Keeping my head down, I made my way to the ladies' room. I needed to get out of there before I broke down in front of Newport’s finest.
After calling an Uber via the App on my phone, I messaged Jasper to say I’d had to leave due to a migraine. An excuse I had used in the past. A total lie. I’d never had a migraine in my life.
As I rested against the back seat of the cab, I suddenly felt like the worst person on the planet. When Reed had left, I made a promise to Jasper that there would be no one else. That agreement between us, where we could see other people, expired on my twenty-first birthday, and we’d both acknowledged that. Did I believe that Jasper had stuck to our pact? Not really, but I didn’t care anyway. Not until we were married, and that would be more to do with him making me look a fool. Storm Summers could not be seen as a woman who could not keep her husband satisfied. And once again, that recurring question floated back into my thoughts. Would I even have to? As I said, Jasper had never touched me. Not in that way. He’d never even made eyes at me as other men did. Part of me had wondered whether he was closeted. A proud, gay man who would never come out due to what that may do to his business image. Yes, he still showed signs of jealousy, but I believed that was because he thought he owned me. Jasper saw me as one of his possessions rather than as a woman. I knew that if I dug a little deeper, I could probably unearth all sorts of secrets.
I had heard Jasper and his father talking about shares in the business. The main one they shared with my father: Remmington Summers Consultancy. If he were to come out, would that really do any damage? Surely people didn’t care what your sexual preferences were anymore? Even in business.
From my understanding, my father’s company provided a combination of consultancy and lobbying expertise across various areas. The primary objective was to advise and influence government policy for the benefit of third parties. Although my father was no longer the mayor of Newport, Dominic Summers still played an active role in political activity. And Jasper worked closely within that organization, like a subcontractor. That’s why I knew that his threats of ending Reed’s career would not be fabricated. I was never invited to join the business, of course not. I didn’t possess the correct sex organs for that. After several inheritance arguments with my mother, my dad had awarded me some shares in the business for my birthday to shut me up. Not that I gave a shit about those now.
My broken promise to Jasper came flooding back as my cell started ringing. What if Reed had said something to him at the Gala when I’d left? Guilt seeped through me like a poison.
I had always hated cheaters.
And yet, that’s exactly what I’d allowed myself to be that night.
And why? Because Reed Prescott still had the power to make me question what I thought was right and real.
To sum up my life from that point forward: I was lost.
EIGHT
REED
I returned from a Gala I never wanted to attend, fifty thousand dollars lighter. Not to mention the money I’d spent on the tab for our table.
Mia chewed my ear off the entire journey back to my hotel, saying how bad it would have been for my new image if I’d been caught sneaking out the back with another man’s fiancée. Luckily, we’d dropped Phoenix off at Ma’s house by that point, so I didn’t get it in the neck from both angles.
I’d screwed up, and I knew that. Not because of Mia’s point, but from what I had said to Storm after I’d gotten carried away and fingered her behind the gym of our old school. Goddamn it! I was an adult now, and a professional athlete, yet the woman still turned me into a horny teenager.
When I’d seen her on stage in that gray silk number that wrapped around her body like a lover, my heart had beat like a war drum in my chest. Storm still moved like a society darling, irrespective of her fucking doctorate.
Bidding for her had been automatic, a no-brainer. The thought of anyone else winning that date with Storm had riled me up more than Phoenix used to when he took my Jeep without asking.
I’d wanted to rip the eyes out of most men’s sockets for even looking at her. Storm projected an air of confidence, had even wiggled her ass, a motion that would tempt a fucking saint, but I knew she didn’t really want to be up there. It was all part of an act.
Nobody knew Storm as I did, no one! I smiled at how my dick had twitched in my pants at that wiggle. Her ass had always been one of her best assets, like a perfect heart shape that looked even better with my handprint on it. As I said, we shared the same type of fetishes, and Teacup loved being spanked when I took her hardfrom behind. I recalled the way she’d watch me over one shoulder with her pupils blown as I pounded into her.
Again, unwanted thoughts of her douche of a fiancé touching her in that way bled into my mind. It made me think of all the ways I’d love to gut the fucker.
Jasper the prick had continued to size me up across the room once Storm’s father had revealed my presence: his piss-poor attempt to stare me down, laughable. His too-wide-for-his-face smile was the opposite of friendly; his expression clearly telling me to fuck off.
I’d held back my sour look and had reacted graciously, but hadn’t been prepared for that announcement. After stating that I would go to Nix at the country club, I changed my mind and arranged for the NFL shop to donate the football instead. Phoenix had been the one to push me into going, as did the urge to get back at Jasper for getting all up in my business that day. And now I was relieved that he did, even though the shit with Storm went sideways when we were interrupted.
I hadn’t been able to go after her due to the boner I’d been sporting in my dress pants. Nope. I’d had to stand there until my full mast situation had calmed the hell down. Tasting her on my fingers hadn’t helped speed that process up. Storm’s pussy was still the sweetest I had ever sampled. I was helpless as she’d run away, leaving a faint trace of her sweet scent and a hefty dose of unfinished business.
After around ten minutes, the jackass who’d unknowingly spoiled my plans of getting my dick wet behind the gym strolled over and offered me a drag on his blunt.
We’d chatted for a while. His name was Carl, and he was a huge fan, so he said. Weren’t they all. His timing still sucked ass big time. I’d forgiven him in payment for the buzz his joint had given me. It still didn’t take my mind off the fact that I’d made Storm cry.
I wondered what would have happened if Carl hadn’t come through the door at that moment. Who knew. When I had seen the hurt on Storm’s face, I knew in a heartbeat that any previous plans I had for getting revenge on her were gone. Were they ever even there to start with? Probably not. Hot fucking air was what that was.
When I’d tried to find her in the hall, Mrs. Parker, the mother of a girl I went to school with, said she’d seen Storm getting into an Uber. Her dick of a fiancé was still milling around, doing that shmoozing shit. He’d tried to make eye contact a couple of times, but I purposefully avoided engaging in any more conversation with the idiot. I didn’t do small talk with just anyone and was already exhausted after Dominic Summers brought a group of ‘fans’ over to talk to me. I allowed a couple of pictures and then got the hell out of there, pining for what I’d lost behind the back of the hall.
The truth of the matter was finally clear to me. I wanted Storm back in my life, and I would do anything I could to get her there. Yes, we had drifted apart due to circumstances, but we were still the same. Two broken pieces that would eventually fit back together again, no matter how much Storm chose to deny it.
Thanking Mia for driving, to which she replied. “Don’t see it as a favor. You’ll get my bill.” I undid my seatbelt as she steered into the lot beneath the Bayberry.
I knew she was partly pissed because of her attraction to Storm. Typical that the woman of my dreams was lusted after by both sexes. That meant I had to fight twice as hard. Mia parked the car, and then we rode the lift in silence. My head of PR had checked into the same hotel the previous day, as it was easier logistically. After a brief reminder about our nine o'clock breakfast meeting, which had been arranged to take place before football practice, she left the lift on her floor with a grunted goodnight.
