This was Dani’s cue to get going. She stood up and gave her boss a quick nod. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate your looking out for me.”
“No problem, Swift. Now just grow some hair on that baby face of yours and look tough.” Tony was chuckling as Dani walked out of his office and headed for the garage.
Things had turned out a lot better than she’d thought. There she was, thinking she was about to get fired, and instead she’d been assigned to a man who was probably the limousine company’s most prestigious client.
Now if only his tips would be as big as his name, she’d be sweet.
That night Dani arrived on location a whole fifteen minutes before the appointed time. There was no way she would risk being late. And she’d prepared well, too, making sure to pile every last strand of her thick dark hair underneath the rim of the chauffeur's hat. She’d been doing that since the groping incident. She’d ditched the earrings and had left her face devoid of any form of make-up. She’d even practiced her walk, trying to eliminate the feminine sway of her h*ps and adopt instead the long strides of a man. Thank God she was taller than most of her sex. At five feet seven and a half she could easily pass for a man. Now if only she could grow some hair on her chin. She chuckled at the thought. She was willing to go far but not that far.
At five minutes after ten people started leaving the stately mansion. The cars that rolled out of the driveway included Porsches, Jaguars and a Bentley. Then there were others who chose to depart in limousines. Storm Hunter would be one of them.
Dani recognized him immediately. Over six feet tall and dangerously handsome, he was dressed in a designer suit of midnight black, his dark hair curling deliciously at the collar. He strode down the driveway toward her with an air of supreme confidence that almost took her breath away. He had billionaire stamped all over him.
Realizing she was staring she immediately straightened to her full height and masked her face with a stony expression. The last thing she wanted was for this man to think she was ogling him. Although, if ever there was a man to fit the description of ‘eye candy’, he was it. But she couldn’t be caught staring. She had to remember she was a professional, she was on the job, and on this job she was a man. Sort of.
Storm Hunter was halfway to the car when a tall, willowy blonde ran down the driveway toward him.
“Storm, wait for me,” she called in a light, airy voice. “I want to come with you.”
For a fraction of a second Storm’s brows fell and a look of annoyance passed over his face. Then it went blank and he turned to meet the woman who was now almost upon him. “Lola,” he said, his deep voice quiet and cool, “I thought you were heading for home.”
“I am,” she said with a laugh as she caught his arm and clung to it. “Daddy didn’t come for me as he promised so I'm hitching a ride with you.” She looked up at him with huge eyes full of adoration then she added the finishing touch when she set her crimson lips in a teasing pout.
Dani almost gagged. Christ, the things some women did to get a man’s attention. Then, realizing the direction of her thoughts, she made her face bland. It was not her place to judge or to get involved in the affairs of these people. Best to just focus on doing her job.
“My pleasure,” Storm said but his voice was anything but pleasant. He’d spoken with a formality that made it clear that he would have preferred to travel alone.
The woman he’d called Lola didn’t seem to notice his reticence. “Thank you so much, darling,” she gushed. “Now we can get a chance to talk some more. You know Daddy loves it when we talk.” Then she batted her eyes in what she must have thought was an irresistibly seductive manner.
Dani clenched her teeth to keep from uttering a sound. As tempted as she was to give a groan of disgust, that was a luxury she could not afford. But honestly, the woman’s simpering was past annoying. She didn’t know how Storm Hunter could stand it.
He seemed to be handling it fairly well, though. They’d started walking toward the car and there was a slight smile on his lips, admittedly a somewhat sardonic-looking smile, but a smile nonetheless. The woman slipped a hand into the crook of his arm and he didn't seem to mind. They looked quite comfortable now as they strolled toward her.
But things aren’t always as they seem, as Dani soon realized. To her surprise, when the couple got up close she saw the glint of irritation in the man’s eyes and then he gave her a knowing look. For that nanosecond Dani’s heart froze. Storm Hunter had just exchanged a look with her, a look that said he was pissed and he didn’t mind letting her know because she would understand. It was one of those looks shared between men. Except, she wasn’t a man.
But he didn’t know that.
He was standing right in front of her now. Dani gave a quick nod of greeting, the perfect excuse for her to drop her gaze and break the hold of his stare. “Good evening, Mr. Hunter,” she said in a low voice then leaned forward and opened the door of the limousine. Storm helped Lola then he bent his tall frame and climbed in, leaving Dani to close the door behind them. A moment passed before she could move. He’d been so close that the heady fragrance of his cologne filled her nostrils. That, combined with his nearness, had her heart racing like she’d just done a hundred meter sprint. Christ, what in the world was wrong with her?
The man was just a man, after all. True, but this was one handsome piece of man with his thick brows, square jaw and those deep dark eyes that seemed to bore a hole into her soul. He was the first man who’d made her breath catch in her throat. She’d gone through her fair share of romance novels and had read about heroes who stole your breath away but she’d never had that happen to her, had never even believed it. Until now.
She gave her head a quick shake. Back to reality, Dani. You can’t afford to go soft on a guy now. He's the client, remember? Her emotions again under control, she strode back to the driver's seat and slid behind the wheel. She was calm now, almost able to laugh at herself. And she had a feeling she’d need a sense of humor.
If the last few minutes were anything to go by this was going to be an interesting journey.
CHAPTER TWO
They were less than ten minutes into the journey when Dani heard a tap on the tinted glass separating the driver's cab from the back. As soon as she pressed the button to wind the glass down she heard Lola’s petulant voice.
“Chauffeur, don’t you have any champagne in this car? I don’t like what you have back here. Vodka, gin, they’re not my kind of drink.”