Devlan chuckled. “Is that all?”
Her gaze met his and a blush stole up her cheeks. As she bit her lip, he laughed out loud. Like everything else about her, her reaction to his teasing was invigorating and genuine.
Hoping to ease her embarrassment, he shrugged. “It’s really no surprise. You’ve been living here for days. When was the last time you were home?”
“I don’t even remember,” she said with a chuckle.
“Well, I’m here. Why don’t I give you a ride to your apartment? Then you can take your time and come back when you want.”
“Would you mind?”
“Of course not,” he answered quickly. “May I peek in at Hannah first?”
Devlan was aware of Diana’s curious gaze upon his back as he glanced in at the child who remained quietly sleeping. Her color was better, and her eyelashes fluttered as she dreamed. It was a sight that filled his heart with joy. She was returning to the land of the living – finally. Giving Hannah’s hand a gentle squeeze, Devlan smiled. Now that she was mending, he knew he had time to fulfill his promise. The worst was over. From here on out, it could only get better, and he was finally confident that he would win them both over. It just went to show that patience truly was a virtue. He could wait her out. After all, he had the means and skills to outlast one stubborn woman.
~
Diana stared at the shiny rented Mercedes and felt the first twinges of regret. Mike was nowhere in sight, and the car was much too small for just the two of them. She should never have agreed to let Devlan bring her home. Not only was she reluctant to show him her tiny apartment, but she was not ready to be alone with him yet either. Especially now that she was riding high with relief that Hannah was going to be just fine.
“Where’s Mike? Isn’t he coming too?” she asked, glancing around.
Devlan grimaced as he shot her a wry look. “I don’t bring him with me everywhere I go.”
Her lips twisted into a sarcastic half smile. “I thought you did.”
“No, he’s asleep, like the rest of the city.”
Devlan reached past her to open her door. Diana nodded her thanks and slipped into the soft, plush leather seat. While Devlan shut the door behind her and went around to his side, Diana glanced at the fine leather and wood interior. This was so beyond her modest means. Everything about Devlan was so beyond her.
“I’ll need directions, Diana. I don’t know where you live,” he reminded her as he secured his tall length into the driver’s seat.
Swallowing hard, Diana glanced over at him nervously. “Would it be easier for me to call a cab? You don’t need to take me all the way home. You should be back at your room getting some sleep, not traversing all over with me.”
“Don’t be silly,” he said. “What kind of gentleman would I be if I put you in a cab while I went back to sleep? Buckle up.”
Diana sank back in the seat reluctantly. Her palms felt moist from her nervousness, and she wiped them against her jeans as casually as she could while she told herself to not care so much about his opinion. It was her pride that made it difficult. There had been a time, long before Peter had stolen everything from her, when she would have felt completely comfortable in the Mercedes with a man who had more money than Midas. However, so much had changed since then, and she was still picking up the pieces.
Devlan seemed not to notice her discomfort as he pulled the beautiful car out into the dark streets. He maneuvered it with ease, his hand firm on the gear shift and strong legs maneuvering through the gears smoothly. He was a piece of work, she realized grimly. There was a grace about him and a compassion she feared could easily win her over if she allowed her guard to slip. For all of his blinding success, there was absolutely no glimmer of selfishness in his demeanor. He had proven to be a hard man to resist with his sexy charm and winning smile.
“Which way?”
In a voice that quivered slightly, Diana guided Devlan back to her apartment complex. Luckily he did not seem to notice and continued driving with an occasional glance around him. Aside from her directions, they passed the fifteen minute ride in a companionable silence, but that ended when they pulled into her complex. Tucked behind a commercial area and on a busy main road, the cars in the lot announced the income level of the occupants. A grim frown turned down the corners of his mouth, but before she could jump to her own defense he scowled at her.
“You live here?”
Though she had been hesitant about bringing him there, she did not really understand how humiliating it would be until she witnessed his reaction. It bothered her so much more than she thought it would. After all, her monthly rent was probably what he earned in an hour, if that.
“I just recently started full-time work. I don’t have a whole lot left over once the bills are paid.”
“I thought your bills were paid,” he snapped.
“My bills are not your concern,” she replied through clenched teeth.
Devlan instantly closed his mouth and gave her an apologetic smile. His hand reached out as if to touch her flushed cheek, but she was already offended and recoiled away. “I’m sorry, Diana… I wasn’t expecting to find you and Hannah living like this.”
“It’s safer than it looks, and that’s all that matters to me. Thanks for the ride.”
Devlan pulled into an unmarked spot in front of her building and shut down the car. To her growing irritation, he opened the door and rounded the trunk to gallantly open her door. When she climbed out, his warm fingers encircled her arm and remained there while she fished out her keys.
“You don’t need to escort me in, I can manage from here,” she said quickly.
The smile he sent her told her that she was crazy if she thought he would give up that easily. “It’s quite alright. You mentioned breakfast, so I’ll take you out after you shower. Besides, I’m curious to see where you live.”
“But why?” she snapped, still stung by his earlier reaction. If he thought the parking lot was bad, he definitely would not approve of the inside. “Why are you so interested in my life?”
With a patient sigh, Devlan met her gaze straight on. “I told you before. Hannah’s my last surviving relative. I’m concerned about how and where she is raised.”
“And I’ve told you, she’s fine.”
One brow rose skeptically as he plucked the keys from her fingers. Frustrated, Diana knew this was one battle she was not going to win out in the parking lot. Spinning on her heel, she stiffly led him to her door. She stood to the side while he opened it then brushed past him angrily. The dark chill caught them first, for Allan had apparently turned down the heat in her absence, and the faint scent of eucalyptus and vanilla candles did their best to overpower the stale smell of an empty apartment. While Devlan closed the door behind them, Diana reached for the lamp.
Safe inside where no one else could overhear them, Diana turned back to face him. “Now you listen to me,” she said sharply. “I was raised with strong morals and know how to care for my daughter. I don’t need you to butt your nose into my business.”
When she paused, he merely nodded. Though surprised at his calm acceptance of her anger, she took the opportunity to continue her rant and express her frustration with his arrogance. “She’s my daughter - not yours – and I do doubt your motives. You’d never even set eyes on her before the funeral… So where were you during the tough times? Where were you those last months of hell?”
At that point, her voice broke and she turned away with a muffled curse of embarrassment. Pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, she blinked back the sudden tears, determined not to let him see her pain. No, she was not ready yet to get into the tragic end of her marriage to Peter.
“Diana…”
She raised her hand to stop him and shook her head. There was no way she was going to get into this with him. Not in her living room on the day her daughter finally opened her eyes. This was a good day, and she was determined to enjoy it to the fullest. She sighed h
eavily. “There’s instant coffee in the cabinet over the sink, help yourself. I’m going to take a shower.”
The apartment was small, consisting only of three rooms and a bathroom. There was no wall between the kitchen and living room, and Diana left Devlan standing awkwardly between them as she went to Hannah’s bedroom in the back. At that moment she did not care if he felt uncomfortable. He needed to know that his arrogance was out of line and she would not stand for it.
After closing the bedroom door securely behind her, she made her way to the closet she shared with Hannah to pick out some clean clothes. There, alongside her work clothes and worn jeans, she beheld her daughter’s small two-piece outfits all lined up neatly. A tender smile erased her frown as she fingered Hannah’s favorite dress, and she pulled it off the hangar and placed it on the child sized bed. When Hannah came home she would wear her favorite clothes and be surrounded by her favorite things. No matter what it took, Diana planned to make sure that happened. Even if it meant that she played nice with Devlan Doyle today. She would have to watch her temper a little better.
Jutting her chin forward stubbornly, Diana found the rest of her necessities and locked herself in the bathroom. Through the thin walls she could hear Devlan rummaging in her kitchen and cringed. His dismay had reminded her again of how much she had lost in recent years.
When she had met Peter, she had thought he was the sweetest, most wonderful man in the world, and the way he had courted her like an old-fashioned lover had swept her easily off her feet. His promise of the family she had lost and wanted so desperately to have made her commit too quickly. He had claimed that he loved her, and she had trusted him. Though all of that was in the past, she was now at risk of falling prey to his outwardly generous and kind step-brother. She could only hope that since Devlan had seen just how poor they were, he would realize that she and Hannah had no place in his high-society life. Unfortunately, she suspected it would not be that easy.
Sighing again, Diana finished undressing and climbed into the slowly warming shower. Not long after she heard the customary loud bang of the pipes and Devlan’s muffled curse. Pressing her hand against her lips, she giggled as she imagined him jump out of his skin the way she had the first time she heard the bang. It sounded as though a bomb was going off in one of the lower floors when the hot water finally reached her apartment.
Just as quickly, she erased the smile from her face. It was not fair to laugh at another’s surprise, no matter how irritated he made her that morning. For the truth was that Devlan had been nothing but kind and courteous so far, and even she had to admit that he was trying his hardest to be friendly. Starting the day after the accident, he arrived at the hospital with arms loaded with gifts for Hannah. There was a doll, a stuffed animal, the latest DVD, and early-reader books. Anything Hannah could have possibly wanted was in his hands, and he turned it all over to her with an awkward smile.
She had been about to demand he send it all back when he had glanced at her sheepishly. “Will she like any of this?”
Despite the stress, worry and tension she had dealt with, the look on his face paired with his crazy question had caused her to giggle behind her hand. Though his cheeks had darkened, he had returned her smile and admitted that his assistant had assembled it all since he had no clue what to buy a child. In that brief shared moment, she had seen the ice wall erected around her start to melt ever so slightly. His honesty had taken her completely by surprise, and she grudgingly respected him for it.
“I can’t lose my heart again,” she whispered into the hot water.
She could be strong. After all, she had survived a devastating marriage, so she knew she could deny Devlan. This was for Hannah, and she would do anything for her little girl. With firm resolve, Diana finished her shower and hurriedly dressed into a warm sweater and faded blue jeans.
When she exited the bathroom, she was dressed casually and her face clear of makeup. She carried her brush in one hand, tugging on the knotted ends of her hair as she went in search of her mysterious benefactor. He was in her small kitchen, standing by the stove and frying up some eggs. She stood in the entryway and watched as he deftly flipped them then turned to butter the toast he had made.
“You cook?”
Devlan turned and smiled lopsidedly, and the rest of her earlier anger dissipated completely. She became aware of a melting sensation deep inside her belly and steeled her face not to respond. He was so handsome with his well-trimmed dark hair and freshly shaven cheeks, and she was disappointed to realize that he looked just as good in jeans and a pull-over as he did in a tailored suit.
The man was just plain gorgeous.
“I do have a housekeeper, Mrs. Maclean, but she’s a horrible cook.” Turning his attention away from the stove, he cocked his head to the side thoughtfully and pointed the spatula at her as he spoke. “Have you ever noticed that some of the chubbiest people are the worst cooks? How do they do it? I mean, Mrs. Maclean reminds me of a cream puff.”
Diana laughed out loud. “A cream puff? That doesn’t make sense.”
Unable to hide his returning smile, Devlan shook his head. “How does that not make sense? The woman is round.”
“I would’ve expected you to be surrounded by perfect beauties all the time.”
The playful smile faded, and Devlan’s face went serious as if remembering her earlier attack. Narrowing his eyes, he studied her intently. “Is that why you dislike me so much?”
Diana inhaled sharply. “Dislike you? I never -”
“Yes, you do. Don’t try to deny it.”
“I’m not,” she began.
“I just want to know why,” he interrupted solemnly.
“Well, I guess you’re guilty by association,” she conceded reluctantly.
He sighed. Obviously he remembered how his step-brother really was. “But you don’t know me any more than I know you.”
“I know,” she admitted reluctantly.
“Then how can you despise me when you don’t know me?”
Feeling as though she had no other choice but to come clean, she decided on honesty. It did not help that his voice had the tone of a man wounded. It made her feel guilty and ashamed at the same time. “I’ve heard things,” she murmured, looking down at her hands.
“What could you possibly have heard about me that would make such a smart lady like you hate so much?”
“Well…”
He shook his head. “Seriously, don’t actions speak louder than words? Haven’t I proven that I have only your best interests at heart?”
“That’s what scares me. Like I said, I don’t understand why you’re so interested in me.”
“Hannah is your daughter.”
“I know, but –”
“But what? You are family, Diana. It’s my responsibility to help you and Hannah.”
Family. There was that word again. She sighed. “Peter said a lot about you when we were first married. And of course, I’ve seen you on the television. It seems as though there’s a new woman every month. I know it’s not my business, but I don’t trust men like that... That doesn’t mean that I hate you.”
“Peter said things?” He asked incredulously. “Oh, that’s rich. Please, tell me what he said. This could be interesting.”
Devlan leaned against the counter, his arms crossed as he waited for Diana to enlighten him. Fortunately the burning of the toast in her toaster saved her from having to speak. With a muffled curse he dropped the spatula and turned around, frantically trying to get the toast free.
“Let me do it. It gets stuck sometimes,” she said, coming to his aid.
Devlan stood back to allow her to free the burning toast, but suddenly her nervous fingers refused to jiggle the familiar latch correctly. Despite the charred odor permeating the kitchen, Diana could still smell his familiar cologne. The heady scent grew stronger as he bent closer to her. As if she needed the reminder that he was so near.
“Do you need help?”
Devlan’s hands came up to cover hers as she toyed with the defective lever. The large size of him briefly overwhelmed her, and for a moment she was overcome with panic. Yet his long fingers were gentle and warm, his touch almost feather-like, and surprisingly his palms had the rough feel of a man familiar with hard work. All too soon she realized that it felt good, which frightened her even more.
She pulled away hastily and turned to face him, instantly regretting her sudden move. He was so close that she had to tilt her head back to look up at his face. Though the sudden jerk of her hand made the toast pop back up and the charred remains smoldered in the fluorescent lights, Diana did not notice or care. She was consumed by Devlan’s warmth and the impenetrable gaze he pinned her with. Suddenly the kitchen was way too small for the two of them.
“It’s all set,” she whispered.
With a mixture of anticipation and dread, she realized that Devlan did not back away. Instead he leaned past her to pull the hot crumbs from the toaster and toss them on the nearby plate. His voice was slightly husky as he spoke, but his words were very serious.
“I don’t intend on taking over your life any more than I plan to take over Hannah’s. You are her mother, and as long as you’re a fit mother she should remain with you. However, if you ever become unfit I will take her away.”
When she felt herself stiffen in indignation, Devlan shook his head slowly. His lips were compressed in disappointment, but his eyes still glowed with some unfathomable emotion that she longed to explore.
“I only want to help you, Diana. I realize you’re fresh from a terrible situation, but you can start trusting again… You can trust me, Diana. There’s no malice in my offer, and I have absolutely no intentions of hurting you or Hannah,” his voice lowered. “That’s the last thing I would do.”
Diana’s mouth felt dry, and the pounding in her chest was so forceful she feared he could see it. This was not good. He was gaining the upper hand, and she could feel her resolve slipping. He was too close for her to think straight, and then there was that strange gleam in his eye that made breathing difficult. Taking a deep steadying breath, she stared up at him with wide eyes. Time to be strong, she thought.
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