Free Dangerous Deception (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) by Judy Angelo

just messed up two chances by
quitting her job with Tony and then practically ordering Storm to keep his
hands off her?
    Propping her elbows on her knees, she dropped her chin
into her cupped palms.  After what had just happened would Storm even call her
again?
    ******
     
    Damn and double damn.  Storm slammed his palm against
the steering wheel and blew out a frustrated breath.  How could he have been so
dumb?
    He should have known better than to give in to his
attraction to Dani.  Of course she would be upset.  He should probably be
grateful she hadn’t slapped him for coming on to her like that.  He’d hired
her, discussed money, and then had gone and practically taken advantage of
her.  Now she was probably feeling like he’d used her.  Jeez, what if she
thought he’d assumed he’d bought an all-inclusive package?
    He shook his head.  He honestly didn’t know what had
come over him.  It was probably because he’d never felt so comfortable in a
woman’s company as he did in hers.  She’d had him quilting, for Christ's sake,
and he’d loved it.  He’d probably have enjoyed it just as much if she’d pulled
out a basket of old socks and told him to start darning.  It wasn’t the task
that had him on a high, it was the company.
    He blew out his breath in a sigh.  He wanted Danielle
Swift.  There was no denying that.  The problem was she obviously didn’t feel
the same way.
    He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and stared
through the windshield of his Ferrari.  Now he was faced with a nagging
question - after what had happened, would she want to go through with his
plan?  He could easily think of twenty women who would jump at the chance to
play this farce with him.  But the only one he wanted was her.
    It was not an easy task, admitting that to himself,
not after she’d thrown him out of her apartment.  But it was the truth.  Now
there was only one thing left to do.  He had to apologize.
    He dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. 
For some time he stared at it, fighting the urge to give in to his male ego. 
What man liked to be rejected?  But he had to do what was right.  He found her
number in the phone and pressed the green button to call.
    She picked up on the third ring.  “Hello?”  Her voice
was soft, hesitant, totally unlike the bold Dani he’d come to know.
    “It’s Storm,” he said and started tapping his fingers
on the steering wheel again.
    “I know,” she said then there was silence.
    Come on, fool.  Your turn .  “Dani, I’m sorry about
what just happened,” he said, his voice strained.  “I was out of line to come
on to you like that and I apologize.”
    “I’m sorry, too,” she said quietly.  “It’s not like I
was blame-free.”
    Again there was silence, and for once in his life
Storm struggled to find words.  Finally he spoke.  “So…are we still on for that
visit to my parents in the next couple of weeks or…do you want to call it off?”
    He heard her sigh into the phone.  “I’ll still do it,
Storm.  But you know this is dangerous, right?  I mean, deceiving your parents
like that?  Don’t you think they’ll see through it?”
    “Not if we do it right,” he said.  “If we just act
like a normal couple they’ll be sold.”
    “Normal?”
    “Or as close to normal as we can get,” he said, trying
to clarify.
    “Alright.  I’ll…see you in a couple of weeks then,”
she said, effectively bringing the conversation to an end.
    “Right.  See you then.”
    The phone connection went dead and she was gone.
    Storm dropped the phone onto the driver's seat then
turned the key in the ignition.  The engine roared to life.
    And that was the end of his evening.  Not exactly the
one he had envisioned but at least they were back on amicable terms.
    He just hoped from here on he’d remember to keep his
roaming hands off her.  It was definitely not going to be easy.
    ******
     
    The next two weeks passed far too