Page 66 of Storm

She's quiet for a moment, considering. "I love him," she says finally. "Not like I love you. It's different. But he's important to me, Rook. If we get out of here... When we get out of here, we need to take him with us."

"Whatever you want," I promise, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "If he's important to you, he's important to me."

She relaxes against me; the tension leaving her body. We talk more, filling in the gaps of our years apart. I tell her about the fights, about the apartment I managed to secure for us, about never giving up hope of finding her again.

As the night deepens, her words come slower, sleepier. She nestles against my chest, her breathing growing more even as I rub gentle circles on her back.

"I missed you," she murmurs, her voice thick with approaching sleep. "Every day."

"I missed you too," I whisper, but she's already drifting off, her body relaxing completely against mine.

I hold her through the night, barely sleeping myself, too afraid this might all be a dream—that I'll wake up in my empty apartment, alone again, still searching. Each time I start to drift off, I jerk awake, checking to make sure she's still there, still real.

Eventually, exhaustion wins out, and I slip into dreams with Storm's weight anchoring me to reality.

* * *

I waketo the soft press of lips against my cheek and fingers gently tracing the scruff on my face. Sunlight filters through the windows, casting the room in a warm glow that makes Storm's wild auburn curls look like fire.

I open one eye to find her smiling down at me, her gray eyes bright with a happiness I haven't seen for so long.

"I can grow a beard now," I say, my voice rough with sleep.

She chuckles, her fingers still exploring the stubble on my jaw. "I can go into heat now," she counters, and there's something playful yet hungry in her voice that makes my body respond immediately.

I grab her ass, pulling her closer, the thin fabric of her underwear doing little to hide the heat of her. "I know," I growl, pressing against her so she can feel how hard I am. "Your scent is intoxicating."

She reaches down, her fingers sliding beneath the waistband of my boxers, but I pull back slightly, stopping her.

Confusion clouds her eyes. "What's wrong?" she asks, worry creeping into her voice. "Have you... been with someone else in the time we've been apart? Because if you have, I understand. It's been four years and?—"

"No," I cut her off firmly. "Never. You were my first, Storm. You'll be my last. I could never touch anyone else."

Relief floods her face, followed quickly by confusion. "Then what's the problem?"

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Reed threatened me," I admit. "Said if I touch you in any way with my dick, he'll have me killed. I've already broken a few rules, but I think the threat is real."

"That cockblocker," Storm mutters, but there's less heat in it than I expected. "I think Alex would stop it, though. He seems to understand...us."

I wish I shared her confidence, but the memory of Reed's cold eyes and tight grip on my arm is still fresh. Still, as Storm shifts against me, her scent growing richer with arousal, it's hard to care about Reed's threats or anything else outside this room.

"Well," I say, pressing a kiss to her neck, feeling her pulse jump beneath my lips. "There are ways to touch you that won't technically break his rules."

Her breath catches as I kiss my way down her body, pushing the covers aside. "Is that so?"

I look up at her, memorizing the way she looks in this moment—eyes dark with want, wild curls spread across the pillow, skin flushed with desire. "Trust me?"

Her answer is a breathless "Always."

I trail kisses down her body, my hands caressing her sides, feeling the subtle changes in her shape after four years. She's still my Storm, but her body tells a story of the time we've lost—a story I'm determined to learn every detail of. Her skin is softer, her curves more defined, and as my lips move lower, her scent grows richer, more intoxicating.

"Rook," she gasps as I trace the edge of her underwear with my tongue. "Please."

I hook my fingers in the sides of her panties, dragging them slowly down her legs, savoring every inch of skin revealed. She watches me through half-lidded eyes, her chest rising and falling with quick breaths. When I toss the fabric aside, she reaches for me, but I gently press her hands back to the mattress.

"Let me," I murmur against the inside of her knee. "Let me worship you like you deserve."

A shudder runs through her body at my words. I press open-mouthed kisses along her inner thigh, taking my time, relearning the map of her body. She's trembling by the time I reach her center, her scent so rich it makes my head spin.