The knowing tone of his voice had her back straightening. “I’m capable of reaching it safely in your well-secured resort,” she said, acting casually as she stepped through the door. “Sweet dreams,” she threw over her shoulder as her gaze slid down his body and landed pointedly on his bulging pants.
The curse word that followed her down the hall lifted her spirits.
Power.
She now knew what it was like to feel power in the arms of a man. As Haley made her way dreamily up the elevator and let herself into her suite, she didn’t even realize she hadn’t once thought about Walker, the man she…wanted.
Chapter Eight
Two months earlier
Joseph and George pulled up to the Storm Corporate offices and looked at each other. The building was sleek and modern, not overly large, but charming and well-built; it fit in nicely with the busy business district.
Large glass panels reflected the sun, announcing its presence among the other structures around it. The brothers made their way inside and nodded with appreciation at the appealingly cut gray marble. The silver and black color scheme and modern decor of the building’s interior welcomed visitors but filled them with awe at the same time.
“It seems our brother has true Anderson blood running through his veins. He has good taste.”
“He certainly does. Now remember, we don’t want to overwhelm him,” Joseph reminded George.
“I think he’s going to be quite shocked when he faces us, Joseph. There’s no getting past the good looks that run in our blood,” George joked.
“Well, when you’re right, you are right,” Joseph said with a wink.
They approached the front desk, where a pretty young secretary looked up with a professional smile before her expression froze and she did a double take. It was almost comical to see her eyes flash between George and Joseph’s faces.
“Um…how…how can I help you?” she stuttered as she tried to gather her wits.
“We’re here to see Richard Storm.”
“Do you…um…have an appointment?”
“No, darling, we don’t, but I think he’ll want to meet with us,” Joseph said as he leaned forward and gave her his most appealing smile. He was a master negotiator, after all.
“He doesn’t normally see people without an appointment,” she answered, still a bit shell-shocked.
“I think he’ll make an exception. Just let him know it’s relatives of his,” George told her with a wink.
The woman fumbled for the phone and pressed a button. She leaned away, speaking quietly, but the two men were both sure she was saying something like Richard’s look-alikes are here. They’d had a few hours to process the possibility of having a brother. The rest of the world was in for a big shock.
“His executive secretary said to come on up. He’s on the twelfth floor. She’ll see you there,” the woman said and handed them both an elevator pass.
After thanking her, the two headed straight but not swiftly to the elevator. Neither of them would admit to the nervous butterflies dancing around in their stomachs, but they pressed the button for the twelfth floor in silence and just stared at the metal doors.
They got the same reaction from the woman behind another efficient modern desk when they introduced themselves as Joseph and George Anderson.
“What is your business with Mr. Storm?” She was keeping it together a bit more than the first woman, but they could see that she couldn’t stop looking at them both with a wary and assessing eye.
“It’s private family business, ma’am,” George calmly stated.
After a moment on the phone, she hung up and faced them. “Follow me, please.” Neither of them was surprised. They weren’t used to being denied anything they wanted, so they’d have been more shocked had they not gotten in.
When the secretary knocked on a door, a voice called out telling them to enter. The man had his back to them as he looked out his window at the picturesque view of the Sound. Both Joseph and George had spent a lot of their own time in a similar position in front of their office windows.
The woman left the room, though they could see her reluctance and the curiosity in her eyes as she casually departed. They noticed that she left the door open. Joseph also noticed the guard not far away, prepared to rush forward in an instant if he was needed.
When Richard Storm turned around with an indulgent smile on his face as if he were about to appease a couple of batty old men, it didn’t take long for his jaw to slacken as he stared at the two strangers.
“Hello Richard. This is my brother, George, and I’m Joseph. We believe we have a lot to talk about,” said Joseph as he approached the man he had no doubt was his brother.
After a moment’s pause, Richard pulled himself together and held out a hand. “Have we met before?”
“No. Trust me, we’d all remember,” George cut in as he took the man’s hand next. “We believe we’re related, though.” There was no need to beat around the bush. They’d already lost sixty-plus years.
“I can see why you’d think so. How do you know about me? I have been careful over the years to stay out of the media. Who are you?” As if he were unable to stand anymore, he moved to a seating area in the corner of his spacious office and sank down into a chair.
The Anderson brothers joined Richard. “Let me explain…” George said.
Joseph pulled out the documents they’d brought and George told Richard what they’d put together that afternoon, with Joseph filling in any gaps. Richard said nothing at all. After half an hour, the three men sat there just staring at each other.
“This can’t be. My parents…they were good people,” Richard finally choked out as he looked at the compelling evidence before him.
“We can always get blood tests,” Joseph said, firmly but gently. “I think that would be a good idea, but it’s like looking in a mirror to be staring at you. You can see the picture of our father here. We take most after him.”
“My father was Thomas Storm no matter what a blood test says,” Richard said automatically.
“Yes, he raised you and obviously loved you, but I believe you are our brother. I believe our mother and father never knew you existed.” Joseph said the words in the kindest way he could, but Richard had to know the truth. They couldn’t possibly lose any more time.
“I just don’t understand. If this is true, maybe your parents didn’t want three children. Maybe they’d made a deal with my parents…” The man was reaching for straws, not wanting to believe his parent would be capable of kidnapping.
“That is something we will never know, Richard, and it’s something we don’t have to know. Your parents obviously loved you, as ours loved us. We just want you to be a part of our lives if you’re our brother. Family is very important to us,” George said as he leaned forward.
“I don’t know what to say. I need some time. I will send for blood tests right away, though. I have never been a man to hide from the truth, and if you are my brothers, I would very much like to know about you and your families.”
“That goes the same for us, Brother. I don’t know what made you decide to move back to Seattle, but we are grateful it happened,” George said with a big smile.
The men chatted for a few minutes more before Joseph and George left.
They took the blood tests the next day and, with the help of their wealth and influence, had their answer by that afternoon. Richard Storm was indeed their brother, with identical DNA. That didn’t answer the question of how he’d been separated from them at birth, whether Richard’s adoptive parents had taken him, or whether their biological parents had given him up, but Joseph and George knew their parents — knew they would never part with one of their own.
They didn’t need to repeat that to Richard, however. The past couldn’t be changed, and all they could do from this moment on was to get to know one another, become the family they should have been all along. It might be a long journey, but family bonds were hard to break, and determination was in the Anderson blood.
The hearts of all three men raced as they considered the prospect of learning about each other and their thriving families.
Chapter Nine
Crew sat back and finished his cigar while he waited for his body to return to normal. Haley Sutherland might have thought she needed training on how to become the perfect seductress, but if the way she’d kissed was any indication, she was miles ahead of any woman he could think of off the top of his head.
Damn, his body was on fire, and he didn’t see it returning to a functioning state any time soon. She’d set his world spinning, and he suspected it wasn’t going to stop until he taught her a few horizontal lessons.
The smile spreading across his lips caused faint crow’s-feet to crinkle at the corners of his eyes. He would bet his resort that she was fire beneath the sheets. All of that repressed energy would explode as he sank deep within her heat.
He groaned. Those thoughts hadn’t helped at all — his erection was now pulsing painfully in his pants. He desperately needed something, anything as a distraction.
As if on cue, his telephone rang and he picked up without thinking.
“Crew Storm.”
“I’m heading down there soon, and I have company.”
“Dad?” The brisk excitement in his father’s tone surprised him. He couldn’t remember hearing him so elated, not in years, at least.
“Of course, it’s your father. Who else?” he asked sourly.
“Sorry. What’s going on?”
“You remember when I called you a couple of months ago about those two men stopping by my office?”
“Vaguely. You said they might be relatives of ours or something.” Crew had been tied up in last-minute preparations for the resort. He could barely remember the conversation.
“Well, they are related. That’s all I’m going to say until we get there. I want you to see for yourself. I will tell you that I’ve gotten to know them and they are good men — very good men. I think you will like them. I think they may even rival us in large families,” he said with a sly chuckle.
“Sounds good, Father. It’s nice for you to find some long-lost relatives. But I thought your adoption records were sealed. Are you sure you want to open all of that up?”
“I’m absolutely sure, son,” he answered.
“That’s good.” Crew didn’t know what else to say.
“How did your grand opening go? I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve achieved.”
“It went even better than I’d hoped. A lot has changed since you were here six months ago. I will miss this place…” he sighed as he looked around his office. The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t want to let her go. Still, he was sure his attachment would fade as the excitement of new beginnings wore off.
“You don’t have to, Crew. I know I told you that was the deal — that you all make a profit selling the businesses — but I think you’ve learned what I wanted you to. I’m very proud of you. In the end you have to choose if you want to settle in one place, or if you’ve found your passion and want to do it again and again with new projects.”