Everyone chuckled.
“In due time, Peyton,” Dante responded. “In due time.”
“Dante.” Malik patted him on the shoulder. “I’d love you to meet one of CAN’s benefactors. I was telling him what a great chef you are and he’s dying to have you cater our next charity event. Would you ladies mind if we steal him away for a minute?”
“Of course not,” Adrianna responded. It was nice to see Dante’s family finally warming up to her.
Malik introduced Dante to Arthur Rutherford, a huge charity activist and considered among the New York elite. “Mr. Moore, I hear great things about you,” Arthur replied, shaking Dante’s hand.
“Thank you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. The work you’ve done for the Children’s Aid Network is great. Like Malik, I grew up in an orphanage and know how important it is once you succeed to give back, which is why I’m willing to donate my catering services free of charge at the next Children’s Aid Network event.”
Arthur was shocked. “That’s an incredible offer, Mr. Moore. To have a chef of your caliber and a soon-to-be television star will be a big draw to our next event.”
Dante glanced in Malik’s direction. “Yeah, I’ve been talking you up,” Malik offered at his side. “You’re looking at the next Emeril.”
“Well, I for one am looking forward to sampling your food,” Arthur said.
“Thank you,” Dante replied. “But I won’t be the only one on the television show. I have an amazingly beautiful cohost, Adrianna Wright.” Dante turned and looked around but she was nowhere in sight. “Just you wait, she’s a star.”
Adrianna was staring out the window when Dante came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection. She’d had to get away from Peyton, not that Malik’s wife had done anything wrong. The problem was everywhere she went she was confronted with babies. First she had a meltdown when she saw Dante holding Bella and now seeing Peyton pregnant… It reminded her of when she’d been pregnant.
It was getting harder and harder to keep the truth from Dante. She’d fallen deeper in love with him than the first time they’d been together, which is why telling him the truth now would hurt so much. But how could she not? How could she continue to have this secret hanging over their relationship? If she didn’t tell him now, she would never be truly free to enjoy him.
“Hey, you.” She turned around and gave him a quick kiss.
“How’d it go?”
“Looks like I have another catering event lined up,” Dante said. “I even offered my services free of charge.”
“You are so generous,” Adrianna said. “It’s one of the things I love about you.” Once she said the word love out loud, she realized it was out there and she couldn’t take it back. So she added, “Like your sense of spontaneity and getting us tickets to the Yankees game.”
“You don’t have to cover up how you feel, Adrianna,” Dante responded, looking at her intently. “Because I love you, too.”
“You do?” Adrianna’s eyes grew wide and her eyes misted with tears.
“Yes,” he stated emphatically as he looked longingly into her eyes. “Can’t you see it by now? I’m crazy about you.”
“Oh, Dante.” Adrianna swung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a sensuous embrace. She didn’t care that she was in the middle of a crowded room. The man she loved just said he loved her back and she was over the moon.
Her lips sparked to life the instant they made contact with Dante’s. His tongue coaxed and teased a response from her like an expert craftsman until she was fully aware and ready for him.
“Let’s get out of here,” Dante groaned and grabbed her hand.
They’d nearly made it out the door when Malik stopped them on the way out. “Are you guys sneaking out?” he inquired.
“Absolutely,” Dante said. “The lady and I have some urgent plans.” His eyes scrutinized Adrianna from head to toe.
“Then don’t let me stand in your way.” Malik stepped aside. “If I could leave discreetly, trust me, I would, but luckily I have a pregnant wife which gives me an easy excuse. Have a great night.” Malik gave Dante a wink.
“Oh, we will.”
Half an hour later, Dante was pressing Adrianna against his bedroom door and ravishing her with his mouth while his hands had their way with her. She responded to him with a burst of passion that staggered but didn’t deter him. His lips deserted hers for a moment to nibble at her earlobe and his hands curved possessively over the swell of her soft behind. Adrianna didn’t know where Dante would touch or kiss her next and it excited her to no end.
Dante wanted more than just kissing. He wanted to taste every part of her. With lightning speed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and scooped her off her feet to carry her to the bedroom.
He laid her on the bed, but Adrianna sat up and together they divested each other of every ounce of clothing. As if on their own accord, her hands reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her.
“Make love to me, make me yours,” Adrianna murmured.
He parted her lips with the tip of his tongue and she opened completely for him. She took his tongue into her mouth, savored it and exulted in it. Dante had his own style of kissing that made her completely his. He fondled one breast with the palm of his hand before moving over to the next. Her breasts surged at the intimacy of Dante’s touch. She wanted more.
When his hands slid across her flat stomach to gently caress her hips and her thighs, she trembled underneath him. It was when his fingers slipped inside her that she became nearly unglued. She lay panting; her chest heaving as his hands worked their magic and made love to her while his mouth drove her to the brink.
“Your body is so beautiful.” Dante whispered his love for every part of her body as his hands skimmed the length of her back, bringing her closer to his hard body. They were so close. Flesh against flesh, man against woman. Dante could hear his heart hammering in his chest and the blood surging to the lower half of his body. He needed release.
As quickly as he could he protected them before slowly spreading her thighs and entering her. He sealed their bodies, binding them as one. Adrianna’s body expanded to accommodate him as he began moving inside her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him deeper and deeper inside her body. Her breathing became faster as tension mounted so he quickened the pace and thrust his tongue into her mouth. When he withdrew slightly, Adrianna let out a whimper, so he plunged deeper again.
She lifted her hips to meet his every thrust. When his hardened tip grazed her womanly curve again, a moan escaped her lips, her legs began to quake and her muscles spasmed as she climaxed beneath him. Taut lines etched across his face as he, too, sped toward an overwhelming climax. When a tidal wave overtook him, Dante’s entire body exploded racking him with pure pleasure.
Afterward, he held her tight in his arms. The heavy beating of his heart matched Adrianna. What they had just shared had been so incredible that Dante couldn’t resist repeating the sentiment he’d said earlier at the charity event.
“I love you, Adrianna. I have never stopped,” Dante said, lying in bed with her. “Even when I was angry with you, I loved you.”
“I love you, too,” Adrianna responded softly.
“I didn’t think it was possible that I would ever find love again after I lost you,” Dante admitted. “But I’m sure glad I did.”
“Dante, about before…” Adrianna started. “There’s so much history between us, so much left unsaid that I want to clear the air.”
Dante shook his head. Those nagging questions he’d had before had vanished and now he just wanted to focus on the future. “I don’t want to think about the past anymore, Adrianna, because it doesn’t matter to me. Whatever happened back then I just want to put it behind us. I don’t want to waste any more time.”
“I know, but…”
“No buts.” Dante shushed her with a kiss. “I just want to enjoy us, enjoy this.” H
e gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately until the wee hours of the morning.
Chapter 11
The aftershock of their declaration of love was even more potent in the daylight. Dante had given her a free pass last night from ever revealing the truth about why she’d married another man. But the weight of the guilt was still wearing heavily on her shoulders when Madison stopped by the house that Sunday.
“Hey.” Madison gave her cousin a hug as she came through the front door. “How are you, darling? I was worried. I heard from Mama that Uncle Howard isn’t doing too good.”
“I’m hanging in there,” Adrianna said, “but Father…” Her voice broke.
Madison touched her arm. “The end is near, isn’t it?”
Adrianna nodded her head. “He’s gotten weaker, so much so that he can barely sit up or feed himself. The hospice nurse is now here 24/7 because Nigel and I just can’t do it alone anymore. His condition seemed to deteriorate almost overnight.”
“What can I do?” Madison asked.
“Just your coming here means a lot.” Adrianna reached for her hand and gave a gentle squeeze.
Madison smiled warmly. “I’m glad you said that.” She reached behind her and pulled out a bag. “Because I’m staying overnight!” She slammed the front door.
“Oh, Maddie,” Adrianna cried, “you have no idea how much I needed this.”
“C’mon, girlfriend,” Madison wrapped her arm around her cousin’s waist. “Let’s talk.”
Over a big pot of tea with oatmeal raisin cookies, Adrianna’s favorite that Nigel just so happened to have cooling, she and Madison caught up about what had happened over the past two months.
“You know, I was starting to think you were just a figment of my imagination,” Madison started. “You’ve been back for nearly three months, but I have barely seen you. Then lo and behold I’m driving down Times Square and I see a huge billboard and an advertisement for you and Dante’s Easy Entertaining show. You could have knocked me over with a feather.”
“That’s been the bright spot in the midst of all this misery,” Adrianna said, taking a sip of tea and curling her legs underneath her. “Taping the show has been great. I think it’s going to be a huge success.”
“Of course it is,” Madison returned, reaching for a cookie. “It has you. So…how’s everything between you and Dante?”
Madison’s eyes never left hers, so Adrianna couldn’t lie and a broad smile spread across her face. “Dante told me he loves me last night.”
“Are you kidding?” Madison kicked off her Manolo Blahnik heels and made herself comfortable on the couch.
“No, I’m not.” Adrianna beamed. “He told me he’d always loved me.”
“And…”
“And I told him I love him back.”
“Girl, I am so thrilled for you,” Madison said. “After all these years, to finally have your heart’s desire? You must be on cloud nine.”
“I am.”
Madison sat back and studied her cousin’s face. “Why do I hear some hesitancy in your voice?”
“There’s not…” Adrianna began, but at Madison’s raised brow, she stopped. “Okay, I do feel a little guilty.”
“Why? You love him and he loves you. What else is there?”
“The real reason I left him ten years ago,” Adrianna responded. “I feel like it’s hanging over my head.”
“Then you should tell him,” Madison said matter-of-factly.
“I tried, but he wouldn’t let me. He told me the past wasn’t important anymore and that I should let it go.”
“Then let it go. He’s given you an out. Take it.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
“Why do you want to tell him so much? You say it’s because he has the right to know, but it sounds like to me it’s more about clearing your own conscience and making you feel better. Because I doubt hearing the truth will make Dante feel good.”
“Wow!” Madison’s words stung, but were true. Was she doing this more for herself than for Dante?
“All I’m saying is give this some thought before you go torch what you and Dante have just built together because you’re feeling guilty.”
Adrianna nodded. “I will certainly think long and hard before I make any decisions.”
On Monday morning, Dante paced the floor of the television studio and glanced down at his watch. He was already dressed and in makeup, but Adrianna was late which was unlike her.
“We’re not going to be able to wait much longer, Dante,” Todd proclaimed. “We can’t afford to keep the production staff here if she’s a no-show.”
Dante nodded. “I know. It’s just that her father has been ill.” He reached into his pocket for his phone and called Adrianna, but it went straight to voice mail. Something was definitely wrong. “I can’t reach her. I’m sorry, Todd, but we’re going to have to cancel. I think it could be her father.”
Todd nodded. “All right. Call me when you know something.”
Dante barely heard him because he was already snatching off his microphone and heading to the door. He speed-dialed Adrianna from the elevator landing, but there was still no answer.
His car was waiting for him outside and Dante hopped inside. “We’re going to the Hamptons and put a rush on it.”
Dante was anxious during the ride. It didn’t help that the clouds became dark and the skies opened, pouring down a sheet of rain, making the drive longer than Dante anticipated.
A sense of foreboding came over him when he arrived at the mansion and found the house surprisingly quiet. Usually staff was roaming the grounds, grooming the hedges or sweeping the front driveway, but now no one was in sight. He was more disturbed when he rang the doorbell and no one answered.
Dante tried the handle and found the door open. Quickly, he climbed the winding staircase to the second floor. He glanced down each hall, unsure of which one to take when he heard voices. He followed the sound until he came to a door cracked open.
The nurse and Nigel were sitting next to Adrianna’s father. Dante cleared his throat and Nigel glanced up.
“Mr. Moore.” Nigel wiped his eyes and Dante could tell he’d been crying. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear the door.”
“It’s all right, Nigel,” Dante said, coming forward. “When Adrianna didn’t answer her phone I was worried and just came over.”
“Is that Dante?”
Dante heard a small whisper of a voice coming from the bed and couldn’t imagine it was the once prominent man who’d threatened to destroy him if he didn’t stay away from his daughter.
When Nigel moved out of the way, Dante was shocked by the sight of the man lying on the bed in front of him. This man was certainly not the Howard Wright he remembered. This man was emaciated. His face had sunk in and he appeared half the size he once was. “Mr. Wright?”
“So it is you,” Howard Wright said once Dante made it to the bed.
Dante nodded. “It is. I’m sorry to see you like this.”
“Are you really? I would think you would be happy to see me get what I had coming considering what I did to keep you away from my daughter.”
“You’re Adrianna’s father,” Dante responded. “I would never wish you ill.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Howard said. “Nigel, I’d like to speak with Mr. Moore alone if you don’t mind.”
“No problem, Mr. Wright.” The butler ushered the nurse out of the room.
“Don’t tire him out,” the nurse said to Dante before she left.
“I won’t.” Dante sat on the bed next to Adrianna’s father. “What would you like to say to me, Mr. Wright?”
“Take care of my daughter,” he murmured. “She’s going to need you more than ever once I’m gone.”
“That won’t be a hardship. I love your daughter, Mr. Wright. I always have. And I promise I will take good care of Adrianna after you’re gone.” Truth be told, despite the relationships he’d had since Adrianna, he’d ne
ver truly loved anyone else. He’d found the love of his life when he was twenty-five and no one since had come close to ever taking her place.
“That’s good because what I have to tell you now might change that, but I’m hoping that you can forgive her and forgive me.”
Dante frowned. Whatever he had to say must be important because Mr. Wright was struggling to sit up, so Dante reached out, pulled him by the shoulders and propped him up against the pillows so he could sit up and face Dante eye to eye, man to man. “What do you have to tell me?”
“First off, my daughter has always loved you, but I refused to believe it. I thought I knew what was best for her.”
“Father knows best?” Dante attempted a smile, trying to lighten the mood and make Mr. Wright feel better, but it wasn’t working. Mr. Wright’s expression was as stern as ever.
“I went to great lengths to keep you apart.”
“How so?”
“Ten years ago, I lied to you, Dante. Adrianna didn’t want to marry Phillip.”
“She didn’t?”
“No. I forced her to marry him.”
“Why would do that?” Dante asked. “And more importantly, how could you force a grown woman to do something she didn’t want to do?”
“Why? Because…” Howard starting coughing uncontrollably and Dante leaned over to the nightstand and poured him a glass of water. He placed the glass to Mr. Wright’s lips and helped him drink the water.
After a short while, Howard spoke again. “Because I thought a lowly cook wasn’t worthy of my daughter. I was governor of New York for Christ’s sake. My daughter deserved to marry royalty, but fate turned against me. So I had to use some underhanded methods to get Adrianna to agree to do what I wanted.”
Dante was horrified by what he was hearing. “What did you do? How did you get Adrianna to go along with your plan?”
“Well…” Howard lowered his head.
He was clearly ashamed of whatever he’d done, but the waiting was driving Dante mad. “Spit it out, Mr. Wright. You obviously want to clear your conscience before you leave this earth, so tell me what you did.”
Two to Tango Page 13
