by Angelo, Judy
She had to admit, the man was gorgeous. Second admission - she wanted to spend the evening with him and if the only way she could do that was on the back of a motorcycle then maybe she’d take the chance. As long as he promised to go really slowly.
“Come on,” he wheedled. “You know you want to try it.”
She drew in a deep breath then expelled it in a sigh of acquiescence. “Alright, you’ve worn me down. I’ll go. But only if you promise to be careful.”
Storm put his hand up in a brisk salute. “Scouts honor. You’re safe with me.”
I’m not so sure about that, she thought, but she didn’t say it out loud. She might be safe with him on his motorbike but the closer she got to him, the more her heart was sliding down the slippery slope of attraction. She seriously could not afford to get caught in the mudslide. She was his hired help, not his girlfriend, and she would do well to remember that.
Dani reached out and took the helmet from Storm’s hand then she followed his example and pulled the strap under her chin and snapped it closed. Then they were ready to go.
Storm flung his leg over the motorcycle and started the engine with a vroom, making Dani jump. He laughed at her. “Hop on,” he yelled over the din, "and hold on tight.”
She plopped her bottom on the seat behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Even with her fright at being on the back of a motorcycle she could feel and appreciate the taut muscles of his abdomen, and the feel of his strong back against her chest was wickedly delicious.
She didn’t even attempt to play modest and maintain some distance between her body and his. She clung to him like he was her lifeline and she planned never to let go.
Storm revved the engine and then they were off, with Dani laughing and screaming all the way out of the parking lot.
If she’d thought being on the back of a motorcycle in a parking lot was scary she got the fright of her life when they hit the road and a car zoomed pass, so close that Dani’s heart leaped into her throat and she couldn’t even scream. “Please, Storm, please,” she whimpered, “This is scary. I want to stop.” This wasn’t Dani the practical, Dani the brave. This was Dani the wimp but she didn’t care if the whole world knew it. She just wanted to get off that motorcycle and on to solid ground. Now.
Storm must not have heard her because he kept on going, slow and steady at first then a little faster until he was keeping up with the rest of the traffic and passing some of the slower cars on the road. To his credit, he did not take the ramp that led to the highway even though that route would have made for a far more exhilarating ride. Instead, he turned off the main road and headed for a side road with just the odd car or van passing by.
They rode for several more miles and with each passing minute Dani’s tension eased until she was pressed against Storm, not out of fear, but simply because she was reveling in this one chance she was getting to hold him close. Finally, they arrived at a wide open field with strips of paved road stretching for miles. It looked like an abandoned airport with runways that now lay bare. It was here that Storm let his baby fly.
Dani screamed but this time it was from the thrill of racing down a runway at full speed, feeling like they were in a plane ready to take off. With her adrenalin pumping, her heart racing and her mouth gone dry, all she could do was cling to Storm and shriek.
When he finally slowed the super powerful machine and pulled it off the runway Dani was panting like a dog in need of water. She slid off the back of the motorbike, unbuckled her helmet and staggered over to the grassy bank where she flopped down.
Storm laughed at her dramatic departure then he set the bike to stand, took off his helmet and went to sit beside her in the grass. He looked like he was trying to seem casual but he, too, was breathing hard.
Dani looked up at him as he leaned over her and she burst out in uncontrollable laughter. She had never felt so exhilarated in her life. This man had scared her half to death and then he had dragged her over the edge, past her fear, and into a daredevil realm that had her wanting more. When her laughter finally died down she was still breathless. “That was the greatest,” she whispered as she stared up into his laughing dark eyes.
But then as she stared up at him something in his eyes changed. The laughter disappeared and he was looking down at her with an intensity that took her breath away.
As he lowered his head, blocking the sky from view, she closed her eyes and stayed still, afraid to move and break the spell.
And then she felt it, his mouth pressing against hers, firm yet mobile, demanding her response.
And she gave it. She responded with an eagerness that surprised her. She must still be high from the ride because, instead of pulling away in shock, she pressed her lips against his and her hands slid up and around his back.
He must have taken that as license to go farther because his tongue teased then probed and then he was plundering her mouth with a fervor that spoke of pent-up passion.
Dani answered in kind, kissing back boldly, giving in to the raw desire that flooded through her. Then she was clinging to him, pulling him into her, drowning in the feel of his rock-hard chest against her breasts.
When he drew back to look down at her she moaned, wanting more of the same. Her nipples were hard as pebbles and she could feel a trace of moisture between her legs. Even if she were of a different mind there was no denying it. Her body wanted him. But now he was moving away from her, taking his sweet lips and hard body with him.
Storm moved from over her and sat by her side. When he looked down at her, still lying on her back in the grass, there was a rueful expression on his face. “I don’t know what came over me,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse. “I just had to kiss you.”
Dani gave him a soft smile. “I don’t mind.”
He gave her a real smile then and reached out both hands to her. “Come on, let’s ride some more.”
They stayed at that abandoned airfield a whole hour more, riding and laughing and enjoying each other’s company. There were no more kisses that evening but Dani felt there was a connection between them that was special.
When Storm finally dropped her back at her apartment Dani was exhausted and happy. She couldn’t remember when she’d had so much fun. Over the last four years her existence had been dreary, with her main focus being the care of her younger brother. She’d never had time to go out and have fun. She’d been made a parent at the age of eighteen and had lived a life of responsibility since then.
But this evening Storm had given her back the girlhood she’d lost. She’d been free and crazy and she’d had wild fun and for that she was grateful.
Storm walked her into the lobby of the apartment building then shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket and looked down at her with a grin. “Now it’s my turn to get to know a little about you,” he said. “Tomorrow evening we’ll do something you love. What will it be?”
That took her off guard. What did she love to do? What had she had time to do outside of work? She thought for a moment then an idea flashed into her mind. She grinned up at him. She had the perfect plan. “Let’s buy some fabric and make a quilt.”
Storm’s smile faded and his brows lifted in what looked like horror. “Let’s do what?”
“My mom loved to make quilts,” Dani gushed, “and I used to help her. I’ve always loved the peace and serenity of needlework. I haven’t done it in years. That’s what I want to do tomorrow.”
Storm frowned, the look on his face one of doubt. “Somehow you don’t strike me as a needlework kind of girl. Roller-skating, maybe. Even bowling. But needlework?’
“You asked me what I want to do and that’s it,” she said, giving him a look of defiance. “So you get your stitching finger ready, mister, because tomorrow we’re going to make a quilt. “
“Well, if you say so,” he said, dragging the words as if they were the hardest things for him to say.
Dani gave him a firm nod. “I do say so. I’ll see you tomorrow
at five. Don’t be late.”
She waited for him to turn and watched as he crossed the lobby and went through the door, still mumbling in distress and confusion. She laughed to herself as, from the door, she watched him climb on his motor cycle and ride away then she headed back to the elevator, punched the button and headed up to her apartment.
She was still laughing when she went inside. Storm Hunter had forced her to explore a wild side she never knew existed. Now she would force him to explore his softer, more sensitive side.
It was going to be fun watching him squirm.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Lola, calm down. There’s no need to be so dramatic.” Storm had to grit his teeth to keep his voice calm and under control. The woman was impossible.
“Dramatic?" she shrieked as she clenched her fists and glared at him from tear-filled eyes. “Is that what you call it? No. This is dramatic.” She grabbed a stapler from his desk and threw it across the room at him, missing his head by mere inches. He’d had to duck to keep from being brained.
“Lola, stop it,” he said in his most imperious voice but it was like talking to a mad woman. She was already reaching for the heavy tape dispenser and he had to dive for it and wrench it out of her grasp.
“How could you do this to me, Storm Hunter? How could you?” Lola’s face crumpled and she collapsed into a chair and covered her face with her hands. “I love you. You know I do. Why would you torture me like this?”
“Lola, please. I’m not doing this to hurt you.” Storm let out a heavy sigh. He hated to see a woman cry. “You don’t love me, Lola. Its just infatuation. It’s only because our parents expect-”
“Don’t tell me what I feel for you.” She lifted her face and spat the words at him, her eyes flashing with a rage that made her look crazed. “For years I’ve waited for you. Years. And you led me on, making me think you felt the same way.”
“But we never-”
“It doesn’t matter. I was waiting for you till we were married. I know you had other women, playboy that you are, and I let you have your flings.” She sucked in her breath, her nostrils flaring. “I was giving you time to grow up. He’ll come around when it’s time, I told myself. He’ll settle down one day soon and when he does it will be with me, the woman who's loved him faithfully all these years.”
Now Storm was getting pissed. What kind of guilt trip was Lola trying to throw on him when he’d never made any commitment, not even a promise, to her? Despite what their parents wished, as far as he was concerned he was not about to be forced into an arranged marriage.
“Get serious, Lola,” he said, his voice cold. “We were never going to get married and you know it.” He shook his head. “You turned up here suddenly and started with your usual antics, acting like we’re lovers...which we’re not. I had to tell you because this behavior has to stop. I can’t play those games with you anymore.”
“So that’s all it was to you, a game?” Her voice was a bitter, broken whisper. “All this time I was loving you, you were only playing a game. With my heart.”
She stood up then and hugged her purse to her chest like a protective shield. “And now you tell me you’ve got a fiancée. Where the hell she came from, I don’t know. Well, if this is something you cooked up to humiliate me you can give yourself a pat on the back. It worked.” With an injured sniff she turned on her heel and walked to the door. This time, instead of her usual ‘Love you, darling’, she opened the door then turned and said, “Don’t think this is over, Storm. We are not going to end like this.”
Storm let out his breath and shook his head then he dropped himself onto the leather sofa by the window. He hadn’t meant to reveal the engagement - fake though it was - until after he’d announced it to his parents, but Lola had been more annoying than usual. She’d always been expressive with her feelings but today she’d become more physical, throwing her arms around his waist and planting an unexpected kiss on his lips.
It wasn’t that he had anything against her. He was just tired of playing her game, a game that their parents wholly endorsed. And that was why he’d seized onto the idea of Dani as his fiancée. She was the perfect solution to getting everybody, including Lola, off his back.
The sad thing was, it looked like he had just created a brand new enemy.
******
Dani dashed around the apartment for the too many-eth time, making sure everything was just right. Her heart was pumping like she was on the edge of a cliff ready to bungee jump.
She could beat herself. She’d invited Storm to join her in making a quilt, not even thinking about where they’d be executing the project. Of course, it ended up that it would be at her apartment. She couldn’t very well lay out fabric and put him to work in the lobby of the apartment building. And it wasn’t like she had any other place she could take him to do that. It was too bad she had blurted out her idea without thinking about the consequences.
Number one question - what would he think of her modest apartment, with him being a billionaire and all? Number two dilemma - shouldn’t she have suggested something that would allow them to be in a neutral place rather than an intimate setting such as her apartment? Number three disaster - now that she’d had a taste of him how was she going to be able to keep her hands of the ‘merchandise’?
When the buzzer sounded Dani jumped. She was so tense she had to take two deep breaths before pressing the button to answer. Storm was on his way up to her apartment and she wasn’t ready. She felt like she’d never be. She checked the mirror one last time then slid her damp palms down the sides of her jeans.
She heard the elevator door open then footsteps coming down the hallway, the heavy footsteps of a man. They stopped right in front of her door. She pasted a practiced smile on her face and opened up.
The face that greeted Dani was not the one she’d expected. Instead of a smiling, relaxed Storm she saw a man who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. His lips were drawn tight and he was almost scowling.
“Are you alright?” She stared up at him, momentarily taken aback, and then she stepped aside so he could come in.
“Uh, sorry,” he said then just like that he seemed to snap out of his trance. It was as if he just realized where he was. The creases on his brow disappeared and his lips relaxed into a smile. “Forgive me. It’s been a long day.”
She nodded and smiled, accepting the apology, then reached up to take up his jacket. He shrugged out of it and as she went to hang it in the closet he looked around the apartment.
“Neat, “ he said as his eyes roamed the living room then the dining room and the kitchen. He could take it all in with one sweep of the eyes.
She came back to stand beside him. “Neat as in organized or neat as in cool?” she asked in a teasing tone, trying to hide her nervousness.
“Both,” he said. Typical man. He was playing it safe.
“Nobody says neat to mean cool anymore so I’ll take it you mean organized.”
“Okay,” he said with a drawl then he gave her a quizzical look. “So where’s the quilting stuff?”
“My, aren’t we eager?” She laughed then directed him to have a seat in the living room. “I’ll go get the basket with the supplies.”
When she returned to the living room he was lounging in the sofa but as soon as he saw her he sat up and dug into his pocket. He came out with something small and shiny. “I brought my thimble,” he said and held it up proudly for her to see.
Dani had to laugh at that. She set the basket on the coffee table and plucked the thimble off his palm. “Now where did you get that?” She could not imagine a man like Storm having something as domestic as a thimble lying around his house.
“The housekeeper,” he said and now he, too, was laughing. "I told her I was going to learn to sew and she said to make sure to use a thimble. Then she gave me this one from her sewing kit. I didn’t even know she had a sewing kit. Do people still use those things?”
“Yes, Storm, they do.” Da
ni rolled her eyes at him then she smiled and shook her head. What did billionaires know about such things? She started pulling pieces of fabric from her collection and laid out each colorful section in front of him. "I pre-washed the fabric so they’re ready to go.”
He picked up a pink polka dot piece. “Why would you do that?’
“It prevents color runs and shrinking once we’ve completed the quilt. Just some preventative measures.”
“Oh,” he said then stifled a yawn.
Dani leaned over and gave him a playful punch. “Hey, you could at least pretend to be interested. You didn’t see me falling asleep when I was on the back of your motorcycle.” She picked up a few of the pieces. “Let's move this over to the dining table. We’re going to need a lot of space for this project.”
It took a while for them to get organized but soon they were busy following the simple pattern Dani had downloaded from the Internet. She was surprised at how quickly Storm caught on, following her instructions step by step, and even when he had to redo a crooked section she heard no complaint. He was plugging away, so deep in concentration, that after an hour and a half it was Dani who had to call for a break.
“You must be tired,” she said. “Let me get you a drink.”
“No, I’m good,” he said, not looking up from his work. “Let's just keep going till we’re all done.”
“Let's not,” she said and put her hand on her hip. “I’m exhausted. Are you trying to work me into the ground?’
“Hey, I’m enjoying this,” he said with a laugh. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had the chance to work with my hands.”
“You? Work with your hands?” she asked in disbelief. “When?”
“My dad and I used to tinker around motorcycles when I was growing up. That’s why I like the machines so much.”
“Your dad? The Edgar Hunter? Getting his hands dirty with mechanic work? I find that hard to believe.”
He grinned at her. “Billionaires are people, too. Don’t think I didn’t get my fair share of scolding for not tidying up my room.”
