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Chapter 1
“Someone’s in a sure fire hurry to get out of here,” Blake chuckled watching the man striding quickly across the floor of the lobby towards the front door.
“When you’ve got a wife like Danielle at home waiting for you what do you expect?” Stan stated. “The woman is gorgeous.”
“If the boss finds out you’re talking about his wife he’ll make you wish he’d simply beaten the crap out of you,” Lori warned passing by as they watched the man in question get into the waiting limo. They got a tiny glimpse of the woman inside and knew their boss wouldn’t be back for the rest of the day.
“I’d kill to keep her around,” Stan stated as the flash of long tan legs disappeared.
“Hush, that’s not true,” Lori said, rolling her eyes. There were entirely too many rumors about Dani and Luke.
“Says who? Come on you’ve seen the way he looks at anyone who gets too close to Danielle. He almost took off Cooper’s head when his hands dropped a bit too low while they were dancing at the last dinner party,” Stan replied.
“That may be true but that’s a far cry from murder and they’ve faced enough scrutiny the last couple years with the dumb tabloids,” she argued.
“What do you expect when a thirty-two-year-old man who’s already the head of a worldwide conglomeration, marries a twenty-one-year-old looker like Danielle?” he said remembering the craziness the wedding caused, especially for the regular employees just trying to get to work in the mornings with photographers everywhere.
“They’re completely head over heels for each other; who cares how old they were,” Lori said before turning her back on the two men, heading back to her office, Luke’s office too as she was his assistant. She knew Dani and Luke quite well.
She’d worked with Luke for five years and it was only during the last two, almost three, that he’d finally started taking some time off. At first, she’d been curious but once the wedding announcement had come out, she and the rest of the company knew exactly why he’d been acting differently.
Lori took a stack of papers into his office, well aware that they wouldn’t be taken care of until they got back from wherever Luke was whisking Dani off to this time. Her eyes caught hold of the wedding photo sitting on his desk and she sighed. She’d love to find someone who looked at her the way Luke was looking at Dani in it. The love shone through like the sun forcing its way through the clouds.
“Well Dani, you are one lucky, lucky girl,” she said spying the folder that was sitting on his desk boasting about the new luxury hotel in London. Apparently, they wouldn’t be back for a few days. Five years ago, she’d have grumbled about him not telling her his plans in order to be prepared for questions, but now, knowing just how focused Luke could be, she was simply thankful that it was on Dani and not the company, letting her head home early rather than stay late.
***
“Mr. and Mrs. Nolan lovely to see you,” the manager of the hotel stated as he allowed his eyes to roam over the woman’s figure, she was spectacular.
Dani sighed looking around the suite. “Luke, really darling this is too much.”
“Nothing’s too much for your birthday, Danielle…nothing,” he replied before turning back towards the man, his eyes losing all the warmth as he saw his gaze directly on her chest.
“Thank you, this will do,” he added leaving no doubt that he was dismissing him.
Dani sent the man a half-smile as she slipped off the open coat and tossed it onto the loveseat. The instant the doors closed behind him the smile faded and her entire attitude changed.
“Really Luke? What’s the point of dragging me here?” she demanded as she tossed her shoes aside.
“It’s your birthday Dani; what kind of loving husband would I be if I didn’t celebrate it with you?”
“When the hell have you ever been alovinghusband?” she countered winding her hair up into a tight knot on top of her head.
“Hard to be a loving husband when you marry a gold-digging, thieving, murderous witch,” he sneered at her.
“ButIdidn’t kill Chance,youdid, remember?” she countered making his anger increase.
“Watch it, Dani.”
“Why the hell should I? I’m sick of this…I’m sick of you.”
“Then tell me where the two of you hid the money and I’ll let you walk. Where did you stash my money?” Luke demanded putting a glittering little smile on her lips.
“After two, hell, almost three years do you really think I’d tell you now?” Dani laughed shaking her head at him. “I mean really Luke; why would I tell you where it was? I have everything a girl could ever dream of—a wealthy husband, because let’s be honest you’ve done quite well for all of us the last two years with just the profits from the company. I have a fabulous house, a killer car for when I want to run around by myself, a driver for when I don’t. Credit cards with unlimited spending. I can get in anywhere all over the city and a husband who justadoresme…I have theperfectlife Luke,” she said her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Give me the money and I’ll make sure you’re set up for life Dani.”
“I already am, besides there is no money, not anymore.”
