Dangerous Deception (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (4 page)

“Thanks for the money you put in my account
yesterday,” Brian said.  “It came just in time for me to pay for my uniform. 
We have our first game tomorrow.”

“Cool.  Wish I could be there to watch you cream
them.”

“Sis, such violence,” Brian reprimanded with a laugh. 

“That’s how I get by in life,” she said
unapologetically.  “You do what you have to do.”  That had always been Dani’s
philosophy.  She was practical and focused and dealt with life’s issues head
on.

They chatted for another few minutes then she glanced
at her watch.  “Listen Brian, I have to go.  I’ve got to be somewhere by five.”

“How come you’re always running out in the evenings? 
Do you have another job?”  Brian sounded concerned.

“Don’t you worry your head about that,” she told her
brother.  “You just focus on getting good grades and being the best hockey
player you can be.”

“But Dani, I don’t-”

“Leave it alone, Brian.”

“Okay, but there was one more thing I wanted to tell
you.”

“Fine, but make it quick.”  She glanced at her watch again. 
She could spare him three more minutes.

“I’m getting a part-time job off campus.”

“You’re what?  Why would you want to do that?”

"I heard about a student exchange program and I
want to go.  I need to get a job to pay the fee.  Can you imagine spending a
whole year in Europe?”  Brian spoke excitedly.  “There’s this guy who offered
me a part-time sales job.  I’ll start next week.”

“No part-time jobs off campus,” Dani said in her
strongest ‘sister in charge’ voice.  “You’re at school to study, not to take on
jobs on the side.  A few hours of on-campus work is okay but no jobs that will
take you away from your studies."

“But the deposit is due next month.  I really want to
go.” 

"I’ll take care of it," she said with
greater confidence than she felt.  "Just send me the details.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure I don’t want you working when you’re supposed
to be studying.  Now you be good.  I’ve got to go."

She hung up the phone and reached for her chauffeur’s
hat.  As she stuffed her thick hair under the crown her mind raced.  Another
bill for Brian and this one would run in the thousands.  Where the heck would
she get the money by next month?  Every time she thought she finally had things
under control something new came along and then she was back in the hole.

There was no time to dwell on that right now, though. 
She had a pick-up in half an hour and she could not afford to be late.  When
she got back she’d brainstorm.  Her priority - how to make more money.  Fast.

CHAPTER THREE

The week flew by too fast for Dani.  Maybe it was
because her three and four year old charges were particularly rambunctious that
week, or maybe it was because Tony had overwhelmed her with pick-ups late into
the night.  Before she knew it Saturday had come around again and she was on
her way to pick up her billionaire, Storm Hunter.

As she drove along the highway her mind went back to
her conversation with Brian.  It had been four days since they spoke and she
was no closer to a money making idea than she’d been then.  She couldn’t take
another job.  There were just so many hours in the day and it wasn’t like she
could go without sleep.

If she couldn’t increase her income then she’d have to
cut her expenses.  She didn’t spend much on clothes and even less on
entertainment.  Who had the time to go out  anyway?  That only left one thing -
housing.  As much as she loved her apartment in Hyde Park she’d have to give it
up and move to a cheaper place.  She grimaced.  She was not looking forward to
moving farther away from Applewood School.  She’d hate having to fight traffic
to get to work.

Dani was forced to drag her thoughts back to the
present.  She was now at the gate of the Vanderbilt residence and would have to
identify herself before being allowed onto the estate.  She put the car in park,
hopped out and went to press the button of the intercom then as the gate swung
open she ran back to the car then drove slowly up the driveway.  A couple of
limos were already ahead of her so she pulled into the parking area alongside
them and waited.

And waited.

Dani looked at her watch for what must have been the
tenth time then she leaned her head back and groaned.  Ten forty-two.  She’d
been scheduled to pick up Storm Hunter at ten o’clock but he was nowhere in
sight.  A few more limos had arrived in the last forty-five minutes and they
all sat there waiting.

Finally, when it was almost eleven o’clock people
began to exit and either head to their cars or their waiting limos.  Dani ended
up waiting another ten minutes before she spied Storm coming out of the front
door, a voluptuous blonde on his arm.

By this time she was not a happy camper.  He was almost
an hour late which meant she’d end up signing off way past midnight.

As Storm and the woman approached, Dani tried to be
professional and put a polite smile on her lips.  It didn’t work.  Her lips
stretched across her teeth but it must have looked more like a grimace than a
smile.  She couldn’t help it.  She’d never been good at playing the hypocrite.

“Hey, kid.  Ready to roll?”  Storm was laughing with
the woman, probably at some private joke, and he looked like he’d just had the
time of his life.  Or was just about to.

I’ve been ready to roll for over an hour, she thought
sourly.  Still, she didn’t give voice to her thought.  With a brisk nod she
opened the limousine door and held it wide for the smiling couple.

Storm helped the woman inside then just before he got
in he looked directly into Dani’s eyes.  “What’s your name?  It’s getting kind
of old to keep calling you kid.”

“Dani,” she said, averting her eyes from his gaze. 

“Danny.  Cool.  Let's get going then.”

He slid in and Dani closed the door with a click. 

Let’s get going, he said.  Not even a word of apology
for being late.  That was probably one of the perks of being a billionaire - never
having to say you’re sorry.

For this journey Dani made sure to keep the tinted
glass rolled up.  She had absolutely no desire to play voyeur or to even hear
what her passengers were up to.  But, like last time, half way through the
journey there was a tap on the glass and she was forced to roll it down.

“Chauffeur,” the blonde said, “can you make a detour,
please?  Storm needs to make a quick stop at the nearest drugstore.”

Dani glanced in the rear view mirror.  Storm was
looking comfortable, his long frame stretched along the seat, and he was
stifling a yawn.

“I’m good, Chrystelle,” he said through the yawn.  “No
detours necessary.”

The woman turned to him with a frown.  “Are you sure? 
I thought you’d run out-”

“Nope, I've got some.  We just need to get home.  It’s
been a long night.”

“Okay, whatever you say.”  She leaned back against the
seat with a sigh.

Dani didn’t wait to see any more.  She jabbed the
button to close the window and shut them out of her sight.

What was that all about?  Her mind told her it could
only be one thing, something she didn’t even want to think about.  But there it
was.  The thought crossed her mind and she could not get rid of it.  They’d run
out of condoms, or at least that was what the woman thought, and she’d wanted Dani
to take them to replenish their stock.  The nerve of her.

   Dani gritted her teeth, angry that the insensitive
couple - Storm and the woman both - had dragged her into their private affair. 
But there was another reason for her anger, a far more frightening one if she
dared admit it to herself.  She scowled, fighting the thought with every fiber
of her being.  Then after several minutes berating herself she gave a sigh of
resignation.  It was no use.  Who was she kidding?  Storm Hunter was with his
date for the night, probably his lover, and she was jealous.

She could have kicked herself, she was so mad.  How
stupid could she be?  She had absolutely no right to be jealous.  She was only
the chauffeur, for goodness sake, and one who was supposed to be a man.  At
least in his eyes.  What made it worse, even if he'd known she was a woman she
knew without a doubt that he’d have absolutely no interest in her.  Why would
he?  He was a playboy billionaire with women falling at his feet and she was
nothing more than a struggling schoolteacher with a brother to support.  Why
would he even give her the time of day?

Stupid to even think about it but that was how the
mind worked.  Her crazy brain had a mind of its own.

By the time they pulled into Storm’s driveway Dani had
regained control of her wandering thoughts and had stifled her wild emotions. 
She was back to her old self - solid, practical and calm.  She went and opened
the door then stepped back, confident that her face was expressionless and
bland.

She had the hard task of staying serene when Storm got
out of the car and held out his hand for the woman he’d called Chrystelle.  She
giggled and leaned into him so that he was forced to put his arm around her to
prevent her from falling.

“Oh, Storm,” she crooned, “you’re such a gentleman.”

He only gave her a crooked smile then looked at Dani. 
“Thanks, kid…Danny.  You’re on duty next weekend?”

“Every weekend, sir,” Dani answered stiffly.

“Hey, no need to be so formal,” Storm said with a
laugh.  “That’s what you’d say to my old man, not me.”  Chrystelle began to sag
and he wrapped his arms tighter around her.  “Have Tony book you again for my
pick-up.”  He was turning to go when he paused.  “In fact, I’m heading to the
airport early on Monday.  I don’t feel like driving so you can take me.  I’ll
have my assistant arrange it.”  As he turned away he said, “See you then, kid.”

Dani did not answer.  He’d forgotten her name
already.  So if she was of so little consequence to him why did he insist on
asking for her?  It didn’t make much sense.  All the other drivers had been
with the company for years.  He probably knew them all, so why not ask for
them?  There were only two things that made her unique.  She was a woman, which
he knew nothing about, and she was the youngest on the team.  That must be it. 
He must really enjoy calling her ‘kid’.

As soon as she’d slammed the door shut she got into
the car and started the engine, studiously keeping her eyes on the roadway
ahead.  She had no desire to see them go into the house together, no wish to
prolong the torture.  She’d had enough for one night.

As the wheels crunched on the graveled driveway she
breathed a prayer but it was not a happy one.  Dear God, why did I have to meet
Storm Hunter?  Why did I have to be attracted to him, and why does he keep
requesting me?

She got no answer except the thought that she’d better
get over this crush in quick time or else she would be in a heck of a lot of
trouble.  She’d been scared that she’d looked forward to meeting Storm again
but things were worse now.  The fact that she’d admitted to herself that she
was actually attracted to the man was positively terrifying.

******

“Here you go, Chrystelle.  Just take this and you’ll
feel better in no time.”  Storm walked over to the sofa where his guest lay
like a daintily withering flower.  “You’ve held up pretty good so far but
there’s no use torturing yourself any longer.”

Chrystelle gave a soft groan and straightened up
slowly.  “It’s so hard to put on a brave face all the time.  It’s exhausting.”

“As long as you’re here you don’t have to,” he said
and sat down beside her.  “Now here.  Take this.”

She took the aspirin from his hand and popped it into
her mouth.  Then she reached out a delicate hand for the glass.  When the last
drop of water was gone she pushed the glass back into Storm’s hand and rested
her head against the plush cushions.  “Thanks, Storm.  I needed that.”

“I know,” he said and patted her hand.  “Now close
your eyes and try to get some rest till Jack gets here.”

The words had hardly left his mouth before a soft sigh
escaped Chrystelle’s lips.  She’d fallen fast asleep. 

Storm smiled and went to the kitchen where he put on a
pot of coffee.  They'd both had enough to drink for one night.  He would just
sip a steamy cup of the brew while he waited for his friend to come and pick up
his wife.

He’d known Jack and Chrystelle since college and, from
freshman year, he’d always known they would be a pair.  Where Jack was a
spontaneous adventurer Chrystelle was generally level headed and calm.  They
were the perfect complement to each other.  When they told him they were
getting married he wasn’t the least bit surprised.  It was like they’d been
made for each other.

Tonight Jack had had to rush off from the party early
to do an emergency C-Section at Chicago General, leaving Chrystelle in Storm’s
care.  She was used to this kind of thing.  As one of Chicago’s top surgeons he
was called on at all hours of the day and night.  Tonight was just more of the
same.  Storm had readily agreed for Chrystelle to chill with him knowing that
Jack would come by as soon as his magic hands had done their thing.  He was
quick, he was efficient and he was the best.