The Perfect Love Storm

by Anna Black

Genres: African American Urban

Synopsis

Chase Storm is a rich, young bachelor who has no intention of settling down. His reputation as the town's playboy is ruining his family's name, so his brothers decide to take action.

To tame their youngest brother's appetite for women, they offer him a sweet deal. Unwilling at first, Chase finally agrees to take on the challenge and is introduced to Madison Atkins-Morgan. Madison, a widow, had moved back to her hometown of Tyler, Texas. After losing her husband and twin sons in a car wreck, she needed a fresh start. When things don't go as planned, she finds herself in a slump.

Four years later, after having isolated herself, she decides to rejoin the real world and start living again. Unaware of Chases reputation for being a ladies man, she accepts his dinner invitation. They'd met before, but he hasn't seemed interested in her during any of those three encounters. When his reputation comes to light, she chooses to continue their budding relationship. After falling in love with the person the whole town warned her about, she discovers she was part of a wager. One that could cost both of their hearts.

Release date: December 18, 2018

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 288

Sample

“You’re leaving?” she asked her lover when she opened her eyes and saw a fully dressed man standing over her king-sized bed.

“Yes. I have some things to take care of before Simone and the kids get here this evening.”

“Like what?” Madison inquired. “You said you’d spend the day with me,” she reminded him.

“I know, sweetheart,” Tony huffed.

“So that’s what I expected you to do,” she droned.

He continued to button his shirt. “Look, Madison, I’m sorry. I got a text from Simone saying they will be here later on this evening instead of tomorrow, so I have to cut our time short.”

She sat up and blew out a breath.

“Come on, baby, don’t start making me feel bad about it. You know I would spend the day with you if I could.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad. It’s just I’m tired of this situation with us, Tony. I mean, Simone doesn’t even live here with you, but it seems like she sees you more than I do sometimes.”

“Well, Simone is my wife, Madison.”

“Damn, Tony,” she spat, “I know that. I don’t need you to remind me of that every time I bring her up, Tony. I know what and who she is!” she shot at him.

“Look, baby, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. If I can get away sooner, you know I will see you before then.”

“Now it’s a couple of weeks? She was only going to be in town for a week. When did it become two?”

“Well, they’ll be here in Tyler this week for Spring Break, then next week, I’ll be in Austin with them.”

“Whatever,” Madison mumbled under her breath.

“I’ll try to come by when I can, babe.” He kissed the side of her head.

“No, don’t bother. I can’t be your sidepiece anymore. It’s not enough for me.”

“Are you serious right now, Madison?”

“Dead serious. Enjoy your time with your family, and when you’re done pretending to be a good husband, don’t bother ringing my bell.”

“Madi—”

Cutting him off, she threw up a hand. “No!” she barked. “I should have never gotten involved with you in the first place, Tony. That night at the ranch, when we reconnected, I should have done the right thing, but I got caught up. This, this,” she said shaking her head. “This is not who or what I am. I know better than this.” Now tears fell from her eyes. “Please, stay away from me, Anthony Reed. I don’t want to do this with you anymore.” She lowered her head. “This was wrong, and I don’t know why I even got involved with you,” she cried.

“Are you serious?” he asked. “We have history, Madison. We should have been married. You and I were always meant to be,” he defended.

“No, we weren’t, and the only reason I can say that I ended up messing with you, Tony, is because you were familiar. It was just safe, but the two of us are dead wrong, Tony, and I’m more than ashamed of myself for this. Now, please, go.”

“Just like that?” he asked. His voice was shaky, but she didn’t look up at him. “You don’t have any feelings for me?”

“I did once, Tony, but that was long ago. This right here was just physical. I knew that because I never thought you’d leave Simone for me. This brief moment of insanity is over. I’m ready to get my life back on track, and maybe even fall in love again, and being your mistress isn’t what I want for myself.”

“Wow,” he said standing there, and she wondered why he was so shocked. They had only had sex four times during their brief affair, and those times were because she simply could no longer ignore the aching between her thighs. She had told him she only wanted to be friends, but she had weak moments when she had given in to him and let him put out her fire. She knew she was wrong and would feel terrible afterward, but not terrible enough to not see him again, but that day was different. That isn’t what Madison dreamed her life would ever be like, and she was now mad at herself for allowing such foolishness to happen.

“I’ll just go, if that’s what you truly want, Madison.” She nodded yes and was happy he didn’t argue. He kissed the top of her head and slowly walked toward the door as if he wanted her to change her mind, but she silently watched him leave.

She leaned back against her headboard. Why did I allow myself to become his mistress? she questioned herself again.

Maybe because they did have history, and she felt safe with Tony, she thought. That had to be the only logical reason for her to go out like that.

Tony was gorgeous, and he was her type—tall, chocolate, and with a hard body. He was a cowboy, and he had come back to Tyler to tend to their family ranch when his dad fell ill. Since his kids were settled in school in Austin, and his wife, Simone, owned a business there, they’d decided to live apart, until Tony either found someone to take over the ranch full-time or he sold it.

A couple of days after he had arrived, Madison and her mom had run into him at the store. She was shocked to see him and wanted to run in the other direction. They had dated awhile back in high school, and he was her first love and sexual partner. She’d gone off to Huntsville to attend Sam Houston, and he went off to Texas A&M. They had grown apart quickly. By winter break, they had both moved on. Later, they both married and had kids. Tony had settled in Austin, while Madison and her family settled in Houston. A few years later, Madison moved back to live with her parents after losing her husband and 3-year-old twin boys to a car accident. When it happened, she fell into a deep depression and cut herself off from the world. She stopped working and gained eighty pounds over the years of her isolation, going from a size six to an eighteen. She had just been forced to rejoin the world when she ran into Tony.

She was out shopping with her mother, and Tony called out to her mom. Since Madison had put on so much weight, she knew he probably didn’t recognize her.

“Mrs. Atkins?” Tony said.

“Yes?” Her mom looked up. “Oh my goodness, Tony, how are you?”

He hugged her. “I’m fine. How are you?”

Madison wanted to die when she realized who her mom was talking to. Her first love stood before her eyes, and she looked like a damn beached whale.

“Wonderful, son. How is your father? I heard about the cancer,” Martha said, placing a hand over her heart.

“He’s not doing too well. The cancer is aggressive, but he’s strong and hanging in there.”

“I’m sorry,” she said and then turned to Madison. “Madison, come over here and say hello.” Madison looked on, scared to move in his direction.

“Madison?” Tony said. His eyes bulged, but he then smiled.

She knew what he was thinking, but she smiled and pretended she was her old self. “Hey, Tony,” she muttered and tried to avoid eye contact.

“Come here, Madison.” He pulled her into his arms and gave her a tight hug. “It’s good to see you. I didn’t recognize you.”

“I’m sure you didn’t. I’m like two of me now,” she said with sarcasm.

“Madison,” Martha said and swatted her arm.

“But you’re still gorgeous,” Tony said. Madison gave him a look.

“I heard you were married now,” her mom said.

“Yes, ma’am. And I have two boys, twelve and ten. They’re home in Austin. I’m here working for my dad until I sell the ranch or get someone I can trust to take over when I go back.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear your dad isn’t getting better. Why don’t you have dinner with us? You know every Sunday I whip up a feast.”

“I’m there,” he smiled.

His smile was even more gorgeous than Madison had remembered. Anthony Reed had been a good-looking guy back in high school, but now, he was a grown-ass man who was even more delicious. She looked at Tony lustfully, wondering if he looked as good as she imagined under those clothes of his.

She jumped when she felt her mother touch her. “Yes? I’m sorry, Mother, what did you say?”

“I said it would be nice to catch up over dinner.”

“Yes, yes, ma’am. It would be.”

Tony smile at them both. “Well, it was nice to see you two. Tell Mr. Atkins I said hello, and I’ll be there on Sunday.”

“Okay, son,” her mother said.

Tony gave her and her mom a final hug, and Madison could have sworn he squeezed her even tighter that time. The two women watched him walk away.

“That Tony is even sexier at thirty-something than he was at seventeen,” Martha said.

“Mom, please, you know nothing about sexy.”

“Humph, your tongue tell lies, chile. Hell, your daddy was, and is still, sexy in my book. That man used to come over my house with them tight-fitted jeans and that hat. . . . Humph, girl, makes my temperature rise just thinking about it.” Martha playfully fanned herself, smiling.

“Mom, please, Daddy is not sexy.”

“Chile, please. Every woman in East Texas wanted your father back then, but I had that man on lock. I don’t know about these New-Age men, but back then, voluptuous women like myself had to beat these Texas fellas off with a stick. But with your daddy, that wasn’t the case. When I first laid eyes on him, I put these hips in motion and got that man.” She strutted a little and did a little dip. Madison looked around in embarrassment, hoping no one was watching them.

Martha Atkins was the opposite of her now timid daughter. She was pleasantly plump, and she was sophisticated. No one ever caught her on a bad day, and even though there was barely a black strand of hair left on her silver-colored head, she rocked a nice, tapered haircut. In her 60s, she was in great health, and although retired from the hair salon she owned and ran for forty years, she still made an occasional appointment for her church sisters.

“Mom, please don’t do that in public.”

“Well, if you would loosen the hell up and put some makeup on your face and stop wearing that tired ponytail on the top of yo’ head, you might find another husband.”

“I don’t want another husband, Momma. Dre was the only man for me.”

“Baby . . .” Martha moved in close to her daughter and then lowered her voice. “It’s been over four years now. It’s time to get your life back, Madi. I’m sorry you lost them, baby, but you’re only thirty-three years old. You have a full life ahead. There is someone else out there for you, but you have to get back into the swing of life.”

“Mother, please drop it, okay?”

“I won’t. I’d be a horrible mother if I let you wither away. You have a great education, and it’s time you got back to work. Your father and I love having you, but you are grown, Madi. Now, your father has told me to leave you alone. He’s okay with taking care of you, but you’re not a child, and I want my house back. Your father and I want our lives back, Madison. I brought you out today to tell you the things your daddy just won’t say because you’re his baby girl, and he coddles you like you’re a child, but I’m here to tell you that it’s time to rejoin the world. It’s time to get back to living and get some love and happiness back into your life.”

Madison sighed at her mother’s words. She was living with her parents, but not living off them. She had received a substantial amount of money from the policies that were on her husband, and the company that hit them paid out a huge settlement, so all she had to do was go. She didn’t burden her parents financially, because, although her mother usually tried to refuse it, she paid them rent. She’d pay a utility or two when she caught the mail before her mom did, and she bought groceries because she loved to cook.

She hesitated and then said, “Fine, Mother. I’ll find another place and get out of your and Daddy’s hair.” She tossed the blouse that she had taken off the rack before seeing Tony onto a nearby table and then headed out of the store. She went straight to her mother’s Mercedes.

Martha followed behind trying to talk to her, but she kept moving. “I didn’t mean it like that, Madi. I just meant you have to start living again. Your father and I adore you, but if we continue to allow you to stay, we’ll be enabling you. The person you have now become is not the person we raised.”

They got into the car, and Martha started the engine and turned the AC on blast. Madison didn’t say a word; she just stared out the window.

“You are stronger than what you think,” Martha added. “It’s tragic what happened to Dre and my grandbabies, Madi, but you have to find a new life.”

Tears rolled down Madison’s face.

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, baby.” Martha grabbed Madison’s hand and squeezed it.

“It’s okay, Mom. You’re right, and I know you mean well.”

“Yes, I do. I want what’s best for you, sweetheart,” Martha said.

They rode home in silence after that.

The next day, Madison met with her friend, Deena Storm. She was a real estate agent, and her husband and his family were builders.

“As you can see, this community is going to be gorgeous when all the houses are completed.” Deena was showing her a house in one of her family’s newer developments.

“I like this one, but I really liked the one with the back of the house facing the lake. Can we look at that one again?” Madison asked.

“Of course.” Deena walked across the room and turned off the light switch. “Now, that one is twenty grand more than this one. The view, the upgrades, the fifth bedroom, and fourth bathroom are why the price tag is a lot more. This one has four bedrooms, three baths, and only one fireplace. There, you’ll have the two-sided fireplace on the main floor and the one in the master,” she explained as they walked toward the door.

“I understand. That is exactly why I want to see that one again. I know it’s a lot of house just for me alone, but who knows.”

“I know losing Dre and the boys was hard on you. I mean, you stayed off the scene so long, I was worried about you.”

“I’m better now, Deena, and I’m sorry for shutting you out like I did. I didn’t mean to treat you that way when you were trying to help me.”

“It’s okay, Madi. At the time, I had recently married Travis, and we were in honeymoon mode, so I know it was an undesirable situation for you to be around us back then.”

“Yeah, it was, but I’m better now.”

“Good,” Deena smiled, and the two women walked to her Jag.

They drove a short distance to the house that Madison loved. It didn’t take much convincing for her to put in an offer.

“Okay, of course, we are the sellers, so I’m going to get you that family-best-friend rate. I know this one is twenty more than that other one, but after I work my magic, your price will be the same or as close to the other home as I can get it,” she winked.

Madison hugged Deena. “Thanks so much.”

“Thank me after I run the numbers by my brother-in-law, Lance. He drives a hard bargain.”

“Well, I’ll be waiting for your call,” Madison said.

Chase tapped the steering wheel of his Audi, bobbed his head to the music, and sang along with Blake Shelton while he drove, on hold to speak to his big brother, Lance. He was going to suggest that he get another station for the hold music. Even though he liked country music, it didn’t seem to be the best hold music.

“This is Lance Storm,” Lance answered.

“Hey, L, what’s going on? I called your cell phone a few times. Too busy for your baby bro?” he kidded.

“Some of us do actually work,” Lance said, and Chase could hear papers shuffling. His brother was always in work mode, and he wished he’d relax and kick back but work always trumped everything.

“I work, but I’m out of my office by three. I don’t have to work ten hours a day to do what I do.”

“What is it you do again?” Lance joked.

“Ha, ha, ha, big bro, you’re so funny. You know what I do. I make sure those numbers look right on those supply orders, baby. You know I’m the one that keeps us on budget for each job and underbudget if I stay late,” Chase laughed.

He was the head accountant. He oversaw a staff of twelve, and their numbers were always on point to the penny. And whenever they finished under, his department got a bonus, and Chase was all about making bonuses, so he did a stellar job. He wasn’t just good at what he did, he was superb, and he knew his brothers knew it.

“Yeah, yeah, you handle your end like a pro, so, to what do I owe this call? I have mortgage applications to comb through.”

The continued sounds of paper shuffles were a hint to let Chase know he had to get to the point of his phone call before he’d be greeted by a dial tone. Lance worked just as hard as he did. It was why their business was so lucrative.

“Okay, I’ll hurry so you can get back to work. I don’t need the ‘Time is money’ speech today, big bro.”

“Then out with it, Chase. You’ve already wasted two valuable minutes of my time that I can’t get back,” Lance said.

Chase laughed lightly. “I need a model home for the weekend. I tried to hit up Deena, but you know she never answers my calls close to the weekend.”

“Why can’t you take your dates to your real home, Chase?”

“Dude, are you crazy? I would never reveal the location of my home. That is play rule number one. These chicks are crazy as hell. The one and only woman who may get lucky enough to be called Mrs. Storm won’t know my true location until after the honeymoon.”

Lance laughed. “You are truly a piece of work, little brother. But, unfortunately, if you want to know what’s still empty and staged, you will have to get with Deena. I don’t keep track of that anymore.”

“Damn, Deena hates my guts, and she said that last time would be the last time.”

“And she said that before that time and the time before. Go by her office, dude. Ask her for the list.”

“Damn damn damn. I don’t want to do that.”

“If you want a place to lay up with one of your fans, you have no choice, because I can’t help you, and I gotta go. I have work to do, Chase.”

“I guess I’ll have to,” Chase sighed. He pulled off the highway to head back in the other direction.

“You know you are going to have to settle down one day, Chase, and stop chasing skirts. Momma and Pop must have known what you’d grow up to be when they named you that.”

“Listen, marriage and settling are not on my to-do list. Maybe when I’m fifty, I’ll consider it.”

“Whatever, Chase. Don’t break another headboard, and make sure you have the service clean up this time. Deena said if she ever walks into another model home that you left a mess, she w. . .