Page 30 of Stormy Knight

Laughing, Monroe fell into step with his younger brother. “So, the beast still rules the corral,” he commented.

“He’s a tough one, but I’ll be back out here tomorrow. Mark my words come tomorrow.” Reeves glanced over at his brother. “Why are you out here?”

Monroe looked at Reeves like he was stupid. “I have to feed up for the night.”

“Sorry. I knew that.”

“That horse got under your skin.”

“Maybe,.” huffing his frustration out, Reeves continued walking with Monroe. He’d help his brother feed and water the horses. After they could head back to the main house and get cleaned up for dinner. Maria had better have cooked tonight because if they were counting on him, he’d be ordering takeout. Tomorrow, he’d be back for another round with that blasted horse.

17

He found her in the stables standing in the back opening. The horses whinnied as he walked towards the most enticing woman he’d ever met. He’d let her go to save his self from heartache and failed. Her image filled his dreams every night. Every woman he bedded he found something in them that reminded him of her. His memories of her smile and the sound of her laughter filled his days. The smell of her skin after they’d have sex. He dismissed it as merely sexual, but it was more than that. It held a depth beyond measure. He worshiped her like a religion when they met. Fear separated them. His fear of losing who he was in her. Of bringing her into his world. Of both of them being torn to shreds by who he had to be for the family and who he wanted to be for her. Taking the last step towards her, Reeves finally spoke her name, “Stormy.”

The sound of her name had Stormy glancing to the side. There stood Reeves staring at her. She could see both sides of him. The badass mafia man and the carefree man that had just ridden a wild horse. “I saw you won the war with that magnificent animal.”

Reeves looked down at himself. He was filthy covered in sweat, dirt, and horsehair. He smelled poorly and didn’t dare get any closer to her. But he wanted to get closer. He wanted to run his hand through her wealth of thick hair and caress her cheek with his fingers. To feel the touch of her lips brushing against his own. “I think we called a truce. Time will tell,” he told her. He took a step towards her, then heard the familiar voices of his brothers walking into the horse barn. Giving Stormy a wink, he maneuvered her into a tack room and closed the door.

He was on her as soon as the door closed behind them. Stormy didn’t have time to think about the fact Monroe and Jackson were right outside in the corridoras he slammed her into the wall, smashing his mouth on hers. Her mind went fuzzy as he slid his hand down the front of her jeans, searching, reaching, finding her heat. Then her jeans were being tugged down below her hips as he spun her around. Her hands pressed against the wall, waiting for the feel of him plunging into her.

She heard the rasp of his zipper, the movement of denim, then his voice. God his voice was all male, hot and needy. And she wanted to feel him. His large hands gripped her, dragging her on to her toes. Reeves pushed into her hard and rough, and she loved it. He’d been gentle and sweet until now.

Every time he eased away, she held her breath for the plunge of his throbbing shaft. With her back to him, she shut her eyes tightly and bit down on her cheek to keep from calling out his name. She didn’t need his brothers hearing her moans.

She felt his hand slide around. His fingers toyed with her clit. It felt like she came faster than ever before. Never in her life could she remember being so wet and still wanting more. Damn the man made her crazy. Stormy felt Reeves tremble as he tumbled over the edge after her. His hands gripped her hips tightly, his fingers digging into tender skin. His mouth skimmed over her neck, making her shudder as he held her to him,grinding up into her. The rake of his teeth against the nape of her neck caused her to shiver.

The sound of footsteps and voices had them laughing. Reeves reached for a roll of paper towels where they could wipe off. Both of them tried stifling their laughs. The whole thing was something horny teenagers would do.

As he fixed his pants, he looked at her as she did the same. “Do you think they’re gone?” Stormy asked, throwing the soiled paper towels in the trashcan.

“I doubt it.” Reeves smiled at Stormy. “We should have dinner at La Familia tonight.”

“If you cook me dinner, I’ll show up.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Even battered and bruised from the stallion, for her he would do anything.

Pounding on the door answered her earlier question. Monroe and Jackson were talking crap about how long it was taking them to come out. Laughter from his brothers filtered through the door. They couldn’t stay in the tack room hiding like scared kids. Yanking open the door, Reeves stared down his brothers. “You two can stop. If you don’t, I’ll make sure to interrupt the two of you with your women.” Reeves stated sternly. He watched his brothers walk off laughing. Glancing back, he saw Stormy leaning against the doorframe. Holding out his arm, he smiled when she eased into his embrace and walked her out of the stables.

18

Reeves hadn’t realized what a tough balancing act it was trying to juggle both his professional and personal life. With the pressure of overdue accounts and task piling up, making time for a simple dinner out with Stormy weighed heavily on him. It was him who asked her to go out that evening, so he couldn’t in good conscience cancel. If he wanted things to work, he had to make sure to value her and make sure the distractions of their lives stayed in their places.

All he needed to do for that to work was carving out a few hours to focus on work. Then he could enjoy the evening without business worries hanging over his head. After cleaning the dust and grime off his body in the hottest shower he could stand to soothe a few aches and pains, he choose to lock himself in the office, determined to focus and push through the work to make sure he could do just that. He needed to find the delicate balance between getting his work done and nurturing the relationship. He could achieve that, Reeves thought as long as he didn’t get sucked into the never-ending tasks. It all gave him a headache.

Walking through the house, things seemed a little too quiet for having three women and an infant in it. He found Stormyright where he should have looked first. She was standing in the kitchen with Whiskey feeding Effie. Things were as it should be. Turning to head back to the office, he heard Stormy say his name.

“Don’t pout,” he teased, his voice low but warm. Stormy shot him a mock glare, her lips curling up slightly despite herself. He had that effect on her—a mixture of charm and confidence that made it hard to stay irritated for long.

Reeves glanced at the baby, Effie still nursing peacefully in her mother’s arms, before looking back at Stormy. “Everything good?” he asked, his eyes softening slightly, a rare vulnerability in his gaze. He was used to being the hard edge, the one everyone depended on for protection, but with her, things softened. He couldn’t help it.

Stormy gave him a half-smile, still slightly flustered. “We’re fine.”

“You look fine, like your walk did you a world of good,” Reeves complimented her, making Stormy smile. If anyone said he didn’t know how to charm a lady, they hadn’t seen him in action. There was also the quick round of sex in the stables that had put some pep in her step.

Stormy noticed his smile didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Reeves, is everything okay?”

He lifted his shoulders, shrugging like it was no big deal. “Had some loose ends to tie up. It’s quiet now. Too quiet, though. I don’t like it.”

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