Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
Ada Grimley beamed. “You’re quite welcome, Colby. I shall look forward to your next book.“
“There you are. Dad. I’ve been looking for you.“ Brandon wove his way through the crowd. He was carrying a small package, and he had Specter at his heels. The dog was licking wedding cake frosting off his muzzle as he trotted along in Brandon’s wake.
“What’s that?“ Colby asked, eyeing the package in his son’s hand.
“A present.“ Brandon waited until Ada Grimley moved away to speak to a neighbor. Then he glanced at Diana and flashed her a brief, almost apologetic smile. He turned to his father with a very serious expression.
“Dad, before I give you your wedding gift, it occurs to me we need to have a little father-son chat.“
“Is that right?“ Colby’s brows rose ironically.
“I’m afraid so.“ Brandon cleared his throat portentously. “It has come to my attention that, in spite of all those talks we had about the male reproductive system, in spite of all those lectures on the merits of a man learning how to say no, in spite of all those warnings about how hard it is for a man to stop once he gets started and how it’s better to finish the job by hand, so to speak, on certain occasions…“
“Brandon, you are my one and only son and heir, but if you want to live to see the ripe old age of twenty, you’d better cut this short,“
“Don’t rush me, Dad. This is for your own good. As I was saying, in spite of all those conversations we had on birth control and how to keep the zipper of one’s jeans in an upright and locked position, it seems something, uh, fell through the crack, as it were.“
“Brandon…“
“I’m sure you can just imagine my surprise when Diana informed me I was about to get a baby brother or sister.“
“Son, I’m warning you, you can be replaced.“ Colby was going a slow, dull red.
Brandon ignored him, his fine brown eyes alight with mischief. “Now, while I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of being a big brother,“ he continued,
“I
nevertheless feel it’s my duty as your son to fill in certain gaps in your education which have recently become glaringly apparent.“ He presented the brightly wrapped package to his father with a flourish. “Here you go. A wedding present from your son purchased with your educational advancement in mind.“
Diana managed a smile as she watched Colby unwrap the package. She knew Brandon was only teasing, and the last thing she wanted to do was spoil the humor of the situation. But it was hard for her to see anything amusing about her pregnancy yet. She was learning to accept it, and she thought that with Colby by her side she just might be able to handle it, but she hadn’t gotten to the point where she could joke about it.
Colby ripped off the wrapping paper and gazed down at the book he found himself holding. “Geez, Brandon, this was real thoughtful of you. Remind me to flatten you later when there are no witnesses around.“ He grinned and playfully cuffed his son.
Brandon laughed and dodged. “I knew you’d appreciate it. Dad. You’ve always been real big on learning things from books.“
“Let me see.“ Diana moved closer to peer over Colby’s shoulder. She read the title aloud.
“The Responsible Man’s
Complete Guide to Modern Sex.“
“Don’t worry,“ Brandon said cheerfully. “It’s got lots of pictures.“
“It’s a good thing I’ve got another kid on the way,“ Colby said to Diana, “because Brandon’s chances of surviving until next week are real shaky.“
“Alone at last. I thought all those people would never leave,“ Colby declared several hours later as he began unbuttoning his shirt.
“What’s that?“ Diana called from the other side of the closed bathroom door. “I didn’t hear what you said.“
“I said I thought that damn wedding reception would never end.“
“It was very sweet of Evelyn Thorp to organize it for us. Were you surprised that so many people showed up?“
“‘Stunned’ would be a better description. It must have been the promise of free booze and cake that brought them out of the woodwork.“
“They came to see you, Colby. They wanted to congratulate you. You’re the town’s local celebrity, in case you don’t know it. How does it feel to breeze back into Fulbrook Corners twenty years later and find out you’re a legend?“
“Damn weird, if you want to know the truth. And don’t be taken in by all the big smiles and hearty handshakes today. Some of those people who were offering lots of good wishes this afternoon were the same ones who wouldn’t let me date their daughters and who couldn’t wait to see if I’d wind up in jail twenty years ago.“
“Well, you didn’t wind up in jail. You showed ‘em all, Colby. And now they’re proud of you.“
“I wouldn’t bet on it. They all showed up today out of sheer curiosity,“ he muttered. But he didn’t sound particularly annoyed.
“Don’t be such a grouch. This is our wedding night. I hope you’re planning something romantic out there.“
“I’m planning to jump on top of you just as soon as you get your little tush out of the bathroom.“
“Be still, my beating heart.“ Inside the bathroom Diana shimmied into the peach-colored negligee her mother had given her and surveyed herself in the old, cracked mirror. It was definitely the sexiest nightgown she’d ever worn.
“Diana?“
“Yes, Colby?“
“I liked your mother.“
“She liked you. It was nice of Brandon to pick her up in Portland and drive her back to the airport this evening.“
“She’s different from what I expected.“
“What did you expect?“
“Oh, I don’t know. From what you’d told me about your past, your father deserting her after he got her pregnant and all, I guess I expected her to be more bitter toward men in general and her daughter’s husband in particular.“
“Mom’s not like that.“
“So I found out. She’s really happy about the baby. She told me she’d been afraid her own experiences raising you alone had warped your attitude toward men forever. You were so determined not to trust men that she was afraid you’
d never let yourself fall in…“ Colby broke off abruptly. “Afraid you’d never take the risk of marrying anyone, let alone the risk of having a kid. She actually thanked me for barging into your life and rearranging things for you.“
“That sounds like Mom,“ Diana said with a barely stifled groan. She was as ready as she would ever be. “Colby?“
“Yeah, honey?“
“I’m coming out. Don’t jump on top of me right away, okay? I want you to see this nightgown. It’s beautiful,“
“I don’t care how pretty it is. It’ll look better off.“
Diana cautiously opened the door. Colby was on the far side of the small bedroom. His back was turned toward her, and he was doing something at the dresser. He had the light turned down low, and she could see that he was naked except for his sexy briefs. His broad shoulders gleamed in the faint light. She saw the traces of silver in his dark hair and her heart quickened. She was lost every time she looked at him.
Diana wondered if he realized even vaguely how much she loved him. She hadn’t found the courage to tell him. She was just beginning to acknowledge it fully to herself.
“Colby?“
He swung around at the sound of her voice, and she saw that he was holding a small vase full of wildflowers in his fist. His gray gaze moved over her slowly.
“I can’t believe it,“ he finally said.
Diana looked at him uncomprehendingly. “Can’t believe what?“
“That you really do belong to me at last.“ He became aware of the flowers he was clutching. “Here, these are for you. I picked them this morning and put them in water to keep while we drove over to the courthouse. Not much of a wedding gift, but Fulbrook Corners’ general store didn’t have much to offer. Ill get you something nice when we get to Portland.“
“Oh, Colby, they’re beautiful. The most beautiful flowers in the whole world. Thank you.“ Diana was afraid she was very close to tears. She had never been more touched by a gift in her life.
Colby was no grand romantic, as she had informed him often enough. But the vase of delicate blooms held so carefully in his strong hand had to constitute the most romantic present she’d ever received.
“You like ‘em, huh?“ He looked down at the flowers with a small, lopsided grin.
“I love them.“ Almost as much as I love you, she added silently. She went forward to take the flowers. Her hand came around from behind her back, and she handed him his wedding gift.
“What’s that? A stone? from the river?“ He took the small, polished rock from her palm, examining it as if it were a gemstone.
“As you said, the shopping available around here is a little limited.“ Diana was suddenly nervous. Maybe this hadn’t been such a great idea after all. “But I got this idea of going out to Chained Lady Falls yesterday, and I found that stone at the base of the falls. It looked so beautiful shining there in the water, almost as if it had been professionally polished. I guess all that water pounding over it all those years did the polishing job.“
Colby looked up from the stone in his palm, his eyes burning with an intensity that took her breath away. “You went out to Chained Lady Falls to get this?“
She nodded quickly, uncertain of his reaction. “I know you said we weren’t to talk about what happened between us that night in the cave, about how we were reckless, and I got pregnant, and why we had to get married and all, but…“ Her voice trailed off.
“But?“
She couldn’t look away from the gray fire in his eyes. Diana swallowed and sought an explanation. She’d never felt this tongue-tied in her whole life. “But I wanted to tell you somehow that I don’t think that what happened that night was so terrible after all. In fact, the more I get used to the idea, the more I think it’s going to be all right. This baby I’m carrying feels as if it was meant to be. Do you know what I mean?“
“Diana…“ he began gently.
She interrupted him, the rest of the words tumbling out in a rush, “If it had happened to me with any other man, it would have been a disaster. But it happened with you and you’re different, and I want you to know I appreciate that and I… I won’t be looking back on that night as an awful mistake for which I’m now having to pay a high price.“
“I picked those flowers up by the falls,“ Colby said quietly. “I went there for the same reason you did. I wanted to give you something from Chained Lady Falls so you’d know that I won’t be looking back on that night and thinking it was a mistake, either.“
Diana smiled at him, her relief and happiness making her eyes glow. She took the stone from his palm and gently set it down beside the vase full of wildflowers. Then she went into his waiting arms.
“My sweet, sexy Diana,“ Colby breathed as he held her close for a long moment. “We’ve got a hell of a lot going for us. We’ll make this marriage work.“
“I’ll do my best, Colby,“ she vowed earnestly. She leaned against him, inhaling the scent of his body and absorbing his strength.
He chuckled softly. “You sound as if you were accepting a new job.“
“Well, it is sort of like starting a second career, isn’t it?“
“I guess you could look at it that way.“ He lifted her chin to gaze down into her eyes. “So long as you understand that this is the most important job in your life, and that you can’t resign if the benefits don’t suit you.“
She wasn’t sure she cared for the wary, searching intensity of his gaze. Diana smiled. “I think some of the benefits are going to be very satisfactory,“ she murmured. Her palms glided over his shoulders, savoring the strength of him.
Colby studied her for a long moment, and then he smiled back with lazy sensuality. The expression in his eyes took on a new and different gleam, one Diana was familiar with. It was the kind of look that made her think she was going to melt. Colby’s hands snagged in her hair and he bent his head to kiss her parted lips.
“You want to talk benefit packages. Madam Executive? I’ll show you benefit packages.“ His mouth closed over hers.
Diana moaned as the heat of his kiss scorched through her. She tightened her arms around his neck and shivered as she felt his palm sweep down her spine.
Her mind whirled, and then the room spun, too, as Colby lifted her and carried her over to the bed. When she felt the pillow beneath her head, she opened her eyes to watch as Colby stripped off his briefs.
His strong, lean body was heavy with arousal. She looked up at him, and a fantasy flickered in and out of her head.
It was a fantasy she’d had once or twice before when Colby made love to her.
He reached over to turn out the bedside light and Diana’s fantasy grew stronger. She watched him move about in the darkness, preparing to come to her, and it seemed that he was someone she had known before in another time or in her dreams.
He had been fierce and primitive in that other dimension
–
a dangerous, arrogant, warrior male who
had
accepted no restraint, no feminine bonds. He had refused to grant her the respect and honor that were her rights. He
had used her and abused her, and she had fought back with the only weapons she had at her disposal, for she had
been as fierce and proud as he.
She had refused to give him the child he had demanded, and in the end she had used his own knife to kill him.
But she had known to her sorrow and anguish, even as the blood welled between her fingers, that it could have
been different. In some other lifetime it would be different.
“Diana?“ Colby came down beside her, reaching for her. “What’s wrong?“
“Nothing.“ She shook her head quickly. “It’s just that sometimes fragments of those dreams flash through my head. It can be disconcerting.“
“I know what you mean.“ He loomed over her, his legs anchoring hers. His eyes glittered in the shadows.
“Sometimes when we’re like this, very close, about to make love, I get images in my head, too. Like scenes out of those damned dreams.“