Inescapable Eye of the Storm Read Free Page A

Resources approved, she thought with a silent laugh at her own
wittiness.
    His growl told her that he was not
appreciating her silence on the matter any longer.
    "Colin, it isn't possible,
okay?" Abigail retorted, lifting a hand to shove her hair behind her ear
while hazarding a look in his direction.  And then his dark hooded gaze told
her he wasn’t about to let the subject drop between them.
    "It's not impossible until I say it
is," Colin countered smoothly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his
knees as he leveled her with a penetrating stare. "Talk, Abby. Now."
    Like a freaking dog trying to find his
favorite bone, Abigail thought with annoyance. That was Colin Storm to a tee.
"Fine," she snapped, rolling her eyes. "You really want to
know?" she asked, dropping her hands to her hips as she faced off with
him.  Let’s see if she could stun the man others often accused of being made of
steel.
    "I do," Colin returned with a
nod as he impatiently waited for her explanation.
    "I spent that night having
exhausting, mind numbing sex in every position conceivable with an old
boyfriend from college. He kept me so busy that I barely even noticed the tree
falling on the house next door, nor did I care," she informed him briskly,
the words spoken evenly and with no emotion. "So, Mister Storm," she
asked mockingly, "do you think you'd be willing to help me out with
that?" she smirked, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited for his
answer.

Chapter Two
    Staring into the brightened eyes of the
woman standing just a foot or so away from him, Colin's eyes darkened as her
explanation rang in his ears, heating his blood almost to the point of boiling. 
If she ever realized how close he was to throwing her down on the bed behind
him and showing her exactly what he was capable of doing, he’d ride out this
hurricane in a jail cell at the local precinct’s station.   "I'm assuming
you think I'll say no to that scenario," he replied silkily, forcing
himself to inject a casual note into his voice that he didn’t particularly
feel.
    Taken aback at that simple statement, Abigail's
eyes narrowed on Colin Storm's darkly handsome face. She could feel his grey eyes
assessing her as she stood in front of him, almost as though he was undressing
her with his eyes. But, that couldn't be right, could it?  The shy, insecure
woman that still resided inside her despite her best efforts to undo the damage
a distant and critical mother had done her sat in the corner of her mind and
shook her head.  She had to be misreading this situation.   There was no way a
man this hot could possibly be looking at her with any real interest.   "I..."
she faltered, unsure how to respond to his question.
    For once in her life, Abigail Donavan
was truly flummoxed.  She had no clue what to say now.  Running a self
conscious hand through her tangled dark locks, she licked her dry lips.
    His mouth tilted in a faint smile, Colin
gave her an openly challenging look.  "Stunned speechless, huh?" he
mocked teasingly as he winked. "I guess there really is a first time for
everything, Abby."
    That was the second time he’d called her
by the girlish nickname that nobody had used with her since high school.  She’d
cured most everyone in her life of using it.  Except him.  He knew she
hated it with a passion and yet, he persisted.  "Are you making fun of
me?" Abigail retorted, finding her tongue as she felt a shudder slide
through her body.
    "Maybe a little," Colin
admitted with a slight shrug of his broad shoulders. "But, you never
answered my question, Donavan. You assumed I'd say no, didn't you?"
    Blinking rapidly as she tried to process
whatever it was that seemed to be happening between them in the small hotel
room, Abigail swallowed. "Well...yes," she managed after a moment. 
Of course she thought he’d say no.  Did he assume she was a moron?  Or, had he
finally seen through her well honed shields and glimpsed the needy woman that
hovered just