The Superman & Wonder Woman Fan Archive

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

'You are very special to me, Diana,' Superman mur­mured huskily, his gaze searching her face as they neared the more public area of the Queen’s Palace.

He stopped and cradled each side of her face with warm hands and gently kissed her.

She put her arms up, around his neck and kissed him back. Then, reluctantly, they broke apart and began to walk back together, hand-in-hand.

'Today was—nice,' Diana told him huskily.

Superman nodded. 'Today was very nice. But I hope that each tomorrow is better than today.’

Diana looked at him searchingly; this really was a Superman she had never seen before.

'I—'

'Oops, are we interrupting something?' an overly innocent-looking Terry stood in the doorway, an embarrassed Donna at his side.

Superman turned slowly, keeping one arm about Diana's shoulders. 'Not at all,' he an­swered smoothly for both of them.

'Sure?' Terry persisted mischievously—to Donna's increasing discomfort.

'Very,' Superman drawled ruefully, not at all perturbed by the other man's behaviour.

'That's OK, then,' Terry answered lightly, although it was obvious by the slight irritation in his eyes that he would have liked more of a reaction. 'Donna and I were just about to have a snack. Care to join us?' He turned with Donna and walked towards the dining room.

It wasn't the easiest of times, with Marlon and Terry doing their best to be annoying, and Superman fending them off with lazy amusement, with Donna and Cassie pestering her for details, and with her mother smiling indulgently at her.

Hippolyta’s sharp eyes had roved her eldest daughter’s face when they couple had walked in. She recognized the glow on Diana’s face for what it rightly was – the glow of a well-loved woman. She had seen that glow on her own face often enough. And she smiled secretly to herself, hugging herself with the knowledge that Superman would indeed make good on his promise.

Diana managed to get through the rest of the evening and then escaped to her bed room at the first opportunity. She hadn't been in her room long, only time enough to have showered and put on a fresh gown, when there was a gentle knock on her door. She didn't feel in the mood for sharing any more confidences with Donna or Cassie to­night, much as she loved them.

It was Superman who stood outside her bedroom doorway.

Diana just blinked at him, too surprised to speak, her peach-coloured gown clinging to her lovingly in the lamp's glow.

'I wanted to say good-night to you in private,' he told her huskily. 'The ever-watchful Terry observes all the time,' he ex­plained drily.

She grimaced. 'I'm sorry about that; it's his idea of humour.'

Superman nodded. 'I got to know him reasonably well a couple of years ago. Diana,' he added seriously, 'there's something else I need to say to you before this day ends.'

She stiffened defensively. 'Yes?'

He glanced around at their lack of privacy with him still standing out in the hallway.

'Could I come inside for a few minutes?'

'Yes, come in,' she invited abruptly, pre­ceding him into the room, turning sharply as she heard him close the door.

He looked at her searchingly, his clear blue seeming to sear into her soul. 'Oh Rao, you are the most incredibly beautiful woman! Diana…'

She wanted him so badly, knew the need was echoed in his own eyes as their lips met and fused, hurting her in their fierceness at first, and then becoming more sensuously de­manding as passion claimed them both. Her gown rustled silkily to the floor at her feet, Superman's clothed body abrasive against hers. He shrugged out of his own clothes with impatient movements, all the time their lips still fused in melting passion. And then there were no more barriers between them, burning flesh melding into burning flesh, everything but each other for­gotten as they were pounded with the tides of passion.

Diana lay replete in his arms, her head on the warmth of his shoulder. Their lovemaking had been even better than before, more des­perate on her part, more warm and giving on Superman's. This unexpected closeness had been such a surprise that Diana couldn't help cherishing the memory of it.

But she forced herself to focus on what Superman was saying. 'It was only when I faced the prospect of Christmas without you that I realized that I needed to do something about my feelings.’

'Christmas without me?' Diana repeated dazedly.

'Diana, you were cutting yourself out of my life on Christmas Eve. I hadn’t taken any more steps to take our relationship further because I thought you needed more time. But I was dying inside. I wanted to hold you and kiss you and touch you but I had to be this hard, cool person who was unaffected by you. I was jealous of everyone, even Bruce,’ he confessed.

‘And when I heard you were rushing to Themyscira because of Donna and Terry’s engagement and to spend Christmas with them, I knew it was time to act. To tell you how I felt.'

She swallowed hard. 'Christmas with Doona and Terry?' she prompted for something to say, trembling at the hopes—and dreams—his words had resurrected.

Superman gave her an indulgent smile. 'If Donna and Terry could get engaged, then Amazons got married! I suddenly realized what a fool I was for not talking to you earlier.’

Her eyes widened. 'You did?’

'Mm,' he confirmed ruefully. 'It was bad enough that we would no longer work together, but to realize that you could marry someone, perhaps, another man… I’ve rarely felt jealousy before, but I defi­nitely felt it then. I knew very clearly that I couldn't let you go without some sort of fight.'

'So it was not about my resignation?' She was almost afraid to ask the question, but there could be no more pretence between them now.

'I love you very much, Diana.'

He got out of bed and knelt down besides it. 'Diana, the thought of life without you fills me with despair. Even more so since I've known the complete warmth of you.' He clasped her hand in his. 'I've dared to hope today, Diana…' There was no arrogance about him, only a silent pleading.

'I've loved you for so long, Kal,' she told him steadily.

'Then why—?'

'Why leave the JLA and you?' she finished with a soft sigh. 'Because I finally decided that loving you so futilely was destroying me.'

'Oh, God,' he groaned, briefly closing his eyes. 'If only I had realized. I've been going through the same uncer­tainty myself. If I had been bolder earlier, we could have sorted things out. Look how much time we wasted.’

'But we’ve found each other now,' she said gently.

'And now?' He looked at her searchingly.

She moistened her lips. 'That's up to you.'

'Diana, will you marry me? And make me the happiest man in the world?’

He was the most powerful man in the universe but his love for her made him so vulnerable, he was going to need a lot of loving. But no one could love him more than she did; no one ever would.

'That sounds like a wonderful idea,' she told him huskily.

He pulled her sharply into his arms, groaning into her hair, as if he hadn't known what to expect from her. 'I've been so afraid…' he ad­mitted shakily. 'Needed you so much… Oh, God, Diana, I love you!’

‘And I love you,’ she murmured back to him.

He kissed her again and again, peppering her face with kisses. Oh, she felt good in his arms.

‘S-someone might come in.’

‘Let them. We can be married tomorrow.’

She looked at him, her face a radiant fusion of desire and love, and in that moment he knew at long last the farm boy had won the Amazon Princess.

He lost himself in her eyes, the feel of her hands roving his body, and gave himself up to the moment. His hands glided over ribs and rounded hip. Slowly he ran his tongue across her throat, her ear, her chin. He tasted his way across each rib, over the soft flat plane of her belly.

She closed her eyes and drew breath.

‘Diana, love,’ he breathed. He moved atop her, their bodies melding in wet, silken heat.

She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him close. The fierceness of her response thrilled him, fueled his desire.

‘Love me,’ she whispered.

His heart stopped. ‘Forever,’ he whispered, ‘forever.’