Stormy Passion (22 page)

“
I have work to
do.”

“
Really?” Marty raised a
suspicious eyebrow. “I thought you'd be on cloud nine today after
spending the night with one very pretty young lady.”

“
Women are all alike,” he
muttered bitterly.

“
Ouch! Marty rubbed his
chin like he'd been hit. “I see it didn't go very well last night.
Want to talk?”

“
No!” Adrian finally put
his pen down and stared at his business partner. “Ah, hell. Sit
down.”

“
I really like her, Adrian.
Miss Kapur is so wonderfully different from everybody I've ever
seen you with. So tell me what happened.”

Staring at, but not really seeing, a calendar
on the wall, Adrian began talking. After he'd finished, he was
exhausted and completely drained of all his anger.

“
I see now what's been
eating at you all day.”

“
I thought she was
different, Marty. I really thought she was different.” A rolling
wave of pain surged inside him. “But as soon as she found out I was
rich, she couldn't wait to put a rope around my neck.”

“
Are you sure you're not
jumping to conclusions? She didn't mention money,” Marty reminded
him. “I think Miss Kapur really is different from the other women
you dated. Are you sure you've told me everything that
happened?”

“
Of course.”

“
Well, look at it this way.
If she was going to trap you into marriage, wouldn't she have been
the one to bring up the baby? I bet she had no attention of telling
you. She probably didn't want you to feel trapped, but you forced
her hand when you found the vitamins.”

Adrian looked at his friend for a few moments
before he spoke. “You could be right. But remember I can't easily
have children. If it’s my kid, I have a right to know.”

“
Yes, you do. If you
care.”

Adrian came to his feet, placing his hands on
the desk. “You're damn right I care! It's my child, and you know
how long I've wanted children. Do I have to remind you what
happened with my last wife?”

“
Your ex-wife was an
underhanded bitch. She was pregnant by someone else and claimed it
was yours. Women are not all like her. How do you feel about Miss
Kapur?”

Adrian sank back down in his chair. He leaned
forward on one elbow and rubbed the back of his neck with his other
hand. “I wish the hell, I knew. I've never felt quite this way
before. I feel so vulnerable when Dani is near me, yet so very much
alive. Quite frankly, she scares the shit out of me!”

Marty chuckled. “She sounds like some woman.
But I can tell from observing you ever since you came back from the
beach that you've changed, Adrian. And I don't think you're going
to be happy until you settle things with Miss Kapur, one way or the
other.”

“
Guess you're right. I
think I'll give her time to calm down. Besides, I have some
appointments that can't be canceled. Then I'm going to pay Dani a
visit, and we're going to iron out our problems. I hate to admit
this, but I really can't ever imagine living without
her.”

“
Sounds like love to me,”
Marty said with a smile.

Adrian leaned back in his burgundy chair and
propped his feet upon the desk. “Is there a pill I can take?”

“
Unfortunately, no. Love is
like a disease. It grabs hold of you and seeps into your body,
invading every thought and every movement until you stop thinking
logically. And then when it's finished with you it tosses you into
a discarded heap so you can be processed for the next
round.”

“
So cynical. It wouldn't be
because you've been married three times, would it?”

Marty chuckled. “Probably, but if I ever get
it right, I hear there is nothing on earth like the real thing.
Some say it's worth dying for.”

“
The way I see it – it’s
passion in varying degrees.”

Marty stood up and leaned across Adrian's
desk. “My friend, you’ve got a lot of learning to do on the subject
of love.”

“
I want to talk to
you.”

“
I think you've said
everything there is to say,” Dani's frosty voice chilled Adrian’s
ear. “I got the message the last time I spoke with you. I won't go
through that again. I
can't
go through that again. I'm going
to my parent's house for Christmas. Goodbye Adrian.” She slammed
down the receiver so hard that it bounced off the
cradle.

Dani's hands shook as she replaced the phone.
What could he possibly have to say to her? Whatever it had been,
she'd been saved from another goodbye.

When she closed her eyes at night it was
Adrian’s face she pictured, it was his laughter she ached for, his
caresses. Now the only part of him she had was his child. She
touched her small bump and smiled.

She closed her suitcase and stacked the
Christmas presents on the bed. It was time to go home and face her
parents.

Adrian slammed the phone down. “Damn it! I
will talk to you one way or the other.” He picked up the phone and
punched several numbers. “Have my jet ready and file a flight plan
for San Antonio.” He'd get there before she went to her
parents.

He placed several papers into his briefcase,
then picked up the phone again. Hi Mom. Merry Christmas, to you,
too. Listen, I'm going to be a little late for the holidays. I'll
tell you all about it when I get there. Don't worry.

His Learjet sped through the air leaving
Adrian alone with himself and his thoughts. He hoped . . . no he
prayed he was doing the right thing. He'd never done anything so
spontaneous before.

But how could he have been so stupid? When he
was a teenager the old doctor told him he probably couldn't have
children. However, the specialist he’d seen last week proved that
the other doctor had been pathetically wrong. Yes, his sperm count
was very low, but it wasn't totally impossible that he could father
children.

Dani hadn't lied. She was carrying his child
and he'd practically laughed in her face. How she must hate
him.

However, he was going to make her listen if
he had to lock her up with him and throw away the key.

Chapter
Thirteen

“
Where's, Dani?”

Susan Cross crossed her arms in a belligerent
stance, and Adrian knew he'd have his job cut out for him. “Why do
you care?

“
Guess I deserve that. But
you're going to have to believe me when I tell you that I do care
for Dani.”

“
Yeah, sure,” Susan said,
leaning against her door jam. “Cared so much you sent her away the
minute you found out she was pregnant. She doesn't need your kind
of caring, Mr. Massimino!”

“
You've got it all wrong,”
Adrian said.

“
The only thing I know is
that I was the one who picked up the pieces when she came home,
heart-broken, from New York. Do Dani a big favor and stay away from
her, Mr. Massimino.” Susan grasped the door and tried to shut it,
but Adrian threw up his hand stopping the door before it closed in
his face.

“
Wait! You have me tried
and hung without a jury. I might have made a mistake, but I'm not
going to let you make matters worse. Where is she?”

“
At her parents’
house.”

“
Then, I need to know where
they live so I can be there when she tells them about the
baby.”

“
Oh, really?” Susan raised
her eyebrows a fraction. “Why the sudden interest?”

Good. He had her attention now. “I just told
you. Because I care.” He drew in a long, frustrated breath.
“Listen, I know Dani and I have some things to work out ... but it
won’t happen if I can’t talk to her.” He crossed his arms over his
chest. “Now, are you going to give me the address?”

“
I knew you loved her.”
Susan grinned, then motioned for him to come into the
apartment.

Adrian started to correct the woman, but
stopped himself. He hadn't said anything about love, but like it or
not, he felt a certain responsibility for Dani. He wasn't even sure
what he was going to do when he did find Dani. He just knew he
didn't want her to face her parents alone. Since he couldn't
explain any of these mixed emotions swirling through him, he
decided, after he'd stepped on his plane in New York, not to
rationalize what he was about to do.

He bit back a wry grin. Every good
businessman knew he should have a plan of action before he sets
out, and he was a great businessman, but he didn't have a clue how
he was going to handle things. Let Susan think what she wanted --
if it got him the information he needed.

Upon landing in Dallas, Adrian wasted little
time finding the Kapur's residence, but again he was met at the
door by someone other than Dani.

The maid informed him that Dani and her
parents were having lunch at the country club. Not to be put off,
Adrian paid the cab driver an extra fifty dollars to get him to the
club the fastest way possible.

The lavish country club really didn't impress
Adrian. He'd been to many such establishments over the years and
they pretty much all looked the same. The doorman gave Adrian a
quizzical stare, but let him in when he said he was with the Kapur
party.

After stepping into the dining room, he
paused. Dani’s back was to him, with her father and mother facing
her. They were still smiling, so that was a good sign, considering
what he'd heard about her parents. He still wasn't sure what he was
going to say or do, but it was now or never, he thought, stepping
away from the door.

Dani had mentally practiced what she was
going to say on the drive down here. Since her brother and sister
had already left, she thought now was the perfect time to talk to
her parents. But now that the time had come and she had their
attentions, she couldn't remember one word of her speech.

She opened her mouth to start, thought a
moment, then shut it. She tried again, realizing she was beginning
to resemble a fish, but the words wouldn't come out.

“
What is it, dear?” Her
mother patted her hand.

“
I--I need to tell you both
something. I--It's just that I don't know exactly how.”

“
It can't be all that bad.
Just dive in and tell us, darling.” Her mother smiled her
encouragement.

“
We-ell . . .” Dani
swallowed.

“
Hi, sweetheart!” A male
voice boomed from behind her, causing Dani to jump. “Sorry I'm
late.” Adrian appeared out of nowhere. “I hope you haven't told
them our surprise yet.”

“
She was getting ready to,
young man. Do we know you?” Dani’s mother asked.

“
You're about to. I'm
Adrian Massimino, your son-in-law.” He extended his hand to Mr.
Kapur who barely returned his handshake.

“
What?” three people
chorused and looked at him simultaneously.

“
You don't know about him
either.” Mrs. Kapur stated.

“
I--I. Well--yes--no--it
was supposed to be a surprise.”

“
I'm sorry, sweetheart.”
Adrian bent over Dani and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Then he
pulled out a chair and seated himself beside Dani, draping his arm
over her shoulder. “You see, I should have arrived with Dani, but I
was detained by business.” He squeezed her to him. “We were married
three months ago.”

“
What!” Both her parents
shrieked.

“
Wait a minute.” Dani knew
her eyes must be as big as saucers. She was at a loss for words.
Was she dreaming? Just what was Adrian up to? Was this the same man
who, two weeks ago, declared he couldn't father children trying to
rescue her from an embarrassing moment? But why?

Dani didn't have the answers, but she was
determined that no one would control her life again. And, here was
an aggravating, stubborn man trying to do just that.

Could this be his non-too-subtle way of
proposing?

She could stop this whole laughable situation
right now by telling the truth, but her own sense of
self-preservation wouldn't let her. Instead she took a deep breath
and said, “I'm sorry if we've shocked you, Mother, but I was rather
shocked myself.” Dani gave Adrian a knowing look. “You see
everything happened so fast that Adrian literally swept me off my
feet. Then, we weren’t sure we’d done the right thing, so we took a
few months to get used to the idea, sort of a cooling off period.”
Dani hoped her face didn't betray her because it must be beet red
considering the way her cheeks burned.

“
And just where did you get
married?” Her mother asked.

“
Sea Horse Island,” Dani
and Adrian said at the same time.

“
At least you both agree on
that point,” her father said, then grinned.

“
Oh, Danielle, I wanted you
to have a big wedding.”

“
I did, too, Mom.” Dani
drew in a long labored breath. “Sometimes, things . . .” Her voice
trailed off. She started again. “It's just that--”

Adrian looked at her tenderly. “We could
always go through the ceremony again,” he suggested.

“
Yes, you could,
dear.”

“
Let's talk about it later,
Mom.” It was bad enough she was playing along with the preposterous
lie, but she wasn't going through a mock ceremony unless she was
absolutely certain she was doing the right thing. She did, after
all, have some pride.