“You may not want to hurt us, but it will happen. We’ll get used to seeing you, to having you around, and then you’ll go back to your life and we’ll never see you again.”
Devlan’s face lowered slightly. “And that would bother you?”
“Hannah would not take the rejection lightly. She’s just lost her father.”
He bent still more, his hands coming to rest on either side of her on the counter, and his gaze fell to her lips as he spoke. “And you’ve lost a husband.”
She let out a shaky laugh and waved her hand dismissively. “Our marriage was over a long time ago.”
“Now you’re afraid. Afraid because you actually do care.”
Diana opened her mouth to deny his words, but it was too late. His arms swiftly enveloped her and his lips descended onto hers in the kiss she had so feared and anticipated. No, no, no, she thought just before her eyes flickered closed. Push him away, she warned herself. But she could feel the rapid pounding of his heartbeat against her chest when her arms reached up to grasp his shoulders, and although she meant to push him away, she ended up pulling him closer instead.
Fool!
She was a fool. Even though he felt so large, she instinctively knew he would pull back if she tried to fend him off. But she did not want to. She felt captivated by his adept lips, and when his tongue slipped forward to taste her lips, her mouth opened to allow him entrance. It angered her that she had given in so quickly, but gosh, it had been so long since she had felt even slightly desirable, and he was skillful in his attempt to break her resolve. The man definitely knew how to kiss a woman senseless.
Taking advantage of her submission, Devlan’s hands tightened around her waist and his long fingers stroked her back gently. It felt wonderful, he felt wonderful, and she shivered and squirmed against the growing need pressing against her belly in response. It was a slight satisfaction to note that she had as much an effect on him as he did on her, but it also served as the final glass of cold water in the face of her conscience. No matter how good he felt pressed against her, she knew she needed to resist the growing passion between them, to keep control of her emotions, or she would be pulling off his clothes in the middle of her kitchen.
Devlan sensed her withdrawal and released his hold on her lips reluctantly. He still held her close as he raised his head almost as though he did not want to release her at all. His eyes were warm and glazed, and he reached up to stroke her cheek.
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he murmured. His lips were curved in a wistful smile.
He did? Unable to tear her gaze from his, Diana licked her moist lips and let her hands slide down his arms. Oh, did they feel good. Strong and capable for sure, but they were also adept at extreme gentleness. Her voice shook as she spoke softly. “I’m sorry, but I’m just not ready for this.”
Devlan nodded and stood back, smiling as he loosened his grip on her. She turned her attention to the eggs he had made in an effort to cool the passion that had unexpectedly flared between them. “I hope we haven’t ruined breakfast,” she said with an awkward laugh.
“I doubt it. Let me make more toast.” He handed her a plate. “Take this; I’ll eat the other ones.”
Diana glanced down and sniffed the food. “Whatever possessed you to cook anyway?”
“You hadn’t been home in days. I figured you’d want to use up all the food. Besides, you’re coming home with me, remember? We’ll need to get rid of it anyway.”
She glanced down at the coffee he had made. His attempt to win her over was working, and she had just learned how susceptible to his charms she was. It both frightened and intimidated her “Do we really need to go all the way to California? There must be a good rehab institution here.”
“Diana,” he sighed.
When he came to sit down he was frowning, and Diana struggled to get her words out before he interrupted her. “Let’s be realistic. You really don’t want us hanging around. We’ll just cramp your style.”
Devlan spoke calmly, but his meaning was clear. He was done with the conversation and would not tolerate any more excuses. “You will not cramp my style, Diana, and you will go to Los Angeles with me. We had an agreement, remember?”
Feeling chastised, she nodded her head. “I do remember. I remember that very well.”
Though the frown he sent in her direction told her that he was not entirely sure what she meant by that, she did not respond. The truth of the matter was that she was not sure what she meant either. This could be the greatest bargain she had ever struck or the biggest mistake she had made in her life. One thing was certain, only time would tell.
Chapter 6
The brain scan and EEG came back normal, and Diana was thrilled to see her daughter begin the road to recovery. It took more time for Hannah to lose the grogginess of the medications, so her first few days were in a haze of uncertainty and loss of memory. Diana continued her vigil with silent prayers of thanks.
“The road will be bumpy,” Mindy told her on the telephone. “You told me yourself that her doctor said she’d probably have no memory of the accident. But she’s making great headway. You should be so proud of her.”
“I know,” Diana murmured. “I am. I feel as though I’ve been given a second chance.”
It was all thanks to Devlan and his swift response. Because of him, Hannah was progressing quickly, and Diana wished he could see how far she had come already. But he had returned to Los Angeles the week before, just the day after their steamy kiss in the kitchen, and without his persistent presence and eagerness to please, Diana realized that she actually missed him. He had been so reassuring and had taken over all of her worries so effectively that she actually had grown dependent on him. It happened so subtly, and she was dismayed that she felt the loss of his support. Not a great sign for her.
“Diana? Oh, it must be the stud.”
Diana jumped. She had completely lost track of her discussion with her friend. “What?”
“Mr. Doyle? You know, the man who’s constantly on your mind?”
“Hannah’s constantly on my mind, Mindy.”
“Oh, I know that,” she said with a chuckle. “He’s on the lower half, though.”
Diana blushed. “That’s not true.”
“It’s okay, we understand. You should have seen the look tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome gave to Allan when he went to visit you on that first day. Talk about possessive.”
“He did mention seeing Allan, but he didn’t seem to mind.”
“Allan said he was glaring at him.”
“Well, I don’t think it was that. Perhaps it just looked like it,” Diana said hastily. “Besides, he’s not even here anymore. He’s back in L.A.”
“Oh, but he’ll be back for you. Better watch out, sweetheart, that man wants you.”
“Wants me? You make me sound like a dessert.”
Though Mindy laughed, Diana did not join her. Her friend meant well, but she did not know the truth of Diana’s association with Devlan. When the time came for her to attempt another relationship, she wanted it to be real and not some sort of agreement. Devlan had reminded her of their arrangement after their kiss, and the truth was that it made her feel cheap and used. After all, Devlan had given her his word, she had given him hers, and that was that.
She just feared that her heart would pay the biggest price.
~
After the initial relief of Hannah’s recovery, Diana began to dread the hospital rehabilitation almost as much as her daughter did. The pain Hannah went through those first few days was horrible to watch. Diana hovered nearby as she was slowly moved, first to a sitting position, and then to a chair in her hospital room. Tears of agony careened down Hannah’s creamy cheeks with every painful movement, and though she tried to hide it, Diana cried alongside her.
Yet Hannah was proving to be incredibly courageous. Her daily rehab treatments were slow but well worth it, and she continued her speedy recovery. In
the middle of her second week, she was discharged from the hospital. The arrangements were made for her to attend the rehabilitation center in Los Angeles, and Diana accepted that Devlan would soon be returning.
Return he did, within hours of hearing the news. When he strode off the elevator dressed in his customary black suit and a long wool coat, all the heads on the floor turned to watch him. Devlan seemed not to notice or not to care, Diana could not tell which, for he came straight toward her with a happy smile on his face and Mike close on his heels.
Diana turned away with a feeling of self-loathing. Of course she was no better than the gawking nurses that watched him as though he some sort of god. She returned to Hannah’s side, wishing that the child would awaken from her nap and save her from Devlan’s impending arrival.
Unfortunately, she did not.
“So how’s our little patient?”
Diana turned around and found Devlan standing directly behind her. He was still smiling broadly, and she noticed for the first time the small laughter lines around his eyes and mouth. It was quite appealing, almost boyish, and she looked away quickly. Holding a finger to her lips, she pointed to the sleeping child in the hopes he would move away. Unfortunately, he did not.
“That’s great - privacy.” He grasped her by the waist and pulled her close.
Diana’s startled gasp was muffled as his mouth covered hers in an enthusiastic kiss. Her hands landed on his shoulders and she pushed as hard as she could, yet Devlan only hugged her tighter this time. His lips were soft and seeking, not hard and probing like the last time he had held her this close.
“I missed you,” he murmured, lifting his head slightly. “You look great.”
Diana opened her eyes slowly and was immediately trapped by his smoldering blue gaze. Just like a schoolgirl, she thought, feeling a blush stain her cheeks.
“Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Mr. Doyle,” she replied in a shaky voice.
He grinned in answer. “Ah, but I can still try.”
Despite her best intentions his enthusiasm was contagious, and she could not resist returning his smile. With a reluctant sigh, he released her and she stepped away in the hopes of putting additional space between them to calm the fluttering of her heart.
“So how have you been?”
“Managing.”
“Did you miss me?”
“No,” she lied. “As a matter of fact, I’ve barely given you a thought.”
“Liar,” he said, smiling.
His voice was warm and husky, and Diana felt her palms grow moist.
“Trust me, I know. You’ve spent every waking minute thinking about me, unable to concentrate on anything all week.”
Diana felt her blush deepen and turned away to hide it under the guise of collecting Hannah’s things. “You’re wrong.”
“Ah, but you’re blushing. Humor me, Diana. Tell me part of it was true?”
Diana gave him a sidelong glance. Devlan did appear hopeful, almost pathetically so, and his wistful look caused her to laugh in response.
His face softened as he took in her humor. One hand reached forward and ever so lightly touched her cheek. “You’re so beautiful when you laugh, Diana. It’s good to see you happy again.”
Wow, she thought.
A knock on the door captured their attention and the medical team hired to transport Hannah strode in before she could answer. She accepted the interruption thankfully and allowed Devlan to pull her from the room and down the hall to the elevator.
“I have a jet here that we’ll take. Hannah will then go directly to the unit. I’ll bring you there from Malibu.”
“Wait a minute,” Diana said. She stopped short and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t just get up and leave now.”
“Why not? Everything’s taken care of.”
“But I haven’t packed anything. I just got the news a few hours ago.” Her arms went akimbo. “You’re moving way too fast.”
“Nonsense,” he returned. “We can pack up your little place in a matter of minutes. Why, I’ll even help. Let’s go, we don’t want to keep Hannah waiting too long.”
“You’ll help?” she asked. “So you do manual labor?”
He chuckled. “You’ve tasted my cooking. Doesn’t that answer your question?”
“It wasn’t cooking I was talking about,” she said wryly.
He leaned down and whispered near her ear, so close that her hair tickled her cheek. “If you let me pack up your underwear drawer, I’ll show you exactly what kind of manual labor I can do.”
The memory of his fresh kiss warmed her and prompted her to use more caution. Oh, she had no doubt that he would, and even less doubt that she would be able to fight her desire for him. However, he was still far more experienced, and she was undoubtedly playing with a fire that could only burn her.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she murmured.
The elevator doors opened and she ducked in quickly, waiting in the back for Devlan and Mike to fit their bulk in with the other passengers. None of them spoke while they made their way out of the hospital into the bright sunlight of the windy November afternoon.
“Car’s this way,” Mike said, leading the way.
Ahead idled a long stretch limo parked against the curb. As Diana climbed in, she wondered what her neighbors would think, but when Devlan slipped into the seat across from hers all thoughts fled. Diana glanced around quickly.
“Where’s Mike?”
“Why are you always wondering where Mike is? Is there something I should know about?”
“I was just wondering,” she stammered.
“Well, he rides up front. That’s what I pay him to do,” Devlan answered coolly. A laptop suddenly appeared on Devlan’s lap and he began to type furiously. She was dismissed.
“Oh,” she answered. Up front was more her league too.
Devlan lifted his head a few times during the ride to fill her in on what he had accomplished while he was gone. In preparation for her temporary move to L.A., he had seen to it that she was released from her lease and a moving company scheduled to transfer her furniture into short-term storage. He had also spoken to her company and collected the paperwork for a leave of absence with a job guarantee.
All that was left was to pack up her remaining belongings. Luckily she did not have much for Allan and Mindy to store for her, and Devlan granted her the time she needed to pack every piece of luggage that she owned to take to L.A. Toys, stuffed animals, and clothes caused zippers to bulge precariously, so she did not complain when Devlan carried everything down to the car for her with a satisfied grin on his face. Still stunned, she followed behind him in a dreamlike trance, completely unaware that Devlan had no intention of ever letting her go back.
~
Los Angeles International Airport was crowded when they arrived after a short flight in his luxurious private jet. Despite knowing that their arrangement was temporary, Diana could not help but be enthralled with the wonder of it all. Hannah would be in therapy for only a few months, and then they would be back on their own. But it was impossible not to get caught up in the newness of her adventure, especially when Devlan made sure that she was treated with the utmost respect.
She was steered out of the airport into another long limo, this one a Bentley polished to a high gleam. She took note that Devlan stopped and greeted the driver, a young man about twenty or so who sported a deep tan and dark brown hair. Once their brief chatter ceased, he glanced at Diana and gave her a friendly smile, his hand pumping hers enthusiastically.
“Welcome to California, Mrs. Somerset. I’m glad to finally meet you.”
Diana smiled back, instantly liking the young man.
“This is William,” Devlan announced, placing a possessive arm around her waist. As always, he ignored her when she stiffened and attempted to pull away.
“Everyone calls me Wills,” he put in.
“Wills,” she repeated.
“So are we ready?�
� Devlan asked impatiently.
Secured alone in the back with Devlan again, Diana busied herself by gazing out the window and taking in the crowded scenery while Devlan held his mobile to his ear. She wondered what kind of rate plan he was on, considering every moment that he could he was communicating with someone. To her it appeared exhausting.
“We’re on our way in now. We’re taking the 405 to I10. Traffic’s thick. Did you pick up that item for Mrs. Somerset and confirm the reservations?”
Diana glanced over with a frown, but Devlan only winked at her.
“Yes, and send some flowers to Hannah’s room. We can’t have her feeling left out.”
“I don’t think she’d notice,” Diana said softly.
Shrugging, Devlan turned his attention back to the other speaker. “I don’t care if he’s complaining. Tell him I’ll be in first thing Monday. We can discuss it then. You didn’t book any meetings for the rest of the week did you?” After a slight pause, Devlan ran his hand down his face. “I’ll work on it tonight. You can reach me anytime in Malibu. We’ll be settling in there. Just don’t send me anywhere until next week. This is more important.”
Diana’s brow rose in surprise. Devlan was canceling everything for her daughter? Not many men she had known would do the same, but then again he was once again proving to be unlike the men she was used to.
Careful, the voice in her mind warned again.
“She’s with me now. We’re on our way to the house. It’s all set, right?” He nodded to Diana. “That’s great. Good work, Kath. What would I do without you?”
His warm tone unsettled Diana. She barely knew this man and was already envious of his secretary. As he signed off, Diana turned her attention back to the road. The highways were congested, bumper to bumper with pushy drivers, and the haze was thick, almost obliterating the hills to the northeast and the mountains off in the distance. Los Angeles was everything she had heard it would be. What surprised her most was that she was visiting for the first time in a way she had never expected. This was no family trip to the theme parks and beaches. Instead she was riding in a Bentley to oversee the care of her injured daughter.
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