Wise Folly (23 page)

After leaving the hospital, they walked the downtown streets holding hands and ducking into doorways to steal a kiss, finally not even caring for privacy and kissing on the sidewalk. They made nonsense noises and said nonsense words, just like children skipping school and finding
the
release heady. Their composed, secretive selves had disappeared to leave two exuberant uninhibited lovers that neither had ever known existed in
the
other.

They smiled at grim faces and harried strangers. They ate tacos
from a taco truck
. They held hands and shared the same large Coke. Dianna spilled taco sauce on the front of her blouse and Noah, laughing, grabbed a napkin and began cleaning it up as if she were a child. But laughter died in his throat as his hand touched her breast
.
They stared silently at each other, both acknowledging the intense hunger they saw in one another’s eyes.

He led her down the block to the Fairmont Hotel and strolled up to the marble desk, requesting a room. They were given one without question and he marched her toward the elevator, the twinkle of mischief in his eyes belying his straight face.

“What are we doing here?” she whispered.

“Pretending we’re not married
.
”

She nodded her head toward the desk. “Do they think that?”

“Of course. People will think anything if you act the part
.
”

“Are we acting the part?”

“Do we have luggage?” He grinned and she giggled seeing the situation through the desk clerk’s experienced eyes.

The room was big, the bed almost sinfully wide. They were on
the top
floor and the view of downtown Dallas was breathtaking. The Texas sky was a pale heated blue
with streaks of gold. T
he July sun
was
hot on the window glass. Dianna loved it
.

She hugged herself.
“I feel very, very wicked.”

“And you will be—soon.” He leered and she laughed

"If you want to keep your job, you'd better do it right, Mr. Weston.

He unbuttoned her blouse and unsnapped her bra." I'll do my very best, Mrs. Weston. I do a lot better when I'm concentrating, so please do as I say and take off those slacks and panties and then stand in front of me..."

"Who's giving the orders here?" she asked, reaching for her slacks button.

His gray eyes twinkled. "I am.  You had your chance, now it's mine. And I'll be very specific. Get undressed. I have chores to do."

Noah picked up the phone and ordered a bottle of champagne
and, at her direction, ordered chips and salsa dip. He did exactly as she request
ed
, acknowledging to the kitchen it was exactly what he needed with his champagne.

By that time she was naked. And then, so was he. He came to her, turning her around and
put his arms around her waist his chin resting on
the
top of her head. They both looked out
the
window, neither seeing the view
of downtown Dallas
as they felt the hear
t
-
beating nearness of
the
other. When the bellhop’s knock sounded though the room Noah reluctantly
grabbed the hotel bathrobe and strode into the living room to
answer it
. He came back with the tray
of champagne
,
glasses
, chips and dip.
He opened the bottle and poured two glasses, handing one to Dianna.

He
watched her
as she sipped her drink, the bubbles making her nose tickle.

“May all your honeymoons be filled with me.”

She saluted
,
then looked him
up and down appreciatively
.  "You're next order is to take off your robe."

She glanced up and their eyes locked, her merriment disappearing under
the
glow of his smoky eyes.
Their gazes locked and, as if in slow-motion, Noah
placed his glass on the table and
unbelted the robe then
reached for her.
She held her glass to one side and watched his deft fingers
untie the robe and let it fall to the floor. She felt a
sort of wicked excitement at what he was doing. His hands sought and found
the
fold between her legs and touched her gently. Their eyes locked and he took t
he glass from her hand
,
holding it to her lips for one last sip before he placed it next to his.

Then he stood and stared at her.
She felt unworthy. Too naked and not at all sexy. How could he possibly
be turned-on by her looks?

But his gaze didn't mirror her thoughts.
Instead, h
e smiled slowly.
"You're so beautiful," he said softly.

"I've got stretch marks,"

"Those are things
a
mother has, and you've earned them. You
gave life, Diann
a.
And you're still beautiful.
"

Still keeping his eyes on her, Noah
smiled
while she looked at him.

"You're beautiful," she said
, watching
his every move i
n fascination.

"Only for you, honey. Only for you."

They stood
naked in the sunlit room, standing less than a foot apart
.
Noah grinned
mischievously
.
“Welcome to Noah Weston’s School in
the
Art of Love.”

“Is that what
this
is?
"
s
he teased
, teasing back. Anything so he wouldn't notice how nervous she was at being seen naked. No one had seen her this way except Noah.
"
I don’t see any art”

“I do.” His eyes glittered with meaning as his glance swept over her body. He lifted the champagne bottle and tilted it to trickle liquid between her breasts, making a wet trail own to her navel, then further. She watched, one part of her mind wondering why she was allowing him to do this, while the other accepted it all with intense excitement His dark head bent to
kiss
the liquid away. He gave her
another sip from the glass in between
touch
ing her
here and touch
ing
her there, never actually taking her in his arms.

Her body responded, craving for him to do something to ease the heated aching he had awakened. Still he did nothing.

“Noah, please,” she whispered. Her head was spinning, yet he held up the glass for her to take another sip.

“Noah, please what?”

“Don’t do this.”

His fingers found the moist core of her desire, then moved up to stroke her already tautened belly. “Don’t do what? This? Or this?” He smiled and she could see the triumph lurking there.

“Don’t tease me.”

“Teasing you wasn’t what I had in mind.
I
just want you to be ready enough to do what I say.” Desire was in his eyes, but there was also a thread of
lusty
determination
shining
.

Her look answered him more clearly than a shout

He led her to the bed, throwing back the covers
,
then
plac
ed
her diagonally across it
.
She was on her back
watching him, her feet dangling over the corner as he stood between her legs.

"Close your eyes," he said, his voice soft with a thread of steel.

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. Just relax. I'd never do anything to hurt you. Never." And then he grinned as he picked up his glass of ch
ampagne
and let the drops f
all upon her. She watched
his every move
, afraid to move, to stop him. Her body was
crying
to be touched, to be taken, to be stroked. She wanted to call out for relief
and was near begging for him
.

Suddenly he was on his knees, his mouth like liquid fire, his tongue seeking, searching, urging her on. Dianna
's cry caught in her throat. She
couldn’t tell him to stop. She was swept away by
singing nerve endings begging for release. The
passionate feelings he evoked deep inside her
craved for release.
She came so close and he would back away, then bring her close to climax again and again. Tears formed and still she kept her mouth closed.

But w
hen his body moved over hers and he filled her with himself
,
she burst
into flames
. They both rocked, seeking
the ultimate union—to become one for just a fleeting moment
in
time. Moans mingled
,
breath with breath
and heartbeat with heartbeat just meshed
together.

Dianna couldn't move
. She
didn't
want him to
withdraw
. Not yet, not yet, not yet. T
he heat of his flesh
made her feel safe and treasured.

It was a long time before Noah stirred; rolling over to stare down at her.
He touched a curl of her hair, wrapping it around his finger before letting it loose again.
“My wife
,
My Dianna,” he murmured into the softness of her neck as they both drifted down
to earth again
.

She smiled. She was both

They checked out of the room and caught a taxi back to the hospital in time to watch Tabby’s program with her. The little gi
rl
nodded through most of it, asking few questions as tiredness overwhelmed her. Over her head Noah’s eyes locked with Dianna’s,
and they smiled at each other.
It was as if they communicated without speaking. What had happened between them to so drastically change their personalities? Dianna didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to think. Everything had changed in the space of twenty-four hours and she never wanted to go back to the time before. A new Dianna was emerging, and even though she liked this new self, she was also scared. Would
this remain? Would it change? Was this just a shot in the dark and everything would return to what it was before as soon as he tired of her
?

Although the Doctor and the nurses were both thrilled with Tabby's recovery, she still had one more day in Intensive care.
They left Tabby
sleeping;
telling the nurse
Dianna
would be back
early
in the morning to spend the day.

Jimmy was parked by the hospital door. He glanced at them occasionally on the way back to the apartment, but apart from an occasional self-satisfied smile, he never gave any indication that he noticed the difference in
either of
them.

Mrs. Frank had
a light
dinner prepared and they ate at a leisurely pace, enjoying the silence softened by slow,
classical
music filtering in from the stereo system in the living room. They sipped Tia Maria on the darkened patio, Dianna exclaiming over the clear night and the blanket of stars overhead. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, content
.

CHAPTER SEVEN

"
I have a bottle of wine stashed away in the file cabinet, some pepperoni pizza on its way, and my secretary has orders to put everything on hold for the next two hours.” Noah’s voice was low and teasing. “I expect you
in my office
in five minutes, woman.”

Dianna laughed, a bubbly sound that came out in happy notes. “
I was supposed to be with Tabby all day but I left my comfortable shoes at home.
How did you know I
had returned
?”

“
I
have my
sources
,” he replied
,
a smile in his voice
.

Noah had chosen
clothing
for her yesterday, when they had made a detour from the hospital to home. He had taken her to Neiman-Marcus and led her toward the upper-floor couturier department to drive the already tired
saleswoman
to distraction. He had flicked throu
gh
the design
e
r dresses himself, looking for one he obviously had in mind, until he found it
.
When he offered to buy more, Dianna had balked, not wanting to be bought with clothing or trinkets. Somehow Noah had understood her hesitancy and had
n't
insisted.