“Excuse me?” Dante almost spit out his beer.
“It shouldn’t come as a shock,” Ian replied. “Sage and I love each other and I think I’ve proved to her and you that I’m not going anywhere. I’m done with my playboy ways. Sage is the only woman for me.”
Dante turned away and faced the city. He was about to lose Sage, too. First Quentin, then Malik and now Sage. He would be the only one without a spouse.
But you don’t have to be, an inner voice said.
“Yes, you have,” Quentin said. “I admit in the beginning I had my doubts about whether you could remain faithful to Sage. Your method of attracting her was far from scrupulous, but you proved me wrong. You’ve proven you love Sage. You have my blessing.”
“I agree,” Malik said. “You’re a changed man, Lawrence, so you have my blessing as well.”
Ian turned to Dante who had remained silent throughout the exchange. He wouldn’t ask Sage to marry him without all of their blessings. “Dante? Do I have your blessing?” he asked. “You know I love Sage dearly. I would lay down my life for her.”
Dante could understand that because he’d felt the same way about Adrianna once upon a time. The question was would he, could he feel that way again?
“I will make her a good husband,” Ian continued. “I adore her wit, her charm, her beauty, her zest for life and I promise I will never intentionally hurt her.”
Dante gave Ian a smile. “Of course you have my blessing, Ian.” He may not have found love, but he would not deny that for his little sis. She deserved the best.
“Thank you.” Ian shook his hand.
“Welcome to the family,” Dante replied.
“Thank you, so then you won’t mind my telling you that you are a fool to let Adrianna go,” Ian stated bluntly.
“Whoa!” Malik chuckled. “Way to start off on the right foot.”
“Ian, this isn’t really your business,” Dante responded.
“It may not be,” Ian stated, “but the two of you have what it takes on and off camera. I walked away from Sage once, but I came to my senses. Maybe all you need is a little time. That’s why I’m keeping the offer on the table for Easy Entertaining. I’m still committed to the show and as soon as Adrianna is ready to get back to work, I want you both back.”
“Ian…” Dante began.
“No buts…just think how happy having this show will make Adrianna after all she’s lost. Now she will have something to look forward to.”
“You do realize that was a low blow,” Dante said.
“Who said the business world was fair?” Ian asked. “Just think about it, because I believe you only want the best for Adrianna.”
“You’re looking so much better,” Madison told Adrianna a few days later when Adrianna came to a movie premiere for an actor Madison was promoting. She hadn’t wanted to come, but Madison had insisted she get out of the house. The movie hadn’t started yet, so they had a few minutes to catch up.
“Thanks, cuz.” Adrianna gave her a hug. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks.” It had nearly crushed her soul to watch Dante leave, but it had given her a lot of time alone to think. She’d realized that life was too short. She had to fight for what she wanted because tomorrow was not guaranteed. “And thank you for getting me out of the house.”
“You’re welcome. So, what’s next for you?” Madison asked, not that her cousin needed to worry. After the reading of the will, Adrianna had been left with a sizeable fortune and didn’t need to work for the rest of her life.
“I’m taking hold of my life,” Adrianna stated, “and going after what’s mine.”
“Whoa!” Madison sat back. She’d never seen her cousin quite this fired up since she’d come back to Manhattan. “What are you going to do?”
“First, I’m going to get my man back,” Adrianna said, “and then my cooking show.” Sure, she could probably produce her own cooking show now with the money she’d inherited, but then she wouldn’t be with Dante.
She’d made a big mistake by keeping the truth from him, but Dante still loved her, of that she was sure. He wouldn’t have stayed with her for days after her father died if he didn’t. And he sure wouldn’t have made love to her with the same passion and emotion he’d once had if he didn’t still love her. Now all she had to do was get him to admit it to himself. And she knew exactly where and when to confront him.
“I love this side of you,” Madison grinned. “You go, girl.” She gave her a high five. “Go get your man. But after the movie.”
“Dinner will be served in five minutes,” Dante said when the family was gathered in the private wine room of Renaissance for Sunday dinner. It was their indication to head to their seats, but everyone ignored Dante’s announcement and continued their conversations. Ian had finally asked Sage to marry him and she’d happily agreed so Avery and Peyton were gushing over Sage’s two-and-a-half-carat engagement ring.
Ian as usual was snacking on one of several appetizers Dante had brought in while Quentin and Malik were discussing the New York Knicks game they’d gone to the previous evening.
Since no one seemed to listen, Dante decided to head to the kitchen and peek in on the dinner service. He was on his way there when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar face walking toward him. Adrianna.
“What are you doing here?” Dante asked.
“I came for you,” Adrianna responded, her eyes never leaving his face.
She’d come dressed simply in a peasant skirt, embroided tank and sandals, but she was still as sexy as ever. “Adrianna, if you’re here about what happened…” Dante began, but she interrupted him.
“It’s about that amongst other things.”
“What other things?” Dante asked, folding his arms across his chest.
“I want you back,” Adrianna stated matter-of-factly.
“You want me back?” Dante repeated the words.
“Yes, and I think you want me, too,” Adrianna replied. “Or we wouldn’t have made love.”
Dante glanced around to make sure no one heard her before grabbing Adrianna’s arm and leading her to the coat room nearby, which wasn’t being utilized due to the warm weather. “Now is not the time to get into this, Adrianna. My family is here.”
“When will be the time?” Adrianna asked. When Dante didn’t answer, she said, “There will never be a good time because you’re always going to pull away. I know I hurt you terribly, Dante. I lied to you. Not once, but twice.” She held up two fingers. “I didn’t tell you I was pregnant and lost our baby and when we found each other again, I still didn’t tell you.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I was wrong, okay?” Adrianna responded, touching her chest. “I fully admit that I should have never kept the truth from you, but life is too short to look back and think about what might have been. If nothing else, my father’s death has taught me to seize every moment. Haven’t we waited long enough for our happy ending?”
Dante sighed. “I see… So this is all about losing your father and feeling alone. But this, too, shall pass.”
Adrianna stomped her foot. “This will not pass, Dante,” she returned. “This isn’t grief talking. I have always loved you. I met you when I was nineteen years old, you were my first love and I have never stopped loving you. Even when we were apart, you were always in my heart. Please forgive me. I don’t want to spend another second without you in my life.”
Dante was about to speak when he heard commotion and loud voices. He stepped out of the coat room and saw Malik heading toward the door and Peyton leaning against him holding her large belly. Sage and Ian were right behind them.
“What’s going on?” Dante asked, rushing out of the room to open the front door.
“Peyton is in labor.” Malik’s eyes were wide with excitement. “We’re about to have a baby!”
“What can I do?” Dante asked.
“Meet us at the hospital,” Malik threw over his shoulder as he rushed her out the do
or.
Sage walked toward Dante. “Can you believe it?” She laughed. “One minute we’re just standing there talking about the ring and the next minute her water is breaking.”
“I’ll go get the car,” Ian said, running out of the restaurant.
“What hospital?” Dante inquired.
“Mount Sinai,” Sage said just as Quentin and Adrianna came up behind her with Bella in a baby carrier.
“We’ll meet you guys there,” Quentin said, heading out the door. “We’re going to drop Bella at Avery’s mom’s, but we’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“All right, we’ll see you there,” Dante said.
“There’s Ian.” Sage pointed to Ian’s Porsche Carrera pulling up the curb. He’d taken to driving to Sunday dinner instead of being driven around in his Bentley. “I’ll see you there.” Sage kissed Dante’s cheek on her way out.
Dante stood stunned at the sudden change in events. Malik was about to become a father and then there was… He looked up and saw Adrianna smiling.
“Well, we’d better get moving,” she said, “or we’re going to miss the big event.”
“You’re coming?” he asked.
“Of course,” Adrianna replied. “I told you. I’m not going anywhere. So are you driving or am I?” She held up her car keys.
“You drive,” Dante said and opened the front door. “I’m too nervous.”
Hours later, Dante and Adrianna were with the rest of the family in the waiting room. Dante paced the floor back and forth.
“How long is she going to be in there?” Sage inquired.
“Who knows?” Avery smiled, glancing at Quentin. “Could be a few hours or all day.” They gave each other knowing smiles as they remembered Avery being in labor with Bella for twelve excruciating hours.
Dante stood leaning against the waiting room wall. He was agitated. Adrianna was sitting down next to Sage and he was at a loss as to what to do. She made a compelling argument that they should seize the moment, but he was scared to take another leap off the ledge. What if he fell straight to the bottom? How could he be sure Adrianna would catch him?
“Are you okay?” Sage asked Adrianna.
“Why would you ask?”
“I just thought it might be a little uncomfortable being here…well, after, you know…you lost your own baby,” Sage whispered.
Adrianna nodded. “I’m fine. I’ve accepted that I lost that child, but there could be more in my future.” Adrianna looked in Dante’s direction.
Sage glanced at Dante and watched him. “You’re here to win him back?” she surmised.
“Yes, if he’ll have me.”
Sage grabbed Adrianna’s hand and squeezed. “Don’t give up on him. He loves you. He’s just scared.”
Adrianna smiled weakly. “Thank you and I won’t.”
“Do you mind sitting down, brother?” Quentin asked Dante when he began pacing again. “Not only are you wearing a hole in the vinyl, but you’re making me dizzy.”
“I’m going to get a breath of fresh air,” Dante said anxiously, “but I have my phone.”
Adrianna watched Dante rush out the room and knew she had to strike while the iron was hot. Dante was on the fence and he just needed a little push in the right direction. She jumped out of her seat and rushed to follow him outside.
Dante was staring out at midnight sky when he sensed someone behind him. He already knew who it was before he turned around. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“I won’t give up on us,” Adrianna responded, walking toward him. When she reached him, she grabbed both his hands. “I love you, Dante Moore. Please say you’ll give us another chance at happiness.”
“Adrianna, your words and sentiment are beautiful,” Dante replied, pulling his hands out of her grasp. “They really are, but I am not sure I can forgive you. You abandoned me ten years ago without a good-bye. Do you know how much that hurt?”
Adrianna lowered her head.
“It affected me deeply. It made me feel worthless. Like I wasn’t good enough for you or anyone because of where I came from.”
“I’m sorry I made you feel that way, Dante. I have never cared that you came from humble beginnings. Your struggles, your will and your determination to succeed have made you the man you are, the man I love.”
“A man you obviously think very little of,” Dante returned. “You popped back into my life just as quickly as you disappeared and allowed me to fall back in love with you only to realize you’d been keeping a terrible secret from me for years.”
“A secret I will always regret,” Adrianna responded. “Keeping your child away from you would have been wrong and it would have haunted me for the rest of my days. And I’m sorry for it, but that doesn’t change the here and now, which is that we love each other. I think I love you even more because when I was at the lowest point in my life…” Adrianna paused and tears began to stream down her cheeks. “You…you gave me strength. You stood by my side and gave me faith to believe I could go on without my father. I am the woman I am because you loved me. Please forgive me.”
Her words finally reached a place deep inside Dante, a part he could no longer hide from. Slowly, Dante reached out to wipe away her tears. “Don’t cry, my love,” he whispered and bent down to kiss away her tears. “I forgive you.” He wrapped Adrianna in his arms and squeezed tight. “And I love you.”
Adrianna glanced up through misty eyes. “I love you, too, Dante. And I promise I won’t ever lie to you again.” She stood on tiptoe and sealed her vow with a persuasive kiss that left little doubt she intended to keep that promise.
Dante was still reeling when he felt his cell vibrate in his pocket. It was a text message from Sage. It’s a boy.
Epilogue
“Thanks for joining us on Easy Entertaining with the Moores,” Dante said, looking straight into the camera and squeezing his wife’s shoulder.
“We’ll see you next time.” Adrianna smiled by his side.
“Cut!” the director yelled. “That was great, guys. Your holiday cooking special is in the can.”
Dante gave him a high five as he and Adrianna headed to their dressing room to change clothes.
Easy Entertaining had been on for four months and ratings were slowly soaring which thrilled Ian to no end. He couldn’t resist pointing out that he’d “discovered” Dante and Adrianna during the family Sunday dinners.
“I’m so excited we’re done taping for the week,” Dante replied. “I can’t wait to get to the house for some R & R.”
He and Adrianna had kept the house in the Hamptons as their weekend retreat or a place to visit when they needed to get away from the show or the restaurants. They had the entire family up for the Thanksgiving holiday and it had been quite an undertaking considering how their foursome had now expanded to include Quentin, his wife, Avery, and daughter, Bella; Malik, his wife, Peyton, and son, Noah, as well as Sage and her hubby, Ian.
Dante fingered a photograph of the four of them from when they moved out of the orphanage that sat on his dressing-room counter. They’d been young back then, yet full of hopes and dreams. Who would have thought that four orphans who grew up with nothing would end up successful and happily married with children?
“You ready to go home?” Adrianna asked from the doorway. She’d changed into jeans and a cashmere sweater. She was the most stunningly beautiful creature he’d ever laid his eyes on.
“I’m ready, my love,” he said, walking to her and bending down to brush his lips tenderly over hers.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7953-1
TWO TO TANGO
Copyright © 2011 by Yahrah Yisrael
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Two to Tango (Harlequin Kimani Romance) Page 18
