Shelter from the Storm Read online

  “I know.”

  “She’s in love with you. It’s taken her a long time to get to the point where she would even consider the possibility of a future with a guy.”

  “I know.”

  He walked to the edge of the deck and looked through the doors into Rachel’s kitchen. Tom and Jennifer were sitting at the table. Sara was perched comfortably on Jennifer’s lap, a book in her hand. The three of them were roaring with uncontrollable laughter.

  Tom laughed. “That’s hilarious! I never get tired of the adventures of Captain Underpants. David Pilkey is an absolute genius.” He ruffled the top of Sara’s hair. “You’re a great reader.”

  “Thanks!” she said, glowing from the praise. “And, thanks for the book!”

  Jennifer looked past Tom’s shoulder. Outside, Mac and Rachel appeared to be in the midst of a serious conversation.

  Tom followed her gaze. “She worries about you.”

  “I know.” Jennifer watched as Mac shook his head and looked down at his feet.

  “He treating you right?” Tom asked.

  Jennifer smiled. “Yeah.”

  “If he’s not I can kick his ass for you. Well, I can try.”

  “Are you kidding?” Sara piped up. “They’re an embarrassment. I can’t have anyone over. You’d think someone put a stupid love spell on them! ‘Love you.’ ‘Love you too, babe.’ ‘Oh, but I love you more than life itself…more than all the stars in the sky…more than’… Eek!”

  Sara squealed as Jennifer tickled her.

  “We do not sound like that!”

  “Do to!” Sara insisted between peals of laughter.

  “Do not! We’ve never said anything about the stars in the sky.”

  “Maybe not out loud.”

  “What do you mean?” Jennifer asked, suspiciously.

  Sara looked down at her new book. Jennifer didn’t believe for one second that she was actually reading it again. “Mac keeps a journal.”

  “You read Mac’s journal?” Tom asked.

  “What someone writes in their journal is personal, you shouldn’t be peeking,” Jennifer scolded.

  “I know that…now.”

  Jennifer couldn’t help herself. She had to know. “He said in his journal he loves me more than life itself…more than all the stars in the sky?”

  Sara continued to flip through her book. “Yup. He writes a lot of poetry about you. There’s this really weird one…about your ass.”

  “Sara!” Jennifer gasped.

  “What?” She looked up, innocently. “I didn’t write it!”

  “You are not to be reading Mac’s journal. What he chooses to write in there is…is private.”

  “Relax,” Sara said. “Mac caught me on Tuesday. I already got the big ol’ lecture about personal boundaries and trust. I won’t be snooping again.”

  “Mac must have been very angry,” Tom interjected.

  “No, worse. He was hurt and disappointed. But we’re good now. We worked it out.”

  “I’m glad, honey.”

  “He loves me too, you know. Not in the same way, of course.”

  Jennifer gave her sister an affectionate squeeze. “Well, you are pretty lovable. Who could resist you?”

  A long moment passed. “Do you know who my father is?” asked Sara.

  Jennifer shook her head. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I don’t.”

  Sara shrugged. “That’s okay. I have you.”

  “That you do.”

  Mac looked back over his shoulder at Rachel. “I’m going to marry that girl. Spend the rest of my days building a life with her.”

  Rachel dropped the spatula she had been holding in her hand. At virtually the same time, she and Mac bent down to retrieve it, only Mac got there first. He stood back up, slowly, and handed the spatula back to her.

  “You’re serious?” she asked as she accepted the spatula.

  “Yes. In fact, I’ve never been more serious.”

  “You really, truly love her?”

  “With all my heart, and I’ve got a pretty big one.”

  “Mac, if you—”

  “I can’t promise you it’s going to be perfect. I’ve got loads of faults. And it’s probably going to take a while yet to convince her. But I love her, Rachel.”

  Rachel’s eyes filled with tears. “You’ll convince her.”

  “There will be rough times, guaranteed. She’s not the easiest woman to live with.”

  Rachel started to laugh. “Don’t I know it.”

  “Bit of a neat freak.”

  “True.”

  “But whatever problems we have, we’ll work them through.”

  Rachel pointed the spatula threateningly at him. “You better, mister, ’cause I don’t want to have to have this talk with you again.”

  “That makes two of us. You know, you’re a lot tougher than you seem. You can be downright scary when you set your mind to it.”

  “Really?” Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ve kind of, you know, been working on the assertiveness thing.”

  “Nicely done.”

  “I’m glad we had this little chat, Mac.”

  He took the spatula from her, opened the grill and started to flip the burgers. “Anytime, Red. Anytime.”

  Epilogue

  Ten years later, June 17, 2014

  Mac had been sitting in the living room by the fireplace absorbed in a book, when the front door opened. The yellow Labrador at his feet lifted his head, thumped his tail on the floor a few times, and then lay back down with a groan. “Who is it, boy?” Mac removed his glasses and turned toward the hallway. “Sara? Is that you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. I’m just grabbing a soda. I’ll be right in.”

  “We weren’t expecting you home this weekend. Everything all right at school?”

  Sara walked into the cozy room and sat down on the brown leather sofa, across from Mac. “Classes are going fine.” She leaned down and stroked the dog’s soft coat.

  “What is it?” Mac asked, concerned. “Whatever it is, we’ll work it through.”

  “Roger asked me to marry him,” Sara said, quietly, avoiding eye contact. “And, I said yes.”

  He looked down and caught a glimpse of the rather sizable diamond she was now wearing on her left hand. “Why on earth would you say yes? Last week you were saying you were relieved he’d be graduating and moving on to law school.”

  “I know.”

  “You said the extra space would be a welcome reprieve.”

  “I know.”

  “That it would give you a chance to think about where you wanted the relationship to go.”

  “I know, but…”

  “What?”

  “He’s a nice guy.”

  “That’s it?”

  “He’ll make a good husband,” Sara said.

  “For someone, maybe. But for you? I thought you—”

  “Perfect guys… They don’t exist, Mac!”

  “Of course they don’t.”

  “I can’t just hang around forever, waiting for my prince. What you and Jennifer have, it’s what every little girl dreams of, but only one of us in like a million ever get that!”

  “You’re wrong!” Mac set his book aside. “I’m no prince, Sara. What Jennifer and I have, it’s not perfect, it never has been and it never will be. Our relationship is a constant work in progress and I emphasize the word work. You’re a grown woman now, and you’re not asking for my advice—”

  “Since when does that stop you?”

  Mac smiled and leaned back in his chair.

  “Jennifer and I decided a long time ago, long before we even were married, leaving one another would never be an option. The commitment we made means something, to both of us, and we reaffirm it every single day. Sometimes, I have to reaffirm it several times a day. Your sister can be awfully stubborn, you know.”

  Sara rolled her eyes. “Don’t I know it.”

  “But,” Mac continued, “no matter what happens, no
matter what curves life may throw our way, we work them through. Jennifer and I aren’t always on the same page about things. We’re different, in some ways very different. And, what’s important to us as a couple and as individuals has changed over the years. We’ve changed, evolved together. That requires constant examination, holding on to what’s important to you and wanting, really wanting, the other person to do the same, and compromising when they do.”

  “Roger wants a commitment. He doesn’t want to lose me. He says he can’t go off to law school uncertain about our relationship.”

  “Forget about Roger for a minute. What about you? Are you certain?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There is one thing I’m sure of beyond all else. Jennifer and I were meant to be together. We both had our share of failed relationships before finding one another. Either one of us, or both of us could have settled for something else, for someone else, but we didn’t. There is no one else for me. She’s the one. All I want is to deserve her and what she’s given me. Can you say the same for Roger?”

  “You know you’ve ruined me, don’t you?”

  “I’ve ruined you?”

  “You and Jennifer.” Sara balled her fists up in frustration. “Providing a healthy, loving environment to grow up in, giving me expectations, making me believe it’s possible, making me believe I deserve—”

  “Roger?”

  “I was going to say happiness.”

  “Not the same thing?” Jennifer swept into the room. “What’s going on?”

  “Are the kids asleep?” Mac asked.

  “Doubtful, they’re waiting for their kiss goodnight from you.”

  “Well, I’ll go say my goodnight to Gracie and Elliott. I’ll leave you two to chat this out.” Mac kissed Sara on the forehead. “I’m sorry for so thoroughly ruining you. I’m happy to pay for counseling.”

  “I don’t need counseling.”

  “You’ll need it if you marry a man you don’t love.” Mac winked at Jennifer.

  “What?” Jennifer sat next to Sara on the sofa and reached for her hand. “Roger proposed?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you said yes?”

  It was an hour before Jennifer slipped into their bedroom. Mac had been waiting, impatiently, for her return.

  “You’re still up?” She walked into the closet and began to undress.

  “Damned straight! What happened?”

  “She’s going to give him back the ring.” Jennifer slipped her nightgown over her head.

  “Oh, thank God! What did you say to convince her?”

  “I have no idea. I mostly listened.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Until she asked me a question.”

  “What was the question?”

  “She asked me why I thought you loved me.”

  Mac looked over at her, standing in the doorway to their bathroom, toothbrush in her hand. The sheer fabric of her long silk nightgown was almost translucent, backlit by the glow of the overhead lamp behind her. She reached up and pulled the clip out of her hair and he watched as her sensible updo cascaded about her bare shoulders.

  Mac climbed from the bed and walked over to her. “What did you tell her?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  Mac reached for her hand. “Yes. What did you tell her?”

  “I told her I had absolutely no idea.”

  Mac frowned.

  “I told her I was certain I didn’t deserve you, but by a twist of fate you had come to me and in each other’s arms we’ve somehow managed to find happiness. I told her… I told her I couldn’t imagine a life without you.”

  “Really? You said that?”

  “Yup. Pretty good on the spur of the moment, don’t you think?”

  “Even after all these years, you still take my breath away.” Mac placed his hands on her hips and pulled her toward him. “Tell me you love me.”

  “I love you.”

  “Why do I never tire of hearing that?” Mac teased as he began to rain a trail of kisses down her neck.

  “’Cause deep down inside you’re a greedy little boy?”

  Mac tossed her toothbrush aside then swept her up into his arms. “And, guess what I want?” He carried her over to their bed.

  “What do you want?” Jennifer asked, breathlessly, as he lowered her onto the mattress.

  Mac turned off the light, climbed into bed and settled himself in the familiar space between his wife’s legs.

  “What do I want?”

  “Tell me.”

  “Not a bloody thing.” He brought his hand up to her face, outlining the shape of her lips with his fingertips. “Ask me why.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, I already have everything I want,” he whispered. Then he lowered his mouth to hers, sweeping her bottom lip with his tongue, begging entrance and once again simply…loving her.

  About the Author

  Samantha Sommersby lives in San Diego with her husband and teenaged son. She is the author of multiple novels and novellas including the critically acclaimed Forbidden series. In 2007 Samantha left what she used to call her “real life” day job as a psychotherapist to pursue writing full-time. She now happily spends her days immersed in the world of the Forbidden, a world where vampires, werewolves and demons are real, where magic is possible, and where love still conquers all.

  To learn more about Samantha Sommersby, to follow her on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, or Yahoo, or to sign up for her monthly newsletter, visit www.samanthasommersby.com. You may contact the author through her website or by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

  Look for these titles by Samantha Sommersby

  Now Available:

  Forbidden Series

  The Sacrifice

  The Ascension

  The Revolution

  The Temptation

  Beauty vs. power—a dangerous game with the heart as the prize…

  For His Eyes Only

  © 2009 Avery Beck

  Jacey Cass radiates confidence and sensuality just once a year, when she meets her rich and powerful lover for a night of anonymous sex. The rest of her calendar is filled with the daily struggle to survive. Her cashier job at Insomnia, Miami’s hottest lingerie shop, doesn’t go far toward college tuition, but she’s determined to rise above her mother’s freeloading legacy.

  Alex Vaughn is one promotion away from realizing his life’s ambition. For years he’s been forced to stand by and watch his father systematically destroy the values that made Insomnia great. Now, with an expected vacancy in the summer catalog, he takes a chance. He’s never formally met the fascinating woman he takes to bed every year, but he knows a marketable body when he sees one. The last thing he expects is for her to turn the opportunity down flat.

  Jacey won’t consider a handout—even from the man whose white-hot caress is the one bright spot of her life. Then a modeling competition’s prize money lures her from behind the register and into the blinding spotlight, unaware of what the cost could be to her heart…

  Warning: This title follows a young woman’s journey from fear of intimacy to trust in love, with frequent, explicit descriptions of the sensual lessons learned on the way.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for For His Eyes Only:

  They waited for the elevator. She wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck and kissed him, a chaste kiss appropriate for the public eye should anyone catch them. But when she pulled back and stared at him, the way her eyes darkened spoke volumes about the unchaste activities she expected to take place once they made it to his room.

  Thankfully, the elevator doors closed before anyone else joined them. She slipped her arms inside his jacket, and the heat of her touch penetrated his shirt fabric while he pressed her to the wall, thrust his tongue into her mouth and ground his hips against hers.

  “Well,” she teased when he rested the solid crotch of his pants against her thigh. “I can tell you’re ready.”r />
  He closed his eyes, his hunger for her made almost unbearable by the taste of sweet wine she left on his lips. “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll be ready too.”

  He put his hand beneath her skirt and trailed his finger along the satin edge of a soaking wet g-string, smothering her approving moan with another kiss. The ache in his groin intensified.

  “I think you’re right,” she gasped when he let her go.

  The doors opened. They greeted an older couple waiting to take the elevator and managed to maintain their composure until the door to his room locked behind them.

  Then he couldn’t take it anymore.

  “I’ve got to have you,” he insisted, expressing the thought that had plagued him all evening. He stepped up behind her and kissed the back of her neck, then lowered the zipper of her dress, his mouth following each tooth as it opened.

  By the time he reached the zipper’s end, he was kneeling on the floor with the skinny strap of those panties right in front of him, urging him to tear the thing off. But he had just one night a year with her, and he wouldn’t end it within the first three minutes.

  The dress and the lingerie hit the floor before he had a chance to contemplate his next move. He looked up, managing to catch the mischievous grin on his lady’s face before she turned and strode across the room, the silken curves of her ass draped in nothing but moonlight.

  He stood, his fingers clenched with the need to touch her. “Where are you going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She opened the French doors that led to a private terrace and disappeared around the corner. “Care to join me?” her voice called through the darkness.

  He nearly ran to the balcony, stopping just long enough to pull protection from his pocket and take off his suit. When he found her, she was shoulder-deep in the hot tub, curling her index finger at him.

  “Hurry,” she whispered. He could see her squirming beneath the bubbly surface.

  “You sure know how to make a man crazy.”

  He sank into the warm water and pulled her against him, relishing the reunion of their naked bodies. The money and power that accompanied his position at Insomnia never left him without a date for long, but this woman was no ordinary piece of arm candy. She charged him like an electric current, and their annual rendezvous was just about the only time he felt like a flesh-and-blood man instead of a corporate puppet.