Storm the Author's Cut Read Online Free
Author: Vanessa Grant
new rhythm, her body picking up the wild beat.
"I don't want to dance to that junk," muttered Ken.
He took her hand and led her away from the dancing. The music had made her restless and she had to suppress the urge to jerk her hand away.
In the kitchen, the party noise washed over them amidst the chaos of used plates and glasses. They were as close to being alone as they would ever be in this house.
Ken held out his arms. He was tall and she had to go on her toes when he bent to kiss her. She opened her lips to him.
There was no way she could do justice to Ken tonight. She tried to relax, to return his kiss, but the restlessness rose in her, wild and irresistible. She needed to get outside, to walk the ocean shore with the wind buffeting her body.
She broke the kiss and pushed away from him.
He reached for her, pulling her to him. "I need you."
She smelled the alcohol on his breath and felt trapped. When his hands tightened possessively on her arms, she twisted away. "Ken, we can't be alone. Not tonight."
"Dammit, Laurie! We can't wait until next summer to get married! It's too long!"
"We'll discuss it later—tomorrow." She reached up to kiss him quickly and lightly.
"We'll go out by ourselves tomorrow," he told her, with the tone in his voice that reminded her so much of her father. "We'll go up to Tlell for the day."
"Yes, please. I'm sorry I'm such a wet blanket tonight."
Her apology brought a smile from him and a moment later she was able to quietly climb up the stairs, alone.
When she slipped into the upstairs bedroom, she found Bev asleep in the bed nearest the window. Laurie slipped off her shoes and dress, careful to be quiet and not disturb her sleeping friend. The pioneer who had built the McDonald house had cut local trees to make thick, solid timbers that the downstairs party sounds couldn't penetrate.
Bev and Laurie had spent so much time together as children. Bev had always been the even-tempered one, free from the passions and restless urges that had consumed the teenage Laurie. Now their roles had switched. Laurie's life was settled with Ken and she could see her life stretching into the future.
Voices drifted up from the lawn below as someone left. Tomorrow she would tell Ken about her excursion to the seaplane docks tonight. In the morning she would find a way to mention the interview casually.
The wind blowing through the open window felt good on her bare skin. She had been hot and hectic, dashing from one story to another all day. She felt cool now, soothed by the sea air.
The cool, crisp sheets soothed her when she slipped between them. She felt wide-awake but she slowed her breathing and concentrated on the slow, monotonous process of breathing in... out... in...
She dreamed she walked the beach with Ken, far away from the city, from any road. Above them a seaplane wheeled out of control. When it crashed to the ground she began to run, knowing she must hurry to save the passengers from the wreckage. But the faster she ran, the more her feet sank into the soft sand. Then Ken tried to pull her back and she struggled with him in the sand, knowing the men in the airplane would die if she couldn't save them.
He wouldn't let go. His hands held her wrists trapped. She begged him to release her and twisted in his grip, desperate to free herself before it was too late to save—
"Laurie, wake up."
She came awake abruptly, still struggling. It took a moment to focus on the shadowy form of Bev bending over her.
"You were dreaming. Are you all right?"
"Dreaming?"
Surely it had been more than a dream?
"You begged Ken to let you go."
Laurie shuddered in the cool breeze through the window.
"It wasn't Ken." Dreams could twist feelings and emotions until they had no relationship to reality. "A seaplane went missing today. I did a story on it. Then—we've been partying here, having a good time, but those passengers may die if we don't find them soon."
"Not you ." Bev's hand gripped Laurie's
"I don't want to dance to that junk," muttered Ken.
He took her hand and led her away from the dancing. The music had made her restless and she had to suppress the urge to jerk her hand away.
In the kitchen, the party noise washed over them amidst the chaos of used plates and glasses. They were as close to being alone as they would ever be in this house.
Ken held out his arms. He was tall and she had to go on her toes when he bent to kiss her. She opened her lips to him.
There was no way she could do justice to Ken tonight. She tried to relax, to return his kiss, but the restlessness rose in her, wild and irresistible. She needed to get outside, to walk the ocean shore with the wind buffeting her body.
She broke the kiss and pushed away from him.
He reached for her, pulling her to him. "I need you."
She smelled the alcohol on his breath and felt trapped. When his hands tightened possessively on her arms, she twisted away. "Ken, we can't be alone. Not tonight."
"Dammit, Laurie! We can't wait until next summer to get married! It's too long!"
"We'll discuss it later—tomorrow." She reached up to kiss him quickly and lightly.
"We'll go out by ourselves tomorrow," he told her, with the tone in his voice that reminded her so much of her father. "We'll go up to Tlell for the day."
"Yes, please. I'm sorry I'm such a wet blanket tonight."
Her apology brought a smile from him and a moment later she was able to quietly climb up the stairs, alone.
When she slipped into the upstairs bedroom, she found Bev asleep in the bed nearest the window. Laurie slipped off her shoes and dress, careful to be quiet and not disturb her sleeping friend. The pioneer who had built the McDonald house had cut local trees to make thick, solid timbers that the downstairs party sounds couldn't penetrate.
Bev and Laurie had spent so much time together as children. Bev had always been the even-tempered one, free from the passions and restless urges that had consumed the teenage Laurie. Now their roles had switched. Laurie's life was settled with Ken and she could see her life stretching into the future.
Voices drifted up from the lawn below as someone left. Tomorrow she would tell Ken about her excursion to the seaplane docks tonight. In the morning she would find a way to mention the interview casually.
The wind blowing through the open window felt good on her bare skin. She had been hot and hectic, dashing from one story to another all day. She felt cool now, soothed by the sea air.
The cool, crisp sheets soothed her when she slipped between them. She felt wide-awake but she slowed her breathing and concentrated on the slow, monotonous process of breathing in... out... in...
She dreamed she walked the beach with Ken, far away from the city, from any road. Above them a seaplane wheeled out of control. When it crashed to the ground she began to run, knowing she must hurry to save the passengers from the wreckage. But the faster she ran, the more her feet sank into the soft sand. Then Ken tried to pull her back and she struggled with him in the sand, knowing the men in the airplane would die if she couldn't save them.
He wouldn't let go. His hands held her wrists trapped. She begged him to release her and twisted in his grip, desperate to free herself before it was too late to save—
"Laurie, wake up."
She came awake abruptly, still struggling. It took a moment to focus on the shadowy form of Bev bending over her.
"You were dreaming. Are you all right?"
"Dreaming?"
Surely it had been more than a dream?
"You begged Ken to let you go."
Laurie shuddered in the cool breeze through the window.
"It wasn't Ken." Dreams could twist feelings and emotions until they had no relationship to reality. "A seaplane went missing today. I did a story on it. Then—we've been partying here, having a good time, but those passengers may die if we don't find them soon."
"Not you ." Bev's hand gripped Laurie's
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