The Marine's E-Mail Order Bride (Heroes of Chance Creek Book 3) (11 page)

Regan laughed and colored a little. “I actually met Mason because of mixing social media with alcohol. I saw his online ad one night when I was alone and wasted, thought it was hilarious, and wrote him an e-mail straight out of a Jane Austen movie. He wrote back and the next thing I knew we were Skyping and calling and emailing back and forth. He wouldn’t give up no matter how I tried to break things off. I mean, it was crazy, right? Meeting someone online like that. But it was romantic, too, and I fell in love with him—even before I ever met him in person. It was like we were meant to be together. When I came here I fell in love with Crescent Hall, too. Mason and I got married and the rest is history.”

“My story is even crazier than Regan’s,” Ella said, setting the table. “I had just gotten back on my feet after the disaster at the Oscars.”

Storm nodded. She watched enough television to know what Ella meant. Ella had been a candidate for the Best Supporting Actress award but another actress, Kaylee Lipenhauer, won and stole Ella’s fiancée from her all in one blow by announcing on stage that she’d been having an affair with Anthony Black for months and was pregnant with his child. The scandal had rocked Hollywood, and Ella had disappeared for months, only to return on an episode of Morning with Myra. But that hadn’t gone well, either. The host, Myra Cramer, set her up by inviting Anthony and Kaylee on the show, too.

“You clocked Anthony,” Storm said. “I thought he deserved it.”

Ella went to get glasses from a cabinet. “He did deserve it, but my career was tanking and I needed somewhere to hide. Austin put up a different wife-wanted ad saying he wanted a pretend wife for about a year. It looked like the perfect answer to my problems.”

“So you’re just pretending to be Austin’s wife?” Storm felt a rush of relief. She would be able to confess everything to them. They’d understand what she was going through and help her figure out what to do.

“Only briefly. The minute I met Austin in person I fell for him. We had some issues to work through, but soon enough it was clear our marriage would be real. We had a vow renewal ceremony that was really our true wedding. So in the end it all worked out for the best.” Ella’s smile was radiant.

The women turned to her expectantly, and Storm’s heart sank. She couldn’t confess after all—couldn’t admit that she and Zane were together only temporarily. She’d have to craft her story carefully.

“Zane posted a wife-wanted ad, too,” she began.

Zane couldn’t keep
his eyes off his watch as he finished up his evening chores after dinner that night. How soon could he wrest Storm away from the others and get her upstairs? He couldn’t wait to be alone together with her again, and the thought of the bed they’d share tonight had his mind racing with all kinds of interesting possibilities.

When he came back inside, he heard the other couples chatting in the living room and the sound of a football game on the television. Storm was in the kitchen by herself, pouring a drink of water from the tap.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Missed you,” he murmured into her neck, pressing a kiss under her ear.

“You weren’t gone that long.”

“Long enough.” He pressed his hips against her bottom, knowing she’d feel the evidence of his interest. “Come on. Let’s sneak away before they hear us.”

They gained the stairs without being discovered and by the time they reached the bedroom, they were laughing like teenagers.

“You watch. Someone will call us just as we get to the good part.” Zane groaned as Storm wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss.

“We’ll just have to be fast then.”

“How fast?” The thought of a quickie turned him on. Although he hoped it would be followed by a long, slow session of lovemaking. If he knew Storm better he’d put some moves on her that would knock her socks off, but he didn’t want to risk scaring her away.

She moved to lock the door. “I doubt you can be fast enough to suit me. You men are all alike with your need for long, drawn-out foreplay.” She peeped at him mischievously over her shoulder.

So much for worrying about scaring her. Zane tugged her back to him, spun her around, bent her over the bed and yanked her skirt up to expose her bottom. He hooked his thumbs in the band of her panties. “This fast enough?”

“So far, so good, but you’re a little overdressed, sailor.” Storm was laughing, but as he slipped them off, parted her legs and unbuckled his belt, her breathing went ragged.

Zane’s wasn’t any steadier. He was taken aback by how right this felt as he shucked off his jeans and boxers. He’d only met Storm in person yesterday, but he felt like he’d known her for far longer. The fact they were married only served to rev him up further. Her body enticed him and her personality intrigued him. With his hands on her, he felt like he could do no wrong. She moved so easily with him, as if anticipating what he meant to do. Right now the sight of her bent form, her skirt around her waist, her legs wide, inviting him in, snared him in bonds of want and need he knew he’d never be able to shake.

He reached for a condom from the drawer in the bedside table, slipped one on, gripped her hips, positioned himself between her legs and let himself nudge against her. She immediately pressed backward, urging him inside, needing no foreplay to be ready for him. He’d never been with a woman who made it all seem so easy. There were no hang-ups with Storm. Her needs and his matched perfectly. When Zane reached around her waist to dip a hand between her legs, and began to swirl his fingers, she moaned with pleasure.

“Is that good?”

“That’s so good.”

“Honey, you can’t imagine how good I feel right now.” He pressed into her an inch at a time, allowing both of them to anticipate what was to come. When he was fully inside her, he pulled out and pressed in again. Storm strained back against him, begging with her body for more. As he increased his pace, reveling in the sweet friction between them, her muscles began to tremble. One hand skimming up to cup a breast, the other rubbing her sex, he could feel her heart racing and her breath quickening until he knew she was close.

“Zane—”

He responded to her urgings, thrusting inside her until he pushed her over the edge of ecstasy. Her breathy cries sounded just as he grunted his release and they came together, pulses of raw pleasure pounding through his veins until Zane’s head swum and he fought to keep his balance.

When it was over Storm collapsed forward, resting her elbows on the bed with her head in her hands until Zane pulled out of her and helped her up. “You are the sexiest woman alive.”

She turned in his arms. “I can’t believe how good you make me feel.”

“Zane? We’ve got company!” Mason shouted up the stairs from the floor below.

Zane chuckled. “What did I tell you?” He turned to shout back, “We’ll be down in a minute.”

“Now!”

Zane frowned. “Sounds like there’s trouble.” He kissed Storm absently, then grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathroom. By the time he came out again Storm had gathered her things and was waiting for her turn. “I’ll be back in a flash,” he told her.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

There was no
way she could leave when her six weeks were up, Storm decided as she hurriedly cleaned up and got dressed. No one had ever made her feel like Zane did. She felt utterly unashamed with him, like she could do anything—or ask him to do anything—without a worry in the world about embarrassment. The way he made love to her told her everything she needed to know. He worshipped her body and made her want to worship his. She couldn’t wait for Zane to finish up downstairs and come back for another round.

By the time she was dressed, however, Zane wasn’t back. She opened the bedroom door to hear angry voices traveling up the stairwell. She padded down the hall and was halfway down the stairs when the entryway came into view.

“…bad enough you took my ranch. Now you’ve taken Belinda’s store, too?” The man facing Zane was nearly spitting with rage as he yelled at him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Darren.” Zane didn’t budge.

The man looked up, spotted Storm standing there. She sucked in a surprised breath.

“I’m talking about that bitch you brought home. I’m talking about the store that Heloise promised to Belinda!”

Storm gripped the bannister, fighting the urge to run right back upstairs.

“Don’t talk about my fiancée like that.” Zane surged forward, but Darren took a step back.

“I won’t stand for it.” He stood half on the porch, half in the doorway, his body language belying his bold words. Storm clutched the bannister, noting the resemblance between him and the Hall brothers. But where the Halls stood tall and proud with from years of military discipline, Darren’s shoulders were rounded and his face pinched. “You all won’t be happy until you run us into the ground. It’s not right!”

“You’ve run yourself into the ground. You’ve only got yourself to blame.” Austin backed up his twin. Storm was grateful she wasn’t Darren. The Hall boys as a united front were fearsome to behold.

Darren stepped forward again. His steel-blue-eyed gaze caught hers and held her in place. “You tell her to keep away from Belinda’s shop. You tell her to go back home where she came from.”

Zane strong-armed Darren right out the door. The other men followed and the shouting became indistinct, but she could see Darren striding toward a black pickup parked askew in the drive. He climbed in, slammed his door and made a U-turn over the lawn before zooming away down the road. Her heart pounded in her chest as Mason returned inside, followed quickly by Zane and Austin. They spotted her on the stairs.

“Hell,” Zane said, coming toward her. “I wish you hadn’t heard all of that.”

“Who was that?”

“Cousin Darren,” Mason said. “Black sheep of the family.”

Storm came down the rest of the steps just as Regan and Ella came in from the back of the house. “What was that all about?” Ella asked.

“Darren,” Mason said again. “Maybe we’d better go sit down and have a talk. All of us.” When they were seated at the dining room table, he went on. “Storm, Darren’s dad took over this ranch when our father died twelve years ago, and kicked us off of it. He ran it into the ground and then started to dismantle it. The only good thing he did was probably an accident. He never changed his will. Instead of leaving the ranch to Darren, the old will he had in place since before he married left it to Heloise in the case of his passing.”

“When he died, Heloise offered it to us with the conditions you know about.” Zane took up the thread. “Obviously, that pissed Darren off. I’ve been wondering when he’d come around and start trouble. I’m sorry he picked today to do so.”

Storm swallowed. “It’s because of the store. Because Heloise gave it to me.” She hadn’t dreamed she was accepting something that belonged to someone else.

“She promised it to Belinda?” Ella asked.

“It’s the first I’ve heard of it,” Storm told her. “I’ll talk to Heloise and tell her if that’s the case, then I’ll back off.” As much as it killed her to think about doing that. She’d wanted so badly to have one thing of her own.

And she would. Someday.

Maybe.

“I bet you’ll find that Heloise promised her no such thing,” Austin said.

“Still, I don’t want to be the cause of a family rift.”

All three Hall boys chuckled. “This particular rift has gone on for ages. You’re just collateral damage.” Mason checked his watch. “The game’s almost over. I want to catch the end. You coming?” he asked Zane.

“Nah. Storm’s tired,” Zane said, winking at her. “We’ll see the rest of you tomorrow.”

‡

T
he following morning,
Zane slipped out early to tend to his chores, the memory of his night with Storm keeping him from noticing the chill in the air. After he’d convinced her not to worry about Darren’s threats, they’d made love again, this time in bed, and he’d taken the time to explore every beautiful inch of her. Darren’s accusations had left a sour taste in his mouth, however, that all those delightful memories couldn’t dislodge. He’d better talk to Heloise today and sort things out. It wasn’t like Storm needed a store to keep her busy, between her climbing excursions and the fact she was supposed to leave right after Thanksgiving, but he had a feeling the store could act as a tie between her and Chance Creek. Something about Mandy’s Emporium had captured her interest. He couldn’t help but want to capitalize on that.

He’d decided he needed to show Storm more of what life on the ranch could offer, as well, and teaching her to ride was the logical way to start. Riding was something fun they could do together, and it would give him a way to show her all the best parts of the ranch.

As for Darren… Heloise had promised that store to Storm, and her strategy had worked—Storm had liked the idea of the challenge of bringing it back to life. It made it more likely she’d stay in Chance Creek, at least until Thanksgiving. He wasn’t going to let Darren ruin that.

But wasn’t that what his cousin’s family was put on this earth to do? He felt no pity for Darren. Zeke had turned into a right old bastard when Zane’s father had died. Darren wasn’t any better. Zane would never forget standing just where Storm had this afternoon on the stairs, clutching the bannister while his uncle had stolen his home away. The pain he’d felt from the betrayal was still fresh in his heart. This time he’d do whatever it took to keep his family safe, together and living on the ranch. That included Storm, too.