Dangerous Deception (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (10 page)

Storm, however, was another matter.  Where she had
grown more comfortable with the situation he seemed to have moved in the
opposite direction.  She was close enough to see the dew of perspiration on his
upper lip, and the tightness of his mouth spoke of a tension she’d not seen in
him before.

What in the world was going on?  Had he changed his
mind?  Well, if he wanted to back out of this twisted comedy it was too late
now.

“Thanks,” he said, his tone unusually serious at a
time for celebrations.  “Thanks for your well wishes and for making Dani feel
welcome.”

Well, that was a formal sort of way to thank your
parents.  She gave Storm a sideways glance then squeezed his hand. 
Come on,
Storm, don’t melt down now
.

“And what’s the date, son?  Make it early.  With my
heart you know time is of the essence.”

“Date…we haven’t reached that far yet.”  By now
Storm’s face had a slightly pinker hue.

“Well, get cracking,” Edgar, said with a laugh.  “What
ever thou doest, do it quickly.  Didn’t they say that in the Bible?”

“I agree,” Janet said emphatically.  “We’ve been
talking to you for the longest time about getting serious about your life and
the family business.  The sooner you get the wedding out of the way the sooner
you can take the reins and give your father a break.”

“And start a family,” Edgar did not hesitate to add. 
“I want to spend my retirement years playing with my grandkids.”

Dani felt her face grow red at that request.  Edgar
certainly knew how to ask for what he wanted.  Maybe that was why he’d been
good at making billions.

“In time, Dad,” Storm said distractedly, “in time.” 
Then he looked at Dani, “Hey, do you want to see the tree house I built when I
was a kid?  It’s still there.”

Subtle change of subject, Storm, real
subtle
. 
Dani almost giggled.  He seemed so desperate to get away from any further
discussion of their engagement.  She kept her face composed, hiding her
amusement, and said in her best fiancée voice, “Of course, honey.  I’d love
to.”

“Go ahead, kids,” Edgar said with a wave of his hand. 
“Take her down to the stream, Storm.  Nice and peaceful down there.  She’ll
love that.”

Storm got up and gave Dani his arm.  He looked back to
normal now, his face relaxed and smiling.  “Are you a good climber?  We’ll go
up and see what animals have taken charge of my old house.”   

She looked at him askance.  “I don’t know about that.
“

He was just about to respond when Mrs. Johnson stepped
into the dining room.  “Excuse me,” she said, “but Miss Lola has stopped by for
a visit.  Should I have her wait in the sitting room or should I send her in?”

Edgar and Janet turned to each other and a look of
concern passed between them.  Dani looked at Storm.  His face had suddenly lost
its color.  None of those were good signs.  And as Dani stood there, looking
from one to the other, she could tell that what was coming was not going to be
good.

CHAPTER SIX

Edgar was the first to speak.  “Please ask her to make
herself comfortable in the sitting room.  I’ll be right there.”

Mrs. Johnson nodded and went back through the door.

As soon as she’d left Edgar spoke.  “Is Lola aware of
this change in your status?’  He gave Storm a pointed look.

Janet nodded.  “You know how she feels about you.  I
think she was expecting-”  She broke off suddenly and gave Dani a look heavy
with guilt.  “I’m sorry, Dani.  I don’t mean to be disrespectful to you.  It’s
just…well, Lola’s been in the picture for a while so this could be difficult. 
You and Storm spoke about her, I assume?”

Dani looked across at Storm, waiting for him to
speak.  She was the fake fiancée but this was his game.  He should be the one
giving explanations.

“We were getting to that-”

He didn’t get the chance to say another word.  At that
instant the door to the dining room opened and Lola burst in.

“Janet, Edgar, have you heard?  Storm-”  She stopped
short and her eyes grew round in surprise.  “You.  So you’re the one who’s
turned him against me.”  She was staring at Dani, her eyes flashing with
violent rage.  “You stole him from me.”

“Now, Lola,” Edgar said, beginning to get up from
around the table.  “Let’s not-”

“No, it’s true.  She did something to him, bewitched
him or something.  Didn’t he go out with me just weeks ago?  He was supposed to
be mine.”  As Lola spoke her voice grew higher with agitation and she began to
walk toward the table.

“Okay, that’s enough.” 

Storm’s voice must have shocked her back to reality. 
She halted abruptly and stared at him, her face contorted in her distress.

Storm stepped forward almost blocking Dani from Lola’s
view and folded his arms across his chest.  “Lola, you and I know that there is
nothing between us.  It’s all been a fantasy, a lie you fed yourself for so
long you began to believe it.  And we did not go out together two weeks ago.  We
met at the party, remember, then you asked me for a ride home.”  He released
his arms and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.  He shook his head.  “I’m
sorry this has hurt you but you have to get real.  You have to give up the
pretense.”

Dani almost laughed.  Give up the pretense, he said. 
And what were they doing?  Creating an even more dangerous lie.

“No.” Lola gave a broken sob and reached blindly for
the table, looking like she was on the verge of collapsing.

“My child.” Edgar was immediately at her side,
supporting her and directing her into a nearby chair.

Storm had moved, too, but when his father caught her
he froze.  He stood back while Edgar patted her hand and spoke soothing words
to her.

“I’ll get a glass of water.” Janet got up and hurried
out the door.

For a moment longer Storm hesitated then he approached
the now sobbing woman.  “Lola, please.  Don’t cry.”  His voice was quiet and
low and his face dark and serious.  It was obvious that he was not enjoying
Lola’s distress.  “I hate it that you’re hurting right now and that I’m the
cause.  If I could have done anything-”

“You could have loved me.”  Lola lifted her tear-streaked
face and looked at him with stricken eyes.  “Why couldn’t you love me, Storm? 
What is it about me that you hate so much?”

“Lola.”  This time Storm’s voice was full of
frustration.  “Let’s not go back there.”

Lola sniffed then grabbed at the handkerchief Edgar
held out to her.  She dabbed at her eyes then looked over at Dani.  “And who’s
she?  What made her so special that you chose her and not me?”  She glared at
Dani across the room then her hateful stare turned into a frown.  “Where have I
seen you before?’

Dani’s heart almost reached her throat.  What if she
was found out?  She and Storm would have a lot to answer to.  Her eyes went to
him but he was scowling at Lola.  The woman had the power to blow their cover
to the sky.

Suddenly the tears dried up and Lola turned her full
attention on Dani.  “I know you…” she said, her voice uncertain but then she repeated
it, her voice more confident this time.  “I know I know you.  I just can’t say
from where.”  She looked from Dani to Storm then back to Dani.

“There’s something fishy going on here,” she said, “and
I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”

Her eyes fixed on Dani, she got up and thrust the now
damp handkerchief toward Edgar.  Then she turned and her back ramrod straight,
she walked out of the room, leaving them all staring after her.

Dani’s eyes went back to Storm.  Now what?

******

“Well, the good thing is my parents love you.” Storm
took a swig of his beer then relaxed in his chair and stretched his legs out in
front of him.  They were at an outdoor café, one she’d never even heard of but
he recommended highly.  She did not regret his choice.  Tucked into a
cul-de-sac at the outskirts of an exclusive resort, its clientele included many
of the rich and famous of the Chicago area.  It had been two days since the
drama with Lola, and Storm and Dani were just getting the chance to do a postmortem
and discuss their plan of action going forward.  After Lola had stormed out
they - mostly Storm - ended up fielding a barrage of questions and by the time
they left Hunter’s Lodge they were both too exhausted to even talk about it
further.  This evening, though, they would have to plan their next move.  Who
knew when Lola would strike again and next time she might deliver the killing
blow to their pretense.

“You hope your parents love me," came Dani’s
rejoinder.

“I know they do,” Storm said without hesitation.  “I could
see it in the way my Dad warmed to you.  Even my Mom who’s a bit more reserved
was into you.  You could see that she was actually concerned about how you felt
when Lola came by.”

“I have to admit, they were pretty nice to me,” she
said as she brushed a stray curl off her forehead and tucked it behind her
ear.  The light breeze of the outdoors kept blowing wisps of hair across her
face.  A drawback of dining outdoors but one she could definitely live with.  The
fresh air and the warbling of the birds in the nearby trees made it all
worthwhile.  "Still, I don’t think they’ll be quite so welcoming when they
find out who I really am.”

“I know my parents, Dani, and they’re not snobs.  Of
course they’ll accept you for who you are.”

“Not if they find out my role in this farce.  They’ll
hate me for it.”

Storm shook his head and there was a look of regret in
his eyes.  “It’s me they’d hate.  I’m their son and I’m the one deceiving
them.”  He pushed the beer bottle away and leaned forward.  “You know, when my
father congratulated me he looked so contented that the guilt slapped me right
between the eyes.  I almost caved in and told them the truth.”

Dani nodded slowly.  “I remember.  I could see you
were uneasy.”

“Uneasy is an understatement," Storm said with a
grimace.  “I felt like a dog to be deceiving them like that.”  He leaned back
in his chair and gave her a rueful smile.  “When I first thought of it, it had
seemed like a great idea.  I didn’t know I was going to get soft when it was
time to execute.”

“So…do you want to call it off?” Dani spoke in a low,
quiet voice, not wanting to give away her emotions.  At his words her heart had
jerked in her chest and it hadn’t been a happy feeling.  It was as if she could
not bear for the bond they had to dissolve.

“Not on your life.  We’ve gone too far to turn back
now.   And besides,” he shrugged and lifted his eyebrows,  “you've seen how
Lola behaved.  If she gets wind that this is all fake she’ll be after me again
and this time I won’t be able to shake her loose.”

“I admire your modesty,” Dani said, laughing at the
way he sat there looking so full of himself.  “It must be very trying to have
women throwing themselves at you all the time.”

“Actually, it is," he said, his look earnest. 
“Try being a rich, not to mention startlingly handsome, man for a day and
you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

“Oh, you.”  She laughed and leaned over to give him a
playful punch.  She was joking around about it but she could understand exactly
what he meant.  Of course he’d have women after him.  He was an eligible and
very desirable bachelor.

And that was why it was so important for her to keep
her distance, at least from an emotional standpoint.  Storm had his pick of
women and when he was really ready to settle down he’d select his life partner
from his own circle.  She could not afford to start feeling soft toward him. 
If so, she’d do it at her own peril. 

“There’s a party coming up in a couple of weeks, one
I’ve got to attend.  And I’ll need to have my fiancée on my arm.”  He cocked one
eyebrow at her.  “Are you game?”

Dani shrugged.  “I’m always game,” she said casually. 
“It’s my job, remember?”

“Fair warning - Lola might be there.”

“Oh.” Dani didn’t feel quite so confident then.  The
last thing she needed was the possibility of Lola launching another attack,
this time in front of a crowd.

“Oh, is right,” Storm said, his face serious.  “We’ll
have to be prepared for just about anything.  One thing we can’t do is avoid
the event.  That would just raise suspicions.  Lola already started questioning
our relationship.  We don’t want my parents to start wondering, too.”

“Oh,” Dani said and then fell silent.  She knew what
he meant.  They’d have to stay close to each other’s side, hold hands and look
like a loving couple.  How in the world was she going to deal with that?

“Oh, again?” Storm chuckled.  “Don’t worry, we got
through dinner with my parents and we’ll get through this thing together.”

She only wished she could be as confident.  Needing to
ease the tension, she decided to change the subject.  “I need to be out of town
this weekend.  I hope it doesn’t clash with any of your plans.”

“Not at all,” he said with a magnanimous wave of the
hand.  “You’re free to go.”