Read Online Storming His Heart by Marie Harte - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marie Harte
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good reason why I shouldn’t throw that right in your face.” She nodded at the boxed dessert.
Rafe aimed a thumb at Thorne. “He started it. And if you take a good look, the place is cleaner than when you left, with the exception of the floor by your fireplace.”
“True,” Thorne agreed. “Hey, is that Tony’s Cheesecake?”
“I love Tony’s.” Rafe nudged her out of the way as he made a bead for the dessert. “Truce. I’ll finish cleaning up if you’ll dish me some of that cheesecake. I’ll even take out the garbage,” he said with a glance in Thorne’s direction.
It took her brother a minute to comprehend the insult. When he did, he swore. “Motherfucker. You touch me and I’ll—”
Storm held up a hand. “Wait right there. Thorne Matthew Buchanan, watch your mouth or I’ll tell Mom.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rafe’s slow grin.
“Come on. I’m not ten anymore.”
“Right. Now make nice or I won’t let you have any.”
Thorne opened his mouth then closed it with a snap. He snarled at Rafe, “Any dessert . You keep thinking those thoughts and I’ll put your face through the fu—freaking floor.”
Rafe’s disdainful snort didn’t win him any favors. “Oh, right. You’re the mind reader. I’m impressed.”
The silence that passed between them couldn’t be good. Thorne’s gray eyes brightened into a diamond-light fury.
“You too,” Storm warned Rafe. “Be nice or no cheesecake .” She emphasized the word and prayed she wasn’t as red as she felt. Obviously Rafe had been thinking dirty thoughts about her, and she liked it. God, what was wrong with her? He was one of those uptight government wannabes. A Westlake agent. The enemy, or so she’d been lectured since she’d begun working for her uncle. “Rafe?”
“Fine.” He addressed Thorne. “Sorry I beat you up.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry too. Sorry I almost kicked your candy ass out of the house.”
Rafe chuckled. “You wish.”
Her brother’s eyes narrowed. Storm sighed.
“And why the hell are you limping?” Thorne barked at her.
Rafe, the turncoat, added, “Great question. Why don’t you tell him why you’re limping?”
Storm didn’t think now was the right time to mention the hit and run, not with Thorne in such a big brother kind of mood. She definitely didn’t want him to know she’d gone to Rafe for help on the matter. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Rafe and I were just finishing our first date.”
Thorne’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious? He works for Westlake!”
Rafe leaned against the counter, doing nothing to help Storm out of the mess she’d made. At least he didn’t contradict her. To reward him, she cut a big piece of cheesecake and handed it to him.
Thorne looked like a man verging on apoplexy, but at least he no longer cared about her current state of health.
“Thorne, in case it’s escaped your notice, I’m a grown woman.”
Rafe pulled a fork out of a drawer and just had to say, “Oh, I noticed.”
She ignored him. “I don’t need to explain myself to you, big brother or not. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave now.”
Thorne gaped, incredulous. “Are you kidding me?”
“Not at all. I don’t question you about your bimbos. Don’t question me about my date.”
Rafe choked on his dessert.
Thorne growled, “This isn’t over. We’ll talk later. All of us.” With a mental tweak to get her undivided attention, he added, “ Including Luc and Max. You’re just lucky Mom and Dad are on vacation.” He slammed out of the house.
Storm and Rafe stood in silence in the kitchen.
Rafe scraped his plate clean and licked his fork. “So if he has bimbos, what am I?”
“What?”
He started laughing. Not a small chuckle, but a huge well of mirth that brought tears to his eyes.
The laughter made him even more attractive, but Storm was annoyed. Her life was not one big joke. “You want a label? How about asshole?”
“Maybe
Rafe aimed a thumb at Thorne. “He started it. And if you take a good look, the place is cleaner than when you left, with the exception of the floor by your fireplace.”
“True,” Thorne agreed. “Hey, is that Tony’s Cheesecake?”
“I love Tony’s.” Rafe nudged her out of the way as he made a bead for the dessert. “Truce. I’ll finish cleaning up if you’ll dish me some of that cheesecake. I’ll even take out the garbage,” he said with a glance in Thorne’s direction.
It took her brother a minute to comprehend the insult. When he did, he swore. “Motherfucker. You touch me and I’ll—”
Storm held up a hand. “Wait right there. Thorne Matthew Buchanan, watch your mouth or I’ll tell Mom.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rafe’s slow grin.
“Come on. I’m not ten anymore.”
“Right. Now make nice or I won’t let you have any.”
Thorne opened his mouth then closed it with a snap. He snarled at Rafe, “Any dessert . You keep thinking those thoughts and I’ll put your face through the fu—freaking floor.”
Rafe’s disdainful snort didn’t win him any favors. “Oh, right. You’re the mind reader. I’m impressed.”
The silence that passed between them couldn’t be good. Thorne’s gray eyes brightened into a diamond-light fury.
“You too,” Storm warned Rafe. “Be nice or no cheesecake .” She emphasized the word and prayed she wasn’t as red as she felt. Obviously Rafe had been thinking dirty thoughts about her, and she liked it. God, what was wrong with her? He was one of those uptight government wannabes. A Westlake agent. The enemy, or so she’d been lectured since she’d begun working for her uncle. “Rafe?”
“Fine.” He addressed Thorne. “Sorry I beat you up.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry too. Sorry I almost kicked your candy ass out of the house.”
Rafe chuckled. “You wish.”
Her brother’s eyes narrowed. Storm sighed.
“And why the hell are you limping?” Thorne barked at her.
Rafe, the turncoat, added, “Great question. Why don’t you tell him why you’re limping?”
Storm didn’t think now was the right time to mention the hit and run, not with Thorne in such a big brother kind of mood. She definitely didn’t want him to know she’d gone to Rafe for help on the matter. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Rafe and I were just finishing our first date.”
Thorne’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious? He works for Westlake!”
Rafe leaned against the counter, doing nothing to help Storm out of the mess she’d made. At least he didn’t contradict her. To reward him, she cut a big piece of cheesecake and handed it to him.
Thorne looked like a man verging on apoplexy, but at least he no longer cared about her current state of health.
“Thorne, in case it’s escaped your notice, I’m a grown woman.”
Rafe pulled a fork out of a drawer and just had to say, “Oh, I noticed.”
She ignored him. “I don’t need to explain myself to you, big brother or not. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave now.”
Thorne gaped, incredulous. “Are you kidding me?”
“Not at all. I don’t question you about your bimbos. Don’t question me about my date.”
Rafe choked on his dessert.
Thorne growled, “This isn’t over. We’ll talk later. All of us.” With a mental tweak to get her undivided attention, he added, “ Including Luc and Max. You’re just lucky Mom and Dad are on vacation.” He slammed out of the house.
Storm and Rafe stood in silence in the kitchen.
Rafe scraped his plate clean and licked his fork. “So if he has bimbos, what am I?”
“What?”
He started laughing. Not a small chuckle, but a huge well of mirth that brought tears to his eyes.
The laughter made him even more attractive, but Storm was annoyed. Her life was not one big joke. “You want a label? How about asshole?”
“Maybe
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