37. Silas
I get off the phone with my agent with news I’ve been waiting to hear for weeks. The team is ready for physical tests followed by practice participation.
It’s Tuesday and Coach was right—it only took forty-eight hours for them to get these pushed up on the calendar. I thought I’d be more excited, but my mind’s been somewhere else.
I’ve managed to stay away from Storm the last two days. Yesterday, she picked up Max from school, saying she needed time alone with him in case he had “questions” about the night before. I left dinner for them on the counter and was gone before they were home.
I took the opportunity to try and think about all this myself. But my head kept going to Max and Storm. If they talked. How it went. If I could help. Reassure him somehow. Let her know I’m thinking about them. Always.
Shit.
If I don’t take the time to make sense of all this in my head, that extra “minute” I told her I needed is going to turn into a goddamn month.
I run my hand down my face. I need to make peace with it now so I can get back to loving her the way she deserves. So any resentment doesn’t come out to bite when I’m with her. I won’t do that to her—or Max.
I meant what I said the other night, I didn’t come all this way with her to screw up now.
Grabbing my towel, I head toward the small barn to get in the day’s workout.
Storm is outside the stables across the pasture when I see her, sunlight catching on her braid as she moves. Calm. Capable. Like she always is.
Like nothing inside her ever shakes.
I know better than anyone how much of that steadiness is learned. My chest tightens. And she used it to lie to me.
Fuck. I’m spiraling again.
I pull my eyes off her, remembering why I jogged this way to begin with. Needing to burn off this energy.
The small barn is empty, quiet enough that I can hear my own breathing as I loop a resistance band over a beam and brace my boots in the dirt. It’s not rehab stuff anymore—at least it’s what I tell myself. This is a workout. I’m ready. I need to be.
I count the reps more consciously than usual, jaw locked, sweat building fast. Every pull dragging my thoughts right back to her anyway—until the door creaks open behind me.
I glance over my shoulder, already knowing it’s the woman I love.
Her eyes move to the bands, and I know she’s remembering how I used them on her. Hell, my dick is hard just thinking about it.
Something I do often.
She’s holding a coiled rope around her shoulder. And God, she looks sexy in her jeans and plaid shirt. “You cold?” I ask.
“I’m used to it.” She moves behind me and pulls down the bands I’ve set up for myself. “You’re doing it all wrong,” she says mildly.
Before I can argue, she steps in close, taking my hand and looping the rope around my wrist with ease. It’s not tight, but it’s enough to make a point.
My pulse hikes but I’m not about to stop her.
“If you’re going to work out in my barn,” she adds, tying it off with a neat knot then finally meeting my eyes.
“Might as well do it right.” She gives the rope a tug, testing it, then tosses the coil over the post, slicing it with a pocketknife before tying it tight. She does the same with my other hand.
“What are you up to, Bumble Bee?” My breath is shallow and I barely manage a smirk.
She licks her lips, flicking her gaze down and fuck that’s sexy enough. She can untie me right now and I’m hers for life.
Storm drops to her knees, braid loose around her shoulder as she shoves down my sweatpants.
“Storm,” I warn with a grunt. “Someone could—”
She looks up at me. “No one comes into my barns, hotshot. But I’m really glad you did.”
My briefs are pulled down next and my cock springs toward her. “Fuck, Storm. Untie me.”
She takes me into her hot mouth. Sliding her tongue from the bottom up as she pulls me out slow. I curse, my wrists tugging from her impressive knot. But it’s another kind of restraint that’s killing me right now—ramming into her mouth the way every muscle in me wants to.
She sucks me deep, taking me to the back of her throat, pumping me. “Christ,” I breathe, wondering what exactly this beam is holding, because it’s about to be pulled off its fucking bolts. “Baby, you need to untie one hand. Let me guide you the way I need you.”
She pulls me out of her mouth and raises two hands upward to the knots on my wrist. And it’s a sight. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous baby. Remind me to have you just like this, topless, later.”
One wrist drops loose and I don’t miss a beat, wrapping my fingers around her hair. Bucking my hips slowly and pumping into her open mouth with ease.
“You’re incredible,” I pant. “My goddess, a fucking dream the way you’re taking me.”
She whimpers and moans, her throat vibrating against me.
I tighten everywhere and warn her with a gentle tug. “Storm, baby.”
She pumps harder, reaching back and squeezing me in a way that throws me over the edge.
“Bee, fuck.” I spill down her throat, shuddering and grunting like a caveman through my release.
You’d think I’d never done this before the way she has me wrapped around her finger. The way I feel owned by this woman.
I help her up with one hand and kiss her deep, tasting myself, loving what she does to me and never wanting it to end. I break the kiss to look at my woman. Wanting to remember her just like this. “You’re the sexiest woman alive. And I’m so lucky you’re mine.”
Her eyes light like I’ve never seen. Like I’d just handed her the moon.
And it detonates something in me.
Something primal and . . . permanent.
She unties the other wrist and drops to lift my pants. Then looks up at me and I know it all too well. I recognize it immediately. The same look she used to give me as kids, a quiet triumph.
Except this time, it’s our victory.
It’s also one that tells me in no uncertain terms, I better think twice before giving her the cold shoulder again . . . because she’ll make me regret it.
And she’d be right about it all.
“I love you,” I breathe, pressing my forehead to hers. “I need you to know I don’t blame you for what happened. I never did—not for a second.”
Regret still lingers in her features and I grip her chin when she opens her mouth. “It was your secret to tell and I’m sorry he took that away from you.” My stomach tightens with anger once more when her eyes sting with tears, telling me what I already knew.
“I was going to.” She nods, swiping at a fallen tear. “I’m almost sure of it.”
I chuckle and bring my face down to hers again, kissing the tip of her nose. “Let’s get out of here before I drop on one knee without a ring.”
“Well?” Storm asks when I get off the phone with Noah Reeves, our family lawyer and Chase’s older brother from Hideaway Springs.
He handles all of Chase’s contracts and media stuff.
After spending the rest of the afternoon officially making up, Storm and I got dressed and came up with a plan, starting with Max, the media, and eventually, handling Jasper.
Storm’s old agreement seems solid enough, but I won’t take the word from his family’s lawyer, who no doubt left room for loopholes.
I want something more concrete from a lawyer I trust.
“He’ll prioritize your old agreement Jasper’s family had you sign. It’s not where we wanted him to start, but Noah doesn’t like the idea of a one-sided agreement signed by an unrepresented party, so he’s attacking that one tonight.”
I’ll spare her this part now, but as soon as Noah’s done dissecting the agreement, we’re going to figure out a way to make him pay for the years she struggled.
“Okay.” She breathes easier. “What about the rest?”
She’s referring to our plans for the media release of our relationship.
“We’ll need a couple of NDAs. Alert school security. Avoid commenting on anything we want private. That’s just the basics. We can get into specifics later.”
“NDA, huh?” Her tone is teasing. “So I can’t tell them about our barn encounters? Or that you carry wet wipes for your shoes?”
“Not for you, smart ass. You’re not signing one.”
She blinks. “You don’t have your girlfriends sign an NDA?”
“Course I do. But you’re not.”
“Why not?”
I’m not about to go into how she’s different. She knows it. She just wants to hear me say it. I smirk. “Maybe I’m curious to hear what you’ll tell them. Maybe I like it when you talk to people about me.”
“I don’t talk about you!” she protests.
I dip to kiss her lips. “And that’s why you’re not signing one.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m going to sign one. I know Noah Reeves and he’s not going to let it go.”
She might have a point. I’ll need to pick my battles with Noah.
Because when the time comes, he’ll be wanting Storm to sign a prenup and there’s no way in hell that’s happening.
Especially not after he snuck one into Willow’s hands the day of her and Dallas’s first wedding and it quietly broke her heart.
Because by then, she’d already fallen for my brother.
“All right,” I mutter in agreement. “What’s next?”
“Max?” she breathes.
Storm told me about her conversation with Max yesterday, over a shared bowl of ice cream after dinner. She mentioned the “loud man” from the hallway and as suspected, Max knew—or at least had a feeling.
She said he didn’t have questions except if he’d ever have to see him again because he didn’t like him one bit.
That’s one way to put it. No doubt the fucker scared him.
Another reason I’m counting on Noah to make sure he never has to. When the time comes, and it’s coming soon, making that kid mine in every way that matters, including putting my name next to his.
But that’s not what she’s asking.
I wrap my arms around her and kiss her forehead.
“That one’s a little trickier. It’s more of a ‘one thing at a time.’ Something Noah can’t help with.
Kids make headlines, especially when they’re not biological.
His life’s going to change. He’ll have new friends, some genuine, some not.
It’s a weird world. We’ll do what we can to limit his exposure.
Maybe have you two watch games from the lounge or box. ”
She looks up at me with tired eyes. “I don’t wanna hide him. I want to protect him, but not hide him.” Her gaze drifts. “Been doing that his whole life. Think it’s why I always thought he was awkward around people. I’ve sheltered him too much.”
“I don’t blame you. I’d give my life to protect you two,” I tell her, feeling it in the pit of my stomach.
“But okay.” I exhaust a breath. “I’ll talk to some of my teammates with kids.
See if they have some advice. But from what I understand, it’s a temporary blow to your everyday life.
Eventually it all kind of settles into place. ”
She smirks up at me. “Eventually? Exactly how long do you think I can put up with you, hotshot?”
I narrow my eyes and grip her waist tighter. “Think my chances are pretty good given you’ve had a crush on me since we were kids.”
She rolls her eyes. “Okay, so the odds are in your favor.” She presses into my chest. “I’m not worried about Max. I’ve never seen him happier than these last few weeks. It’s like he’s found his place since you came along.”
I knew that kid was special the moment I saw him. And the idea that he feels bigger, steadier, happier with me here, fills my chest in places I didn’t realize were empty.