Wise Folly (27 page)

“No.
I'
m giving her an ultimatum: either she pursues her career somewhere other than Dallas or she won’t have a career to pursue.”

“What about the trial?”

“It’s tomorrow morning. She can stay in a hotel until then. She’ll get off with a suspended sentence since it’s her first offense.”

She raised her hand to his neck and rubbed it against the grain of his beard, stroking the soft skin beneath. He quickly captured it, bringing it to his mouth to press a kiss on her palm, sending shivers up her spine as
warmth
grew in
side
.

She had to say it again. “I love you, Noah.” It was so true. She had always loved him, even when she had run from him. Ever since that first time. His mouth bent to play with hers, teasing her lips open to devour her tongue. He held her tight against his chest and she could feel
th
e hairs tickling her ear as he whispered outrageous love words—t
elling her what
he wanted to do to her, for her, with her. They were both heady with the gift of love each had given the other.

She giggled, running her fingers over his smooth corded back and reveling in the feeling. “I think
I'm
the one that’s supposed to satisfy you, you brute. At least according to every
sex how-to book I've
ever read.”

He smiled complacently. “Good. I was hoping you’d see my side of it
I've
always wanted to be teased by small hands
, a Clara Bow mouth
and a mass of black hair until I couldn’t take any more,” he retaliated, softly nibbling her lower lip.

Her eyes twinkled. “That shouldn’t take more than a minute or so.”
 
Her hand raked his chest and taut stomach, making him suck in his breath as her touch sent a tingle through his body.

“Oh, so
I'm
no longer Superman? Well, I’ll show you, you little tease!” He began tickling her and they rolled on the bed, carefree laughter bubbling from both throats until suddenly their needs flared to consume them both and the caresses began in earnest
.

It was very late afternoon by the time Noah was dressed and ready to return to the office. He bent over Dianna, who was still cuddled in the soft comforter, sleepy and content “I won’t be long, honey.
I've
just got to wind up some unfinished business, '
while you
get a little rest” His
lips
touched her forehead, his hand strayed to give her a small intimate squeeze, and she answered with a sleepy smile.

But as tired as she was, her mind continued to chum with thoughts and questions brought up during the emotion-packed day. Should she tell Noah about Tabby’s parentage? She knew Noah would be just as happy as she was over the fact that he was already the natural parent they both wanted him to be.

Still,
the
news was bound to come as a shock, and for that reason alone she hesitated to break it to him
.
She hated to do anything just now to rock
their
boat The newfound contentment of their
life
together was too precious to risk in any way. After all, wasn’t it possible that Noah would think she had purposely hidden the information from him? Perhaps he would even suspect that she had collaborated with June to take advantage of the guilt he felt over his brother’s crime! Dianna shook her head with a smile.

After
all
they’d been through together, she didn’t think Noah would jump to that conclusion. Yet the fact remained that Tabby was Noah’s child. Why had she never admitted it not even to herself?

She realized now that her attitude had been formed almost unconsciously seven years ago. It had begun during those few nights of
ecstasy she had known with Noah before the rape
. In the delirium of his lovemaking she had known no inhibitions or doubts, but with
the rape, everything changed.

Brought up by a strict and moralistic mother, she had been taught that
sexual
pleasure was
the
root of all evil, and so she began to fear that the delight she felt in Noah’s arms was somehow sinful
enough to deserve rape.

Now, seven years later, she consciously knew what she had always unconsciously felt—that Noah was
Tabby's biological
fathe
r
.
Tabby had been conceived in a love she had denied so that she would be able to live with her own puritan conscience. It was one thing to have a child that had been forced on her in a situation over which she had no control. It was quite another to bear a child out of wedlock and admit that it was the result of her own passionate attraction to a man who was not her husband. Her mother would have been proved right; she would have had to see herself as wanton and loose-moraled, deserving of the scorn her parents had heaped upon her.

The phone jangled and she jumped, coming back to the present with a start “Mrs. Weston?” a male voice questioned.

“This is she.”

“This is Dr. Stom. I’m calling to give you some good news. Tabby is finishing the last
series
of tests and everything is just the way it should be. She can go home the day after tomorrow.”

“That’s wonderful! Are you sure?”

“
Positive
. She should stay in town for another six weeks for checkups, but she can resume a
slow routine then moving into a
regular
one
, just
like
any other little six-year-old
.
I understand she’s anxious to get well fast because she’s going to be visiting a ranch where she’ll ride a hundred horses a day!” he announced with a
twinge
of laughter.

“Her father promised her a pony to ride as soon as she was well,” Dianna chuckled.

“Well, that did the trick. Some of these tests weren’t easy, but the thought of a pony carried her through. If I could try the same tactics on some of my adult patients, I would
w
ork wonders. Everyone needs something good to look forward to.”

Minutes later she wets dressed and applying a light touch of make-up. She had to tell Noah the
news;
It
was wonderful to fe
el
this way, so alive. And suddenly she had so much to look forward to. All thanks to Noah. She had Noah and he loved her. Everything was roses and champagne

Catherine’s machinations had backfired completely. Instead of driving
them
further apart as she had apparently hoped her actions had brought them together.

Noah would be as happy about Tabby as she was. . . .

CHAPTER
EIGHT

Noah handed Catherine her check and ticket back to Nashville.
“Any questions?”

“Yes
. O
ne.”
Catherine's
smile grew broader but it never seemed to reach her eyes. “Why did you marry her while I was here? What can she give you that I can’t?”

He gave no sign of surprise at her
question
, excusing it when he realized she had no choice. She had already tried everything else
but the real question
. “You and I were never close, Catherine, and we both know it,” he said quietly. “The best way for this to end is for you to bow out gracefully.”

Catherine took a deep breath and plunged in. She still had a piece of ammunition, the information she had startled out of Dianna that afternoon. It had to work. “Was it because you wanted custody of your own daughter and the mother came as part of the package?” she questioned sweetly.

“What are you talking about?” His voice was soft but his manner was immediately that of a poised fighter, ready to take a jab. She smiled, suddenly confident
.
She was ready.

“It’s true, isn’t it? The proud and upright leader of Dallas society is the father of an illegitimate child!” Her hand claimed his arm, giving it a squeeze. “But don’t worry, darling. I won’t tell anybody, and we can go on the way we were always meant to. Poor dear—
it must not have been easy being
forced into marriage just because you wanted your own child.” Her fingers teased his firm jaw. “If I’d known you wanted a chip off the old block so bad, I would have obliged you, darling. We could still adopt yours, if you wanted
.
. .
"

His hand grabbed hers and placed it on the top of the desk in chilling rebuff.

“And what makes you think I was forced into this, Kitty?” he asked conversationally as he leaned his hips against
the
edge of the desk, crossing his arms and staring at her with cold steel-gray eyes that seemed to deflate her like a pinprick in a balloon.

“Well, I...”

“Don’t you think there are any of a dozen different ways
I
could have gone about getting my daughter if that was all I wanted? Assuming your suspicions are correct, of course.”

“Oh, they’re correct, all right
y
our sweet little wife turned white at the mention of it this afternoon.” She watched his brow furrow at her words. Then she walked to the window and turned to face him again. “But I’d make a better wife for you than she would. I’m what you need. You lead too fast a life for her. She’s more the stay-at-home type. You’ll be bored out of your skull in no time.” She threw back her head, knowing her hair sparkled bright gold as the afternoon sun filtered through it making a halo to frame her face. “We make a good pair, Noah.”

She moistened her lips and slowly opened the first three buttons of the tight silk button-down dress she wore. Her full, unbound breasts were almost totally exposed and she stood before him in a blatantly provocative pose.

“Remember that time in New York when we were up all night making love?” Her voice turned to a husky whisper.

“That’s all there is, Catherine—memories of sex, not love. Don’t get the two confused.” Noah’s voice was grim as he stalked over to the window. “Now button your dress and get the hell out of here. Don’t make an even bigger fool of yourself.” He watched in astonishment as she grinned, leaning over his desk and pushing the intercom buzzer that would call his secretary.

“What the . .. ?” He stopped in midstride, confused at her actions as she ran into his opened arms, hugging his waist as she pressed her body to his. Reflexes demanded he hold her and his arms circled her shoulders for balance just as the door opened to frame his shocked secretary. Immediately it all became clear.

“Why, you little . . . !” he growled, his gray eyes steeling to hatred. But before he had a chance to wrench away from Catherine’s grasping hold he heard a gasp and knew with a certainty that his secretary wasn’t the only one watching the well-planned scene.

He could see the raw pain in Dianna’s eyes, the expression of betrayal etched into
the
pale transparency of her skin.

Her hands clenched into fists as she stared, fascinated, at the silhouetted scene before her. Logic screamed no in her brain, but her heart felt as though it were breaking just the same.

“This little scene was staged beautifully, Catherine.
I
must congratulate you,” Noah said
tautly
before he pushed her out of his arms and took a step toward Dianna. “Are you going to give her the satisfaction of believing it?”

Dianna stared at Noah as if seeing him for the first time. Her glance then flickered to Catherine, seeing the triumphant smile poised on her lips. Noah took another step toward her, but she held up her hand to ward him off.

“No!”

“Dianna, after everything that happened this afternoon, do you believe this?”

A vision of the afternoon flashed through her mind.
Noah’s lean hard body curved to hers, his hand gently cupping her breast in possessive intimacy, his breath soft on her neck. His words of declared love
.
She looked at him again. No! This couldn’t be the same Noah. He wouldn’t have left her arms for another woman. He couldn’t!

She glanced back at Catherine; the other woman was watching her with a satisfied feline look. Dianna stood taller. She wasn’t going to let Noah go so easily!

“No,
I
don’t believe it,” she stated quietly. “But
I
would like an explanation.” Let me be right she prayed Let Noah tell me the truth.

“The truth, you little fool, is that your husband still wants me. No matter what he says ...”

“Shut up and get out of here, Catherine. Now!” Noah’s barely leashed anger was plainly visible.

The shade of
Catherine
's eyes showed she finally
realized she
might have ruined more than this relationship,
but the alley cat in her continued to fight
.
She slowly, provocatively began buttoning her blouse. “Perhaps you two do deserve each other after
all
. What a pair you are! One is a tramp trying to act respectable and the other is a father who won’t even publicly recognize his own child!” Blue eyes glistened with defiance. She watched Dianna turn white at her words and
grinned.
Taking victory any way she could get it.