Dangerous Deception (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (3 page)

But then she dismissed the thought as fast as she’d
come up with it.  Storm Hunter would probably be a regular but he certainly
wouldn’t be her only customer.  And anyway, her boss had told her to keep
things secret for her own safety.  Better to just leave things as they were.

“So what are you into?  Football, baseball, or
basketball?”

Don’t let him ask me questions about
sports. I don’t know a darn thing
.  “Hockey,” she blurted out.

“Hockey?”  He sounded incredulous.  “You’re Canadian?”

She gave a little laugh at that but it came out sort
of high-pitched and she had to cut it short.  “No, but my brother plays
hockey.  He was recruited for a team at the University of Notre Dame."

“Oh.”  He sounded unconvinced but Dani was glad that
at least, in that, there was no lie.

Another good thing was that Mr. Sports seemed to be
out of his element where hockey was concerned.  Good.  He shouldn’t have any
questions to ask her about that.  Now hopefully he’d just be quiet and let her
drive.

“So which teams are you rooting for in hockey?”

Dani groaned.  Now why did he have to go and ask a
question like that?  What did she know about hockey outside of the little she’d
picked up from Brian?

She began to pull at straws.  “The one Wayne Gretzky’s
on.”

“The one Wayne…hey, isn’t he retired?”

Okay, so wrong answer.  Time to change the subject, “Nice
weather tonight, isn’t it?  A starry night, too.”

“Huh?”  Now Storm sounded really confused. 

Dani sighed.  She wasn’t doing such a good job with
the male disguise thing.  What guy talked about the stars at night?  It wasn't
exactly the most manly topic of conversation.  Thereafter she clamped her mouth
shut and, thank God, so did he.

When they finally pulled into the driveway of Storm’s
palatial home Dani gave a sigh of relief.  Freedom at last.  She pulled up in
front of the mansion and hurried around to get the door.

And just like last time his nearness threw her off. 
As Storm climbed out of the car he stepped very close to her, so close she
wondered if it was deliberate.  His invasion of her space made her take an
involuntary step backward.  She glanced up and, as tall as she was, he stood a
good five or six inches taller.  And he was staring down at her.

“How old are you, kid?”

“Twenty-two.”  The question came at her so suddenly
she could only blurt out the truth.

“You?”  he said with a laugh.  “You don’t look a day
past seventeen.  I bet you’re still in high school.” 

She glared up at him.  “I am twenty-two and I already
finished college.  I’m a preschool teacher.”

Storm chuckled.  “Tell that to your face.  It’s got a
lot of growing up to do.  My God, not even fuzz on your chin.  You’re as smooth
as a baby’s behind."

That made her step back some more.  He was seeing too
much.  In a minute he’d figure out she wasn’t who she seemed.

He was looking at her quizzically now and even though
she’d deliberately stepped into the partial shadow his stare was beginning to
unnerve her. 

“It’s weird but there’s just something about you…” he
began but his voice trailed off.  Then he shook his head.  “Nah, it’s nothing. 
I must be seeing things.”  He turned and with the swagger of an uber-confident
male he strode away.  “Tell Tony I’ll need you again next weekend.  See you
around, kid.”

He didn’t wait for a response.  He took the steps two
at a time and then he unlocked the door and was gone, leaving Dani standing
there staring after him.

For a moment she just stood there contemplating what
he’d just said.  Finally, she closed the limo door and walked back around to
the driver’s seat.  As she buckled up then started the engine she shook her
head slowly.

She didn’t know if seeing him again was such a good
idea.  All of a sudden the thought made her apprehensive.  She was looking forward
to it just a little bit too much…and that was really scary.

******

“Time for you to settle down, my boy.  You’re not
getting any younger.”  Edgar Hunter leaned back in his chair and stared up at
his oldest child.

Storm scowled down at his father and shoved his hands
deep into his pockets.  “Dad, I’m twenty-seven years old.  It’s not like I’m
over the hill.  There’s plenty of time for that.”

The older man nodded.  “Yes, you're young but with my
heart condition I could check out at anytime.  I want to see even one grandkid
before I go.” 

Storm flopped down into the chair across from his
father’s desk.  “You can get grandbabies from Vanessa or Kathy.  Why don’t you
go harass them?”

“Stop talking crap, Storm.  You’re my only son, the
one who’ll preserve the Hunter name.  It’s you I want my grandkids from.”  Then
he shrugged and grinned.  “Besides you’re the oldest.”

Storm could only stare at his father.  It was
absolutely no use arguing.  He’d tried it many times before and the senior
Hunter always came back to the same old question - when are you going to settle
down?

The problem was, Edgar Hunter had been so busy making
money in his younger years he hadn’t settled down until he was in his late
forties.  By the time his first child was born he was already fifty-one.  At a
time when he should have been looking forward to grandchildren he’d just
produced his first offspring.  Now that he was in his late seventies he was
ever more aware of his mortality.  He was determined to see the face of his
first grandchild before he left the earth and Storm was the designated
deliverer.

“What about Lola?”  Edgar asked, his rugged face
brightening.  “She really likes you.  She makes that plain enough.  And she’s
from a good family.”

Storm groaned and raked his fingers through his hair. 
Not the Lola conversation again.  He needed to get out of his father’s office
before the man drove him totally insane.  He got up and pulled out his iPhone. 
“Dad, I’ve got to go.”

“As usual,” Edgar snorted.  “As soon as we start
talking serious business you run off.  This is your future we’re talking about,
Storm.  My future.  The family’s future.”

Even as his father raged Storm turned and began
walking toward the door.

“You can’t keep riding motorcycles across the country
and racing cars at the track.  You’re my only male heir, Storm.  Remember
that.  And you’d better get married and get a child before you try those crazy
stunts of yours again.”  By this time Storm was opening the door, intent on
making a hasty exit.

“I’m going to speak to your mother about this.  You
can’t keep refusing-”

“Bye, Dad.”  Storm pulled the door shut behind him and
even as he walked away he could still hear his father ranting about all that he
was going to say to his mother.

Storm could only shudder as he headed down the hallway
toward the elevator.  He knew that strategy well.  His father was going to set
the bulldog on him.  If there was anyone who could wear a person down, it was
his mother.

Storm spent the rest of the afternoon at his own
office at Hunter’s Run headquarters.  He was getting ready to launch a new line
of fashionable leather jackets for men and women.  Italian made, they were of
top quality, as were all his product lines.  Hunter's Run clothing had a
reputation for high style, quality and durability.  And they didn’t come cheap.

He’d be having a meeting with the advertising agency
in two days and he needed to have all the relevant information ready.  He was
in the middle of working on the briefing when there was a light tap on the door
and his executive assistant, Marisol, peeked in.

“You have a special visitor,” she said with a bright
smile.  Marisol only smiled like that when someone from his family came by.

Storm’s mood changed immediately.  He could guess who
was on the other side of the door.  His mother.

“Let her in,” he said, his voice little more than a
grumble.  He was not looking forward to the lecture he knew was coming.  Why
had he stayed in the same city, in the same state, as his parents?  He should
have moved hundreds of miles away while he’d had the chance.  Then they
wouldn’t be able to just drop in at will.  But it was too late now.  He’d
already bought a home on Earlston Road and he loved it.  He wasn’t planning to
move for a long while. 

“Hey, big bro.  How’re things?”  A strawberry-blonde
girl bounced into the room, her face all smiles.

“Vanessa,” Storm said, and his face broke into a
grin.  “I thought it was Mom coming to harass me, as usual.”

“Only me,” she said with a laugh then dropped into the
chair across from him.  “I’ve been assigned to do the harassing for today.”

“What?  Not you, too.”  Storm frowned at his sister. 
“I never expected you to turn traitor on me.”

She shrugged.  “I had no choice.  It was either come
and pester you or have them bug me all day and night about Buster.  It feels
good to have the spotlight off me sometimes.”

“I can’t imagine why,” he said dryly.  “I mean, with a
boyfriend named Buster who seems to have no greater aim in life than to sit
around strumming his guitar pretending to be a country and western singer, why
wouldn’t you want the spotlight on you?”

“For the hundredth time, Buster is not a bum,” she
shot back.

“I didn’t say he was.  Those were your words.”

“You implied it and that’s just as bad.” Vanessa was
glaring at him now.  “When he makes it big in the music business you’ll all
see.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Storm said with a wave of his hand.  “So
what were you instructed to come and harass me about?”

“The usual.  Marriage and such stuff.  Did Daddy tell
you he had a scare the other day?” 

Storm frowned at his sister.  “What kind of scare?” 

"Chest pains, shortness of breath.  He thought he
was going to die.”

Storm felt his heart jerk in his chest.  No matter
that he was forever arguing with his father, he loved him.  The thought that he
could have lost him so suddenly filled him with apprehension.  “Why didn’t
anybody call me?  What was it?”

“We rushed him to the emergency room but it was just
gas.”  Vanessa gave him a serious look.  “We were lucky that time but it could
have been worse.  Far worse.”  For a moment she remained silent, just staring
at him, the laughter gone from her eyes.  “You know what he wants, Storm.  You
may have to give it to him.”

Storm fixed his sister with a sober look of his own. 
She knew how to jab him right where it would hurt.  And this time it did.

“So what’s new with Lola these days?"  she asked,
changing the subject just as abruptly as she’d introduced it.  “Are you taking
her to the Vanderbilt party on Saturday?” 

“No, I'll probably go alone.  Or," he said,
thinking out loud, "maybe I'll ask Stephanie.”

“Why?  She’s so…unnatural.”

“Okay, so she’s a bleached blonde.  So what?  She’s
still good company.”

“I don’t know…” Vanessa seemed deep in thought.  “Not
exactly wife material.”

“I’m not looking for a wife,” Storm growled.  “God,
you can get on a man’s nerves sometimes.”

“That’s what sisters are for,” she said with a giggle
and hopped up from her chair.  “Anyway, I have to go.  Buster and I are going
out tonight.”

“And Buster is husband material?”  He cocked an
eyebrow at her.

“Who said I was looking for a husband?  I’m only
twenty-three.  I’ve got lots of years before I have to worry about that.”  She
headed for the door then turned to smile at him.  “Don’t forget what we talked
about,” she said with a wave of her hand.  Then she was gone.

After that Storm totally lost the vibes to concentrate
on any advertising campaign.  His whole family had ganged up on him.  Talk
about pressure.

For a long while he sat there at his desk just
thinking.  He had absolutely no intention of giving in.  Like Vanessa he was a
long way from being ready to settle down.  In the meanwhile, though, he had to
do something to get his family, and especially his father, off his back.  But
what?

With a sigh he got up and grabbed the keys to his
custom-made MV motorcycle.  He threw on his leather jacket and put on sunglasses. 
There was only one thing guaranteed to clear his head.  He had to go for a
ride.  He’d hit the road on the back of his motorbike and let off some steam.

******

“Are you being good over there?”  Dani chuckled into
the phone.  "Remember, I’m not there watching over you so I’m depending on
you to be responsible.”

“Come on, Dani.  I’m a grown man.  I know what I’m
doing.”  Brian’s voice was tinged with amusement.  “You can stop being a mother
hen now.”

“Never will,” she retorted.  “As long as I’m your big
sister you’ll have to put up with it.  Even when you’re married.”

Brian groaned then they both laughed.

Ever since he’d gone away to university Dani hadn’t
let a day pass without speaking to him.  She knew she’d have to loosen the reins
and let him find his own way but she wasn’t ready.  Not yet.  After being his
sole caretaker for the past four years it was hard to let go of her kid
brother.