Page 2 of Eye of the Hurricane (Weathering Doves Harbor #2)

“It’s a Thursday, Thing Two. Let’s try to keep it tame,” Marco says with a laugh. Luna presses a hand to her chest in mock offense, dropping it and winking at him as he slides a glass of what looks to be whiskey over to her.

Marco turns to regard me after rolling his eyes at Luna’s theatrics. “What’s your poison tonight, Katherine?”

“Dirty martini. Extra dirty, Grey Goose.”

“That bad, huh?” He laughs.

“I really like dirty martinis, asshole,” I joke. “Besides, it’s not all bad, just stressful.”

He raises an eyebrow at me before nodding in understanding. I’ve definitely got some explaining to do later. He turns around to prepare my drink and slides the glass over to me when he’s done. I sigh deeply as I pull the glass closer to pluck the olives out, popping one into my mouth.

One thing you should know about me is that espresso martinis are my kryptonite. After my dirty martini, I decided to make the switch over to espresso martinis. That was a mistake . My first, but not my only of the night.

I know that’s true when I’m watching my hand knock on the front door of Ares Dawkins’ house. Ares Dawkins, who happens to be the most annoying and infuriatingly handsome man I’ve come across in my twenty-four years.

We met three years ago during my sophomore year of college. It started with him relentlessly trying to hit on me. Once I got it through his head that I had a plan I refused to deviate from, we kind of became friends. Sorta? Kinda. Frenemies, if you will.

The door swings open and it’s his mother, Allison. She answers with an incredibly welcoming look on her face. I’ve met her one other time, on the Fourth of July.

“Hi, sweetheart. Ares didn’t mention you were stopping by,” she says. I put on my best mask to appear sober. But after my run-in with the espresso martinis, I’m far from it.

“I was just in the neighborhood,” I lie. “He didn’t know I was coming.”

She steps to the side, making room for me to walk passed her. “He’s up in his room, second room on the left if you don’t know.”

I nod, acknowledging her. “Thank you,” I reply before making my way through the living room and up the stairs.

The Dawkins’ home is beautiful and spacious, done mostly in white and light shades of gray.

I climb the stairs wearily, careful in my heels to not trip.

Upstairs, Ares’ bedroom door is latched so I knock.

On the other side of the door, I hear an annoyed groan.

“Come in!” he calls out. I turn the knob and open the door.

When I walk in, he’s laid back on his bed in nothing but his boxers. I fight to drag my eyes away from his perfectly chiseled body but fail miserably. I’m so blaming this on the martinis.

“Kat? What are you doing here?” Ares asks, popping up to a sitting position.

Time passes with me still staring at him in silence.

He cocks his head with that wicked smile of his creeping up and I’m only vaguely aware that I’m gawking .

Now would be a good time to stop looking at his body.

I do not gawk . Clearly, I shouldn’t drink with Luna .

“Eyes up here, Kitty Kat.” There’s infinitely more amusement in his tone now. I finally find it in myself to drag my eyes to his.

“I was in the neighborhood,” I lie again. The difference between him and his mother is he calls me out on it. Ares laughs at me.

“Neighborhood? We live on a beachfront property.” Right, duh .

I stare at him for a second, running through my ways around this before giving in, fully caught up.

“Okay, fine. I was out with Luna and got dropped off here because I wanted to see you,” I admit.

I start to feel unsteady on my feet and scan the room for a place to sit.

A papasan chair in the corner catches my eye.

“Can I sit here?” I ask, walking over to the chair.

He pinches his brows together in confusion but nods.

“You wanted to see me?” he asks, pointing to himself. The satisfaction in his tone is impossible to miss. He’s loving this. Of course, he is.

“Well… I was hoping…” Jesus, just spit it out . “I thought maybe you’d hook up with me,” I admit. His eyebrows raise up well under the loose curls sitting on his forehead. He bites back a laugh and I cross my arms.

“You want to… hook up?” Yes. “With me?” Clearly . “Tonight?” Not if you keep this up . He laughs but it comes out dry, like he’s in disbelief.

“Yes,” I say simply like the idea isn’t absolutely insane. His eyes drag over me, snagging at my lips for a few beats.

“Come here, then. Come sit with me,” he says, patting the bed next to him. My heart races in my chest. I knew Ares was into me but I never thought he would agree to this so easily.

I stand and walk over to him. He takes my hand and guides me to sit next to him. He pushes my hair gently out of my face, looking deep into my eyes. Just when I think he’s about to kiss me, he speaks instead.

“Are you okay, Kat?” he asks. The sincerity in his tone soothes the ache of the rejection I feel.

“I’m fine. Don’t you want me?” It comes out as more of a pout than I intend.

“You know I do. This just doesn’t seem like you,” he pushes deep brown waves out of his face. I throw myself on my back with a loud and dramatic groan. “What about your plan? You’re always talking about how this is not part of it.”

“Since when do you care about the plan?”

“Since when do you not?” he counters, looking down at me.

I let out another groan before sitting back up to face him.

“The plan changed and it’s going to be a lot more work, which is fine.

I’m fine. I just thought I was finally seeing the light at the end of this whole thing and now I don’t anymore.

” I suck in a breath and shrug. “So I told Luna I wanted to have one fun night,” I admit.

Ares attempts to hold back the smile growing on his face, but he fails miserably.

“And your idea of a fun night was to show up at my house and ask me to fuck you?” The pleased look on his face is enough to want to punch him—and maybe kiss him?

“You have a dirty mouth,” I say, avoiding the real substance of what he said. He tilts his head to one side with the same self-assured grin on his face. It’s so cocky and sexy, I almost hate him for it.

“Are you drunk?” he asks, examining my face. I give a sheepish smile and pinch my fingers together to say a little bit . “I try to make a habit of not sleeping with drunk women. You know… consent,” he says in a joking tone. I can tell he’s not only trying to lighten the mood, but that he means it.

“Why do you have to be a good person?” I pout.

“Just part of the charm, honey,” he laughs.

Just then, there’s a knock at his door and I’m extremely aware of how incriminating this looks. Ares is in nothing but his boxers and I’m flushed from the alcohol.

“Who is it?” Ares calls out.

“Audra. I just want to talk.”

His eyes snap closed before answering. “I don’t want to talk right now,” he says. I whack his arm, glaring at him.

“If you don’t let me come in, I’m coming in anyways.”

“I’m not ready to talk yet,” he says.

She doesn’t listen, though, and I don’t blame her. She pushes the door open and her eyes flick between me and Ares. I can see her physically trying to stop herself from laughing at us; at him, really. Ares groans and throws his hand over his face.

“Hi, Audi,” I say, flashing her a bright smile.

“Hi, Katherine.” I can hear her still fighting off a laugh.

“You can call me Kat, you know?”

“Kat, right. I can do that.” She nods. “So, I came to talk. I see now that I’m not the only one hiding things,” she prods, looking between the two of us. So it looks about as incriminating as I thought.

“We’re not—I’m not—” Ares pauses, searching for words. “If I say we’re good, will you come back another time?” he asks, looking at me and then back to Audra. Clearly, he didn’t talk this out with her like I told him to.

“Yeah. I can go,” Audra says, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. Her willingness to drop this whole thing and leave makes me giggle .

“Wait, no. I’ll go,” I announce. “You guys should talk.”

“Don’t leave,” Ares pleads, looking at me.

“Then talk to her. Or I’m going.”

“Fine. Let me put some clothes on,” he says.

“Right. Yeah. I’ll wait in the hall,” Audra says, walking out of Ares’ bedroom and closing the door behind her.

“YOU DID NOT!” Luna exclaims, doubling over with laughter. She happens to think it’s hilarious that I went to Ares’ house and essentially asked him to do me right then and there. I’m glad someone finds humor in my misfortune .

“I wish I could say I didn’t. I totally did.”

“I mean, I can’t blame you. No sex at twenty-four is insane. On top of that, look at him. He’s like sex personified.” Immediately my mind falls to all of the dorky things he’s done over the few years I’ve known him. Calling him sex personified is a little funny, even if it is true.

“I’m never going out drinking with you again. How am I supposed to face him now?” I groan, covering my face with my hands.

“I vote you deviate from the plan and let him fold you like a lawn chair.” Luna wiggles her eyebrows at me, smirking.

“Jesus, Luna.” Luna has always had a mouth on her, saying exactly what she means. I don’t know that she’s ever put a filter on a single word she’s said.

“Oh, I’m in trouble for suggesting it, but you went to his house and asked.”

“LUNA! We’re never talking about that. ”

My phone chimes on the table and before I can grab it, Luna does. She checks the screen and raises a brow, looking up at me. She turns the screen to me and speak of the devil…

Ares

Still avoiding me, Kitty Kat?

I snatch my phone out of her hand. In my next life, I’ll be a more private person. Actually, maybe in my next life, I’ll be a sloth or something. Maybe then I won’t have meddling ass friends who make fun of my drunk stupidity and steal my phone.

Katherine

I’m not avoiding you. I’ve been busy.

Ares

The 7 ignored text messages say otherwise.

Katherine

Busy. Like I said.

Ares