Surviving the Storm (Surviving Series Book 2) Read online

  “What would it be like to be with this better man?”

  The question was so blunt, I didn’t answer right away. She seemed to tense, even though it was her words that had caused the reaction, and when she turned away, I wondered if she regretted it.

  But I had to act on pure instinct. This felt right. It almost felt too right.

  “Look me in the eyes and say that,” I challenged.

  She raised one eyebrow, looking less certain, less brave. Her eyes searched mine, begging for something I couldn’t decipher.

  “Say it.”

  We locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

  “Let’s not overthink this,” she whispered.

  Reason tumbled into oblivion, and her sudden naughty smile had me imagining all sorts of wild things I had only dreamed about.

  “Lead the way.”

  She rose seductively out of her chair.

  Christ.

  Wondering if I looked as nervous as I felt, we walked side by side in a comfortable pace. I placed my hand lightly on the small of her back, and once in the elevator, we stood in silence.

  My heart was beating wildly.

  “Can’t wait to get upstairs, huh?” I asked playfully, next to her ear.

  When she laughed, I stared back at her. Her taunting blue eyes were asking for it. I gently brushed my tongue over her pillowlike lips, and then let them crash against one another. She tasted so sweet. We didn’t break apart until we heard the doors open. I reached for her hand and pulled her down the hall.

  “Here we are.”

  One swipe, and we were in. She made her way to the window, where the soft glow of the moon shone down on her face. She looked at me with an indescribable expression, the moon reflected in her eyes.

  Fuck, I was a Hallmark card.

  She undressed slowly, methodically, throwing each piece of clothing on the chair. Her eyes never wavered.

  “Tampering with my sanity, I see.”

  I stood frozen in place, unwilling to miss a single moment of her show.

  “Do you need some assistance?”

  Her one finger dragged over my chest, working its magic down to my belt and lower. She was urging me on, and the blood suddenly rushed downward where he was waiting. I felt the thick and heavy weight, just begging for release. I undressed slowly as I watched her final garment fall, her nakedness on display as her golden hair draped over her luscious curves.

  I sampled her sensual lips as I lowered my mouth to meet hers. Her warm tongue pushed against mine. We moved as one toward the bed. Once the back of her legs pressed against the bed, she tumbled back, her silken blonde hair fanned out across the sheets.

  My hand slowly grazed over her bare leg, up her thigh. She whimpered as I stroked between her legs. Then I found her wet and ready. I gripped her knees and eased them apart and hovered over her exposed beauty. I eagerly buried my face between her thighs.

  “Jesus, woman.”

  I tasted her heat, the flavor all hers, and my tongue knew no bounds. Wildness brewed beneath her exterior of gentleness, and her moans grew stronger. Her fingers glided through my hair, tugging and guiding me as her hips found her pace. I knew I couldn’t hold back the force of passion she ignited in me for much longer, but then she came as my mouth sucked hard on her bud. I drew out her climax for as long as I could as her body shook with tremors.

  She cradled my face in her hands, urging me up to meet her lips as she pulled me in for a kiss. I kneaded her heavy breast, finding her nipples beaded and excited as our mouths consumed each other, our tongues doing a mating dance of their own.

  Her hand reached down between us, circling my hard length with vigor. My stamina now at risk, I slowed her pace, not ready to cut the night short, but she took that as a beckoning to bury my cock in her warm, wet mouth.

  Who was I to argue?

  “You’re driving too fast, Madison.”

  I watched her worship on her knees as if she was exploring the deepest, most private part of me. It was an attack on my senses, and I was unprepared for her frenzied fever. I wanted more. I needed more.

  I had to have a deeper connection.

  “I need to be inside you.”

  Her knowing smile said it all.

  After gloving up, I hovered over her entrance, slowly filling her and stretching her. I was eager to sample every inch of her.

  Then I stilled, throbbing inside her.

  “You’re so sexy, and so fucking tight.”

  As her body closed tightly around me, she squeezed her inner muscles as if she was caressing my cock from within.

  That was new.

  Our eyes met in what only could be described as a spiritual connection. The passionate kiss we shared spoke of things unsaid.

  Then her knees clamped on my naked hips as my thrusts became increasingly long, slowly pulling her tighter against my body.

  “Deeper!” She begged.

  I lifted her legs and begun to fuck her, hard.

  “Yes, just like that!”

  I was on my knees now. She matched my rhythm thrust for thrust. The onslaught of her raw physical desire was something only I could satisfy. She liked it hard, I was more than happy to oblige. I circled her swollen clit, and the potency was suddenly too much.

  “Alex, yes! Fuck me!”

  Wave after wave of euphoric release slammed down on us both. With ragged breathing, pounding heartbeats, and sweat-slicked bodies, we tumbled into sensual oblivion.

  God, when my name flew from her lips, it was as if she became mine. Every possessive bone in my body just claimed her.

  We slept entangled in each other’s arms.

  I woke later, very aware of the night we had just shared. I was hoping that perhaps this time would be different. Maybe this woman—who had basically appeared out of thin air—would actually be mine.

  I reached for her, carefully turning her to face me. Her eyes remained closed, but a slow smile appeared when I found her feminine folds wet and wanting. I dipped under the covers, kissing and licking my way down to paradise. When she came, she cried out, “Alexander!”

  My Christian name was usually only reserved for my parents, yet it felt right—and so erotic—falling from her lips.

  I hadn’t come prepared for this with only the one condom, so I balanced on my knees between her thighs and took my cock in my own hand.

  “Raise your hands above your head, beautiful.”

  Emphasizing the peaks and valleys on full display, I circled my hard length until my climax came in dragging massive waves of pleasure and spilling my seed on her belly.

  Afterward, I grabbed a clean towel and wiped her porcelain skin, erasing a part of me from her body. It didn’t take long to drift off once again, wrapped in each other’s arms.

  ***

  The knocking was impossible to miss. I squinted to see the time, and realized I was late. Wrapped in only a towel, I headed for the door. I glanced over my shoulder. Her body was bathed in the warm sunshine that was streaming in. Then she stirred and her beautiful eyes met mine.

  I opened the door to find Theo and Eden.

  “Have you seen Madison? We can’t find her.”

  “Who?”

  “What do you mean, who?” he snorted, glancing at Eden.

  “Madison. My sister. Her fiancé is here.”

  “Her what?”

  I immediately began to replay last night’s events in my head. Nope, there had been no fucking mention of a fiancé.

  “I got a wake-up call this morning from a Graham somebody, and he’s looking for her,” Theo explained.

  I look over my shoulder at her, but Madison’s reaction was empty.

  Suddenly I felt sick to my stomach.

  “Fiancé?” I repeat, staring blankly at the floor. My world was now spinning out of control.

  Is she in there, Alex?”

  I nodded a somber yes, and I felt my heart snap.

  “Well, hell, Alex, go tell her and straighten out this me
ss.”

  I saw a fleeting look of disapproval on Theo’s face as he turned and walked away. I closed the door, not quite ready to close the book on this woman.

  “Stay,” I begged, as I watched her dress. “Don’t I deserve an explanation?”

  “I can’t.”

  I watched as she gathered her long blonde hair and wove it into a messy side braid.

  “You want to. I know you do.”

  I watched her finish dressing, never once allowing our eyes to meet. When I attempted to decode her response, I came up empty.

  “You hardly know me, Alex.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  “What I want is for you to stop this, right now. I have to go.” Then she simply brushed past me. “I’m sorry, Alex. I really am.”

  And with that, she walked out of the room and out of my life without so much as a backward glance.

  But the question remained: could I close the door to my heart?

  Chapter Three

  Madison

  “This makes three calls, and it’s only eleven o’clock,” Eden said by way of greeting. Her genuine, warm giggle and good mood were infectious.

  “I know, I know, but it’s final.”

  I was bursting to share my big news. Although New York was known as the fashion mecca for hopeful, young, up and-coming designers and the place to be discovered, in reality it was a city that would eat you up and spit you out. I knew I had paid my dues, and it was time to move on.

  “California, here I come. Eden, I’ll be so close to you!”

  “And Theo.”

  “Yes, of course, and Theo.”

  It was high time I stopped hiding from my life and bravely pursued my dreams. The next phase would hopefully begin when I burst onto the scene professionally. My designs had been described as cutting edge, relevant, and completely original.

  “This calls for a welcome home party!”

  I’d often wondered what it would be like to have a sister to tell my secrets to. Now, with my brother Theo and Eden, it looked as if I was about to get a package deal.

  “A party?” I hesitated. “I don’t know.”

  What I wanted to ask was, will he be there?

  Of course, he would. Alex was Theo’s best friend. As distant memories flashed before me, I accepted that the wound that would never heal had a name—Alexander Kincaid Storm III.

  “I’ll share my friends with you, Madison. What do you say a week from today? Pack a bag, and you can stay in the pool house and leave in the morning. It’ll cut the long drive in half.”

  In a fucked-up way, I wanted to see him again. What did that say about me?

  “Okay, I give.”

  ***

  “Sacramento, California?” Graham asked, sounding extremely irritated.

  “I’ll only be two hours away by car. By plane? Even faster.”

  I wasn’t actually asking for permission here; I was just being a team player, letting my new fiancé in on my latest career move.

  Slowly, I inched away from his touch.

  “I’m only asking to postpone it a little.”

  Unfazed, he put his arms around me.

  “Our engagement party is in ten days. My parents have sent invitations to every influential person in New York.”

  “I won’t be in New York then, Graham. I start Monday.”

  He circled my waist from behind, and his warm breath on my neck sent unwelcome shivers down my spine.

  “Then I’ll come with you, and we can fly back to New York together.”

  The plan sounded reasonable, but a feeling of dread washed over me.

  “You’re not hearing me, Graham.” I took several steps back, putting distance between us. “Postpone the engagement party indefinitely.”

  He was about to pounce when I held up my hand.

  “Let me get settled, and you can commute as often as possible.”

  “I won’t get in the way of your future endeavors, Madison.”

  Our eyes met, but I didn’t feel a smidgen of genuine attraction for the man I’d promised to marry and share my life with.

  “It’s the wisest course of action,” he said as he cradled my face. “I only ask one thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “Wear my ring.”

  My stomach fluttered for a brief moment. At first, I thought I’d refuse, but the word yes escaped my lips without a thought. Deep down inside, I knew I wanted romance, love, a career, and a real purpose. In essence, I wanted it all.

  The question was, did I want it with Graham Carrington?

  ***

  I boarded the plane to Sacramento in first class, a new book under my arm. After refusing Graham’s private jet, this was our compromise. A complimentary glass of champagne was placed on my table, but it sat untouched.

  I opened my book, a fast-paced thriller, but I found myself reading the same paragraph over and over, never absorbing a word of it. My mind was riddled with thoughts of Alex, despite the fact that I had just been wrapped in Graham’s arms.

  When had I become this terrible person? What was it about Alex that made me feel so unnerved? Could it possibly be that he’d managed to change the complete trajectory of my entire life in just one night?

  I found myself disgusted with how easily I’d fallen into another man’s arms, another man’s bed, especially when I was promised to someone else.

  I had been foolish to believe that I could step back into my boring, predictable life. How could I have been so stupid to think that I would be content to live with just the memory of Alex tucked away safely in a small corner of my heart?

  My first week in Sacramento was tied up with meetings and unpacking the bare necessities I had shipped from New York. I didn’t need much. The small, furnished apartment I’d found had tons of character, and it was all mine. The hipster-city vibe fit well with my new edgy line of business.

  But I couldn’t escape the queasy feeling buried deep within me that continued to intensify as Friday slowly approached. I was a jittery mess, drowning in guilt, shame, and to my dismay…eagerness.

  ***

  With thirty minutes on the clock until the driver arrived, I simply could not decide what to wear. Finally, I tried on a blush-pink dress, which was sleeveless with a slight flare. The uniqueness lay in the square neckline, which exposed just the right amount of cleavage. It was subtle but distinctive, and one of my very first designs to be manufactured.

  Pleased with my reflection in the mirror, I knew the Jimmy Choo’s crystal straps were admittedly over the top, but then again, so was I.

  I was running fashionably late, but before I could even knock on the door, it opened and I was met by Eden’s bright smile.

  “Madison.” She spread her arms wide, welcoming me. “How was the drive?”

  “It was good. Having a driver for the ninety minutes meant my time was spent productively, working.”

  Theo had approached as I entered. His warm smile and blue eyes matched mine, and they hid a moment of sadness as he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.

  “Congratulations on the new job!” He pulled me into an embrace I wasn’t expecting, but easily accepted. “Sacramento is a far cry from the New York city atmosphere.”

  “A welcome one, though,” I replied.

  I searched the room for Alex, but I was only met by a few friendly faces.

  “A drink?”

  “Please.”

  I followed him to the bar where an intense-looking man was leaning. His stare left me feeling a little anxious.

  “Madison, meet Benjamin. Ben, this is my little sister.”

  The unfamiliar introduction took me by surprise, and I felt a lump form in my throat, but I quickly recovered and smiled back.

  “Maddie…” He froze as if catching himself in a familiar habit, and our eyes met. “Sorry, Madison, this is Alex’s Brother.”

  “Don’t be.”

  Then Theo handed me a vodka-seven.

  My drink.

&n
bsp; “Ready to take on the world?” Ben asked.

  “I am.”

  I heard Eden from across the room, laughing with two young men. She waved me over and I excused myself.

  “Well, well, look who’s here.”

  The gorgeous man spoke casually, with his arm draping over an equally striking man who just rolled his eyes.

  “Madison!” She tugged him closer, but he just swatted Eden’s hand away. “This is my very best friend, Gage, and his plus-one, Christopher.”

  “You’re right, she is a beauty.”

  Gage approached me in a sweeping hug that lasted a moment longer than necessary. Christopher, on the other hand, greeted me with a simple handshake.

  “Gage, stop. You’ll embarrass Madison.”

  “You’re just saying that because you’re jealous.”

  “Am not! You’ve got some nerve!” She huffed out, one hand finding her hip.

  “Whatever you have to tell yourself, little dove.”

  I envied the easy manner in which they playfully bantered, and it provided some insight as to why Eden was so loved.

  A giggle escaped my lips involuntarily, and all eyes were suddenly on me.

  “Count me in.”

  Attempting to stifle another burst, my hand flew to my mouth.

  “I was saving Gage just for you, Madison, he’s a handful.”

  Eden wrapped her arm around my waist and half-hugged me.

  “That’s not very nice.”

  Gage’s rebuttal was one of feigned sadness as he pouted.

  ***

  A rapid knock on the door brought me back to reality. As Theo answered the door and pulled Alex into a man-hug, my throat suddenly went dry. Alex’s white T-shirt stretched over his muscled chest, and his dark fitted jeans molded to his every muscle. His black moto leather jacket finished off the look. He knew exactly what he was doing.

  And then a beautiful woman came through behind him.

  My stomach dropped. I didn’t want to let that bother me, but it did. The dynamics had shifted the moment he’d walked in. He knew it, and I knew it.