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  Chayton's

  Tempest

  Aliyah Burke

  Chayton’s Tempest

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

  in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the

  author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any

  resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is coincidental. All

  trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service

  marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for

  identification purposes only.

  Editor and Formatter: Savannah Frierson

  Cover Artist: MMJ Designs

  ISBN: 978-0-557-08302-2

  To Archie

  Your endless wisdom and honor is missed.

  Thank you for welcoming me not just into your Tribe, but also allowing me

  into your heart.

  To Vern, after all those years, thank you for not forgetting who I was and

  reminding me I still belonged.

  Acknowledgments

  Any and all mistakes in this story are mine and not to be blamed on

  the ones who do this for a living. To my editor and my cover artist.

  Thank you both for helping me make this a kickass series.

  I also want to acknowledge the wonderful ladies at Chesapeake

  Romance Writers; your encouragement was more than I ever could

  have asked for.

  And to the readers who have enjoyed these men as much as I have

  enjoyed writing them. Thanks so much for the awesome support!

  Prologue

  The child’s short hair flew out in all directions as she

  stood before the couple, her hands twisting nervously in the

  front of her frayed shirt. Dark-brown eyes were full of fear but

  she tried desperately to meet their hateful gazes.

  “Liar! You have shamed us all!” The screams never

  stopped. “I can’t believe you would think he would do such a

  thing, much less to you. Look at you—you are nothing! Ugly

  and dumb, what man would want you?” The harpy screeched

  at her.

  The man wasn’t any better. “Stupid bitch! What bum did

  you find to screw you so you could claim he did it? I won’t let

  you ruin my son’s life. We have plans for him. Go away and

  never show your black face back here again!”

  The door slammed furiously in her face.

  On legs that were none-too-steady, the shamefaced

  thirteen-year-old girl stumbled back down the walk and

  disappeared around the corner from the home that had just

  killed her hopes of a future. Her aunt’s disapproving glare met

  her, yet the older woman was the only one who would take her

  in.

  Not even her parents were there to see her off as the

  child climbed into the rusty green car that drove out of South

  Dakota to her new home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

  Up until the time of her impending birth, the child and

  her aunt began a tenuous friendship that over the years would

  blossom into something that would turn them into a real

  family.

  The child began to attend school and working at her

  aunt’s bar. She helped out with the money and prepared to

  become a mother. For the remaining time up until her baby was

  born, the child held out hope that he would come to ask about

  her, or his unborn child. Nothing.

  Eight months later, the young girl gave birth to a healthy

  baby boy. The delivery was difficult, extremely painful, and the

  child almost lost her life. Because of this, she had been

  informed she would never be able to have another baby.

  And on that day, her heart closed to all except that baby

  and the aunt who had taken her in. She changed her given

  name and adopted her aunt’s surname since her own parents

  had disowned her. Two lives had now been born: Tempest

  Independence Burnell and her son Dakota Falcon Burnell.

  One

  Twenty-one years later…

  “Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God!” The feminine voice filled

  the hotel room amid its owner writhing under the muscular

  body of her lover. Her back arched as she came with an intense

  rush and she screamed his name to the room. The man above

  her slid into her a few more times and grunted, then rolled off

  her and disposed of the condom he wore.

  “That was amazing, wasn’t it, baby?” Her shrill tone

  rang just like nails on a chalkboard to his ears. “We are great

  together.”

  He huffed noncommittally. At least one of us is happy.

  With a heave, he got his body off the bed and headed for the

  bathroom. He shut the door behind him, locking it before

  switching on the light.

  Squinting in the glare, he looked at his reflection. The

  eyes were almost dead, no emotion in them whatsoever. His

  bronze skin and hairless chest taunted him. His black eyes

  traveled lower and found that his cock was resting against his

  thigh.

  He had found no pleasure with the woman in the

  bedroom. The actions he used and the words he spoke had all

  been automatic. And when he had been thrusting between her

  legs, his mind was off going over a mission he’d just

  completed.

  “Get a grip, Mav,” he admonished himself. “You love

  women; this is a momentary setback.”

  James Chayton Lonetree, AKA Maverick, was a Navy

  SEAL who had seen things and done things that would send

  most people into therapy for life…if they didn’t have a total

  meltdown before they made it to the shrink’s soft couch.

  Out of his team of eight, he was the only single man left.

  Even his devoted single friend Aidrian had gotten married. But

  Maverick liked Xaria and his friend had never seemed happier.

  For him personally, however, marriage just wasn’t in his cards.

  Regardless, there were times when he didn’t want to be

  a playboy anymore. He would like someone to talk to, who was

  there waiting for him when he came back from missions.

  Everyone else in the team had moved and relocated their

  families to the Norfolk area.

  “And I am here in a hotel room in South Dakota with a

  woman my parents think is a good match for me just because

  we’re from the same tribe.” What the hell is that woman’s name?

  Oh, yeah, Talli.

  Maverick was Lakota and proud of it. But he didn’t

  want to marry the woman; hell, he really didn’t even want to

  sleep with her. She was, however, very persuasive at her craft

  and could still get him hard.

  It would have been no hardship to leave her ass at the

  restaurant once dinner ended. But she’d insisted and so he’d

  brought her back and screwed her, allowing her to find

  pleasure, yet, denying himself the same opportunity.

  After another moment, he hit the switch for the fan.

  Turning on
the shower, he stepped inside and rinsed the sick

  musky smell of her perfume and their sweat from his body.

  Once inside, he stood under the pulsating showerhead

  and closed his eyes, grabbing his thick erection and stroking it

  until it swelled in his calloused hand. His mind tried to conjure

  up an erotic scene but it fell short. So he just allowed his touch

  to bring him the release the woman in the bedroom hadn’t

  provided him.

  After climaxing, Maverick washed himself then stepped

  out of the steaming shower. He wrapped a towel around his

  waist and stepped out into the room where the woman was.

  She had turned on the lights and was lying on his bed, totally

  naked.

  Her fingers trailed along her own bronzed skin, trying to

  tempt him. “I would have joined you in the shower. We

  could’ve had another round.”

  Black eyes moved dispassionately over the sprawled

  body. “You need to leave.”

  Her big eyes opened wide. “What? After what we just

  shared?” she asked as she climbed up on her hands and knees

  and crawled across the bed toward him.

  “Yep.” The response was deadpan. “And you can tell

  your parents that it isn’t going to work. We aren’t getting

  married.”

  She sat back on her haunches. “But we make a great

  couple. It would benefit both families and be good for the

  tribe.” Running her hands under her breasts, she lifted them up

  toward him. “I have things that you want. You sucked on these

  earlier; you know what they are like. You enjoyed them. Why

  would you want to throw all that away?”

  Maverick scowled at her. Her hands trailed between her

  thighs as she fingered herself. “You know this is a nice pussy;

  come on, Maverick,” she purred. “Don’t throw it away. We

  would be a wonderful couple. Your parents like me and I am

  not coming at you claiming to be pregnant.”

  That stopped him cold. He tugged a black shirt on over

  his still damp head. “What are you talking about?”

  She shook her head quickly. “Nothing.”

  “Talli.” His voice dropped to subzero. “What the hell are

  you talking about? I don’t have a kid.”

  “But we could have some; think of how beautiful they

  would be.” She tried coaxing a positive reaction from him so

  he’d forget what she’d said.

  “I am not father material,” he snapped, thinking back to

  how harsh and foreboding his own father had been, an

  emotionless wasteland. “And you need to leave.”

  Talli opened her mouth to protest, but his glare made

  her mouth snap shut. She climbed off the bed and pulled her

  dress on over her head. Gathering her thick black hair into a

  ponytail, she gathered the rest of her underclothes and shoved

  them into her purse. As she slid her shoes on, she cast him a

  glance. “I don’t know what you’re trying to avoid. We are

  going to be married.”

  Her hourglass-shaped body disappeared out the door

  before he could demand an explanation from her. After she left,

  he crammed his legs into a pair of skintight jeans and gathered

  his things. It was time to go somewhere else.

  Something in his soul tugged at him. He didn’t know

  what it was or where he needed to go, but he wasn’t about to

  ignore the cry. Tying his bag to the chrome-finished backrest of

  his motorcycle; Maverick swung one muscled leg over and

  started up the powerful engine.

  He had a brand new Honda VTX1800T that boasted

  1795cc electric-cooled 52 degree V-Twin engine and a weathercheater

  windshield. It was silver with a blue stripe down the

  middle. Black leather covered the seats and made up his toploading,

  buckle and snap–closure saddlebags. There was also a

  setup for his iPod.

  Pulling into his parents’ drive, he sat on the bike and let

  the engine idle. His black boots were planted firmly on the

  ground as he stared at his childhood home. It didn’t contain

  very pleasant memories for him, but he’d had a roof over his

  head and food in his belly.

  When he’d told his parents he was joining the military

  instead of taking a more active position in the tribe, they’d been

  furious, but he hadn’t buckled under his parents’ screams.

  Even at eighteen, his folks had been intimidating to him. His

  father was a huge barrel of a man—not fat, but just big. His

  mother could freeze a 747 with her glare and knock it out of the

  sky with her screech.

  Still, he’d left. Over the years, they’d softened a bit

  toward his decision. Not that they’d ever told him they were

  proud of what he was doing, but according to rumors around

  the reservation, they bragged about him.

  And now at thirty-six, he was still nervous about telling

  them no. A damn near fearless SEAL, he had gone into

  situations that most wouldn’t make it out alive and had

  thrived. He loved his job and all that came with it, but the mere

  thought of telling his folks “no” had him hesitating.

  The front door swung open and his father stepped out

  onto the porch, stopping on the edge of the top step and

  crossing his big, muscular arms. He opted to stare instead of

  coming down to greet him.

  Swallowing one more time, Maverick shut off his bike

  and swung gracefully off it. His smooth movement took him to

  the bottom of the five steps where he stopped and looked up at

  the man who had raised him, a man who was still in excellent

  shape despite his age. “Aho, Ate,” he said automatically.

  “Aho,” the man responded. “Your mother is inside

  waiting for you. Dinner is ready.”

  Nodding, Maverick headed into the house. He was taller

  than his father now, but at well over six feet he’d been so for a

  while. The men settled for a stiff handshake as opposed to a

  hug. They silently walked into the home.

  A meal sat on the table upon entering the kitchen. His

  mother had plumped up, her hair was streaked with silver

  now, but she was still beautiful to him. “Aho, Ina.” His words

  were gentle as he embraced his mother.

  “Aho.” She placed a kiss on his face before looking at her

  husband of forty years. “Let’s eat.”

  Silence reigned as they began to eat the meal. A while

  later, Maverick ate the last bite of his fry bread and cast a

  glance at his mother. “That was one of the best meals I’ve had

  in a long time. Thank you.”

  “Well,” she said slyly. “Thank you. And don’t worry;

  when you marry Talli she will cook like this all the time for

  you.”

  I knew the truce was too good to last. “I’m not marrying

  Talli.” His announcement went over like a ton of bricks.

  His parents exchanged glances. “It is time for you to

  come home and do something more for the tribe. You are

  looked up to here; you could teach the children, be an officer,

  anything,” his mother insisted.

  Maverick shook his head as he drank some water. “I am
<
br />   not resigning my commission. I love my job.”

  Her harping continued as if he hadn’t said a word. “You

  need to get married and have a child. We want some

  grandchildren!”

  “I like being single.” He set his cup down. “And even if I

  were ready to marry, Talli is not my type of girl.”

  “Well, if you slept with her there must be something

  between you.” His mother’s words were cutting.

  His own eyes narrowed in warning. “I only took what

  she offered. It’s not like she was a virgin or anything.”

  His mother slapped her hand down on the table. “Don’t

  be vulgar! Talli has wanted to marry you since you were small

  children. We all knew it would be a wonderful match, much

  better than…” She trailed off as if realizing she shouldn’t have

  said that.

  “Hiya! No! I am not marrying her. I went out with her

  because you asked me to. That’s the only reason.” Better than

  what? his mind wondered.

  “Don’t yell at your mother!” his father ordered.

  “Then quit trying to run my life. I am thirty-six, not six.

  I’m grown and I will not be dictated to by either of you. There

  is no chance for Talli and me to be married. Accept it.” He

  stood in a flawless motion, but his father did the same with an

  angry jerk.

  “We are trying to think of your future and that of the

  tribe. You need to do your part.”

  Barely managing to control his eye roll, Maverick shook

  his head. “The tribe is doing fine, and I can take care of my

  future. Now, I’m leaving. I have somewhere to go.” The fire

  raging in his mother’s eyes prompted him to add, “Unless you

  would care to explain what Talli meant when she said I had a

  child? I’m not accepting responsibility for someone knocking

  her up. We used protection.”

  A blind man could have seen the panic on their faces as

  they fought to control their emotions. “She must have been

  mistaken,” his mother quickly assured him.

  “Right. I better not get a call saying she’s pregnant and

  I’m the father.” He spun around and walked into the living

  room, furious over the fact they were trying to set him up.

  Well, it would explain why Talli said he didn’t need to use a

  condom.

  “Wait,” he heard his father say.

  At the door, Maverick turned back to face his father.

  “What?” he snapped, losing control of his temper.