Dane's Storm Page 4

  Luella had been saying something and I’d cut her off. She paused as if she was wondering if she should even tell me, but then seemed to decide it didn’t matter. She glanced briefly at her nails before saying, “Townsend Robotics is building an industrial park on the acreage across from the building Dane bought. We’ve purchased the properties along that road and are planning major expansions.”

  I shook my head in heart-wrenching bewilderment. “So that’s all it comes down to? You need that space to expand your . . . industrial park?”

  “Well no, the building you now occupy will be just outside the park, but the surrounding properties will be updated and expanded too.” She glanced at the slim gold watch on her bony wrist as if I had already taken up too much of her time. “Will that be all?”

  Will that be all?

  “My God, do you really still hate me so much?”

  Luella sighed. “Oh dear, I don’t hate you. Truthfully, I haven’t given you a second thought in seven years. This is business, plain and simple. Business isn’t always . . . comfortable, but my family hasn’t gotten where we are by shying away from some discomfort, now have we?”

  “I was your family.”

  Her eyes glittered coldly as if denying it with her expression. No, she’d never considered me family, even when we’d shared a last name. “But you’re not now, are you? And it was your choice, not mine.”

  Her words cut through me.

  I couldn’t deny the truth of them.

  “You’re not even going to offer to purchase it from me so I can buy another space somewhere else? It’s not as if you need the money.” I swallowed down the sob trying to make its way up my throat.

  She looked at me as if I was the biggest fool she’d ever seen. “Why would I buy my own building from you? I already own it. I will give you thirty days to vacate and find a new place, though. And I think that’s more than generous.”

  Thirty days? More than generous? For the love of God, she was taking everything I’d worked over seven years to build—taking it without offering me a single form of payment. Walking away from that building would cripple me financially. I still had an outstanding loan, and my bank balance was pitifully small. What could I do? Start operating from my living room? That would make me look so legitimate. Any customers I’d accumulated would drop off like flies. I would once again have nothing.

  Luella glanced at her watch again. “I really must get back to my luncheon. You still know the way out, I assume?” I continued to stare at her. Numbly. I wanted to scream and cry, fall to my knees, but Luella had never responded to shows of emotion and I doubted she would now. No, I needed to leave and figure this out. I needed to call a lawyer. This wasn’t over—not by a long shot.

  The door clicked shut softly behind her, and I wrapped my arms around myself to stop the shaking I could no longer control. What Luella was doing both infuriated and terrified me, but it was Dane’s possible involvement—even his mere knowledge—that brought the profound sense of pain.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Then . . .

  Audra emerged from the building where her art class was held, surprised to see a sky full of gray clouds overhead. The weather forecast hadn’t called for rain.

  “Hey there.”

  She halted, smiling before she’d even looked up. Dane Townsend was leaning casually against a telephone pole, his hands in his pockets, waiting for her just as he’d been doing for the past several weeks. Her heart drummed in her chest. She kept expecting that he wouldn’t be there on Tuesday or Thursday, and though it would pierce her heart, she tried to prepare herself for that inevitability. She still wasn’t exactly sure why twice a week after class he’d pick up Dalila, take her home, and then come back an hour later to drive Audra home as well.

  She was still a little embarrassed that he’d seen the drawings she’d done of him. The art teacher—Mr. Woodrow—had walked in the room a minute after those sketch pads had fallen to the floor, saving her from any further humiliation. But the next class, he’d been outside waiting for her, asking if he could take her home.

  He’d ask her questions about her life, and though she was unused to talking about herself, she found it was surprisingly easy to open up to him. And even more surprising, he seemed genuinely interested, almost . . . fascinated. She still didn’t comprehend why. He was the most beautiful boy in the entire world, strong and striking, and for some unknown reason, he wanted to get to know her.

  Audra smiled brightly. “Hi.”

  He pushed off the pole, walking toward her.

  “How was class?”

  Before she could answer, a raindrop hit his nose and he looked up just as another one splattered across his cheek. “Damn. I didn’t bring an umbrella.”

  The rain suddenly picked up, pitter-pattering on the sidewalk and Dane laughed, swearing again. He grabbed Audra’s hand, pulling her to the cover of a service entry on the side of the building.

  She laughed too, pressing her back against the door. He stepped up close to her so she was covered by the very small overhang, though half of him was still exposed to the rain. Behind him the water drummed on the pavement as he continued chuckling, leaning his head closer so at least that part of him was saved from being drenched. She tilted her head, looking up at him, her breath catching in her chest at his masculine beauty, his brown hair slicked back, his green eyes filled with humor, his wide shoulders shielding her from the weather. And, God, he smelled so good. She closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of him. When she opened her eyes, he was watching her, his expression serious now, filled with something she didn’t have enough experience to name. But she knew on a primal level that he was thinking about kissing her.

  Her breath hitched, her lips parting as his gaze shot to her mouth and back to her eyes. The tension between them grew palpable, and Audra’s heart slammed beneath her ribs. She pressed her back against the metal of the door, flattening her palms against it as Dane leaned in even closer.

  He reached up and used both hands to smooth the pieces of hair that had fallen from her braid. Her breathing became uneven as her heart beat in time with the rain, and she felt like part of her was falling too. Spinning, swirling, at the mercy of a force beyond her control, beyond her understanding.

  He moved in slowly, as if giving her time to realize what he was doing, perhaps a chance to push him away—though that was the furthest thing from her mind. She was scared, but she welcomed him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, feeling the rain on the back of her hands as it saturated his hair and slid down his neck. He bent to her, their mouths coming together on a moan she wasn’t sure had come from her or him, possibly both.

  His tongue swept into her mouth, and for a moment she froze, unsure of what to do. She’d never been kissed before. But he seemed to sense her hesitation, and he withdrew his tongue, nibbling at her lips, using his tongue to brush across her mouth until she became accustomed to the taste of him, the feel of his lips on hers. God, it was incredible. She pressed against him, loving the feel of her breasts crushed against his chest, the solid warmth of his body.

  Seeming to sense the very moment she realized she wanted more, he dipped his tongue slowly between her lips and this time, she met his tongue tentatively with her own. He moaned, a sound filled with need, with encouragement. The sound excited her and she opened her mouth and tilted her head, inviting him more deeply inside her body. He accepted joyfully, deepening the kiss and pressing his body more firmly to hers. She was aware of a distant ache full of longing, something that felt as if it were sparkling inside her, demanding release. The kiss went deeper as he slid his hands down her body and for a moment Audra’s mind went fuzzy. She was only sensation and desire. There was only him, his taste, his hands, the pounding sound of the rain all around them, and a similar pounding in her veins.

  After a lifetime, and only a moment, he broke away on a tortured moan, leaning his forehead on hers, sucking in a lungful of air as his heart thrummed against her o
wn. She opened her eyes slowly, still dazed with the torrent of sensations flooding her system.

  Her lips, still wet from his kiss, tipped up and she stared into his eyes, amazed when she saw his gaze was filled with the same wonder she felt inside. And suddenly, the entire world burst into vivid, glorious color.

  **********

  Dane pulled up in front of Audra’s house and she smiled. The look of awe on her face was the same as what had been there after he’d kissed her. He imagined his expression was the same. He’d never experienced a kiss like that one. It’d felt almost as if . . . she was familiar in some way he didn’t know how to explain to himself. Kissing her had felt like . . . coming downstairs on Christmas morning: thrilling and calming all at once. Joyful. He wanted to do it again. And he wanted to keep doing it. He was getting hard just thinking about it.

  He turned his car off and pulled her to him, kissing her slowly and deeply again, their breath mingling and his excitement spiraling until he felt half out of his head. He pulled away, groaning and leaning back in his seat, trying to catch his breath and get hold of his body. He was eighteen years old, had had plenty of girlfriends, lost his virginity at sixteen, but he’d never experienced this level of out-of-control lust for a girl. She inspired something in him—not just sexual attraction, but a protectiveness that seemed to tap into some vital part of him. And he liked her. He liked to hear her thoughts on anything and everything, the way she seemed to consider each answer so carefully before she gave it. She was serious and thoughtful, kind and shy, but she also laughed easily, and seemed to notice the world around her in ways other girls their age did not. And Audra’s talent, God, she was talented beyond words and he loved to watch her talk about her dream of becoming an artist. He was completely and utterly fascinated by her. And when she looked at him with that same spark of interest in her eyes, it filled him with happiness and pride that she—this girl—would look at him that way.

  “I should get inside,” Audra said. “My dad will need dinner . . .” He didn’t like that when she looked at her house, shadows moved across her face, dimming the light in her beautiful eyes.

  He frowned. “Does anyone help you out? You must have a family member—”

  She shook her head and smiled, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “No. It’s okay, though. We manage.” She tilted her head. “I’ve told you enough about myself these past weeks. Tell me something about you. About your family.” She looked unsure suddenly, as if she was overstepping her bounds by inquiring about his life, even though they’d shared the most intense kiss he’d ever experienced—and her very first one if he wasn’t mistaken—just twenty minutes before. His ass was still drenched, and it’d been completely worth it.

  She shook her head. “I mean, I know who your family is of course.” She glanced out the window. “They’re very important in Laurelton.”

  He regarded her, the way her eyes skittered away when she mentioned his family.

  He sighed, rubbing his finger along his bottom lip. Important? Well, they were rich anyway. And though he’d never talked about the difference between having money and using it to do something meaningful with anyone except his father, he wanted her to know he trusted her with his deepest thoughts because he wanted to hear more of hers.

  “My dad passed away from a heart attack when I was fifteen. We were really close. He was a good man who died way too early.” Audra reached over and took his hand in hers and the simple comfort of laced fingers made him smile. He turned toward her. “My great-great something grandfather”—he let out a soft chuckle—“made a fortune in the railroad industry like a lot of the other wealthy men of the nineteen hundreds. But so many of their descendants did nothing more than live off the fortunes of their fathers. They didn’t build the business, or create something new, they just . . . reaped the rewards of those who came before them. And as a result, their fortunes dwindled and dried up completely over the course of a hundred years.” He shook his head. “My father taught me the value of hard work, just like his father before him. He taught me that having money in your family doesn’t give you an excuse to live the high life, contributing nothing to the world. In fact, there’s no excuse for someone born into so much privilege to live that way. If anyone should strive to do something good, it’s the person who can step right into the job rather than having to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” Audra listened to him intently, her eyes trained on his face. “My father never got to . . .” Dane shook his head, searching for the right words.

  “Make his contribution?” Audra supplied softly.

  He nodded, relieved she understood perfectly what he was saying. “Yes. My father never had the chance to make his contribution. So I’m going to do it for the both of us. I’m going to step into the family business, and I’m going to do something that would have made him proud.”

  She squeezed his hand. Her gaze held so much respect that for a moment, he felt he could do anything on earth—anything at all—if she kept looking at him that way. Believing in him. “Be mine, Audra,” he whispered, moving closer, taking her face in his hands again and kissing her lips softly.

  He felt her smile against his mouth as she breathed, “Yes.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Audra

  Now . . .

  The rain beat against my windows and for a moment I didn’t realize there was a separate banging sound coming from the front door. I got up from the couch, throwing the blanket I’d been under aside and walking quickly to answer the door. Who the hell would be visiting me?

  I pulled the door open to see Jay, standing on the porch, his blond hair slicked back as if he’d pushed his hand through the rain-drenched strands. For a moment my brain couldn’t compute the sight of him here, as if it wasn’t possible for him to belong anywhere other than my studio.

  My studio. My gut clenched.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I was worried about you.”

  “Because I called in sick?”

  “Well, that—you’ve never called in sick once in three years. But also because you sounded dead inside, even over voicemail. I figured either things didn’t go well with the evil grandmother you ran out to confront yesterday, or someone might have a knife to your throat. “

  My shoulders slumped. That felt accurate, figuratively anyway. And I did feel dead inside. I felt desperate and miserable and without hope. I held the door open wider indicating he should come in. He did, wiping his feet on the mat, and then taking off his coat and hanging it on the coat tree.

  He followed me into my living room, and I noticed the small, confused frown on his face. “Not what you pictured?” I asked.

  “No, not even close. I didn’t realize you had this . . . uh, side to you.”

  I sat on the worn couch, not able to help the small laugh that bubbled up my throat. “There are lots of sides to me, Jay.”

  “Hmm,” he said, giving what I knew was an ugly, mostly depressing room one more glance.

  I brought my legs under me. “I grew up here. It was my grandparents’ home, and when my mom left, my dad and I moved in with them. My grandfather died when I was nine, and my grandmother passed away when I was twelve. After that, it was just me and my dad. The place hasn’t been redecorated since the nineties, but my dad was disabled and there wasn’t a lot of money, and recently, I’ve been putting every dime I have into the business. So”—I waved my hand around—“this is where I live. Home sweet home.”

  Jay regarded me, a slight look of surprise on his face. “Do you mind me asking how your dad was disabled?” He posed the question softly, the look on his face hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure if he was overstepping a boundary.

  I sighed, feeling a brief stab of guilt that I’d been such a standoffish friend in many ways, while Jay had always been an open book. “My mom and dad married young and had me right before my dad shipped off to the Gulf War. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and lost one of his legs. I don’t remember him before, b
ut according to my grandmother, when he came back he was . . . very different, a shell of himself, really.” I sighed again. “My mom couldn’t handle it and just . . . left. Left us here. After my grandparents died, I was all he had.” I lapsed into silence and Jay stared at me for several beats.

  “That’s the most information you’ve given me about your background since we met.”

  I breathed out a humorless laugh. “I know I’m not the most forthcoming person. My past is . . . difficult for me to talk about.” Difficult for me to think about.

  He nodded. “And it’s your past that’s back to haunt you.”

  “Yes,” I sighed. “It seems my past has collided with what I hoped was my future,” I said in a whispery rush of words, misery overcoming me once again. Jay tilted his head, waiting for me to continue. “As you read in the letter from her attorneys, my ex-husband’s grandmother is trying to take the building from me, and it looks like she might succeed.”

  Jay’s brows furrowed as he sat back, bringing one ankle up on his opposite knee. “How long have you been divorced?”

  I shook my head, glancing away for a moment. “Seven years. I was eighteen when we married, and barely twenty when we divorced. It was practically over before it began. I was a stupid kid who didn’t understand how life really worked.”

  “Okay. So how exactly is your ex-grandmother trying to take the building?”

  “My ex-husband comes from an extremely wealthy family. Old money, but new money too. Each generation has figured out how to contribute in some meaningful way and expand the family fortune. Before we married, his grandmother talked me into signing a prenup. I was young, naïve. I thought we’d last forever so what did it matter what I signed?” I took a deep breath, attempting to push back the emotions that talking of that time brought up for me. “Dane purchased the building on Providence Parkway right before we were married, with the intention of gifting it to me so I could start the business I’d always dreamed of running. It was his wedding gift to me, and we put my name on it, but not until after we were married.”