Brenda Jackson - Westmoreland Desires - Riding the Storm / Jared's Counterfeit Fiancée / The Chase Is On

“So what are your plans for later?”

Storm’s question invaded her thoughts and she tipped her head to look over at him. “My plans for later?”

“Yes. Yesterday, I invited you to join me for dinner and you turned me down, saying you’d already made plans. Today, I’m hoping to ask early enough so that I’ll catch you before you make other arrangements.”

Jayla sighed. She knew her mind needed a reality check, but she wasn’t ready to give it one. Spending the day with Storm had been nice; it had been fun and definitely what she’d needed. But she didn’t need to spend her evening with him as well. The only thing the two of them had in common was the fact they both loved and respected her father. That would be the common link they would always share. But spending more time with Storm would only reawaken all those old feelings of attraction she had always had for him.

She took off her sunglasses, met his gaze directly and immediately wished she hadn’t. His eyes were dark, so dark you could barely see the pupils. The jolt that passed through her was so startling she had to remind herself to breathe.

“I was wondering when you were going to stop hiding behind these,” he said, taking the sunglasses out of her hand when she was about to put them back on. He gave her a cocky smile. “But I didn’t mind you checking me out.”

Jayla couldn’t hide the blush that darkened her cheeks. Nor could she resist easing her lips into a smile. So he’d known she had been looking him over. “I guess it probably gets rather annoying to you after a while, doesn’t it?”

He arched a brow. “What?”

“Women constantly checking you out.”

He smiled again. “Not really. Usually I beat them to the punch and check them out, so by the time they decide they’re interested, I know whether or not I am.”

A grin tilted the corners of Jayla’s lips. “Umm, such arrogance.” She took her sunglasses from him and put them back on, preferring her shield.

“Instead of arrogance, I see it as not wasting time,” he said simply. “I guess you can say I weed out those who won’t make the cut.”

Jayla sighed deeply and struggled with good judgment as to whether to ask her next question. Although she may have struggled with it, curiosity got the best of her. She couldn’t help but ask, “So, did I make the cut?”

For a moment, she thought he would not answer. Then he leaned forward, pulled off her sunglasses and met her gaze. “With flying colors, Jayla Cole. I’m a hot-blooded man and would be telling a lie if I said I didn’t find you attractive. But then, on the other hand, I have to respect who you’ll always be to me.”

“Adam’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

Jayla had to resist grinding her teeth in frustration. She doubted he realized that he’d hit a sore spot with her. Not because she was Adam Cole’s daughter, but because being her father’s daughter had been the reason Storm had always kept his distance from her. A part of her had gotten over his rejection years ago, but still, it downright infuriated her that he had labeled her as “hands off” because of his relationship with her father.

She watched as he pointedly checked his watch, as if to signal their topic of conversation was now over. “You never did say whether or not you had plans for later.”

Jayla almost reached out to snatch her sunglasses from his hand again, then changed her mind. Instead, she decided to have a little fun with him. She stepped close to him, reached out and took hold of the front of his shirt. “Why, Storm? What do you have in mind for later?” she asked, in a very suggestive tone of voice.

She watched as he studied her features with a well-practiced eye before he said, “Dinner.”

She pressed a little closer to him. “Dinner? That’s it?”

He glanced around. There were only a handful of people about. Most had gone up on deck to listen to the live jazz band that was performing. His gaze returned to hers. “Yes, that’s it. Unless…”

She lifted a brow. “Unless what?” she asked, then watched as his mouth curved into a smile. A very sexy smile.

“Unless you want me to toss you into the river to cool off.”

Jayla blinked. His smile was gone and the dark eyes staring at her were serious. She stared back, willing him to get the message she was sending with her eyes. His words had ticked her off. “Do you think I need to cool off, Storm?”

The smile that returned to his lips came slow, but it came nonetheless. “I think you need to behave, brat,” he said, playfully tweaking her nose.

She frowned. Those were the same words he had spoken to her ten years earlier when she had made that pass at him. She knew he’d been as right then as he was now, but, dammit, it really annoyed her that he was still using her father as an excuse to keep her at arm’s length. A part of her knew it was ludicrous for her to be upset, especially when she should probably be grateful, considering his “wham, bam, thank you, ma’am” reputation.

His Don Juan exploits were legendary. Even so, a part of her hated his refusal to acknowledge she was not a child any longer. She was a full-grown woman and it was up to her to decide whom she was interested in and whom she wanted a relationship with. After all, pretty soon she would be a woman with the responsibility of raising a child alone.

“So, what about dinner, Jayla?”

Time seemed to stop as Jayla considered her options. On the one hand, having dinner with him was a really bad idea. She sure didn’t need someone like Storm in her life, especially with her plans with the fertility clinic and her future as a single mom a definite go. That’s what the rational part of her brain was trying to get through to her. On the other hand, there was that irrational part, the one that resented him for being all knowing and too damn caring. That part of her head said that one little dinner would do no harm. She knew she should leave well enough alone, but part of her just couldn’t.

She met his gaze. “I’ll think about it.” And without saying anything else, she took her sunglasses from his hand and walked away.

Storm shook his head as he watched Jayla stroll across the deck. She’d had a lot of nerve asking if she made the cut, as if she hadn’t felt the sparks that had flown between them yesterday as well as most of the morning. Fortunately for him, it was an attraction that he could control. But he had to admit that when she had pretended to come on to him a few moments ago, he had almost broken out in a sweat.

He remembered her teen years. During that time Adam had described her as headstrong, free-spirited and an independent thinker. It seemed not much about her had changed.

Storm watched as she moved around the tables that were filled to capacity with an assortment of food and knew he had to rethink his relationship with her. A lot about Jayla had changed and he was looking his fill, taking all those changes in at that very moment.

He couldn’t remember the last time any woman had gotten his attention the way Jayla had. She didn’t know how close she’d come to getting a kiss from him when she had molded her body to his. His gaze had latched on to her lips. They had looked so soft that he’d wanted to find out for himself just how soft and kissable they were.

He sighed. Her ploy had been no more than teasing, but his body was still reeling from the effects. However, no matter what, he had to keep her best interests at heart, even if she didn’t know what her best interests were and even if it killed him.

Why couldn’t he keep his eyes off her? Hadn’t he decided she was off-limits? He glanced away and tried to focus on the beauty of the river as the riverboat continued to move through it. It was a beautiful September day and he had to admit he was enjoying Jayla’s company. She had a knack for making him want to see her smile, hear her laugh; he could honestly say he had relished his time with her more than he had any woman in a long time.