A/N's: Ah, my Dwayne muse...I love him dearly, even if he sometimes succumbs to that Y chromosome....hmm....Dwayne....Oh, wait, where was I? Right, my shoutouts, as always I want to give a shoutout to Sharnhorst for giving my fics a chance, and to Dani for saying so many nice things about my other fics. My heartfelt thanks goes out to both of you. Now, on to my next fic...I'm thinking an Undertaker fic. Probably involving his wife from this story. If interested keep in touch, it should be up in the next few days.

Chapter Seventeen

Dee, looking cool and sophisticated in a well-tailored suit of cream wool, brown silk blouse with its mandarin collar fitted tightly around her neck, rich brown hair plaited atop her head, stepped into the first-class cabin of the New York-bound jetliner.

Smiling absently at the stewardess, Dee located seat 3A, glancing around at the few passengers already seated. A middle-aged couple sat in the front two seats; behind them, two tired-looking businessmen, one already dozing, held briefcases on their laps.

In the third row, a pair of long legs in gray flannel slacks was crossed beneath a copy of the Wall Street Journal, which covered the face of its reader.

Dee took her window seat, buckled the belt tightly and fought the foolish fear already crawling at her stomach. Heartache was temporarily forgotten as passengers boarded, the front hatch was locked, and Dee felt the movement of the big plane.

Eyes wide with fright, she looked out the tiny window, her small body tensed. Just as the heavy plane began to speed ever faster down the runway, Dee's head snapped around.

A lean brown hand gently covered a white-knuckled one and Dwayne Johnson buckled his seat belt with this other hand. Dee blinked at him in confusion that changed immediately to relief.

"I seem to recall you being a little nervous on the takeoff." His deep soothing voice had never sounded more wonderful to Dee. Dwayne brought her cold, stiff hand up to the warmth of his sweatered chest. Both his hands closed over hers and when she swallowed and tried to speak, he leaned close and said, "Honey, wait until we're up, then we'll say it all." Warm eyes caressed her and he added, "You're safe sweetheart. I'm here with you. Everything will be fine."

Dee smiled. She made no move to look out her window at the lights of Denver that the captain spoke of. She looked instead into the shining dark eyes of the man clinging to her hands.

"The captain has turned off the seatbelt signs," the voice over the intercom said. "You many now move around the cabin, but for your safety..."

Dwayne squeezed Dee's hand and said, "I suppose you'd like to know what I'm doing here."

"Yes, but whatever your reason, I'm glad you're here."

"You're sweet, and that will make it easier to say what I have on my mind." Dwayne nodded yes when the stewardess asked if they'd like a drink. "Champagne," he ordered for them both. Then he turned back to Dee. "Promise me that when you've heard me out, you'll give me an honest answer."

"I will," she told him and meant it.

"Dee, I love you. I want you to stay with me, but only if you're sure you'd never regret it."

"Dwayney-Boy, the only thing I'd ever regret is losing you again. Don't you know that?"

"Then why are you bound for New York?"

"Because," she admitted, "I suppose I'm almost as stubborn as you."

"Dee, you're very sweet, but are you certain you don't really want the job in New York? I love you enough that I want you to have-"

Dee interrupted. "Dwayney-Boy, you must believe me. I want nothing but to be your partner on the air in Denver."

"You don't think a year from now you'll wish you'd-"

"Never."

A broad grin lifted the corners of Dwayne's lips. "In that case, I've a suite reserved at the Hotel Pierre on the park. What would you say to a honeymoon in the Big Apple?"

Dee stared at him, speechless. Dwayne laughed and teased, "Does that mean yes or no, sweetheart?"

"Dwayney-Boy," she whispered breathlessly, "are you serious?"

"Dee, after this miserable week I knew I couldn't live without you-don't want to, refuse to. That decided, I knew I'd have to swallow my pride and come after you. Here I am, honey. I want to marry you at the Pierre. I told Mark we needed a week off. He agreed. Now it's up to you."

"The answer is yes!"

Dwayne laughed. "You don't want to think about it for a day or two?"

"Dwayney-Boy, you've told me what you want. Know what I want? I want to marry you just as soon as possible. I want us to spend an entire week inside that suite at the Pierre. I want to be on the morning show at X104 with you for the next twenty years. I want to have our babies and-"

"Sweetheart-" Dwayne leaned closer "-would you be terribly embarrassed if I kissed you right now?"

Dee's answer was to turn parted lips up to his. Dwayne, eyes filled with love, lowered his mouth to within one inch of hers and murmured, "Kiss me like there's no one else here."

"Is there?" she breathed and felt the sculpted male lips gently fit over hers.

Forgetting entirely where they were, Dwayne kissed her with rapidly increasing intensity and Dee clung to him and returned his ardor. The deep, drugging kiss was interrupted by the stewardess, clearing her throat just above them.

Dwayne reluctantly lifted his head. "You see-" he grinned and accepted their champagne from the attendant "-this woman has just agreed to become my bride and I felt that warranted a little kiss."

"I wholeheartedly agree." The attendant nodded. "Any may I offer congratulations." She flashed Dee a smile and made her way on down the aisle.

"Dwayney-Boy?"

"Hmmm?"

"Have you any idea how much I love you?"

"If it's half as much as I love you, I'm satisfied."

******

Dee's sleepy eyes slitted open. Disoriented, she looked out the tall window across from where she lay. Cold rain streaked down the panes. Dee slowly turned her head.

A handsome face was smiling warmly just above hers. Sultry eyes were looking down at her. Dwayne pushed a shock of tangled hair back off her cheek and said in low warm, voice, "My sweet beautiful wife."

Dee smiled at him and murmured, "Good morning, husband," and lifted her head for his kiss.

Dwayne and Dee Johnson, the hottest morning radio team of Denver, enjoyed total anonymity in New York City. They could have gone wherever they chose and no one would have recognized or bothered them.

However, they took no chances. While cold winter rains drenched the huge, teeming city, the newlyweds stayed safe ensconced in their suite. Room service provided all meals.

Dee, who'd never before been to the city, smiled and stretched lazily in their rumpled bed and had not the slightest curiosity about the sights spreading out below their top-floor suite. All she wanted was in this room with her.

Dee clasped her husband to her, bit his ear playfully and said, "You know something, Dwayney-Boy?"

"What?"

"Someday we'll have to come back to New York and look around."

"Yeah," he agreed, kissing her throat, "we'll have to do that."

~Fin~