Page 21 of Into the Tempest

My heart sank, and shame washed over me.

Tully turned the TV off, tossing the remote onto the couch and pulling me against the kitchen counter. He took my beer and sat them both on the sink, then cupped his hands to my face, his nose touching mine.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “It’s just a stupid talk show. Don’t pay any attention to them. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“I’ve heard it all my life,” I mumbled. “I’m used to it. I should get contacts. Brown, like yours.”

“No, baby,” he whispered. “I love your eyes. They’re beautiful, and they’re part of you. People can fuck right off. You don’t change a single thing, ’kay?”

I couldn’t look at him. “I’ll never be taken seriously. Not ever. I deliberately didn’t give my full name, because you know what comes next.” I pressed my forehead to his chest, to his neck. “I’m sure all the guys at my old job think it’s hilarious.”

Tully wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight, so tight it was a little hard to breathe.

It felt so good.

“Fuck them,” he said. “Fuck all of them. When they come knockin’ next time for information or updates, tell them to fuck off.”

“I already stopped taking calls,” I mumbled into his neck. “I just want to do my job.”

He somehow held me tighter, and we stayed like that in his kitchen for a long while, just holding each other in the dark while the storm raged on outside. Rain pelted the windows, lightning strobed the room, flashes of light in the dark.

So very fitting.

He kept our hips flush but pulled back so he could see my face. He traced his finger down my cheekbone, then thumbed my bottom lip. “You’re perfect,” he whispered before he kissed me.

Soft and deep. God, the way he kissed me... perfect, plump lips and a tangle of tongues, he showed me what perhaps he thought his words couldn’t convey.

He kissed me like maybe he loved me.

Then taking my hand, he took me to bed.

CHAPTER FIVE

TULLY

I wokeup when Jeremiah slipped out of bed. The sun was comin’ through the windows because I’d forgotten to close the blinds last night.

God, last night.

It’d sure been something...

I was gonna need more gold star stickers.

While Jeremiah showered, I made coffee and toast, so at least I knew he’d eat something before he got busy all day and forgot to eat again.

He came down the stairs, dressed for work, his hair wet and smellin’ all kinds of lovely. “What are you doing up?”

I handed him a cup of coffee and pushed the plate of toast toward him. “For you.”

He seemed genuinely perplexed, like he did whenever I did anything nice for him. “Oh. Did you get out of bed to do this for me?”

I nodded and bit into my toast. “I was going to suggest a repeat of what we did last night but didn’t want you to be late to relieve Doreen. Breakfast was option number two.”

He smiled as he sipped his coffee. “Yeah, I’d rather face a nest of news reporters than an irate Doreen.”

I was hopin’ he’d forgotten about that. “A nest, huh? Like vipers.”

“Similar.” He took his toast, kissed my cheek, then my temple. “Thank you for breakfast.”

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