Authors: Collette Scott
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.
Run away, quick.
Hearing the phone ring, Diana stepped back inside. Wills had pulled the car around, and she knew this was her chance to escape and gain some distance. She was going to where she should have been all along. They would allow her to stay with her baby, they just had to. She needed to be safe with Hannah.
~
Devlan heard the heels clicking on the patio even from the depths of the clear blue water. He surfaced to find a long pair of shapely legs covered only by a mini skirt of black leather.
“I see you were out this evening as well,” he said mildly.
“I’d like to talk to you.”
“I assumed that already.”
He effortlessly pulled himself from the pool and reached for the carelessly tossed towel. As he wiped his face and neck, Roxanne glared at him, her hands on her hips.
After seeing Diana’s natural beauty on a daily basis he had a hard time seeing what had attracted him to Roxanne. The exotic model that he had once found so tall and breathtaking was, in fact, angular and sharp. Her face was gaunt, and she was far too thin from the pressures of modeling. Her breasts were artificial, as was the make-up that adorned her sharply angled face. Diana was so much more pure and lovely, and that made his anger increase tenfold. He should be with her right now, kissing every inch of her body, not swimming off his frustration in the pool.
“Where were you tonight? Don’t you realize how humiliated I am?”
“Since when do you dictate who I can and cannot be seen with?” he ground out through clenched teeth.
Roxanne hesitated at his sudden anger, and she arranged her face in a pout like a sad puppy. Still, Devlan was in no mood for games. He had played enough for one night, and Roxanne’s sudden possessiveness just fanned the flames.
“But Devlan, they said you were seen with a new blonde. All of Beverly Hills is talking about her.” she replied, waving her hands dramatically. “Do you know what they’re saying about me? ‘Poor Roxanne, dumped for a blonde.’”
“They wouldn’t be saying those things if you hadn’t told people we were an item.”
“But we are an item, aren’t we?”
Devlan continued to dry off, his face a cold mask. No, he thought with finality, they were not an item, never had been and never would be. Now that he had tasted American innocence, he realized what his life was missing. He no longer cared about functions and galas. He wanted a family.
“I thought we were friends... but right now I don’t even consider you that.” He frowned down at her. “I came here for privacy, and I expect to have some.”
“Privacy for her?” she sneered. “Is she here now?”
“Excuse me?” Devlan asked. His voice was deceptively calm, and his brows rose over furious eyes in an unspoken dare for her to push him just a little too far.
“You’re sleeping with this blonde aren’t you? After all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never touched me, and now this woman – this broad – shows up and already you’re in the sack with her? Who is she? What does she have that I don’t?”
“Careful,” he warned.
“I haven’t even begun to push my limits, Devlan,” she shot back.
He scowled. “She’s from out of town, and I’d like to preserve her privacy.”
“Ha,” she jeered. “You’re too late for that. Look in the tabloids tomorrow, honey, she’s sure to be all over them.”
“Let yourself out,” he snapped.
Fully exasperated with all females, Devlan stalked away with Roxanne’s bitter laughter ringing in his ears. If she was right, there would be a lot of explaining to do in the morning to Diana. He let out a weary sigh and headed straight for her suite, knocking on the door softly. This whole evening had gone from bad to worse in just a matter of minutes, and he knew he would get no sleep until he worked things out with Diana.
“She’s not there, sir,” Mike said, coming up the stairs behind him.
Devlan turned around quickly, his frown fierce. “Where is she?”
“Gone, sir. With Wills.”
“Where did he take her?” Devlan frowned at the sound of panic in his voice. What was it about this woman that made him so crazy?
“To the facility. She packed a bag and asked to borrow a car. I told her Wills would take her, just in case.”
Not knowing what else to say at that moment, he smiled grimly. “Good thinking, Mike. Thank you.”
“Wills should be back soon. They left a while ago.”
Devlan nodded and stepped away from the door. He was about to turn around and take a cold shower when Mike called out softly to him.
“Sir?”
“Yeah, Mike.”
“You really botched things, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
Devlan rolled his eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“She’s falling in love with you.”
Damn, how hearing those words made his heart race with excitement, and it would have made all the difference in the world if she had not taken off on him again. Once more she had left him in the dust. Shaking his head, he smiled wryly at his friend. “Not after tonight, Mike. Good night.”
Chapter 9
For three busy weeks, Diana managed to avoid Devlan. Once Mike delivered a rental car, she commuted between the facility and the Malibu house without encountering him alone. Luckily, the staff there welcomed her with open arms and encouraged her participation in helping Hannah get well, and despite her distress over Devlan’s harsh words, Diana had never felt happier. Hannah was recovering quickly.
By the end of the third week, the brave little patient was walking with the aid of a walker and only a minimal amount of pain. Thrilled, Diana stood by and watched as her physical therapist shouted encouragement and clapped happily.
Hannah smiled in return, her bright eyes wide. “Look Mommy, look at how good I’m doing.”
“I see, darling,” she answered, biting back tears of pride.
“That’s excellent Hannah! Keep coming, great. Good girl!”
Everyone clapped as Hannah completed her trek and sat down with a dramatic sigh. Diana went to her side and hugged her.
“You did great! You see? You’ve been so brave and worked so hard. You’ll be all better soon.”
“And then we’ll go home, Mommy?”
“I hope so,” she said with a smile.
A discreet throat clearing brought everyone’s attention to the open doorway. Diana froze when she saw Devlan enter the large rehab room, arms loaded with several brightly wrapped gifts. Hannah’s face lit up, and she laughed with happiness.
“Uncle Devvie! What do you have?”
Devlan chuckled and bent to kiss the top of Hannah’s blond head. “Presents, of course. A new doll, perhaps. I don’t know.”
“Are you teasing me?”
“No, of course not. But you’ll have to open them to see.”
Hannah laughed. “You are teasing me.”
His lips twisted into a sheepish smile. “Kathy picked them. You know that I’m not good with girlie toys.”
Hannah and her physical therapist laughed at his self-deprecation, but Diana remained unmoved. She watched silently as he handed the presents over to the two, keeping a hand on the roses that were tucked in the crook of his arm.
Since that evening, she had struggled to put Devlan in the back of her mind and deny her infatuation with his kindness, and it had worked - somewhat. At least until he began to show up at the facility to deepen the bond with Hannah. To her dismay, the pair hit it off and had become the best of friends. They communicated in their own little way, with secret looks and gestures that baffled Diana and remained private between the two of them. Though he consistently claimed to have no idea how to handle children, he sure did know how to charm them. Hannah was smitten, but Diana felt his visits were too frequent and difficult to pretend all was well between them.
“How are you, Diana?” he asked, coming to stand beside her.
He stood close to her, too close in her opinion. She shifted her weight to her other leg while her traitorous nostrils flared with the scent of his cologne. It brought back stirring memories of heavy breathing and urgent hands.
Shifting her gaze, she glanced at his remaining package. The roses, she noticed, were yellow. That was the rose of friendship. “Better. Hannah’s improving every day.”
“I can see. She’s progressed – just since Monday. I brought these for you,” he said, handing her the flowers.
“Did Kathy buy those too?” she quipped.
“No, I did.”
She accepted them reluctantly. There was no use in being peevish, although she longed to desperately. “Thank you. They’re pretty.”
“Is there somewhere we can talk? I have to go over a few things with you.”
“There’s an empty office down the hall.”
Diana stooped to tell Hannah she would be right back then led Devlan to the small office. She was acutely aware of his presence close behind her, aware that his eyes were watching her every move while he closed the door behind them. For once Devlan appeared unsure, and she felt some satisfaction for it. But not enough. The beautiful roses were tossed carelessly on the desk as she walked around it and took a seat on the small wooden chair.
Devlan watched with a raised brow, the corners of his mouth turning down, but he remained calm when he spoke. “Hannah is due to be discharged the day before Thanksgiving.”
Not as skilled at hiding her emotions, Diana felt her mouth drop open in surprise. “That’s next week!”
“Yes, but she will have continuing care, just not in the facility. It would be outpatient care.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Since I ended up postponing my vacation, I was planning to go to Hawaii for the holiday. I have a yacht there.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
He remained unruffled and ignored her comment. “Will you and Hannah come with me to Hawaii?”
“I had no idea any of this was happening. I hadn’t given any thought to what we were doing for the holiday.”
“I’m giving you an option.”
She thought for a moment. Though it pained her to say the words aloud, she knew what her best option was. “I guess the smartest thing to do is return home.”
“No,” he said firmly. “The smartest thing would be to go with me.”
“Let’s not get into this again,” she retorted. “Hannah is just five. I don’t want either of us to interfere with your private life, Mr. Doyle.”
“Mr. Doyle?” She knew she finally struck home when he let out an angry curse and scowled at her. “So we’re back to formalities again?”
“Well,” she snapped. “Why don’t you spell out exactly what our relationship is or should be? That way I know I can’t misunderstand you again.”
Devlan placed both hands on the desk and leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. He smelled of mint and cologne, a heady combination that sent her heart racing in her chest. Without warning, one warm hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her skin, but she resisted the urge to recoil. There was no reason to be afraid of his anger.