Riding the Storm - Brenda Jackson [61]
“I may have lost him,” she whispered, as her mind was suddenly filled with doubt and regret.
Delaney Yasir chuckled and placed an arm around Jayla’s shoulder. “I doubt that. My brother hasn’t taken his eyes off of you since he arrived.”
Hope ran through Jayla. “Really?” She was standing with her back to Storm so she couldn’t see him.
Madison Westmoreland grinned. “Yes, really.”
“Hey, Storm, you want something to drink?” Jared Westmoreland asked his cousin as he grabbed a glass a wine off the tray of a passing waiter.
“Storm doesn’t want anything to drink,” Ian said, grinning. “The only thing Storm wants is that woman who’s standing over there talking to the Westmoreland women.”
Stone Westmoreland lifted a brow and glanced across the room. The woman’s back was to them, so he couldn’t get a look at her. “You’ve met her?” he asked in surprise.
Ian chuckled. “Yes, Storm introduced us in New Orleans.”
That comment got everyone’s attention. Chase stared at Storm. “You took her to New Orleans with you?”
Before Storm could respond, not that he would have anyway, Ian spoke up. “Of course he didn’t take her to New Orleans with him,” he said, as if the thought of Storm taking any woman out of town with him were ludicrous. “They just happened to be in the same place at the same time. Her father was Storm’s old boss, Adam Cole.”
Thorn Westmoreland took a slow sip of his drink and said, “Her parentage is old news, Ian, but her being in New Orleans with Storm is definitely something that we didn’t know about.”
“And something all of you are going to forget you heard,” Storm said. The tone of his voice matched the look on his face. Highly irritated. Totally annoyed. Deadly serious. “And I thought I told you guys that I don’t like you discussing my business like I’m not here.”
Chase gave his twin a dismissive shrug and said, “Yeah, whatever.” He then turned his attention back to Ian. “So what else can you tell us about Storm’s lady?”
Ian met Storm’s gaze and got the message loud and clear, although it was obvious his brothers hadn’t…or they chose no to. Ian grinned and decided to play dumb. “I forget.”
Storm smiled. He knew he could count on Ian to keep his secrets, just as Ian knew he could count on him to keep his. Things had always been that way between them. He then turned his attention back to Jayla and wished the crowd would thin out so his view wasn’t as blocked, or that she would at least turn around so he could see her. He wanted to look into her eyes to let her know that no matter how much she might want him out of her life, he was there to stay.
Moments later, as if he had willed it to be so, the crowd thinned out and she turned and met his gaze. His heart almost stopped when he saw how radiant she looked. And what made her even more beautiful was the fact that she was wearing that red dress.
His dress.
It was the same one he had picked out for her in New Orleans. He wondered, hoped and prayed that there was a hidden meaning behind her wearing that dress. Could he dare hope she might realize that he was her Mr. Right? Knowing there was only one way to find out, he walked away from the group.
His destination was the woman he loved.
Jayla’s breath caught in her throat when she saw Storm heading toward her. She couldn’t tell from his expression whether he was glad to see her or not, but one thing was certain—he wasn’t going to avoid her. But maybe she was jumping to conclusions. Although he was headed to where she was standing, he might be coming over to say hello to his sister and sisters-in-law since they were standing next to her.
“Here comes Storm Westmoreland,” she overheard one of the women from the “hottie duo” say. “And I think he’s seen my interest and is coming over to talk to me.”
“Fat chance of that happening,” Tara whispered. Jayla couldn’t help but smile and hoped Tara was right. As Storm got closer, her hope went up a notch when she saw he was still holding her gaze. She sighed deeply when he stopped in front of her.
“Hi, Jayla.”
She smiled up at him and tried to keep her heart from pounding