Nina Levine - Storm

This was the most I had spoken about my relationship with Nix to Serena and she encouraged me to keep sharing. “So you hooked up with him and then kept seeing him?”

“Yeah, he was really into it. Me, not so much but it had been six months since I broke up with J and I was lonely. I was drinking pretty heavily by then and Nix was the only one who didn’t give me grief for it,” I gently shook my head as the memories came flooding back. “When I was drinking I was a lot easier to boss around, that’s probably why he liked me drinking. I just didn’t give enough of a shit about anything and went along with whatever he wanted.”

Serena moved closer to me and touched me gently on the arm; on my scar. “Did Nix do this to you?”

“No.” Shit, this conversation was making me feel ill. The familiar feelings of self hatred washed over me, my hands started to feel tingly and my head was beginning to spin. Nausea took hold of my stomach and I actually thought I might vomit. No-one besides J and Scott knew how I got my scar and it was something that I never wanted Serena or anyone else to find out.

“Hey honey, are you okay?” Serena sensed my distress and directed me to sit on the couch. She ran into the kitchen and got me a drink of water which I took gratefully from her.

I downed the water in one go and focused on my breathing. Serena was now sitting beside me and rubbing my back. I knew she was worried but I didn’t have it in me just yet to ease her concerns. All I could think about was that my past was finally going to catch up with me. Fuck Nix. Why did he have to come back into my life? He wasn’t the reason for all the crap that had happened but he was the climax to it all. And now he was going to be the catalyst for it all flaring up again.

Serena looked at her watch. “We should probably get to work otherwise Gina will be in a foul mood with us all day for being late.”

I looked at her and nodded my head and gave her a small smile. “Thanks,” I whispered, grateful that she knew I needed this conversation to be over.

“Oh, god these shoes are killing my feet,” Serena complained as she fell onto the couch and ripped her shoes off.

It had been a long day at work and the fact that we both wore heels to work even though we were on our feet for nearly eight hours a day didn’t help. A girl’s gotta look good though and heels really help you rock what you’ve got. It was Friday night and we both had the weekend off and were in the process of making plans for the weekend. Blake had rounded everyone up to come to his restaurant, Scarlett, for dinner tonight. Tomorrow was gearing up to be a girl’s day out shopping. Sunday was still open for discussion but I was hoping for some time in the sun.

“What time did Blake say dinner was?” Serena asked.

“Eight o’clock,” I answered and pulled my phone out to see if I had any messages.

“I’m going to take a shower unless you want to go first,” she said but I waved her away as I had just discovered a message from Scott.

Scott: Will you be home tonight?

Me: No.

Scott: Text me the address of where you will be. I’ve got a guy on the way.

Me: You’re kidding right? I’m fine tonight, send him tomorrow.

My phone rang and I rolled my eyes when I saw it was Scott. “I’m with friends tonight, Scott. They will look out for me,” I answered the phone.

“Madison, just give me the goddamn address. He’ll be there in a couple of hours,” he snapped.

I sighed long and loud. “Fine,” I said and gave him the restaurant’s address.

I heard him repeat it to someone in the background and then he ended our conversation with, “I’ll be there towards the end of next week to try and talk some sense into you,” and he hung up.

I threw my phone on the couch and stomped into my bedroom. Why the fuck did my brother, father and their club think they could control me and my life? I hoped he sent one of the prospects; they were a lot easier to boss around.

Faith threw her head back and laughed so loud that pretty much all eyes in the restaurant were on us. She had a pretty wicked sense of humour and when she found something funny, everyone knew it. Rowan had just relayed a story about something that happened to him at work today and although it was kind of funny, Faith thought it was hilarious. It amazed me that these two used to date a couple of years ago and had managed to stay friends after they broke up. In fact, from what I had been told, they were better friends now than when they dated. I never managed to stay friends with any of my exes.

Rowan leaned across the table and touched my hand. “You’re quiet tonight,” he said quietly while the rest of the group kept bantering back and forth. Rowan was one of the most sensitive guys I had ever met. Serena had introduced us at a party where I knew no-one and he had gone out of his way to stay close to me that night and make sure I was okay. He was also the guy who would bring you soup and medication when you had the flu and the guy who gave up his plans to go to a football game when you needed someone to go with you to visit your sick grandfather. Yep, he had done those things for me as well as so much more. He was also one of the hottest guys I had ever met; tall, really well built, covered in ink and bald. However, neither of us were interested in anything more and I valued his friendship.

“Yeah, there’s some stuff going down with Scott and the club. He’s trying to get me to go back home again,” I replied.

“And you’re refusing again?” he grinned and shook his head. Rowan and I had often discussed my brother’s desire for me to return home, and because he had sisters he felt sympathetic towards Scott.

I nodded emphatically, “Of course I am. So now he is sending someone here to look out for me.” I rolled my eyes.

Rowan laughed, “You would drive me fucking insane if you were my sister, Madison. I can just imagine the hell you are going to give this poor guy.”

At that exact moment I glimpsed him entering the restaurant; the guy that Scott had sent. And I couldn’t believe my fucking eyes. Over six foot of pure muscle, tanned and inked skin, dark hair and piercing blue eyes; he was as gorgeous today as the last time I saw him. My heart started beating faster and I blocked everything else out as my mind focused on the man that was heading straight for me. He looked as pissed as I was. Yeah, I bet he didn’t want this gig and I could picture the battle he probably had with Scott about it.

I pushed my chair back and stood up, ready to face him. It had been two years since we had seen each other and while my head was screaming that it didn’t want to see him, my body was betraying me. I had that fluttery feeling in my stomach; felt that familiar deep need in my core. No man had ever affected me like he did.

He walked up to me, ignoring everyone around us. “Madison.”

His gravelly voice did me in, it always had. I felt weak at the knees and gripped the chair to steady myself; there was no way he would see me falter now. He had sent me away two years ago; ripped my heart out and crushed it, and I would be damned if he discovered what he was still capable of doing to me. I lifted my face and met his eyes, “J.”

Jason

Fuck, she wasn’t going to make this easy for either of us. I was convinced that Scott was handing me my balls on a plate by sending me here. One look at Madison and I wanted to shove them at her and get the fuck out of here. Christ, she was still as goddamn sexy as the last time I laid eyes on her. I ran my eyes down her body and took in the low-cut, short dress and fuck me heels; god I loved those shoes and my dick twitched just thinking about wrapping those legs around me.