September Storm (23 page)

"Help me lower your mother's head," her father barked.  He glanced at Adrian.  "Maybe you had best save any more good news until we get home, son."

"I'm sorry," Adrian said, then stood to assist Mr. Kapur as he helped his dizzy wife to her feet.

Dani gathered her mother's purse, then turned to Adrian when her parents were out of hearing range. "Just what are you doing?"

"Providing my child with a name and you with a husband."

"Your child!"  She carefully lowered her voice. "Did you not tell me more than two weeks ago that you couldn't possibly be my child's father?"

"Yes, I did.  But, apparently, I was wrong. There is a slim chance the child could be mine."

"Slim chance--"  Dani was so angry, she could spit. Instead, she turned and stormed out of the restaurant.

As she stood at the curb waiting for her father to bring the car around, the door behind her opened.  She didn't bother to turn around. She knew Adrian stood behind her.  Hadn't she always been able to feel his presence?

"Go home, Adrian.  You don't belong here."

He touched her arm.  "I belong where you are."

Dani’s heart tightened.  He was using all the right words, but she wasn't going to give in. He'd hurt her. It was going to take more than a lie to make her his. "What are you, my keeper?"

"I saved your life. Twice. In some societies that makes me responsible for you."

"In that case, I release you of your obligations."

Adrian grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward him. "You don't understand, Dani,” he said. “I don't want to be released.  Your parents already think we're married, so that will cover any talk of the baby coming before the vows. We'll get married and if you still feel the way you do after the baby is born we'll call it quits. No questions asked."

"That was one hell of a proposal, Mr. Massimino!"  Dani frowned.

"I'm not trying to insult you, Dani.  I was just trying to help."

She shook her head and turned back to the parking lot.  "Everything is happening much too fast.  My life has been stormy ever since you breezed in. Forgive the pun."  She took a deep breath before looking up at him.  If she married Adrian, she could get half her trust fund. That meant she wouldn't have to worry about money so much.

“I don’t want another rich playboy like Steven.” She drew in a deep breath.  At least, I don’t have to worry about that with you.”

Adrian shook his head.  “Insulting as ever.”

"How do I know I can depend on you?"

"You can depend on me!"  Adrian stated very clearly. "Let's call this a marriage of convenience. We'll even sign a prenuptial agreement so that we won't have any messy law suit if we do decide to split. What do you have to lose?"

My heart, Dani almost said. She wanted to marry for love.  She wanted the groom to look at her with stars in his eyes.  This was all wrong. Even thinking about the money was wrong. But then, everything that happened when she was around Adrian was unpredictable, Dani reminded herself. Again, he was daring her to take a chance.

"People have started with less," he prompted when she didn't respond.

"You're willing to move to Texas?"

"For now,” he said, nodding. “It’ll take me a couple of months to make some arrangements, but it'll work out."

What in the world did a property manager – have to work out? she wondered. "I--I don't know," she finally said. "I need some time to think about this. I do appreciate what you're trying to do.  But I need time. This is a very important decision for me."

"All right, Dani.  I'll give you a little time. After we see your parents, I'll fly back to New York, make some arrangements, then I'll be back. "But I warn you, Dani, I’ll not take no for an answer."

“How did you get down her so fast with the holidays?” Dani asked.

“Marty was kind enough to let me use his plane.”

“That’s a good friend.”

Adrian smiled, kissed her on the cheek and then he was gone.

“
Dani wasn't sure how she managed to keep the smile on her face for the rest of the evening while her parents got to know Adrian. She had to admire how well the man held up. He could go head to head with any corporate businessman, and he had no trouble winning over her parents.

At times she had to remind herself he was the same man from the beach.
Adrian seemed completely at ease with her parents.  She'd thought he would be nervous, but he wasn't, and he definitely wasn't afraid to disagree with them. Despite everything she had said and did to indicate the contrary, she loved him . . . even though she knew he'd probably break her heart.

How in the world could she marry him and then let him go? The baby--that's how she'd do it.  She had someone else to think of now.  He hadn't said the first word about love, and she wouldn't either. She would protect her heart at all cost, even if it killed her!

In the blink of an eye, Adrian was gone, saying that he didn’t want to intrude on her family time. It was almost possible to wonder if he'd ever been there at all.

Two months had passed since she'd last seen Adrian.  He'd called once or twice a week, and to Dani's chagrin, she discovered that she looked forward to his phone calls and telling him all about her day.

The chilly winter air seeped through Dani's heavy sweater as she walked back to the house with her mail.  She hadn't heard from Adrian this week, but she had received a letter from The Mass Corporation awarding her the advertising contract.  She was on cloud nine, and she couldn't wait to tell Adrian. Funny, how she thought of him first.

By mid-morning she'd thrown out the second set of drawings she had been working on for a new account, and her frustrations mounted.  She just couldn't seem to get them right no matter how hard she tried.  Every day, she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate because one man was always on her mind.

She rubbed her tired eyes and went to get a cup of decaf – like that was going to help. She'd just settled back to her drawing board to try again when the doorbell rang.

She flung open the door just as Adrian raised his hand to knock. She flinched.

He immediately asked.  "What's wrong?"

"What makes your think something is wrong?"

"Because you're frowning."  Adrian didn't wait to be invited in.  Instead, he picked up his suitcase and stepped inside, heading straight for her bedroom where he deposited his luggage.

"Make yourself at home," she clipped out before she caught herself. She realized that she'd secretly convinced herself that Adrian would never show up.

He came back into the living room smiling that know-it-all smile of his. "I intend to. Now what's wrong?"

"Well, for starters, it would have been nice if you'd called and let me know you were coming."

"I told you at Christmas I'd be here, and I always keep my word."

"I don't know, Adrian.  This all seems so odd. Are you sure you want to marry me?"

"You’re a bit grumpy, but yes, I think we should get married right away."

"And how is that going to help?"

"Haven't we been through this before?"  His eyes rolled upward as if we were praying. "For one, the baby needs a father. As I told you before, if it doesn't work out, we'll go our separate ways. I even have--"

"Will you sign a prenuptial agreement?" Dani didn't know how she found the nerve to ask that.

Adrian frowned.  Damn, that's just what he was going to say, but somehow the agreement didn't seem as important to him as it once did. "If that's what you’d like.  I don't want anything you have, Dani." Unless it's you, he thought to himself.

She didn’t respond.

He took her by the arm. "Trust me, Dani. For once, don't take time to think everything out. Trust me."

She stared at him for a long time before uttering, "All right, Adrian."

"You're kidding.  What?  No fighting?"  He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her toward the door.  "Come on, let's go before you change your mind."

"Now?  Like this?"

"Yep.  Let's go."

This can’t be real, Dani thought as she stood before the Justice of the Peace.

This isn't the way it's supposed to happen.

"I do," Dani repeated, wishing that things could have been different.

She wanted what all women wanted: a beautiful white dress,  masses of flowers, the groom dressed in a tux waiting at the end of the aisle, watching her with love in his eyes. However, that dream had shattered when she looked down at her navy-blue dress--her large, navy-blue dress. It floated over her extra-large stomach, reminding her of the very reason her dreams had ended so differently.

When the Justice of the Peace pronounced them man and wife, to her surprise Adrian swept her into his arms and kissed her. Not just a quick kiss, but an earth-shattering kiss that sent fire racing through her veins. His mouth opened hungrily, and she responded.
God, help her, she responded with all the desire she'd stored up for this man.

She wondered if she'd ever understand how Adrian could make her do most anything he wanted. Then she knew. In spite of his bluntness, there was a gentleness in him that she loved and needed, and she really didn't want this to be a marriage of convenience. Maybe she could make him love her. Just like she'd tried so hard to make her parents love her. This time she would be successful. There was so much more at stake.

When he pulled back, the magical moment ended, and she reluctantly opened her eyes. Adrian smiled and murmured.  "Are you ready to go home, Mrs. Massimino?"

A shiver of delight surged through her at the sound, and Dani looked at her new husband.

He didn't look like a man who'd been forced into marriage. He looked happy, but she knew better. However, she liked the sound of her new name, Danielle Massimino.

Dani loved the man, but that was something he'd never know.  She wouldn't lay her heart out in the open until she was absolutely sure that he felt the same.

After they’d signed the appropriate papers, they strolled along the River Walk, each quiet with their own thoughts. The dark water reflected the twinkling light of the restaurants that lined the river.

"This isn't too much walking for you?" Adrian asked.  For the baby, I mean."

"No, I'm fine.  The exercise is good for me ... I mean us."

"Dani, I want to tell you something." Adrian stopped and faced her.  "Since we've started this relationship backwards, I'd like to start by getting to know you.  I'm not sure I'm saying this right, but I don't want to have sex until after the baby is born."

Dani glanced down at her feet.  "I guess I'm not very attractive with this big belly."

Using his index finger, he lifted her chin up. "Don't ever say that again.  You're beautiful." He carefully laid his hand on her stomach. "And, our child will be beautiful, too."  Suddenly, he jerked his hand back. "What's that?"

Dani giggled. "That's your son or daughter moving about."

"You're kidding."

"No."  She shook her head.  "The older he gets the more he'll move or so the doctor said."

"That's a--a miracle," he whispered, his voice filled with awe.  Silently, he took her hand and they walked on.

Dani couldn't hold back the question she'd been dying to ask. "Didn't you experience the baby kicking with your first wife?  Why didn't you tell me you had a child?" She felt the muscle in his arm tighten.

"I don't have a child.  My wife miscarried." Adrian's voice was rough. "She wasn’t a nice person, Dani. Someday I’ll tell you the entire story.”

Those few words ended their conversation and the easiness she'd felt before.  Not only did she have the answer to her question, she had gleaned some additional information. Adrian had married her for the baby. Could he actually have thought she would do away with her child?

With the brief glimpse of what his wife had been like, Dani realized she'd have a hard road ahead to prove she was a very different person than the first woman he’d married.

Chapter Fourteen

Adrian sat with his back to his desk looking out the picture window of his new office in San Antonio.  He had to admit that things had worked out better than he first thought. He'd found an office with a picturesque view of the river, and some days he'd fly to New York for meetings and back in the same day with Dani never being the wiser.

Adrian knew he should tell her the whole story of who he was, but he wanted to wait until they got to know each other better. He wanted her to know
him, the real him,
and not the corporate machine he was portrayed to be, so he simply told her a small lie that he'd gotten a construction job at the new amphitheater. And he really was working there, only not as the hired hand he'd led her to believe.

Today Adrian had to go down and check on some final touches for the theater. He'd forgotten how good it felt to be building something again instead of buying companies and splitting them up for profit.  How easy it had been to sit behind a desk and become the cold, calculating corporate machine he’d come to be known as. He reached for his hard hat just as the phone rang.