should’ve n ever come here. I’ll be leaving now .”
“Jesus, Alex , must you be an ass ? ” Dominic snapped. He held the door closed as she tried to turn the knob. “Tempest, it ’ s wailing like hell out there . Y ou can’t go out in this.”
“I made it here , didn’t I ? I’ve lived through wors e weather than this . I was b orn into it actually. I’m part of this land and it won’t hurt me . N ow let me out , ” s he demanded.
“Fuck . I’m sorry , ok ay? What I said was a low blow,” Alex said after Dominic shoved him in the shoulder.
“Don’t do me any favors,” she muttered. “Do you think I wanted to come here?”
“Alex is really a good guy . J ust a little rough around the edges,” Dominic said a s he steered her towards a door off the hallway. “Get her a towel or three, Alex , so she can get warm and dry in front of the fire. Oh , and some brandy too . S he has to be chilled from the inside out.”
“ Well , hell , why don’t we offer her my robe and some warm socks too ? ” Alex muttered as he turned away.
“That would work . T hanks for thinking of it , brohemoth,” Dominic said.
Alex growled and muttered under his breath as he walked away.
“Brohemoth?” Tempest asked curiously .
“Alex and I had a rough go of it early on and t he nickname came out of it . ” Dominic smiled and sat her down on the rug in front of the fireplace. “ Since we’re friends now , Tempest, e ventually you might he ar about it.”
“Ok ay ,” she said si mply. She had no reason to push . W ith all she had seen in her mind’s eye , Tempest knew for a fact everyone had secrets.
“I wonder what made you run through a storm to our house, Tempest,” Dominic murmured.
“Me too . ” Alex came in with a snifter of brandy , a stack of thick towels, and even a robe and held them out. “Here.”
“Thanks , I guess . I really think you need to learn how to talk to people,” Tempest said.
“Well , I find talking to people sucks ass half the time so…” H e shrugged.
She understood completely and nodded. “ The looks, the whispers, the gossip . I t all gets to be a bit much.”
“See . Y ou’re commiserating . W e’re all going to be friends,” Dominic grinned and took the b r andy from Alex and handed it to her. “Drink up and get warm. Then tell us why you braved this harsh weather to see us.”
Tempest took a gulp of the amber liquid in the glass and it burned a line down her throat into her belly. She coughed a little and fanned her face. “ Whew , I’m not used to this.”
“You don’t drink?” Alex asked as he s at down.
Tempest shook her head. He was wearing a gr a y long sleeved cotton shirt with the two buttons open at the neck and a pair of blue jeans that clung to his tight figure . Dominic was in a black T -shirt and basketball shorts . His muscular thighs and calves on display . It seemed Dominic was in bed when she showed up while Alex was not . She looked around , taking in the changes they made to the house. The sunk - in living room had a plush beige carpet, while the two steps that lead to the hallway and the hallway itself were a luxurious dark mahogany hardwood . The last time she saw the fireplace it had been boarded up, dusty and old. Now , they had revealed the true beauty of the fireplace with quartzite stone . Everything had been changed and given a contemporary feel . M ahogany also shone on the stairs. There was dimly lit track lighting on the ceiling. The walls were decorated with beautiful abstract painting s .
“You guys sure did change the place .”
“You’ve been here before?” Alex asked.
Tempest smiled. “I used to come here with my brother when I was a kid when the place was abandoned.”
“Where’s your brother now?” Dominic sat back in the overstuffed chair.
She shrugged . “W ho knows . H e left when he was eighteen. He
“Jesus, Alex , must you be an ass ? ” Dominic snapped. He held the door closed as she tried to turn the knob. “Tempest, it ’ s wailing like hell out there . Y ou can’t go out in this.”
“I made it here , didn’t I ? I’ve lived through wors e weather than this . I was b orn into it actually. I’m part of this land and it won’t hurt me . N ow let me out , ” s he demanded.
“Fuck . I’m sorry , ok ay? What I said was a low blow,” Alex said after Dominic shoved him in the shoulder.
“Don’t do me any favors,” she muttered. “Do you think I wanted to come here?”
“Alex is really a good guy . J ust a little rough around the edges,” Dominic said a s he steered her towards a door off the hallway. “Get her a towel or three, Alex , so she can get warm and dry in front of the fire. Oh , and some brandy too . S he has to be chilled from the inside out.”
“ Well , hell , why don’t we offer her my robe and some warm socks too ? ” Alex muttered as he turned away.
“That would work . T hanks for thinking of it , brohemoth,” Dominic said.
Alex growled and muttered under his breath as he walked away.
“Brohemoth?” Tempest asked curiously .
“Alex and I had a rough go of it early on and t he nickname came out of it . ” Dominic smiled and sat her down on the rug in front of the fireplace. “ Since we’re friends now , Tempest, e ventually you might he ar about it.”
“Ok ay ,” she said si mply. She had no reason to push . W ith all she had seen in her mind’s eye , Tempest knew for a fact everyone had secrets.
“I wonder what made you run through a storm to our house, Tempest,” Dominic murmured.
“Me too . ” Alex came in with a snifter of brandy , a stack of thick towels, and even a robe and held them out. “Here.”
“Thanks , I guess . I really think you need to learn how to talk to people,” Tempest said.
“Well , I find talking to people sucks ass half the time so…” H e shrugged.
She understood completely and nodded. “ The looks, the whispers, the gossip . I t all gets to be a bit much.”
“See . Y ou’re commiserating . W e’re all going to be friends,” Dominic grinned and took the b r andy from Alex and handed it to her. “Drink up and get warm. Then tell us why you braved this harsh weather to see us.”
Tempest took a gulp of the amber liquid in the glass and it burned a line down her throat into her belly. She coughed a little and fanned her face. “ Whew , I’m not used to this.”
“You don’t drink?” Alex asked as he s at down.
Tempest shook her head. He was wearing a gr a y long sleeved cotton shirt with the two buttons open at the neck and a pair of blue jeans that clung to his tight figure . Dominic was in a black T -shirt and basketball shorts . His muscular thighs and calves on display . It seemed Dominic was in bed when she showed up while Alex was not . She looked around , taking in the changes they made to the house. The sunk - in living room had a plush beige carpet, while the two steps that lead to the hallway and the hallway itself were a luxurious dark mahogany hardwood . The last time she saw the fireplace it had been boarded up, dusty and old. Now , they had revealed the true beauty of the fireplace with quartzite stone . Everything had been changed and given a contemporary feel . M ahogany also shone on the stairs. There was dimly lit track lighting on the ceiling. The walls were decorated with beautiful abstract painting s .
“You guys sure did change the place .”
“You’ve been here before?” Alex asked.
Tempest smiled. “I used to come here with my brother when I was a kid when the place was abandoned.”
“Where’s your brother now?” Dominic sat back in the overstuffed chair.
She shrugged . “W ho knows . H e left when he was eighteen. He
Similar Books
