tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85478340903696034042023-11-16T02:56:52.847-08:00UnforgettableValprehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15992942004048836531noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547834090369603404.post-87519106814777644652012-10-13T10:25:00.000-07:002012-10-13T10:39:09.432-07:005. Compete with a Memory<br />
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<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;">Warning:</span> adult situations</span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A week later - Friday</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Statham Island, Storm's penthouse...</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Special
Agent Storm Chase got out of his sleek silver BMW M3. He'd had a long
grueling week and he was glad to be home. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He worked as a psychological profiler for Statham Island’ Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), a government owned agency
working closely with Statham Island’s law enforcement departments. He was an
expert on obsessional crime.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span>He loved his job and he was good at it, but he'd be the first to admit it was very demanding, and it had cost him wife, Emma.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Upstairs in his penthouse, as he gazed at the view beyond his window, Storm couldn't shut </span>off thoughts<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of his late wife. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since her brutal murder two years earlier he'd buried himself in his
work, stewing in his guilt over her death. His colleagues, friends and family, had all told him it wasn’t his fault; it was a senseless random crime and it
had nothing to do with his job, it wasn’t one of the pissed off
criminals he'd helped put away over the years. They all believed it was just a home invasion gone horribly wrong. But deep down inside he knew it was his
fault, he had failed to protect her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He
was exhausted, but he couldn’t bring himself to sleep. Instead
he jumped on his computer and began working on the report for the case his team had just wrapped up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He shuddered visibly when he recalled the gruesome images of the dismembered body of the Manson girl. Cases involving children were always the hardest for him. Sure, his team
had caught the sex offender responsible, but it didn’t change the fact
that a little girl was dead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An
hour later with the Manson report not anywhere close to being complete, Storm
padded softly to his big inviting bed. He could barely keep his eyes open now.
As soon as his head hit the soft, plush pillows a warm cozy feeling washed over
him and he was out like a baby…</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sweating
and panting for air, Storm woke up from his dream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“This
has to stop!” He growled harshly at the empty room. It was the same dream again;
it always started with Emma, somehow though Victoria always managed to sneak
her way in. He was tired of her intrusion,
tired of craving her. He had to purge himself of these unwanted feelings
somehow. Yes, he’d call her, clear up everything. He'd been putting it off
since the previous weekend but he hated leaving loose ends.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">______</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saturday morning</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria's apartment</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"No!"
Victoria moaned softly as she tried to sit up on her bed. She couldn’t remember
the last time she was this drunk or hung-over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She
scrunched up her face in concentration as she tried to remember
how she got home, let alone crawled onto her bed. But her head
pounded furiously at the amount of pressure she was exerting on her fuzzy
brain.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tired
of waiting for Storm to call, last night she and a couple of friends, Kendra not included,
went clubbing at P.U.RE. She'd drunk too much, laughed too loudly,
partied too hard and flirted like the single girl she was, but all the while
her heart was aching for Storm. She needed him. She wanted him. But with her kind of luck, she'd fallen for the one man who didn’t want her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With
tears in her eyes, Victoria sat up and tried to place her feet on the
elusive floor, but the room spun in dizzying circles, making it
impossible for her to focus. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She fell back on the bed and cried, and for a long time she didn't understand what she was crying for considering she'd had far worse hangovers in the past. And then it suddenly hit her. She wasn't crying because she was drunk and out of it, she was crying for Storm.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> If
things had gone right with them, today would have been their one week
anniversary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Stop
feeling sorry for yourself," she sniffled as she forced herself to get up from the bed. This time her efforts were successful, she managed to make it to the kitchen without tripping all over herself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Half
an hour later she was miraculously nursing a mug of coffee in her
hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As she took in the smell of freshly brewed coffee, her thoughts ran back to Storm. She wondered if he liked coffee or tea. "No," she shook her head, Storm didn't strike her as a tea kind of guy. But then again she could be wrong. She didn't know much about him, in fact she knew nothing about him.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPgEIB5e2otRk5l_BEenT0vFVnHipsyMSRyHceyQ9kDNVTb0X_WCkDtxAolYMdXLTnzV-OPzODoWed6_-KZIaji2rRUH7KtA8NHvZcABRNnRDoJsUGFlcCE38QDJ6VwYXKy25RAe3NE9e/s1600/Screenshot-51919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPgEIB5e2otRk5l_BEenT0vFVnHipsyMSRyHceyQ9kDNVTb0X_WCkDtxAolYMdXLTnzV-OPzODoWed6_-KZIaji2rRUH7KtA8NHvZcABRNnRDoJsUGFlcCE38QDJ6VwYXKy25RAe3NE9e/s640/Screenshot-51919.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
But she knew this much at least, when they'd made love she'd felt like she'd known him all her life, like they were one and they could have something wonderful together. In that timeless hour spent in his arms, she'd seen their future so clearly, she belonged with him, and she'd really thought the connection wasn't one sided. But then he left her in his bed with no note, no good bye and no see you later!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">So much for being one!"</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">She sighed sadly as she stared at the dark liquid inside the mug. The coffee was starting to get cold, she'd have to warm it up again. She was about to when her home phone rang on the coffee table.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8mX6Ga0BoUdJxvGlZ7vLeAYxqdjSiLSINXbi-7W9JTcGD3urTy3psZ5u_qbLGYAcfuy3hTHeGgu6-UzwVeZoS5BxJdZrND5Jh29i20pyEGXzDmkPDhe5F4-TX71-E20Ia9WfhWg9TZva/s1600/Screenshot-51970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8mX6Ga0BoUdJxvGlZ7vLeAYxqdjSiLSINXbi-7W9JTcGD3urTy3psZ5u_qbLGYAcfuy3hTHeGgu6-UzwVeZoS5BxJdZrND5Jh29i20pyEGXzDmkPDhe5F4-TX71-E20Ia9WfhWg9TZva/s640/Screenshot-51970.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Storm!" </i>she thought hopefully
as she staggered slowly to answer it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Hello,"
she breathed into the phone, holding her breath, hoping it was the one voice
she wanted to hear.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3kPA7Y6OjzGnywPltFvDDlsdV_ije7sYCdXbb3yijhT8Og08f7PbuNy141x2yoxUVRUOoJPiO_0hWjZu6mkhJKVdRKagffk1HK1lQg013QaJT9-U299IBQ3nu1byiGT3YcCMIvAIgXvL/s1600/Screenshot-51967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3kPA7Y6OjzGnywPltFvDDlsdV_ije7sYCdXbb3yijhT8Og08f7PbuNy141x2yoxUVRUOoJPiO_0hWjZu6mkhJKVdRKagffk1HK1lQg013QaJT9-U299IBQ3nu1byiGT3YcCMIvAIgXvL/s640/Screenshot-51967.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Victoria? Are you okay? I haven't heard
from you in a while? The launch is in five days and we need to go over the
details. Are you done with the paintings? When can I come and see them?"</i>
Piper, her business partner, shrieked on her end.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVx8wrE2QDzzGazGD4aRsW2pq4yBQEqeJ76t-FuuNJL0oREEt99KLJztMM1yv9IZUCjlHywZ7soDAq84ze6lcaKLraQCLqePKT8AfJjSTT8r21RH7KXqH6Yq8nLB3F8JKwpLA71Kt9Bkd/s1600/Screenshot-51961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVx8wrE2QDzzGazGD4aRsW2pq4yBQEqeJ76t-FuuNJL0oREEt99KLJztMM1yv9IZUCjlHywZ7soDAq84ze6lcaKLraQCLqePKT8AfJjSTT8r21RH7KXqH6Yq8nLB3F8JKwpLA71Kt9Bkd/s640/Screenshot-51961.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Piper,
calm down. I'm okay. Don't worry about the paintings. They'll be ready for the
launch," Victoria answered, bitterly disappointed that it wasn’t Storm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Well,
I'm coming over,"</i> Piper insisted. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria stifled a frustrated sigh. She understood her partner's anxiety, after all they</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> were launching their art gallery in five days, everything had to be perfect, but she really wasn't in the mood for company.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvj9YuVBkkcS_pHKbNVHuIVeHdMlUAoDyNmeYcn-5KfjhbBqS4UGIvLXvWMhyphenhyphenqDyYLBPNxvHo7zSNXXnmgGSQJOKRwCoOv5J9KspMI5YHKJS19eZTI8SipVFqN9ohEnlZf4QYE3Xb7_0UY/s1600/Screenshot-51957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvj9YuVBkkcS_pHKbNVHuIVeHdMlUAoDyNmeYcn-5KfjhbBqS4UGIvLXvWMhyphenhyphenqDyYLBPNxvHo7zSNXXnmgGSQJOKRwCoOv5J9KspMI5YHKJS19eZTI8SipVFqN9ohEnlZf4QYE3Xb7_0UY/s640/Screenshot-51957.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I don't feel too good right now Piper, let's talk tomorrow.
Please?" Victoria didn’t wait for her partner's response, she </span>quickly<span style="font-family: inherit;"> hung up the phone. And just to make sure Piper didn’t bother her
again, she took it off the hook and switched off her cell phone. Her head
throbbed and her stomach growled loudly, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat.
Gingerly, she made her way back to her bed...</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">_______</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b>Saturday afternoon</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>P.U.R.E.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpWfsaQiie1bjNoTusqmcTIcm3oChSB7IsyRaE_dl9VltTgofnN055jn8nTDOx50XPsZjP_MCtiNysIabnoizbvYHwXiiVBbWaVi1oRAE5d2BU1Ck-L7kv6Sf0DKIZvwQhevxpSA6BVre/s1600/Screenshot-52225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpWfsaQiie1bjNoTusqmcTIcm3oChSB7IsyRaE_dl9VltTgofnN055jn8nTDOx50XPsZjP_MCtiNysIabnoizbvYHwXiiVBbWaVi1oRAE5d2BU1Ck-L7kv6Sf0DKIZvwQhevxpSA6BVre/s640/Screenshot-52225.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I
know you didn't bring me here to stare at my handsome face," Dean murmured
teasingly. They were at P.U.R.E. for well over ten minutes and Storm hadn't said a word.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean
knew something was wrong when his brother called and asked him to meet him downtown because Storm never called. For anything. He just wished he'd just spit out whatever was bothering him.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSRE4iqTyIzFRmm_MURt3UK2qaC5LkyfU0K6qTK2Nwn4mN0t0S8oa3LKc-ND_pWhxCGnrBixsNHPX-ZD0wSlx9Wf0hxIN-L4gj40l2Rb5OuS41XADNTSeMYfWeOteJiPIm5JYXS0ThBos/s1600/Screenshot-52236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSRE4iqTyIzFRmm_MURt3UK2qaC5LkyfU0K6qTK2Nwn4mN0t0S8oa3LKc-ND_pWhxCGnrBixsNHPX-ZD0wSlx9Wf0hxIN-L4gj40l2Rb5OuS41XADNTSeMYfWeOteJiPIm5JYXS0ThBos/s640/Screenshot-52236.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I've
been having dreams," Storm blurted out suddenly and he immediately wished he hadn't, Dean wasn't a good sounding board. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"About
Emma? Look, Storm, I don't mean to tell you how to live your life, but you have to let her go," Dean answered cautiously and braced himself for
Storm's angry reaction. But surprisingly Storm didn’t say anything, he
just shook his head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"The
dreams are not about Emma, are they?" Dean sounded confused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"No,"
Storm nodded. He opened his mouth to say more, but then changed his mind
and kept quiet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Come
on man, spill! What's going on?" Dean tried again. "What sort of
dreams?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Weird
dreams," Storm looked very uneasy when he replied.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiVHVZw7QEWuJLqzqu1SFkaX3qvGaA7Lyf2BePXEaG3ZBZRz0RWmrq-54NHL1Rw92MsUE1PJynBaAS9DDysphZzFfwWl2iCZYugFs-zIxuG6J-QCA7jG-GOY5UVc3qjtGaUPrplPBovsz/s1600/Screenshot-52251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiVHVZw7QEWuJLqzqu1SFkaX3qvGaA7Lyf2BePXEaG3ZBZRz0RWmrq-54NHL1Rw92MsUE1PJynBaAS9DDysphZzFfwWl2iCZYugFs-zIxuG6J-QCA7jG-GOY5UVc3qjtGaUPrplPBovsz/s640/Screenshot-52251.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"You
mean?" Dean asked and let the rest of his question hang in the air as he suppressed
a laugh. He couldn’t believe his 36 year old brother was having naughty dreams.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Yes!"
Storm retorted sharply. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Okay
then. So who's the porn star in your dreams?" Dean teased. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He
almost choked on his drink when he
heard Storm's answer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Victoria!"</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRI6TebAwdyIMRwvF-K0WHotcqKR3pnj6RHxZHWKgjc6SAH3LVydzEag1E7aU2WgMbjRc0ebIt75QNMGjh9fIeVhUpeXYuFYi3iSD23PXn9WY6VQ8rA-28HRy6w82sosKF9e0A3lvCW9w/s1600/Screenshot-52288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRI6TebAwdyIMRwvF-K0WHotcqKR3pnj6RHxZHWKgjc6SAH3LVydzEag1E7aU2WgMbjRc0ebIt75QNMGjh9fIeVhUpeXYuFYi3iSD23PXn9WY6VQ8rA-28HRy6w82sosKF9e0A3lvCW9w/s640/Screenshot-52288.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"What?
You mean Kendra's Victoria? The woman who's going to be my bride's maid of
honor? Why?" Dean knew he was rambling, but he couldn’t help it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "Last weekend, Saturday morning, while
you and Kendra were still in bed, well...We...You know..." Storm couldn’t finish
his sentence. He was really feeling embarrassed now. He </span>hadn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> expected to
confess all of this to his sibling. All he wanted was Victoria's address, which
he could have picked up from the BAU's data bank had he known how awkward this
conversation would turn out.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBotJsc8272wjCR38BM1cHBMcgrb2ZjPCb_-zcec3Am925RAZKGB2W69coFuohCGNrnoL4l7nQMr4XcxslyikvuDOot3QS36R7MYvV7hk48uSyX0QUb7_wgVJwkvJNCWr_GhYSx_EH6Q0/s1600/Screenshot-52268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBotJsc8272wjCR38BM1cHBMcgrb2ZjPCb_-zcec3Am925RAZKGB2W69coFuohCGNrnoL4l7nQMr4XcxslyikvuDOot3QS36R7MYvV7hk48uSyX0QUb7_wgVJwkvJNCWr_GhYSx_EH6Q0/s640/Screenshot-52268.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"So...what
now? You want the dreams to stop?" Dean asked suddenly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm
failed to see the relevance of his question, but he nodded anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Why?"
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Can
you quit asking me stupid questions? I just want Victoria's address!"
Storm snapped at last, he’d taken just about all he could take.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm25hFcHisULhLY-H3fOilub-YmHXJXZBMiLBWfnE3dAqlxG6wthE-Xo891tsaWP2BHa2fl1YDbN-fiB4KVjqrwsU765AE2Dd7MUVq_t5ztdlAoGQqIJrbLNAo57r7ysA6I94cWEYmeVe-/s1600/Screenshot-52314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm25hFcHisULhLY-H3fOilub-YmHXJXZBMiLBWfnE3dAqlxG6wthE-Xo891tsaWP2BHa2fl1YDbN-fiB4KVjqrwsU765AE2Dd7MUVq_t5ztdlAoGQqIJrbLNAo57r7ysA6I94cWEYmeVe-/s640/Screenshot-52314.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Okay.
Relax," Dean grabbed Storm’s phone from the table and quickly punched in
Victoria’s details in the address book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "Thanks," Storm mumbled as he took
the phone from him and headed for the club’s exit.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-ZRGOl0SOkPODFFTaLV6-SptRs1J_M90NXsEHMZG4KRbTbMWvaw8Px0qdRUVrfHqDZjHowD3FA6nD7gTnIBvDeFf2gqcRlIjrt0GjoCAKXaAqapJWTu8qRLyt1pdbL8ZhqrcFzBVpnNh/s1600/Screenshot-52328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-ZRGOl0SOkPODFFTaLV6-SptRs1J_M90NXsEHMZG4KRbTbMWvaw8Px0qdRUVrfHqDZjHowD3FA6nD7gTnIBvDeFf2gqcRlIjrt0GjoCAKXaAqapJWTu8qRLyt1pdbL8ZhqrcFzBVpnNh/s640/Screenshot-52328.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"What
are you going to do?" </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean's question caught him off guard. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He really had no idea of what he was going to do about Victoria.
But something had to be done. He couldn’t keep ignoring the mess and hope it
would go away on its own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">________</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunday morning</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria's apartment</span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQlgDjKawyZeQdQg3-UTylu1lj6Fq0H6dtJOycEY-fgYpJ6Xv7Bf_HTvrIT55jVBqe-mWcX5lNkBr829ctD_IEy7Diy-oShnywC3dMyoKcb12RGAhucFkJutr7p6SyiaGaphrM31VZ2I9/s1600/Screenshot-51972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQlgDjKawyZeQdQg3-UTylu1lj6Fq0H6dtJOycEY-fgYpJ6Xv7Bf_HTvrIT55jVBqe-mWcX5lNkBr829ctD_IEy7Diy-oShnywC3dMyoKcb12RGAhucFkJutr7p6SyiaGaphrM31VZ2I9/s640/Screenshot-51972.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria
woke up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle her day. Her stomach
growled loudly reminding her she hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsCw9LBCCwz3LJB2o1wpk80efiB98Fxb_5DPmMLNS4zePTPZG32f-pFGVpKKDZgHU_tRTZXFZwmBiYz5kvfJJtqSz0nhgQOgaRKQflKjh3vz_x30CMmcSL3L5vXKUCRKdfZ7I76TKvxHp/s1600/Screenshot-51985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsCw9LBCCwz3LJB2o1wpk80efiB98Fxb_5DPmMLNS4zePTPZG32f-pFGVpKKDZgHU_tRTZXFZwmBiYz5kvfJJtqSz0nhgQOgaRKQflKjh3vz_x30CMmcSL3L5vXKUCRKdfZ7I76TKvxHp/s640/Screenshot-51985.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">She quickly jumped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to take a shower and
officially start her morning.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIhb_q2xrYF5ZfbZtt2UVz7Z4qn8FfqlMvyJb2k-xBV1up8Q-1GEI2LylDcNNnrBgWAmLqo5X9BK4nL2OXN5IIeWJWl31oPV5vkvPt1PIpOkuIwlyIQryYdw_c9uSOYop5XS4B_qgsfw6/s1600/Screenshot-52009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIhb_q2xrYF5ZfbZtt2UVz7Z4qn8FfqlMvyJb2k-xBV1up8Q-1GEI2LylDcNNnrBgWAmLqo5X9BK4nL2OXN5IIeWJWl31oPV5vkvPt1PIpOkuIwlyIQryYdw_c9uSOYop5XS4B_qgsfw6/s640/Screenshot-52009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After
her breakfast she went to her art studio next door to work on the last batch of paintings for the launch.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzbExMCdW7Z-eofHf4WYMN1zmqSWNc2e0n0Bfdn8QNBWhb4QKylSIc03JZmVr1eZMsdW_69LApZkd43IDoDJvfCjkmngrJM5-iZQFBvniwP1T9POdB9Qp9-NWRuL8jMobmQwDgE3vC1Rs/s1600/Screenshot-52018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzbExMCdW7Z-eofHf4WYMN1zmqSWNc2e0n0Bfdn8QNBWhb4QKylSIc03JZmVr1eZMsdW_69LApZkd43IDoDJvfCjkmngrJM5-iZQFBvniwP1T9POdB9Qp9-NWRuL8jMobmQwDgE3vC1Rs/s640/Screenshot-52018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Professionally
she was a free-lance photo journalist but she supplemented her sporadic
income by painting. She was excited when Piper proposed they go into business
together. Piper was business savvy and well she was a talented photographer and
an even better artist. They both knew they were taking a huge gamble by opening
an art gallery in this economy, but life’s all about risks. That’s her motto and Piper
understood it very well, perhaps it was also one of the reasons they got
along so well.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqCnLTa1nY6IbOgztp_hFiR7enTaXhA4V90BcWJKwPO2C40WAlC7VDGZ1Wne57dQv-xUUyP0XQvu5si9jJpA76lV5gKa6fTRXNCPz3rZX7K2h-saLIPoEGfP7Yn3Uz5c0jl4Qla2VsyBR/s1600/Screenshot-52035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqCnLTa1nY6IbOgztp_hFiR7enTaXhA4V90BcWJKwPO2C40WAlC7VDGZ1Wne57dQv-xUUyP0XQvu5si9jJpA76lV5gKa6fTRXNCPz3rZX7K2h-saLIPoEGfP7Yn3Uz5c0jl4Qla2VsyBR/s640/Screenshot-52035.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">No matter what she was going through, when
Victoria painted, she could always shut off the rest of the world and go into that private
place she kept only for herself. At this very moment she was content. Her mind and heart
were still.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiE0NV_U1CJDJddFfyT2fFmkxF1rV9Pao1ACiPvtzkDH_Tbh3nzMRDKaaeBsj_KPd_J2pkhRDGPqfCJkRZxiX-XZmX92Ni6JJXUWMg-cD1vwoKVN_Aie63uIrRr0Jup-XyI3eFNTHGld2/s1600/Screenshot-52014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiE0NV_U1CJDJddFfyT2fFmkxF1rV9Pao1ACiPvtzkDH_Tbh3nzMRDKaaeBsj_KPd_J2pkhRDGPqfCJkRZxiX-XZmX92Ni6JJXUWMg-cD1vwoKVN_Aie63uIrRr0Jup-XyI3eFNTHGld2/s640/Screenshot-52014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"World,
here I come," she squealed happily as she put the final strokes on the
canvass a little while later. Pleased with her progress, she decided to take a walk and get some
fresh inspiration.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">________</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0z5s3pO72XFOW1J-Zj9NDb83UG41eR3QqeRAU45mxI-7-rb8fkoAy1tzwi4gdJuLDy9skrzsKgsorMF0fFWnm0dKMuiMBHlwhm7zxZbLXN-yG4m8BiTCKs8iqNyOGzb7Oyp1fTw10BYiT/s1600/Screenshot-52345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0z5s3pO72XFOW1J-Zj9NDb83UG41eR3QqeRAU45mxI-7-rb8fkoAy1tzwi4gdJuLDy9skrzsKgsorMF0fFWnm0dKMuiMBHlwhm7zxZbLXN-yG4m8BiTCKs8iqNyOGzb7Oyp1fTw10BYiT/s640/Screenshot-52345.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm
couldn’t believe he was there. He knew he wasn’t ready for this, but there
would be no better time than now.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6uPU0bVOh3QAHRkABiNn08mO7AhQiSVGlNf-IiHRw-cvFlRofY9qBvfKjr3hWEa_HEs0JKP0CqeI2fPf8lGm5lhoS-c5OaXCXfCnz5p8Mp0DbTqDErEs8m7pYQlafUW4pcLDg3mhiwY_/s1600/Screenshot-52355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6uPU0bVOh3QAHRkABiNn08mO7AhQiSVGlNf-IiHRw-cvFlRofY9qBvfKjr3hWEa_HEs0JKP0CqeI2fPf8lGm5lhoS-c5OaXCXfCnz5p8Mp0DbTqDErEs8m7pYQlafUW4pcLDg3mhiwY_/s640/Screenshot-52355.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He
got out of the car and surveyed her street. He liked her neighborhood, it was
in one of the safe and quieter parts of town. H</span>e didn’t know why but <span style="font-family: inherit;">he liked knowing Victoria was safe…</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKia-U_da1i-VdlxFgRRy1ymGXOvRLL2csmjMUxkEZaN25q0dtAWRGamfcwDfS7POLvt0trXqu9LBeWe_-Rk4sczbLoE6q_udR7IYm2GR-3BkI6_xMequl2gKZXL5ngm3hynaGNBaENVET/s1600/Screenshot-52363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKia-U_da1i-VdlxFgRRy1ymGXOvRLL2csmjMUxkEZaN25q0dtAWRGamfcwDfS7POLvt0trXqu9LBeWe_-Rk4sczbLoE6q_udR7IYm2GR-3BkI6_xMequl2gKZXL5ngm3hynaGNBaENVET/s640/Screenshot-52363.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Stop it, she means nothing to you!” He groaned under his
breath. And before he could change his mind about their talk, he rushed up
the steps leading to her front porch.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9pZdBjzH3YWXabgRyYGOeGlUYKceq_nFSERaJOA2DQDPlZg1nN5nHOcqQ85n12BKv78SsRVryzPR4C33QLV0c0Ey1yhN8djHukB9KCBlqMIachYXTXaeNV9N3FkoLj-Sg0bcqRmR6qeH/s1600/Screenshot-52375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9pZdBjzH3YWXabgRyYGOeGlUYKceq_nFSERaJOA2DQDPlZg1nN5nHOcqQ85n12BKv78SsRVryzPR4C33QLV0c0Ey1yhN8djHukB9KCBlqMIachYXTXaeNV9N3FkoLj-Sg0bcqRmR6qeH/s640/Screenshot-52375.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He
pressed the buzzer at least three times before someone answered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Hello?"
a gruff female voice barked somewhere inside the building. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Hi,
Is Victoria in?" he asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Who?"</i>
again came the bark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Victoria!
Is she in?" Storm repeated, speaking slowly this time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"She's gone out. She left an hour ago. She
should be home soon!" <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Okay,
thanks. I'll just wait out here for her," he said politely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Suit yourself!"</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Yix8vAjSK6OWrhY8OrvFlLhROTlamtulGaBUM6HO_QF6PA4hBoryh3Xq3ii4s92Y29Zsm6OjtMW5YQxvsvVbJTpUZEC07kKquu2YY8D21o1gY0LSoFYfL6OPX3tFxViGZVYaGowewlHi/s1600/Screenshot-52384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Yix8vAjSK6OWrhY8OrvFlLhROTlamtulGaBUM6HO_QF6PA4hBoryh3Xq3ii4s92Y29Zsm6OjtMW5YQxvsvVbJTpUZEC07kKquu2YY8D21o1gY0LSoFYfL6OPX3tFxViGZVYaGowewlHi/s640/Screenshot-52384.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Disappointed,
he made his way back to his car. He wondered if maybe he should leave and come
back later. But he knew if he left now he might just lose his courage and never
come back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He
hated break ups, but technically, this wasn’t a break up. He wanted to put
things into perspective, apologize to Victoria for leaving abruptly the
previous weekend and not give her any false hopes about a future he knew they would never
have.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZlc62EWP_LabaceIG_mXtLwxi4zU6MCmbcgoOGQV41MZv9AbnFsGa6FSFpBBPzRo3NCNdBRIIotjOkjYZs5Sa6MBaLykAp1W0G_PiVTa2vkeCzzHLcN_LoukO4cBSgxMPedmXfAHqkLN/s1600/Screenshot-52396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZlc62EWP_LabaceIG_mXtLwxi4zU6MCmbcgoOGQV41MZv9AbnFsGa6FSFpBBPzRo3NCNdBRIIotjOkjYZs5Sa6MBaLykAp1W0G_PiVTa2vkeCzzHLcN_LoukO4cBSgxMPedmXfAHqkLN/s640/Screenshot-52396.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He
didn’t know how long he sat in his car and he was about to leave when, from his
rear view mirror, he saw Victoria walk past. Without warning, his heart rate suddenly quickened
and his palms felt a little sweaty, and</span> for some reason he felt like a school boy on his first date.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcg5LpNdI7Sn0GZfKsISTKGgQ9QWHyMpC0Ggaeg85bbnve4WzdZJTz9LqCGo89OQteAolKn5BwKY52KSM3-ygzR0nEsRaO957QqW_3F1Fch1shiLPwAtr-_xY90yt0WrUQZtGuXFXvEWv/s1600/Screenshot-52435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcg5LpNdI7Sn0GZfKsISTKGgQ9QWHyMpC0Ggaeg85bbnve4WzdZJTz9LqCGo89OQteAolKn5BwKY52KSM3-ygzR0nEsRaO957QqW_3F1Fch1shiLPwAtr-_xY90yt0WrUQZtGuXFXvEWv/s640/Screenshot-52435.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Victoria,"
He called out to her.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64ALUtwZcOH2_L9_EDNz930Gw_NQExuOQCLQ8rh375ex07xxvEL8jM8YeBK8Dzr0RbG9PcS4WPjQr_6GhR1GQnCejjbHzc4z084ZOh10SCY7xwGUCiA3_3DxwCd3bvlGr18PHFC1HpqBz/s1600/Screenshot-52420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64ALUtwZcOH2_L9_EDNz930Gw_NQExuOQCLQ8rh375ex07xxvEL8jM8YeBK8Dzr0RbG9PcS4WPjQr_6GhR1GQnCejjbHzc4z084ZOh10SCY7xwGUCiA3_3DxwCd3bvlGr18PHFC1HpqBz/s640/Screenshot-52420.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria just stood there, not believing her eyes.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLVDy2oqG2gS3OWqHATyKsnOwHSUXpTIj1mHRXcOkQ6cYYEatjEkyIqC4g1y2DKtiYTkMinXac9iXkb3UpNmdN1NLrAsDpADzqzpwCLynn3Z0_ztv5FsovaePofbU70cA7Dsqy2yJ_Yez/s1600/Screenshot-52422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLVDy2oqG2gS3OWqHATyKsnOwHSUXpTIj1mHRXcOkQ6cYYEatjEkyIqC4g1y2DKtiYTkMinXac9iXkb3UpNmdN1NLrAsDpADzqzpwCLynn3Z0_ztv5FsovaePofbU70cA7Dsqy2yJ_Yez/s640/Screenshot-52422.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Storm?
What are you doing here?" She asked nervously, half angry with him for not
calling her like he said he would, half excited because again, her heart
confirmed what she already knew, she was in love with him, completely,
insanely, head over heels in love with him.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiox2myGhERA9b5sreNFyOSactLdWtoCvblZWTPm_lYqpCaxZTa64wIKAoVKt2g5PGzCNVbw_unJmLIbAs1Bx0PEfcE2i7gso08QgxGKAcQgPt6_V-ZDufkKzBhTYJ5pg_tScGAVxsoPtin/s1600/Screenshot-52449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiox2myGhERA9b5sreNFyOSactLdWtoCvblZWTPm_lYqpCaxZTa64wIKAoVKt2g5PGzCNVbw_unJmLIbAs1Bx0PEfcE2i7gso08QgxGKAcQgPt6_V-ZDufkKzBhTYJ5pg_tScGAVxsoPtin/s640/Screenshot-52449.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Where
have you been? Do you have any idea how long I've been sitting here waiting for
you to come home?" Storm snapped. He had to hold back from shaking her
like a rag doll. He didn’t realize how worried he was about her until he saw her walk past.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg898Jqv-imwqCjWkbo01ONTaXIQU9kf__PTwFPu3-vuMdkch9vRxM9YvfHZjBF3wKrW1LTY0nTQg9p6mZs-szSmMuf5BG14izYYSWjrEHCEc5c9iJWAMvBA4P_FFI7o29P3Fzu9U5mBqr/s1600/Screenshot-52453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg898Jqv-imwqCjWkbo01ONTaXIQU9kf__PTwFPu3-vuMdkch9vRxM9YvfHZjBF3wKrW1LTY0nTQg9p6mZs-szSmMuf5BG14izYYSWjrEHCEc5c9iJWAMvBA4P_FFI7o29P3Fzu9U5mBqr/s640/Screenshot-52453.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Definitely
not a week, that's for sure!" Victoria yelled right back.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2BYXl8ewSSVjP3DsVkSysO2qDgrJawT6l3-PHjVJypd7fx9WLZhwe-flLUUPUOmXPxehmlRnmtw_s-_i0Qn2d9tBdk42Ue5OEme5b5JHXX8_dnmS-LhFpU8OjJUoZj-Kcy7NmLklYG9X/s1600/Screenshot-52468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2BYXl8ewSSVjP3DsVkSysO2qDgrJawT6l3-PHjVJypd7fx9WLZhwe-flLUUPUOmXPxehmlRnmtw_s-_i0Qn2d9tBdk42Ue5OEme5b5JHXX8_dnmS-LhFpU8OjJUoZj-Kcy7NmLklYG9X/s640/Screenshot-52468.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Okay,
I deserved that. I've been meaning to call you, but I’ve been working on a
case, a little girl was-" Storm started to say, but he didn’t get to finish
his explanation because without warning Victoria pulled him close and started
kissing him slowly at first and then urgently when he didn’t resist.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUItxmrb7eCFW_jFkldksRfsRNe3p3R8ywBIvsbNU4_8KrFdstyKJhJ79ZkMWriy-hBkEAbuUwluMMfsupxApoBDMJcVfjE3YUZNWLDzhEinA3LHSdMzz_OXD3a_cu1YvnxByHFdQSpcr/s1600/Screenshot-52498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUItxmrb7eCFW_jFkldksRfsRNe3p3R8ywBIvsbNU4_8KrFdstyKJhJ79ZkMWriy-hBkEAbuUwluMMfsupxApoBDMJcVfjE3YUZNWLDzhEinA3LHSdMzz_OXD3a_cu1YvnxByHFdQSpcr/s640/Screenshot-52498.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For
a brief moment he allowed himself to enjoy the kiss. Before long, he was
kissing her back passionately and pulling her closer in his arms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>But then </i>a small voice just had to choose that moment to shriek somewhere inside his head, </span><i>"Stop, this wasn’t the plan!" </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAHjiHkR_7M9-WCNnk7ye-BCx6fxEUg42BprKBqlyVUM9DKPk6KtccK3wFMgmDUnzB3UJALhqwucF0b_DnzFw8cj0XljzvduxrRzfwBdODYQ-qEsHakmXHcmsbt194gk35f8tUbggjIHV/s1600/Screenshot-52542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAHjiHkR_7M9-WCNnk7ye-BCx6fxEUg42BprKBqlyVUM9DKPk6KtccK3wFMgmDUnzB3UJALhqwucF0b_DnzFw8cj0XljzvduxrRzfwBdODYQ-qEsHakmXHcmsbt194gk35f8tUbggjIHV/s640/Screenshot-52542.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>With a bewildered grunt, almost cruelly, he pushed her away.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"What's
wrong?" Victoria asked, sounding slightly hurt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I'm
sorry, I can't do this," he whispered sadly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"You
can't do what? The kiss? Or <b>US</b>?" She asked, holding her breath. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Both."
He answered. He saw the crushed look in her eyes and he hated himself for it.
Maybe he should have just stayed away.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOO1hYDSzNZvAE5tOaXrEDdFwZY2F-xN01cRa1emp9qJ6o8zF3WgH1tULae_7w2gQ2P6Uq0DqyumFcKQ2yzX4UQe7DXAdIWmePtAgbYmjza2OWQJnBYOlSc_cUUMaKvpozourrgl8u6beD/s1600/Screenshot-52570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOO1hYDSzNZvAE5tOaXrEDdFwZY2F-xN01cRa1emp9qJ6o8zF3WgH1tULae_7w2gQ2P6Uq0DqyumFcKQ2yzX4UQe7DXAdIWmePtAgbYmjza2OWQJnBYOlSc_cUUMaKvpozourrgl8u6beD/s640/Screenshot-52570.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Why
are you here Storm? Why did you come?" Victoria asked, tears clouding her
eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I
wanted to explain. Making love with you was amazing, but a mistake. I'm not at
a good place right now. I shouldn't have made love to you and I shouldn't have
come here, but I needed to let you know...We can't be together," his voice
trailed off.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbKw76Jzm3uXj4kKXm9Jj4bDVec1yF0e43lzO-mNYTAzNuCEDozmQ4JhWZAi4Q0h5iYvU8ufLw80A2Mz0m2Pwv14fhWywbijWZv3YF5T2gEw75AHBkEbpDC66IGYv8bMU259nmqmfcheK/s1600/Screenshot-52563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbKw76Jzm3uXj4kKXm9Jj4bDVec1yF0e43lzO-mNYTAzNuCEDozmQ4JhWZAi4Q0h5iYvU8ufLw80A2Mz0m2Pwv14fhWywbijWZv3YF5T2gEw75AHBkEbpDC66IGYv8bMU259nmqmfcheK/s640/Screenshot-52563.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Why?
What do you mean?" she asked again, "Is it someone else?" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Yes,"
he told her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Who?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Emma,"
he whispered sadly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Emma?
Your late wife?" She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Devastated didn't begin to describe her feelings, but a part of her, the part that could still function, wanted to change his mind and cling to him, she wanted to reach for him and take him upstairs, and make love to him, but she knew in the long run it would be pointless, she could never compete with a memory, she could never fight a ghost...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I'm
sorry..." Storm started to say, but she cut him off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "So am I....more than you'll ever
know," she told him sadly.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaxd7C-7vwYe30FeXwFrhaKPYyzBHwb17n0_ufaqKjptaek47QCUXHCRiSENjs12qr72FS-aspf_GnczrZtgDz_GDTo0I5FGcR0ua6xOIJOMF_nyY_Vffh-C-T8_R2efRxVlX8H3iNJ1L/s1600/Screenshot-52578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaxd7C-7vwYe30FeXwFrhaKPYyzBHwb17n0_ufaqKjptaek47QCUXHCRiSENjs12qr72FS-aspf_GnczrZtgDz_GDTo0I5FGcR0ua6xOIJOMF_nyY_Vffh-C-T8_R2efRxVlX8H3iNJ1L/s640/Screenshot-52578.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Take
care of yourself Victoria," Storm told her quietly just before he got in his car. It killed him to see her like that. He wished he hadn't hurt her,
wished things were different, but he knew himself, he knew his job and the
demands that came with it. His work had almost destroyed his marriage with
Emma. He was sure if Emma had not died, eventually she would have divorced him.
He just couldn't live through another relationship.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1MeUsID1cjUKjAAWI7kC0nnoOl9ItOT8wSsO_-GlYjWTt_ivznu0tC81GNvz9LmwA-VmXxSUSbuUtcGxR7Hjgc8ISbuj1dcKYFelP03mMzO62S1OpDa-eKM6u87wMr4dtYfxRZFKmXBl/s1600/Screenshot-52591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1MeUsID1cjUKjAAWI7kC0nnoOl9ItOT8wSsO_-GlYjWTt_ivznu0tC81GNvz9LmwA-VmXxSUSbuUtcGxR7Hjgc8ISbuj1dcKYFelP03mMzO62S1OpDa-eKM6u87wMr4dtYfxRZFKmXBl/s640/Screenshot-52591.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria
watched him drive off. Her heart was shattered into a million pieces and she
wasn't sure if any glue could stick it together again. It was all over. She
knew how he felt about her. He was still devoted to his late wife. She must
have been some woman to have such a strong hold on him.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWHr_vWWhTGh8yoMLJUEWpUw_NuQPT6trDvINS7aE8p7_UwubHKkwMyLV6VuDTvHUUjb7AnSyfgvYtwcEy2es4DzkwBaL1-SZEKCJR8kRjXQZl4_hDi87ubwklBCP7vaizP5bx6jiM7O0/s1600/Screenshot-52628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWHr_vWWhTGh8yoMLJUEWpUw_NuQPT6trDvINS7aE8p7_UwubHKkwMyLV6VuDTvHUUjb7AnSyfgvYtwcEy2es4DzkwBaL1-SZEKCJR8kRjXQZl4_hDi87ubwklBCP7vaizP5bx6jiM7O0/s640/Screenshot-52628.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Oh
Storm," Victoria cried for all the things they'd never have. But at least now s</span>he could finally have closure and move on with her life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Valprehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15992942004048836531noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547834090369603404.post-63247541698702361062012-08-14T09:03:00.000-07:002012-08-14T09:03:44.866-07:004. Louder Than Any Words<div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-weight: bold;">Warning: </span><span style="color: #444444; font-weight: bold;">nudity</span></div><b><br />
</b> <b>Chase residence, Statham Island...</b></div><div><b>present day...</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuGgnosRdfk9dSaolQLWveM-htveKOmkYdgRu0MsgcDNWHB-OJBu68pla97Zpgav2c-P-pykb9catjID8oM9T1C2FUhLCpmsdCbG5PH0XZQUyZ6S6nv0q-apRGCTzkN9Ct0C97vPN4Ggs/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuGgnosRdfk9dSaolQLWveM-htveKOmkYdgRu0MsgcDNWHB-OJBu68pla97Zpgav2c-P-pykb9catjID8oM9T1C2FUhLCpmsdCbG5PH0XZQUyZ6S6nv0q-apRGCTzkN9Ct0C97vPN4Ggs/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">Victoria woke up with a start. A sad sigh escaped her lips as she reached for Storm only to clutch at the empty space.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">He was gone. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">The moment the realization sunk in, mortification showed its ugly head. She had never done this before. Made love to a total stranger, no matter how gorgeous he was. But as disgusted as she was with herself for having acted the way she had, she didn’t regret one moment spent in his arms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtIFnJsN0-4oNF7Bk9fm-H5s_MlUe7W5WmX_mxge-HVPPiIqNDi_c080kQb_x4PsM3BkFOo6O08wY-4jx9gKQcbHgNYN0solp1MwinXPDPd85EsfZrfihjFBcH0YHEdUctMF7XANb225H/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtIFnJsN0-4oNF7Bk9fm-H5s_MlUe7W5WmX_mxge-HVPPiIqNDi_c080kQb_x4PsM3BkFOo6O08wY-4jx9gKQcbHgNYN0solp1MwinXPDPd85EsfZrfihjFBcH0YHEdUctMF7XANb225H/s640/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was crazy. But she knew, like she’d known when she first met him the day before, when he was half naked in his bedroom, that she was in love with him. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"What have you done?” Victoria wondered out loud, thinking about what she should do.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She knew she had to go downstairs and find him, and talk things through, but she had no idea what to say to him, or how to even look him in the eye.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She stayed in bed for another five minutes, psyching herself up for the inevitable, before she headed downstairs to go find Storm.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmH9dLIu1Omp_gBLtXMWupW6XNu40Ek672qNfYNaAlx_DzMVLeAC4RIXcukclg7FsVfIrZqhiPokaurOu1JtmSbCbJFEV8fFgwA8ncVyIgv9AzRyeUHCCKshlq3xHYuWUeW0L-W7yFoXb5/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmH9dLIu1Omp_gBLtXMWupW6XNu40Ek672qNfYNaAlx_DzMVLeAC4RIXcukclg7FsVfIrZqhiPokaurOu1JtmSbCbJFEV8fFgwA8ncVyIgv9AzRyeUHCCKshlq3xHYuWUeW0L-W7yFoXb5/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean and Kendra were making out on the couch in the living room when she came in. The gentle, soulful tune playing softly in the background, coupled with the low lighting and the fire roaring in the fireplace, set the mood perfectly. It was clear where her friends were headed, and three was definitely company. She was about to retreat from the room and take her search elsewhere when Kendra suddenly looked up and caught her standing there.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BXLxWx666SQ7HLqkG9hLF9t_j_2useScV1g0_WeIh06JKyQzWNxBJJCb94K-zmbrgEfy3v3TwwZdjVQvp3nn2necTM2paEsDMowCnKZzFbDjtml6ZPSoaL8aLqJdDjTt_o6f9a0SyXPN/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BXLxWx666SQ7HLqkG9hLF9t_j_2useScV1g0_WeIh06JKyQzWNxBJJCb94K-zmbrgEfy3v3TwwZdjVQvp3nn2necTM2paEsDMowCnKZzFbDjtml6ZPSoaL8aLqJdDjTt_o6f9a0SyXPN/s640/4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Toria,” she cried as she jumped from Dean’s lap and fixed her top.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Have you guys seen Storm?” Victoria asked with an uncertain smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kendra wrung her hands for a minute or two before she scurried to the bar. Victoria knew right there and then something was wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Where’s Storm?” She asked as calmly as she could.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“You just missed him. He’s gone,” Kendra replied. She dumped the glass she’d refilled on the bar and rushed to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"What do you mean he's gone? It's only Saturday. Wasn't he supposed to be staying for the weekend?" Victoria asked in a shrill voice.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zSoaq5kF3bPi5SqmOzAQSUsahe3mW0BuRmpioEEPRM0D3Zo7myGWyFqicMMsYaZWbd44sMgu_TRrlGJAdAvZBs6CsvJfWG9lWNn1H_DlitWRuH-UZLMGFDnhuK7AzO3RA7LCY0UrE92P/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zSoaq5kF3bPi5SqmOzAQSUsahe3mW0BuRmpioEEPRM0D3Zo7myGWyFqicMMsYaZWbd44sMgu_TRrlGJAdAvZBs6CsvJfWG9lWNn1H_DlitWRuH-UZLMGFDnhuK7AzO3RA7LCY0UrE92P/s640/6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"There was a crisis at work. But he said he'll call you," Dean delivered his brother’s message. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he’d said something wrong when he saw the crushed look in Victoria’s eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Did I say something wrong? Victoria what is it? Talk to us," Dean begged her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But Victoria just shook her head; she was convinced she’d start crying any second now. She had never been so mortified in her life. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh honey, I’m so sorry, I know you were hoping to clear the air with him,” Kendra took her in her arms and squeezed her tightly, completely misunderstanding the situation, her friend thought she was upset over the dinner fiasco.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFV2Yo0a0_4di7TwD4YnBGk6mzkI6kRlz_s5T-8GvxXSBwcOZOMzplb5hWuo71wpewmSy-gV7OuGo15-14g0CGzWzF538OrG9YeAEAMxgbBFyJz20YHqiTV1fgZjSwAX0zAgdFfOFyqp2/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFV2Yo0a0_4di7TwD4YnBGk6mzkI6kRlz_s5T-8GvxXSBwcOZOMzplb5hWuo71wpewmSy-gV7OuGo15-14g0CGzWzF538OrG9YeAEAMxgbBFyJz20YHqiTV1fgZjSwAX0zAgdFfOFyqp2/s640/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As Victoria gently pulled away from Kendra, she couldn’t help but feel grateful that her friend didn’t know the whole story.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here she was, ready to go out on the limb and put herself out there for Storm, and he didn’t even have the decency to say goodbye to her or end whatever it is that they had started when they jumped into bed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm’s disappearing act spoke louder than any words he could have ever said to her, his actions spoke volumes too.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">While she’d thought they could possibly be on the verge of something beautiful and amazing, to him she was nothing but a one night stand.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The thought tore her to pieces and with impatient, angry hands, she furiously wiped at her damp cheeks before she addressed Kendra and Dean again. “"I'm going home. I can't stay here. I'm sorry." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before Kendra could stop her and change her mind, Victoria quickly spun on heel and made a dash for her room.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fifteen minutes later, she was on her way to her lonely apartment. But she’d take it any day; it was better than staying at Dean’s house and be reminded of what a wanton fool she was…</span></div></div>Valprehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15992942004048836531noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547834090369603404.post-41530851420923666642012-07-07T07:39:00.004-07:002012-07-07T07:50:13.927-07:003. I'm A Nice Guy<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-weight: bold;">Warning: </span>adult situations</div><b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Chase residence, Statham Island...</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>present day...</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLbGKysDqe7dVYxSaSoOcQFMBssZ_IzjMRdBPe98wnuKI2XfJX80iTAAl0DWAuOOXc3B63_HYXIpLEwBZR0vQlmrinbHywJmPNu2Le3i-ZDQP5UqYZIxuPkmTTCsN0YurS6114e_V0sf0/s1600/Screenshot-12831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLbGKysDqe7dVYxSaSoOcQFMBssZ_IzjMRdBPe98wnuKI2XfJX80iTAAl0DWAuOOXc3B63_HYXIpLEwBZR0vQlmrinbHywJmPNu2Le3i-ZDQP5UqYZIxuPkmTTCsN0YurS6114e_V0sf0/s640/Screenshot-12831.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm almost choked on his blueberry pancakes when Victoria made her grand entrance in her bikini the next morning. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">She flashed him a brief smile as she dropped in the seat beside his.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXzgXpHXeqvcuCGsTekwKkJWMffzij_YXX5Rt5jz9HAbK46wrHVgMs4xbuLQn_LnBxSO3TNi5wih1YkwMpbPuOPzA3mYGHTjZ7GC0IaYzP3VjQbBXygmsd8Idz43KS5PIcBTvj4TffzWv/s1600/Screenshot-12846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXzgXpHXeqvcuCGsTekwKkJWMffzij_YXX5Rt5jz9HAbK46wrHVgMs4xbuLQn_LnBxSO3TNi5wih1YkwMpbPuOPzA3mYGHTjZ7GC0IaYzP3VjQbBXygmsd8Idz43KS5PIcBTvj4TffzWv/s640/Screenshot-12846.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Do you always have breakfast in a bikini when visiting strange houses?" He asked her, surprising himself with his question. It wasn’t that she looked horrible in her swimsuit, in fact she looked amazing; he was just annoyed with himself for still finding her attractive even when he’d resolved to be indifferent towards her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I'm sorry. I thought it was still too early and I'd be the only one awake. I'll go change if that will make you feel more comfortable," Victoria answered, slowly nibbling on her pancakes.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpeI5yE_INSz2Y0kHTWTbJRyfw7IBh2rwZEciYhuxMMk90Syrbl3_BoTukA-_RcPwjCMdhKxGDUaNSR8JPm3TXx4Ew1f7-mFto-l240baNpOwuQ-4yvg3g9MbQsH_3RL4tosYwFHpU98L/s1600/Screenshot-12862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpeI5yE_INSz2Y0kHTWTbJRyfw7IBh2rwZEciYhuxMMk90Syrbl3_BoTukA-_RcPwjCMdhKxGDUaNSR8JPm3TXx4Ew1f7-mFto-l240baNpOwuQ-4yvg3g9MbQsH_3RL4tosYwFHpU98L/s640/Screenshot-12862.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm dismissed her with a mere nod of his dark head before turning his attention to the newspaper in front of him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria bristled in her seat, irritated by his attitude.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Mwnl4poqgHjjyDshk_GCPxoKPgojaFvcVe81NNvhv_Zchsq2zUfTj8rl6UTJ83-9kxmppWi28BlhBqW_LiZ0ZMjEFUj_qWQeSAgT0yDgv-evhVkaMdE-M7htAc2fR_JS-BdeIBa4BzpB/s1600/Screenshot-12907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Mwnl4poqgHjjyDshk_GCPxoKPgojaFvcVe81NNvhv_Zchsq2zUfTj8rl6UTJ83-9kxmppWi28BlhBqW_LiZ0ZMjEFUj_qWQeSAgT0yDgv-evhVkaMdE-M7htAc2fR_JS-BdeIBa4BzpB/s640/Screenshot-12907.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Is something wrong?” Storm asked when he caught her glaring at him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria ignored his question, "I get the feeling you don't like me and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that you think I was in on Kendra’s set up.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Were you?” Storm set aside the newspaper and appraised her from beneath his long dark lashes.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_UkzL4PhOkREt3DZa1Bins_uJcFaORoU3bbgB2o69DaUovH7lvSjOD8sh9InI7801nAC4fT6BSIxklkMLZOFFP2nBGGnmmCEOb_WiXBLYDqr9ck_VFLsqhgJk85s1KFp_TumX5jYER3u/s1600/Screenshot-12887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_UkzL4PhOkREt3DZa1Bins_uJcFaORoU3bbgB2o69DaUovH7lvSjOD8sh9InI7801nAC4fT6BSIxklkMLZOFFP2nBGGnmmCEOb_WiXBLYDqr9ck_VFLsqhgJk85s1KFp_TumX5jYER3u/s640/Screenshot-12887.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Of course not!” Victoria shook her head.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Okay, if you say so,” Storm winked at her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Don’t get me wrong, you’re nice and all, but you’re not my type,” she added.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM4W8i6IWDQ8Us0sB33Wq83Be4hhrgfRqeP13yicSxij7pcUmQuKacvLqkCtBLFAzHDYk5gvmO1-6RBGN6sKn1KI8CM_tGrbsEmyQMu9YX-Xk_BU08qxFzAL0Je4WfIbM52dr2hxjnsGQ/s1600/Screenshot-12945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM4W8i6IWDQ8Us0sB33Wq83Be4hhrgfRqeP13yicSxij7pcUmQuKacvLqkCtBLFAzHDYk5gvmO1-6RBGN6sKn1KI8CM_tGrbsEmyQMu9YX-Xk_BU08qxFzAL0Je4WfIbM52dr2hxjnsGQ/s640/Screenshot-12945.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh? And what is your type, Victoria?” He asked, leaning closer to her, his eyes suddenly bright with interest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“My type is a nice guy,” she replied, and cringed almost immediately at her answer.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7XNZFoNbXQIU0krhhZpMEcJAjezWd1sw4iDwuxk5X7P6tVuDOW9-YGrsilLOQ5YH97ASFrCB2AbNkqBuSpsUJNU0t6KsneOitRIuHYubruIeKS7F_P3VtZcySvlHiM6jdkcknysQxXZF/s1600/Screenshot-12967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7XNZFoNbXQIU0krhhZpMEcJAjezWd1sw4iDwuxk5X7P6tVuDOW9-YGrsilLOQ5YH97ASFrCB2AbNkqBuSpsUJNU0t6KsneOitRIuHYubruIeKS7F_P3VtZcySvlHiM6jdkcknysQxXZF/s640/Screenshot-12967.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m a nice guy,” Storm murmured, as he slowly brought his face to hers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“No you’re not. Nice guys don’t storm from the table during a dinner party,” Victoria retorted, watching his lips inch closer to hers, anticipating the moment they’d finally make contact.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBRlqE1zNcA4OoX2yqBdCE9TMgj8ISLdO0BXLq_pljkfpodPfTJlsaFfjqZ0pqEongyK6D9avX58omjSXmxtCF5HftUmy2pxtPfXOpA9MyqBb6_KO6Clk3162G__-OaHwQaRuDvXcSShX/s1600/Screenshot-12978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBRlqE1zNcA4OoX2yqBdCE9TMgj8ISLdO0BXLq_pljkfpodPfTJlsaFfjqZ0pqEongyK6D9avX58omjSXmxtCF5HftUmy2pxtPfXOpA9MyqBb6_KO6Clk3162G__-OaHwQaRuDvXcSShX/s640/Screenshot-12978.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Sometimes they do when they think they’re being set up,” Storm suddenly pulled away from her, leaving her oddly disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I told you, I was not in on the set up!” Victoria cried again, a little too harshly this time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Right!” His sarcastic reply irked her no end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“You know what, believe what you want,” Victoria pushed away her plate and rose from the table.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTh27GqwhHeVXshW_Lg6nV2-aUPRpKud7JdmfdJt0gP5SNKADMByVHsJ-Lfy7gT7bQasDLuOI0VGdX4pEp5T9hLvGDw2XxZpPxrnmjOlDvdJDuUuL9ugA0Rop5pwnuFe4tyjqWoI61bex/s1600/Screenshot-13000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTh27GqwhHeVXshW_Lg6nV2-aUPRpKud7JdmfdJt0gP5SNKADMByVHsJ-Lfy7gT7bQasDLuOI0VGdX4pEp5T9hLvGDw2XxZpPxrnmjOlDvdJDuUuL9ugA0Rop5pwnuFe4tyjqWoI61bex/s640/Screenshot-13000.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm also stood up and did something that surprised them both. Ever so gently, he pulled her into his arms and looked into her eyes for what seemed like forever.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVm0zxB-O7q_WheKo437C3tPldWO7AwGUlsuWTnYrHOanztkGFmUjaV0c_PMAkupEmsm7CwV2ctKf4eKYpJhMpo_fzUEm9dUOuSQTBS3Le5M-3KyQXYkn_PSyqf1uk6puQADCMNbXvsJd/s1600/Screenshot-13016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVm0zxB-O7q_WheKo437C3tPldWO7AwGUlsuWTnYrHOanztkGFmUjaV0c_PMAkupEmsm7CwV2ctKf4eKYpJhMpo_fzUEm9dUOuSQTBS3Le5M-3KyQXYkn_PSyqf1uk6puQADCMNbXvsJd/s640/Screenshot-13016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I know you didn’t. Kendra explained,” he whispered as he slowly lowered his dark head and claimed her mouth in a fiercely possessive kiss. He pulled her tighter in his embrace, pressing her soft body against his. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In that moment, Storm knew why he had been so hell bent on disliking her, and it wasn’t about Kendra setting him up, or Emma. The chemistry between them was undeniable and so potent, it didn’t make sense to him, and anything that didn’t make sense to him always scared the hell out of him.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjpJJNW9s3lVjg_oRs6CBAvWchErZ1BsWOogW23T3MJog1h1NOoNLTzGqQAL6lDW3qKGJTu9pbK3CNh8o3ZEv28QQXPJGb0fY9HfRaMvVpj5fi8Eohb3AoD5NNMZp1pgPTUAuY2zVLebS/s1600/Screenshot-13031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjpJJNW9s3lVjg_oRs6CBAvWchErZ1BsWOogW23T3MJog1h1NOoNLTzGqQAL6lDW3qKGJTu9pbK3CNh8o3ZEv28QQXPJGb0fY9HfRaMvVpj5fi8Eohb3AoD5NNMZp1pgPTUAuY2zVLebS/s640/Screenshot-13031.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He knew he should stop kissing her, if he didn’t, something life changing might just happen. But she felt so perfect and right in his arms, like she was meant for him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Silently he took her hand and they made their way to his bedroom.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkx9LNywJu_IksDCiZW8iN-rHxNvR96vVo0SOdYog9PtR088ovYVGV0eY6dAl3S6EBu2O7rrm4IL2lpYB1Th-Zt3MrL9ZfZ5oZU6g0jByS9ab7tmTkQ0yD6gqiSIuHv5oFgPyNyKBH3NA/s1600/Screenshot-13052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkx9LNywJu_IksDCiZW8iN-rHxNvR96vVo0SOdYog9PtR088ovYVGV0eY6dAl3S6EBu2O7rrm4IL2lpYB1Th-Zt3MrL9ZfZ5oZU6g0jByS9ab7tmTkQ0yD6gqiSIuHv5oFgPyNyKBH3NA/s640/Screenshot-13052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Upstairs, in his room, he laid her gently on his king-sized bed and kissed her again, more urgently and more feverishly this time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria knew she should leave but she couldn’t move. She wanted him, needed him in a way that was new to her. It was madness and so wrong. But how could it be wrong when it felt so good?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Suddenly Storm pulled away from her and looked into her eyes; he wanted to make sure he was not crossing the line. He waited for her objection, but it never came.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZrg9MkKsHfljZ7cL067XkwOpW3aifyquSrcx_FS3vAmuey1sREvjgEH9XWowu7zKCSYKdYwB1ljUxc-uYNBCaGqfQNyU2iTHTHA73nKDlU6cYWuGMOVBTK0dSXRhyphenhyphensSFuyHj0EphX3Ce/s1600/Screenshot-13107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZrg9MkKsHfljZ7cL067XkwOpW3aifyquSrcx_FS3vAmuey1sREvjgEH9XWowu7zKCSYKdYwB1ljUxc-uYNBCaGqfQNyU2iTHTHA73nKDlU6cYWuGMOVBTK0dSXRhyphenhyphensSFuyHj0EphX3Ce/s640/Screenshot-13107.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gently, wordlessly, they removed each other’s clothes and made love. Storm was surprised by the ferocity of his passion for her and she, in turn, gave herself to him so abundantly, so freely and so completely with naked lust and passion and something else Storm was too afraid to acknowledge and it brought tears to both their eyes...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BAFGsFO5tip2r9LxEhDS2J9CIFsPtFpm5mNM8DgOuO7payTlnj_cZZLgY9VR4q877o8WkxdpOAl-RWrYIzxbqmmoqfowzjE60_knAhWBk-t4awIyzc0s9UbrgUw3D1EzUpvgXNXRCGSp/s1600/Screenshot-12862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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</a></div>Aussie Karimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00794550141380508542noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547834090369603404.post-68552389817787152492012-06-13T11:50:00.001-07:002012-06-13T12:36:11.754-07:00FBI ApparelThese were created today for Storm and his BAU team, they are not perfect, but they'll do the job.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8zO7T8cyPTVQ6-8XZ1mtoU_JKaZy4CwgHn3i3-qN1Z88a5RyWqh6a4W1Fsfv_E16PnQp9ZbPCgMa6wymoevwsVk8RCA2aPXbuonZ1ndFhaWwaTV15R-ewl_JBUq0keO4tbsqaWrwQS5k/s1600/FBI+Long+Females.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8zO7T8cyPTVQ6-8XZ1mtoU_JKaZy4CwgHn3i3-qN1Z88a5RyWqh6a4W1Fsfv_E16PnQp9ZbPCgMa6wymoevwsVk8RCA2aPXbuonZ1ndFhaWwaTV15R-ewl_JBUq0keO4tbsqaWrwQS5k/s640/FBI+Long+Females.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Valprehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15992942004048836531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547834090369603404.post-79222939683755771332012-06-01T08:42:00.006-07:002012-06-03T08:02:21.189-07:002. The Set Up<b>Chase residence, Statham Island</b><br />
<div><b>Present day...</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhHWJ1ZW9ePJnrrbsZuxWSCrPOykO2XpFMe_S8c26rJarxhfH9O705lvEMS0xmACuHYFpkRjk0XnIxvBw6nx2fHd4DuVYHT8SG4wJOkLY5qDLv3iaueBIBnUnIISJb9xB2dZWZm8sipk6/s1600/Screenshot-12316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhHWJ1ZW9ePJnrrbsZuxWSCrPOykO2XpFMe_S8c26rJarxhfH9O705lvEMS0xmACuHYFpkRjk0XnIxvBw6nx2fHd4DuVYHT8SG4wJOkLY5qDLv3iaueBIBnUnIISJb9xB2dZWZm8sipk6/s640/Screenshot-12316.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria couldn’t believe she was in yet another bedroom. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She was looking for Dean, and Kendra’s directions to his study were clearly wrong since she was utterly lost. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean’s two-story childhood home was massive. Her parents' modest three bedroom place back in Belladonna Cove could easily squeeze into one wing of this mansion and still leave some room.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl2KwBy2oJEy2toW5ooa7pbE3MLrk5cnDkGGxPo_UWi3gUNZ0B6JwYe5dSZ_gMM1J5eFJO0PVw964Y_JRmvlfr7zFFrQSzi6DdYL0fm2fGx6tfoQ6ikZIsjat2rZZnT-S5wEX2tdHf_eb/s1600/Screenshot-12256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl2KwBy2oJEy2toW5ooa7pbE3MLrk5cnDkGGxPo_UWi3gUNZ0B6JwYe5dSZ_gMM1J5eFJO0PVw964Y_JRmvlfr7zFFrQSzi6DdYL0fm2fGx6tfoQ6ikZIsjat2rZZnT-S5wEX2tdHf_eb/s640/Screenshot-12256.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
As Victoria took in her surroundings she wondered just how much it cost to maintain this place. <span style="font-family: inherit;">She didn’t really know much about architecture but she thought the style and design of the house was traditional with a hint of Spanish or maybe Italian influence. The room she was currently in, brought the total of bedrooms to six, all were located on the first floor and they all had </span>en-suite<span style="font-family: inherit;"> bathrooms. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She remembered Kendra mentioning something about a state of the art home gym, a home cinema and an indoor pool somewhere inside this massive maze. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Behind the house was vast ocean and from here she could hear the waves and sea gulls. The garden, the little she’d seen </span>of it<span style="font-family: inherit;">, was beautifully landscaped with perfectly manicured lawns...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20NX5Sm1h3oVG5ON22mnNrPYR5hSf5U7rnPqmN13GspQBWkb5sPsA5B59Mrw587i-yVYFAMgJOsw56_4xb0Gee4VfScK6tZcyRptlgFulAOWRpPUwQdcqgxtEN06_ZUJp3kcWOSyZiPS6/s1600/Screenshot-12302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20NX5Sm1h3oVG5ON22mnNrPYR5hSf5U7rnPqmN13GspQBWkb5sPsA5B59Mrw587i-yVYFAMgJOsw56_4xb0Gee4VfScK6tZcyRptlgFulAOWRpPUwQdcqgxtEN06_ZUJp3kcWOSyZiPS6/s640/Screenshot-12302.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Can I help you?" A low male voice startled her, and she turned around slowly.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQfGKEUa4LAC85Hrtu-yDeU5jxCz-NzzhXSRsBssVFQ0_O4voki_0I9ibaAWF2bTv_7b7sSjKbBFMyuTearI1-YtCDy7xFcPpwy7n7sNaCkkPM90tod4gTeEMTFKTai2vTiuA1qjF-BTi/s1600/Screenshot-12450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQfGKEUa4LAC85Hrtu-yDeU5jxCz-NzzhXSRsBssVFQ0_O4voki_0I9ibaAWF2bTv_7b7sSjKbBFMyuTearI1-YtCDy7xFcPpwy7n7sNaCkkPM90tod4gTeEMTFKTai2vTiuA1qjF-BTi/s640/Screenshot-12450.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her eyes rested on what was surely one of the most amazing half-naked bodies she'd ever seen. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He looked like a darker version of Dean, but while she’d always thought her best friend’s fiancé was cute and adorable, this man was anything but. His virility screamed from every pore of his well-defined physique. He </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">he had a wide, generous mouth that made her want to reach up and trail the tip of her tongue on his lips. His aquiline nose though gave him an air of arrogance she would have found a turn off on any other man. His raven Mohawk was probably the only thing she didn’t like about him. She thought he’d look even sexier if he grew out his hair. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">But Mohawk or not, he was still a picture of perfection and it took her all of fifty seconds to size him up and know he was a big </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">NO-NO</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKdNHmx_hO2bindqdwhiWQza-FVQpNTdGMxaZsPYhVfLwGKof3g5uQw0-Uc1svNVIlW2HSOOEDLLWY3hyphenhyphenaJEGz-KjQ0ilu6tAmrrNRDb1RKmLtVd1V4bDny5snMtRwelnYBJIehpEibKT/s1600/Screenshot-12403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKdNHmx_hO2bindqdwhiWQza-FVQpNTdGMxaZsPYhVfLwGKof3g5uQw0-Uc1svNVIlW2HSOOEDLLWY3hyphenhyphenaJEGz-KjQ0ilu6tAmrrNRDb1RKmLtVd1V4bDny5snMtRwelnYBJIehpEibKT/s640/Screenshot-12403.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I...m...I'm sorry. I'm looking for Dean," Victoria stuttered, unable to string together a coherent sentence. She really didn’t understand where this sudden urge came from, but the longer she stared at him, the more her body wanted to wrap itself around his perfectly formed frame. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQ8hNoQtHVfEJFCjvoPV40U0MddB37o0RO2TG6rw45ETH_FL-qtQYtBxBDlqcwOQGNR8nhgDCbhEStHjNISqTYvMD3QKpbN2gzTtaJRF46kmzf2T4v8qcHr4KMLkYARHKxvEVvAq0PlGq/s1600/Screenshot-12509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQ8hNoQtHVfEJFCjvoPV40U0MddB37o0RO2TG6rw45ETH_FL-qtQYtBxBDlqcwOQGNR8nhgDCbhEStHjNISqTYvMD3QKpbN2gzTtaJRF46kmzf2T4v8qcHr4KMLkYARHKxvEVvAq0PlGq/s640/Screenshot-12509.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"He's down the hall," Mr. Blue Eyes replied, a small smile slowly stretched his lips, causing her to blush like a school girl. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She quickly ducked her head to hide her flaming cheeks, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">s</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">he could swear the cobalt stones in his eyes saw right through her fascination with him.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpwrIwEzPZ-BKeRQGVSPIRmEDr6aE3ZfzeEly-eiHH2hWy2PiQdV0PscpYEdEiRZA4a-qfpWIL6w8YlbNOdPHhX4h5v3VFX-NsbKrJvqfO2EDZiNIXwyw-e66zprMNh9sfpfz8Vm26VEB/s1600/Screenshot-12478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpwrIwEzPZ-BKeRQGVSPIRmEDr6aE3ZfzeEly-eiHH2hWy2PiQdV0PscpYEdEiRZA4a-qfpWIL6w8YlbNOdPHhX4h5v3VFX-NsbKrJvqfO2EDZiNIXwyw-e66zprMNh9sfpfz8Vm26VEB/s640/Screenshot-12478.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Is there anything else you want?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria shook her head quickly </span>as she brushed past him<span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span>"No, nothing else". She was lying through her teeth, <span style="font-family: inherit;">she had a very long list of wicked things she wanted from him, but she thought it best to keep it to herself.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQYknILRuMhJGcyFLSsjJNiimcUxbudDlG25SKroTos9axLnBKUJFK7ZHI8mjuZ3NukLRWZTMRrttLtvhDD-webY1OjpwtLf7_cEWVJNx4AVhcpHsmo70x6UV75qNH_JTJNLm4Ps8sZNa/s1600/Screenshot-12533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQYknILRuMhJGcyFLSsjJNiimcUxbudDlG25SKroTos9axLnBKUJFK7ZHI8mjuZ3NukLRWZTMRrttLtvhDD-webY1OjpwtLf7_cEWVJNx4AVhcpHsmo70x6UV75qNH_JTJNLm4Ps8sZNa/s640/Screenshot-12533.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She felt his eyes pierce her back, and her body stiffened at the knowledge that she was being appraised. She allowed herself to relax only when she reached the hallway.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">______</span></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2pL4E25q4y_cFJg6F67nj3Yy9K8LT4wWCudFitOQeG9evdY_7dhJlleL3nOknvS48wDT3_5mDm8ZODVHc0c13SJ_s2xo0nQsRMytIxZlC3dL4u6mUv9N4yBh9fmF6wZXfFlRm7bquvkb/s1600/Screenshot-12539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2pL4E25q4y_cFJg6F67nj3Yy9K8LT4wWCudFitOQeG9evdY_7dhJlleL3nOknvS48wDT3_5mDm8ZODVHc0c13SJ_s2xo0nQsRMytIxZlC3dL4u6mUv9N4yBh9fmF6wZXfFlRm7bquvkb/s640/Screenshot-12539.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> A little while later when Dean walked into her room Victoria couldn’t contain her excitement.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She rushed straight into his outstretched arms and gave him a giant hug, "Dean! Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you? I don't know how many times I got lost, this place is massive.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"It's good to have you back in one piece," Dean kissed her cheek and squeezed her back, artfully ignoring her comment about his home. Though his family was one of the wealthiest on the island, he didn't like to brag or talk about his fortune.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GgggFlUGYvkPPyUJRORFFtAtE2Zv7NnIPCiLjO1AkYjwJO3wCcmrDzhbIeOSUkfm5OUbXculQZA00J5ei2IDfKTRZZLGrB_nh4U-94zdq7ghehVrWg4sXH_V5mUhCcGXp-z9fxPtJ2dH/s1600/Screenshot-12550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GgggFlUGYvkPPyUJRORFFtAtE2Zv7NnIPCiLjO1AkYjwJO3wCcmrDzhbIeOSUkfm5OUbXculQZA00J5ei2IDfKTRZZLGrB_nh4U-94zdq7ghehVrWg4sXH_V5mUhCcGXp-z9fxPtJ2dH/s640/Screenshot-12550.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They both pulled apart when the man she'd met earlier cleared his throat in the background.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> He was fully clothed now, but still sexy as hell, and Victoria found herself blushing again at the direction of her thoughts.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXQEjZqT9wO8r9TZdLQ69M35UJEdbcxQIvSM_56L39AkcbcDkECjnu3776ZmvtHTkKt7hdoiv9xmxYzZTpONWG07SIk00j-hXUykms7BND8SVZp9-mgbIB38zYLBf3ZvWX0O7673wKp68/s1600/Screenshot-12560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXQEjZqT9wO8r9TZdLQ69M35UJEdbcxQIvSM_56L39AkcbcDkECjnu3776ZmvtHTkKt7hdoiv9xmxYzZTpONWG07SIk00j-hXUykms7BND8SVZp9-mgbIB38zYLBf3ZvWX0O7673wKp68/s640/Screenshot-12560.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Victoria, this is my brother, Storm," Dean made the introduction.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria racked her brain for something to say to Mr. Blue Eyes. She couldn’t say she had heard so much about him now could she? Up until now, she had always thought Dean was an only child.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aEutTAuUZ7ALSd6VvSVFa8L36yiBBUD2J1ff6d9S1lblgztfQcRnhPGqraD7KuykEm6ZSys-7mcNRNffvOen6BK1G0dQ33I8DAJ5MkKP3CfraXigetJ66asXcJSRGOIlZW4hpEydBe2d/s1600/Screenshot-12590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aEutTAuUZ7ALSd6VvSVFa8L36yiBBUD2J1ff6d9S1lblgztfQcRnhPGqraD7KuykEm6ZSys-7mcNRNffvOen6BK1G0dQ33I8DAJ5MkKP3CfraXigetJ66asXcJSRGOIlZW4hpEydBe2d/s640/Screenshot-12590.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Nice to meet you Victoria," Storm’s voice, as he took her hand in a gentle handshake, was low and sexy. And Victoria found herself wondering if he was doing the voice thing on purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Oh...I..." Victoria stammered, her tongue was suddenly thick and uncooperative.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I know...don't worry. He also leaves me speechless at times," Dean joked, filling the silence between them. "We'll let you get ready. See you in a little while Victoria," he added as he edged out of the room with Storm trailing behind him.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfq0OhndDxuwbkvgWSdQvno-ERrMqfHmIRxPgqQ5BjBMnsf9harzw8SUmq_cTw94unxZ4SNzNq5ty853DsTLk3Pf3QEnyoIYLuyQA1jJBo_DRzY7laK-fNQZx-W4mYVny3PIQjVMhoeEsU/s1600/Screenshot-12613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfq0OhndDxuwbkvgWSdQvno-ERrMqfHmIRxPgqQ5BjBMnsf9harzw8SUmq_cTw94unxZ4SNzNq5ty853DsTLk3Pf3QEnyoIYLuyQA1jJBo_DRzY7laK-fNQZx-W4mYVny3PIQjVMhoeEsU/s640/Screenshot-12613.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As soon as the door closed behind them, Victoria leaned against it and fanned her face. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She didn’t understand why Storm Chase made her stutter so much. But one thing was for sure, she’d never felt this way before about anyone. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This excitement, the sudden rush of adrenaline, like she was on the brink of something amazing, was all new to her. A part of her wanted to embrace it and run with it, but another part, her cautious side screamed at her to stop and not get excited over Storm. He was a big no-no!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwKeJgPpfS883oWVtI2uyutvninFV4_eqlj6g6-MVvaptXtWwofqD_mS0SdiRrZe3outSqfvD5tNBYxtyhaIh5ZkcdC7gqxUB-0XK7xlhZcVm_4VA5P5xZB40R4Il7xnP7MzO00w-xz98/s1600/Screenshot-12653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwKeJgPpfS883oWVtI2uyutvninFV4_eqlj6g6-MVvaptXtWwofqD_mS0SdiRrZe3outSqfvD5tNBYxtyhaIh5ZkcdC7gqxUB-0XK7xlhZcVm_4VA5P5xZB40R4Il7xnP7MzO00w-xz98/s640/Screenshot-12653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Downstairs, mixing drinks at the bar, Storm was just as intrigued by Victoria. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He started to say something about her to his brother, but quickly changed his mind. He wouldn’t know where to start. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He really didn’t understand the sudden quickening of his heart when he had taken her hand in a firm handshake, or the breathlessness he’d felt when gazed into her eyes. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He knew complicated dynamite when he saw it and Victoria was exactly that, and he didn’t want any complications…</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">_______</span></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnNugHy7WVzy8SJ4z_kE7Gj6bLwEDEbqku2z0lvhuGTgDYG_BW1xTULs22Nv8YtwUG0_DvPWwmYFzuR0ivTZ6jtE5-UViIv6OzTiq5UgCovyB4VHvFca6SK5FtLVt4-LRv94iKevp-8YE/s1600/Screenshot-12663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnNugHy7WVzy8SJ4z_kE7Gj6bLwEDEbqku2z0lvhuGTgDYG_BW1xTULs22Nv8YtwUG0_DvPWwmYFzuR0ivTZ6jtE5-UViIv6OzTiq5UgCovyB4VHvFca6SK5FtLVt4-LRv94iKevp-8YE/s640/Screenshot-12663.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Throughout dinner Kendra watched in horror as what she had hoped would be a great evening turn to a disaster. Storm, sitting across from her best friend, seemed to be in a strange mood.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyfqrSxO6NSdOmZusmTVJ2T-6ULzuoEnAZl_yzLtc1gJfmApBt-qPOgnzmSoXhjnCRkR-28SAR5F3Y76BJt2Fj3U3nkoTDdKvXhK7bf-qGonIysGPwurpfmzNGjSPU1DeIhPSE6tCjMxy/s1600/Screenshot-12686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyfqrSxO6NSdOmZusmTVJ2T-6ULzuoEnAZl_yzLtc1gJfmApBt-qPOgnzmSoXhjnCRkR-28SAR5F3Y76BJt2Fj3U3nkoTDdKvXhK7bf-qGonIysGPwurpfmzNGjSPU1DeIhPSE6tCjMxy/s640/Screenshot-12686.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He wasn’t really rude or anything, he just didn’t have anything to say to Victoria. He didn’t share anything about his life voluntarily and the little he did say was due to her sheer persistence and nothing else.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcqdIba9PrbVtDZZKSdgmOZq3brGKWQvcHwVuJQuaK3CpcUM2NKuHQhm1Vs1iXhOuMzn9XAjCPfpd3Mz85DELrf64y3WQYu3nzcc252GME7XRRtEykf3OaKLaz4DeDFNnviFQspuhCpJ3/s1600/Screenshot-12674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcqdIba9PrbVtDZZKSdgmOZq3brGKWQvcHwVuJQuaK3CpcUM2NKuHQhm1Vs1iXhOuMzn9XAjCPfpd3Mz85DELrf64y3WQYu3nzcc252GME7XRRtEykf3OaKLaz4DeDFNnviFQspuhCpJ3/s640/Screenshot-12674.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm on the other hand, really wanted to be nice to Victoria but feeling confused from their encounter earlier he just couldn’t bring himself to entertain her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As he looked at everyone at the table, all couples except for him and Victoria, he realized what this weekend was.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCLkcZTtE_CHFK9Nob4N7mg8kFZxTADo8tyz5xalK6AneT_V7QFHNxa_gbhH27x_5Z00zgR60PPMl12tkLLk2AclcyuQQPD865lnU_RleAJlVjs0jcX9Fv1asGFmoHTyR3KfUyeKp0Nia/s1600/Screenshot-12736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCLkcZTtE_CHFK9Nob4N7mg8kFZxTADo8tyz5xalK6AneT_V7QFHNxa_gbhH27x_5Z00zgR60PPMl12tkLLk2AclcyuQQPD865lnU_RleAJlVjs0jcX9Fv1asGFmoHTyR3KfUyeKp0Nia/s640/Screenshot-12736.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was a set up! To help him get over Emma.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Feeling red hot rage threaten to take over him, he excused himself; he knew if he stuck around he’d strangle Kendra right in front of Dean.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiIzOEXNERLr5tqrGbdxj6UgGuBSF1c1fV4D5q-GkPSVJYjkSPVlvXzzpVDH7mNBQOcyjBfFwJAKYxaXYz86H7ibP80ZXLBqE6O8Wj_UVdKrQmDOZnw741w49HFR1NpcTU8fLNkiEP4qU/s1600/Screenshot-12784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiIzOEXNERLr5tqrGbdxj6UgGuBSF1c1fV4D5q-GkPSVJYjkSPVlvXzzpVDH7mNBQOcyjBfFwJAKYxaXYz86H7ibP80ZXLBqE6O8Wj_UVdKrQmDOZnw741w49HFR1NpcTU8fLNkiEP4qU/s640/Screenshot-12784.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The other guests shrugged and dismissed Storm storming off, unfazed by his abruptness. Kendra though looked very uneasy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“What just happened?” Victoria whispered for Kendra’s benefit.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I think he figured it out,” Kendra whispered back.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Figured out what?”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The set up,” Kendra replied with a vague smile.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdS7tyv4zBy2wms-UX4sn6SHXqzxFNHEC3plS2cE5aYr6IkJIY4qakSi7MyfegH9ocXAyH-cjjGVu9omnjTNrEzZnzzRvZc9vFJtqZAAJfUp4MlG4VIG8Z7kf86o9oQPNKH5yggi5YxaRT/s1600/Screenshot-12740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdS7tyv4zBy2wms-UX4sn6SHXqzxFNHEC3plS2cE5aYr6IkJIY4qakSi7MyfegH9ocXAyH-cjjGVu9omnjTNrEzZnzzRvZc9vFJtqZAAJfUp4MlG4VIG8Z7kf86o9oQPNKH5yggi5YxaRT/s640/Screenshot-12740.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“What set up?” Victoria gasped. Numerous pair of eyes turned to her, putting her under the spotlight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly before turning to her best friend again, a confused, almost angry glint in her eyes. “Kendra Mason, I know you did not invite me here to hook me up with your soon to be brother-in-law!”</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTVXokwGf817wiJJxbNbe1DVuckHcRPlxaczAjvDPeJziNsDd_x8Z30mV6YyR1r5UGcpivorwPrwmR6KgxxRcnU_wfs3rddImYnE7bhwT9kDakrqPMZydRsPpprBRNa_h_m8K1qEPy4K2/s1600/Screenshot-12764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTVXokwGf817wiJJxbNbe1DVuckHcRPlxaczAjvDPeJziNsDd_x8Z30mV6YyR1r5UGcpivorwPrwmR6KgxxRcnU_wfs3rddImYnE7bhwT9kDakrqPMZydRsPpprBRNa_h_m8K1qEPy4K2/s640/Screenshot-12764.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Well, you always go on about Mr. Forever. You've just met him,” Kendra shrugged sheepishly.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh My God!” Victoria hissed as the realization hit her. “He thinks I’m in on it doesn’t he?”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“It’s hard to know what Storm thinks."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRyYMHivFf2O492OSE3xW6QIxFLvHMBxqPgyXE5MyfDQtdexnBFJhJLkPpQbRY6wIR7ce1MPxHvXb7ozpf-VV8Ejlpb-FysYvEwdG6fp_GMBkK0BN9TxP_WEGzieRvo0JaKZliJwHpvcs/s1600/Screenshot-12807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRyYMHivFf2O492OSE3xW6QIxFLvHMBxqPgyXE5MyfDQtdexnBFJhJLkPpQbRY6wIR7ce1MPxHvXb7ozpf-VV8Ejlpb-FysYvEwdG6fp_GMBkK0BN9TxP_WEGzieRvo0JaKZliJwHpvcs/s640/Screenshot-12807.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria was about to leave the table and go explain her side to Storm when she felt Kendra’s arms around her. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Let him go. It will make things worse. Dean and I will talk to him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“You’d better! I don’t want him thinking I was coming on to him,” Victoria fell back in her seat with a sigh.</span></div></div>Valprehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15992942004048836531noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547834090369603404.post-82358430501717169382012-05-27T09:43:00.002-07:002012-05-30T09:39:57.426-07:001. A Girl's Best Friend<b>RRR, Statham Island</b><br />
<div><b>Present day...</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbN8YT7swM4ovWg5DPuXalIAuC1mxB7-DFqXf9nStiXrH8gqzINzGvMGOcgy9TtHGnfBQwZOSsk2le28y6npkk1RoabtynwzeXwMgvDrqdpqLpoCMJfk5na_x2bYJFrK4DYmA3k54gcYQ/s1600/Screenshot-16100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbN8YT7swM4ovWg5DPuXalIAuC1mxB7-DFqXf9nStiXrH8gqzINzGvMGOcgy9TtHGnfBQwZOSsk2le28y6npkk1RoabtynwzeXwMgvDrqdpqLpoCMJfk5na_x2bYJFrK4DYmA3k54gcYQ/s640/Screenshot-16100.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I can’t believe I’m engaged," Kendra gushed, her blonde head bobbed up and down right along with her feet.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pKDZazXKfQdqadSKCS01BlWXgVqiMkcAuCW6eY_E_U6ogEm_E3b9CGBhNQj4xM9KVyvU0hoxES0oxFk0VXYNsi3R47nCuCUwq5hPXoMNWP7BONH8x8XGgitbpCxZj72g0HaxtSq-zKcy/s1600/Screenshot-16092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pKDZazXKfQdqadSKCS01BlWXgVqiMkcAuCW6eY_E_U6ogEm_E3b9CGBhNQj4xM9KVyvU0hoxES0oxFk0VXYNsi3R47nCuCUwq5hPXoMNWP7BONH8x8XGgitbpCxZj72g0HaxtSq-zKcy/s640/Screenshot-16092.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Let me see it!" Victoria squealed in response. Without waiting for her reply, she grabbed Kendra’s hand and screamed some more at the size of the rock.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean had proposed two months earlier, and when Kendra called to let her know they’d immediately made plans to meet for lunch as soon as Victoria returned home from her assignment abroad.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiNuY6KrzLPgj5k-W-7mtzM0_3kiOcaVl-woql_1dkMgfZtrSEUaNDHEx5G-krhe3BuJfg0QgQQMMlMlaTWFZJlxHKAWhlA4zrNSzJsbDdg1D9r7XYcvFuD9UVvVbX2yZig-4glm07JRs/s1600/Screenshot-16098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiNuY6KrzLPgj5k-W-7mtzM0_3kiOcaVl-woql_1dkMgfZtrSEUaNDHEx5G-krhe3BuJfg0QgQQMMlMlaTWFZJlxHKAWhlA4zrNSzJsbDdg1D9r7XYcvFuD9UVvVbX2yZig-4glm07JRs/s640/Screenshot-16098.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Pretty huge, right?” Kendra grinned when they’d both calmed down; she was referring to the solitaire diamond ring on her finger.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To say Kendra Mason was pretty was an understatement. The word did not do her justice. Her hair, the color of sunshine, framed her small pixie face in soft curls, her green and widely spaced eyes would have looked odd on any other person and her small mouth seemed to be in a perpetual smile. She looked like a fairy tale princess and it was not hard to see why Dean, one of Statham Island’s richest playboys, had decided to marry her after just six months of dating.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcex7LgLiwOjaE15cPxlN75mOzkKNo6STWy4ZkZP7on5ZoCGZAff71d8i6V-Y9TWG-UQMw7qYn-MDhRy9oUPkXPEDmPzDzksyIvYazUbFJKilkMaWYOYbTNLGRE7-85pfJmIaPeM_AqlJ_/s1600/Screenshot-16095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcex7LgLiwOjaE15cPxlN75mOzkKNo6STWy4ZkZP7on5ZoCGZAff71d8i6V-Y9TWG-UQMw7qYn-MDhRy9oUPkXPEDmPzDzksyIvYazUbFJKilkMaWYOYbTNLGRE7-85pfJmIaPeM_AqlJ_/s640/Screenshot-16095.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“It’s damn huge, I’m surprised your finger hasn’t fallen off,” Victoria joked. She, too, was stunning in a dark, sultry way, courtesy of being a product of mixed parentage.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9okBXs74cvNhW0X3IELgawh5SskGDIzZ8Jggjzi4wLEGg2y8i1ELWjQZaDgLuI76XO3gWcQTHizc0DryCtFJN1GoVI0L8o77Aqwo68LI1dxvWRnD-CrpXqOwuiD-FHpNmlM9S8-Qap2Kg/s1600/Screenshot-16101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9okBXs74cvNhW0X3IELgawh5SskGDIzZ8Jggjzi4wLEGg2y8i1ELWjQZaDgLuI76XO3gWcQTHizc0DryCtFJN1GoVI0L8o77Aqwo68LI1dxvWRnD-CrpXqOwuiD-FHpNmlM9S8-Qap2Kg/s640/Screenshot-16101.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"How’s Dean? He must be pretty stoked, right?" Victoria asked excitedly as they linked hands and slowly walked into RRR, the “by booking only” restaurant servicing the crème de la crème of Statham Island.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Victoria didn't have to ask how Kendra had secured a booking. <i>‘Perks of having a multi-millionaire fiancé,’</i> she mused to herself as she followed her best friend to their table in front of the large fireplace.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4skRJU1Vv_mqck8z7HR4lbRZz5AJm0ieKl-FkblLMrvh8Ddt6hwG1F4f82Cq93sYiuKsow74mIfB4UJiUjNEF2D2zBPOqrT9UCCOsZHx0Va4pzPOdMT_goItvXRgaOY46gZiKmXUlU6q/s1600/Screenshot-16124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4skRJU1Vv_mqck8z7HR4lbRZz5AJm0ieKl-FkblLMrvh8Ddt6hwG1F4f82Cq93sYiuKsow74mIfB4UJiUjNEF2D2zBPOqrT9UCCOsZHx0Va4pzPOdMT_goItvXRgaOY46gZiKmXUlU6q/s640/Screenshot-16124.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Dean's amazing. I still can't believe I’m engaged to the most wonderful man in the world," Kendra’s green eyes lit up when she mentioned her fiancé.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgSxkfmPctehq4OfAUtfAeCI8CKwOQIZyHekgclgRCtg08d0CKvkYfRlImVJf4-EOYhZJYQ_VPcsrUpRqnpmCsnd01NqcDBuUhSlTkZRs5imS94-VAjFa3q78eoipTBg-rW_5zZ00h__N/s1600/Screenshot-16151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgSxkfmPctehq4OfAUtfAeCI8CKwOQIZyHekgclgRCtg08d0CKvkYfRlImVJf4-EOYhZJYQ_VPcsrUpRqnpmCsnd01NqcDBuUhSlTkZRs5imS94-VAjFa3q78eoipTBg-rW_5zZ00h__N/s640/Screenshot-16151.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> A pianist, close to the bar, caressed his instrument and produced what Victoria believed to be modern classical music; the low lighting added to the already intimate atmosphere in the room, and for a second Victoria found herself wishing she was sitting across the man of her dreams instead of her best friend.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Why can't I find a catch like Dean? I'm tired of meeting all sorts of jerks. I just want to settle down with Mr. Forever, you know," a frustrated sigh rushed from her lips.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz6UR9pS1j_spiJ_7an-B0nzrrp_ueIwbpS3FdNGxasbFXDggXN0K-E0_nv7dmpfxMxE7C3ApIobCfJhfAaJRDLyMJ4m92cC-IOgdLwP6CkNz_W7u0NnNWWhPVfyjxXtlWQ6yaAwuwbr2/s1600/Screenshot-16140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz6UR9pS1j_spiJ_7an-B0nzrrp_ueIwbpS3FdNGxasbFXDggXN0K-E0_nv7dmpfxMxE7C3ApIobCfJhfAaJRDLyMJ4m92cC-IOgdLwP6CkNz_W7u0NnNWWhPVfyjxXtlWQ6yaAwuwbr2/s640/Screenshot-16140.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Victoria, don't rush him. The right man will come along and when he does, you'll know it."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“It’s easy for you to say, you have a rock the size of Big Bear on your finger,” Victoria commented dryly as she took a sip from her wine. She couldn’t believe that at twenty-six she was still single, still going home to a lonely house and a cold bed. If Mr. Forever was out there he’d better hurry up because she was really getting tired of waiting!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Well, maybe if you stopped being picky, you’d meet the right guy,” Kendra smiled at her.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5raEaF9RjbZBa6NTZy-ZTTZIhoOzJomSXeUyhiBOyLNh8Eg5hj7Jgtm4TnGmDonz4ITYcXcGl-TReHo1x9m0jzkijLfyR3j2oHeEMvxdNnuuvZRWtmSNMCSIpEi76VLS44lLuXlWkW1k/s1600/Screenshot-16144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5raEaF9RjbZBa6NTZy-ZTTZIhoOzJomSXeUyhiBOyLNh8Eg5hj7Jgtm4TnGmDonz4ITYcXcGl-TReHo1x9m0jzkijLfyR3j2oHeEMvxdNnuuvZRWtmSNMCSIpEi76VLS44lLuXlWkW1k/s640/Screenshot-16144.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m not picky!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yes you are!” Kendra insisted. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“No I’m not…” Their lighthearted banter went on for some time, with Kendra reminding Victoria about all the guys she’d turned down in recent months, the list was very long, and they ran through it over the first course of their meal.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By the time they had dessert, they’d already moved on to Kendra’s dinner party that evening to celebrate Victoria’s safe return home, she’d spent the last six months covering the civil war in Strangetown.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmZyzZEU3_TpgO9skzEVMPjma77bzuzkSxPUIbRYdyvN5Afm2bJjCIdi6Jesz_jLW6-RSBq6N50lf4GlHJE2bXiMdWYvEMgbwqttzCnsKHDPp2fFEcTyMyIoNV-FcoLBp6V_K3RWn2MT-/s1600/Screenshot-16157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmZyzZEU3_TpgO9skzEVMPjma77bzuzkSxPUIbRYdyvN5Afm2bJjCIdi6Jesz_jLW6-RSBq6N50lf4GlHJE2bXiMdWYvEMgbwqttzCnsKHDPp2fFEcTyMyIoNV-FcoLBp6V_K3RWn2MT-/s640/Screenshot-16157.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m glad you’re back,” Kendra said much later when they were leaving the restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Thanks,” Victoria squeezed her hand. “It’s great to be home.”</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">_____</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Special thanks to Fae/Zhippidy for the poses in the opening screens.</span></span></div></div>Valprehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15992942004048836531noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547834090369603404.post-74067995431682785742012-03-29T04:09:00.003-07:002012-05-27T09:17:20.117-07:00Prologue<b>Statham Island, Chase residence...</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDyO06udA-2fj76e-p3F7k8lPTdx1kG4EUs_SYdPspx5PQ3ZFFCWUFeQqEqq8Ux5id8zD4798StyWykP8PqCGBj2bQone9VMpqE8iZbRl-ECgeUcvoTUUqFSDkV98VU1AwcgGnoxcpu66/s1600/Screenshot-5382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDyO06udA-2fj76e-p3F7k8lPTdx1kG4EUs_SYdPspx5PQ3ZFFCWUFeQqEqq8Ux5id8zD4798StyWykP8PqCGBj2bQone9VMpqE8iZbRl-ECgeUcvoTUUqFSDkV98VU1AwcgGnoxcpu66/s640/Screenshot-5382.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean’s smile as Storm watched him approach made him uneasy.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3jJC137vOQwUjTQhLC5R8d7IUmrnpFgBdYoVqesYOBL92wxqKWGNb-ewdqOjDJ-fut2Xh-wbVnzncxRYqHpMlaluhfO2k5mSj_11mur7NOixGx-JDepZPRnrGx8S5gYCW1DHT_MtgcUA/s1600/Screenshot-5388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3jJC137vOQwUjTQhLC5R8d7IUmrnpFgBdYoVqesYOBL92wxqKWGNb-ewdqOjDJ-fut2Xh-wbVnzncxRYqHpMlaluhfO2k5mSj_11mur7NOixGx-JDepZPRnrGx8S5gYCW1DHT_MtgcUA/s640/Screenshot-5388.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Or maybe it wasn’t the smile. Maybe it was just being back here at his childhood home. The place held too many memories of Emma, his late wife, memories he was still struggling to let go of two years after her death.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkn8FivEOj-PBbT37m5n9bDcxvDYGpBdh4r1BGHfF34XL07Bqkad7_ws3q92kmtyh0qB-AKeboctSL7-Ge5S_NSJ1ciqLGd0fpaR_ijYdaFrJ-7KjZu6Gw600jDnlGUfmbBEiligDF4pr/s1600/Screenshot-5407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkn8FivEOj-PBbT37m5n9bDcxvDYGpBdh4r1BGHfF34XL07Bqkad7_ws3q92kmtyh0qB-AKeboctSL7-Ge5S_NSJ1ciqLGd0fpaR_ijYdaFrJ-7KjZu6Gw600jDnlGUfmbBEiligDF4pr/s640/Screenshot-5407.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I thought I'd find you here." Dean bumped him playfully with his bare foot, jolting him out of his anxiety.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The resemblance between them was uncanny even against the stark contrast of their coloring. Dean, with his fair complexion took after their mother, and Storm, dark and broody, favored their father. Both brothers were tall and solidly built, and they shared the same blue eyes. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Their personalities though were as different as night and day. Dean worked hard and partied hard. And Storm only worked hard.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWWHK66i3cG0IE60EPWn_WDJEVXV7V2-0PzaFJxOVtma5jEN8bzsTM65IC3i0KsybtUoJKcU8MjSDgFokE8Q5cnVlH0NNiu_b1GJzpnUbdu_jFL2rpwmWvcBQBW5j3QDYgo6F8HVtEPI4/s1600/Screenshot-5402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWWHK66i3cG0IE60EPWn_WDJEVXV7V2-0PzaFJxOVtma5jEN8bzsTM65IC3i0KsybtUoJKcU8MjSDgFokE8Q5cnVlH0NNiu_b1GJzpnUbdu_jFL2rpwmWvcBQBW5j3QDYgo6F8HVtEPI4/s640/Screenshot-5402.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean sat down and dipped his feet inside the pool. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">For a long time nothing was said between them, and soon Storm grew uncomfortable under his brother’s watchful gaze. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He knew any second now Dean would start with the endless questions. So to avoid being put on the spot and his blissfully mundane afternoon turning into sharing time, he quickly deflected the attention elsewhere, "The house looks great. You've been taking good care of it. Mom would be very proud of you."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean simply nodded; he could read him like a book. And he knew trying to push him to talk when he was in one of his dark moods was pointless. So he too played along and focused his attention on the mundane, “Kendra's invited some friends over for a small dinner party to celebrate her friend's home coming."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibt8px0KjF5k1Uq_JEggvnBjkaVEHk_3kLeFjRX240uNndSAnI66QuCRsNUIhPzWuEsB9dzDzkaXbMpK-KTMrbQWEsTs_8eAnO8SQGBVPcgJq-7Ho162dYkWIPY06PHjkJJ-Jh7ypYjBGp/s1600/Screenshot-5418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibt8px0KjF5k1Uq_JEggvnBjkaVEHk_3kLeFjRX240uNndSAnI66QuCRsNUIhPzWuEsB9dzDzkaXbMpK-KTMrbQWEsTs_8eAnO8SQGBVPcgJq-7Ho162dYkWIPY06PHjkJJ-Jh7ypYjBGp/s640/Screenshot-5418.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm’s eyes darkened to a stormy blue then. He was not pleased with this sudden development. He’d only agreed to come home because Dean had promised him a quiet weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Come on,” Dean smiled vaguely. “It will be good for you. You know, meeting new people.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Storm shook his head. He didn’t want to meet new people. He was happy with the few people his work allowed him to have in his life. He didn’t want more people. Didn’t need new friends.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99kSdYwsQB5sxJEuQFqkXV2ssuHbTZwwPtLYfBDuwYA0ZBGo7rsf0HWsf-yM1peorFUbRuXt_F2isxij2Y2TW1zeceEQLnD1wwuGoTMO2_815KtyR8yK-D7cQY18GcFXD55IVXk3Kssax/s1600/Screenshot-5428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99kSdYwsQB5sxJEuQFqkXV2ssuHbTZwwPtLYfBDuwYA0ZBGo7rsf0HWsf-yM1peorFUbRuXt_F2isxij2Y2TW1zeceEQLnD1wwuGoTMO2_815KtyR8yK-D7cQY18GcFXD55IVXk3Kssax/s640/Screenshot-5428.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"It’s been two years man; you need to let her go. Emma wouldn't want you to waste your life away like this. Don't you think she'd want you to be happy?" Dean got up from the floor and propped himself on the table, he was suddenly angry at Storm's morose attitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I am happy," Storm stared bleakly at the rippling water in front of him.</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I'm sorry, but you don't look the picture of happiness to me," Dean answered dryly as he sauntered off to the house to get ready for his fiancé’s dinner party…</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Valprehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15992942004048836531noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547834090369603404.post-82517103633912014902012-02-22T09:30:00.000-08:002012-02-22T09:30:37.583-08:00Unforgettable ReduxYes, the islanders are coming back...But in Sims 3.<br />
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Please bear with us over the next few weeks, the blog will be made private for some time while we work on a Sims 3 Redux, this means that it's back to the very beginning with the characters and the story line. It may be tedious and bothersome for old readers, but we are hoping the transition will be a fairly smooth one for new readers.<br />
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Thank you to everyone who's asked about Unforgettable while it was on what appeared to be a permanent hiatus, your support has made us all the more eager to finish what we started.<br />
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Love,<br />
Val and Karima!Valprehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15992942004048836531noreply@blogger.com0