Page 15 of Storm's Deliverance

“Oh, come on, this is me. Not some stranger,” he urges, his blue eyes searing into mine.

I shift awkwardly under his gaze, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I’m not going to talk about this with you. It’s weird, and my sex life is none of your business,” I reply, shutting him down.

“You ever want it to be, you let me know,” he says, his voice a low rumble. My gaze flickers to his. The heat and the promise I see there makes my stomach coil. My gaze flickers to his mouth, just as the truck comes to a stop, breaking the moment. I blink and look away, wondering what the hell is wrong with me, looking at Hendrix like that.

He jumps down from the back of the truck, standing there, his arms outstretched, ready to help me off the back of the truck. I pause for a moment before leaning down. His hands clasp mefirmly around my waist, and he lifts me, slowly lowering me down, holding me purposefully close, my body gliding against his. His eyes never leave mine; even with my feet firmly on the ground, he doesn’t let go of his hold on me. My heart is thumping hard in my chest, and my mind is a whirlwind of confusing thoughts and emotions.

“Hendrix, step back from my sister, and let’s go,” Enzo mutters as he walks over.

Drix smirks and steps back, giving me a playful wink. Enzo roughly grabs the back of Hendrix’s neck, giving it a squeeze. “Playing with fire,” he says warningly.

I turn back around to see Zeke walking towards me, a smile on his face. I sigh with relief that he didn’t witness anything. Not that there was anything. Just Drix being Drix—a flirt—and I was just like every other girl falling for his biker charm and good looks.

“What’s got you smiling?” I ask as he drapes his arm over my shoulders.

“Your brother gave me a couple of shots of his home brew,” he breathes. I blanch and laugh, smelling the strong alcohol on his breath.

“Just go easy on that stuff. It’s really strong,” I warn him.

He chuckles. His cheeks, warm with heat, lean closer as he plants a sloppy wet kiss on my lips. “I love you,” he states.

“Love you, too.” I grin, wiping my mouth.

“Go easy, have fun, and we will pick you all up later!” Mom yells from the truck, before Maggie’s wheels spin, kicking up dust and dirt. Zeke sways slightly, leaning his weigh on me.

“Whoa, Zeke!” I heave, trying to right him.

Enzo walks over, and I glare at him. “Why did you give him your home brew?!” I snap.

“Because he needed to relax a little. The guy is strung tight.”

“He’s right, I’m a very tense person.” Zeke nods in agreement.

Enzo’s grin deepens. I push Zeke towards Enzo, and he takes the full weight of him. “You got him this way, he’s your responsibility. Sober him up,” I order. Enzo goes to open his mouth, but I hold my index finger up, halting him. “No arguments. Get him a coffee or something to eat. When he’s in a better situation, then you’re free to enjoy the concert.” I grin, patting the side of his cheek as he glares at me.

I walk ahead, leaving the pair of them to figure it out. “Man, she can be mean,” I hear Zeke murmur, and that just makes my smile widen.

I spot Maisy up ahead, standing with River, Ripley, Raine, Oliver, and Mabel. “Hey, where’s Linc and Phoenix?” I ask.

“They’re just getting our wrist bands,” Mabel states.

I grin as Maisy’s eyes go behind me. “Er, why is Enzo trying to shove a burger into Zeke’s mouth?” I turn around and see Enzo’s face scrunched up in disgust as Zeke eats the burger. Sauce is all over his face as he slowly chews.

“Because my brother’s a dick.” I shrug.

Linc and Phoenix come back with our wristbands and trays of drinks. We each take one. Enzo and Zeke now join us, and although it’s only been a short while, Zeke does seem sturdier on his feet. Just merry drunk. Clearly that massive burger soaked up some of the alcohol. He goes to reach for a beer, but I snatch it from him before he gets a chance to drink, and shove a bottle of water in his hand instead.

We all drink, and as the sun sets, the dark night sky blankets us. The thousands of fairy lights are strung up in the surrounding trees, and as we make our way through the barrier towards the huge lit-up stage, the warm summer’s night kisses my skin. The crowd grows, excitement building in anticipation for the band to come on stage. Just as the lights begin to flicker,the crowd cheers as the three members of the band come on stage. I grin, my skin prickling with goosebumps. Linc isn’t the only one who loves live music. High Fade begins to play, and the crowd jump around.

“What song is this?” I yell, asking Linc as I move and sway my body to the music.

“Swamp!” he yells back. I close my eyes and allow my body to lose itself in the music. People jump into me, but I’m having too much fun to care. Their next song The Fly comes on, and I swear I may have found my new favourite band to see live. Someone knocks into me a little too hard, and I stumble forward, but a strong arm wraps around my waist, hauling me to them. With my back against their firm chest, I tilt my head back and look up into Drix’s blue eyes. His hand is splayed across my stomach, where my top had ridden up, and his thumb is caressing my bare skin. I swallow, my gaze briefly betraying me as I look down at his mouth. I pull away, forcing him to drop his hold on me. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I give him a small smile, but he doesn’t grin back. His gaze is intense as he watches me.

“This band is awesome!” Zeke yells, coming up to me and jumping around all over the place. My smile widens as I see him enjoying himself. I turn back around to look at Drix, only to find he’s gone. A small pang of disappointment washes over me, but I shake my head and continue to enjoy the rest of the night.

By the end of the concert, I’m a hot, sweaty mess. “I’m just going to get us some water!” I yell over the noise to Zeke.

He nods and continues to chat to Linc about the band. My heart swells, seeing him finally being accepted, even if it’s just by a couple of them. I make my way over to the stand selling bottles of water. The queue is long, so I pull out my cell and browse while I wait.