The Curse (Belador #3)(100)

Lanna’s eyes lit up with excitement until Evalle said, “Quinn’s driver refused to leave, so he can take you to the hotel, then drop me at my bike.”

“No. You go nowhere like that. Take Cousin’s car to see Storm so you dress nice.”

Evalle looked down at her jeans and T-shirt and back up at Lanna. “I don’t have dressy clothes.”

“Good thing for you I stop at hotel for suitcase.”

Evalle now feared what Lanna had in mind, but she feared losing Storm more.

The next thirty minutes became a battle of wills with Lanna determined to put Evalle in a dress with heels. Seriously?

When Lanna declared Evalle ready to leave the apartment, Evalle took one last look in the mirror and decided she’d never be Adrianna.

Lanna fussed at her over how late it was getting to be and how Quinn would be back at the hotel suite by now, playing Evalle’s guilty nerves to get her moving.

Quinn’s driver dropped Lanna at the hotel first. Before getting out, Lanna leaned over and hugged Evalle, whispering, “Remember. You are like Brasko woman. Too sexy to ignore.”

Evalle hugged the brat and waited until Lanna was safely inside the hotel before leaving. Quinn might be in residence, but it was after eleven at night out here on the streets.

When the car pulled up in front of Storm’s house, she experienced a moment of cold feet. Two icebergs.

She started second-guessing the blue sweater she’d allowed to be sparkled, as Lanna put it. The dress never happened. No way those tiny things that Lanna had offered to share would have fit her, and in the end Lanna admitted that Storm would want Evalle to look like herself, but with sparkles. She’d agreed to the glittery sweater, black jeans and her favorite boots, which felt dressed up compared to her normal look.

Lanna’s shoes wouldn’t have fit or been worth a dime for fighting even if they had.

Evalle fussed at her hair again, which fell around her shoulders, soft against her collarbone and neck.

Thanking the driver, she dismissed him. If this didn’t go well, she’d call telepathically to Quinn or Tzader for a ride. Tzader had sent her a text that everyone had returned home from Treoir. He’d ended the message by reminding her about taking the time to heal.

Since he’d heard Evalle tell Brina that she could heal her physical injuries from the battle, had he been alluding to emotional wounds?

If this didn’t go well tonight, she doubted a lifetime would heal this wound.

Regardless of tonight’s outcome, she had to start making some decisions about her personal life. She might not be ready for the intimacy she’d seen in Storm’s eyes the last time he held her, but she had to take a step forward at some point soon—if he gave her the chance.

Crossing the veranda to Storm’s front door, she glanced at his boarded-up picture window. The one he’d crashed through in jaguar form to reach her before Svart trolls killed her.

He deserved a woman worthy of a man like him.

Not a beast.

Taking a deep breath of determination, Evalle knocked on his door and held that breath until it opened.

He stood backlit by firelight flickering deep inside his living room. He’d changed to jeans and a black pullover that only deepened the color of his skin. Freshly washed hair hung around his proud Native American face. He smelled of the night, a dark sensuality. She tried to memorize everything about him in case she never saw him again.

Storm’s face went from blank to confused. He stared at her from head to toe.

The brittle silence answered her questions.

She’d been an idiot to come here thinking he’d forgotten what he’d seen twelve hours ago. Longer than that since she’d procrastinated till almost midnight.

He hadn’t said a word and she couldn’t bear up any longer under his intense scrutiny, but she wouldn’t make this difficult for him. “I can see by your silence that you’ve changed your mind about dinner.”

She turned and took a step away.

“Do I get a chance to talk?”

How could she deny him? Besides, she doubted he could say anything that would hurt worse than losing him would. Evalle shifted back around. “Guess that would only be fair.”

“I’m angry.”

“I know.”

“First you kiss Isak.”

“I know.” But she’d told him that kissing Isak was not the same as kissing Storm. Completely different. When Storm kissed her, the world disappeared. She had nothing else to say to explain what had happened with Isak.

“I did as you wanted at Treoir and went with the team when I wanted to stay with you.”

“I know.”

“Then I had to watch you fight that demonic troll.”

“I know.” You had to watch me turn into a monster.

“Is ‘I know’ all you’re going to say?”

She’d been wrong. She couldn’t go through this and not lose control of her emotions. “No. Yes. I can’t do this.”

She turned around again to leave and his hands settled on her shoulders. If another man had touched her right now, she’d have hurt him, but with her heart cracking she didn’t have the strength to fight. And she’d never harm Storm.

She drew in a raw breath and said, “I have to go.”

“No.” He wrapped his arms around her as if he thought she’d go running off. “I’ve been sitting here for hours getting angrier by the moment.”