Page 8
Kasen
The roar of Tempest’s bike died, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. I got off, my heart pounding. The beach house loomed before us, a silent sentinel against the darkening sky. When we’d woken earlier in the day, he’d suggested a trip to Florida. It was my first time coming here.
Tempest’s eyes found mine. “You okay?”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. His presence, so close yet unreachable, set my nerves on fire.
He strode toward the house, muscles taut under his leather cut. I followed, drawn by an invisible thread. The door creaked open. Tempest’s hand brushed my lower back as he ushered me inside. Electricity coursed through me. “Take a look around.”
I stepped into the open living area, my fingers trailing along the back of a plush sofa. The ocean stretched endlessly beyond the windows, a canvas of blue and gold. My throat tightened. “It’s beautiful.”
Tempest grunted in agreement, his eyes never leaving me as I explored. I could feel the weight of his gaze, heavy and intense. I paused at a shelf lined with seashells, picking up a delicate spiral. “This place… it’s so peaceful.”
“That’s the idea,” Tempest replied, moving closer. “We can be whoever we want to be while we’re here. I made sure to book a reservation in a place that didn’t have any other clubs.”
I turned, startled by his proximity. His scent -- leather and something uniquely him -- enveloped me. This trip was much needed, and I knew it would either bring us closer, or make us realize we weren’t meant to be together. For a moment, the world narrowed to just us. Then Tempest cleared his throat, stepping back. “You should get settled in. I’ll grab the bags.”
As he strode out, I released a shaky breath. This sanctuary might feel like a safe haven, but who would protect my heart from Tempest?
The rhythmic crash of waves pulled me toward the sliding glass doors. I stepped onto the deck, the wooden planks warm beneath my bare feet. Salt-tinged air filled my lungs as I gripped the railing, drinking in the endless expanse of ocean.
Tempest’s presence materialized behind me, a silent shadow. He didn’t touch me, but I felt the heat radiating from his body. My skin prickled with awareness.
“Beautiful.” His voice was rough, barely audible over the surf. “It’s your first time seeing the ocean, right?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Whatever was happening between us, it made the very air feel scorching hot.
“Come on,” Tempest said, gesturing to a pair of Adirondack chairs. “Let’s sit.”
We settled in, the chairs creaking softly. The breeze tousled my hair, carrying away some of the nervous energy thrumming through me. Silence stretched between us, surprisingly comfortable.
Tempest shifted, his gaze fixed on the horizon. He’d asked if this was my first time at the ocean, but he hadn’t said it was his. I wondered when he’d gone to the beach before. I didn’t know as much about Tempest as I’d thought I did. Only what I’d observed myself or overheard when no one thought I was paying attention.
“What do you want, Kasen?” The question caught me off guard. “I mean, what are your dreams? Your hopes?”
I stared at him, pulse quickening. Was this really happening? The man I’d been infatuated with for years, asking about my aspirations?
“I…” I swallowed hard. “I’m not sure anyone’s ever asked me that before.”
Tempest’s eyes snapped to mine, intensity burning in their depths. “I’m asking now.”
I took a deep breath, the salty air steadying me. “I want…” The words caught in my throat. Tempest waited, his gaze unwavering. “I want to be my own person. And I’d really like to find a way to make things work between the two of us. I’m tired of letting other people decide who I can be with, what types of jobs I can work, or where I can go.”
“You like your job,” he said.
Not quite what I meant, but he wasn’t wrong. Still… the rest of my admission hung between us, heavy with implications. I rushed on, the dam finally breaking. “I’m tired of being Tank’s daughter, or just one of the triplets. I want to make my own choices, forge my own path. But I’m scared too. What if I fail? What if I disappoint everyone? I also understand why the others left. None of them were going to find happiness in this town, not with the entire club watching their every move. You saw how hard Akira had to fight to be with Logan.”
Tempest’s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching. For a moment, I feared I’d said too much. Then he spoke, his voice low and gravelly. “I get it. More than you know.”
I blinked, surprised. Tempest shifted in his chair, leaning toward me. “Being Sergeant-at-Arms… it’s not just a title. It’s a weight. Every decision I make affects the club, affects lives.” His eyes met mine, filled with an unexpected vulnerability. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m cut out for it. If I can balance the violence, the duty, with… with who I want to be. I already had anger issues. And it’s no secret I haven’t trusted women. Not after I got fucked over a long time ago. But I want to be different, for you.”
My breath caught. This was a side of Tempest I’d never seen, never even imagined existed beneath his intimidating exterior. “How do you handle it? The pressure.”
He gave a humorless chuckle. “One day at a time. Some days better than others.” His hand twitched, as if he wanted to reach out but thought better of it.
The realization hit me like a physical force. Here was Tempest, the man I’d put on a pedestal for so long, sharing his own insecurities. We were both trapped by expectations, struggling to find our true selves.
I felt a connection forming, deeper than the crush I’d nursed for years. This was something real, something raw and honest. And for the first time, I allowed myself to hope maybe Tempest saw me as more than just someone he needed to protect.
I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension easing from my shoulders. “Remember when you taught me to ride?”
Tempest’s eyes crinkled at the corners, a smile softening his features. “You mean when you nearly ran over your mom’s prized rosebush? That was the first and last time you were allowed to ride a motorcycle on your own.”
“Hey!” I protested, but I was grinning. “I was sixteen, and that bike was huge.”
“You were fearless,” Tempest said, his voice low and warm. “Still are. I wasn’t sure at first, not after the way you ran off that night.”
The compliment sent a flutter through my chest. I leaned back, letting the ocean breeze cool my flushed cheeks. “What about you? Any embarrassing teen stories to share?”
Tempest’s laugh, a deep rumble, seemed to vibrate through the air between us. “Oh, I’ve got plenty. There was this one time…”
As he launched into a story about a spectacularly failed attempt to impress a girl at a county fair, I found myself captivated. Not just by the tale, but by the way his whole demeanor changed. The ever-present tension in his shoulders eased, his hands gesturing animatedly as he spoke.
I’d never seen him like this -- relaxed, open, almost… playful. It was intoxicating.
The sun began its descent, painting the sky in brilliant hues. Our laughter faded into a comfortable silence. I glanced at Tempest, only to find his intense gaze already fixed on me. The air between us seemed to thicken, charged with an electricity I couldn’t quite name.
My heart raced. Was this the moment I’d dreamed of for so long?
Tempest’s hand moved suddenly, reaching for mine. His callused fingers enveloped my smaller ones, the touch both gentle and firm. My breath caught in my throat.
“I need to tell you something.”
I swallowed hard, barely able to breathe. “What is it?”
His thumb traced small circles on the back of my hand, sending shivers up my arm. “These feelings I have for you… they’re not new. But they’ve grown stronger than I ever thought possible. I denied them for a long time, knowing you were too young and someone I should never hope to be with. Then you became this incredible woman, and I found it hard to look away.”
My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could hear it. Tempest’s eyes, usually guarded, now flared, the intensity both thrilling and terrifying me.
“I’ve tried to fight it,” he continued, his words carrying the weight of long-held emotions. “Told myself it wasn’t right. That I should stay away. But I can’t anymore. You’re all I think about. Your smile, your laugh, your strength. Everything about you draws me in.”
I sat frozen, hardly daring to believe what I was hearing. This man, who I’d idolized from afar for so long, was baring his soul to me. The vulnerability in his expression was different from the fierce protector I knew him to be.
“Say something,” he urged, a hint of his usual impatience creeping into his tone. “Please.”
I took a shaky breath. “I… I’ve been in love with you since I was sixteen,” I blurted out, the words tumbling free after years of silence. “But I never thought… I mean, you’re you, and I’m just --”
“You’re everything,” Tempest interrupted fiercely. “Don’t you see that?”
The tension between us crackled like lightning, electric and dangerous. Tempest’s grip on my hand tightened, his rough fingers a stark reminder of the violence they were capable of. Yet his touch remained gentle, at odds with the storm I saw brewing in his eyes.
I leaned in, drawn by an invisible force. Tempest’s breath hitched, his body going rigid. For a heartbeat, I thought he might close the distance.
Instead, he released my hand and stood abruptly. “We should head inside,” he said, his voice rough. “It’s getting cold.”
Disappointment crashed over me, but as Tempest helped me to my feet, I caught the look in his eyes. A silent promise burned there, along with barely restrained desire. He was holding back, I realized. For me. The last time we’d kissed, I’d run away. It seemed this time he was giving me time to accept what was happening.
We retreated into the beach house, the warmth enveloping us like a cocoon. Tempest strode to the kitchen, his movements taut with unresolved tension.
“I’ll make us something to eat,” he said, yanking open the fridge. “You like pasta?”
“Wait. How is this place stocked?” I asked.
“I paid extra to have them meet the Instacart driver. Placed an order when I booked the place.”
I nodded, settling onto a bar stool to watch him work. “Pasta is fine. Need any help?”
“Nah, I got this,” Tempest replied, his back to me as he gathered ingredients. “So, tell me about the art project your friend is working on. The one with the motorcycles?”
As I launched into an explanation, the rhythmic sound of his knife on the cutting board punctuated my words. The normalcy of the moment felt surreal after our charged conversation outside.
“Sounds badass,” Tempest commented, glancing over his shoulder with a hint of a smile. “Maybe we can check it out together when she’s finished.”
“I’d love that.” I couldn’t believe he’d remembered that. He’d overheard me telling Owen about it and had asked what we were talking about, but that had been a month ago.
The pasta’s aroma filled the air as we settled onto the couch, plates balanced on our laps. Through the expansive windows, stars winked into existence, mirroring the twinkling lights of distant ships on the horizon. We ate and watched TV, falling into a comfortable silence.
When we finished, we took our plates to the kitchen and rinsed them in the sink before placing them in the dishwasher. Tempest led me over to the sliding glass door again, and we stared out at the night sky.
Tempest’s arm draped around my shoulders, a casual gesture that set my nerves on fire. I leaned into him, relishing his solid warmth.
“You see that constellation? That’s Orion.” He pointed with his free hand.
I squinted. “Where?”
His chuckle rumbled through his chest, and he shifted, stepping behind me, one hand on my arm, the other pointing to the sky again. “Right there, those three bright stars in a row. “And that’s Orion’s Belt.”
As he traced the pattern, I found myself focused more on the rough feel of his fingers than the celestial display. My heart hammered.
“You know a lot about stars?” I asked, desperate to maintain conversation.
Tempest shrugged. “Picked it up along the way. Helps pass the time when I’m on a job.”
Silence fell between us, charged with unspoken possibilities. The rhythmic crash of waves against the shore seemed to echo the pounding of my pulse.
“I want you to know --”
I held my breath, torn between hope and fear. He wanted me to know what?
He exhaled sharply. “I respect you. And your family. Whatever this is between us, we take it at your pace. No pressure. But if we decide to do this, to become a couple, your dad is probably going to lose his shit. That’s something we’ll both have to face when the time comes.”
Relief and disappointment warred within me. “I know.”
As the night deepened, exhaustion crept in. Tempest offered his hand. “C’mon, time for bed.”
At my door, he paused. His gaze roamed my face, intense and unreadable. “Goodnight, Kasen,” he murmured, voice rough with restrained emotion.
“Goodnight,” I whispered back, my hand on the doorknob.
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.
I slipped inside and closed the door, my heart racing. Through the wood, I heard Tempest’s heavy exhale and the soft thud of his forehead against the frame. My fingers hovered over the handle, tempted to throw it open, to act on the spark I felt between us.
But I didn’t.
Tempest’s footsteps retreated down the hall, each one echoing with the weight of unsaid words. I pressed my ear to the door, listening as they faded.
In the silence that followed, I could almost feel him standing there, wrestling with tumultuous emotions threatening to overwhelm me. The air felt thick with anticipation.
My mind raced with possibilities. What would tomorrow bring? How long could we dance around this growing attraction before one of us snapped?
I pictured Tempest’s face, the intensity in his eyes when he looked at me. The way his jaw clenched when he held back. He was a powder keg of barely contained passion, and I was the match, ready to ignite.
But he’d promised to respect my boundaries, to let me set the pace. The thought both thrilled and terrified me.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Whatever challenges lay ahead, we’d face them together. And for the first time in my life, I felt ready for the unknown.