September Storm

by Brenda Jernigan

  It was probably just as well . . . because if she had uttered those words, there would be no way he'd let her walk out of his life . . . no way.

  Adrian turned, his back to the rail, and faced her. "Come over here, Dani."

  Dani shivered as she stumbled over to him. If anything she was more confused than when she had arrived three days ago.

  Stopping in front of him, she wanted to say something--anything, but what? Adrian's eyes seemed to bore through her as if he, too, were searching for some answer. Lord knows, she didn't have any answers.

  Adrian sighed and enfolded her within his arms. "I guess this is goodbye, sweetheart," he murmured as he rested his chin on top of her hair. "You're shaking, Dani. Wrap your arms around my waist and I'll share a little body heat with you." He held open his coat in invitation.

  She laid her cheek against the solid muscles of his chest and heard the quickening of his heart beneath her ear. "I-I don't know why I'm so cold. It's a little chilly out here, but not dreadfully cold." Her teeth chattered, and she truly felt as though she were coming apart at the seams.

  "I won't soon forget you," Adrian murmured, his voice sounding strange. He went on, "We shared some pretty memorable moments."

  "Yeah, like bumps on the head," Dani half-laughed, half-sobbed. "I hope you don't plan on making dates with call girls in the future. You might get more than you bargain for."

  "That was a stupid birthday present," Adrian said, nuzzling aside the hair near her ear. "My friends will never believe what really occurred this weekend."

  "You mean you're going to tell them?"

  "If you mean am I going to sit in a bar and tell every little detail that happened, the answer is no. I wouldn't do that to you. What happened between us is personal."

  She needed to fight her own battle of personal restraint, but she felt herself slipping. "Thank you,” Dani whispered. “Listen, I was there and I still don't believe what happened."

  The boat jarred then as it nudged against the dock, and she knew this was it. The wonderful, magical fairy tale was coming to an end.

  Adrian wasn't going to ask her to stay.

  Dani drew back and looked at him with eyes that were bright with unshed tears. "Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?"

  She didn't have to ask twice. He swooped down, his lips taking hers in a shattering kiss. He held her so tight she had difficulty breathing. But she really didn't care. Air wasn't what she needed. She molded herself to his hard body. They fit so perfectly, and every hard plane of his body gave her evidence that he wanted her no matter what he said. He couldn't hide that fact from her. She might never lay eyes on him again, but she was determined he'd never forget this kiss.

  With a skilled expertise, she felt Adrian's hands as they sunk into her hair holding her head while his kiss changed from demanding to gentle. Dani clung to him with a helplessness she couldn't control. Instinctively her mouth opened, and she welcomed his tongue, trying to block out the anguish she knew was coming.

  He stroked her back, his fingers warming her. Dani no longer had control. If he made love to her here on the deck then so be it. How could she ever go back to her dull, routine life? Adrian sucked the very life from her, and she was but a split-second from ripping his shirt open to better feel his skin next to hers.

  Adrian couldn't get enough of the fabulous woman captured within his arms, the stunning face, or the kiss that had sent him over the edge. He hadn't planned to make love to her with his kisses, but that's exactly what he was doing.

  Each time his tongue thrust into her velvety-soft mouth, he could picture them making love. Her long, sun-kissed body seemed made for him. He shivered and lowered his hand to her hips, pulling her pelvis next to his throbbing erection. There couldn't be any questions in her mind that he wanted her like no other. Wanted, but couldn't have. This was goodbye, and that thought became a glass of ice water splashed over his head.

  Adrian tore his mouth from hers and held her away from him. However he couldn’t keep from looking at her as he searched for the right words. He wanted to say, Stay with me, Dani, if only for awhile. But he'd end up hurting her when he became bored, which he always did. He'd push her aside. What a bastard he was. Dani deserved better.

  "Let me help you with your bags," he finally muttered when he could think of nothing else to say.

  Instantly, sanity returned.

  A gust of cold air swept between them, removing what little warmth remained. So this was it, Dani thought, blinking back the tears that spilled from her eyes. "Don't worry. I can get them myself."

  "You always did have a thing about your luggage,” Adrian said wryly. “But I insist," he said, picking up the bag as if it was empty.

  "Where are your bags?" Dani realized that she hadn't seen him bring anything aboard.

  "I left them at the house. I'm going to go back and check on Angus and Nettie, then I'll be leaving. I just wanted to see you safely on your way."

  Or did he mean out of his hair? Dani wondered with a touch of bitterness. "That's nice of you."

  They left the boat and moved over to a yellow cab. He put her damp bags in the cab and gave the driver instructions before coming around to where she stood.

  Adrian took her hand and held it in both of his.

  If only he would ask her to stay, but Dani realized he wasn't going to do that. "I hope you had a nice birthday, Adrian Massimino."

  He chuckled and held her hand up to his lips, brushing her knuckles with a feather-light touch. "I'll always remember my thirty-ninth birthday and September storms with much fondness."

  She gave him a teary smile as he stared at her.

  He reached out and snatched her to him in a powerful hug. It took a few moments before he whispered in her hair. "Don't, Dani. I'm not worth your tears."

  In the background she heard the cab driver clear his throat. If she had a gun, she'd shoot the man.

  "It's time." Adrian held the door for her and Dani slid in. Adrian leaned down to her open window and said, "Have a nice life, Danielle Kapur. I hope Steven makes all your dreams come true."

  Adrian felt as though his guts were being torn from his body as he watched the cab drive away. For a brief moment, he wanted to run after the cab and beg her to stay, but he fought the impulse.

  No matter what he felt, he was doing the right thing.

  He wasn't sure how long he stared at the now empty road. Finally, he heard Captain Bass call from the dock that it was time to shove off.

  Adrian turned heavy feet and moved in the direction of the boat, no longer seeing any of the beauty in the things around him. The sky had turned gray and the sea gulls were noisy. Even the air seemed to hold a stench.

  As he stepped onto the ferry the Captain said, "I hated to see the pretty lady go. How about giving this to her the next time you see her."

  Adrian glanced down at a wooden seagull that someone had whittled in the captain’s hand, then back to his face.

  "She seemed fascinated by the bird. Tell her it's a gift from the Captain."

  Adrian nodded unable to speak because his throat had closed up with emotion. He clutched the little bird in his hand and found the same seat where he and Dani had sat before. Dani's scent still lingered in her now empty spot.

  Adrian clenched his jaw. His heart ached. Why had he let her leave? Would he ever see Danielle Kapur again?

  Dani watched Adrian through the rear window of the cab until he was no bigger than a mere speck of dust. He was gone with the wind just like he had never existed. A blur of memory and nothing more.

  The driver cleared his throat. "I could always take you back, lady."

  Dani turned around in the seat, realizing how foolish she must appear to the driver. She met his eyes in the rearview mirror. "Thanks. But it's better this way."

  "If you say so." The man shrugged. "What terminal do you need?"

  She answered his question.

  When Dani arrived at the airport, she found Adrian had taken care of every
thing for her. She was met at the counter by an agent who didn't ask for any ID, which of course she didn't have.

  She moved away from the counter, walking through the small airport until she came to her gate. She had to go through a security check since she’d lost her ID. Too restless to sit, she found a water fountain and took her airsickness pill, then stood by a wall and waited.

  Several people stared at her, obviously curious, but quickly averted their gaze when she looked their way.

  Dani wished she could quit crying. She felt like an idiot carrying on over something that should never have happened. How could she have been so stupid as to fall in love with Adrian? Would she never find someone who would truly be hers forever?

  Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, the agent announced boarding and Dani left her adventure behind her. She snapped her seatbelt, smiled to the man beside her, and practiced becoming numb inside. The trip home became a blur.

  When she arrived in San Antonio, she claimed her baggage and started the trip home, thankful for now that she didn't have a car because her keys would have been lost with everything else.

  The short trip home took twenty minutes. Once there, it took several minutes for Dani to locate the hidden door key buried in the plant beside her door. She slipped her key into the deadbolt and listened for the click. She was home.

  Flipping on the lights, she dropped her bag by the door and gave the door a shove with her foot. She glanced around. All her familiar things were there. Instead of feeling like she was at home, though, she felt more like a visitor.

  How ironic that she had felt more at home at the beach house than here.

  But these feelings would pass, she tried to convince herself. She just needed to be patient.

  A blinking red light caught her eye, so she crossed to the answering machine and pushed the button. "Where the hell are you?" Susan's voice demanded. "I can't believe you haven’t called me. Is something wrong, Dani?"

  Dani half-smiled. She really wasn't sure anymore what was wrong or right, then the next message played. "Why haven't you returned my call?" Steven's irritated voice rang clear. "We really need to talk."

  "Yes, we do," Dani mumbled as she moved to the bedroom. "But first, I need a hot shower."

  She must have set a Guinness Book of World Records for hot showers, but the water felt wonderful as it helped wash her aches and pains away. It wouldn’t solve her problems, but it helped. It also took away the last scent of Adrian.

  When the water turned cold, Dani realized she couldn't remain in the shower forever. Thanks to the hot water and a good cry she did feel a little better when she stepped out.

  She buffed her skin dry then wrapped her hair in a towel. She'd dry her hair later when she felt like it. Right now she wanted something to eat. Then she'd call Susan.

  Steven could wait.

  Dani had eaten half her soup, when the phone rang. She eyed the receiver: Steven or Susan, which one?

  "Where have you been?" Susan all but shouted. Dani held the phone away from her ear.

  "At the beach," Dani answered with a smile, deciding to tease her friend a bit. "I told you where I was going."

  "But the hurricane. And then Steven showed up two days ago and said he hadn't seen you."

  "I don't guess he did. He stood me up--again."

  "So, I repeat –”, Susan took a deep breath. “--what were you doing? I've been worried sick!"

  "I know. I think you'd better come over so I can tell you everything."

  "The kids are at school. Let me finish what I'm doing and I'll be there in ten minutes."

  "Don't break your neck." Dani smiled. Susan only lived next door. "I'll be here."

  Dani reached for her soup again. She really should call work, considering she hadn't bothered to show up, but she didn't want to talk to them now.

  Besides, Steven might be at the office, and she wasn't up to seeing him yet.

  In less than ten minutes the doorbell rang. Dani slipped the dishes in the sink and dried her hands before answering the door.

  Susan hugged her. "Thank goodness you're safe!" She took Dani's hand and pulled her over to the couch. "Come, sit down. I want to hear everything from the beginning. I knew Steven would stand you up, that jerk! I don't see what you see in him. Okay, I'm ready. Where have you been?"

  Dani gave Susan a faint smile. "I'm not really sure I believe what I'm going to tell you.” Dani took a deep breath. “But here goes. My plane was delayed, so by the time I got to the cottage it was very late."

  "Had you heard anything at all about the hurricane?"

  "No. That came the next day."

  "So what did you do when Steven wasn't there?"

  "I'm getting to that,” Dani said, placing her hand over Susan’s to calm her. “I just want you to remember that I had taken several air sickness pills, and I had one too many rum and cokes."

  "My God, you were drunk!"

  "And lost, to say the least." Dani proceeded to tell her friend about the whole weekend, leaving nothing out. Every now and then she was stopped with Susan's "Ooooo" and "Ahhhhs" and "you're kidding," but finally Danielle, feeling very exhausted, finished her story.

  "That's the most romantic and bizarre thing I've ever heard!" Susan exclaimed, falling back on the couch exhausted. "No wonder you look like hell. When are you going to see him again?"

  "I'm not."

  Susan snapped back up. "But how can you let someone that scrumptious walk out of your life?"

  "He's not the marrying kind. He told me that up front,” Dani said, trying to shrug. “He said he'd tried it and didn't like marriage. Besides, I have no address or any way to get in touch with him. It's almost as though he never existed."

  "That's such a shame. I'd like to have met tall, dark, and handsome. He sounds like a good Prince Charming to me."

  "Well, it's over now. I need to talk to Steven."

  "What are you going to say to Peter Pan?"

  "I wish you'd quit calling him that." Dani shook her head at Susan. "He does have some good qualities."

  "None that I've seen,” Susan said with a snort. “Do be careful, Dani. Make sure that he has changed and he has your best interest at heart. After all, you deserve the best." Susan got to her feet and started for the door. "What are you going to say to him?"

  "I'm not sure. I'll just wait and see what happens."

  Adrian knew it was time to go home. He'd done everything he could do here. He had spoken with the insurance adjusters and lined up several contractors to give him estimates, but he wanted to look at the house one more time. And he knew the reason why.

  Moving through the house, he checked to see if there was anything he needed to take back to New York. As his gaze roamed around the living room, he pictured Dani sitting across from him playing Monopoly, her golden hair falling over her shoulders as she shook the dice in her hand.

  This last day had seemed so empty without her and he really couldn't remember another time he'd missed another woman so much. And those were women he'd known for a long time, not several days.

  He sighed then walked across the living room and through one of the workable doors and onto the back deck that had luckily survived the storm. He wanted to see the ocean one more time.

  Mother Nature had shown them all her fury, but he loved her just the same. As Adrian stared at the surf one last time, something gold caught his eye on the beach just below the house.

  He jogged down the stairs to a huge clump of pampas grass by the steps. Carefully reaching into the massive plant so he wouldn't cut himself on the razor-sharp blades, he grasped the gold object and jerked it out.

  "A purse." He shook off the sand, unzipped the bag and plucked out a wallet. He went back to the stairs and sat down and opened the billfold. A Texas driver's license was the first thing that met his eyes, then a picture of a smiling blonde. His heart twisted.

  "Damn. Even her driver's license is a good picture." He looked at the address: 123 River Road, San Antoni
o. Well, he could at least mail her purse to her and save her a lot of trouble canceling credit cards. Surprisingly enough, the contents of her purse were damp, though still in good shape.

  Flipping through her pictures, he saw a picture of two little girls with a woman and a picture of her parents. The last picture was of Dani standing with a man, his arm casually draped across her shoulder.

  "Steven," Adrian said. He examined the photo for a long time. He didn't like the way the man looked. The jerk wasn't Dani's type. If Steven loved her, he would have pulled her close to him instead of standing looking as if he couldn't wait for the picture to be over with.

  The longer Adrian stared at the picture the madder he grew. He needed to have a few words with that son of a bitch and there was only one way to do it.

  Chapter Eight

  Dani tossed back her pink comforter and slipped out of bed. Wasting little time, she moved to the kitchen to get her first cup of caffeine. It would take several cups to get her moving this morning.

  As she sighed, her thoughts wandered back to the time Adrian had fixed breakfast for her. She could get used to the sight of him cooking for her every morning. Had that only been a few days ago?

  Last night had been one long tumbling session as sleep had eluded her. This morning, her bed looked like she'd fought World War III, and her body most certainly felt like it. After everything she'd been through, Dani had expected to sleep like the dead. Since that hadn't been the case, she hoped tonight would be a different story.

  It was time to face the real world and forget about the fantasy of the last four days.

  Normally, she'd be chomping at the bit to get back to her job after having been away. However, working for Steven's father meant she'd have to face her problems that much sooner.

  And to say she was confused would be putting it mildly. Up until a few days ago, marrying Steven had been the only thing she'd ever wanted. Now she wasn't so sure. What possible excuse could he have had for standing her up? Would she ever be able to count on him?