Rescuing Diana (18 page)

“I love you, I love you,” she chanted as he strung tiny kisses down her neck.

He raised his head. “I know. It took me a while to realize you never would have risked making love with me if you didn’t. Everything fell into place then. In spite of the things you thought I was capable of doing, you fell in love with me. It took an incredible amount of trust to act on that love. You opened yourself up for more hurt than your ‘investigation’ gave me. Of course, I’m not exactly crazy about being thought of as the dregs of the male species.”

“Here comes the yelling,” she murmured.

“You’re going to be spending quite some time making up for that, you know.”

“I’ll be the best little maker-upper you’ve ever seen,” she promised, planting kisses across his chest. “In fact, I was about to start making it up to you before you so rudely interrupted me. I was coming downstairs to seduce you into forgiving me.”

He chuckled. “I was coming upstairs to seduce you into loving me again, but I like your way better.”

Pressing herself against him, she ran her hands over his back, then slid her fingers under the waistband of his briefs. “I can seduce you now.”

He sucked in his breath as she skimmed her hands over his buttocks. “Be my guest.”

She pulled him down to the hall floor and seduced him with gentle caresses. She seduced him with hot kisses and honest need.

She seduced him with love.

“No silk sheets,” she apologized sadly once they were settled in her bed.

Adam burst into laughter. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

“Probably not,” she admitted. “Do you suppose we’ll ever manage to get to a bed
beforehand
?”

He lazily stroked her back. “Probably not. You’re too damn sexy.”

And she was, he thought. She had been earthy and innocent and incredibly loving in her seduction of him. Without fail, she made him forget such gallantries as nice, soft beds for her comfort. Of course, this time he had been gallant enough to be on the bottom. It was a terrific sacrifice, and one that would be enthusiastically repeated many times in the future if he had his way.

“Adam? Was I really sexy, or did I just
look
sexy?”

“Sweetheart, that hallway was so dark I thought you were Griegson at first. Naturally, you’re a tad sexier than he is—ouch!”

“A tad sexier?” she asked, her fingers poised at his waist to take another pinch.

“You’re the sexiest creature in the world,” he exclaimed in a loud voice. “And I’m the luckiest man in the world, because you have bestowed your bounteous favors on humble me.”

“You bet your bippy, Roberts.” She straddled him and bent down to kiss him. Laying her head
on his chest delicious minutes later, she murmured, “I don’t think I was ever so scared in my life than when I thought I’d lost you.”

“You didn’t. You couldn’t. I love you too much,” he assured her. “And I’m going to kill my brother for his part in this mess.”

“It’s not all Dan’s fault. If I had only been open with you from the beginning, we could have straightened this out then.”

“I gave that a lot of thought all evening, and I came to the conclusion that I would have needed a lot of convincing if I had been in your place.”

“I never believed you were involved in the theft, Adam, and I told Angelica that. Just for a brief instant I … wondered. Mostly because Angelica’s reasoning fit in with what I’d first thought about you.”

“It’s behind us now,” he said, holding her tightly. “Where it belongs. What do you think of children?”

Her head snapped up. “Children?”

“Sure. How many kids do you want after we get married? By the way, I’ll do the dishes and take out the trash if you’ll cook. I hate to cook.”

To his shock and dismay, she began to cry.

“Diana! Lord, I’m sorry. I rushed you again.…”

“No, you didn’t,” she said, sniffling back her tears. “It’s just that I didn’t expect you to want to marry me.”

“Of course I want to marry you. You don’t think I’m going to let all this seducing go to waste, do you?”

She chuckled. “I guess I don’t have very much experience in love.”

He sighed. “Diana, if you had any more experience I’d be a dead man.”

“I’ll try to be more careful of your aged condition—”

He pulled her mouth down to his to stop her teasing. As her tongue mated with his, he happily decided he’d created a sex maniac from a shrimp-sitting virgin.

What man could ask for more?

“I hope to hell I never again have to cram two weeks’ worth of work into a weekend,” Dan said in a tired voice as the four of them sat around the kitchen table Sunday evening. The dinner dishes had been cleared away earlier. “Especially with this one,” he added, and pointed a thumb at Angelica, who scowled at him.

“Is everything finally settled?” Adam asked in an obvious attempt to divert the conversation.

As the other three talked, Diana felt a growing tension inside her. Her thief had said he would call this evening, and she’d jumped every time the phone rang. She had no idea why she should be so nervous. After all, she knew exactly what she was supposed to say. She hoped Jim had been scared away when his magazine had been informed about the conference, and now wouldn’t even call—

The telephone rang.

Diana whipped around and stared at the kitchen wall phone as it rang again.

“Go ahead, sweetheart,” Adam said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Answer it.”

Taking a deep breath, she rose from the chair and walked over to the telephone. She took another deep breath and picked up the receiver on its fourth ring.

“Hello?” she asked, vaguely surprised that her voice sounded normal. Her hands were shaking.

“Got the money?”

She took a third calming breath and replied, “I’m not paying you. I’ve sold the game to Starlight Software, and you are now in violation of federal law. We will prosecute. Return the source codes and—”

“I swear I’ll put it on the bulletin boards!”

Through the muffling she recognized Jim Griegson’s voice, and it sounded high-pitched and desperate. Obviously he had heard about the conference set for the next morning. By now he also must have discovered the program wouldn’t run.

“Starlight is previewing the game on the boards beginning tomorrow and—”

The phone went dead.

Diana slowly hung up and turned around. Adam was there, his arms going around her in a secure embrace. Her teeth chattered helplessly in reaction, and she sagged against him.

“Ya done good, kid,” Angelica said, patting her on the back.

“Beautiful, Diana!” Dan exclaimed. “You sounded like Angelica. Or a hachet man for the Mafia. Take your pick.”

“Don’t start, Roberts,” Angelica said warningly.

“Don’t tempt me, Windsor.”

Adam leaned down and whispered, “I think my brother has the hots for her.”

Diana burst into laughter. His ridiculous conclusion was exactly what she had needed to dispel the last of her fears.

“What’s so funny?” Angelica asked in a suspicious voice.

“I told Diana a dirty limerick,” Adam said innocently. “Now, if you two will take your squabbling elsewhere, Diana and I would like to go to bed.”

It wasn’t until after Dan and Angelica had left that Diana discovered Adam had meant for her to go to bed—and sleep. He intended to stay up and guard the house, and no attempts at seduction could convince him otherwise.

She really should be more understanding when her knight was making a rescue, she thought as she finally climbed into bed.

Still, he didn’t have to be so single-minded about it.

The night, though, was too quiet to suit her.

And it stayed that way.

“IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU GOT HERE, FRIEND. THE LAND OF MIRTH IS UP THE CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE. THE SCROOSE HAS CAPTURED PRINCESS HAPPYFACE AND TAKEN OVER THE CASTLE OF GOODTIMES. OUR HERO, SIR GRINWELL, KNIGHT EXTRAORDINAIRE OF THE OBLONG TABLE, HAS LOST HIS POWERS OF DERRING-DO. HE’S ALSO LOST HIS TEETH. NOW REDUBBED SIR MORBID, THE GUY IS USELESS FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT EATING OATMEAL. YOUR REWARD WILL BE BOUNDLESS, FRIEND, IF YOU TAKE UP THE GAUNTLET, SAVE THE CASTLE, RESCUE THE PRINCESS, AND SCUTTLE THE SCROOSE. BUT FIRST, FIND SIR MORBID’S TEETH.…”

As the computer continued to intone its instructions, Diana couldn’t resist smiling as she sat behind the speaker’s table. She kept her eyes focused on the back of the room and refused to
look at Adam, who was standing next to the door of the conference room in the hotel. With everything else that had been happening, she had forgotten to warn him about Sir Morbid’s penchant for losing his teeth throughout the game. She had honestly meant to. She had a feeling he would make her pay for this too. Good thing she thoroughly enjoyed the punishment.

She also kept her gaze away from the man seated in the last row of the small, laughing audience. Jim Griegson’s appearance had surprised her. She really hadn’t expected him to show up, although Adam, Dan, and Angelica had. She wondered if he had come in an attempt to throw off suspicion. With so many reporters present, his absence probably would have been noted and commented on. She only hoped the rest of Dan and Angelica’s plans continued as well as this part had gone.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Dan said with a flourish as the computer began to play the music of “We Make Excitement,” “Starlight Software is pleased to show you a preview of the first talking adventure game,
Knights of the Oblong Table
. And right now, one hundred of the best-known electronic bulletin boards in the country are also previewing the game to their customers, in the first stage of our media blitz. ‘Knights’ is the product of one of the most creative minds in this business, and you all know her, Diana Windsor!”

Feeling like a dressed-up doll on display, Diana stood and nodded as the reporters applauded and cat-whistled. She wished she’d worn her plain blouse and skirt instead of the vivid red dress Angelica had bought for her. Oh, well, she thought, sitting back down. She was doing things up
proper. Besides, Adam had tried to tumble her right back into bed when she’d put the dress on this morning. If only they hadn’t had this damn conference.…

She brought her attention back to her surroundings when Dan continued speaking.

“Starlight is also pleased to announce that Diana will be a partner in the company. We feel that every department of Starlight will benefit from her knowledge and judgment. Also, Starlight will have exclusive rights to her future games.”

A loud buzz went around the room at this second surprise announcement. Diana glanced down at the table to hide her amusement at Angelica’s low grumble of disgust. Angelica and Dan had complained loudly about the concessions they’d given each other. Fortunately, those same concessions wouldn’t make a difference in Diana’s life. Angelica would oversee the partnership, and she, Diana, only had to create her games and make an occasional visit to the company’s headquarters in Seattle. As Adam’s wife, she probably would have been doing that anyway.

“We expect to have the game in the stores within the next six to eight weeks,” Dan said. “But you’ll all get a chance to play the preview version today, and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.”

One reporter immediately stood up. “How long does your exclusive agreement run with Diana?”

“I’ll take that,” Angelica said before Dan could answer. “Starlight has exclusive rights while Diana is a partner in the company. Should she, for whatever reason, sell her stock, then the rights revert back to her.”

“Was Diana given the stock as part of the agreement?”

“Diana was
not
given stock, she bought it,” Dan replied.

“Is that true, Diana?” asked another reporter.

“Yes, quite true,” Diana said, smiling at the woman. She wasn’t about to tell the woman that the money wasn’t actually coming out of her pocket. The payments would be diverted from the profits of the game. “I feel Starlight has excellent goals, and I want to be a part of its future. I will have primarily a consultant status, and won’t be involved in the daily running of the company.”

She gave an inward sigh of relief when the reporters turned their attention back to Dan and Angelica. The rest of the conference continued smoothly under their more expert direction. Once everybody started milling around the room, she slowly made her way to Adam, carefully avoiding Jim Griegson, who was talking to several reporters.

“Sir Morbid loses his teeth?” Adam asked through tight lips.

“I’m sorry I forgot to tell you,” she murmured, keeping her gaze on the floor. “If anybody asks, I can always say Sir Morbid was based on Dan.”

“You’re not getting off the hook that easily. I’m going to torture you senseless for this one.”

She smiled at him. “I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I.” He glanced over her head, then looked back down at her. “Get ready. Here comes Griegson.”

Drawing her courage from Adam’s calm demeanor, Diana didn’t turn around, but waited for Griegson to join them by the door. The large potted
plant beside her would shield them from the others.

“Very nice, Diana,” Jim said when he reached her. “Although the game is a little silly, isn’t it?” he asked with a smirk.