Taking Passion by Storm (11 page)

Chapter
Eleven

Hurricane
force winds lashed at Addison and Nadine. Dixon was wedged in the cleft of a
rock, and they tried to pry him out, but they lost their grip on him as the storm
surge overtook them. Dreams are odd things, and in this one, he and Nadine were
somehow spared from the water, but Dixon wasn’t. He was swept into the Pacific
Ocean.

Addison
sat up, drenched in sweat, his heart pounding so loudly he was certain everyone
in the bunker must hear it as well. On top of that, he could still hear
Nadine’s screams in his head as her father became part of the swirling mass of
dark water.

Fuck me sideways.
A dream. It was just a dream. A
prophetic one? Was that what their immediate future held? Next to him, Nadine
was still curled up on her side, sound asleep.
Thank goodness.
What a fucking horrible dream. He wasn’t prone to
nightmares. What the hell had brought this one on?

He
crawled out of bed and went into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face
as his stomach grumbled. Maybe he was just hungry?
Yeah, right. Because you have fucking horrible dreams all the time when
you’re hungry.

What
the hell time was it? Why was he starving? He picked up his phone and wanted to
laugh. It was already ten o’clock. They’d slept through the afternoon and
evening, not to mention dinner. Everyone was likely in bed already since he’d
told the group about eight hours earlier that they were leaving at first light.

His
quick trip to the storage room came back to him, as did the looks they’d all
given him when he’d run out there, dressed in nothing but his shirt and jeans.
Everyone now knew he was in here with Nadine, and that they’d had sex.

Addison
didn’t give a shit. He’d been waiting for this for years, although he’d never
have imagined it would come about this way, or after she’d gone through such a
horrific experience. He wanted to find out the man’s name who had raped her,
find the prison he was in, and pay him a little visit. With a concealed weapon.

He
sat down next to her and watched her sleep. It had been a very long time since
he’d made love to a woman with so little experience. Not only had it been like
a breath of fresh air to do so earlier, but it had been special because of who
Nadine was. She hadn’t sought him out for his name or his money. She wasn’t
interested in his power or his social contacts. He had no idea what she saw in
him, but he was happy beyond reason that she’d said “yes”. If he got his way,
she’d be part of his life for a long time. Maybe forever.

Addison
shook his head. He was assuming a lot here, and they still had a mission to
complete. She needed closure one way or the other where her father was
concerned. Only then could he address the secret she’d entrusted to him.
Whatever happened after that, once they were underground again, he’d have to
deal with it. She might want no part of him after this adventure. Or, being his
lover might prove to be too much for her to handle.

Either way, he’d crossed the bridge
and
he couldn’t
uncross it. He’d held the girl of his unending fantasies in his arms. He’d
kissed her mouth, he’d touched her body, and he’d made love to her. He couldn’t
undo what had been done, and no matter what happened on this trip, he didn’t
want to. He’d cherish this for the rest of his life, even if she told him to
get lost one day.

His
stomach rumbled loudly again, so Addison pulled on his jeans and t-shirt. He
peeked into the room next door, just to be sure no one had claimed it for their
own, but it was empty except for Nadine’s things on the bed. If he had his way,
she wouldn’t be sleeping inside it even if they came back here during their
mission.

This
bunker would be the place they’d return to if possible each night, but they
might end up sleeping on the floor of a cave, or cramming inside a shelter to
wait out a storm. He had no idea what they’d find in the caves, or how much of
them they’d be able to explore each day.

No
one was in the common room or the kitchen, just as he’d expected, but he could
still smell the chicken they’d cooked. He peeked into the fridge and smiled.
Someone had left two covered plates for him and Nadine. This was why he loved
these people. He removed the dishes and uncovered them, breathing in the scent
of grilled chicken, rice, and broccoli.

They
might be in a bunker, but they had some fabulous food, thanks to his teams.
They kept this one well-stocked because it was used so often. He warmed up the
food and then rummaged in the storage room for the perfect bottle of wine. He
took the food and wine back to his room, then returned to retrieve a corkscrew,
two glasses, and bottled water.

Nadine
was awake, dressed, and had just come out of the bathroom when he walked into
his room the second time. She glanced at the spread. “What’s all this?”

“
The dinner we missed.”

Her
eyes widened. “Oh no … oh my God. What time is it? How long did we sleep?”

He
grinned, putting his arms around her. “We’ve been in here about eight hours.”

She
flushed, her expression guilty. “They all know, then. That we had sex in here.”

He
tried not to feel anger at her reaction. She was coming at this from an
entirely different perspective, and he needed to remember that. “Yes, I’m quite
certain they do know we had sex.”

She
pulled out of his embrace. “I’m sorry.”

“
Why? I’m not. We’re adults. We’ve done nothing wrong,
sweetheart.”

“
Won’t you be embarrassed to face them? You’re their
team leader.”

“
I’m a man.” He’d never been embarrassed about making
love to a woman, and he’d never had one react this way. He had no clue how to
handle this.

“
So, you bring women along on these trips routinely?”

He
frowned. Was she jealous of his past? “Of course not. When I come to the
surface, it’s all business.”

“
I’m sorry, Addison. I really am. I didn’t mean to
upset you.”

He
pulled her close again. “I’m not upset, but you have nothing to apologize for.
Neither one of us do.”

“
I’m so damn lost here.”

He
was acting like a jerk, and she was worried about her father. That hadn’t
disappeared because he’d fucked her. He really was a pompous ass. “We’ll find
him.”

She
pulled away again. “I don’t mean that.”

Now
he was thoroughly confused. “What did you mean?”

“
I mean I sound like I’ve lived under a rock all my
life.”

Addison
took several deep breaths to try to collect his thoughts. This girl had never
had a real relationship. He realized that now. She might be closer to thirty
than twenty, but her experience was limited to a horny teen to whom she’d been
nothing more than a conquest, and a rapist. What the hell was he supposed to do
here? He felt helpless, and he hated that for her sake.

“
Let’s eat before this gets cold again, okay?”

She
took a seat next to him on the bed, and he handed her a glass of wine. Then he
poured himself one and lifted his glass. “To us, and to finding your father.”

She
clinked her glass against his but said nothing. He was determined to bring this
around. “What do you think of the food?”

“
It’s good. I’m surprised.”

He
grinned. “Did you think we existed on beef jerky and dried prunes up here?”

That
earned him a smile in return. “No, but I didn’t expect to find a bunker that’s
larger and better equipped than my apartment.”

“
We won’t spend too much time here unless we can get
back to it each evening once we lose the light.”

They
ate in silence for a few moments, but Addison couldn’t take it any longer.
“Nadine, do you regret what we did, or are you simply worried about your dad?”

She
put down her fork, and that’s when he noticed her hands shaking slightly.
“Both.”

Shit.
“Okay. I’m listening.”

“
I don’t know what to say.”

His
heart sank. “As for your dad, we
will
find him. I gave you my word, and I never go back on it.” Images from his dream
came back to him, but Addison pushed them away. Best to keep that to himself.

She
finally met his gaze, but it hardly mattered now. He could see the pain in her
eyes, and it confused him even further. “And the other?”

“
I don’t know what to say. You have me at a
disadvantage since I don’t know why you regret making love to me.” The words
were difficult to say. He could see the struggle on her face, and it nearly
ripped his heart in two. What the hell had he done to her?

“
Addison, I’m not like the other women you go out
with.”

She
had no clue how true that was. It was the differences in her that he found so
attractive. “In what way do you think you’re not like them? And before you
answer, you mean the women I
used
to
go out with, right? I’m not like that anymore. I only want you.”

Her
disgruntled sigh had him wishing he hadn’t said that. He’d really put his heart
out there, but he couldn’t simply drop this. He thought what they’d shared
earlier was fantastic, and up until a few seconds ago, he assumed she’d thought
the same thing. What the hell had changed while they’d slept? Had he
hallucinated her reactions during their lovemaking, or was he really that much
of a conceited jerk not to have noticed something was off?

“
I’m not sophisticated, or … I don’t know.
Experienced
. I don’t have a pedigree. I
work in a high school office, for God’s sake.”

He
resisted the urge to smile and pump his fist in the air. This wasn’t about him!
She was worried she didn’t measure up to the nonsense the tabloids printed
about him.
This
he knew how to
handle. He would make this woman realize how amazing she was or die trying.

“
I don’t have a pedigree either, and I’m not even sure
what that means anymore. Any background checks I’ve done on dates or potential
dates didn’t include the country clubs their parents or grandparents belonged
to. It included whether or not they had a criminal history I needed to be aware
of. When you own a multi-million dollar company, you have to be a bit careful
whom you let into your life.”

“
Now you’re teasing me.”

“
A bit, but not without good reason.” He put his plate
on the bed and took her hands. “Look, I know you have shit in your head surrounding
sex that I will never, ever understand, but I meant what I said about you. I’ve
had a thing for you for a long time, and what we shared a few hours ago was the
most amazing, incredible experience I’ve ever had. I want you in my life when
this is done. I meant that, too. This isn’t a fling for me, and you need to
know that half the shit about me on the Internet is made up.”

“
Including the pictures of you with dozens of different
women?”

This
time, he had to smile, but not at her words. It was the tone of voice, as if
she’d caught him in a great big lie. “No, those are real, but I’m done with
that. I only want you.”

“
How many times have you said that to someone?”

“
Never.”

She
looked surprised but skeptical.

“
I’m not kidding here. I’ve never said that to anyone.
I’m not like that.”

“
How can you know something like that after one …
encounter?”

Would
this beautiful woman ever see herself the way he did? “Because I’ve been
fantasizing about you for years. Up until you told me what happened to you, I
thought you’ve kept me at a distance all these years because you don’t like me.
The only reason I never asked you out again was out of respect for your
father.”

She
said nothing, but at least the pain and confusion were gone.

“
I kept fantasizing about you because I couldn’t give
up on you. You’re the woman I want, Nadine. Only you.”

She
stared at him for a long time, and he could see the emotions cross her face. It
looked like she was going to say something, but she picked up her plate
instead. “It would be a shame to waste this. Plus I’m really hungry.”

He
breathed a mental sigh of relief and picked up his plate as well. It didn’t
matter that she couldn’t respond to his words right now. At least she hadn’t
pushed him away. That was a start. “I am, too. Great sex will do that to you.”

She
laughed, nearly choking on the food she’d just put into her mouth. “You
surprise me, Addison.”

“
Why?”

“
I don’t know. I guess I didn’t expect this playfulness
and humor.”

“
Did you expect me just to take you and be done with
it?” He smiled so she’d know he wasn’t angry.