Page 26 of Storm

Storm turned his head slightly, his thumb brushing idly over the back of her hand, sending a little spark through her. "All my life," he replied simply. "My father was the VP of the MC."

“And now you are?” she prompted, tilting her head to look at him.

“Yeah,” he confirmed, his tone steady. “Now I am.”

“Do you like it?” she asked with genuine curiosity.

Without hesitation, he nodded. “I do. The guys are my brothers. My family. They don’t expect me to be anyone I’m not.”

That caught her attention, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he meant. Who would ask him to be someone else? From what she’d seen, Storm was perfect just as he was—confident, protective, and unapologetically himself.

“Do you have any other family?” she asked after a pause, her voice gentler this time.

“My mom still lives in town,” he said with his gaze fixed ahead. “My pop died a long time ago.” His grip on her hand tightened slightly before he turned the question back on her. “What about you? Who do you have in your life?”

A pang of sadness squeezed deep in her chest, but she forced the best smile she could muster. “My mom lives here, too. So, I have her. And Carlee too, I guess.”

Storm glanced at her sharply, and she hated the way admitting that made her feel so… alone. Like she wasn’t enough. Like she was some kind of loser.

“Yeah, I’d say you have Carlee andallthe other Littles,” he said firmly. “And you have me now. Plus, that includes the rest of the MC. So, I’d say you have a whole lot of people in your life, sunshine.”

Brook’s breath hitched, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. A lump formed in her throat, and it was probably for the best that she stayed silent. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to speak past the overwhelming warmth his kind words brought.

“I don’t know how we’ve never run into each other before,” Storm added, his tone softer now, almost contemplative. “Fucking shame it took us so long to meet.”

For someone so gruff, even with his frequent swearing, Storm had a surprising way of saying the sweetest things. It left her feeling both flustered and giddy at once.

When he pulled into the parking lot of her office, Brook hesitated to touch the handle of the truck door, remembering what he’d said last night about her not opening doors when he was with her. She peeked at him from beneath her lashes, and he dipped his chin in approval. “Good girl,” he praised with a smile.

Her heart fluttered wildly, and she couldn’t suppress the faint shiver that ran through her. Going to work with soaked panties hadn’t been part of her plan for the day, but apparently, it was inevitable now Storm was her Daddy.

“Thank you for driving me to work,” she murmured as he helped her down from the truck. “I’m sorry to put you out.”

Storm’s eyes softened, though his lips twitched into a smirk. “You didn’tput me out, sunshine,” he said sincerely. “This is the best fucking way to start the day if you ask me.”

Her cheeks heated at his words, and she couldn’t help but smile. “You really do swear a lot,” she teased, her tone light.

He raised an eyebrow, as though genuinely considering her observation, before leaning down so his forehead was almost resting against hers. “Guess I should probably try to curb that, huh? Little girls don’t need to hear such bad words.”

“I think I’ve heard andsaidmy fair share,” she replied, giggling softly, her cheeks aching from how much she’d been smiling all morning.

His large hand cupped her chin, his thumb brushing against her as his dark eyes locked onto hers. The warmth in his gaze was inescapable, wrapping around her like a blanket, even more so as his cologne surrounded her senses, making her feel lightheaded in the best way.

“You better not curse, sunshine,” he murmured in a husky timbre. “Little girls who say bad words get into trouble.”

She swallowed hard, heat blooming in her chest and pooling low in her belly. Why did she get all squirmy every time he talked about punishing her? She’d been spanked before—sort of. During sex, anyway. But her previous Daddy had never actually punished her, and the thought of Storm doing so was both thrilling and terrifying.

Her thoughts scattered when his lips touched hers, gentle and fleeting but powerful enough to leave her breathless. When he pulled away, her heart was pounding so hard she thought he might actually hear it.

“Do you have any plans tonight?” he asked casually, his dark eyes still locked on hers.

She blinked, almost laughing at the question. “Uh, start a new book, maybe?”

Her words sounded pathetic even to her own ears, and for a moment, she was sure he’d realize how boring she was and regret offering to be her Daddy.

“Perfect,” he said, his tone warm and decisive. “You can read while I make us dinner, and then we’ll sit down and talk about what things are going to look like moving forward.”

“You cook?” she blurted higher and louder than intended.