Chapter 20 Storm of Determination
Koa
The sun was bright, the sky pure blue and dotted with cotton ball clouds, and the April air held just a hint of chill.
A perfect spring day, and a perfect day to take Seri around the estate.
Unfortunately, it had to be with Gregory.
Our estate manager pulled up in a large, sleek golf cart shortly after breakfast. The vehicle gleamed, its polished chrome reflecting the morning light.
Gregory flashed a toothy grin as he hopped out and looked us over.
His eyes lingered on Seri, and maybe he was trying to be friendly, but there was something in his gaze that made me bristle.
I also didn’t like how his eyes lingered on me next.
“After you, Miss Bell.” He offered his hand to help Seri into the middle seat.
“Mrs. Cimmerian,” I corrected him, my voice flat.
Seri hesitated, her gray eyes darting toward Casimir, who stood like a silent sentinel at her side. Without her needing to say a word, he stepped forward, looming over Gregory.
“Move,” he said, his voice deceptively calm, and Gregory was smart enough to scurry back.
After helping Seri into the cart, Cas climbed in beside her, his green eyes locked onto our estate manager as if the man were a demon in a human suit.
Hell, who knew? Maybe he was.
Zane, the jerk, hopped into the back seat before I could.
“Finders keepers!” he called out, sprawling across the wide bench with a mischievous grin. “C’mon, Brummy!”
The wolf pup yipped excitedly and scampered up to sit beside him, his tail wagging furiously.
I glared at Zane, who just grinned wider, his brown eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Front seat’s all yours, Ko. Enjoy the view.”
Noctem maledicta.
Muttering under my breath, I turned to the front only to find Gregory’s eyes raking over me as I approached.
Please don’t flirt. Please don’t flirt.
The mantra played on repeat in my head, but luck has never been my strong suit.
Gregory started the cart with a smooth purr of the engine and began to drive us through the winding paths of the estate.
The air carried the faint scent of blooming apple trees and fresh-cut grass.
It was peaceful, but I couldn’t relax. One of Gregory’s hands rested casually on the back of my seat, his fingers brushing against my shoulder every so often.
Whether intentional or not, the touch made my skin crawl.
I tried to shift away, but there wasn’t much room.
“Comfortable?” he asked.
“Fine,” I said shortly, trying to keep my tone even.
I heard Zane snickering and knew he was enjoying this. Cas, however, was silent. The kind of silence that warned of a storm brewing beneath his skin. Only Seri seemed oblivious to the tension. She leaned forward, her soft voice filled with curiosity.
“What’s that over there?” she asked, pointing in the distance.
Gregory obliged her, launching into a detailed explanation of the estate’s layout.
I tuned him out, focusing instead on the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground, at least until his flirting became more overt.
He leaned in closer, his breath brushing my neck, and my chest burned with both discomfort and anger.
I heard Zane stifling a laugh, but Cas was no more amused than I was.
“Mr. Storms,” he snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut glass, “focus on driving, not Koa.”
“Of course.” Gregory chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Just trying to be friendly.”
Friendly, my ass, I thought, staring straight ahead.
My heart was pounding, and not in a good way as his gaze lingered on me, and it took every ounce of self-control not to bolt from the cart.
This was supposed to be a relaxing day with our beloved. Instead, I was stuck next to a guy who clearly didn’t understand the concept of personal space.
“You know,” his voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, “you have a really intense energy. It’s captivating.”
I choked on air, my eyes widening.
Captivating? Seriously?
I risked a glance back at Zane, who was doubled over trying to hold back his laughter, then cut my eyes to Casimir, whose expression was downright murderous. Even Brumous tilted his head, as if trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
But Seri? She was innocently looking around, those wide dove eyes absorbing everything.
“I’m serious!” Gregory laughed when I stayed silent, and this time, it was full-on flirtatious. “If you ever want to grab a drink or—”
Okay, that’s it.
My shoulders tensed, my pulse a dull roar in my ears, but before I could draw a blade and cram it down his throat, Seri suddenly spoke up.
“Simmy, would you mind switching seats with Koko? I’d like him to sit next to me for a bit.”
Maybe she wasn’t as oblivious as I’d thought.
Cas didn’t hesitate. Waiting only until Gregory reluctantly stopped, he stood and swung out of the cart, motioning for me to take his spot.
I didn’t need to be told twice. I practically vaulted in, landing beside Seri with relief.
She gave me a small smile, her cheeks tinged pink, and I grinned back.
“Thanks, Simmy,” she said quietly.
“Of course, beloved,” he replied, as solemn as the grave, the cold bastard. He folded his arms across his chest, his expression stony, as if just daring Gregory to flirt with him and find out.
Seri held out her small hand with a shy smile, and I took it as a surge of protectiveness rose up in me. I squeezed her fingers gently, and her smile widened.
As we continued the tour, she kept glancing at Gregory. It was easy to see that she didn’t understand what he’d been doing, but she didn’t like it.
Good. Neither do I.
We reached the lake, and Seri’s eyes lit up as she took in the shimmering water.
“Can we stop and look around?” she asked with bubbly excitement.
“Sure.” Gregory brought the cart to a stop. “It’s stocked with bass and bluegills and fed by a stream on the north side.”
As he prattled on with more facts, Cas leapt out and stood at Seri’s side, offering her his arm as she stepped out of the cart. She smiled at him as she took it. He stayed close to her, as I knew he would so long as we were outside, his protective instincts on high alert.
Zane, meanwhile, was already off like a shot, Brumous bounding after him.
“Race you to the water, Brum-Brum!” he called over his shoulder, laughing as the pup yipped in excitement.
“Child,” Cas muttered, but Seri giggled, and that made me smile.
#
The air under the willows was almost cold, shaded from the spring sun, but Gregory’s presence made it feel suffocating. I hadn’t meant to end up here, but somehow he’d made it happen.
“You know,” he all but cooed, “you don’t have to play the stoic protector all the time. You could let someone take care of you. Someone like me.”
Then he ran his hand up my arm, pausing to squeeze my bicep.
I opened my mouth to shut him down, but before I could speak, there was a blur of movement.
Seri appeared out of nowhere, her face a storm of determination, and shoved Gregory with both hands.
He stumbled backward, grabbing her wrist as his other arm flailed to try and regain his balance.
In a heartbeat, I lunged, prying her arm out of his hand, and he landed in the lake with a loud splash.
Water sprayed everywhere, soaking the grass and leaving him sputtering.
“Mine!” she growled low in her throat.
Then she turned on me, her gray eyes blazing with a possessive intensity that left me breathless. She trembled, but wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me hard in a fierce and unyielding hug.
For a heartbeat, I was frozen, stunned by the suddenness of it.
Then instinct took over, and I hugged her, too, my hands sliding around to her back.
The world around us seemed to fade away, Gregory’s splashes, Brumous’ barks, even the sound of the wind in the trees.
All that mattered was the woman in my arms, her soft curves pressed against me, her heart racing in time with mine, and her cheek nuzzling my chest.
Then, with a sharp inhale, she took a step back, her arms falling away, and I reluctantly dropped mine, too. Her cheeks were flushed, and her chest rose and fell with quick breaths.
“I— I’m sorry,” she stammered, her eyes wide with panic. “I didn’t think—”
“Hey, hey. Don’t apologize.”
“What about me? Do I get a hug, too?” Zane teased as he ran over.
She turned to him, her blush deepening, and she shook her head quickly.
“N-no! That was— I don’t know what came over me. I’m so sorry I attacked you, Koko!”
“Baby, you don’t have to apologize. If anything, I should be thanking you. That was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Feel free to attack me like that any time.” I chuckled, brushing a curl away from her face.
She looked up at me, her gray eyes bewildered and her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
“I just didn’t like the way he was looking at you. Touching you. It felt wrong.”
“I didn’t like it, either,” I confessed. “I did like your hug, though.”
She nodded, but her brow furrowed like she was still trying to make sense of what had just happened, not understanding she was jealous, and that made my smile grow.
Our beloved is possessive. Good. So are we.
Although anyone, male or female, who flirted with her would end up in a worse place than a lake.
“Seri!” Zane huffed, throwing his arms dramatically and stretching his “I Pee in Pools” t-shirt tight across his chest. “When do I get attacked? I’m feeling left out here.”
Her blush deepened, and she shook her head.
“I didn’t mean to. It just happened. I don’t even know why I did that.”
“Don’t overthink it,” Cas advised her as he joined us. “Sometimes instincts take over.”
“And honestly?” I grinned. “I’m not complaining.”
“Yeah, well, some of us would like to be on the receiving end of those instincts, too,” Zane snarked. “Just saying.”