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“Dante!” Removing his glasses, he came immediately to his feet and tossed the tablet on the recliner.
“Clifton.” Dante extended a hand.
“I never thought I’d see you in this house again,” Clifton said with a laugh, clasping Dante’s hand in both of his and giving a vigorous shake.
“I never thought I’d be in this house again. Good to see you.”
“How are you?”
“Better since Annabelle and I have reconciled.” Dante slipped an arm around her waist, and she stiffened.
“I have to admit, I was very surprised when Annabelle told me, but I couldn’t be happier. I was disappointed when the two of you divorced. But you’ve made good use of the time since you’ve been apart, building a successful business. Please, have a seat.” Clifton waved a hand in the direction of the L-shaped sofa across from his recliner.
Dante and Annabelle sat down beside each other, and she looped an arm through his. As she leaned her soft body into his side, his lungs filled with the scent of orange blossoms and sweet jasmine, and his loins came alive with sudden hunger.
Grace entered the room with a tray containing three glasses of iced tea and homemade sugar cookies. She served Clifton first, who thanked her, and then handed glasses of tea to Dante and Annabelle. She placed the plate of cookies on the table in front of the couple and left the room as quietly as she entered.
“Those cookies are delicious, but I’m not allowed to have any,” Clifton said, eyeing the one Annabelle lifted to her lips.
“Doctor’s orders,” she explained. “Grace and I make sure he follows them.”
“What would we do without the women in our lives? This is unsweetened tea.” Taking a sip, Clifton relaxed into the recliner. “How did the two of you reconcile? Annie insisted on waiting until you were here together to tell me the story.”
They had spent an hour the day before discussing an explanation. Dante sipped his tea and let Annabelle take the lead in the lying.
“We both ended up in the Bank of Houston elevator alone and were forced to have a conversation,” she began.
Later they ran into each other again at a restaurant down the street from the bank, and Dante asked if he could join her. Sparks flew from there, especially when they started reminiscing about the past. They exchanged numbers and began seeing each other in secret, in case the relationship didn’t work. A perfectly believable story, though not one iota of it was true.
When she finished, her father smiled at them both. “I can’t tell you how happy I am the two of you are getting back together. It’s never too late to rectify a wrong, and you’re still young. Do you have plans for an engagement party?”
“No. We aren’t planning to have one,” Annabelle answered.
Her father frowned. “You didn’t have one the first time. I think it would be a great idea to have an engagement party this time. I can’t have my daughter marry the great Dante Escarra—the most sought after man in all of Houston—without announcing it to the world.”
“It would have to be on very short notice. Within a few weeks.”
“Why so soon? Have you picked a date for the wedding yet?”
“Yes, May sixteenth.”
Clifton’s eyebrows raised higher. “So soon.”
Dante took Annabelle’s hand. “We didn’t see the point in waiting. We’ve lost so much time already.”
Clifton nodded. “True, true. Then we need to move swiftly on the engagement party. It’s a yes on the engagement party, right, honey?”
“I, uh—yes.”
“Perfect. Now that’s settled, do you mind checking on dinner? I want to talk to Dante alone for a bit. Would you join me in my study for a pre-dinner cognac and cigar?” Clifton rose from his chair.
“I would love to.” Dante and Annabelle stood, and he dropped a kiss on her pillowy soft cheek. He heard her soft inhale, right before he withdrew.
He followed Clifton toward the door leading into his private study.
Before they entered, he glanced over his shoulder and caught an expression on Annabelle’s face, but it quickly disappeared. What was that look?
If he didn’t know better, he’d say it was pain. He suddenly remembered a past conversation with Annabelle about her father and how her brother’s untimely death had left a void—one she had tried unsuccessfully to fill.
