A/N's: Will he lose her? Only I know the answer, but you can find out by reading my latest chapter. ;)

Chapter Fifteen

That every morning, during the nine o'clock newsbreak, an excited Jeff Groen hurried into the control room. Mark Calloway was right behind him, grinning from ear to ear, the Arbitron rating book clutched in one hand.

Mark lifted it high. "It's here, kids. Just came in."

Dee swallowed and grabbed Dwayne's hand. Evenly, he said, "Out with it, Mark. Are we the hottest team in radio or not?"

"Dwayne, Dee-" Mark, looking from one to the other, proudly confirmed "-it's even better than we'd hoped for! I mean your show pulled a whopping sixteen share...more than our wildest expectations. Congratulations to you both. You two are an unequaled hit. No one else came close."

******

The week following the arrival of the fantastic rating book was one of sweet, undiluted pleasure for everyone's favorite radio team. Dee and Dwayne were together every moment, day and night, happily learning all the little idiosyncrasies of each other's complex personalities.

Dwayne found there were many thing's he'd never known about the charmer now sharing his apartment. She said nothing for at least forty-five minutes after awakening each morning. He found this strange, since the moment he opened his eyes, he was ready to discuss the day's plans. It took only a couple of mornings for him to learn that Dee liked being kissed awake, but conversation was taboo.

Dwayne also learned that he'd never fully realized just how lonely his life had been without this woman whose tinkling laughter was music to his ears. She cam to his arms whenever he held them out to her, which was often. She was his sweet, adorable Dee; his to touch and teach and treasure.

That's how it would always be.

******

Dwayne and Dee were well aware that the success of their morning show made their services infinitely more valuable. They'd discussed at length the amount of increase they planned to request at contract time.

Mark had already hinted at a figure he had in mind. Dwayne had smiled easily, knowing Mark would offer far less than the amount authorized. Bargaining was all a part of the game and Dwayne Johnson was good at it.

Dwayne and Dee, their airtime finished for the day, were seated in his corner office, discussing their salary increases. Dee, in her hand an envelope of photographs she'd taken on their Bahamas trip, was nodding her agreement.

"Oh, Dwayney-Boy-" she looked up, interrupting him "-you've got to see this one." She handed the picture across his desk. "You look like a movie star." She smiled at him.

Dwayne glanced at the picture, handed it back and said, "Show me the ones I took of you."

Dee complied and watched as his eyes lit up. He held one picture between thumb and forefinger, smiling broadly. The photo showed only Dee's face and bare shoulders.

He grinned at her. "I want this one for my wallet."

Dee shook her head. "If you ever..."

"...tell anyone that you were naked when I snapped this?" His hooded eyes mocked her. "I won't, sweetheart, but I know and that's what makes the picture precious to me."

The buzzing of the intercom interrupted them. Dwayne punched the button. "What?"

Sherry Jones's excited voice filled his ear. "Dwayne, is Dee in there with you?"

"Yes, she is."

"Oh, good. Tell her that she has a very important telephone call on line three from ABC in New York City."

"I suppose you heard that, Dee. You've a call on line three," Dwayne said.

"Hand me the phone, will you?"

"You might want to take it in your office, Dee."

Dee rose from the chair, smiling. "Why on Earth would I want to do that? I've no secrets from you." She lifted the phone and said, "This is Dee Thompson."

Dwayne, lounging back in his chair, hands behind his head, watched Dee. He saw her eyes widen and sparkle with excitement, and his stomach tightened. "Yes, yes. I...Well, thank you." She listened for several minutes, then was again speaking.

Dwayne never changed his lazy position. He looked for all the world like a man totally at ease, so that his reaction was a great shock to Dee. When she'd ended her telephone conversation, she told him that it had been the program director from ABC in New York City. They had seen the ratings and wondered if she'd be at all interested in flying up to discuss the possibility of becoming the first air partner of their dynamic morning-show star.

Dwayne's hands slowly came from behind his head. His jaw clenched and his eyes were cold and hard when he said, "So when do you leave?"

Dee laughed. "Leave? Dwayney-Boy, I didn't say-"

Rage, unchecked, showed in his face and his voice took on a deadly timbre. "Your eyes said if for you." He rose, shoved his hands into his pockets and walked to the window.

Dee felt terror rise to her throat. Those eyes looked so menacing. She knew she must at once clear up any misunderstanding on his part or she was in danger of losing him again. Dee hurried to him, put a hand on his shoulder, and said softly, "Listen, I don't-"

Dwayne spun around to face her. "Listen? I did, Dee. I heard every word and I don't remember a single no coming from those lovely little lips."

Dee's apprehension grew. "Dwayne, you didn't hear me say yes, either. My Lord, give me a little credit."

"Credit?" he parroted. "Oh, sweetheart, you get all the credit. You're the smoothest little number on the airwaves." His eyes snapped with fury. "New York City!" He shook his dark head. "Just what you wanted. Dee, I understand, really I do. Who wouldn't be thrilled to get an offer from one of the top radio stations in the country?"

Heart thumping against her ribs, Dee felt dizzy, ill. "Dwayney-Boy." She sighed. "Don't-Oh, dear God, Dwayne, tell me to stay. Say you can't let me go."

For what seemed like an eternity, his eyes impaled her and Dee held her breath, praying to hear the words she wanted to hear.

Finally Dwayne sighed. "Dee, I am not going to tell you to stay."

Dee released her breath. Pride, hurt, and her own stubborn will mixed to make her say resolutely, "Very well, Dwayne, don't." She tried bravely to smile though her bottom lip trembled. "I can't make you, but I'll tell you one thing." She gulped for a breath. "This time it really is your fault. If your arrogance and pride are so great that you can't bring yourself to ask me to stay here with you, then we both lose, darling, because I will leave. I'll go to New York City and I'll do the best job I possibly can and in time I'll forget about you." Dee, paused, reached out, put a hand to Dwayne's downcast face, making him look at her once again. "It is my second choice, Dwayne. Do you hear me? Don't ever forget that."

Dee looked up at him, studying the depths of his brown eyes. She saw there an unmistakable sorrow. It touched her, but not enough to keep her from turning, stepping past him and walking determinedly to his office door.

The door closed behind her and Dwayne stood rigid where she'd left him. He couldn't believe it had happened again.