by Toni Jackson
She put her face down into her hands. “No. I wasn’t. I knew I shouldn’t have had that wine last night. What in the hell was I thinking?”
Sean sat down across from her and took her hands in his. “It’s okay. I’m as much to blame as you. I swear to you, I’ve never in my life had unprotected sex with anyone.” Dani looked at him skeptically. “Believe me, last night everything just went out of my mind.”
He stood and knelt in front of her chair. “It’s okay. If we find out you’re pregnant, then we’ll work through this together.” He grasped her chin and pulled her face up to look at him. “I never intended for this to be a one night stand, Dani. I want to keep seeing you, to get to know you better.”
Dani shook her head. “Why me? I’m sure you know hundreds of women.”
“They only want me because of who I am and what I have.” Sean sighed. “Do you know you’re the first woman that I’ve been out with in years who hadn’t propositioned me first?”
Against her will, Dani smiled. “After your approach last night? I really find that hard to believe.” She shook her head. “I really doubt if we have anything to worry about, but we can take things one step at a time. Okay?”
He nodded. “Fine.” Sean walked back to the other side of the table and sat back down. “Good. That’s settled. Now eat your eggs.” She smiled and picked up a forkful of eggs.
Later on, after they had finished eating, Dani stood staring out of the windows while he got dressed, amazed at the view. Landscaped yard surrounded the house on all sides. If there was a fence in the backyard, it was too far away for Dani to see. She was so engrossed that she did not hear him come up behind her.
Moving her hair to the side, Sean placed a gentle kiss on the side of her neck. “Are you sure you can’t stay a little longer?”
Chills spread through her body at the contact. This man was dangerous to her self-control. “Tempting. Very, very tempting.” Dani turned to face him. “But I really need to go.”
“All right. If you insist.” Sean reluctantly pulled away from her and started towards the door.
Once inside the car, Dani gave him her address then promptly fell asleep. She woke up to a set of lips trailing up the side of her neck. Her eyes snapped open to see Sean inches away from her face while they sat in her driveway.
Dani had been sleeping so peacefully in the passenger’s seat that Sean couldn’t resist planting a light kiss on her cheek, which led to him sucking on the soft skin at the base of her neck, waking her.
Sighing, Sean sat back in his seat.
Dani looked over at him with a smile. “You are just absolutely devious.”
Sean laughed as he left the car to open the door for Dani.
Taking his outstretched hand, she climbed from the car. She was surprised that he held her hand as he walked her to the door.
“So,” Sean said when they reached her door, “I’ll talk to you later? I already programmed my number in your phone.”
With an impish smile, Dani replied, “If I’m awake. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Sean smiled down at her. “Okay. Fair enough,” he whispered before capturing her lips.
CHAPTER 12
Dani felt the difference between her house and Sean’s when she stepped inside a few minutes later to find the phone ringing off the hook.
“Nobody but Tina,” Dani muttered as she picked up the cordless headset.
Tina began yelling before Dani could utter a word. “Dani! Where in the hell have you been? It’s two o’clock in the afternoon!”
Dani sighed. “I know Tina-”
“I didn’t know if you were alive or dead, whether or not I should call the police…”
“Tina! Breathe!” Dani smiled as she shrugged off her coat and threw it on a nearby chair. Walking into her bedroom, she hit the speakerphone button and placed the phone on the bed, while she started to remove her dress. Holding it up, Dani knew she would never look at it the same way again.
Sighing, Dani placed tossed it across the bed so she could take it to the cleaners later. She pulled an old T-shirt and jeans from her dresser, smiling when she realized that Tina was still fussing. Dani was surprised when Tina stopped her tirade for a minute. “Well? Where were you?”
Dani picked the phone back up drew a deep breath. “I was at Sean’s.”
“You were with Davenport? All night?”
“Yes, Tina. All night.”
The silence on the other end of the line told Dani that Tina’s brain was working.
“So…How was he?”
Dani smiled, glad Tina could not see her face. “What do you think?”
“I think,” Tina answered, “that if you didn’t make it home until two the next afternoon, then he definitely did something right.”
“Yeah, there’s one small problem though.” Dani walked into her bedroom and started pulling off her dress, shuffling the phone from side to side. She was hesitant to mention her problem to Tina. Tina often acted more like her mother than her friend.
It had been that way since most of their life. Tina’s family moved in next to Dani’s grandfather when they were in their teens. After Tina’s mother died, her father drew into a shell. Dani’s mother treated Tina as if she was her own daughter.
They had been inseparable ever since.
“What’s that?” Tina asked cautiously.
“It looks like I’m going to have to be on “watch” for the next couple of weeks.” Dani closed her eyes and waited for the explosion.
“You didn’t! I taught you better than that! Come on girl, I know it was your first time, but still! And him! ‘Mr. Man of the World’! He definitely knows better!”
Tina went off on a tirade in Spanish that made Dani cringe without knowing just from the tone. Dani heard her puffing as she finally started to calm down.
“Did you even discuss it? You told him that you weren’t on anything?”
“Yes. Tina.” Dani laid across the bed. “Sean was actually very understanding. He claimed that he hadn’t planned for it to be a one night stand anyway and how if I am pregnant, that he’s more than willing to accept responsibility for it.”
Tina was quiet for a minute. Too quiet. “Hmm.”
Dani frowned at the phone. “That’s all you have to say is “Hmm?”
Tina seemed distracted when she answered. “For now…yeah. So, are you supposed to see him again sometime soon?”
“We hadn’t planned on anything. I don’t know if I can even face him right now.” Dani closed her eyes as she remembered making love with Sean. Her body was already starting to miss his touch.
Tina’s sigh brought Dani’s attention back to the conversation. “Don’t worry about it right now. Chances are with that weird condition you’ve got that you won’t get pregnant anyway.”
Dani sat up. “You know something…you’re right. I’m probably worrying over nothing. I mean, it’s a million to one longshot that he would be the person who could get me pregnant, right?”
“Right. There are women all over the world that wish they had your problem.” Tina giggled. “Get some sleep, I’m pretty sure you didn’t get much last night.”
Dani smiled, feeling better. “Ha ha, funny. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
Dani hung up the phone and laid back down. Tina was right. She did need to get some sleep.
While Dani slept, Sean paced back and forth in his bedroom on the other side of town trying to decide his next course of action. He had surprised himself with his reluctance to take Dani home, but he had not wanted to move too fast. Sean’s whole body ached for Dani again as he thought about last night, the way her body responded to his. He rubbed his hands over his face. A cold shower was just the thing to take his mind off her and help him get some sleep.
CHAPTER 13
A gnawing ache for food pulled Dani from a deep slumber the next morning, where a black-haired, green-eyed phantom wreaked havoc on her body. She rose from
her bed and stumbled to the shower. Afterwards, she dried off quickly, dressed, got her morning cup of coffee and toast. Taking a deep sigh, she headed for her studio.
Dani toyed with a new block of marble Clayton found for her, but she had no idea what to create. All she could see was Sean’s face. It felt like she stared at it for hours before something came to mind. She walked over to her little beat up radio and turned it on. Grabbing her chisel and hammer, she began to go to work letting the soothing rhythm of the music wash over her.
Sean pulled up to Dani’s house and parked behind her car. Walking to the front door, he rang the doorbell and turned around to look at his surroundings. Nice neighborhood. Sean waited a few moments, but there was no answer. Thinking Dani might be in the shower, he rang the bell again several times, still not receiving an answer.
Starting to become concerned, Sean walked around to Dani’s garage. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the steady sound of a hammer tapping. He headed for the door, stopped at its side and turned the knob, surprised to find it unlocked.
He stepped in quietly, not wanting to disturb Dani at work. Her sleeveless t-shirt and shorts were in dust. Music played softly in the background, which would explain why she did not hear the doorbell. Sean watched in amazement as Dani brought depth and texture to a slab of marble.
She was amazing.
Sean eased slowly over into Dani’s line of vision. The last thing he wanted was to startle her. Her eyes widened when she saw Sean standing in front of her. She walked over to the radio and turned it down.
“Hi,” Dani said, surprised. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”
Sean shrugged. “I know. I was hoping maybe I could take you out for lunch.”
Dani frowned. “Lunch?”
A chill went through Sean’s body as Dani rubbed her stomach. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I forgot to eat breakfast. I only had a piece of toast.”
One of Sean’s eyebrows rose. “Then its good I showed up when I did.”
Dani watched Sean closely as he walked over to her. He looked delicious. Unruly black locks dipped down over his forehead, nearly meeting the long black lashes that framed his eyes. He wore a black long sleeved shirt that hung loose outside of a form a dark pair of jeans that gave a teasing outline of the muscles beneath. She loved him in casual clothes.
Her skin tingled as he cupped her face in his hands.
“It looks like you need someone to look after you.” Sean touched his lips to Dani’s, deepening the pressure until she responded. He pulled back slowly.
“Why don’t you go take a quick shower and we’ll go get something?”
She stared at him for a moment. “What are you up to?” Dani whispered.
Startled, Sean let his hands drop from her face. “I’m not up to anything,” he said, his tone becoming cold. “I’m just trying to spend some time with you.”
Sean’s reaction made Dani feel low. Evidently, she had been cooped up in the studio too long if she had to be suspicious of everything he said. She sighed. “I’m sorry. Maybe I am reading too much into this.” She nodded. “Okay. If I haven’t pissed you completely off and the offer still stands, I’d love to have lunch with you.”
Butterflies churned in Dani’s stomach when Sean smiled. Before she could have second thoughts, he turned her around and pushed her towards the door.
CHAPTER 14
While Sean waited for Dani to shower and dress in the house, he walked around her makeshift studio, mentally making a list of all the materials and equipment she had. During the last months of her pregnancy, Sean wanted to be able to duplicate her studio, to make sure he could keep her close by. Things that looked strange to him, he took pictures of with his phone. He would get someone to identify the items later.
By the time Dani returned to the studio, dressed in a pair of jeans and a V-neck sweater that hugged and caressed her curves, Sean had managed to catalog everything inside. Dani had pulled her hair up into a ponytail, making her look years younger. The hairdo made Sean realize what Dani had looked like as a child. Or what their child would look like.
Sean locked eyes with Dani and felt that nothing else mattered at this moment. No woman had ever made him want to take time away from work – his legacy – just to spend time with her. He broke eye contact to take one last long, heated gaze at Dani’s body.
He held out his hand to her.
Stepping forward, Dani placed her hand in his. The slightest touch from Sean warmed her body. Dani got the strange sensation that nothing was going to be the same after today.
Sean took her to a different restaurant this time, a small, quiet place near the water called Baywatch. From their booth, they watched the boats sailing in the distance.
“This is so peaceful,” Dani said, turning to Sean. She studied his profile while he gazed out of the window. She was still in disbelief that this man was interested in her.
“Good,” Sean said taking her hands. “I wanted someplace quiet and peaceful where we could get to know each other.”
Dani smirked. “Do you by chance own this one, too?”
“No.” Sean looked around. “As a matter of fact, I haven’t been here in quite a while.” Kissing the palm of her hand, Sean smiled at her. “Tell me about you.”
Dani told Sean how she discovered the art of carving from her grandfather at the age of six. “He made the funniest little characters for me. I always loved it when he made them. I never liked how the wood would split and crack. When I was in Junior High, I had a chance to go to an art gallery that dealt primarily in sculptures.” Dani shrugged. “That was it. I found my calling. I worked on them for several years, and then…” She took a sip of her water. “Then mother and grandfather died within a few months of each other.” Dani took a deep breath to pull herself together. “I stopped for a while. I couldn’t seem to – to find the will to work anymore. With them gone, it seemed like it was all for nothing.”
Pasting on a smile, she asked Sean, “What about you?”
“There’s not much to tell.” Sean shrugged, pulling his hands away from hers. Dani could almost feel the barriers drop into place around him. “I was an only child. My father started Davenport Corporation before I was born. Everything I learned, every school I went to, it was understood that it was all in preparation for me to take over the company.”
Dani studied his face closely, searching for some sign of emotion. There was none.
“I’m going to guess…that you guys weren’t very close.”
Sean looked up into her eyes expecting to see sarcasm, but instead found himself touched at the compassion that shimmered there. “No. We weren’t. Not really.”
Dani reached back across the table for Sean’s hand and linked her fingers through his.
Sean looked at their hands laced together, his paler skin linked with her dark, smooth fingers, then back into Dani’s eyes. She understood what he felt. The loneliness and the pain inside that kept him emotionally apart from everyone, preventing him from having a solid relationship. Dani was refreshing and honest...and soon to be the mother of his child.
Sean leaned across the table to kiss Dani then froze when a willowy beauty walked up, straight from the pages of Vogue.
Dani looked up, puzzled, expecting to see the server returning to take their order.
Sean’s face drained of emotion as he eyed the gorgeous brunette in a form-fitting couture dress slinking up to his table.
The turquoise shade of the woman’s outfit perfectly matched the color of her eyes. Her pale skin was enhanced by her perfect makeup. Her hair flowed around her shoulders, not a split end in sight. Dani was glad that she had gotten her hair done before the show so that she wouldn’t feel so frumpy in this chick’s presence.
She hated the woman on sight.
“Sean!” the brunette squealed. Dani tried to pull her hand back from Sean’s only to find that he wouldn’t let go. She ignored Dani completely.
“I’ve missed yo
u the past few weeks. Where have you been?”
Dani’s hackles rose. She understood that she was not in the supermodel category, but there was no way she was going to let this woman ignore her when she was sitting right in plain sight. The spark of jealously Dani felt did not help the situation. She could tell that this woman travelled in the same circles as Sean. Rich and privileged.
She was probably a Republican.
Sean cursed under his breath as he recognized the woman. Sabrina Terry. The last thing he needed was her popping up, ruining his plans. “Sabrina, I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want to see you again.” The tone of his voice let everyone within hearing distance know that he was not happy to see the woman.
Dani’s was about to speak, when her mouth snapped closed. Gone was the easy-going man that had been sitting across from her. If he used this trick in the boardroom, it was no wonder he was able to takeover companies with virtually no problems.
The woman – Sabrina - tried to laugh it off. “I didn’t pay you any mind, silly.” She tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “I knew you were just upset because of all the attention I got at the Werner’s party. I figured you just needed some time to calm down.”
“Sabrina, I don’t give a damn who you flaunt yourself in front of. I told you from the beginning not to expect anything from me. You deluded yourself. Now if you’ll excuse me, my date and I would like to eat in peace.”
Dani watched in amazement as Sabrina turned beet red to bright pink, and finally pale dead white. Sabrina turned on her heels, left the table, and returned to the other side of the room. However, not before turning to Dani with a look of so hateful, Dani almost forgot to breathe.
Sean squeezed Dani’s hands. “I’m sorry about that. Would you like to go somewhere else?”
Dani took a deep breath. “No. I’m fine. What did you do to that woman? Long stroke when you should have been short stroking?”
Sean surprised himself when laughter burst out of him, his first genuine laughter in months. He was always so serious, concentrating on business matters, that he couldn’t remember the last time he actually enjoyed himself.