“Adrianna, come, sit here.” Her father patted the space next to him on the bed.
Reluctantly, Adrianna walked toward him and sat down.
“These things happen sometimes, baby girl. Sometimes they have no rhyme or reason and cannot be explained, but you did your best and were going to provide the child with a safe and stable home. You have to stop beating yourself up.”
“Well, that’s pretty hard to do when the man you once loved—” and still do, she thought “—despises you and with good right. I married Phillip, a man I didn’t love and who only married me to further his own political aspirations. Phillip despised the fact that I had my own ambitions and craved independence. It was a marriage made in hell.”
Her father hung his head low. “All I have ever wanted is the best for you, Adrianna. And perhaps I didn’t go about it the right way back then and I’m sorry for that.”
Tears sprang to Adrianna’s eyes. She couldn’t believe her ears. Her father was admitting that he was wrong. It was a hugely important step. Who knew how much time he had left on this earth? Adrianna couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t try to do everything in her power to mend their relationship before he passed away.
“Thank you, Father,” she said through eyelashes laced with tears. “It means a lot.” They were finally making progress.
Dante sat up half the night thinking about what Malik had said. There was no easy solution. Was he being too proud and stubborn if he didn’t take the offer? Would he be shooting himself in the foot if he turned it down? Would he potentially regret his decision?
He’d worked his entire life to get to this point. He’d sacrificed his personal life in favor of building his career, never really getting too close to any women because he was building his reputation, but now he owned two successful restaurants. Would accepting Ian’s deal make him ambitious and selfish? Of course, that’s how successful, arrogant men like Ian got to where they were. Perhaps it was time he went after what belonged to him and let the chips fall where they may.
Eventually, Dante’s mind quieted and he drifted off to sleep.
Adrianna was up at dawn watching the sun come up over the horizon. She’d slept miserably the previous evening and it had nothing to do with her father. She could kick herself for overreacting to Dante’s less than enthusiastic response to working with her. Could she blame him for his animosity toward her? Would she want to work with him if the shoe had been on the other foot and he’d married another woman without a word to her? She doubted it. It just hurt to have him behave so coldly toward her after all they’d once meant to each other and after they had just shared a bed.
Ian’s offer was a golden opportunity that neither one of them could afford to walk away from. Perhaps she’d blown up because she needed the job more than him. With two successful restaurants, Dante was well on his way to stardom and it was just a matter of time before someone recognized his talents and put him on television. Whereas, this was a way for her to get a foot back into the kitchen and show that she was more than a reviewer, that she was a chef.
Somehow she had to convince Dante to take a chance on her. Except this time it would have little to do with the sexual attraction that they shared and more to do with two chefs working together to achieve a common goal. Adrianna just hoped that she could get through to Dante.
Later that afternoon after she psyched herself out a half a dozen times about whether Dante would slam the door in her face, Adrianna arrived at Renaissance. Usually most restaurants were hopping as they prepared for the dinner, but it was nearly three and the front of the restaurant was surprisingly quiet given they would be opening in a couple of hours.
She found a busboy coming out of the kitchen with a cart of cutlery and glassware to set the tables and asked, “Where is Dante?” He nodded toward the back which Adrianna assumed to be the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, Adrianna slowly walked toward the swinging doors and entered chaos.
Dante clearly hadn’t seen her come in because he was busy yelling across the room at his sous-chef. This probably wasn’t the best time to bother him, but time was running out. They had less than twenty-four hours to say yay or nay to Ian’s offer. As if he sensed her presence, Dante looked up from the quail he was halving and saw her.
“Now is not a good time, Adrianna,” Dante said, wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
“I can see that,” Adrianna replied. He should have had another sous-chef on the line helping him prepare for service. Adrianna slipped off her belted wrap jacket and tossed it across a nearby chair. “What can I do?” she asked, walking toward the counter.
Dante quirked his brow questioningly. “What do you mean?”
“Well—” Adrianna glanced around the kitchen “—it looks like you’re a bit short-staffed and could use a hand.”
“Are you offering?”
“Duh, I am a chef you know.”
His mouth curved into an unconscious smile. “Yes, you are.” He remembered being in pastry class with Adrianna. “And yes, I could use a hand. Several of my staff called off due to a case of stomach flu and I’m short-staffed for dinner tonight.”
“Tell me where you need me and I’m here.”
Dante knew why Adrianna was there. She wanted to speak with him about Ian’s offer, but at that exact moment he didn’t care. He was down two line cooks and would have to cover both jobs. He could use an extra set of hands on deck. “All right, you’re on. Come over here.” He led her to the sink. “Can you wash and dress the rest of these quails while I prepare the sauce that will accompany them? Then I need you to dice up all that butternut squash on the counter for my soup and get started on the pastry dough for tonight’s dessert.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Adrianna saluted him before slipping on a chef’s coat and apron and heading over to the sink. Quickly, she took her loose curls and twisted them in a bun on her head and donned a hair net. It was time to get down to business. Adrianna didn’t see Dante glance over his shoulder at her with a wistful look.
Dante was surprised at just how well he and Adrianna worked together in the kitchen. She did everything he’d asked without question except once when she’d suggested adding an extra spice to better a new dish he was debuting as a Chef’s Entrée selection. It was exactly what the dish needed to make it special.
A couple of times his eyes wandered over to where she stood at the opposite side of the kitchen rinsing off vegetables. She looked cool and sophisticated with her hair twisted in a loose updo under the hair net, wearing capris and a cashmere one-shouldered top beneath her coat and apron. Dante remembered nuzzling the nape of her neck when they’d fallen into bed last week. How time flew.
Once things had settled down and they were on the line, garnishing plates for the service, Dante bumped Adrianna with his hip. “Thanks for all your help. I don’t know how I would have gotten through the night without you.”
Adrianna’s face broke into an open, friendly smile. “You’re welcome.” She hadn’t seen that kind look in his eye in a long time and it filled her with happiness. Of course, she did her best to hide it. Although they were getting along now, she still had a long way to go to convince Dante to work with her on a daily basis. But tonight gave her hope that it was possible for them to work as a team.
After service ended, they finally took a break to share a glass of wine and a plate of coq au vin.
“To getting through the night,” Adrianna said, holding up her wineglass.
“Cheers.” Dante touched his glass to hers. “Thank you again for all your help.”
Adrianna smiled. “You’re welcome. I was glad I could pitch in.”
“Dig in.” Dante nodded to the plate of food on the counter. “I know you must be starved.” The orders had been nonstop for the past four hours and they hadn’t had a moment to breathe, much less grab a bite to eat.
“This is delicious,” Adrianna responded after putting a forkful of the delicious chicken in her mouth. “The gravy is
absolutely divine.”
“Thank you. I prepared it earlier this afternoon.”
“You’re truly gifted, Dante.” Adrianna took another sip of her red wine. “Which is why you shouldn’t let the opportunity of having a television show slip through your fingers.”
Dante was wondering how long it would to take for her to bring up Ian’s ultimatum.
“Trust me, I know I’m not the ideal person you’d like to share this experience with.” Adrianna touched her hand to her chest. “But this means a lot to me as well. And I think I was too hasty to say no the other day. Neither one of us can afford to turn our backs on this. Who knows when there might be another chance? So I’m asking you to please reconsider. If anything, tonight showed our professionalism and that we are capable of working together. So what do you say?”
Dante stood quietly as Adrianna gave her speech. He watched her lips move, but was more fascinated with the woman with whose fate his seemed intertwined. Could he, should he, take another chance on Adrianna Wright—or would she inevitably break his heart once again?
Chapter 6
Adrianna stood by with bated breath, wondering if Dante was going to shatter her dreams or take a chance on her.
“Okay,” Dante conceded, taking off his chef’s jacket. He was tired of fighting her. It took too much energy trying to hate Adrianna, especially when it was the exact opposite of how he felt.
Adrianna stared back at him, dumbfounded. “Okay?” Did she hear him correctly?
“I will accept Ian’s offer if you do,” Dante replied.
A tentative smile spread across Adrianna’s face. “So you’re ready to let go of the past and start fresh?”
Dante nodded.
“Ohmigod, you have no idea how happy you’ve made me.” Adrianna rushed toward Dante and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.
Dante wasn’t sure at first of how to react. Should he push her away? Or should he grab her and hold on for dear life? The latter won out and when they finally pulled away, a sensuous spark passed between them and called to everything male in him, causing Dante to sweep her in his arms once more. His mouth covered Adrianna’s hungrily and his tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips, Adrianna’s lips parted to welcome him in. His tongue mated with hers in a delicious dance that Adrianna welcomed.
Adrianna’s whole being flooded with desire and the dormant sexuality of her body awakened once again. She felt her breasts crush against the hardness of his chest and her body craved his. She ran her hands down the length of his back, pulling him closer to her. There was no disguising the fact that he roused a passion in her like no other man.
When they eventually pulled away, Dante’s breath was ragged and it took a moment for him to collect himself. He glanced at Adrianna and could see she had been as affected as he.
“You realize that you and I can’t be just friends,” he finally spoke after a prolonged silence.
“We could try,” Adrianna offered.
“There’s too much history,” Dante responded. “And furthermore, I don’t think I want to try.”
Adrianna frowned. “So you want a purely professional relationship?” If that was what it was going to take for Dante to agree to the arrangement then Adrianna would honor his request. She wouldn’t like it, but she would honor it. She stood to lose too much if she didn’t agree.
Dante shook his head. “No, I don’t want to be friends and don’t want to be just business partners.”
“Then what do you want?” He was confusing her.
“Isn’t it clear enough? I want you,” Dante stated. He stared back at Adrianna, his eyes raking her boldly.
“You do?”
“Yes, I do, and I know you want me,” Dante replied. The moans that had escaped her mouth when he’d kissed her had been indication enough. “So, if this television show is going to work, we’re going to have to be honest about what we’re both feeling.”
Honest. The word instantly sent fear coursing through Adrianna’s veins and sent her brain into tumult. It was the one thing she couldn’t be with Dante, not completely anyway. How could she tell him the real reason she’d married Phillip? If she did, he would never forgive her for trying to keep his child away from him.
Dante scrutinized Adrianna’s face, but couldn’t read her, so he continued. “I’m not saying we can just pick back up where we left off. But perhaps we can start anew. You know, take things slow. We can try dating and see where that takes us.” Dante didn’t know what to make of Adrianna’s silence. Was she happy at the prospect of a relationship between them? Or would she rather they kept things professional? Had he been that far off the mark in sensing that she wanted more, too?
Adrianna’s mind was swimming through a haze of feelings and desire. She knew Dante was wondering why she hadn’t spoken up. She wanted to shout from the rooftops that she wanted to renew their relationship again. She’d dreamed of this moment for a decade and now that it was here, Adrianna was afraid to reach for what she wanted. What if it backfired?
“Adrianna, have you heard a word I’ve said?” Dante asked when she appeared dazed. “Blink if you heard me.”
Adrianna blinked several times. “I heard you.” Adrianna found her voice finally.
“Then what?” Dante stared back at her, baffled. He was confused by the wall Adrianna was erecting around her.
“I’m afraid.”
“Of what? The future?” Dante inquired. “Because to me it looks pretty bright. We have a wonderful opportunity ahead of us that’s going to give us a ton of name recognition and put us on the map. And after all these years, there’s a chance for us to find out what would have been. Baby, don’t you want that?”
A hot tear rolled down Adrianna’s cheek. She remembered how much she’d always loved Dante calling her baby. “I do want it, Dante.”
Dante walked toward her and grabbed both her hands. “Then let’s do it. No looking back on the past. From this point on, we both have a clean slate. Are you ready?” He released one hand to brush away her tears.
“I am,” Adrianna replied and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I am.”
The next morning, Adrianna and Dante arrived to Lawrence Enterprises’ corporate offices as a team, but not before he asked Sage, his attorney, to meet them at Dante’s to discuss their terms.
Sage’s mouth tightened when she saw a familiar face sitting at a table.
“What is Adrianna doing here?” Sage whispered, grabbing Dante by the arm and rushing him off to the coat closet. “I thought this was a business meeting?”
“It is,” Dante responded, shrugging her hand away. “Didn’t your boyfriend tell you about the take-it-or-leave-it deal he offered me?”
“No. I’ve been tied up in depositions the past couple of days, so I’ve just crashed at my place. Why?” Sage glanced at Dante questioningly.
“He offered us one million dollars to share the television show. And either we both accepted within forty-eight hours of the offer or the deal was off the table.”
Sage’s eyes grew wide and she took a step back. “You’re kidding?” She didn’t care for Ian’s strong-arm tactics, but it was just like him to pull a stunt like this. She remembered that he’d stopped at nothing to seduce her.
“Afraid not.”
“So you had no choice but to pair up with that she-devil?” Sage stomped her foot in anger. “I could kill Ian for putting you in this position.”
“Hold it a second there, Sage.” Dante knew that look in her eye and it meant Sage was going to be on the warpath. “Adrianna and I have made our peace with the situation and have agreed to work together, so there’s no reason for you to put your relationship on the line for me.”
“But…”
“No buts.” Dante pointed his finger at Sage, reminding her of the times he used to reprimand her as a child. “I don’t need you to fight this battle.”
Sage’s mouth turned into a thin line. “Fine, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it o
r her. She hurt you terribly.”
Dante laughed aloud. “As I recall, I wasn’t too happy with Ian, either, when you landed in the hospital with a severe asthma attack, but you know what? When you got back together, I sucked it up. You’re going to have to do the same.”
“You mean you are a couple now?” Sage asked. “Since when? Just the other day you didn’t even want to speak her name.”
“We’re not a couple,” Dante replied, “but that could change. Now let’s go. We're being incredibly rude talking in the coat closet.”
When Dante approached her, Adrianna’s heart skipped a beat and butterflies jumped around in her belly. Dante had that kind of effect on her. Despite the past, she knew she’d made the right decision in going after the television show and Dante. She’d followed her heart.
Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy convincing Dante’s family that she was a changed woman if the evil eye Sage was giving her as she stalked toward the table was any indication. But try she would, because without their support, their relationship was doomed.
“Sage.” Adrianna stood up and came toward her to give her a hug, but instead Sage extended a hand. Adrianna accepted it with a smile. “It’s so good to see you.”
“I’m not so sure I can say the same,” Sage returned.
“Sage, I’m warning you,” Dante muttered underneath his breath.
“Well, let’s get down to business.” Sage opened up her briefcase and pulled out her legal folder. “Before we go to LE let’s discuss talking points.”
An hour later, Dante, Adrianna and Sage were in LE’s conference room with Todd and a member of Sage’s firm discussing the contract.
“Sage, you’re representing Mr. Moore and Ms. Wright?” her colleague asked. “With Greenberg, Hanson, Waggoner, Anderson and Associates representing LE as corporate counsel don’t you think it’s a conflict of interest?”
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