I apologize again for the late update. I was hoping to get it done sooner, but my summer classes prevented me from getting much writing done.

Also, on another note. While I'm not exactly close to finishing Catching the Storm, I've obviously closer to finishing it than Agent 34 and since I was hoping to have Catching the Storm finished a while before now, I will be putting most of my attention on finishing this story as soon as possible. That's not to say I won't be continuing to write Agent 34 during this time, it's just that where I might only update Agent 34 once a week, I hope to get in at least two updates a week for Catching the Storm.

Mostly I'm doing this because as I said, I wanted this book finished before now, but was too busy, but also because I have the entirety of the rest of the book outlined and have been writing various chapters throughout the book (none of them in order unfortunately) and have a lot of the book (again not in order) close to finished. So, because of that, I am going to try to finish this book as soon as possible. Again, Agent 34 will still be updated at this time, just not as often as Catching the Storm.

Thank you all for your patience and again I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates. Hope you all enjoy this chapter and continue to enjoy my works,

K

Crystal's POV

"Come on in," Zack said before stepping aside and allowing us to enter the house. He glared at Jackson for a moment though.

Jackson looked around for a moment. "I would have thought that a man of your background would have finer tastes."

Zack rolled his eyes. "It's a rental. I'm on vacation. Supposed to be relaxing and taking it easy." He gestured with his free hand to his sling. "And healing."

I frowned at him. "How did that happen?"

"My brother," Zack replied shortly.

"Ah yes," Jackson spoke up. "I take it the long overdue family reunion went well?"

Zack glared at him. "What do you think?"

"Come now," Jackson continued. "Don't leave me hanging. I'm dying to know the details."

"Why don't you ask Thirteen the next time you see her? Maybe she'll break your nose again."

I raised my eyebrows and turned to look at a now scowling Jackson. "I need her name and address," I said. "I want to send her a gift basket."

Jackson turned to me with narrowed eyes. "You two will never meet."

I turned my attention to Zack. "Why would your brother do that to you?" I asked him as I gestured to his arm.

He smiled but it was fake, there was no joy or happiness in it. "A lot's changed since we were neighbors."

Jackson leaned over into my personal space. "Let's just say that his brother got into the family business."

"If you don't step out of my personal space in the next five seconds Storm, I'm going-"

"No, you're not," He interrupted me, but stepped back nonetheless.

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Yes," He replied. "I do. You were going to threaten to break my nose."

"How could you possibly know that?"

He flashed me a wicked smile. "Babe, you're very easy to read. Also, it goes with our earlier conversation."

"I hate you."

"You sure about that?"

"I can see where this is going," Zack suddenly spoke up.

I turned and looked at him. "What are you talking about."

He walked further into the house and we followed after him. "Nothing," He replied shortly. "Nothing at all."

He walked into the kitchen and opened up a cabinet, taking out a bag of chips. "Look, I really don't understand why you two are here and I have plans for today, so if you two could just cut to the chase, that'd be great."

Jackson shrugged. "I had thought I was pretty clear. I need to find Kurt Branson."

"And why the hell would I know where he is?"

"You did business with him."

"My father did business with him. My brother did business with him. I did not."

"You said you can find him," I interjected. "So can you find him or not?"

Zack shrugged. "I said I might be able to find him. I still have some of my father's contacts. But why on earth do you want to find him? He's bad news."

"Great question," I said as I turned to look pointedly at Jackson since he still hadn't told me why.

Jackson shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled devilishly. "I like bad news," He replied.

Zack rolled his eyes and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "You are bad news," He said as he walked past him. He stopped in front of me. "If you want me to off him, just let me know."

I smiled. "I'll take it under consideration."

He laughed and winked at me before walking off, dialing a number on his phone.

"What happens if Zack can't find Branson?" I asked Jackson as I watched Zack step out a sliding glass door onto a patio.

"We continue to go through the list of known associates you have kindly provided us."

"Kindly provided? Is that your way of saying you had to blackmail me to get it?"

Jackson rolled his eyes as he opened the refrigerator. "You really need to let that go."

"You're unbelievable."

"So you've said," He frowned at as he looked through the refrigerator. "This man has no taste."

I rolled my eyes. "Pretty sure he didn't intend to share with you."

"Regardless," Jackson said as he pulled out a bottle of wine. "this year is crap. And it's not even an expensive bottle. And it should be in a wine cooler. And these glasses," He muttered as he picked up a wine glass off the counter. "aren't even crystal."

"Good Lord." I rubbed a hand down my face. "You have the spirit of a spoiled little rich girl."

"You would know."

"Are you trying to piss me off?" I questioned.

There was that stupid glint in his eyes again. "Is it working?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and turned away from him.

"Let's face it, Babe," He said as he proceeded to pour himself a glass of the crap year wine. "we have our best conversations when we're arguing."

"Those could hardly be called conversations," I replied. "And how do you figure that anyway?"

That wicked and smug look was back on his face. "That's the only time you drop your guard."

I scoffed at him. "I don't drop my guard around you, ever."

"You sure about that?" He asked me, a smug smile on his face.

I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes in his direction. "Yes, I am."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Then tell me, Babe," He said and I shot him a deadpan look for calling me that. "Why are you letting me stand so close?"

It took me a second to process his words, and then a moment more to realize that he had gotten way closer to me than I had realized. He was right in front of me, barely a foot away when he'd started on the opposite side of the kitchen.

I immediately went to take a step back only to discover that there was nowhere to step back to. Instead, I ended up bumping right into the counter, and he and his smugness decided to take full advantage of that.

He placed his hands on either side of the counter at my sides and looked down at me with that stupid smug look and smirk.

"Back off," I said.

His smile got impossibly wider. "Make me."

"You think I won't?"

"I think you're out of threats," He replied as he leaned further into me. "And if you were going to do something, you would have done it already."

He seemed to get impossibly closer and I felt my breath catch in my throat. He was way too close. Not that he gave a damn about anyone's personal space.

And the worst part of all of this? I wanted him. I wanted him to lean in the rest of the way. To close the distance between us. I knew just how good he was at well, everything and I found myself wanting him to kiss me. Wanting well . . . him. And I hated myself for it. And I hated him for bringing that out in me. Of course, he seemed to have that effect on all women.

Now there was a line of thought to remind me why this was the worst idea of any ideas I've ever had in the entirety of my existence. To remind me not to get more involved with this man than I already was.

Who really knew how many women he'd been with? Though, that wasn't the thought that bothered me. I honestly didn't care how many women he'd had. What pissed me off was how he used them. Just like he'd used me. And I'd been stupid enough to let him.

And yet, I was having a hard time keeping those thoughts in my mind when he was this close with that infuriatingly cocky attitude and smug smirk.

I blew out a long breath. "I hate you," I muttered, though I'll be the first to admit, it did not sound convincing at all.

His smile grew wider. "I've heard that one before."

"You should listen to it."

"Maybe," He said with a shrug. "But while your lips say one thing, your eyes say another."

"My eyes aren't saying anything."

"And yet, they seemed intently focused on my lips."

Damn him. He was right. I purposely looked up and glared right back into his eyes.

His smile grew wider once again. "Say the word."

"Go to hell."

"Not the words I was thinking of."

"Those are the only words I'm thinking of," I told him. I was lying through my teeth, but that's what I told him. Truth was, I really really wanted to say the words he wanted me to say. But, I valued my sanity more.

He went back to smirking at me and then leaned in closer so his lips were brushing against my ear and if he hadn't been holding me up, I'd have fallen.

Stupid, conniving, backstabbing, sometimes charming, attractive-No. No, no, no, no, no. Those thoughts needed to stop. Now.

"Your train of thought's wandering-" He started to whisper in my ear but I cut him off.

"You can't read minds."

"-so I think I'll do this before your sensible side comes back."

I frowned. "Do what? There's no doing anything-"

I was cut off. And well . . . he was a better kisser than I remembered.

Soft lips on mine, firm hands on my hips, and a strong body pressing me back into the counter. And all my sanity flew out the window. An effect only Jackson Storm had ever had on me . . . damn him to hell.

He was so getting punched . . . after this.

"Of course," Zack's voice broke the trance and brought me back to the present.

I pushed Jackson away from me and turned away, my face flaming up in embarrassment.

"So shy all of a sudden," Jackson said to me. "Still value your sanity more?" He questioned like the freakish mind reader he somehow was.

"Shut up," I muttered. "Not a word out of you." I looked over at Zack. "Either of you."

Zack held up his hand in surrender. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"You already did."

Zack shrugged and slid his phone back into his pocket. "There's a fine line," He muttered.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

Jackson was staring at me. And when he noticed I was looking at him, he winked and waggled his eyebrows at me. "I can get us a room," He said.

My face flamed up once more. "No. Absolutely not. There will be none of that."

"I wasn't hearing any complaints a moment ago. Quite the opposite actually."

"For the love of God, stop talking for once in your life."

"I can think of a few ways you could get me to stop."

"Unless they're all violent or involve your death, I don't want to hear them."

He made a motion like he was zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key before tapping me on the nose. I glared at him as he smirked and then winked at me.

"Well if you're still interested and not otherwise distracted, I found him," Zack said. "He's at an island resort in the Bahamas."

Jackson clapped his hands together and smiled wickedly. "Ah, perfect. We can have some fun with this."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes," I said sarcastically. "fun is the word for it."

"Well," Zack continued. "It's not a regular resort . . ."

I turned to glare at Jackson. "No way in hell am I going to a nudist resort with you."

Jackson smiled and winked at me. Zack shook his head.

"No," Zack said. "That's not what I meant."

"Thank God," I muttered.

"It's a resort for married couples, mainly newlyweds."

Jackson turned to me and waggled his eyebrows.

I glared at him. "That's so much worse!"

"How is that worse? Do elaborate," Jackson said but I could already see that infuriating look in his eyes. The one that said he already had a plan. A plan he didn't care about my opinion on and was just about ready to roll with it.

"Oh no," I said as I shook my head. "No, no, no, no, no. A thousand times no. Not happening. There's no way I'm marrying you or pretending to marry you. It's just not happening."

Vote

Comment

Enjoy!

And Thanks for Reading!