by Angelo, Judy
Dani gritted her teeth. God, she felt like slapping the woman upside the head. All she could think was, Have some pride, woman. Don’t go begging a man for his company. But again, she had to catch herself. This was absolutely none of her business and she’d better learn to remain unaffected and uninvolved. Just because she’d never be a doormat to any man didn’t mean other women didn’t enjoy that kind of thing. Although why they would, Dani could never understand.
Storm totally ignored the woman’s plea. He gave Dani the address and remained silent even when Lola commenced to sigh heavily and lament how lonely she would be without his company. It was only when she dissolved into soft sobs that he spoke.
“Spare me the dramatics,” he said coolly. “I’m tired and I’ll be leaving on an early flight tomorrow. You know I have a busy schedule this week so stop acting the victim.”
“But I am, I am,” she said through her sobs. “You treat me so harshly even though you know I love you. Why do you torture me so much?”
“Save that drivel for somebody who actually believes it,” he responded, his tone unapologetic. “You’re drunk. Now be quiet and rest your head on my shoulder. I’ll wake you when you’re home.”
“You…you don’t hate me do you, Storm?” Lola said, her voice wavering then ending in a hiccup.
He gave a deep, tired-sounding sigh. “I don’t hate you, Lola. I just need you to get home safely. Now come.”
Dani couldn’t resist a glance and this time, thankfully, both her passengers were too preoccupied to look in her direction. She saw Lola curl up close to Storm then he put up a gentle hand and pressed her head to his shoulder. The woman sighed and closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep in seconds.
Storm’s gentleness surprised her. Was this the same man who had been so unmoved just minutes before? She’d thought him a selfish brute and had silently cursed the woman for being so weak. Now, though, his hushed whisper into Lola’s ear and his gentle hand supporting her against his shoulder made Dani wonder.
It didn’t take long to get to Lola’s home. Dani drove up the winding driveway and went around a circular garden to pull up in front of a stately mansion. The place looked and smelled of money. Dani could see that Lola was not a woman to scoff at, which made it all the more bewildering as to why she seemed to have so little self- esteem. Storm Hunter might be rich, sure, but this woman obviously had money dripping out of her pores, too. So why did she act like she had to take anything Storm was dishing out? Okay, so he was cute. Not just cute, breathtakingly handsome with dark, enigmatic looks. But that didn’t make him a god on earth, did it?
All Dani knew was that she’d never take that kind of treatment from any man, no matter how rich he was. If that was what it took to satisfy a man, he’d have a heck of a long wait.
She hopped out of the car and went around to open the door for Storm. He rested Lola back against the seat and slid out then without so much as a flex of his muscles he slid his arms under her shoulders and legs and lifted her out like she wasn’t the dead weight Dani knew she was in her drunken state.
Storm turned and mounted the steps to the wide porch then reached under her and pressed the doorbell with his thumb. Somebody must have been waiting up cause only seconds passed before the door was flung open and Storm was allowed entrance. He disappeared inside and was gone for a good fifteen minutes, leaving Dani still standing by the limousine, wondering if he’d changed his mind and decided to bed down with Lola.
She’d climbed back into the driver’s seat and was just ready to call in and ask permission to leave when she saw him strolling across the porch then down the steps toward the waiting car. Dani rested the cell phone back down and climbed out of the car. She’d better hurry and get the door for His Royal Highness, she thought cheekily, then grinned at her own private joke.
She made it to the door just as Storm stepped up to it and he had to wait for her to grasp the handle and pull it open.
“You seem to be in a good mood,” he said dryly then climbed into the limousine.
That was when she realized she still had the silly grin on her face. So much for private jokes. The man must think she’d been hitting the bottle while he’d gone to put Sleeping Beauty to bed. She wiped the smile off her face real fast. The last thing she needed was a report getting back to Tony that he had a weirdo on his staff.
The journey to Storm’s place would take another twenty minutes and Dani began to sweat. She’d forgotten to roll up the separating glass while Storm was away and she was dying to do it now but wouldn’t that be too obvious? What if he objected? In the meanwhile he had a perfect view of the back of her head and she could feel something tickling the back of her neck. Christ, had a coil of hair slipped out from under her hat and was now hanging down, giving her disguise away? She wanted to put her hand up to check but she couldn’t, not while he was watching.
And she could feel him watching. The weight of his eyes was on the back of her neck. He wasn’t staring out the window, he wasn’t relaxing with his eyes closed. No, he was watching her. She didn’t have to glance in any rear view mirror to know that. She could feel it.
Silently, angrily, Dani began to grind her teeth. What did this man find so fascinating about the back of her neck? She wished he would grab a glass of gin and drink himself into oblivion like any normal man would. Then she could drive in peace and not be sweating buckets like a pig in a tanning booth.
She was so deep in her angry thoughts that she jumped when she heard Storm’s voice.
“So how long have you been at Tony’s? I’ve never seen you before.”
“Uh, only a week or so,” she muttered. She had to remember to keep her voice deep and low. She was supposed to be a man, after all.
Although, thinking about it now, it seemed almost silly to be keeping up this pretense. She’d done it to protect herself from weirdos but now that she would have a fairly regular customer in Storm was that still necessary? What if she just told him who she really was?
But then she dismissed the thought as fast as she’d come up with it. Storm Hunter would probably be a regular but he certainly wouldn’t be her only customer. And anyway, her boss had told her to keep things secret for her own safety. Better to just leave things as they were.
“So what are you into? Football, baseball, or basketball?”
Don’t let him ask me questions about sports. I don’t know a darn thing. “Hockey,” she blurted out.
“Hockey?” He sounded incredulous. “You’re Canadian?”
She gave a little laugh at that but it came out sort of high-pitched and she had to cut it short. “No, but my brother plays hockey. He was recruited for a team at the University of Notre Dame."
“Oh.” He sounded unconvinced but Dani was glad that at least, in that, there was no lie.
Another good thing was that Mr. Sports seemed to be out of his element where hockey was concerned. Good. He shouldn’t have any questions to ask her about that. Now hopefully he’d just be quiet and let her drive.
“So which teams are you rooting for in hockey?”
Dani groaned. Now why did he have to go and ask a question like that? What did she know about hockey outside of the little she’d picked up from Brian?
She began to pull at straws. “The one Wayne Gretzky’s on.”
“The one Wayne…hey, isn’t he retired?”
Okay, so wrong answer. Time to change the subject, “Nice weather tonight, isn’t it? A starry night, too.”
“Huh?” Now Storm sounded really confused.
Dani sighed. She wasn’t doing such a good job with the male disguise thing. What guy talked about the stars at night? It wasn't exactly the most manly topic of conversation. Thereafter she clamped her mouth shut and, thank God, so did he.
When they finally pulled into the driveway of Storm’s palatial home Dani gave a sigh of relief. Freedom at last. She pulled up in front of the mansion and hurried around to get the door.
And just like last time his nearness threw her
off. As Storm climbed out of the car he stepped very close to her, so close she wondered if it was deliberate. His invasion of her space made her take an involuntary step backward. She glanced up and, as tall as she was, he stood a good five or six inches taller. And he was staring down at her.
“How old are you, kid?”
“Twenty-two.” The question came at her so suddenly she could only blurt out the truth.
“You?” he said with a laugh. “You don’t look a day past seventeen. I bet you’re still in high school.”
She glared up at him. “I am twenty-two and I already finished college. I’m a preschool teacher.”
Storm chuckled. “Tell that to your face. It’s got a lot of growing up to do. My God, not even fuzz on your chin. You’re as smooth as a baby’s behind."
That made her step back some more. He was seeing too much. In a minute he’d figure out she wasn’t who she seemed.
He was looking at her quizzically now and even though she’d deliberately stepped into the partial shadow his stare was beginning to unnerve her.
“It’s weird but there’s just something about you…” he began but his voice trailed off. Then he shook his head. “Nah, it’s nothing. I must be seeing things.” He turned and with the swagger of an uber-confident male he strode away. “Tell Tony I’ll need you again next weekend. See you around, kid.”
He didn’t wait for a response. He took the steps two at a time and then he unlocked the door and was gone, leaving Dani standing there staring after him.
For a moment she just stood there contemplating what he’d just said. Finally, she closed the limo door and walked back around to the driver’s seat. As she buckled up then started the engine she shook her head slowly.
She didn’t know if seeing him again was such a good idea. All of a sudden the thought made her apprehensive. She was looking forward to it just a little bit too much…and that was really scary.
******
“Time for you to settle down, my boy. You’re not getting any younger.” Edgar Hunter leaned back in his chair and stared up at his oldest child.
Storm scowled down at his father and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. “Dad, I’m twenty-seven years old. It’s not like I’m over the hill. There’s plenty of time for that.”
The older man nodded. “Yes, you're young but with my heart condition I could check out at anytime. I want to see even one grandkid before I go.”
Storm flopped down into the chair across from his father’s desk. “You can get grandbabies from Vanessa or Kathy. Why don’t you go harass them?”
“Stop talking crap, Storm. You’re my only son, the one who’ll preserve the Hunter name. It’s you I want my grandkids from.” Then he shrugged and grinned. “Besides you’re the oldest.”
Storm could only stare at his father. It was absolutely no use arguing. He’d tried it many times before and the senior Hunter always came back to the same old question - when are you going to settle down?
The problem was, Edgar Hunter had been so busy making money in his younger years he hadn’t settled down until he was in his late forties. By the time his first child was born he was already fifty-one. At a time when he should have been looking forward to grandchildren he’d just produced his first offspring. Now that he was in his late seventies he was ever more aware of his mortality. He was determined to see the face of his first grandchild before he left the earth and Storm was the designated deliverer.
“What about Lola?” Edgar asked, his rugged face brightening. “She really likes you. She makes that plain enough. And she’s from a good family.”
Storm groaned and raked his fingers through his hair. Not the Lola conversation again. He needed to get out of his father’s office before the man drove him totally insane. He got up and pulled out his iPhone. “Dad, I’ve got to go.”
“As usual,” Edgar snorted. “As soon as we start talking serious business you run off. This is your future we’re talking about, Storm. My future. The family’s future.”
Even as his father raged Storm turned and began walking toward the door.
“You can’t keep riding motorcycles across the country and racing cars at the track. You’re my only male heir, Storm. Remember that. And you’d better get married and get a child before you try those crazy stunts of yours again.” By this time Storm was opening the door, intent on making a hasty exit.
“I’m going to speak to your mother about this. You can’t keep refusing-”
“Bye, Dad.” Storm pulled the door shut behind him and even as he walked away he could still hear his father ranting about all that he was going to say to his mother.
Storm could only shudder as he headed down the hallway toward the elevator. He knew that strategy well. His father was going to set the bulldog on him. If there was anyone who could wear a person down, it was his mother.
Storm spent the rest of the afternoon at his own office at Hunter’s Run headquarters. He was getting ready to launch a new line of fashionable leather jackets for men and women. Italian made, they were of top quality, as were all his product lines. Hunter's Run clothing had a reputation for high style, quality and durability. And they didn’t come cheap.
He’d be having a meeting with the advertising agency in two days and he needed to have all the relevant information ready. He was in the middle of working on the briefing when there was a light tap on the door and his executive assistant, Marisol, peeked in.
“You have a special visitor,” she said with a bright smile. Marisol only smiled like that when someone from his family came by.
Storm’s mood changed immediately. He could guess who was on the other side of the door. His mother.
“Let her in,” he said, his voice little more than a grumble. He was not looking forward to the lecture he knew was coming. Why had he stayed in the same city, in the same state, as his parents? He should have moved hundreds of miles away while he’d had the chance. Then they wouldn’t be able to just drop in at will. But it was too late now. He’d already bought a home on Earlston Road and he loved it. He wasn’t planning to move for a long while.
“Hey, big bro. How’re things?” A strawberry-blonde girl bounced into the room, her face all smiles.
“Vanessa,” Storm said, and his face broke into a grin. “I thought it was Mom coming to harass me, as usual.”
“Only me,” she said with a laugh then dropped into the chair across from him. “I’ve been assigned to do the harassing for today.”
“What? Not you, too.” Storm frowned at his sister. “I never expected you to turn traitor on me.”
She shrugged. “I had no choice. It was either come and pester you or have them bug me all day and night about Buster. It feels good to have the spotlight off me sometimes.”
“I can’t imagine why,” he said dryly. “I mean, with a boyfriend named Buster who seems to have no greater aim in life than to sit around strumming his guitar pretending to be a country and western singer, why wouldn’t you want the spotlight on you?”
“For the hundredth time, Buster is not a bum,” she shot back.
“I didn’t say he was. Those were your words.”
“You implied it and that’s just as bad.” Vanessa was glaring at him now. “When he makes it big in the music business you’ll all see.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Storm said with a wave of his hand. “So what were you instructed to come and harass me about?”
“The usual. Marriage and such stuff. Did Daddy tell you he had a scare the other day?”
Storm frowned at his sister. “What kind of scare?”
"Chest pains, shortness of breath. He thought he was going to die.”
Storm felt his heart jerk in his chest. No matter that he was forever arguing with his father, he loved him. The thought that he could have lost him so suddenly filled him with apprehension. “Why didn’t anybody call me? What was it?”
“We rushed him to the emergency room but it was just gas.” Vanessa gave him a serious look. “We
were lucky that time but it could have been worse. Far worse.” For a moment she remained silent, just staring at him, the laughter gone from her eyes. “You know what he wants, Storm. You may have to give it to him.”
Storm fixed his sister with a sober look of his own. She knew how to jab him right where it would hurt. And this time it did.
“So what’s new with Lola these days?" she asked, changing the subject just as abruptly as she’d introduced it. “Are you taking her to the Vanderbilt party on Saturday?”
“No, I'll probably go alone. Or," he said, thinking out loud, "maybe I'll ask Stephanie.”
“Why? She’s so…unnatural.”
“Okay, so she’s a bleached blonde. So what? She’s still good company.”
“I don’t know…” Vanessa seemed deep in thought. “Not exactly wife material.”
“I’m not looking for a wife,” Storm growled. “God, you can get on a man’s nerves sometimes.”
“That’s what sisters are for,” she said with a giggle and hopped up from her chair. “Anyway, I have to go. Buster and I are going out tonight.”
“And Buster is husband material?” He cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Who said I was looking for a husband? I’m only twenty-three. I’ve got lots of years before I have to worry about that.” She headed for the door then turned to smile at him. “Don’t forget what we talked about,” she said with a wave of her hand. Then she was gone.
After that Storm totally lost the vibes to concentrate on any advertising campaign. His whole family had ganged up on him. Talk about pressure.
For a long while he sat there at his desk just thinking. He had absolutely no intention of giving in. Like Vanessa he was a long way from being ready to settle down. In the meanwhile, though, he had to do something to get his family, and especially his father, off his back. But what?
With a sigh he got up and grabbed the keys to his custom-made MV motorcycle. He threw on his leather jacket and put on sunglasses. There was only one thing guaranteed to clear his head. He had to go for a ride. He’d hit the road on the back of his motorbike and let off some steam.