harvard with an MBA and could calmly handle just about any situation. But being here with Candy, he was starting to see how much sense his brothers’ caveman ideals made, and, in a moment that had him pause, he almost understood them. And that was a scary thought.

  He slid his hand around her chin and turned her face up so she was forced to look at him just as a tear slipped out. She couldn’t hide it, and he could tell she was embarrassed.

  She slid her hand around his wrist, and instead of pushing him away, she held on. “You scared me when you left. I didn’t think you’d come back. I thought maybe you’d had enough, too.”

  What the hell was going through her head? Maybe he hadn’t heard her right. Whatever could make her think he’d abandon her after everything he’d done for her so far throughout this storm? “Candy, I’d never leave you. I’m not going anywhere, and I can’t help wondering what would ever make you think I could get up and walk away as if it was so easy. You’ve built up some pretty heavy walls.” He watched her as another tear slipped out. “I didn’t mean to scare you, but now that I have the radio, I can find out what’s going on out there. Being in here now is all fine and great until something catches us unaware. That radio is going to tell me where the hurricane is and which way it’s coming so I can figure out what to do next to keep you safe.” He watched her for a moment and wondered what was going on in that pretty head that now had her frowning.

  “He left me.”

  She said it so matter-of-factly that Neil had to blink and wonder who she was talking about. He dropped his hand from her chin, taking her hand in his, and sat facing her. “Who left you?”

  “Kevin.” She shrugged.

  Neil couldn’t figure out who Kevin was. A boyfriend? He didn’t think she was seeing anyone. “Who is Kevin?”

  “He wasn’t really a boyfriend, but a friend, I thought, anyway. Knew him for years. He was a friend of Dad’s. He was always coming out. Did a lot with Dad when he was still running the charter business. We spent time together, he took me out with him all the time in the boat, and, I don’t know, I kind of thought maybe one day, the two of us...it was silly on my part. I know that now. When Dad died, I called him, thought he’d come back for me. But now I think it was more about what he could get from Dad. He said he’d take care of me, and he was here when we tossed Dad’s ashes in the ocean. I thought I could lean on him, that he cared, and then I found him going through Dad’s papers, Dad’s stuff. Then he packed up and left, said he was busy, had things to take care of, that it was great seeing me and to take care. He patted my shoulder. He never patted my shoulder. He hugged me, kissed me once, too, and then he walked away as if I meant nothing. I shouldn’t have leaned on him. I scared him away.”

  “He was a coward and a gold digger,” Neil said. Maybe this was why Candy was so prickly. Right now, he was furious for her. This prick, Kevin, Neil would have loved to slam his fist in his face, beat the crap out of him. He knew what he was about. Just listening, Neil could tell that the dirt bag only cared about what he could get. Kevin would have hurt Candy badly. He had obviously figured out that Randy had nothing, that he owed people money, that there was nothing of value to be found. But Neil wondered, too, what else that guy had found in those papers, because right now, he was sure Candy didn’t have a clue what she’d gotten herself into.

  “What, why would you say that?” Her eyes widened, and he could see the shock register. “He was a friend of Dad’s.”

  “Do not for one second defend him. No man treats a woman like that, speaks to her like that, and walks away from her because he finds something her dad did that he doesn’t like. He didn’t care for you. He didn’t respect you. He would have hurt you, Candy. Realize that now, and be thankful he’s gone. Friends, real friends, stick by you and just listen. Your dad had nothing, Candy, and this guy obviously figured it out. Don’t ever settle for any man unless he is madly and deeply in love with you and is all about taking care of you the way you should be taken care of.”

  She went to say something, and then her breath squeaked. “Oh.”

  Neil slid the back of his fingers down her cheek and watched. Her eyes dipped to his lips, and he just leaned in and tasted her, his lips on hers. Angling his head, he traced his tongue at the edge of her lip until she opened, and he took all that she offered. He shoved his hands in her glorious hair and held her to him as he sampled and tasted, as her arms slid around his neck. She was really getting into the kiss, her tongue darting out and tasting him. She was driving him wild, and he slid his arm down around her waist, around her sweet cheek, and held her flush against him, her breasts pressing into his chest. Her nipples poked him, and he could feel her need building against him.

  Neil slid his hand up and under her shirt, feeling the softness of her skin, and she trembled from his touch and pressed harder, closer to him, as if she couldn’t get enough. She moaned, and her fingers dug into his back. He had to tear his mouth away from her. “Holy God, slow down.” He felt her flinch. “No, that’s not what I meant, but I won’t last at this pace. You been with anyone before?” He didn’t know why he asked that or why that had popped from his mouth.

  She didn’t answer, and his hand was still under her shirt, at the side of her breast, circling around and then covering her nipple as he pulled back and just watched her. He slid his other arm around her back, and she nodded.

  “I need you to say something, Candy.”

  She slid her hands on his shoulders and went up on her knees with him, pressing against him and all that was straining in his jeans. He wanted nothing more than to pull off her t-shirt, strip off her underwear, and bury himself deep inside her.

  “No, I haven’t been with anyone.”

  It took a minute to register in his brain what she’d just said. He fisted his hand and shook as he dropped it. “Candy, I can’t believe I’m going to say this.
” He slid both hands over her shoulders and then up to cup both her cheeks until she looked at him with such hurt, as if she knew what he was going to say.

  “You don’t have to say it, Neil. I’m sorry it would be such a chore for you.” Her eyes flashed with a fire he recognized, and he could feel the wheels spinning as if winding her back, pulling her away as if the doors were closing.

  “Knock it off,” he growled. “I’m done with your apologizing. Stop saying you’re sorry as if you and you alone are responsible for everything that’s happened, including my erection.”

  Her eyes snapped wide open as her shock registered, most likely from his blatant description of his body part.

  “You are not a chore,” he continued, “and if you think about it, you’ll realize that I kissed you as I’ve wanted to for so long. The last thing I’m going to do to you is lay you flat out naked before me and bury myself in you and ride you like an animal, especially since you’ve never been with anyone. I plan on making love to you, but I want it to mean something, not a quick romp in a darkened room with a stinky donkey beside us. You deserve more. You deserve a proper bed, roses, candles. You deserve to be treasured. For the first time with me, it should be special and be something you remember as magical, wonderful, outstanding. Not this. So just slow down, take a breath, because this won’t ever be casual sex, not with me. ”

  “But what if I want you now? What if I don’t want everything else?” She licked her pink, luscious lips that were still wet from him.

  My God, how could she be so innocent as to not realize what she was doing to him? That simple gesture was the same as waving a red blanket to a bull, and Neil only had so much control. His body had a mind of its own as he dipped his head and ran his tongue over her lips until she opened, and he took and tasted again. He knew he should stop. Somewhere, on some level, his head was telling him to stop, but she was so hot and sexy and slim and luscious, and every curve was pressing tightly against him, rubbing against him. He held her like a drowning man as he slid his tongue down her neck, and she tilted her head to give him more. He slid his hand in her hair and lifted it back, setting his teeth in her earlobe and pulling, and he listened as her breath caught and she gasped again.

  Neil lifted his shirt from her and tossed it. He took hold of both her breasts and squeezed, then leaned in and tasted the most perfect nipples, running his tongue over first one, then the other. Her hands were everywhere on him, down his back and then to the button on his jeans, and her fingers fumbled as she started pulling on them.

  Static from the radio and the news cut in and out, but he ignored it for a second until something about it finally registered and cut through his lust. It took another second before he could pull his lips away. He set his forehead against Candy’s, breathing as if he’d raced for miles. She slid her hands up his chest, and Neil turned his head to listen. She tried to pull him back.

  “No, Candy, stop. The radio, listen for a minute.” He moved away and adjusted the dial on the radio until it came in clearer and the announcer’s deep baritone gave details of the storm and its shift. The eye of the storm was approaching or was upon them, just north of Cancun. Neil had to keep adjusting as static kept cutting in and out, and he was picking up on bits and pieces.

  “Neil, is the storm passing?”

  He heard her rustle and glimpsed her pull his shirt over her head. “I don’t know. I’m pretty sure, from what I heard, it’s moving north. Could be we’re just getting the tip. It’s still over us. Listen to the rain, the way it’s pounding the roof.”

  “But it’s calm in the eye of the storm, Neil.”

  He turned around and spotted her as she pulled a blanket over her legs, clutching it up to her breasts. He didn’t miss her awkwardness. He moved toward her before she could pull any further back into her shell, the one he realized she was racing to now and had cocooned herself in for years, for as long as he’d known her. He lifted her onto his lap. She hesitated only a second before relaxing and leaning into him, waging some war as if she needed to give herself permission.

  He realized he was going to have to work on this with her, get her comfortable with him, at ease with herself, before she opened up to him. She’d definitely be a challenge he’d enjoy.

  “You’re right. It is calm and deceiving, and many fools have thought the storm was over only for the other side to pass over and be just as bad, if not worse. This is a good thing, because it means we’re not getting the worst of it. We’re not on the right side, and the storm surge shouldn’t be as bad. We’re far enough back here in this house that it shouldn’t reach us.” He was hoping they were. That was one thing he and his dad had made sure of before they bought this place. The resort he planned was a different story.

  “Will my place be gone?”

  He could feel her looking up at him as if she were waiting for him to tell her everything would be all right. He felt like a traitor, because his development would be easier with her place gone. He cradled her in his arms, resting his chin on top of her head. She fit so perfectly in his lap, as if she belonged right here and now. “Yes, it will be gone.” She stiffened instantly. “Candy, at your place, the storm came right at us. Before we left, I could feel it coming down around us. I’m sorry, honey, there’s no way it’s still there. Don’t worry, because I’ll take care of you. I’ll handle everything.”

  “My horses, what about my horses, Neil? Are they gone, too?”

  He hoped they weren’t. A house was one thing, but he knew that knowing her horses were hurt would kill some part of her. “No, they’ll be fine. Animals have a sense about this. They would have moved inland, found safety. We’ll find them after this is over.” That was if they hadn’t been trapped by some downed tree, drowned, injured, or killed by flying debris.

  “Promise?”

  “Yeah, I promise.”

  Chapter 13

  It was the slide of his hand down her back, under her shirt, that had her opening her eyes, but not one part of her had the strength to move. Even though she was lying almost naked on top of him, she had no desire to move from the warmth and comfort of his arms.

  “I think the storm has passed over us. I don’t hear anything,” Neil said as his large hand, which was so comforting, slid lower over her butt and over her thighs and back. Then he squeezed gently, and she pressed herself against his leg as he ran his hand up her back and into her hair, pulling her face up to his. He kissed her lips, her cheek, and then breathed in her hair. It was then that Ambrose stepped out of the cupboard and onto her.

  “Ambrose, get off!” she yelled at him.

  Neil pushed his arm out, bumping Ambrose off Candy, and the donkey jumped over them. The odor that followed as the donkey peed on the floor had Candy burying her face against Neil. Ambrose then bumped the door. He wanted out. Of course he did.

  “Okay, that’s it.” Neil pulled away and sat up, grabbing the flashlight and flicking it on. He shone it on the radio and clicked it back on, grabbed his boots and shoved his feet in, and then picked up Ambrose and shoved him back into the cupboard.

  “We’re out of milk for him, Neil,” Candy said. She’d given him the last bottle before they went to sleep.

  “I’ll figure something out. We should be able to get him to graze a bit on some grass or hay. A little bit shouldn’t hurt. Just hang tight for a second—I’ll be right back.” He was standing up now, the flashlight in his hands.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, unable to believe he was leaving again.

  “Bathroom. Then I’ll check and see what’s happening outside, if the storm has passed.” He was already at the door, and when he opened it, there was a trickle of light.

  Just with him mentioning the bathroom, Candy needed to go, as well, after all the water she’d drank and the ham sandwich they’d shared. She wanted to rinse off the grime she felt covering all of her. “Neil, I’m going to the bathroom, too.”

  He held out his hand and helped her up. The tape pulled arou
nd the gauze, pinching her skin, but the ache from the puncture was nowhere near the pain it had been last night. She could even put weight on it and walk herself if she needed to, but Neil didn’t appear ready to let go of her, and the fact was that she didn’t want to stop touching him. She couldn’t let go. She loved touching him, feeling him all around her. There was something about him and his touch and his entire way of being that got under her skin. His scent weakened her knees, and when his hand reached out to her, she needed to put her hand in his, to allow his large hand to close around her, because his strength surrounded her, and she needed it as much as she needed to breathe. The feeling was so wonderful and powerful that it possessed her heart and zinged through her stomach right down to her toes.

  She smiled as she stepped with him into the pool of light that streamed in from the back door, the distinct panel filled with golds and pinks. She hadn’t noticed it before, but then, yesterday was the first day she’d ever been to this house. In this light, even though he needed to shave, Neil was the sexiest man. He’d had her at hello that morning. He squeezed her hand and then glanced up at the ceiling as he pulled her closer to him as if protecting her from everything. For a moment, her chest tightened and she couldn’t speak, because this was how it was supposed to be with the man she loved. She wanted to see where it went with him; she didn’t want this to end.

  “Candy, come on.” He set her in the bathroom and said, “Leave the door open a crack. I’ll use the other one. I want to check the house, too. Stay here this time until I get back.”

  He was gone then, and Candy quickly used the bathroom, ran a little more water into the sink, and washed as best she could: her face, her underarms. She opened the door right up so she could have more light and then pulled back the fresh bandage Neil had put on her wound the night before. She poked around it, but it felt fine. It was a little hard close to the puncture, but it didn’t hurt like it had. She wondered if she should take the bandage off, but she decided that with Ambrose beside her, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. She taped it back on and noticed her reflection: tangled hair, dirt smudges here and there.