“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “You’re Peter’s brother? After what he did to me… I guess it was easier to think the worst. That way I could dislike you and not care what you did. But you’ve made that so hard to do.”
“Yeah, well you’ve made it very hard for me too.”
“I don’t want to be hurt again.”
For the first time she allowed him to see the vulnerability in her eyes. She was still a woman inside, underneath all that pain. With some tenderness from him, it was possible for her to heal. He just knew it.
As he continued to watch her icy walls melt before his eyes, their waiter returned to slip him the check. Without even glancing at the bill, he placed his card in it and returned the slip. Then he reached across the table and took her hand within his own. Her fingers slipped around his in a firm grip, almost clinging. He had finally done it, and he was eager to show her that there was so much he could do if she would just let him.
“I am not a monster, Diana,” he replied. “Nor am I anything like Peter. I just want you to give me the chance to show you that.”
“It’s hard for me to trust again,” she said softly.
“I understand that, and I’m a patient man. I can wait.”
“But you won’t be around forever. You have a different life. A full life. Hannah and I will be an inconvenience.”
“That’s not true. You only see the money. You don’t see that I am a man who has only a small family left and the means to make sure they are safe. That’s my motivation, Diana. To share what I have with you.”
She paused, biting her lip in indecision. Seeing her growing weakness, he jumped at the opportunity.
“Let me show you how to be happy again, Diana. Let me be your sanctuary until you’re confident again.”
A slight almost imperceptible nod tilted her blond head. Suddenly he felt a little hot around the collar, and it seemed as though everyone knew it. He sat back and glanced around, but the other diners were focused on their own business and not paying them any attention. Still, the urge to be alone with Diana, to show her exactly what he promised, was overwhelming. He had waited long enough. It was time to seal the deal.
Chapter 8
This time Diana allowed him to slip his arm around her waist as he led her out to the waiting car, and they passed back through the restaurant without any interruptions. He ushered her out the door and into the cool evening air, barely nodding his thanks to the staff as he went. His mind was whirling with plans about playing out the fantasies that he had only previously dreamed. But first he needed to get her alone.
Luckily Wills appeared almost immediately with the car, and no sooner had the door shut behind them than Devlan was pulling Diana across the plush seat to his side. She gasped in surprise, but for the first time since she had melted against him in her kitchen, she came willingly into the circle of his arms. The silky material of her cocktail dress felt perfect under his heated fingers, and he enjoyed the sensation as his hands slid slowly up her back to her shoulders.
“What if they see?” she whispered.
“They can’t, but I don’t care if they could,” he muttered. “You are so damn beautiful.”
Devlan felt consumed with a fire of hunger. Her skin was like soft molten lava, silky smooth and burning hot to the touch. He had never felt anything so good. She stared at him with wide eyes but did not resist when his hands tightened and he pulled her forward to meet his kiss. Her willingness enflamed him all the more, and it took all of his strength to move slowly, patiently. Though he wanted nothing less than to press her back upon the seat and make furious love to her, he restrained himself with the knowledge that his triumph was near at hand and she deserved nothing less than his full respect. Her lips were moist and pliant beneath his, and she eagerly met his kisses with a passion of her own. Much to his delight, she reached up and cupped his face, her palms firmly holding his face near. He groaned in answer and pulled her onto his lap, and when she landed so perfectly he nearly shouted with joy. She felt so right; she fit so well against him.
“You have no idea how much I want you, do you?” he whispered before he kissed her again.
His mouth left her lips and ran alongside the underside of her jaw. She sighed in answer, her head lolling against his arm while her hands lowered to his shoulders. She tasted sweet, her own heady flavor mixed with her shower gel, and he appreciated it more with every nibble.
“Please,” she gasped.
“Oh I will, Diana. Trust me, I will.”
Fast losing control, his eager hands sought out the full mounds of her breasts. Her back arched immediately in response, offering them to him freely, and he took. Oh yes, he took.
“Oh, yes,” she breathed.
Gone was the cautious woman whose company he had so recently enjoyed. In her place was a woman with as much passion as he, and she could not stifle her soft moan of pleasure any more than he could deny the teasing movement of his hands. Smiling in satisfaction, he watched her lips part in wonder. How many times had he imagined being with her like this? He wanted more, and he fully intended on getting it.
Lowering his head, he allowed his mouth to follow his hands. With a low purr, she pressed her hands to his head to hold him in place. Though he was almost to the edge, he could not resist pulling her closer. He needed her now, and he feared he would lose his mind if it did not happen soon. Raising his head, he beheld Diana in all her longing.
“I’ve wondered all night what was under this dress. I want to see you, Diana. All of you.” He looked out the window in frustration. “Damn it all, where the hell are we?”
~
As the car came to a gentle stop in front of the Malibu house, Devlan reluctantly released her and smoothed back her hair. Diana felt detached, like she was another person in another time when he arranged her back in her own seat. Devlan was so strong and solid as he restrained himself, but his hands were tender as he straightened her dress. Whatever happened in the morning would be soon enough to deal with repercussions, but right now this beautiful and sexy man was all hers.
“I’m afraid I can’t help you more… if I keep touching you, I won’t be able to stop,” he said roughly.
Still dazed, Diana managed to finish straightening her dress on her own. It bore the telltale wrinkles of being bunched, and there was a moist spot over her left breast where his mouth had teased her. Oh that mouth! She was still thinking of his mouth and the pleasure he had given her when the door opened and the cool sea breeze filtered into the car. Suddenly she felt cold and alone again and could not resist reaching for Devlan and his warmth. He was there for her, his fingers tightening over hers as he assisted her out of the car.
Though he stood tall and lithe in his dark suit, his hair blowing gently in the wind, his eyes smoldered as he stared down at her. Even though he appeared to be in complete control, she alone noticed the glazed look in his eyes and the tightness around his full lips. Oh yes, beneath that collected exterior was a man burning with as much hunger as she was. It was a new and exhilarating feeling to be desired with such intensity, and she felt her power when she heard the tension in his voice.
“That’ll be all for tonight, Wills. Mike. Thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Thank you, sir, have a pleasant evening,” came the knowing reply.
Mike’s fair head nodded in her direction, and Diana gave him a shy smile before following Devlan into the dark house. He reached against the wall and flicked on the hallway light before turning abruptly and sweeping her up into his arms. Ignoring her surprised cry, he lifted her against his chest, and Diana wrapped her hands around his neck as he marched up the stairs with concentrated determination.
No sooner had he reached the landing than he was kissing her again. She had no time to voice any regrets or protests, nor did she want to. All rational thought escaped her mind the moment his lips touched hers. It had been a long time since a man had touched her with such longing, and her body reacted to
his tenderness with an urgency that took her breath away. This man wanted her. He wanted her with a passionate hunger she had never before experienced.
Instead of taking her to her own suite, Devlan took a right at the top of the stairs and went down the hallway to his. The room was dark and cool, with the relaxing sound of the ocean filtering in through the open balcony doors. Raising his head, Devlan gently lowered her to the bed and ran his hands down her length, eliciting a shiver from her before he paused at her feet. Though she could only see his outline in the moonlight, his soft touch spoke volumes. It was almost reverential.
His fingers were at her ankles, releasing the clasp of her sandals and allowing them to hit the carpeted floor with a dull thud. Then he was at her side again, placing feather-light kisses along her jaw. Sitting up, she pushed his jacket from his shoulders and down his arms. It landed with a soft rustle as she reached for the buttons of his shirt. However, his hands stopped her progress when he reached for the neckline of her dress. As the loosened material landed around her waist her first impulse was to cover up, but Devlan captured her hands and held them away from her.
“Don’t hide from me,” he ordered.
It was all new to her, she realized, to have such a handsome man stare at her with such yearning. That feeling of power rose again, and slowly her shyness melted away. He dropped to his knees before her and buried his face between her breasts.
“I have waited too long to see you like this. You are even more beautiful now than on your wedding day,” he said forcefully.
“Wow,” she breathed.
Raising his head, he pushed her back on his bed, following close behind. With a soft sigh of surrender, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and melted into him. He lifted himself on his elbows and seized her lips in another soul searing, open mouthed kiss that left her breathless.
Then the phone rang.
Please don’t stop, she thought wildly. A sudden blast of cool air against her skin announced his reluctant hesitation. By the third ring Devlan grudgingly let her go, his breathing coming somewhat raggedly.
When he picked up the phone, his voice was harsh. “What?”
Diana heard the raging female voice on the other end of the receiver and froze.
“How in the hell did you get this number?”
She heard more raging and felt her ardor cool. Apparently there was a woman in Devlan’s life that was not happy about something.
“Yes, Roxanne, I was out tonight. Yes, it was with a blonde… She’s my sister-in-law.”
Diana’s hands sought out the shoulders of her mistreated dress and she quickly covered her partial nudity. Roxanne was the woman he had been out with, and apparently they were still involved. This was news to her. Judging by the anger she could hear coming from the handset, she had already heard about Diana and was not pleased. Word certainly traveled fast in California.
Despite the longing coiled tightly in her loins, Diana felt certain the evening had definitely come to a close. Having had an unfaithful spouse, she had no interest in being the other woman this time around. She may not have known Roxanne, but she certainly did not want to steal her lover.
Devlan sounded cold and angry as he spoke, and Diana was vaguely aware that he was adamantly refusing her something. He continued to say ‘no’ over and over, and then hung up the phone with a slam. When he turned to Diana his face was red with anger.
“She’s coming over,” he said shortly.
Diana nodded wordlessly and scooted off the bed. Devlan came around to stand before her as she was picking up her shoes.
“It’s not what you think, Diana.”
Her fierce frown spoke volumes, and Devlan took a step back. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she leveled him with a cold stare. However, as cool as she tried to sound, her voice still shook when she spoke.
“I had no idea you were seeing another woman. As long as you are I can’t get involved with you. I’m sorry, Devlan, but we’ll have to work out another agreement, perhaps a payment plan or something.”
“Pardon me?” Devlan recoiled as though she had physically struck him.
“We’ll have to work out some other way for me to earn Hannah’s care expenses.”
“You mean you’re only here to pay me back for Hannah’s care?”
As she stared at him, the flush of color in his cheeks faded to a deathly white. Unable to view the shock and dismay in his eyes, her gaze dropped to the ragged rise and fall of his partially revealed chest. “I thought… I mean, I got the feeling when you said that we could make arrangements that you wanted -”
“That I wanted you to repay me by having sex with me?”
He sounded so incredulous that Diana began to doubt herself. Cocking her head to the side, she slowly raised her gaze to meet his and instantly regretted doing so. Anger, frustration and disbelief met her wary stare. Sitting down hard on his bed, Devlan ran his hand down his face. He appeared stunned and perhaps even hurt as he lowered his gaze to the floor. His dark brows were drawn over his eyes in a confused frown, and those soft lips that had brought her such pleasure were now pressed tightly together.
“This is not happening,” he muttered.
“Well, didn’t you?” she asked softly.
His head swiveled in her direction, and the gaze he pinned her with was as cold as his voice. “Surely you’re not serious?”
“You said we could work out an arrangement.”
“You really think that I was helping you and Hannah for sex…? Lady, you rate yourself pretty high. Do you know how much her hospital bill was?”
Diana’s gaze dropped to her feet as humiliation and grief filled her. Of all the times Peter had told her she was stupid, she had never truly believed him until that moment. Oh yes, she had just proven him right. What an arrogant fool she had just shown herself to be. No, her body was not worth the price of her daughter’s medical bill, he had just said as much.
“I’m sorry that you thought that, Diana. That’s a pretty high insult to both you and me.” He shook his head again, but this time it was with regret. “I never pay for my women. They usually come quite willingly.”
“I’ve noticed,” she snapped.
He continued to stare at the floor. Too preoccupied to see her anguish, he waved her away absentmindedly. “You’d better leave before I do or say something irreparable.”
“Fine.”
Diana slipped from the room before he saw the tears that filled her eyes. Retreating to her room to heal her wounds, she blinked them back furiously. No sooner had the door closed behind her than she was roughly pulling off the sapphire blue dress and throwing it in the corner in frustration. It was a shame to treat such an expensive piece of clothing that way, but she was beyond caring. She should have known better than to think her fairytale would have a happy ending. She felt like such a fool.
Taking a cool shower helped to clear her mind enough to realize that she needed to put some space between her and Devlan. Immediately. Emotions were high, and coupled with their mutual attraction she feared what their next encounter would bring. Perhaps by increasing the distance between them they both could cool their ardor. Mind made up, she tossed some clothes in her own small suitcase and hurried down the back stairs to Mike’s room.
The tall bodyguard opened his door dressed only in a towel, fresh from a shower. When he saw her, his eyes widened. “Wow, you are the last person I expected to see.”
“And why is that?” she snapped.
Though he tried to hide his shock, he still appeared uncomfortable. “What can I get you, Mrs. Somerset?”
“I was hoping you would tell me where I could borrow or rent a car so I could get to the facility.”
“You want to go tonight?”
She nodded.
“Now?”
She nodded again.
“Does Mr. Doyle know?”
“No, but he’s expecting company.”
Mike let out a long breath through pursed l
ips before nodding. “I’ll call Wills and have him drive you over. I’ll see about getting you a car tomorrow. Is that okay?”
Diana nodded her thanks and turned away. Behind her, Mike shook his head in disbelief. “I’ll call your room when he’s brought the car around.”
Diana retreated back to her room. Her room. If she and Devlan had been in there he never would have answered Roxanne’s phone call. Wait, she reminded herself. If she and Devlan had ended up in there it would have been too late. Yes, too late to stop her wayward, foolish heart. At least she had gotten a hold of herself before she had fallen completely over the edge.
She shut the door and went to stand in the cool breeze by her balcony. The sheer curtains billowed in the wind, beckoning her outside. She stepped out onto the balcony and sucked in a sharp breath. Devlan was there, standing by the light of the pool. He had donned swimming trunks and was about to dive in.
Even more handsome than she imagined, Devlan was firm and toned, and the sight reminded her of how good he felt in her arms. Though she wanted to turn away, instead she drank in the sight of his broad shoulders as they tapered down to a narrow waist and led to long, sinewy legs that had so recently been entwined with hers. So tall and lean, he posed such a handsome sight that the ache in her belly intensified once more with unfulfilled longing.
He dove into the water and began making forceful, angry strides from one end of the pool to the other. His muscles rippled in the glittering light of the pool as his long arms cut through the water. Unwilling and unable to tear her gaze away, Diana stood in the shadows and watched while he did lap after lap without rest.
She admired his stamina even though she felt a twinge of pity. She knew how horrible he must have felt, for she felt it too. It was frustrating to be left feeling so unfulfilled and unsatisfied. But alas, it was not to be. Fate had again stepped in and taken matters out of her hands.
So why did she ache so?
Diana felt fresh tears sting her eyes as she watched Devlan continue to work out his frustration. Blinking furiously, she refused to allow them to fall. She was supposed to be a strong woman now. Had she not learned her lesson when Peter died? Apparently not, for she suddenly realized that Devlan had somehow changed from a beast into a man who could so easily capture her heart, and she had no idea what to do.
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