Riding the Storm (65 page)

Jayla
nodded.
Evidently
their
thoughts
had
been
on
the

same
page.
She
inhaled
deeply
and
then
met
Storm’s

gaze.
“I
agree.”
She
broke
eye
contact
with
him
and

continued
her
study
of
his
home.
With
earth-toned
colors

and
basic
furnishings,
it
was
clearly
a
bachelor’s
place.
But
everything
was
neat
and
in
order.
“Nice
place.”

“Thanks.
A
few
months
ago,
I
decided
to
sell
it
and
get
a
bigger
place,”
he
said
as
his
gaze
roamed
over
her
from
head
to
toe.
“Thanks
for
wearing
that
dress.
It’s
my

favorite.”

Jayla
smiled.
“That’s
the
reason
I
wore
it.
I
was
trying
to

give
you
a
sign,
or
at
least
make
you
remember
the
time
we
spent
together
in
New
Orleans.
I
figured
the
only
other
person
who
would
know
I’d
worn
this
dress
before
was
Ian,
and
I
counted
on
him
not
noticing.”

Storm
lifted
a
brow.
He
hated
to
tell
her,
but
Ian
had

noticed.
In
fact,
every
man
who’d
been
present
tonight
had
noticed
Jayla
Cole
in
that
dress.
And
each
and
every
time
he
saw
a
man
looking
at
her,
even
when
trying
not
to,
he
was
inwardly
overjoyed
that
she
belonged
to
him.

And
now
with
her
standing
in
the
middle
of
his
living
room,
there
was
nothing
he
was
itching
to
do
more
than
to
take
that
dress
off
her
because
chances
were,
like
before,
the
only
thing
underneath
that
dress
was
a
pair
of
thongs.
But
he
knew
before
they
could
get
to
the
bedroom,
there
were

issues
that
needed
to
be
resolved
between
them.

Sighing,
he
slowly
crossed
the
distance
that
separated

them
and
took
her
hand
in
his.
“Come
on,
let’s
sit
down
and
talk.”

She
nodded
and
then
he
led
her
over
to
the
leather
sofa

and
they
sat
down.
“I’ve
done
a
lot
of
thinking,
Jayla,
and
you’re
right.
There’s
nothing
wrong
with
a
woman
working
outside
the
home
if
she
wants
to
do
so.
The
reason
I
was
opposed
to
it
was
because
years
ago,
while
a
senior
in

high
school,
I
thought
I
was
in
love
with
a
girl
who
threw
my
love
back
in
my
face
when
I
told
her
of
my
decision
not
to
go
to
college
but
to
attend
the
Firefighters
Academy

instead.
She
said
that
a
man
without
a
college
education
could
not
properly
take
care
of
the
needs
of
his
family.

When
she
said
that,
something
snapped
inside
me
and
I
intended
to
prove
her
wrong
and,
with
college
or
not,
I

wanted
to
be
a
man
who
could
sufficiently
provide
for
all
of
my
family’s
needs.”

Jayla
nodded.
She
could
see
the
pride
of
a
man
like
Storm
getting
bruised
with
a
woman
saying
something
like
that.
She
sighed,
knowing
it
was
time
to
get
rid
of
her
emotional
baggage
as
well.

“Because
Dad
was
so
strict
on
me
while
I
was
growing
up,”
she
started
off
by
saying,
“I
had
this
thing
against
marrying
a
man
who
I
thought
would
try
and
control
me.
But
now
I
see

that
Dad
had
the
right
approach
in
raising
me,
or
no
telling
how
I
might
have
turned
out.”

She
inhaled
in
a
deep
breath,
then
added,
“I
believe
all
those
times
I
thought
I
was
looking
for
Mr.
Right
I
failed
miserably
because
it
wasn’t
time
to
find
my
Mr.
Right.
It
wasn’t
time
until
I
saw
you
again
in
New
Orleans.”

Storm
lowered
his
mouth
to
hers
and
the
kiss
he
gave
her
was
filled
with
so
much
intensity
and
passion,
Jayla
couldn’t
help
the
groan
that
purred
from
her
throat.
Nor
could
she

ignore
the
sudden
rush
of
heat
that
threatened
to
consume
her
entire
body
as
Storm
continued
to
claim
her
mouth,

staking
a
possession
all
the
way
to
the
darkest
recesses
of
her
soul.
She
kissed
him
back,
putting
into
the
kiss
all
the
love
and
feeling
that
he
did,
claiming
his
mouth
as
well
and
staking
her
possession.

He
pulled
back,
stood
and
pulled
her
into
his
arms.
“Will

you
marry
me,
Jayla
Cole?
Will
you
love
me
for
better
or
worse,
richer
or
poorer,
in
sickness
and
in
health,
till
death
do
us
part?”

Tears
gathered
in
Jayla’s
eyes.
“Yes!
Oh,
yes!
I
love
you.”

Storm
grinned.
“And
I
love
you,
too.”
His
gazed
locked
with
hers
and
smiled.
“Tell
me
again
what
you
see.”

She
smiled
up
at
him,
knowing
it
was
time
to
tell
him
her
other
news.
“I
see
my
Mr.
Right…and,”
she
whispered