Hannah's Blessing (10 page)

Jutting her chin forward stubbornly, Diana found the rest of her necessities and locked herself in the bathroom. Through the thin walls she could hear Devlan rummaging in her kitchen and cringed. His dismay had reminded her again of how much she had lost in recent years.

When she had met Peter, she had thought he was the sweetest, most wonderful man in the world, and the way he had courted her like an old-fashioned lover had swept her easily off her feet. His promise of the family she had lost and wanted so desperately to have made her commit too quickly. He had claimed that he loved her, and she had trusted him. Though all of that was in the past, she was now at risk of falling prey to his outwardly generous and kind step-brother. She could only hope that since Devlan had seen just how poor they were, he would realize that she and Hannah had no place in his high-society life. Unfortunately, she suspected it would not be that easy.  

Sighing again, Diana finished undressing and climbed into the slowly warming shower. Not long after she heard the customary loud bang of the pipes and Devlan’s muffled curse. Pressing her hand against her lips, she giggled as she imagined him jump out of his skin the way she had the first time she heard the bang. It sounded as though a bomb was going off in one of the lower floors when the hot water finally reached her apartment.

Just as quickly, she erased the smile from her face. It was not fair to laugh at another’s surprise, no matter how irritated he made her that morning. For the truth was that Devlan had been nothing but kind and courteous so far, and even she had to admit that he was trying his hardest to be friendly. Starting the day after the accident, he arrived at the hospital with arms loaded with gifts for Hannah. There was a doll, a stuffed animal, the latest DVD, and early-reader books. Anything Hannah could have possibly wanted was in his hands, and he turned it all over to her with an awkward smile.

She had been about to demand he send it all back when he had glanced at her sheepishly. “Will she like any of this?”

Despite the stress, worry and tension she had dealt with, the look on his face paired with his crazy question had caused her to giggle behind her hand. Though his cheeks had darkened, he had returned her smile and admitted that his assistant had assembled it all since he had no clue what to buy a child. In that brief shared moment, she had seen the ice wall erected around her start to melt ever so slightly. His honesty had taken her completely by surprise, and she grudgingly respected him for it.

“I can’t lose my heart again,” she whispered into the hot water.

She could be strong. After all, she had survived a devastating marriage, so she knew she could deny Devlan. This was for Hannah, and she would do anything for her little girl. With firm resolve, Diana finished her shower and hurriedly dressed into a warm sweater and faded blue jeans.

When she exited the bathroom, she was dressed casually and her face clear of makeup. She carried her brush in one hand, tugging on the knotted ends of her hair as she went in search of her mysterious benefactor. He was in her small kitchen, standing by the stove and frying up some eggs. She stood in the entryway and watched as he deftly flipped them then turned to butter the toast he had made.

“You cook?”

Devlan turned and smiled lopsidedly, and the rest of her earlier anger dissipated completely. She became aware of a melting sensation deep inside her belly and steeled her face not to respond. He was so handsome with his well-trimmed dark hair and freshly shaven cheeks, and she was disappointed to realize that he looked just as good in jeans and a pull-over as he did in a tailored suit.

The man was just plain gorgeous.

“I do have a housekeeper, Mrs. Maclean, but she’s a horrible cook.” Turning his attention away from the stove, he cocked his head to the side thoughtfully and pointed the spatula at her as he spoke. “Have you ever noticed that some of the chubbiest people are the worst cooks? How do they do it? I mean, Mrs. Maclean reminds me of a cream puff.”

Diana laughed out loud. “A cream puff? That doesn’t make sense.”

Unable to hide his returning smile, Devlan shook his head. “How does that not make sense? The woman is round.”

“I would’ve expected you to be surrounded by perfect beauties all the time.”

The playful smile faded, and Devlan’s face went serious as if remembering her earlier attack. Narrowing his eyes, he studied her intently. “Is that why you dislike me so much?”

Diana inhaled sharply. “Dislike you? I never -”

“Yes, you do. Don’t try to deny it.”

“I’m not,” she began.

“I just want to know why,” he interrupted solemnly.

“Well, I guess you’re guilty by association,” she conceded reluctantly.

He sighed. Obviously he remembered how his step-brother really was. “But you don’t know me any more than I know you.”

“I know,” she admitted reluctantly.

“Then how can you despise me when you don’t know me?”

Feeling as though she had no other choice but to come clean, she decided on honesty. It did not help that his voice had the tone of a man wounded. It made her feel guilty and ashamed at the same time. “I’ve heard things,” she murmured, looking down at her hands.

“What could you possibly have heard about me that would make such a smart lady like you hate so much?”

“Well…”

He shook his head. “Seriously, don’t actions speak louder than words? Haven’t I proven that I have only your best interests at heart?”

“That’s what scares me. Like I said, I don’t understand why you’re so interested in me.”

“Hannah is your daughter.”

“I know, but –”

“But what? You are family, Diana. It’s my responsibility to help you and Hannah.”

Family. There was that word again. She sighed. “Peter said a lot about you when we were first married. And of course, I’ve seen you on the television. It seems as though there’s a new woman every month. I know it’s not my business, but I don’t trust men like that... That doesn’t mean that I hate you.”

“Peter said things?” He asked incredulously. “Oh, that’s rich. Please, tell me what he said. This could be interesting.”

Devlan leaned against the counter, his arms crossed as he waited for Diana to enlighten him. Fortunately the burning of the toast in her toaster saved her from having to speak. With a muffled curse he dropped the spatula and turned around, frantically trying to get the toast free.

“Let me do it. It gets stuck sometimes,” she said, coming to his aid.

Devlan stood back to allow her to free the burning toast, but suddenly her nervous fingers refused to jiggle the familiar latch correctly. Despite the charred odor permeating the kitchen, Diana could still smell his familiar cologne. The heady scent grew stronger as he bent closer to her. As if she needed the reminder that he was so near.

“Do you need help?”

Devlan’s hands came up to cover hers as she toyed with the defective lever. The large size of him briefly overwhelmed her, and for a moment she was overcome with panic. Yet his long fingers were gentle and warm, his touch almost feather-like, and surprisingly his palms had the rough feel of a man familiar with hard work. All too soon she realized that it felt good, which frightened her even more.

She pulled away hastily and turned to face him, instantly regretting her sudden move. He was so close that she had to tilt her head back to look up at his face. Though the sudden jerk of her hand made the toast pop back up and the charred remains smoldered in the fluorescent lights, Diana did not notice or care. She was consumed by Devlan’s warmth and the impenetrable gaze he pinned her with. Suddenly the kitchen was way too small for the two of them.

“It’s all set,” she whispered.

With a mixture of anticipation and dread, she realized that Devlan did not back away. Instead he leaned past her to pull the hot crumbs from the toaster and toss them on the nearby plate. His voice was slightly husky as he spoke, but his words were very serious.

“I don’t intend on taking over your life any more than I plan to take over Hannah’s. You are her mother, and as long as you’re a fit mother she should remain with you. However, if you ever become unfit I will take her away.”

When she felt herself stiffen in indignation, Devlan shook his head slowly. His lips were compressed in disappointment, but his eyes still glowed with some unfathomable emotion that she longed to explore.

“I only want to help you, Diana. I realize you’re fresh from a terrible situation, but you can start trusting again… You can trust me, Diana. There’s no malice in my offer, and I have absolutely no intentions of hurting you or Hannah,” his voice lowered. “That’s the last thing I would do.”

Diana’s mouth felt dry, and the pounding in her chest was so forceful she feared he could see it. This was not good. He was gaining the upper hand, and she could feel her resolve slipping. He was too close for her to think straight, and then there was that strange gleam in his eye that made breathing difficult. Taking a deep steadying breath, she stared up at him with wide eyes. Time to be strong, she thought.

“You may not want to hurt us, but it will happen. We’ll get used to seeing you, to having you around, and then you’ll go back to your life and we’ll never see you again.”

Devlan’s face lowered slightly. “And that would bother you?”

“Hannah would not take the rejection lightly. She’s just lost her father.”

He bent still more, his hands coming to rest on either side of her on the counter, and his gaze fell to her lips as he spoke. “And you’ve lost a husband.”

She let out a shaky laugh and waved her hand dismissively. “Our marriage was over a long time ago.”

“Now you’re afraid. Afraid because you actually do care.”

Diana opened her mouth to deny his words, but it was too late. His arms swiftly enveloped her and his lips descended onto hers in the kiss she had so feared and anticipated. No, no, no, she thought just before her eyes flickered closed. Push him away, she warned herself. But she could feel the rapid pounding of his heartbeat against her chest when her arms reached up to grasp his shoulders, and although she meant to push him away, she ended up pulling him closer instead.

Fool!

She was a fool. Even though he felt so large, she instinctively knew he would pull back if she tried to fend him off. But she did not want to. She felt captivated by his adept lips, and when his tongue slipped forward to taste her lips, her mouth opened to allow him entrance. It angered her that she had given in so quickly, but gosh, it had been so long since she had felt even slightly desirable, and he was skillful in his attempt to break her resolve. The man definitely knew how to kiss a woman senseless.

Taking advantage of her submission, Devlan’s hands tightened around her waist and his long fingers stroked her back gently. It felt wonderful, he felt wonderful, and she shivered and squirmed against the growing need pressing against her belly in response. It was a slight satisfaction to note that she had as much an effect on him as he did on her, but it also served as the final glass of cold water in the face of her conscience. No matter how good he felt pressed against her, she knew she needed to resist the growing passion between them, to keep control of her emotions, or she would be pulling off his clothes in the middle of her kitchen.  

Devlan sensed her withdrawal and released his hold on her lips reluctantly. He still held her close as he raised his head almost as though he did not want to release her at all. His eyes were warm and glazed, and he reached up to stroke her cheek.

“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he murmured. His lips were curved in a wistful smile.

He did? Unable to tear her gaze from his, Diana licked her moist lips and let her hands slide down his arms. Oh, did they feel good. Strong and capable for sure, but they were also adept at extreme gentleness. Her voice shook as she spoke softly. “I’m sorry, but I’m just not ready for this.”

Devlan nodded and stood back, smiling as he loosened his grip on her. She turned her attention to the eggs he had made in an effort to cool the passion that had unexpectedly flared between them. “I hope we haven’t ruined breakfast,” she said with an awkward laugh.

“I doubt it. Let me make more toast.” He handed her a plate. “Take this; I’ll eat the other ones.”

Diana glanced down and sniffed the food. “Whatever possessed you to cook anyway?”

“You hadn’t been home in days. I figured you’d want to use up all the food. Besides, you’re coming home with me, remember? We’ll need to get rid of it anyway.”

She glanced down at the coffee he had made. His attempt to win her over was working, and she had just learned how susceptible to his charms she was. It both frightened and intimidated her “Do we really need to go all the way to California? There must be a good rehab institution here.”

“Diana,” he sighed.

When he came to sit down he was frowning, and Diana struggled to get her words out before he interrupted her. “Let’s be realistic. You really don’t want us hanging around. We’ll just cramp your style.”

Devlan spoke calmly, but his meaning was clear. He was done with the conversation and would not tolerate any more excuses. “You will not cramp my style, Diana, and you will go to Los Angeles with me. We had an agreement, remember?”