After the Storm Excerpt
I sat down beside her, keeping a little distance between us, even though her citrus scent was already flooding my senses.
“What’s going on? You seem a little tense.” She raised a brow as she leaned back on her elbows.
“Your skirt just kind of pisses me off.”
There, I said it. I was an asshole, and I wouldn’t argue that.
“My skirt pisses you off?” She smirked. “The color or just the style in general?”
“The way it hugs your perfect ass.”
She nodded and picked at a piece of grass before turning to look at me. “Are you struggling, Cowboy? Thinking about the other night? Because I am.”
I looked out at the water. “Something like that. We probably fucked up doing that, huh?”
“I don’t think so. We know what this is. There are no expectations this time around. And we have a history. I can’t speak for you, but I needed to feel something. I’m not ashamed to admit that being with you, even if just for a few weeks, has given me a new perspective.”
“How so?” I asked, narrowing my gaze as I studied her.
“Well, I don’t feel this overwhelming sadness anymore when I think about you. Meeting your daughter has been really special to me. I adore her, and I’m grateful that I get to spend time with her. That I get to know the little girl you’re raising. I guess it’s shown me that I am capable of being happy again. I thought I lost the ability to feel that, you know?”
I let her words sink in. Hell, I was feeling things I hadn’t felt in a very long time. Things that I knew were dangerous to be feeling. That was what had me on edge. But I wasn’t going to say that to her.
“Gracie’s nagging the shit out of me about letting you teach her to ride.”
“Let me do this. I promise you I won’t let her do anything dangerous. She loves horses, and you know it’s my passion. Let me give this to her. And you’re coming by and checking on the horses a couple of days a week now. It’s the least I can do to thank you.”
“Fine. I can’t argue with that. She’ll be excited. Just take it easy, okay? Nothing too fast. She’s got big ideas, but she’s young and clueless about all that can happen with an animal that size.”
“I give you my word. I’ll take it slow, and we won’t do anything remotely reckless.”
“All right. How about tomorrow after school?” What the fuck was I doing? I was clearly finding a way to see her every day until she left.
“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it.”
We sat in silence for a little bit, and I glanced over at her as she looked out at the water.
“I thought I lost the ability to feel, too. You aren’t alone in that. And you definitely showed me I was wrong,” I said, keeping my voice low.
She turned to look at me as her lips turned up in the corners. Her honey-brown eyes appeared lighter with the sun shining down on her.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“So that rule we have seems fucking stupid now, doesn’t it?”
“The one where we gave ourselves one night together and nothing more? Is that the one you’re referring to?” She moved closer and chuckled.
“Yeah. Who’s fucked-up idea was that?”
“I’m pretty sure it was yours.” She reached for my hand, turning it over and tracing the lines in my palm. I closed my eyes at how fucking good it felt when she touched me.
How good it felt when she was even in my vicinity.
“Well, I have a lot of idiotic ideas, don’t I?”
Pre-order your copy today!
https://geni.us/AftertheStorm
Will be available in both paperback & hardcover!
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/47PYCY5
“What’s going on? You seem a little tense.” She raised a brow as she leaned back on her elbows.
“Your skirt just kind of pisses me off.”
There, I said it. I was an asshole, and I wouldn’t argue that.
“My skirt pisses you off?” She smirked. “The color or just the style in general?”
“The way it hugs your perfect ass.”
She nodded and picked at a piece of grass before turning to look at me. “Are you struggling, Cowboy? Thinking about the other night? Because I am.”
I looked out at the water. “Something like that. We probably fucked up doing that, huh?”
“I don’t think so. We know what this is. There are no expectations this time around. And we have a history. I can’t speak for you, but I needed to feel something. I’m not ashamed to admit that being with you, even if just for a few weeks, has given me a new perspective.”
“How so?” I asked, narrowing my gaze as I studied her.
“Well, I don’t feel this overwhelming sadness anymore when I think about you. Meeting your daughter has been really special to me. I adore her, and I’m grateful that I get to spend time with her. That I get to know the little girl you’re raising. I guess it’s shown me that I am capable of being happy again. I thought I lost the ability to feel that, you know?”
I let her words sink in. Hell, I was feeling things I hadn’t felt in a very long time. Things that I knew were dangerous to be feeling. That was what had me on edge. But I wasn’t going to say that to her.
“Gracie’s nagging the shit out of me about letting you teach her to ride.”
“Let me do this. I promise you I won’t let her do anything dangerous. She loves horses, and you know it’s my passion. Let me give this to her. And you’re coming by and checking on the horses a couple of days a week now. It’s the least I can do to thank you.”
“Fine. I can’t argue with that. She’ll be excited. Just take it easy, okay? Nothing too fast. She’s got big ideas, but she’s young and clueless about all that can happen with an animal that size.”
“I give you my word. I’ll take it slow, and we won’t do anything remotely reckless.”
“All right. How about tomorrow after school?” What the fuck was I doing? I was clearly finding a way to see her every day until she left.
“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it.”
We sat in silence for a little bit, and I glanced over at her as she looked out at the water.
“I thought I lost the ability to feel, too. You aren’t alone in that. And you definitely showed me I was wrong,” I said, keeping my voice low.
She turned to look at me as her lips turned up in the corners. Her honey-brown eyes appeared lighter with the sun shining down on her.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“So that rule we have seems fucking stupid now, doesn’t it?”
“The one where we gave ourselves one night together and nothing more? Is that the one you’re referring to?” She moved closer and chuckled.
“Yeah. Who’s fucked-up idea was that?”
“I’m pretty sure it was yours.” She reached for my hand, turning it over and tracing the lines in my palm. I closed my eyes at how fucking good it felt when she touched me.
How good it felt when she was even in my vicinity.
“Well, I have a lot of idiotic ideas, don’t I?”
Pre-order your copy today!
https://geni.us/AftertheStorm
Will be available in both paperback & hardcover!
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/47PYCY5
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