Rescuing Diana

by Linda Cajio

  “Hacker’s high? What’s that?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Soda, candy bars, and all night hacking in front of a computer until you get the bugs out of your program,” she explained. She leaned past him and began punching keys on the computer’s keyboard.

  “Dan does that all the time,” Adam said, mildly surprised that there was actually a phrase for his brother’s penchant for staying up all night with a computer.

  A whirring reached his ears, and he knew from his own limited experience with the machines that she was saving her program. Good, he thought. What Diana needed now was sleep, and it looked as though he’d been elected her keeper again.

  She straightened, saying, “I really ought to finish this—”

  “What you need is a long nap,” he interrupted. He pointed to the interior door. “Get moving.”

  “Since when were you elected my boss?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing.

  He took her arm and steered her in the direction of the hall door. “Since now. The vote was unanimous.”

  “I didn’t get my ballot.”

  “I voted for you.”

  “I thought this was a democracy.”

  “Ov course, ve haf a democracy,” he said in a heavy accent. “I am democracy.”

  She sighed. “I’m too tired to start a revolution, commissar, but I have to reset the alarm after you leave.”

  “I’ll reset it.”

  She stopped on the threshold, nearly pulling her arm out of his grip. “You don’t know how to reset the alarm.”

  “So tell me.”

  She shook her head. “Sorry, there’s a password. Now, if you will—Hey!”

  Deciding he’d had enough of words, Adam had lifted her in his arms. She grabbed at his shoulders to steady herself.

  “If I’m not allowed to reset the alarm,” he said, “I’ll just have to stay and guard you while you sleep. But you’re going to bed now!”

  “Don’t treat me like a child, Adam. I’m not one, you know.”

  All too aware of the ripe feminine body he held, he gazed into her angry violet eyes. “Don’t tempt me not to treat you like a child, Diana.”

  To his satisfaction, confusion replaced her anger. As he carried her through the house, he felt a sense of pride for holding onto his honor … and hers. After all, she barely knew him. He admitted, though, that it would be best to get her to her room as quickly as possible. Honor only stretched so far.

  “Where’s your bedroom?” he asked as he climbed the stairs.

  “Second door on the right.” She began to fidget. “Adam, I am capable of walking.”

  He grinned. “Diana, let me enjoy one rescue, at least.”

  She stopped squirming. “This is a rescue?”

  “It beats the hell out of slaying dragons.”

  She opened her mouth in obvious protest, but a yawn emerged instead.

  “No matter what I say, you’re going to insist on carrying me, right?”

  “Right.”

  She yawned again. “Okay. I know when to quit,” she said as they reached the bedroom.

  “Smart lady.”

  He gently dumped her on the bed, removed her glasses, and rolled her over on her stomach.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded, trying to sit up.

  Not answering, he pushed her flat on the bed while he sat on the edge. Slowly he began to knead the soft flesh of her shoulders through her sweater. As he had suspected, her muscles were tight.

  “You’ll go to sleep faster if you’re relaxed,” he said as she tensed under his hands.

  She eyed him sourly over her shoulder. “Is this democracy in action again?”

  “Best damn democratic dictatorship you’re ever going to have.”

  She sighed. “I know I ought to throw you out, but I’m too tired. Besides, I have to admit the massage does feel good.”

  As his hands coaxed her body into relaxing completely, she sighed again and closed her eyes. She knew she really should be ordering him to stop. This was dangerous ground. But his hands were working magic on her body, and she just couldn’t find the words to object to his ministrations. Languidly she stretched in counterpoint to his massaging fingers.…

  Adam cursed silently at the innocent wantonness of her movements. He told himself she was just enjoying the massage. After all, he hadn’t started it with anything more in mind than getting her to relax. And she was relaxing. He just wished she wouldn’t relax in quite that way.

  Gazing fixedly at her dark hair spread across the pillow, he found himself thinking of what was under the sweater and jeans. And what the sensations would be if he were massaging her soft skin. His hands would knead her back first, finding the length of her spine, and curve of her bottom. Her legs would be silk, her belly taut satin. His hands would delight in the gentle weight of her breasts. Her nipples would be swollen peaks from his kisses.…

  An almost inaudible snore disrupted his imaginings, and Adam blinked. His hands slowing to a stop, he refocused his gaze on Diana’s face. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was very even, her body completely still.

  She was sound asleep.

  “Damn!” he muttered in self-disgust.

  He stretched out on the bed next to her and tucked his hands under his head. Diana never moved.

  Staring at the ceiling, he admitted he was no ladies’ man. Nonetheless, a woman had never fallen asleep on him in the bedroom before. Of course Diana had been up all night working; she was exhausted. He knew that. It wasn’t exactly chivalrous to wish the princess hadn’t fallen asleep so fast.

  Still, that thought didn’t help at all the deflated feeling he now had. Obviously his body had been expecting an entirely different ending to the massage. He smiled wryly. He’d known his honor was in trouble. Unfortunately Diana’s Sleeping Beauty routine had saved it. He had to admit, though, that their relationship was moving right along. Two days, and they were already in bed together.

  His smile turned into a wide grin when he heard a second soft sound from the bed’s other occupant. He wondered if Diana knew she snored.

  The strident ringing of a telephone penetrated Diana’s deep sleep. She automatically stretched out a hand to answer it.

  “ ’lo?”

  She dimly wondered how she could answer the telephone without actually picking up the receiver. And why was her voice two octaves lower than normal?

  The sound of the receiver being replaced reached her barely functioning ears, and the strange voice said, “They hung up.”

  Opening her eyes, she saw that everything seemed normal.

  In the next moment she realized everything was quite unnormal. Adam was in bed with her.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked in shock, scrambling off the mattress. She stared at him as she backed away from the bed until her bottom touched the oak bureau behind her.

  He stood up and ran his hands through his obviously sleep-tousled hair. “Diana, it’s okay. I’m the rescuer, remember?”

  “But you were in bed with me!”

  She instantly regretted the words that had accidentally slipped from her lips. She was acting like an idiot again. Surely she would have known if they had … if something had happened. Besides, they were both still fully dressed.

  “Diana, calm down—”

  “I’m calm,” she interrupted, trying to pull herself together. There had to be a sophisticated way to keep the situation from becoming even more awkward. She only wished she knew what it was. She smiled, hoping her smile didn’t look as shaky as it felt. “I was just surprised, that’s all.”

  As he raised a brow, she had the feeling she wasn’t fooling him in the least. She tried again. “I was just surprised you were still here.”

  “I wasn’t about to leave you asleep all alone out here without your alarm reset. Your nearest neighbor must be at least a mile away.”

  “Oh, well, thank you for keeping me company, Adam.” She wondered if she should thank him for th
e massage, then decided it wouldn’t be wise for her nerves.

  He began to chuckle. “Diana, if you get any more formal, you’re liable to say something truly outrageous. Actually, I hadn’t planned to fall asleep. It just happened. Okay?”

  She hesitated, then decided it was much better to accept Adam’s smoothing over of the situation than to stand there and babble.

  “Okay,” she agreed, while thinking it would take more than words to smooth her thudding heart and jangled nerves. Attempting to turn the conversation in another direction, she added, “You were supposed to go to Richmond today, weren’t you?”

  He smiled. “I can go tomorrow. Besides, it was just an excuse to see you.”

  She opened her mouth, then abruptly shut it as a wild notion shot through her mind. She peered at the man standing on the other side of the bed. Sleeping with a person, no matter how innocently, was an intimate act. One person didn’t do intimate things unless he was attracted to the other person. From the beginning she’d been attracted to Adam, but was it possible that he really was attracted to her too?

  She drew in her breath sharply at the thought.

  “Diana, do I have to get down on my knees and beg forgiveness?”

  His voice penetrated her numbed brain. Nervously pushing her hair off her face, she swallowed and said, “No, of course not, Adam. I was just think—ah, I guess I’m only half-awake.”

  He grinned at her. “I’ll go get some coffee started. Or do I need a password for the machine?”

  She shook her head.

  “Good. I’d hate to set off an atom bomb this time.”

  As she watched him leave the bedroom, Diana considered her own “Adam” bomb. She knew she wasn’t the type to attract men in droves. She hadn’t been on a date in years! Of course, she hadn’t been interested in having one, either. She’d been too busy, and she hadn’t met anyone she’d been irresistibly attracted to. Until Adam.

  Slowly walking around the bed to get her glasses, she wondered if she could be wrong about Adam finding her attractive. Although she hadn’t seen anything in the video tape to further her original suspicions about his reasons for helping her, she knew she shouldn’t just dismiss them either.

  Her own judgment was no longer reliable, she thought as she put on her glasses. But surely Adam wouldn’t waste much more time if he intended to make an offer from Starlight Software. Or he’d never make one. Groaning, she admitted she’d been safely locked away in her ivory tower for too long. A more sophisticated woman would know what to do about her dilemma.

  She turned her head and stared at the empty bedroom doorway. A more sophisticated woman, she mused. So far she’d only been trying to show Adam that she was a mature, savvy businesswoman, who couldn’t be suckered into a bad deal. But a sophisticated woman would be bold and daring. A sophisticated woman would play Adam’s game until she discovered the truth, one way or another. And strategy games were her business, so she ought to be a good player. Or, at least, a quick learner. Maybe it was time she stopped being Rapunzel and acquired a little sophistication. It couldn’t be too hard.

  On that thought, she headed for the bathroom to shower and change.

  Later, dressed in a white mohair sweater and fresh jeans, she went downstairs, determined to be as sophisticated as she possibly could. When she reached the kitchen, she spotted Adam gazing out the open window at the boundaries of the verdant Tilden Regional Park. He turned and smiled at her.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi,” she said in a cracking voice. She cleared her throat.

  The strong, clean aroma of brewing coffee reached her nose, and in relief she headed for the coffee maker.

  “Smells great,” she said, smiling at him. She poured them both a cup, managing not to spill any in spite of her suddenly awkward hands.

  He walked over and picked up a cup. “Thanks.”

  Summoning all her courage she asked, “Can you stay for dinner?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask,” he said.

  As she turned away, she smiled to herself. Issuing a dinner invitation was easy enough. She was positive that sophisticated women did it all the time.

  Now all she had to do was figure out what came next.

  Five

  “How did you get started in computers, Diana?” Adam asked in between bites of salmon grilled in herb butter. “By the way, you’re a terrific cook.”

  Seated across the glass-topped dining table from Adam, Diana immediately realized she’d been staring almost trancelike at the corded muscles of his arms. She told herself that sophisticated women probably kept a firm hold on an attraction to a man. She smiled politely at his compliment. “Thank you. To answer your question, I had a math teacher in junior high who thought I’d be good with computers and let me use the one at school.”

  “Obviously you were good with them,” he said, grinning.

  She nodded. “I’m just grateful I can make a living doing something I enjoy.”

  “Some of us are lucky. Now, what about men?”

  “Men?” she squeaked, completely losing her slender grip on her poise. Instantly she berated herself for her lack of sophistication. She attempted a cool smile. “If you are asking me to tell you what men are, then I’m very surprised the question comes from you.”

  She congratulated herself on her calm answer until she saw his smile of satisfaction.

  “Men do occasionally like to hear that women know what they are,” he drawled. “Actually, I was asking you about any past loves.”

  Completely thrown by the question, she gazed at him in bewilderment. “Past loves?”

  “And that answers that. Now let’s go on to fantasies, hopes, and aspirations.”

  He wanted to know more about her, she thought, and wondered if his reason for doing so was because he was truly interested—or to find a vulnerable spot. She decided a sophisticated woman never let her vulnerability show. “My fantasy is to have Hulk Hogan carry me away to a desert island. My hope is that I have a computer with me at the time. And I aspire to live to the age of one hundred without ever catching another cold. I hate trying to breathe through a nose that feels like a squashed straw.”

  She grinned as Adam burst into laughter.

  “Why Hulk Hogan?” he finally asked.

  “Because he could move a computer without flinching. Even the portables get heavy after a while.”

  “Come on, now, tell the truth.”

  She shrugged. “There’s nothing to tell, really. I’ve achieved my dream. I’m my own boss, and I hope it always stays that way.”

  She didn’t say anything about her aspirations. Right now she didn’t have any, except to show Adam she wasn’t a pushover.

  “Don’t you ever get lonely, living here by yourself?” he asked, gazing at her with an undechipherable expression.

  She hesitated before answering. She didn’t think she was lonely. At least she couldn’t remember a time when she’d been desperate for companionship. And she wasn’t a total hermit; she had her friends. “Basically I’m content.”

  He was silent for a moment, then said, “Most people think they’re content until they have to come out of the castle. Have you come out of the castle, Diana?”

  “I was never in one!” she exclaimed indignantly.

  He just smiled and took another bite of salmon. “Great dinner. By the way, what’s next for Sir Morbid?”

  Knowing she’d been on the verge of losing her poise again, Diana was grateful for the change of subject. “Actually, Adam, your work is done as far as Sir Morbid is concerned. I told you it wouldn’t take long.”

  “So when do I get to see this game?”

  Shocked by the question, she nearly gasped aloud. Her work was top secret. Anyone’s was, unless a programmer wanted it stolen. Either Adam was totally innocent about business security or he considered her to be totally naïve about it! Still, a sophisticated woman probably wouldn’t even be surprised that he’d ask such a question. Most likely she would have bee
n prepared for it.

  Forcing a smile onto her lips, she shook her head. “I’m sorry, Adam. I make it a policy not to show my games to anyone before they’re released to the public.”

  He smiled. To her disgust, it was a smile that told her nothing. How was she supposed to figure him out if he didn’t give anything away?

  “I understand,” he said as he leaned back in his chair. “It’s probably a sensible security measure. Not quite as exotic as barking dogs and screaming computers, though.”

  His voice was so bland, Diana couldn’t help giggling. She was sure he’d never forget her burglar alarm.

  “I’ll tell you what I can do,” she said as she pushed around the last of her salad with her fork. “Once I get the pictures done, I’ll put them on a disk for you. What DOS are you using?”

  His face went completely blank. “DOS?”

  “The disk operating system on your computer. What disk operation system are you using?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know what my DOS is. Actually, I didn’t even know I had a DOS.”

  Astonished, she stared at him. Surely he knew what DOS was. Everybody involved with computers did. As the language a disk drive used to talk to a computer, DOS was nearly as basic as BASIC. And with a brother in the business, how could he not know? She decided Adam Roberts must be one heck of a spy, when he was unaware of an important part of the hardware.

  “If you’ve got a computer, you’ve got a DOS,” she finally said. “What’s your computer?”

  “BMI, but I forget which model we use,” he said, shrugging.

  She groaned and shook her head. “Different BMIs use different operating systems. Well, when you know what your DOS is, just give me a call and I’ll take care of it.”

  He laughed. “That sounds nice and kinky.”

  She felt the heat rising to her cheeks. “What I meant was—”

  He put up a hand to stop her words. “Don’t. You’ll spoil the image.”

  Realizing that any explanation would only make things worse, Diana stuffed a piece of grilled salmon in her mouth and chewed. She had to admit, though, that Adam had scored a point on the side of innocence. She just couldn’t imagine a person not knowing about the tools of his business, no matter how devious his business might be.