September Storm Read online

  "Me, too. And I'm glad you're not dead." She gave him a small smile. "That was scary." She moved over beside him and looked out at the water while she summoned the courage to ask. "Why did you tell me you're not married--when you are?"

  He turned his head to the side, his expression unchanged. "And who said I was married?"

  "Nettie. She made a comment that I was nicer than your wife."

  "She's right."

  "Then you are married?"

  "Kind of."

  "You bastard!" Dani swung at him but he caught her wrist. "Until you, I would never have believed I’d sleep with a married man, and I loathed anyone who does." She turned to jerk her hand away, but he wouldn't let go. "Now you've made me into one of those people I hate."

  "Why are you getting so upset?"

  "I just told you why."

  "If you'd purposely set out to sleep with me, it would have been different. But you ended up in my bed by accident."

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're still married."

  "Not the way you think. I've been legally separated for two years, and my divorce will be final three months from now. Does that make you feel better?"

  "Somewhat." Dani relaxed, then realized that she was making a complete fool out of herself. He didn't really owe her any explanation, and she was acting like they were engaged.

  "It really doesn't matter,” she added dully. “After tomorrow, I won't see you again. I'll be with Steven.” She wasn’t sure why she’d thrown in Steven’s name, but she had. “And you'll go back to your life."

  The mention of Steven's name irritated Adrian. "It's just as well," he snapped. Then, in a somewhat indifferent voice, he added, "I'm not the marrying kind. I tried it once, with little success, so it's probably better we don't get involved."

  "You flatter yourself, Mr. Massimino,” Dani said, turning her back to him. “I don't believe I said anything about getting involved."

  Adrian pulled Dani around to face him. He wasn't quite sure why it irritated him that Dani could brush him off so easily, but it did. "Would you like to show me how much you don't care," he whispered into the side of her neck. "Tell me you don't care."

  "Stop." She pushed against his chest in a half-hearted attempt to stop him.

  As he caressed her ear, Adrian promised himself that he wasn't going to fall in love with Dani. He was attracted to her, plain and simple. However, he wanted to enjoy every moment until they parted company. Then he would return to work as normal.

  Adrian moved his mouth over hers and kissed her with all the passion he possessed. Though she tried to resist him, she soon gave in. Her mouth was like velvet as he explored it, pulling her up on tiptoe and forcing her to wrap her arms around his neck. His blood soared when he held her in his arms like this.

  When he finally pulled his lips from hers, he murmured, "Would you like to correct your earlier statement?"

  He watched her eyes as his question registered in her mind. That fiery spark reappeared and her chin jutted. He definitely loved that about her.

  "All right,” she muttered defiantly. “I do feel something for you."

  "Thank you."

  "But I feel something when I have a stomach ache, too."

  Adrian smiled but didn't rise to the bait. "Listen, we met under the most unusual circumstances. I'd say we can't be held responsible for most of the things we've done. Don't you agree?"

  He watched her until she finally nodded.

  "I'd like to spend our last day together forgetting about the rest of the world. I don't want to fight or argue. I just want to enjoy being with you. Take a chance, Dani. Forget about your promises and commitments, and be mine for as long as we have."

  His words wove a magic spell around her. Each word tugged at her heart.

  Let go.

  Take a chance.

  She rested her head against Adrian's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. As much as she hated to admit it, this felt right and good. Confusion had her doubting everything as she murmured, "I'm yours. At least, for now.”

  The next morning seemed cooler, but then September weather was always unpredictable. Dani had gotten a turquoise tee-shirt out of the store with a promise to Angus she'd pay for it as soon as she located her purse. Of course, they insisted she didn't have to pay.

  Dani smiled as she pulled the tee-shirt over her head. They were such nice people. She wondered if she'd ever see them again.

  Of course not. She shook the absurd notion out of her head as she gazed at her reflection. Her tee-shirt had a white seahorse right in the middle with the words Seahorse Island: A Fairy Tale Come True written below it. The phrase just about described this weekend. All she needed was a happy ending.

  At least, she had the shirt for a souvenir. That and a lot of memories.

  Dani started making up the bed. "Fairy tale," she repeated. She had come to meet Peter Pan, she'd stayed in Never land, and Prince Charming had rescued her. She laughed without humor, an odd noise that didn't sound at all amusing. The harder she tried to ignore the truth, the more it persisted. Her time at Sea Horse was coming to an end.

  But she could handle this, she told herself, dashing away a tear that had carelessly slipped down her cheek.

  After all, it wasn't like she and Adrian were in love or anything. She'd only known him for two days. She’d get over him. Surely she could ignore the miserable feeling in the pit of her stomach, agree with her conscience that she had liked making love to him, and go about enjoying their last day together.

  Adrian hadn’t seemed too troubled when he left this morning, so if he could do it, so could she.

  She sat down on the bed and slipped on her stiff tennis shoes, thankful they hadn't gotten washed away. She started for the door and reached for the light switch before reminding herself that the electricity was still off. Some habits never changed . . . like Steven, she thought ruefully. He was a very bad habit she intended to break.

  Adrian sat at the breakfast table drinking coffee with Nettie and Angus. Dani joined them for their meager breakfast of bagels and coffee, and then they were off.

  Only one golf cart remained operational, and Adrian started it while he waited for Danielle. He placed several beach towels over the wet seats in hopes of keeping their clothing dry.

  Adrian had mixed emotions today. He needed to get back to work, but despite the major catastrophe he’d just experienced, he felt more relaxed than he had in years.

  And he wondered if the woman walking toward him had had anything to do with his laid-back attitude. Even in the midst of all this debris, she was like a soft, glowing light that made everything seem right. Dani was special.

  And because she was, he'd say goodbye and leave her to the nice life she had planned. He, on the other hand, would go back to the corporate jungle and bury himself in work, settle his messy divorce, and go out on a date every now and then.

  Life would be simple. Planned out--and mechanical.

  Life would be dull.

  "Hop in," Adrian said as Dani eyed the less-than-perfect vehicle. "I think I've fixed it so your clothes won't get too wet."

  Adrian guided the cart slowly down the street, dodging debris and potholes. The power crews had arrived, and several men were perched up on poles securing lines.

  "This could have been so much worse," Adrian commented.

  "It looks like a bomb went off in places. Yet, others have only slight damage. And look at all the debris."

  "The newer homes were built to stricter hurricane codes.” Adrian looked around. “All in all, I'd say we were lucky." They pulled into Sandy Lane. "There she is."

  "At least, the house is still standing," Dani said in a rush. Until that time she hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath, expecting the worse. "Oh, look, the gazebo is still intact."

  "The only problem is the deck leading to it seems to be missing." He turned to her, and his hand came down over hers possessively. "I think the house is pretty sturdy, but I want you to
promise me you'll be careful just the same."

  When they entered the house, Dani almost cried. The once beautifully-decorated house had furniture turned upside down, and a blue shell crab scurried across sodden carpet. Seaweed dripped from some of the light fixtures, and a musty odor permeated the atmosphere.

  Dani wrinkled her nose with dismay."Oh my God. What a mess! How are the owners ever going to fix this?"

  "Guess I’ll have to ask them,” Adrian said. “I’m sure it will have to be gutted, then refurbished. This time steel doors and shutters will be installed so this won't happen again."

  Dani maneuvered through the mess to the bedroom to try and find her luggage. After a few minutes, she located her Pullman, but not her purse. She began to panic as she looked under the upturned bed, in the bathroom, everywhere she could think to look, and could find nothing.

  Her plane ticket, her credit cards, her driver's license, and money. All of it! Everything was gone! She turned and bumped into Adrian, who had been standing behind her.

  "My plane ticket. My purse. It's gone."

  "I imagine your bag got washed out the door," he said matter of factly.

  She clutched his arm. "You don't seem to grasp the situation. My money is gone. How am I going to get home?"

  His mouth quirked with humor. "I guess you'll just have to live with me."

  "I'm serious."

  "So am I."

  She blew out a short breath. This wasn't a time to joke – even if the thought of living with him was more than a little tempting. "I don't have any money!"

  "Don't get in a tizzy. I'll buy you another ticket."

  "I can't take money from you."

  "Then we're back to the original offer."

  "I wish you'd be serious."

  "Look." He put his arm around her shoulders and moved her back to the bedroom. "I'll lend you the money, and you can pay me back. Will that ease your conscience?"

  She hesitated. "Just as long as I can pay you back."

  Once they were settled, they started looking around to see what needed to be done and what could be saved. There was so much to do, and it was hard to know where to start.

  Dani took her luggage out on the deck -- what was left of it anyway--so the sun could dry it out. She suggested moving the furniture, but Adrian told her that would have to wait for the insurance adjusters to arrive. So, needing to do something productive, she pretended to pick up small things, though all she was doing was moving things around. She wanted to cry every time she looked at the damage.

  At lunchtime, they returned to the store. Adrian disappeared while she made herself a sandwich.

  She decided to be nice and make one for Adrian, too. She had the funniest suspicion that he was up to something, but couldn't put her finger on the exact feeling.

  She'd wandered out on the pier with her lunch and was enjoying the sunshine when Adrian found her.

  "Thanks for the sandwich." He took a bite and propped his leg and hip on the rail.

  "What have you been doing?"

  "I just booked your flight," he told her before taking a sip of his soft drink.

  "Just like that. But how?"

  "I used Angus' portable phone."

  "But I thought no phones were allowed."

  "It's a short-wave radio There are no permanent phones allowed on the island. There aren’t any cell towers on the island. However, I choose to leave the world behind me when I come here, and a cell phone is the last thing I wanted around me."

  "So when does my plane leave?"

  "This afternoon at five."

  "But it's one now,” Dani protested. “And I thought the ferry wasn't going to start back up again until tomorrow.” Had he made special arrangements for that, too? She wondered.

  "I checked, and they're going to make two afternoon runs. The Power Company needs to get another power crew out here. It seems many of the residents want to come see their homes."

  His business-like tone got the facts across with little emotion, and Dani had the impression he couldn't wait to get rid of her. Staring at him, not knowing what to say, she thought, this is it!

  The whole wacky weekend was coming to an end. She'd known it would. But now, instead of being happy to go home, she felt completely numb inside.

  "I guess I'd better go and pack." She managed a fake laugh. "Oops, I guess there's nothing to pack. I forgot, I lost everything, too. I'll get my suitcase, and say goodbye to Angus and Nettie."

  Was it her imagination, or had the air suddenly turned much cooler?

  "Dani."

  Chapter Seven

  Dani turned to look at Adrian.

  It took all her will power not to cry.

  Adrian didn't say anything, his gaze moving with frank masculine appreciation over her face.

  Dani would give anything to know his thoughts. Would he ask her to stay? Would she throw caution to the wind and say yes? The silence lengthened until she heard nothing but the waves slapping the shore.

  Unable to stand the silence any longer, she opened her mouth but Adrian spoke first.

  "Never mind,” he said. “It wasn't important." Turning away from her, he added, "I'll wait for you out here."

  Dani stared at his rigid back for a long moment. Well, what had she expected? Words of undying love? She couldn't deny the evidence any longer as she turned and entered the store. Seeing it through a haze of tear-blurred vision, all she could think was that Adrian didn’t care for her.

  What had she hoped for after three days?

  Even telling Angus and Nettie goodbye was more difficult than Dani had imagined. What was wrong with her today? She usually didn't cry so easily. Now she couldn't keep the tears from sliding down her cheeks.

  The couple seemed surprised she was leaving so soon, but made her promise to come back and visit them. Dani did promise, though she knew she would never visit this island again because if she did she would always wonder what if?

  It was time to go.

  She wheeled her luggage down to the end of the dock where Adrian stood staring out across the sound. He seemed not to have moved at all, but Dani could sense the barely controlled power coiled in his body, as if he were wrestling with a decision.

  "I'm ready."

  Adrian’s head jerked up and he stared at her as if he hadn’t expected to hear her. "The ferry will be here in a minute," he finally said, pointing to a white and yellow boat headed their way.

  "I guess this is where I say goodbye."

  "Not yet." Slipping his arm around her waist, he added, "I'll ride the ferry with you."

  Dani laid her head on his shoulder and neither said a word while they waited.

  When the boat docked, Dani saw the homeowners who had come to check on their property. A couple waved at Adrian as they left the boat. Then she and Adrian boarded.

  "It's good to see you survived." The captain greeted her as they found a seat. "I see you found the young man you were looking for."

  Dani didn't bother to correct him. She merely smiled. She knew if she opened her mouth she'd cry. She wanted to be strong and show Adrian it didn't matter that she was leaving.

  Even if her heart was breaking.

  The bluish-green waterway barely rippled. How calm it seemed compared to the last few days. Nothing compared to the hellish weekend they'd been through. The ferry chugged along at a steady pace toward the mainland.

  Danielle wrapped her sweater tighter around her. She felt an odd sort of cold as she sat on the bench next to Adrian. As if her insides were shaking.

  They stared out across the waves in silence lost in their own thoughts. Adrian shifted, then took her hand in his. The warmth of his skin enfolded her icy fingers. She wondered if he felt as miserable as she did. He had barely said a word since they’d left the dock.

  Was he hoping the ferry would never make it to the mainland? Back to the real world. Back to a life that didn't include each other.

  It had started off as a simple weekend with someone she lov
ed – or, at least, someone she'd thought she loved. It had ended with her finding the man of her dreams – in a complete stranger.

  But she couldn't call Adrian a stranger anymore, Dani thought wryly. They'd faced death together. They’d made love. And when she'd been hurt, he'd cared for her.

  Only a fool would think that anything could come of their relationship. Yet something had developed between them. She'd never felt like this before: happy one minute, sad the next. It was very confusing.

  Why couldn’t anything be simple?

  Adrian had told her right up front that he wasn't the marrying kind. Now where did that thought come from? There was no way she could marry a man she'd known so briefly, one who would probably chase any woman that walked by . . . another Steven. What was it about her taste in men?

  She could see the dock. Their minutes grew shorter. In less than an hour, it would be as if nothing had ever happened--much like hurricane Felix, when he had come and gone, leaving destruction in his wake. Only no one wouldn't be able to see the destruction this weekend had caused her.

  She'd never see Adrian again.

  Adrian got up then moved to the side of the ship. He clutched the rail so tightly his knuckles turned white.

  How had this happened? How had he let himself get emotionally involved with a blond haired, blue-eyed woman who could make his knees buckle with her smile?

  And he was going to let her walk out of his life. She'd go back to that son of bitch, Steven, and they'd get married and have children. Adrian tightened his grip on the rail.

  And he would continue working and, of course, dating different women, women whose names he wouldn’t even remember the next week. Then he'd forget about Danielle Kapur just like the rest of them. It had been nothing more than a weekend fling, he told himself over and over again. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Then why did he want to hear her utter those words she'd said after they were through making love? Why had he wanted her to say, "I love you, Adrian."