Coincidences: #3 Diana & Anya

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

“How do you know the cost?”

  “Because it’s part of the world I was raised in, Gideon,” Diana cast a glance to Damian. “Go ask him. I bet you it was about three quarters of a million dollars.” She watched him blink in amazement before he set her aside and traveled to Damian’s side.

  Diana leaned forward, eyes closed as the cool breeze from the water flowed over her. She didn’t have to see to know he’d returned to her side.

  “You aren’t happy with the world you grew up in,” Gideon, sat close to her side, one palm up and stroking over her neck.

  “I became smarter as I aged. I know there are just as many good aspects in it as there is in any other world a child can be raised in. You kind of wish the smarts had come along a little sooner, though,” she smiled but it wasn’t in humor. “Just wishes…I know I was fortunate. Money can make things easier. I didn’t like a lot of things I witnessed. I can’t stand bullies or mean people.”

  “We have that in common.”

  “How’s Jennifer doing?” She looked over at the other couple, Damian’s mother striding along the deck to the portion filled with cushions behind her son.

  “In shock when Damian confirmed your price of the boat,” Gideon chuckled. “Jane looked a little amazed, too.”

  “Poor Jane…I’ve talked to her about money. She’s sweet and can do all this magical math stuff inside her head but cannot stand messing about with finance stuff. I spent a little time talking to Damian and tried to warn him about how much money she actually had,” Diana shook her head. “He wasn’t prepared. He thought I was joking. Society expects a person with money to look a lot different than Jane. She’s been earning money since she was thirteen and invented things that took off like a rocket. Fortunately for her, she turned it all over to him to manage for her. And she did admit to really liking the boat.”

  “Magical math stuff, huh?” Gideon knew he had it bad. He could see the same feelings in the eyes of the people who formed her circle of new friends. It was as if he was just existing until the universe chose to throw him into the path of a wooded fairy.

  “Just don’t go there,” Diana warned with a teasing scowl that faded into a laugh. “It’s such a warm…nice…feeling to be around them. You can see happiness in their eyes. It’s the same around Sam and Bella at the lodge. I think it’s why I love working in the dining room and kitchen, helping her when I need a break from art.”

  “Quite a change for you, huh, little city girl?” Gideon turned her face to his, their lips brushing gently together. He felt her breath catch and quicken.

  “You…are quite a change…” Diana admitted in amazement.

  “Did you chose this last marriage? Or was it chosen for you?” Gideon cursed the words as soon as they left his lips. Her body tensed visibly, pale lashes blinking rapidly and the sudden rush of moisture the reason. “Diana…I…”

  “I was stupid. I was gullible and stupid, Gideon,” she said firmly. “I didn’t find out the back story until it all fell apart and believe me, it barely lasted a week before I realized something was seriously off.”

  “Did your father select this one for you, Diana?”

  “Yes…yes, he did…only this time, they were much more…more secretive. He made a part of me believe…think that he was truly interested in me…even though I knew…I knew he worked for a company I had heard my father talk about.”

  “Diana,” Gideon turned her face to his, the blue eyes swimming in moisture making his whole body ache. “This is nothing personal…but I really do not want to meet your father.” He wasn’t prepared for the launch of the blonde from the bench, arms flung around his neck and her hug tight and warm. His arms closed immediately, willing his body to claim the ravaged shudder sweeping through her.

  “Jennifer is going to think we’re antisocial,” Diana whispered against his throat, her lips moving lightly along the tanned column. She nipped gently in the hollow and surprised herself by following it up by dragging her tongue along the pulse that beat solidly.

  “That, city girl, is definitely not the way to get me wanting to go be social, just so you know,” Gideon sighed and fought his bodies reaction to her foray. Resolute, he put his hands on her waist and set her back on the bench. “Okay…enough of that…I’m only human, woman.” He met the teasing gleam in her eyes, kissed her nose and stood up, grumbling as he turned to the side to adjust his cargo shorts.

  Damian watched their approach, nodding to Gideon. He knew from talking to them both that they were very familiar with how a sailboat operates. Sending him to help attach the front latches to the mooring lines. Bright sunshine poured down around them, the sound of the anchors being released mild compared to the screeching of the gulls overhead, sure they would be getting a free meal soon.

  Diana looked around, smiling broadly as she put her deck shoes on.

  “First stop is Gig Harbor…beautiful place to moor, Damian,” she went to Jane. “There’s some lovely little shops here for a Friday evening. And a great seafood restaurant and book store.”

  Jane hugged her. “Our own personal tour guide…I am so very glad you came along. So…tell me about the caveman? Your eyes have been sparkling and you’ve been blushing,” Jane teased as they strolled arm in arm down the ramp while Damian settled the fees. His mother asking tons of questions as they walked to join them.

  Past, present and future filled the table conversation an hour later, Diana enjoying letting others take the lead as she munched on the large platter of appetizers. There was a pleasant pub type atmosphere, Jimmy Buffett playing in the background. Impulsively, she took Gideon’s hand with a tug toward the dance floor.

  “Excuse us,” she said with a grin, positioning his hands on her waist and hers at his neck. She let her hips guide them around the almost empty floor. It was five o’clock somewhere. A mix of two step and glide, she accepted the laugh in his eyes, his hands repositioning them. He skillfully swung her around to the light two step, dipping her over his arm to the cheers around them.

  Jane laughed and clapped as the song came to a close, Diana dropping to a low curtsey before rejoining them at the table.

  “Nice dancing, cousin,” Jane winked at the flush of color on her cheeks. “Just an urge?”

  “Yes…pretty much…” Diana drained her water glass and poured more, aware of the tender fingers massaging her neck. “You’re a very good dancer. I love music and I love dancing.”

  “So I noticed…I’ll attempt to keep us mobile…I don’t step on toes very often,” Gideon shifted slightly, their entrees arriving on large, steaming platters.

  It was almost eleven when Jennifer hugged her son and went to her cabin, leaving the two couples in the galley.

  “Do we toss a coin?” Jane asked quietly.

  “For what?” Diana took an arm full of blankets and sleeping bag and headed for the stairs. “Good night…I had a wonderful evening…” She went off humming.

  “I think it’s been resolved,” Gideon said with a nod, picking up a few more blankets. “See you at breakfast.”

  “Hey! If you wake up and it’s foggy, don’t move! Just yell for Damian, okay?” Jane called out.

  “What? Foggy…wait a minute! What’s in the fog?” Diana dropped the stack and turned to peer into the galley, yelping slightly when a strong arm came out and snagged her around the waist. “Hey! Stop! Foggy? What’s in the…”

  “That was mean,” Gideon grumbled at the chuckling Jane, hauling Diana back to the wide portion of the back of the ship. “There is nothing in the fog, city girl…trust me. I’ll take care of you. It’s just not wise to wander and end up in the water if you can’t see or don’t know your way around the ship in the fog. It’ll be fine…” He began laying down some of the sleeping bags for comfort.

  “Grrr…” Diana tossed the pillows to the top and settled on the sleeping bags, pulling several quilts over her. She half watched him, her gaze caught on the deep blue sky above them. “It’s like someone took a bucket of diamonds and ju
st threw them over the roof.”

  “It’s one of the reasons I enjoy camping,” Gideon dropped down, his hands up behind his head. “It’ll cool off quickly when the sun is down.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Diana breathed with a tired yawn. “Just beautiful.”

  There wasn’t fog when her eyes opened next. A half-moon shone down on them and a shiver sent her huddling closer to the man who was somehow holding her close to him. Diana sighed and settled in against him, her arm wrapped along his waist and head nestled comfortably against his chest. The last thing she remembered was a slight shift to the side and the quilts tugged higher. She snuggled down warmly. Gideon would take care of her, she heard those words whispered in her mind.

  Gideon wasn’t sure when he rolled over. He did know the scent of coffee had woven its way into his brain and the smell of other foods made his stomach make itself known.

  “Good morning,” Diana held a deep mug of coffee in her hands, blond head tipped and her smile something he could get used to waking up to, Gideon decided with a long sigh. “No fog,” she whispered, leaning in and kissing him softly. “This is for you.”

  Gideon scrambled to sit up, gratefully taking the coffee between both hands.

  Diana moved expertly over the deck, gathering their blankets and folding them to carry below. Between her and Gideon, the sails were raised as they got underway before eight AM, headed north to the San Juan Islands.

  Gideon and Damian sat beneath a large umbrella at a local eatery, talking about business and vaguely watching the three females exploring the strip of tourist shops within view.

  “These people certainly cater to all age groups,” Jennifer Brandt announced when they returned a short time later, gratefully pouring herself a tall glass of iced tea.

  “Looks like all three of you contributed to the economy,” Damian noted, pulling Jane’s chair to his side and patting it gently.

  “I believe in supporting local shops,” Diana declared with a grin, her package set on the ground before she sunk back in the chair. “It’s such a beautiful day.”

  And the day continued along that flavor, sunshine, a light sailing breeze and various island ports to explore. It was five in the evening when Diana stood at the window in her warm little apartment, waving as Gideon drove off. She looked at the packages he’d carried inside for her, one hand rising to touch her fingers to her lips. His kiss warmed her through to her toes, she thought, absently going about doing laundry and hanging clothes in the closet.

  It was long into the night when she finally turned off the lights and climbed into bed, curling around the thick pillow and gazing into the night sky. So many things in her thoughts.

  Chapter Eleven

  Diana stood before the mirror at eight the next morning, turned to the side, lifted the skirt and looked down at the new hiking boots. “Very home steady looking,” she decided, dropping the crème and blue shirt dress and gathering her things. The sun was shining and she wanted to be at the waterfall as soon as she could hike there.

  It was slightly after nine when Gideon glanced at his phone, tapping up Diana’s number and frowning. Swift steps took him to the front door, staring for a long minute before grabbing his keys and pulling the door closed behind him. She probably never noticed. He was glad he knew exactly where she was painting this morning, dodging and weaving along the path to the waterfall.

  Gideon took in the feminine form, one corner of her long jersey dress hooked in her belt and hiking boots making him laugh. A sound that caught her attention and made her turn.

  “Gideon! This is a…hey, hey, hey! What’re you doing?” Diana watched him hastily begin putting her things into the case, following his gaze out to the west. “Oh, my…”

  “Yeah, so let’s put some hustle in the packing, city girl,” Gideon let her grab up the easel and painting she was working on, his hands efficiently closing the paints and making sure everything else loose was bundled into her case.

  “I didn’t…but it was so gorgeous…” Her gaze swung to the east and back. “Drat.”

  “There will be plenty more sunshine, Diana,” he moved behind her with a nudge. “Let’s go, woman, before we’re swimming out here. Up that path, yeah…”

  Diana was glad her paints were at least dry by the time they made it to the yard in front of Gideon’s house. A brilliant flash of lightening was followed by the ricocheting thunder followed too closely by the skies opening up on top of them. They mostly escaped dry. Mostly.

  Diana set her things on the floor inside the front door and took the case from Gideon to set beside it. Water dripped off her head and his, but he dropped to his knee, undoing her boots and pulling them free.

  “Upstairs…towels in the bathroom closet and I’ll find you a shirt until your dress dries,” Gideon followed her light trot up the wide staircase, blue and crème skirt flirting with her calves as a few drops of water sparkled on the fabric.

  Another blinding flash of lightening lit up the loft bedroom, Diana frozen in place and staring out the huge panoramic windows at the rain pelting the glass. Thunder followed and the spring storm was fully in charge now, taking out the lights as it rattled across the sky.

  Gideon gripped her waist when she backed up, eyes wide and a small shiver radiating along her body. He urged her forward carefully. Thanks to the large skylights and windows, it wasn’t totally dark upstairs.

  “Get out of the dress, Diana, toss it over the chair to dry,” he walked into the closet and came out with a simple cotton shirt as she undid the belt buckle and pulled the dress over her head.

  Diana hesitated only a moment. He’d definitely seen more of her since they’d met than was betrayed by her bra and panties. She followed his instructions, draping the jersey dress over the back of the large chair, spreading it out to help drying. She turned to face him at the same time he had pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it toward the bathroom.

  Gideon felt like a deer caught in the brilliant headlights of an oncoming car. Windblown, Diana’s head tilted just a little to the side, almost as if she were seeing him for the first time.

  He didn’t move.

  She took a hesitant step forward, one hand up and gently touching his waist, cold, slim fingers trailing around the band of his jeans. Her palm flattened out on his stomach, joined by the other one to press heavily over his stomach and onto his chest.

  Diana wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. She’d seen him half-dressed plenty over the last few days on the boat. Nicely tanned, she thought absently, stroking gently over his shoulders. She raised her head, aware that she was barely breathing.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever told you…how very attractive you are, Gideon…such nice muscles…but there’s so much more…an inner strength and…nobility…honor…”

  Gideon knew he’d stopped breathing, his fingers opening and the shirt falling to the floor, forgotten for now. His hands went to her waist, his body pivoting slowly as he backed up toward the large unmade bed. He sat back on the edge, hands braced, while she continued staring and touching. Her touch was hot even if her hands were cool. His skin was burning up every place her hands wandered.

  “One of my drawing classes was the human figure…the contours and shapes…but I’ve never actually touched someone like this…smooth and hard…”

  There was something mystical about the moment, Diana mused. Shades of lightening flashed now and then. The sweet scent of a cool spring rain mingled with the hot, musky scent erupting from their bodies.

  “Are you planning to seduce me, city girl?” Gideon held his breath when her eyes lifted from the dark coils of hair her fingers were toying with on his chest.

  “I don’t know…I think I would like that a great deal, though,” Diana admitted in a low, husky voice.

  “You don’t sound sure,” he didn’t want to lose her to doubts.

  “I…it’s so new…it’s not something…feeling like this…with you…I’ve never…the feelings have never been th
ere before, Gideon. The…the intensity and emotions…” she moved closer, allowing the artist fingers free reign over his broad shoulders and down his arms for a long, long minute. “You hear people inside your mind…for years…telling you…repeating…different people, but the same things…and you start to believe them…but when I’m with you, Gideon…it’s as if none of it was ever spoken aloud…as if all of it was lies…”

  “We’ll get back to that another time,” he promised with a husky laugh, leaning back on the bed to force her closer. “What’s the next step in the seduction, Diana?”

  Twinkling blue eyes lifted from the taut fabric at the front of his jeans. One arm bent behind her limberly, the slip of lace and nylon falling slowly down her shoulders until she caught the bra and dropped it on the floor behind her. Power sparked in her gaze when she heard his breath catch and she prowled seductively forward to sit astride his thighs.

  “That was a very good next step,” Gideon was positive all the moisture in his mouth evaporated when delicate fingers dropped the slip of covering to the floor. Soft and firm, his palms left the bed to cup her breasts, groaning when the pert nipples wrinkled under his attention. He straightened up carefully, his attention caught when her palms rose to frame his face.

  Soft, gentle fingers began at his forehead, brushing aside strands of dark hair, tracing over his eyebrows and out to his ears. Diana closed her eyes, mewing softly as his hands massaged her breasts, her head back. A soft gasp broke free when she felt his tongue curl around one nipple, his mouth suckling hungrily. His head lifted slowly to stare down at the sweet curve of her breasts. His gaze was raised when her hands took a firmer hold on his face, her mouth down to greedily capture his. Their tongues fenced, teased and retreated as her weight on his upper body forced him to lie back on the bed.

  Diana scrambled off him, but did not stop her assault on his mouth. She wanted his kiss, wanted the sensations coursing through her and he was the cause. She stretched out beside him, her hands stroking over his shoulders and side. Gideon tore his mouth from hers, one arm going behind her to pull her hard against him, his mouth back to arouse her breast. Her hand slid down his side to his hip, fingers tracing a line around the waistband of his jeans and stopping at the snap.