Chayton's Tempest (42 page)

the Truth and Let Maverick Know Before It’s Too Late Day.”

Let him know.
Tempest’s heart skipped a few beats. Did

she
know? And if she did,
how
did she know? Tempest wasn’t

fully accepting it herself yet.

“Let him know what?” she demanded.

Mili
arched a perfect brow at her. “You can’t be

seriously asking me that.”

She swallowed down the bile that seemed to be

overwhelming her. It was like
Mili
suspected. “Apparently, I

am
asking,
Mili
. What are you talking about?”

Mili
sent her a glare. “Don’t play stupid with me.”

With a huff, Tempest dictated, “We’ll talk about this

later. Right now, I’m sure there’s
something
you should be

doing.”

If
Mili
were hurt or offended by Tempest’s words, it

never showed. She just shook her head, smiled, and got back to

work with surprising ease.

“That was uncalled for, darling,” Sparky reproached.

Tempest ground her teeth. She didn’t want a lecture. She

didn’t want to feel crappy. She just wanted Maverick to tell her

he wanted to marry her.

Blinking back tears, she agreed, “I know. I’ll apologize

later. I don’t know what’s come over me lately.”

Sparky raised a brow but remained blissfully silent,

opting to take a drink instead.

The second there was a lull in the bar, Tempest headed

for her office, content that
Mili
and the others could handle it.

Shutting the door behind her, she sank into her chair and

covered her face with her hands. She took deep breaths and

tried to control her out of racing heartbeat. It wasn’t working.

The phone rang and she was both pleased and disgruntled at

the intrusion.

“B’s Quarry,” she said.

“When are you coming to be where you belong?”

The deep voice sent shivers throughout her body. James

Lonetree
was the only man with that much power in his

timbre.

“Hello, James,” she said, immediately feeling better.

“Enough, Tempest. I want you here with me. You know

I love you; why are you doing this to us?”

If you only knew.
“I have a life here, James. You do realize

that, don’t you?”

“You are
my
life, Tempest.” He took a deep breath. “Do

you want me to quit and come to you? If that’s what it’ll take,

then that’s what I’ll do.”

She blinked back tears. God she loved this man. “You

love your job, James.”

“I love you more,
mitawin
.”

A short gasp left her as she heard him say those words.

Looking up, she whimpered as her gaze took in the
darkbronzed

man who stood in her office.

He was there. She’d never heard him come in, never

even heard the door open.

“James?” she whispered.

“Damn, I’ve missed you.” He dropped his phone and

hauled her into his arms.

She moaned in ecstasy as his mouth covered hers. This

was heaven.

His tongue swept deeply into her willing mouth. She

arched against him, purring as his hands gripped her ass and

pulled her in closer. His erection pressed against her belly and

she felt the moisture dripping between her legs.

She wanted him.

“James,” she panted, tugging up his shirt.

“I love you, Tempest. Tell me you know that.”

She reached up and touched his face. “Yes. I know you

do. I love you too.”

“Don’t ever stop telling me that.” Lifting her into his

arms, he walked them over to the couch, where he laid them

out. It wasn’t long before his thick length was sliding home into

her heat.

When they finally found their breath and were once

again dressed and curled up on the couch, Tempest asked.

“What are you doing here?”

“I don’t want to be away from you anymore. So, I’m

here to humble myself. I’ll quit the Teams if you want and

move here, whatever it takes for us to be together. I know it

was presumptuous of me to expect you to pick up and move

for me, so I’m here, I’m telling you I will happily move to

where you are.”

She laid her head against his chest, easily breathing in

the subtle yet definitely masculine scent that constantly

surrounded him. “I can’t ask you to give up what you love.”

His lips caressed her forehead. “Then tell me you’ll

marry me. You’re whom I love. I want to be with you. If that

means leaving the Teams, then I will.” One strong move and

she was seated on his lap. “Will you marry me?”

Her mouth moved, but nothing came out. The phone

began ringing and she looked between it and the man who held

her.

“Get the phone, baby. I’ll be right here.” He smacked her

on the ass as she climbed off his muscular thighs.

She answered the call and then was soon pulled back

into the busy night at her establishment. Maverick didn’t try to

stop her, just followed her out there and sat at the bar, keeping

an eye on her.

He went home with her afterward and had a brief

reunion with both Dakota and Mitchell. Still, Tempest always

felt his eyes on her, watching her wherever she went.

When it was just the two of them in her bedroom, he

knelt on the floor beside her as she sat at the foot of her bed.

 
“Tempest. I have to go back. My ride is leaving in another two

hours.”

Her heart wept; she didn’t want him to go. “Can I have a

week? To think about everything?”

“One week, of course.” He smiled and she saw the

sadness in it.

“I just have to figure it all out. You understand, right?”

He laid his head in her lap. Tempest dragged her fingers

through his dark hair. She sniffed and wiped away the tears

that threatened. “Please tell me you understand.”

“I do, baby, I just don’t want to wait any longer than I

have to.”

“I love you, James.”

“I love you, too,
mitawin
. I love you too.”

He moved her back up on the bed and made love to her

one more time. Slowly, tenderly, and thoroughly. He was gone

when she woke up. There was just a small note left on her

pillow.

One week, baby.

One week and I’ll come get you if I don’t hear from you.

Take care of yourself.

I love you.

~Maverick

She smiled at the thought of him coming to get her.

Tempest rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. There

was a lot for her to do today.

Over lunch, she had a long discussion with Dakota. She

took Mitchell to the airport and got him safely on a plane to go

back home. Then she called
Mili
and asked for a meeting. After

that appointment, she stopped off and spoke to Shelia’s family

and then proceeded onto her dinner date with Burl. Over the

meal, she explained about the situation between Maverick and

her to him. Ever the gentleman, Burl took it well, although she

could see the hurt in his eyes.

A bouquet of mixed flowers waited for her on her

doorstep when she got home that evening. She inhaled the rich

fragrance deeply as she brought the floral arrangement inside

the house.

The card only had one word on it.
Mitawin
. Tempest

smiled and placed the flowers on the kitchen counter. She was

putting her leftovers in the refrigerator when the front door

opened and Dakota entered. He sent her a small smile before

heading off to his room. He’d gotten a second job and was just

getting home from it. So now he would nap so he was more

awake for working at the bar when he came in late.

She unhooked her cell from her belt and dialed a

number.

“Make up your mind,
mitawin
?” Maverick’s deep voice

asked by way of hello.

“Thank you for the flowers,” she said. She reached for a

beer before it stopping and grabbing the pitcher of lemonade

instead.

“How are you doing?”

How was she doing? “I’m okay. I wanted to talk to you

about something.”

“When does your plane arrive?”

She chuckled. “Not what I wanted to talk to you about. I

was thinking about that money you made me take.”

A low growl flowed across the line. “That money is not

up for negotiation, Tempest.”

“Just hear me out, James.”

He grunted at her reprimand but remained silent.

Swiftly and succinctly she explained what her idea was.

He listened, only asking a few questions here and there. When

she hung up the phone, there was a satisfied smile on her face.

The money would be used for Dakota and Shelia and

their baby. The couple had decided to get married and was

going to have a small ceremony in a few weeks. Tempest had

also asked Maverick to be there for that as well.

As she slid her exhausted body into bed, there was a

smile on her face. Honestly, she hadn’t any reason why she

asked for a week. She loved him. She wanted to be with him.

There was nothing else that was a factor. Her son was a grown

man. It was time for her to live her life for her.

Two days later, she was making a call as she

halfheartedly listened to Shelia complain to Dakota about

feeling sick all the time.

“Hello, Tempest,” the voice said.

“Hi,
Xaria
. I have a favor to ask.”

“Of course, hon. What can I do for you?”

Tempest told her what she needed.
Xaria
agreed and

when they hung up the phone, Tempest felt elated. Soon, very

soon, she would be with Maverick again.

_

Maverick stood by the range and watched the men

firing. The pungent smell of gunpowder filled the air. He loved

it.

Inside, however, was a different story. The clock was

ticking down to when Tempest would give him her decision.

He’d already gone to Scott and told him he might be resigning

his commission.

His friend and commanding officer had never blinked,

just nodded and said he understood. The Team would miss

him. Immensely.

He watched
Dimitri
and
Osten
joke with one another

while placing bets on Tyson and Ernst. He loved these guys.

His family. He would miss them just as much if he had to go.

“You know we’re having a dinner at the house, right?”

Scott’s voice broke into his musings.

“Huh?”

“Dinner. With everyone. My house. Tonight. Don’t be

late. Seventeen hundred.” The man turned his attention back to

the range before them.