The Adventurer (25 page)

She’d tried to talk to him, to reassure him that she was perfectly fine.

He’d listened, too, nodding attentively and stroking the back of her hand with sensual little strokes that inevitably turned her limbs to butter. Within two minutes , Jessica would forget what she’d been saying and fall into his arms. Then they’d make love and she’d be completely overwhelmed by the fire of their passion. Afterward, she’d convince herself that everything was all right.. no, better than all right. Everything was wonderful In bed, Devon didn’t treat her as if she were made of porcelain. Their lovemaking was tender, yes, but it was also wild, tempestuous, erotic. He made her feel whole, infinitely desirable, exquisitely loved. But then the cycle would begin again-the worried looks , the fretting frowns-and Jessica would start to feel fragile, breakable. Things had changed between them. Devon didn’t tease her anymore. He didn’t joke about her cluttered apartment. He didn’t suggest motorcycle adventures or moonlight swims. Devon treated her differently now. That was exactly what Jessica had been most afraid of; and it had happened. Jessica peeked into the kitchen expecting to find Devon still hunched over the kitchen table. He was gone and so was the hateful pile of medical books that he’d buried his nose in for the past several days. At the stove, Gunda looked up from stirring a pot long enough for a cheery greeting. “Guten Tag. You and mein Hausherr have completed your work? “

“Hausherr? You mean Crandall? “

“Ja. It pleases him to be called ” master of the house. She chuckled and wiped her fat hands on her apron. “You will stay for supper? ” “I wish I could. ” Jessica sniffed appreciatively. The enticing aroma of braised meat made her mouth water. “Unfortunately , I still have a couple hours’ work left at the office. “

Gunda clucked reproachfully. “You work too hard. “

“Now you sound like Devon. “

The housekeeper’s thick shoulders rotated in an unrepentant shrug.

“Sometimes he is right”

Jessica smiled. “

“But not often? ” Gunda neither confirmed nor denied the observation. Instead, she offered a mischievous grin and returned her attention to the stove. “Devon took the books upstairs. He will be back soon. ” After brief consideration, Jessica decided not to wait. “I’ll see him later. ” She hefted her briefcase and headed toward the door, pausing to inspect a colorful abstract drawing that had been taped to the refrigerator.

“Did your granddaughter do this? “

Gunda brightened. “It is good? ” “Very good, ” Jessica murmured. “From what I understand , many autistic children aren’t able to focus their attention long enough to do this kind of work. ” “It is the school. The teachers are so good with Katrina. Every day she learns more. “

“Is this a new school? “

“Ja. Devon learned about it because he knows many people. I was afraid my Katrina would not be accepted. It was so expensive and I am not rich, but Devon said they had grants… from the government. ” Gunda slid a wary glance toward the doorway, then lowered her voice. “Devon does not know that I found out. ” ‘

“Found out what? “

“The grants, they pay only so much. Someone must pay the difference. ” Jessica was getting the idea. “Devon sends the rest of the money, doesn’t he? ” Gunda nodded, then laid a finger against her lips. “He is embarrassed by his own generosity, so this must be our secret” Bemused, Jessica shook her head. “If it’s supposed to be a secret, why did you tell me? ” Gunda’s blue eyes sparkled. “Because a woman should know such things about the man she loves. “

Chapter Thirteen.

It was nearly 8:00 p. m. when Jessica hurried down the carpeted hallway with a bagful of steaming white cartons. As was her habit, she clutched her keys at the ready but wasn’t surprised to find her condominium door unlocked. She’d given Devon a spare key a couple of days ago when she’d been late for their date and found him sitting outside her door like a lost puppy. Now she was late again. Hopefully a peace offering of sweet-and-sour pork and moo goo gai pan would soothe his ruffled feathers. She rushed through the condominium door, flushed and damp, flashing a smile of genuine delight at the lanky figure slumped across her sofa.

“Hi! Have you been waiting long? “

Devon tossed a magazine on the coffee table. “Only two hours. ” The tension in his voice caught her attention. She paused at the kitchen entrance, glancing warily over her shoulder. “I’called Gunda. Didn’t you get my message?

I got it. Another crisis, right? “

“During budget time, everything is a crisis. ” She slid the bag onto the counter then turned around as he followed her into the kitchen. “I’m sorry. I can see that you’re annoyed and I don’t blame you, but it’s my job to get the work done. “

“No matter what the cost? “

She propped a hip against the edge of the tile, scrutinizing his thoughtful expression. He didn’t really look upset. He looked.. well, unreadable. Whatever was going on inside his head was not being revealed by his hooded gaze. That made her nervous. “Crandall will be back at the office next week. He’ll only be working half days, but that should still be a big help. ” Devon nodded, an expressionless gesture that did little to ease her growing apprehension. He studied her face as though committing her features to memory, then reached out and caressed her cheek. As always, his touch sent a shiver of excitement down her spine. “You must be tired. “

She was exhausted. “I feel fine. “

“Hmm. Then those dark circles under your eyes must be a fashion statement. ” “Absolutely. The panda look is all the rage nowadays. I think it has something to do with environmentalism. ” She figured that making Iight of her fatigue was worth a shot but wasn’t surprised when Devon didn’t so much as crack a smile. Instead, he simply lifted her hand to his lips and spoke so seriously that he could have been announcing the end of life on earth. “Radiation and chemotherapy treatments can temporarily suppress the immune system. If you don’t eat well and get plenty of rest, you could be at risk for secondary infection. “

zzz THE AD VENTURER

Jessica moaned, retrieved her hand and used it to massage her aching forehead. “I wish you’d throw those damn medical books in the trash.

You’re driving me crazy. “

His crushed expression cut her to the quick. “I’m sorry. ” She sighed, slid her arms around his waist and nestled her head against his warm chest. “I didn’t mean to be so testy. I know you’re concerned, but my immune system is just ducky and so is the rest of me. In fact, I was planning to tell you over celebratory chow mein but now it seems cruel to wait. ” She twisted her head to look up and couldn’t suppress a radiant grin.

“Frank called me at work. “

Devon went stiff. “The test results.. ?”

“They came in this morning. Everything is A OK.”

His entire body vibrated and his eyelids sagged shut as though weighted with lead. “Thank God, ” he murmured. When he opened his eyes, they were too bright, too moist. He laid his palm over her cheek, pressing her against his heart, and brushed a sweet kiss across her brow. “I knew everything would be fine. ” She smiled. “Of course you did. ” ‘ The room fell silent as they embraced. Jessica closed her eyes, listening to the comforting rhythm of his heartbeat and feeling so happy at that moment that she feared her own heart might burst from sheer joy. When her stepfather had called with the wonderful news, Jessica’s first thought had been of Devon. She’d wanted to dash out of the office and throw herself into his arms. Of course, she couldn’t. She’d had responsibilities.

But she’d wanted to see him so bad her teeth ached.

Now she wanted to share everything with him, every facet of her life-the tragedies and the triumphs, the exciting and the mundane. There was an almost spiritual bonding between them, a closeness she’d never experienced before and suspected she’d never have again. Before Devon, her life had been flat, perhaps even a little empty. She hadn’t known that at the time; in fact, she’d actually considered herself to be happy. The truth was that she’d been content. Real happiness, she’d discovered, was entirely different. It was an explosion in the blood, a lump in the throat, a trembling anticipation. It was a mental image etched in the mind. It was an exhilaration of the senses.

It was love.

For the first time in her life, she knew the joy of love and understood why poets wrote odes to its poignancy. There was no emotion more powerful, more profound, more life altering than this sweet metamorphosis of the soul. The sensation was almost too glorious to endure. Jessica took a shuddering breath and reluctantly stepped back. “Our celebration dinner is getting cold. ” Devon looked away, covering his face to stifle a strained cough, then he discreetly dabbed his eyes. “I’ll, uh, just get things ready. ” He swept up the bag and commenced unloading various sized cartons onto the kitchen table.

“This smells great, ” he said. ” Should I break out the paper plates? “

“Heavens, no! This is a special occasion, remember? ” She reached into the cupboard and pulled out two plain, stoneware dinner plates. “Use these. And there’s some crystal stemware above the refrigerator. “

“Wow. They aren’t even chipped. We’re really getting fancy tonight. ” ‘

“Nothing but the best, ” she murmured, distracted by her search for the bottle of aspirin she usually kept in the pantry Behind her, Devon rustled through the silverware drawer. “Do we need a serving spoon for every carton? ” “Hmm? Oh, yes. ” She found the aspirin lurking behind a box of pancake mix. “You wouldn’t want spicy Szechuan sauce spoiling the delicate flavor of steamed vegetables, would you? ” Devon shrugged, but dutifully counted out a half-dozen large spoons. “It doesn’t matter to me. Everything ends up in the same place anyway. ” “What an appetizing thought, ” she mumbled, shaking two pills into her palm.

“You certainly know how to set the mood for fine dining. ” ‘

“Well, if you’re looking for mood, lead me to the candles - Wait a minute.

What are those? “

Her hand froze on the water glass. Confused, she followed Devon’s suspicious gaze to the twin tablets nestled in her hand.

“They’rejust aspirin. “

His brows knit into a furry bridge. “Are you sure you should be taking those? “

“Excuse me? “

“Aspirin might have a negative reaction to some of the other medications you’re using. “

She stared at him with undisguised astonishment. “It doesn’t. “

“Are you sure? Maybe you should wait until you can check it out with your doctor. ” “This is a joke, right? ” One look at his somber eyes convinced her that he was deadly serious. She swallowed an indignant response by reminding herself that he meant well. “I appreciate your concern, ” she said carefully. “But I can assure you that my doctor and I have already discussed this.

Over-the-counter headache remedies are perfectly safe, okay? “

At the word headache his eyebrows arched halfway to his hairline. “Your head hurts? That could be symptomatic of-” “For crying out loud, it’s just a headache. People get them all the time, especially when they’re being constantly aggravated by overprotective worrywarts!”

He blinked pitifully. “You think I’m a worrywart? “

“One of the world’s biggest. ” Her pained sigh evolved into a low chuckle. “It must be an inherited thing. I thought Crandall was bad but you make him look positively apathetic” Devon managed a smile, although he was still staring at her as if collapse were imminent. “What does my father have to do with anything? ” “During the weeks after my surgery, he called about six times a day. If, God forbid, he got the answering machine, he went apoplectic. Once I dragged myself out of the most delicious bath to find him pounding on my door and screaming at one of my neighbors to call 911 ” In retrospect , Jessica secretly admitted that the incident had not been without a certain amount of comic value even though she d been mortified at the time. Devon, however, seemed more astounded than amused. “I can’t picture my father reacting like that. ” ‘ “Why not? He worries about you constantly. Two years ago when you showed up on crutches- ” The words broke abruptly as she recalled the horrible wound in his right calf. “That was the Ethiopian shrapnel wound, wasn’t it? ” After acknowledging that it was, he guided her back to the original subject.

“You were saying something about two years ago. “

“Oh, yes. Anyway, he was so distraught over your injuries that he considered hiring a platoon of mercenaries to pluck you off the battlefield and whisk you off for deprogramming”

“Deprogramming ?”

“Sure. As far as Crandall was concerned, anyone who suffered that much grief catering to the public’s prurient need to read about death and destruction must have been brainwashed. ” When his eyes clouded, Jessica laid a reassuring hand on his arm. “When your father said those things, he wasn’t diminishing the importance of your work. It was a cry of frustration and of fear. Can’t you understand ? He was afraid because he loves you. “

As Devon stared blankly, Jessica feared he hadn’t heard a single word.

Then all of a sudden a soft glow illuminated his eyes and an expression of wonder crossed his face. He touched her throat, then swept the tip of his index finger upward until it settled beneath her chin. “Yes, ” he murmured , tilting her face up. “I understand. Do you? “

For a moment, the meaning of that cryptic question escaped her.

Comprehension dawned slowly, although she barely dared to recognize the joyous leap of her heart. Devon seemed to be comparing the motive for his own overzealous concern to that of his father, implying that both were motivated by love. Could it be true? Was Dqon trying to say that he loved her? Or had she completely misunderstood his meaning? Before her buzzing brain cleared enough to respond, Devon plucked the aspirin from her palm and dropped the tablets on the counter. “You won’t be needing these, ” he told her. “I have a much better remedy for headaches. “

“What’s that? “

He kissed the corner of her mouth, his fingers kneading delicious circles around her tight shoulder muscles. “It starts with a full body massage. ” “Hmm-m m. ” She closed her eyes, rolling her head to take advantage of the relaxing sensation. “