Page 39 of Storm

TWELVE

BROOK

Sheesh.

Talking about limits had gotten her hot and bothered despite being ridiculously comfortable in his arms. He’d listed a handful of things, which she decided wouldn’t be a hard limit. When he told her she could change her mind at any time, she was relieved. Most of the things he’d said she had never tried, so she couldn’t be sure if she would like them. Like anal. It intrigued her, but she’d also had Storm’s cock in her pussy earlier, and that had been a stretch. She couldn’t imagine him trying to fit that monster in her bottom.

Then they spent the next half hour going over her rules. He didn’t give her anything unexpected. She knew what most of Carlee’s rules were, and Storm’s were similar for her. The only one she was mostly worried about was the strict bedtime he gave her of ten o’clock on work nights. Usually, she was just settling into bed and turning on her e-reader around that time. When she tried to argue, he said it was non-negotiable since going to bed at ten would give her eight hours of sleep before she had to wake up. Apparently when it came to her health and safety rules, he wasn’t willing to budge. It was sweet, but also, part of herwanted to tell him to kick rocks because she loved reading late at night.

“Speaking of bedtimes, you’re tired and need to go to sleep,” he told her, sliding out from the covers.

The mattress instantly felt too cool, and she missed the quiet strength of his body.

“Are you leaving?” Her bottom lip trembled when she asked, and she hated that.

Normally, she’d be dying to get some alone time after spending an evening with another person, but she didn’t want Storm to go. He didn’t drain her. He seemed to understand how she functioned because he needed the quietness, too.

Storm paused, his eyebrows pinched as he looked down at her. “I don’t want to overwhelm you, baby. I know you’re not used to having someone around here all the time.”

When she nodded but didn’t say anything, he knelt on the bed and hovered over her, his gaze penetrating hers. “Tell me what you’re thinking, sunshine. I can’t read your mind.”

She bit down on her bottom lip, not wanting to come off as too needy.

“Remember your rule about communication and honesty, Brook,” he warned.

Letting out a deep breath, she ran her fingers over his tattooed arm. “I don’t want you to go,” she whispered, finding a short burst of courage.

He stared down at her for a moment, then rose to his full height. Panic rose in her chest. She shouldn’t have said anything. Storm liked his space, too.

As she sat up to apologize and tell him it was okay, she froze because he started stripping.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I sleep naked, baby,” is all he said as he dropped his underwear before climbing into bed next to her.

Heat rushed to her core, and her heart pounded. He was staying. She told him what she wanted, and he was actually doing it because he cared about her feelings. The big, growly, beautiful man cared about her.

That knowledge settled into her bones, and she cuddled against his warmth again. Instead of wanting to turn on her e-reader, she closed her eyes and faded to sleep within minutes.

Three days later…

Brook frowned at her phone, her brows pinched tightly together as she stared at the screen. This was getting ridiculous. Another unknown number. It was the third of the day, and her call log from the past two days showed an unsettling pattern—five calls yesterday, four the day before. Each time, silence greeted her on the other end.

Unease bubbled low in her stomach, twisting into a knot she couldn’t ignore any longer. Her thumb hovered over the screen. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she set the phone on the table, her mind churning.

Maybe she should tell Storm. He would probably want to know. Scratch that—he would definitely want to know. He was fiercely protective, and if he caught even a whiff of something scaring her, he’d move heaven and earth to deal with it. That thought alone gave her comfort, but the last thing she wanted to do was to ruin the blissful bubble they’d been living in these past few days.

Being with him had been nothing short of amazing. Storm had effortlessly stepped into the role of her Daddy, making her feel and experience things she’d never thought possible. Each night, he had her screaming his name, his relentless focus on her pleasure leaving her trembling and thoroughly satisfied before tucking her into bed like she was the most precious thing in the world. He was demanding yet gentle, grumpy yet attentive, and so utterly perfect for her that it made her heart ache.

No, she couldn’t bother him with this. She was probably overreacting anyway. It was likely just a telemarketer or some automated dialing system. Plenty of people got annoying spam calls, right? This was nothing.

Brook picked up her phone again, stared at the missed call for another long moment, and then shoved it into her purse with more force than necessary. She had far more enjoyable things to think about than random phone calls—like how Storm’s gravelly voice made her shiver when he called her “sunshine” or the way his dark eyes softened every time he looked at her like she was his favorite thing in the world.

Her chest tightened as she leaned back in her chair, her lips curling into a soft smile. She was madly, completely, head-over-heels in love with Storm.

Her phone buzzed again, snapping her out of her thoughts. Another unknown number. Her stomach twisted sharply this time, and she hesitated for a beat before declining the call. She’d have to deal with this eventually, even if she had to get her number changed.

Four days later…

---