Just Deserts (11 page)

He rocked her and whispered that things would be okay and that in the end Catherine Hodges would be okay. Danielle wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe him. When she didn’t have any more tears left to shed, Tristan placed her on the bed and undressed her before undressing himself. Then he pulled her into his arms again.

That was when Danielle realized just how much she loved him. How could she not love a man who handled her with such loving kindness? Such warm and tender care? She had fallen in love with Tristan Adams, her very best friend.

His hands moved all over her with both comfort and passion, and each stroke on her skin unleashed desire of a deeply potent kind. She felt her body tremble in anticipation, felt the area between her legs become heated with a need only Tristan could quench.

Then he lowered her to the mattress and joined her there. He bent his head and captured a nipple with his mouth. She felt his erection against her thigh. That was what she wanted. That was what she needed.

“Come inside me, Tristan. Now. Please.”

She didn’t have to ask twice. Immediately he moved over her and entered her in one hard thrust.
Yes!
This was what she needed, and her groans of pleasure were letting him know it, too.

He started moving then, thrusting into her with lightning speed and then slowing down as if to savor the moment. Over and over, in and out, deeper and deeper. She felt the welcome spasms start at the soles of her feet and work their way upward.

“Tristan!”

And then it came, just like she knew it would, and with a force that left her breathless, filled her with total completion and undiluted pleasure. She knew no matter what turmoil entered her life, she would always have this.

She suddenly felt tired, as if she couldn’t hold her eyes open any longer, and she barely felt the hard jerking of Tristan’s body when he got his own pleasure. But somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she heard him whisper, “I love you, Dani, with all my heart,” just seconds before she drifted off to sleep.

D
anielle slowly opened her eyes to a new day, recalling every vivid detail about last night. But the thing that stood out most clearly in her mind was what Tristan had whispered to her when he thought she’d fallen asleep.
“I love you, Dani, with all my heart.”
The words still echoed in her brain.

Alex and Renée had been right all along. Tristan did love her just as she knew she loved him. Even before he’d said the words, her heart had already made the decision. Knowing he loved her in return made everything so complete.

She stretched and looked around, wondering where Tristan had gone. Then she remembered watching him hours ago through sleepy eyes as he eased out of bed before dawn, tugged on his running shorts before quietly slipping out of the room. It was Saturday and he usually went running then. Today was also the day of the company picnic. Their five hundred-plus employees and their families had been invited to the annual event, which was held each year the last Saturday in July. With the expansion of A&T, this year’s picnic would be bigger than ever. A caterer had been hired to grill the ribs and chicken and prepare all the other tasty dishes they’d selected.

Danielle closed her eyes, feigning sleep, when she heard him return. Through lowered lashes she saw him glance at her before tugging off his shorts and heading toward the bathroom to take his shower.

The moment the door was closed she opened her eyes and slid out of bed. Moving quickly, she padded across the floor to the bathroom and quietly opened the door and eased in. She could barely see his body through the steamy glass door of the shower, but she could see in her mind’s eye the broad chest and muscular shoulders, not to mention his taut, well-defined thighs. And what she considered the best-looking tush in all the world.

Her heart began to pound, a familiar sensation whenever she saw Tristan’s naked body. This beautiful specimen of a man was not only her best friend and lover, but now the man she loved. That he actually loved her in return made her want to weep for joy. But she had done enough crying last night—and for all the wrong reasons. Marc and the pain he’d caused did not deserve another tear. Alex and Renée had been right. He had gotten his just deserts and it was time for each of them to move on and live.

Alex and Renée had done just that, falling in love and marrying men who would spend the rest of their lives making them happy. Deep down, Danielle knew she had found her soul mate, too. He was a man who had always been a part of her life, a man who was so attuned to her wants and her needs. A man who was her best friend.

The ceramic tile felt cool under her feet as she slowly strolled to the shower door. She eased it open and saw the surprise on his face. “Quickie time,” she said, grinning.

He pulled her into his arms as the hot water washed over them both. Wasting no time, he lifted her off her feet and wrapped her legs around him, and just as quickly, he entered her. Her back pressed against the shower wall, he thrust into her. Once, twice. At the third thrust she was a goner, screaming his name while water poured all over them.

And then he was screaming hers and she felt the heat of his desire all the way to her toes.

After taking a shower they’d gotten back into bed and made love all over again. Now they lay cuddled in each other’s arms, knowing they had to eventually get up and get moving, since the company picnic would start in a few hours. But Danielle knew there was something she had to ask him, something she had to know.

“Tristan?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Last night, before I dozed off to sleep, you whispered something to me. You told me that you loved me with all your heart.” She paused for a second and then rolled ahead and said, “Is that true? Do you really love me? And I don’t mean the best-friend stuff. I mean the way a man truly loves a woman.”

He had been stroking her back and at the start of her question his hands had gone still. Their eyes met and held for the longest time and then he began moving his hands again. “Yes, Dani. I love you. I didn’t realize just how much until that day you called to let me know you wouldn’t be coming in to work because you had eloped with Marc.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean you’ve been in love with me all that time?”

A small smile touched his lips. “Yes, sweetheart, I’ve been in love with you all that time.”

He didn’t say anything more for a moment. Then, “Does it bother you knowing that I love you?”

She shook her head. “No. Not unless it bothers you to know that I love you, too.”

At his stunned look she smiled. “Here’s love coming back at you, Tris, because I love you. I love you, Tristan Adams, with all my heart.”

He pulled her into his arms and his mouth captured hers, and she knew at that moment that whatever happened from here on out would be okay because she was loved by a very special man.

She was loved and in love with her best friend.

“Strike two!”

Danielle turned and glared at Nero Long, their human resources manager who was acting as umpire for today’s softball game. Nero had struck her out earlier so he was definitely not her hero today.

But neither was Tristan.

She glanced over to where he was supervising the three-legged races and saw Karin Stokes all but in his face and batting her false eyelashes at him. Danielle rolled her eyes. The woman, whether Tristan chose to believe it or not, was one hot mess. Danielle figured it was a good thing she and Tristan had confessed how they felt about each other; otherwise Karin would have continued coming on to Tristan and in a moment of desperation he might have actually relented.

“Strike three. You’re out!”

Danielle lowered the bat and turned to glare at Nero. “And just how long will it be before you retire?”

The man laughed and he was doing it so hard his entire body shook—all two hundred-plus pounds of him. Knowing it would be a waste of time to challenge his call, she walked off the field and decided to go over to where Tristan was working hard to keep Hot Mess Karin at bay.

In a way Danielle felt he was getting what he deserved, since he hadn’t taken her warning about Karin seriously until today. The woman had shown up at the company picnic wearing a short top and a pair of Daisy Dukes, and she had immediately sought out Tristan. She’d even had the gall to come up to her and ask where he was.

Because everyone who worked for the company was aware of her and Tristan’s close friendship, Danielle figured none of them had a clue they were now an item, especially not Karin. The last thing she needed was for her and Tristan to become the main topic of conversation at the water cooler, but she figured something had to give. Now she knew how Tristan felt when he thought Craven and Stewart were showing a little too much interest in her.

“How are things going over here?” she asked, coming to join the group when the race was over.

Karin flashed her a smile. “Wonderful. I was trying to talk Tristan into partnering with me in the next race, but he’s being difficult.”

Danielle tried hiding her grin when she glanced at Tristan. He looked like he wanted to ring her neck. “I need to borrow him for a minute,” she said, taking hold of his arm.

“Sure, just bring him back,” Karin said, batting her false eyelashes again and smiling. Danielle wasn’t sure which of the two the woman enjoyed doing the most—flashing her smile or batting her eyelashes.

“I was wondering if you were ever going to come and rescue me,” Tristan said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

“And not let you spend time with Hot Mess Karin? Are you kidding?” she asked.

“Hot Mess Karin?” Tristan burst into a laugh.

“I’m glad I’m able to amuse you. But on a serious note, sweetheart, you do something about her or I will. This is a company picnic where most of the employees bring their families, not a hot-pants contest.”

Tristan glanced back over his shoulder at Karin. “Her shorts are kind of out there, aren’t they.”

“Out there, barely there. Yes, you could say that. And if you haven’t noticed, a few of the wives are frowning since their husbands can’t seem to keep their eyes off Karin. I’ve got a feeling a lot of them are going to be sleeping in guest rooms tonight.”

Tristan sighed deeply. “I’ll talk to her first thing on Monday. Oh, and by the way,” he said, steering Danielle in the direction of the bleachers, “I’ve made all the arrangements. You and I are flying to Dallas on Wednesday.”

“That soon?”

“Yes. Are you okay with it?” he asked.

“Yes. I’m okay with it.”

Danielle had tried not thinking about Catherine Hodges and what situation she might find in Dallas. She had spoken to Alex and Renée, and both had given their support and suggested she handle the situation as she saw fit. The good thing was that the woman hadn’t married Marc, at least.

Tristan took her hand in his. “You still want closure, don’t you?”

She looked over at him. “Yes, I still want closure.”

Closure.

That was the main thing on Danielle’s mind when she and Tristan arrived in Dallas the following week. After checking into the hotel, they decided to wait until the following morning to show up at the school. They had called and Catherine Hodges’s secretary made an appointment for them to meet with her.

“Do you think meeting her at the school is the wisest thing?” she asked Tristan that night after they were in bed.

“Not really,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “But Chris didn’t have her home address and phone number. When we arrive at the school tomorrow, let’s play it by ear, since she doesn’t know the reason we’re meeting with her.”

“All right.”

That night after they had made love and Tristan had fallen asleep, Danielle cuddled beside him in his arms and smiled. She hadn’t mentioned anything to Tristan, but her period was a couple of days late. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but the possibility she was pregnant filled her with more joy than she could ever imagine. If her period still hadn’t shown up by the time they got to Atlanta, where they were to meet up with Alex and Hunter and Renée and Chris, then she would purchase one of those pregnancy test kits.

She drifted off to sleep hoping and praying that she was carrying Tristan’s child.

“Ms. Hodges will see you now,” the older woman said, smiling at them. “Please come with me.”

Tristan took Danielle’s hand in his as they followed the woman, who’d introduced herself as Sylvia Pinckney, Ms. Hodges’s secretary. Upon entering the grounds of Land of Lakes School for the Deaf and Blind, they were impressed with what they saw. Students, some who couldn’t hear and others who couldn’t see, were participating in supervised sports of all types; other students were sitting in the classrooms using computers.

“How long has this school been in existence?” Tristan asked the secretary.

“For about three years now. It’s a smaller institution than most around the country, but it serves its purpose. Ms. Hodges is doing an excellent job of running the place.”

Danielle nodded. It was evident the school was well maintained. There were several separate classroom buildings on the property, as well as what appeared to be a gymnasium.

“We used to depend on donations,” Ms. Pinckney was saying. “But even that sometimes was a struggle. We would have closed our doors for sure last year if it hadn’t been for Mr. Foster.”

Danielle almost missed her step and was thankful that Tristan had been holding her hand. “Mr. Foster?”

“Yes, Marc Foster. He was a huge supporter of the school before his untimely death.”

Tristan and Danielle looked at each other before he said, “So you know that he’s dead?”

The woman turned around and a sad smile touched her lips. “Yes. When he didn’t show up at a very important function we knew something had to have happened to him, so we had Jules, one of our deaf students search the Internet. There was an announcement that he had passed away.”

Ms. Pinckney’s eyes widened just a little. “Did you know him?”

It was Danielle who responded. “Yes, we knew him.”

Catherine Hodges was not at all what Danielle expected. An attractive woman, she couldn’t have been more than twenty-six or twenty-seven. A friendly smile lit her face the moment she heard them enter her office.

Danielle glanced around the room and thought the setup was appropriate. Everything was within reach and all the books were in braille. When introductions were made, Ms. Pinckney mentioned that they’d known Marc.

Danielle watched how Catherine’s face lit up. “Truly? He was a very special man who touched the lives of many of the students here.”

“How so?” Danielle couldn’t help but ask.

“In a number of ways. He’s the one who got the computers for our classrooms and had the gymnasium built.”

The woman paused. “You said your name was Danielle. Were you once Danielle Foster?”

Danielle’s stomach tightened and she glanced quickly at Tristan. “Yes, I was at one time.”

The woman’s smile brightened. “Then I’m very happy to meet you. I’m sure Marc probably never mentioned me. He was always the secretive type when it came to his personal life.”