Lotus Blossom (19 page)

She walked along a lane of dogwood trees with Lee, who was dressed in rose pink and preceded her. Dash was standing under a bower of lilacs, their strong scent filling the air. She took a deep breath and stepped away from her father and took his arm.

She had never met Judge Mitchell before that

moment, but she was entranced with the sacred traditional words he spoke.

Dash felt as though all his life had led him here. He remembered the pomp and circumstance of his first marriage and knew that it couldn’t compare with the solemnity of this moment. Nor could the blond ethereal Prue ever have touched his soul like the darling standing next to him. It made his heart lodge in his throat at the thought of having children with such a beautiful woman. He made his vows loud and sure.

Lotus turned to look at Dash when the judge said, “You may kiss the bride.”

She took a deep breath. “I’m so glad we’re married,” she told him in a quiet voice that seemed to bell up into the shrubs and trees surrounding them.

‘Are you, darling?” Dash choked, forgetting those around him, and lifting her up to kiss her, their eves level. “So am I.” He kissed her again, a long sweet kiss that seemed to go on forever. He didn’t want to put her down . . . ever again!

“Ahem. I am the father of the bride. May I?” David Sinclair chuckled when he spotted the reluctance on Dash’s part to release his new wife.

Lotus threw her arms around her father’s neck. "I’m happy, Daddy. I love him so much.”

Her father’s arms tightened. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for my baby girl.”

Lotus was whirled from one set of arms to the other, always aware that her husband was close, but it wasn’t until she knelt in front of Uncle Silas’s wheelchair that she cried. “Oh, Uncle, I’m so happy.” She kissed him, then placed her head in his lap, feeling his shaking hands on her head.

She lifted her face and kissed his knotted hands. “But I do feel you’ve been idle long enough. Sinclair’s needs you and you should get back to work.”

“Lotus, darling.” Aunt Lela bent over her and kissed her head. “You are a good girl.”

“That makes a nice change,” her cousin, Will, said, giving her a resounding smack on the mouth. “She was always a brat until now.”

Lotus pinched his cheek, not able to wipe the smile from her face because her husband was holding her hand. “You mustn’t mind the way they tease me.” She referred to Will and her brothers as Dash scowled.

“I don’t mind anyone teasing you. I just hate it when anyone kisses you.”

Lotus’s shout of laughter turned smiling faces her way, but she didn’t take her eyes off her husband. “You are one silly man, John Dasher Colby.”

“And you are one beautiful lady, Lotus Sinclair Colby.”

Lotus stopped dead as they meandered back to the cars that would take them back to the house and the reception for the family. “That’s me,” she whispered.

“That’s right.” Dash swept her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the car.

“My goodness, he’s always carrying her,” Lotus’s mother observed.

“Yes,” Lee said, and sighed. “I want a man who’ll carry me.”

“Oh? Are you planning on marrying King Kong?” her brother, Will, teased her.

“Rat,” Lee said mildly, punching his arm.

They drove down the winding roads leading through the park, the windows of the autos open
so
that they could inhale the fragrance.

"It’s a beautiful park,” Dash told her, his one nand on her knee. “And you looked luscious today in that green dress. I’m going to get you some pink, green, and lavender jade that will suit you,
my
darling.”

'That’s nice.” Lotus hesitated. “But don’t get me too much. I don’t want to spoil what we have with material things. Our love isn’t based on that.” She smiled at him, noting his hot appreciative ga
ze,
feeling her heart flutter in response. She squeezed his hand and looked out her window at the park. “When I was in college, I took some horticulture courses and the professor told us that some of the flora in Durand Eastman Park is unique. It’s a marvelous place,” she said benignly, resting her head on the back of the seat and looking at him. “Thank you for arranging for us to marry here. I’ll never forget it.”

’Neither will I,” Dash told her.

The buffet that her aunt and mother put out in the enclosed backyard of their home was soon swelled by additional dishes brought by smiling neighbors who were encouraged to stay by both Lotus and her parents.

Dash was paraded from person to person and introduced.

“You’re awfully good about this,” Lotus told him as she fed him a piece of wedding cake that had been delivered by a local Jewish bakery where her mother bought all her rye bread. Lotus hesitated, before speaking. “I'll bet your first wedding was more elaborate.”

Dash saw the questions flitting across her face and took the hand that held the cake to his lips and kissed it, taking a tiny bite of the cake as well. “It was a very emotionless, boring day. I realized not long after our marriage that I had never loved her and that we bored each other to distraction. This day has been beautiful, and I have never been happier than I was when I heard you recite your vows to me.”

“Me too.” Lotus gulped, snuggling closer to him. Dash inhaled a shaky breath. “When can we leave?”

“Why, Mr. Colby, are you impatient?”

He looked down at her, her eyes dancing with amusement, her skin luminescent with health, her lovely black hair glistening like satin in the sunlight. “Very.”

“Me too.”

“Stop that,” Dash groaned. He looked down at her, shaking his head. “I just wonder if I’ll have the strength to chase after you when we’ve been married fifty years.”

Lotus nodded. “Yep. You’d better or you’ll be in trouble.”

They made their good-byes in a slow circle round the lawn and the house. Then it was time for Lotus to say good-bye to her parents.

“Dash said you will be staying at the house on Beacon Street for a few days. Then he will be checking on the Xanadu in Atlantic City. From there you may be going to Greece on a wedding trip.” Her mother sound ecstatic. “He’s so nice.” “Yes, he is.” She paused as she recalled what her mother had said to her. “He was joking about the house on Beacon Street, though.”

“He didn’t sound as though he were.” Her father kissed and hugged her. “No matter, I think he will make you happy.”

“Yes.” Lotus sighed continently. She was sure that he would.

At last she and Dash were alone in the Mercedes driving back to the suite at the Strathallan where they would be spending their wedding night.

Conversation between them was desultory, but electricity filled the air. Small touches of fingers and hands seemed like charges between them. The tiniest looks caused breathing to become ragged, looks to become hot. “I need to live with you just to get my vital signs back to working order,” Dash told her dryly as they got off the expressway and took the road leading to East Avenue where the Strathallan was located.

“Fool,” Lotus told him when he pulled up in front of the building and hastened out of the car to come around and open her door before the attendant reached them. She smothered a giggle when she saw him glare at the young man who reached out to help Lotus.

They walked, arm in arm, across the narrow paved area through the front door to the lobby. Then they were riding up in the elevator to the suite, their arms around each other. Once in the room, Dash turned to her. “I had planned on saying that we would have a glass of champagne then order dinner. Those plans just went out the window.”

“Fine with me.” Lotus closed her eyes, her hands coming up to clutch him at the waist.

“Lotus, Lotus. I am going to make you happy.”

“You’ve succeeded already.”

“Oh, darling, it has never been like this. You are my life.” The words burst from Dash, stunning him.

Lotus felt her eyes fill. “I can’t believe what you’ve done for me . . . and my family. You freed us from a terrible burden . . . and you’ve made me come alive.” She took a deep breath.

“Helping your family gave me great satisfaction because I knew it made you happy. So you gave me much more than you think.”

“Ordinary things become extraordinary with you,” she murmured, leaning on him as she felt him unhook her dress at the back. “I had always enjoyed kissing, for instance . . .” Lotus began.

“How much kissing did you do before I met you?” Dash closed his eyes and groaned when she laughed. “Don’t answer that stupid question! Just try to understand that I’m jealous of every man who has ever kissed you, and I think that includes your brothers and father.”

Lotus laughed out loud, throwing back her head. Her eyes, which had been filled with tears, now brimmed with merriment. “Impossible.”

Dash shook his head, as he slipped the dress up over her head and threw it to one side.

“Dash! My wedding dress . . . Lotus tried to glare at him, but she could feel her lips lifting in a smile. She wriggled free of his hold long enough to lift the dress and put it on a hanger. When she felt his arms circling her waist, she leaned back. “Shame on you,” she murmured as he kissed her neck. “I want to wear this again.”

“On our fiftieth wedding anniversary?” Dash muttered, feeling her heart beat against the palms of his hands.

“No . . . well, maybe if I’m still the same size. But I thought I’d wear it if we go out anywhere in Boston. Do you think your folks would mind if we went to see the Boston Pops or the symphony one evening?”

Dash pulled back from her to ease her around to face him. “They might even go with us. Darling, it’s true what I said about them being fishermen. My great-great-grandfather put out lobster pots off the coast of Worcester when Boston was a village.  . .”

“Your family has been in the country that long? I’ll bet they’ve been here longer than mine has.” She laid her cheek on his chest, loving the feel of his hand stroking her bare back after he had removed the silky bra she’d worn under her dress.

“I think so.” He looked down at her, his mouth grim.

“What is it? Do you think I mind that your family is in fishing? Because if you do, forget it. That doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I might like to learn how to fish off a boat.” It flashed through her mind that they might be needy people. “Please, Dash, it doesn’t bother me one bit that you have to send your family money. I never wanted nor required a large amount of cash to be happy.” She beamed up at him. Then her smile faded when she saw his mouth tighten. She put her hand up to his mouth. “I don’t want to hear anything unpleasant tonight on my wedding night, so whatever it is that’s bothering you, why don’t we save it until tomorrow.”

“Darling. I don’t want anything between us tonight either, but I do have to tell you that my family is not poor. Their business does very well. . . ”

“Is that what’s bothering you? That I might be worried about your family’s finances? Put it out of your mind.” She put her hand over his mouth when he would have spoken again. “I thought I might give you a massage? How does that sound?”

“Wonderful,” Dash muttered, his lips still against her hand. “But, darling, I want to tell you—”

“Tell me later.” Lotus kissed him on his bared chest after she unbuttoned his shirt. When she heard the sound emitting from his throat, her smile widened. Her wedding night was going to be wonderful! She took his hand and led him toward the bed. “You can help by removing your trousers, or do you feel shy with me?” she teased, batting her eyes.

“Brat.” Dash grinned at her, pushing away the niggling feeling that he should be discussing his family with her at this moment and not put it off. Then his eyes fixed on her rounded breasts, the uplifted softness moving as she breathed. He unzipped and dropped his clothes from his body, kicking them aside, irritated with Lotus when she picked them up and put them on the clothes valet. “Never mind that, darling. Tell me about my massage.”

“Lie face downward on the bed. Be back in a minute.” She left him for a minute to pick up the makeup case she had brought from the house, taking out the fragrant oil that she always carried with her. Then she took the time to remove the last of her clothes before she went back to him. He had been lying, propped on one elbow, watching her, his eyes never leaving her as she climbed up on the bed next to him. “This is a lovely oil that comes from China. My mother’s family manufactured this before the Communist takeover. Then my mother had relatives manufacture it in Japan. I own a small part of the company.” She grinned at him as she sat cross-legged next to him. “So you see, I did come with a dowery. I also own some stock in Sinclair’s.”

It’s a good thing. I definitely wouldn’t have kept you without a dowery,” Dash murmured, his hand stroking her bare thigh.

"Suspicions confirmed.” Lotus choked, feeling her body heat from his touch. “Roll over. I want to start on your back.”

‘Are you sure you can get an unlimited supply of this oil? I don’t want to have to go without my massage.” He turned his face sideways as he pressed his body down into the mattress. “
Umm,
this is almost as comfortable as you, Mrs. Colby.”

Lotus paused in the act of pouring oil on his back. “I am, aren’t I? Mrs. Colby, I mean.”

Dash looked at her without lifting his head. "Yes, you are, for the rest of your life you’ll be Lotus Sinclair Colby.”

“Nice name.” Lotus poured oil onto his skin, making him flinch. “Cold?” She giggled.

“You know it was,” he grumbled, then his eyes closed. “Ah, don’t stop. Your hands are magic, love.”

Lotus straddled him, loving the feel of his muscled back between her legs. She squeezed them at his waist.

Dash groaned. “Don’t do that, love. Having you naked on my back is putting my libido at rocket speed. . . .” Dash moved as though he would turn.

“No. Stay where you are. I want to show you how well I do this.” Lotus could feel her own blood begin to pound as she pushed and pummelled his back and shoulders, stretching and kneading the supple muscles. As she moved lower, her movements slowed, becoming languorous, caressing.

Finally when she reached his calves and ankles, Dash turned and clasped her hands, bringing her up and over his body. “Enough. It’s my turn to massage you, my darling . . . but I sure as hell don’t know how long I can keep it up.”