Stormy

By Tina Gayle

A widower, a divorcee, co-workers, lovers...a future together...marriage?
Consoling each other for years over each other’s misfortune, Karen and Daniel turn a friendship into a weekend of unbridled red-hot passion. The heat between them leads to thoughts of a future together. That is...
Until children, an ex-husband, an unexpected heart-attack, a conniving trophy-wife, guilt and personal choices come between them. Will the heat of their passion let them break from the past and move into the future?

Read more of the 1st chapter on Tina Gayle's website

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tina Gayle
• Release date: Oct 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310514050

Tina Gayle

Married twenty-five years, Tina Gayle and her husband love to travel and can’t wait for Mike to retire so they can do it more. Always working on perfecting her craft, Tina is a member of RWA, attends writing conferences, and can be found in a number of writing classes. She also loves to hear from her readers. You can email her at tinagayle (at) roadrunner.com.

Book preview

Stormy

A widower, a divorcee, co-workers, lovers... a future together... marriage?

Consoling each other for years over each other’s misfortune, Karen and Daniel turn a friendship into a weekend of unbridled red-hot passion. The heat between them leads to thoughts of a future together. That is…

Until children, an ex-husband, an unexpected heart-attack, a conniving trophy-wife, guilt and personal choices come between them. Will the heat of their passion, let them break from the past and move into the future?

Stormy

(A hot short story)

By Tina Gayle

Dedication

To women everywhere you deserve a second chance at love

* * * * * *

Published by: Tina Gayle

Text copyright © Sept 10, 2014 Tina Gayle

All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

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Chapter One

Damn, Daniel, where are you? Karen Barr glanced at her cell phone, hoping to see a message from him. She’d called him before she left her apartment, texted him from the station where she stopped for gas, and had even pulled off the highway a time or two in her attempt to reach him.

Nothing.

Had he changed his mind about this weekend?

Or was the bad weather interfering with his cell phone signal?

As if in answer to her question, the pounding rain increased, pouring water from the sky like an overflowing faucet. The windshield wipers worked in a quick pulsating rhythm. Nevertheless, they still didn’t achieve the task of improving visibility.

Karen flipped the switch to increase the speed and stared at the road ahead. The weatherman had predicted a storm tonight, and for once when she wanted him to be wrong, he was right.

How much farther did she have to go?

The turn off for Daniel’s cabin couldn’t be too far away. She’d caught sight of the old, red barn off to the left a few miles back, so the dirt lane to Daniel’s place had to be close.

She slowed the car, crawling along at a snail’s pace so as not to miss the path. Her headlights reflected off something metallic. She read the weathered sign. Happy.

The outdated tune of Happy Trails to You played through her head. Daniel had sung the song the first time he’d brought her here. He said it’d help her remember the way back.

Right, and where the hell was he?

Karen checked her cell phone again, and silently prayed he wasn’t lying in a muddy ditch somewhere. Hopefully, he had simply forgotten to recharge his phone, a particularly annoying habit he seemed to have.

Damn it, Daniel, when I find you I...

She didn’t exactly know what she’d do... kiss him?

Pictures of him flashed in her head... his sexy smile, his curly, dark hair with a touch of gray at his temples... the broad width of his shoulders, his trim physique... the round curve of his ass.

Shit, why do I put myself through this? The man doesn’t see me as anything other than a friend, Karen grumbled and flipped her blinker on out of habit.

She steered the car onto Happy Trails. The huge trees resembled mighty sentinels. Standing guard along the edge of the road, they blocked the rain with their large limbs. Slowing to avoid the abundant potholes on the gravel path, she tightened her grip on the steering wheel and searched for the end of Daniel’s driveway.

The storm and lack of communication from him had stretched her patience to the breaking point. She longed to be at her final destination and out of the car. I should’ve never accepted his invitation to spend the weekend with him at his cabin. He can’t let go of the past, she muttered angrily.

Hell, after her divorce, she gave up everything, her husband of twenty-plus-years, her beautiful country manor home, her cushy job, and her high-society friends. All she’d wanted was a new start—freedom from the endless upper crust parties and social climbing leeches. Thankfully now, her individual concerns were merely for her kids and herself. The infinite hours spent on creating a prominent public image for Carl was in her ex-husband’s trophy wife’s hands.

Unfortunately, Daniel’s world had changed for a different reason. His wife’s death had hit him extremely hard. He’d barely been able to cope and had turned to Karen. They’d worked together for years, and he had no else. His family lived out of the state. She’d tried to help, and they’d grown closer. Now, she wanted even more from him. Could they bridge the gap from friends and become lovers?

The dim light shining up ahead drew her attention. She figured Daniel must have left the porch light on for her. Then why didn’t he return her calls?

Was it his way of keeping her from backing out?

Seeing his new F150 truck in the driveway, she pulled in beside it and gathered her things off the passenger seat. Daniel Slater, you have some real explaining to do.

She stashed her keys in her pocket and zipped her nylon jacket closed before she swung open the car door. Rain pelted her as she dashed for the front porch. Splashing through multiple puddles, she skidded to a halt by the oak door.

Breathless and feeling completely soaked to the skin, she jabbed at the doorbell. No sound met her ears except the relentless ting of the raindrops hitting the cabin’s tin roof. She pounded on the wooden partition with her fist. Daniel, let me in.

Recalling the key he’d given her, she dug into her pocket and pulled out her key ring. The porch light helped her identify the right one, and she inserted it into the lock. With a quick twist of her wrist, she opened the door and stepped onto the gleaming hardwood floor.

A light in the kitchen lit the large open area. The dining room and living room cast in shadows showed no occupants.

Daniel, she called out and dumped her things on the small table just inside the cabin. She peeled off her wet jacket and dropped it over a hook on the wall before she toed off her muddy sneakers and set them on the plastic mat by the door.

Still not hearing any reply, Karen turned for the stairs leading to the master bedroom, located in the loft above the living room. She noticed the soft glow on the ceiling from a light and decided he must be resting up there.

Damn it, Daniel, if I find you with a young chickadee like I did my ex-husband, she growled as she trudged up the staircase. I might be tempted to...

Her gaze immediately fell on the empty king-size bed. Exasperated by her inability to find him, she quickly scanned the entire room...desk area, open closet, bathroom... the door closed. Light glowed through the seam between the floor and the bottom edge. Daniel, if you’re in the bathroom come out this minute.

The entrance opened, and he stood in the doorway.

Problem, he wore only a towel.

Awe, shit... she didn’t need to see his bare chest covered in crisp dark hair, the sculptured muscles of his arms and shoulders, developed pecs, and thick thighs.

Damn, how was she supposed to resist such temptation?

Desire added to the anxiety she’d already experienced on her drive here, lit her anger. Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been calling and texting you for the last two hours.

A confused frown passed over his handsome face. Instead of responding, he stepped to the bedside table. He lifted his cell phone and clicked a few buttons.

Unable