Taking Passion by Storm (2 page)

“
I go several times a year with a team, or to check up
on them, but this time will be different. I’ve never gone on a rescue mission.”

She
had obviously underestimated this man for years. “Who will go with you?”

“
A few members from among my procurement teams whom I’d
trust with my life, and several Storm Troopers.”

She
placed her cup back on the table. “Thank you. I know that sounds inadequate,
but I don’t know what else to say.”

He
uncrossed his legs and leaned closer to her, then took her hands. His skin was
warm, and his touch sent shivers up and down her spine.
Get a grip, girl!

 
“
Nadine,
I can’t even imagine how frightened you are right now. I won’t make you any
promises. That would be cruel and irresponsible of me, but I will give you my
word that we will not stop until we find him.”

“
Dead or alive, right?” she whispered. Nadine had no
idea why those words popped out, but now that they had, her breath hitched in
her throat and she wasn’t able to hold back the tears this time. They trickled
down both cheeks as she gazed into Addison’s eyes.

“
Yes. Either way, we
will
find him.” He gave her hands a squeeze and she started to pull
her right one away so she could wipe her face, but his fingers reached her
cheek before hers could. “I’m sorry this happened.”

He
brushed her tears away, and his touch burned her skin, but not with pain.
Nadine couldn’t stop looking at him. Every erotic thought she’d kept buried for
four years tried to surface, along with the terror and pain she’d pushed down
with those thoughts.

That man’s
face rose in her head. She
couldn’t stop it from happening this time.
That
man
had taken her sense of safety, and her ability to do this. Her ability
to feel anything but fear and mistrust for another man, even a man as familiar
and charming as Addison.

Nadine
jerked her face away from Addison’s hand, pulled her other hand out of his
grasp, and shifted away from him so she could stand. “Thank you for coming over.”

He
looked confused and hurt as he stood to face her. “You’re welcome.”

Nadine
couldn’t look him in the eyes. Too many conflicting emotions competed for
attention right now, and she needed to get him out of here before she spilled
her guts. That would make no sense. She might have known him all her life, but
he’d never been a confidant. She’d never even told her father what
that man
had done to her.

So
why, then, did she have an overwhelming urge to tell Addison everything? It
must be the strain of knowing her father was missing. That was a logical
explanation, so she clung to it. “When do you plan on leaving for the surface?”

“
As soon as possible. I’m trying to get everything in
order today.”

“
I’m not saying I doubt your abilities, but what makes
you think you can find him when there are already Storm Troopers looking for
him? They worked with him. It’s just as personal for them, isn’t it?”

“
Yes, it is.” He moved his hand, and the gesture caught
her gaze. She watched his hand move toward her, but this time it never touched
her. He pulled it back, and then she finally lifted her gaze to find him
watching her with concern and uncertainty on his face. “It is personal, and
you’re all he has left. I’m doing this for him and for you. I’ve known you all
my life, after all.”

She
let out a small sigh that was halting, uncertain. She had no idea what to say.
She was both overwhelmed by his statement, and frightened of the memories that
now assaulted her. She had to be alone and think through this. “Stay safe up
there.”

“
I will.”

His
expression left no doubt he wished she’d say something else, but the air in her
apartment was suddenly too thick. She needed to be alone right now.

“
Nadine, have I done or said something to upset you?”

Shit.
“No. No, not at all. I’m just … I’m
worried about my dad.” Her voice didn’t sound convincing even to her own ears.
He’d never buy it.

“
Of course. I understand. I am, too. I’ll let you know
when we leave, and I will email you as often as possible from the surface.”

She
let out the breath she’d been holding. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I
appreciate that.”

“
My pleasure. You have my Internet phone number and my
personal email. The phone obviously won’t work once I’m topside, but email me
anytime. Even if all you want to do is talk. If I’m in a shelter we can even
set up a video chat if you want to.”

“
Thank you, Addison.”

He
stared at her for a long time, and Nadine was certain he would say something
else, but then he turned and left her apartment. She stood with her back to the
door for what felt like hours while tears ran down her cheeks.

Everything
she’d gone through four years ago came crashing down, along with the
realization that she might never see her father again. All mixed up with those
emotions was Addison’s handsome face, that stubble on his chin, and her
overwhelming longing to be held in a man’s arms, and be kissed, and for those
experiences to erase her memories from that horrible afternoon four years
earlier.

A pipe dream.
That’s all it was. It would never
happen, and certainly not with Addison Carlyle.

Chapter
Two

Addison
stood outside Nadine’s apartment building, staring up at her windows on the
fourth floor, debating whether to go back up there. What the hell had he done
to upset her so much? He knew it was more than her father missing. He’d seen
her tiny flinch when he wiped her tears away, and felt the change in the air
immediately afterward, like a wall had gone up. But why? Was it him, or
something else?

Dixon’s
daughter was fourteen years his junior, but a woman’s age had never stopped him
from pursuing her. The fact that she was Dixon’s daughter had stopped him once,
a long time ago. What had stopped him for the past few years was the same
behavior he’d glimpsed just now. It was almost as if she were afraid of him,
but why would she be?

Addison
shook his head. How crass would it be to make a play for her when her father
was missing, and when he was going to be on the surface for who knew how long?
That, and his overblown ego.
She’s just
not into you!
That was more than likely the real reason she’d always kept
him at such a distance. When he’d been younger and more of an ass than he was
now, that possibility would never have entered his mind, but it did now.

This
was insanity, and he needed to get a grip. She upset about her father. He was
probably dead, and she wasn’t stupid. She knew that. He was letting his conceit
get the better of him.

He’d
watched Nadine grow up, and had been with Dixon when everyone had moved
underground almost seven years ago. Dixon had been so worried about her, and
had stayed underground for a few months while the Storm Troopers got organized.
He checked on Nadine every day to make sure she was settled in and liked her
job.

She
still worked in the office at
NorthWest
high school.
Addison kept tabs on her, but not nearly as much as he would like to. She was
so damn pretty, with her short blonde hair and those big blue eyes. She had her
father’s eyes, and that’s part of what kept Addison at a distance. He respected
and even feared the man too much to piss him off.

If
Dixon knew how many times Addison had fantasized about his daughter for years,
he’d kick his ass into the next century. If he could look into Addison’s mind
and see the things he’d pictured doing with Nadine, he’d kill him first and
then
kick his ass into oblivion, just
for fun.

So
instead, Addison filled his lonely life with relationships that never quite
satisfied him or brought him what he craved these days. It had been fun when he
was younger, and before the world changed forever and he had to move
underground with everyone else.

He’d
been a giant shit and had used women for his own pleasure, but he no longer did
that. Hell, he would have likely done the same thing to Nadine if she’d gone
out with him. Now, he was glad she never had. He would have hated something
like that to be part of their shared past.

These
days, he wanted what his friends had. Four of the twelve were engaged, and Ace
was married. Emmett and Liane were getting married in two months. Ten years
ago, if anyone had told Addison they’d be at this point in their lives, he’d
never have believed it.

Time
changes a man. None of them were getting any younger, and the carefree days of
disposable relationships and never allowing themselves to be tied down were now
more of a hindrance than an amusement. His closest friend Grayson Jensen, who
lived a few blocks away and owned Jenson Software and Web Development, didn’t
even know how truly lonely Addison was. It wasn’t something Addison felt
comfortable discussing.

The
tabloids had a field day every time one of them who wasn’t now engaged or
married was seen in public with a different woman. Although Addison knew every
single one of them had brought down that publicity on their own heads, the
stories now read more like they were pathetic middle-aged men than eligible
billionaires.

It
was time to stop acting like a horny teen. Addison wanted to get to know Nadine
as more than the daughter of one of his best friends, but the likelihood of
anything developing in that direction seemed as far away as their old lives on
the surface.

Or,
it seemed unlikely until they found Dixon.
Dead
or alive.
Yes. Exactly. Dead or alive, although Addison prayed it would be
the latter. If anyone could survive a tornado it was Dixon Jarvis.

Addison
headed for the downtown area, past his office building, to his home on Western
Pine Lane. Only five houses lined this street, and each one was surrounded by
five to ten acres of land.

Addison
knew the other homeowners but rarely saw them. This particular piece of land
had originally been earmarked for a planned park near the downtown area, but
Addison had snatched it up before the papers could be finalized by the city
commissioner because he wanted one of the plots for his home. He’d sold the
others to people he knew could afford them, and would value their privacy as
much as he valued his.

The
park commission had been pissed off as hell, and had then wasted no time in
buying the land around this little enclave for their own. They’d stayed quite
pissed off at Addison for several years afterward, but he didn’t care. He had
his retreat, and that’s all he’d wanted. The park commission could take a
flying leap as far as he was concerned.

Addison
had known they’d buy up the land surrounding his plot. He had wanted it that
way. To be surrounded by protected park lands instead of more housing or office
complexes was perfect for him.

Every
other Weatherman had an apartment in a high rise, most of them close to where
the men worked, but not Addison. He’d been born and raised on Mercer Island,
and he still needed space and a view of the water, even if it was a manmade
lake.

From
his bedroom on the third floor, Addison had a clear view of the largest lake in
NorthWest
. It never hurt to pretend, after all. They
all had dreams of taking back their planet and returning the surface to its
former glory. Maybe this time around they’d do a few things the right way, and
make sure nothing like this could ever happen again. Maybe.

He
glanced toward the bed and imagined Nadine lying there, as he did often, her
lush body glistening with sweat and the aftereffects of their lovemaking. Would
it ever happen? Doubtful, especially now. He’d promised her he wouldn’t stop
until he found her father, and that’s what he needed to pour his energy into.
Not because it would make him a hero in her eyes, but because Dixon was an old
friend and it was the right thing to do.

Yeah. Right. You’re not doing this
for her one little bit.

He
sighed. Of course he was doing it for her as well, but he did want to find his
friend. Even if all he could do was give him a proper burial.

****

Nadine
tried all day to find something to take her mind off her father, but she might
as well have tried to forget how to breathe. When Merrill had emailed her back,
he told her that Addison was putting together a second team that would go in
search of her father. Since she already knew that, she let Merrill know that
Addison had come over to tell her in person. Nadine was so grateful her father
had friends and team members who were willing to put themselves out there and
find him, because she couldn’t imagine doing it herself.

She
busied herself by reading about the Storm Troopers online again, even though
she found nothing she hadn’t read a million times. Then she went to the Carlyle
Imports website and read about some of the adventures his procurement teams
had. There were pictures of Addison on the surface with them, and she found
herself fascinated by the description of their trips up there. Why had she
never known how often he went up there?

She
had no idea these men were foolish or brave enough to face the same kinds of
conditions the Storm Trooper sought in order to collect data. There were
pictures of the existing shelters, plus a few of one of the new ones, and the
differences were staggering. There was even a sidebar article about Damien
Rivera and his construction company, and how long and hard he’d fought for the
new shelters.

Nadine
had listened to her father talk about the Weathermen for years, but she never
really understood how often they worked on projects like this, or how much
they’d each tried to give back to their communities, even before everyone had
been forced underground to survive. The more she read on each man, the more
impressed she was, and the more she realized how she’d misjudged all of them,
especially Addison.

She’d
known him all her life, and had taken his presence for granted. She knew he was
interested in dating her, but had always assumed she’d end up one more notch on
his bedpost, so to speak. She hadn’t wanted that, and of course she hadn’t
wanted
any
man for the past four
years. So she’d pushed Addison into the background, and had missed a lot
because of it.

Each
of the Weathermen had accomplished more by the time they’d reached the age she
was now than she’d ever hope to do. She was twenty-seven years old, had a
degree in general business, and worked in the office of
NorthWest
high school. Her life consisted of updating the website, and making sure
absences were recorded, as well as keeping an accurate record of which kids
were late to school.

By
age twenty-seven, Addison had built an empire above ground that imported rare
artifacts from every continent on the planet. He had clients from all over the
world, and routinely traveled the world with his teams.

When
he moved underground, his business came with him, and he’d found a way to keep
it going by hiring risk-takers who weren’t afraid to go to the surface and look
for things the storms hadn’t destroyed.

What
had she done?

You’re not being fair.

Nadine
closed her laptop and let her mind travel back four years for the second time
that day. She wasn’t being fair at all. Her inability to face up to the demons
of her past had as much to do with why she’d never tried to do anything else
with her life, or why she’d never left her job, as anything did. She was safe
in the world she’d created here. She was comfortable. Everyone she’d grown
close to her in life underground, with the exception of her father, still
worked at
NorthWest
high school.

It
was only when she took a step back and was brutally honest that she faced
facts. She was anything but safe and secure in this cocoon she’d spun. That
much had been proven this morning when she hadn’t been able to allow Addison to
touch her without the memories crowding in. The erotic thoughts his presence
conjured up might as well have been poison, judging by the way her body and her
mind had reacted to them.

How
was she supposed to have a normal life one day if she couldn’t let a lifelong
acquaintance comfort her? She couldn’t even allow herself to fantasize about
making love to a man who didn’t force it on her. How could she expect to have
the kind of life she dreamed about?

Short answer—you can’t.

Nadine
had tried therapy. She still saw a psychologist, but her appointments were
rote. She felt like she was simply going through the motions. Something had to
change, or these kinds of reactions never would. This wouldn’t get better on
its own, but she didn’t know how to fix it. She didn’t have a clue what she
needed to do in order to start the real process of healing.

All
she knew for certain was that she didn’t want to live this way any longer. She
didn’t want to allow
that man
to have
this kind of power over her anymore. He was across the country in prison and
wouldn’t leave for over twenty years. Because she’d been brave enough to come
forward about the attack, they’d been able to eventually link him to dozens of
rapes around the country. She had nothing to fear from him now, but the effects
still lingered.

The
memories that afternoon had left behind, and the devastating effect they still
had on her ability to trust a man, were all too real. Right now, she had no
chance at a future other than the life she was currently living. Not unless she
took this by the reins and brought it under control.

The
power to take back control of her life and her memories was in her hands, not
someone else’s. She’d been told that often enough. It was time to banish the
past and live the kind of life she’d always dreamed of. The kind of life where
she was the brave one. Where she was the one who faced fears head on and came
out the other side. The kind of life where she might be able to love a man one
day, and let him love her in return.

Nadine
opened her laptop and returned to the website about the Storm Troopers. She
found the picture of her father on the day he joined them. His smile said it
all. He was proud, excited, and eager for this new phase of his life to begin.
These men and women were human beings, just like her, but they were doing something
extraordinary with their lives.

Nadine
wanted to do the same. She wanted to prove to herself that she could face fears
and challenges, and make it out the other side. Only then would she be able to
face down what had happened four years ago and finally put it behind her.