Eye of the Storm (Storm, #2)

She shrugged. “I like food. I like to eat. I’m not going to be a female and just eat a little bit because I’m out with a man. If I’m hungry I eat, shouldn’t matter who you’re with.”


There was a four-piece band playing music from the fifties in the corner. Evie turned to watch some older couples dance together on the small dance floor. She could remember her grandparents dancing together like that all the time. While her grandmother might be a bit wild, when she was married to her grandpa, Allen, it was one of the most romantic relationships she had ever seen.

“Would you like to dance?” Anthony asked.

She turned to him; sitting there in the candlelight with the vibrant colors of the sunset behind him. His white button-down shirt, open at the collar, and charcoal grey jacket looked dashing. “Yes, yes I would.”

He stood up and offered his hand. She slid hers into his and felt the warmth seep through her. He led her through the tables to the dance floor. She was completely focused on him. He spun her around once before bringing her close to him. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder. His arm slid around her waist and he brought his other hand, with hers in it twisting them around so that the back of her hand was against his heart. She could feel the heat between them. They moved in time to the music across the dance floor, never taking their eyes off each other.

He led her in quick circles around the dance floor to the beat of the music. The rest of the room seemed to disappear until it was just the two of them. Stopping in the middle of the dance floor as the other couples danced and spun around them, he pulled her closer. She melted into him, needing to be close. He let go of her hand and moved it up to the side of her face.

“Evie, la mia belezza.”

With her heart racing, she closed the distance between their lips. Their lips slid across each other’s. She gripped his shoulders wanting him even closer. She could feel his fingers digging into her waist. She nipped at his lower lip and was rewarded with his mouth opening and his tongue coming out to meet hers.

They were jolted from behind as another coupled danced into them. “Sorry,” they said as they danced on by.

Staring at Anthony, Evie wasn’t sure what to do. She knew what she wanted to do. However, obviously, the dance floor wasn’t the place to do it.

Holding his hand out to her he said, “Come on. Let’s go home.”

*

Unaware that Anthony and Evie were looking into his past, Jeremy laid back in bed casually looking over at the woman next to him. He’d never been with a woman as long as this one and he hated it. Not sure how much more he was going to be able to take, he tried to tune her out as she babbled on about some stupid author that she thought was the best thing ever.

He knew it was a calculated risk bringing her here, but he needed some refinement. He was tired of beer and pizza. It reminded him too much of his youth. Looking over the spread of food on the bed, he’d missed the finer things in life that was for sure.

When she started describing the fourth book he decided it was time for this to end. He knew that coming here was tempting fate. The police or Anthony could at any moment discover this place. He might as well leave them something to remind them of him. He casually picked up a fork and polished it on his shirt before turning towards her and stabbing it down into her gut, twisting, bending it down and pulling it out.

*

He dusted his hands off and surveyed his handiwork. Everything looked perfect. He couldn’t wait for Anthony to find this, and he knew he would. It was just a matter of time. Turning the A/C down he walked out of the apartment and prepared to take a trip up north.





– CHAPTER FIVE –


Evie sighed behind the wheel. “Another Thursday, Yippee.”

“Oh, come on, it’s fun. We get to see what’s new at the senior center and I get to play poker with the girls.” Evelyne said.

“You see the girls all the time and you already know all the gossip. You’re just there to watch the landscapers.”

“Well, duh. Best part of my week and the only action I’ve been seeing lately.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

“You know you could use a little action. Maybe lighten you up a bit. You’ve been pretty testy lately.”

Evie thought about her and Anthony’s too brief of kiss last night. She was hoping when he said ‘Let’s go home’ he meant something different than what it ended up being. He dropped her off then went into the cottage. Alone. She hadn’t been able to get much sleep tossing and turning all night thinking about him.

“Did you hear what I said? Really girl, get your head out of the clouds.”

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked how things went yesterday.”

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