Homecoming (21 page)

“It’s a long story.”

“I have nothing but time, sweetheart.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m in my truck on my way home. I just thought of something.”

“What?”

“What if I swing by and pick you up? You can spend the night and hang out until I come home tomorrow afternoon.”

“That sounds wonderful, but …”

“But what?”

“I have an eleven o’clock appointment at Hot Chocolate for my hair and nails.”

“I’ll drop you off and pick you up. Do you think you’ll be finished by two-thirty?”

“I don’t know.”

“If you’re not, then I’ll wait. Maybe I’ll get a haircut and manicure while I’m there if you’re not finished.” There was a prolonged pause and Tyler turned the wheel to right, executing a tight U-turn.

“What was that?” Dana asked.

“My tires making skid marks on the asphalt. Pack a bag, Dana. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“But I’m in bed!”

“Then don’t get up.”

Pressing a button, he ended the call, his white teeth gleaming in his brown face.

Twenty

Tyler didn’t know how she readied herself so quickly, but Dana was waiting for him, bag in hand, when he pulled into the driveway behind her car. Not waiting for him to get out to help her up, she opened the passenger-side door and slid in beside him.

Grinning at him, she ordered, “Let’s get this party started.”

Tyler shifted into reverse, and then slammed on the brakes when she reached over and placed her hand on his groin, squeezing him gently.

Eyes bugging, Tyler collapsed over the steering wheel, gasping painfully. “Whoa, Dana! What are you trying to do to me?”

She flashed a demure smile. “I just wanted to see if you’re as ready for me as I am for you.”

Biting down on his lower lip, he gave her a sidelong glance. “We can do it here. Right now. In the backseat.” Each word came out in a slow measured cadence.

Dana looked out the side window. “No, thanks. I can wait.”

Easing his foot off the brake and onto the gas pedal, Tyler did know whether to laugh or call the teasing minx’s bluff. It would serve her right if he parked somewhere near the woods and took her in the backseat.
The risk of being discovered would probably bring her teasing to an abrupt halt.

The heat between his legs increased with the speedometer inching above the speed limit. Having sampled Dana body’s once had not been enough. She was a drug he’d become hooked on from the first encounter.

The ten-minute drive from her house to his was accomplished in five as he pulled into the garage. His right hand moved quickly as he placed his hand over her breasts, massaging them until the nipples sprang into prominence.

“Don’t you dare move,” he said.

Dana sat motionless, waiting for Tyler to come around and help her out. She had barely had time to catch her breath or grab her small overnight bag when he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the house.

She knew by the set of his jaw he was angry, but that did not bother her. If they were to marry, then there would many times when they would not agree with each other, leaving them to try and work out their problems or disagreements. She was also aware that she probably would not come to know who Tyler Cole actually was until after she married and lived with him.

Tyler carried Dana up the staircase as if she were a small child. Eight steps. She counted them. It had taken eight long steps for him to cross his bedroom and place her on the bed. As he stood over her, his hands went to his waist, unbuckling his belt. She waited until he had shed his shirt and slacks before she moved off the silken quilt.

“No, Dana,” he drawled, capturing her arm. His voice was so low it resembled a growl. “No more teasing.”

First she was standing, and seconds later she was on her back with Tyler straddling her, her top pushed up
to her neck and his mouth on her breasts. He suckled one, then the other, until she thought she was going to lose her mind. Raising his hips, he undid the button on her shorts. She gasped loudly when it was his turn to cup her warm musky heat.

“Are you ready for me?” he rasped in her ear. “Tell me, baby.”

“No!”

He laughed deep in his throat. “Oh, yes, you are. The love is pouring out of you.”

“Ty—” His mouth covered hers, cutting off all speech and sound. Dana felt as if she’d been submerged in molten lava as waves swept over her.

Her arms circled his neck, bringing him closer. She opened her mouth, her tongue meeting his. Their kisses grew stronger, more passionate, as their passions escalated.

Tyler ground his hips into hers, wanted to melt into her. He wanted her moaning, writhing, and pulsing under him. Fastening his hands in the straps of her tank top, he pulled it off her shoulders, the fabric parting where he’d ripped it in half.

The sight of her full breasts rising and falling above her tiny waist in the dimly lit room was his undoing. He undressed her, then himself, throwing each discarded garment on the floor. Curving an arm around her waist, he lifted her and stripped the bed of the quilt in one sweeping motion.

Dana felt the coolness of the sheet against her naked back. She gasped once before moaning in an exquisite ecstasy when Tyler’s hardness pushed into her quivering wet body in one sure thrust of his hips and she took all of him into her up to the root of his rigid sex.

Closing his eyes, Tyler struggled not to climax. “Don’t make a sound,” he whispered.

Dana kissed his shoulder, tasting salt and inhaling
the sensual fragrance of his cologne. “I think asking me not to breathe would be an easier task.” Her husky voice was warm and smooth as velvet.

Tyler’s hips rocked in an up-and-down motion, setting a rhythm Dana could follow easily. “Don’t do that either. I’ll breathe for the both of us.”

That said, he led her on a journey of sexual pleasure she’d only glimpse before. Just when she felt herself going over the precipice, he pulled her back, changing positions. He tasted her, she him. He took her as she knelt, holding onto the headboard for support. She reciprocated when she straddled him, establishing a rhythm that left both of them moaning and gasping for their next breath.

It all ended when Tyler turned her over and loved her as if it would become their last time together. Anchoring her legs over his shoulders, he stared at the passion tightening her features, and then he did what he had promised—he released her legs, covered her mouth, and breathed for both of them as he melted into her.

The pleasure lingered, long after their breathing resumed a normal rate. It was still there when Dana lay against damp chest, his arms around her. It lasted throughout the night until the pinpoints of light found their way under the drawn drapes.

Dana’s eyelids fluttered several times before she came awake. She eased away from Tyler, not wanting to wake him. A sensual smile curved her lips when she recalled what they’d shared the night before. Tyler had made love to her like a man possessed, and she’d accepted everything he offered.

Straightening a leg, she turned on her side, but never completed the motion. A flicker of apprehension coursed through her as her fingers touched the sticky
substance on her inner thigh. Her eyes widened with realization. They’d made love without protection.

Turning over, she pounded on Tyler’s shoulder. “Wake up!”

He came awake immediately. “What is it?”

Dana sat up, pulling the edge of the sheet to her breasts. “Do you know what we did last night?”

He flashed a lecherous grin. “Oh, yeah. Do you want an instant replay?”

She slapped his hard shoulder. “Be serious, Tyler.”

His expression changed, sobering. “What the matter, Dana?”

“You didn’t protect me, Tyler. We made love without using anything.”

He placed a hand along the side her head. “I know it sounds lame, but I meant to protect you, darling. Things just got out of hand.”

Crossing her arms under her breasts, she glared up at him, her lashes fluttering as she struggled to form her words. “That is a juvenile excuse.”

Going to his knees, Tyler held her shoulders in a firm grip, pulling her up with him. “It wasn’t my intention to make love to you without using a condom. It happened, Dana, and nothing we can say or do will change that.”

“What if I’m pregnant?”

A tender smile softened his face. “There are worse things than having a husband who’s an obstetrician. I’ll deliver the baby.”

“Be serious, Tyler.”

“I am.” He pulled her into a protective embrace, one hand moving up and down her back. “We can marry now. That way no one will begin counting their fingers once the baby’s born.”

“What if I’m not pregnant?” she said close to his ear.

“Then that will just give us another month to try again. I’ve always heard from my patients that baby-making is incredible.”

She smiled, curving her arms around his strong neck. “Last night was incredible.”

“It was mind-blowing, sweetheart.”

“When do you want to get married?”

“How about this weekend?”

Pulling back, she stared at him as if he’d taken leave of his senses. “This weekend?”

“We can fly to Florida.”

“Are you serious, Tyler?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Didn’t you tell me to be serious?”

“Okay,” she said, shrugging a bare shoulder.

“Okay, what?”

Her smile was dazzling, the gesture lighting up her golden eyes. “Let’s do it.”

Tyler moved off the bed, pulling her with him and spinning her around and around. He finally stopped, swaying slightly. “I have to make a few phone calls. I need to reserve a jet for later today.”

Dana stood in the middle of the bedroom dazed as Tyler picked up a cordless phone and began dialing numbers. His first call was to Florida.

A sleepy Martin Cole answered the telephone. “Yes.”

“Hi, Dad. I need you to do a favor for me.”

“Do you know what time it is, son?”

“Yes. It’s one hour later where you are than here.”

“What do you want?”

Tyler ignored his father’s coolly disapproving tone. “I need you to call one of your legal associates to secure a marriage license for me and a Dana Nichols. Then need you to contact Timothy about flying me and Dana into West Palm tonight.”

“Marriage? Who is
Dana?
”

“She’s the woman I plan to marry this weekend.”

“Who’s getting married?” Parris Cole’s voice came through the earpiece. It was apparent she’d picked up the extension.

“I am,” Tyler announced proudly. “Hey, Mom, you win the bet.”

“What bet! Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here!” Martin shouted.

“There’s not much to tell. I’m coming in tonight, and plan to marry Saturday, then fly back to Mississippi on Sunday.”

“Sweet heaven,” Parris moaned, “my children are going to put me in my grave before my time. Why didn’t you say something when you were here two weeks ago?”

“I hadn’t proposed two weeks ago.”

Parris sighed heavily. “I have to contact everyone to come back to Florida.”

“No, you don’t,” Tyler countered. “Dana and I can go to Vegas.”

“Oh, hell, no,” Martin shouted again. “I’m not going to have my only son get married and not witness it. What the hell kind of kids did we raise, Parris? One lives in the Amazon jungle, the other shacks up with a man for ten years before she decides he’s good enough for her, and now our son … no,
your
son … wants to marry some girl in a gambling juke joint.”

“Hang up the phone, Martin.”

“Parris.”

“I said to hang it up.” There was a distinctive click, followed by Tyler’s mother voice. “You’re going to have to excuse your father. He’s getting old and cranky.”

“Who the hell is old?” shouted Martin in the background.

“He’s become his father,” Parris whispered softly.

“Are you finished, Mother?”

“Don’t you dare call me Mother.”

Tyler ignored her protest. “I need a marriage license, a judge, and a jet. Not necessarily in that order.”

“Is she pregnant?”

Tyler turned and stared at Dana for the first time since dialing the telephone. He didn’t know if she was pregnant, didn’t want to know—at least not until after they’d exchanged vows.

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am a doctor, and I think I’d know if she was.”

“I still get to name your firstborn.”

He chuckled softly. “And knowing you, you’ve probably already selected the names.”

“Of course. Martin if it’s a boy, and Simone if it’s a girl. That’s only if your wife doesn’t object.”

“You can talk to her about it once you meet her. Hold on a minute, Mom. I’m going need your help with something else.”

He moved over to Dana, curving an arm around her waist. “What size is your finger, and what cut of diamond do you like?”

She stared at Tyler as if he’d taken leave of his senses. He was making wedding plans like someone compiling a weekly shopping list.

“I think I’m a five.”

“What cut of stone?”

“Emerald.” It was the first thing that came to her mind.

Tyler kissed the top of her head. “Mom. I need you to select a ring for Dana. She’s a five and she prefers an emerald cut.”

“Would you like baguettes?” Parris questioned.

“Yes.”

“White or yellow gold?” she asked, continuing her questioning.

“Platinum. The band can be plain or with baguettes. If Dana doesn’t like it I can always buy her another one.”

“What about you, Tyler? Do you want to wear a ring?” Parris asked.

“Yes, please order a band for me.”

“How about a gift for your bride?”

“Pick out something nice for her. You have exquisite taste.”

“How about her family? When are they getting in?”

Tyler hesitated, staring at the woman he loved staring up at him. She was barefoot, naked, her face so open and trusting. She stood by silently, permitting him to plan her future. And for the first since meeting Dana Nichols, he was suddenly cognizant that she was totally alone. Her parents were gone, as was her grandmother, and as an only child she was unprotected. But she wasn’t alone because she had him. She had his family, who would become her family.

“They’re not. We’ll become her family.”

“I hope she won’t mind if I assume the responsibility of becoming mother of the bride. If she doesn’t have a dress, I’ll take her shopping early Saturday morning.”

“Mom, we’ll talk again.”

“Tyler?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Depressing a button, he ended the call.

Dana rested her head against Tyler’s shoulder. “Was that your mother?”

Lowering his head, he kissed the end of her pert nose. “No, darling. That was
our
mother.”

Moving closer, Dana melted into his strength. She
clung to Tyler until he swept her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed, where they had demonstrated a love so strong and profound that there was a possibility a new life might have begun in her womb.