September Storm (12 page)

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

"Dani."

C
hapter 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 Ne
ttie 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 loved – 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."

It was probably just as well . . . because if she had uttered those words, there would be no way he'd let her walk out of his life . . . no way.

Adrian turned, his back to the rail, and faced her.  "Come over here, Dani."

Dani shivered as she stumbled over to him. If anything she was more confused than when she had arrived three days ago.

Stopping in front of him, she wanted to say something--anything, but what? 
Adrian's eyes seemed to bore through her as if he, too, were searching for some answer.  Lord knows, she didn't have any answers.

Adrian sighed and enfolded her within his arms.  "I guess this is goodbye, sweetheart," he murmured as he rested his chin on top of her hair.  "You're shaking, Dani.  Wrap your arms around my waist and I'll share a little body heat with you."  He held open his coat in invitation.

She laid her cheek against the solid muscles of his chest and heard the quickening of his heart beneath her ear.  "I-I don't know why I'm so cold.  It's a little chilly out here, but not dreadfully cold."  Her teeth chattered, and she truly felt as though she were coming apart at the seams.

"I won't soon forget you," Adrian murmured, his voice sounding strange. He went on, "We shared some pretty memorable moments."

"Yeah, like bumps on the head," Dani half-laughed, half-sobbed.  "I hope you don't plan on making dates with call girls in the future.  You might get more than you bargain for."

"That was a stupid birthday present," Adrian said, nuzzling aside the hair near her ear.  "My friends will never believe what really occurred this weekend."

"You mean you're going to tell them?"

"If you mean am I going to sit in a bar and tell every little detail that happened, the answer is no.  I wouldn't do that to you.  What happened between us is personal."

She needed to fight her own battle of personal restraint, but she felt herself slipping. "Thank you,” Dani whispered.  “Listen, I was there and I still don't believe what happened."

The boat jarred then as it nudged against the dock, and she knew this was it.  The wonderful, magical fairy tale was coming to an end.

Adrian wasn't going to ask her to stay.

Dani drew back and looked at him with eyes that were bright with unshed tears. "Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?"

She didn't have to ask twice. He swooped down, his lips taking hers in a shattering kiss. He held her so tight she had difficulty breathing. But she really didn't care.  Air wasn't what she needed.  She molded herself to his hard body. They fit so perfectly, and every hard plane of his body gave her evidence that he wanted her no matter what he said.  He couldn't hide that fact from her.  She might never lay eyes on him again, but she was determined he'd never forget this kiss.

With a skilled expertise, she felt Adrian's hands as they sunk into her hair holding her head while his kiss changed from demanding to gentle.  Dani clung to him with a helplessness she couldn't control.  Instinctively her mouth opened, and she welcomed his tongue, trying to block out the anguish she knew was coming.

He stroked her back, his fingers warming her. Dani no longer had control.  If he made love to her here on the deck then so be it.  How could she ever go back to her dull, routine life? Adrian sucked the very life from her, and she was but a split-second from ripping his shirt open to better feel his skin next to hers.

Adrian couldn't get enough of the fabulous woman captured within his arms, the stunning face, or the kiss th
at had sent him over the edge. He hadn't planned to make love to her with his kisses, but that's exactly what he was doing.

Each time his tongue thrust into her velvety-soft mouth, he could picture them making love. Her long, sun-kissed body seemed made for him.  He shivered and lowered his hand to her hips, pulling her pelvis next to his throbbing erection.  There couldn't be any questions in her mind that he wanted her like no other. Wanted, but couldn't have.  This was goodbye, and that thought became a glass of ice water splashed over his head.

Adrian tore his mouth from hers and held her away from him.  However he couldn’t keep from looking at her as he searched for the right words.  He wanted to say,
Stay with me, Dani, if
only for awhile
.  But he'd end up hurting her when he became bored, which he always did. He'd push her aside.  What a bastard he was. Dani deserved better.

"Let me help you with your bags," he finally muttered when he could think of nothing else to say.

Instantly, sanity returned.

A gust of cold air swept between them, removing what little warmth remained.  So this was it, Dani thought, blinking back the tears that spilled from her eyes.  "Don't worry.  I can get them myself."

"You always did have a thing about your luggage,” Adrian said wryly.  “But I insist," he said, picking up the bag as if it was empty.

"Where are your bags?"  Dani realized that she hadn't seen him bring anything aboard.

"I left them at the house.  I'm going to go back and check on Angus and Nettie, then I'll be leaving.  I just wanted to see you safely on your way."

Or did he mean out of his hair? Dani wondered with a touch of bitterness.  "That's nice of you."

They left the boat and moved over to a yellow cab.  He put her damp bags in the cab and gave the driver instructions before coming around to where she stood.

Adrian took her hand and held it in both of his.

If only he would ask her to stay, but Dani realized he wasn't going to do that.  "I hope you had a nice birthday, Adrian Massimino."

He chuckled and held her hand up to his lips, brushing her knuckles with a feather-light touch. "I'll always remember my thirty-ninth birthday and September storms with much fondness."

She gave him a teary smile as he stared at her.

He reached out and snatched her to him in a powerful hug.  It took a few moments before he whispered in her hair.  "Don't, Dani.  I'm not worth your tears."

In the background she heard the cab driver clear his throat.  If she had a gun, she'd shoot the man.

"It's time."  Adrian held the door for her and Dani slid in.  Adrian leaned down to her open window and said, "Have a nice life, Danielle Kapur.  I hope Steven makes all your dreams come true."

Adrian felt as though his guts were being torn from his body as he watched the cab drive away. For a brief moment, he wanted to run after the cab and beg her to stay, but he fought the impulse.

No matter what he felt, he was doing the right thing.

He wasn't sure how long he stared at the now empty road.  Finally, he heard Captain Bass call from the dock that it was time to shove off.

Adrian turned heavy feet and moved in the direction of the boat, no longer seeing any of the beauty in the things around him.  The sky had turned gray and the sea gulls were noisy.  Even the air seemed to hold a stench.

As he stepped onto the ferry the Captain said, "I hated to see the pretty lady go.  How about giving this to her the next time you see her."

Adrian glanced down at a wooden seagull that someone had whittled in the captain’s hand, then back to his face.

"She seemed fascinated by the bird.  Tell her it's a gift from the Captain."

Adrian nodded unable to speak because his throat had closed up with emotion.  He clutched the little bird in his hand and found the same seat where he and Dani had sat before.  Dani's
scent still lingered in her now empty spot.