Christmas Diamonds (11 page)

“We have new half-carat diamond bracelets in white or yellow gold,” Monica said, “and some remarkable loose diamonds.”

Chase reviewed the photographs and descriptions, homing in on a nearly colorless heart-shaped diamond. “Very nice,” he said evenly.

“Wait till you see our new line of chocolate-diamond rings with black rhodium,” Monica told him excitedly. “They’re absolutely gorgeous!”

“I’m sure they are,” Chase said abstractedly.

“Not exactly edible, but these chocolate babies certainly would wet many a woman’s appetite.”

Monica laughed, but Chase barely heard it. His mind had drifted off into thinking about Paula and how much she had come to mean to him in such a short time. He saw her as potential marriage material, though he was uncertain if she viewed things the same way. Maybe they were only comfort
ing each other for the short run, till the real thing came along. Or maybe their compatibility, sexual and otherwise, had proven itself, and the future prospects were brighter than ever.

He eyed Monica as she continued talking about the wonders of chocolate diamonds before interrupting her. “Do you want to grab a bite to eat?”

“Sure, why not.” Monica glanced at her watch. “It is lunchtime.”

Chase gave her a tiny grin and headed for the door.

“I met someone,” he told Monica as they sat in a delicatessen.

“Is that so?” She met his gaze.

“Her name is Paula. She did the redecorating at my house.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting.” Monica studied him. “So, how long has this been going on?”

Chase lifted his roast beef sandwich. “Not too long.” Though it seemed as if they had known each other for some time.

“I’m glad to see you haven’t let a few bad dates since Rochelle’s death ruin your outlook altogether,” Monica told him.

Chase swallowed. “Couldn’t do that. I figured it was only a matter of time before I clicked with someone.”

“You know Rochelle is up there rooting you on, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do,” he said thoughtfully.

“When she died, she didn’t want to take your heart with her. You have a right to meet someone who can make you every bit as happy as she did.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Chase wiped his mouth. “I feel pretty happy when I’m with Paula.”

Monica bit into a ranch fry. “And she feels the same way about you?”

“I think so. We’re just getting started in the dating game. So far, so good.”

“I see.” Monica looked at him squarely. “When do I get to meet her?”

Chase expected no less from his friend. “I was hoping we could get together next week.”

She nodded. “Count me in.”

He smiled. “Consider yourself counted.”

“I promise I won’t be too judgmental.”

Chase chuckled. “Since when?”

Monica grinned. “You know you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“True. We’ve always had each other’s back.”

“That’s what sincere friendship is all about,” she said.

“Agreed.” Chase dipped a ranch fry in ketchup while musing about his new romantic friendship with Paula. “I’ll set it up.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to bring along a date,” Monica said, lifting her corned beef sandwich.

“Of course.” Chase regarded her curiously. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

She hesitated. “You remember Zachary, the gemologist?”

His right brow lifted. “The same one you had a problem with?”

“Oh, we’re past that now,” Monica said with a chuckle.

“Is that so?” Chase teased her.

“What can I say? The man’s a hunk and has more energy than he knows what to do with. Fortunately that’s not an issue with me, since I know exactly how to harness it.”

Chase laughed. “Spare me the details.” He certainly was in no hurry to delve too deeply into the details of his sexual relationship with Paula. As far as he was concerned, that was something private between them. He was hopeful they could replay the theme over and over.

“Do we all assemble at your place?” asked Monica, sipping root beer. “Or at a restaurant?”

Chase leaned back. “My house. That way you and Zach can check out Paula’s work.”

“Cool. I can’t wait to meet her. I’m sure she’s all that and more if she caught your eye.”

“The lady is very attractive,” he admitted, “and quite talented, too.”

“And I suppose her personality is sparkling, as well?”

Chase chuckled. “Like champagne on ice.”

Monica gave him a playful frown. “I’m jealous already.”

“You two have the same qualities,” Chase said. “True gems. And I’ll bet Zachary’s already discovered that.”

She grinned. “Now I know why we’ve always been such good friends. You’re a natural charmer. I’m sure you swept Paula right off her feet.”

Chase grinned crookedly, while imagining Paula off her feet in bed. “Probably more the other way around,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Paula sat in her office, literally counting the minutes till she saw Chase again this evening. The powerful effects of yesterday’s lovemaking still had her reeling. She felt aroused contemplating an encore performance that could well exceed any expectations.

Paula’s cell phone rang. She saw that the caller was Sheldon Burke. Her heart sank.

What does he want? As if I can’t guess
.

Paula chose not to answer it, not wanting to give him any encouragement that there was a chance of rekindling their relationship. What they had was strictly in the past, never to be repeated. Her focus now was on one man, a very incredible, ultrasexy man named Chase McCord.

A few hours later, Paula stood at Chase’s doorstep, feeling anxious. He opened the door wearing a Seattle Seahawks jersey and form-fitting jeans.

“Hey,” he said, grinning. “Come in.”

Paula got a whiff of his cologne as she passed by him. The man always smelled good, which, along with his incredible masculinity, made him all the more appealing.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Chase asked.

She faced him, overcome with desire. “Why don’t we go upstairs instead?” she voiced bravely.

Chase’s eyes widened eargerly. “I like the sound of that.”

“I thought you might.” Paula turned her chin up and kissed him hungrily, enjoying the taste of his wondrous lips. She forced herself to pull back, hard as it was to stop kissing him.

Chase touched his lips. “Keep that up and we’ll never make it to the bedroom.”

“Don’t tempt me,” she warned. Paula could hardly keep her clothes on or stop herself from ripping his off.

Chase scooped her into his arms and mounted the stairs as their mouths once again connected and Paula fell hard under his spell. In the master suite, they stripped naked without ado as lovers sure of themselves. Paula pushed Chase onto the bed and pounced atop him, peppering his face with sweet kisses. She licked his nose, then his lips, before nibbling on his ears and chin. She found herself wanting to experience every inch of this man.

Paula’s mouth conquered his zealously even as her hand made its way to Chase’s penis. It was hard and throbbing, obviously ready for her. She stroked him and felt his fingers rubbing against her clitoris. This sent streaks of fire shooting throughout her body. She tried hard to contain herself, biting Chase’s lip. His sure fingertips were not making it easy, deftly stroking her most private part like a master of erotic torture. She was close to coming.

In an instant, Chase had rolled on top of Paula and locked on to the raw need in her eyes. She made no attempt to shy away from her nearly overwhelming desire.

“Get inside me,” she pleaded breathlessly.

His face grew intense. “Your wish is my command!”

He slipped into a condom and parted her thighs. She arched her back and lunged forward to meet his penis halfway, till it was wedged deep inside her. Paula absorbed Chase’s persuasive thrusts, each one of which hit the target of her pleasure skillfully and vigorously. A prolonged moan of ecstatic surrender escaped Paula as she willingly gave herself to Chase
and demanded he do the same in return. He pressed his hands into the bed, supporting himself while making love to her in a fluid and determined motion.

Paula’s body was blazing with desire for him. She dug her nails into the flesh of Chase’s buttocks and saw him wince. He licked and sucked her nipples relentlessly, giving her untold enjoyment.

“Kiss me,” she murmured, eager to have his lips on hers as the buildup brought them total satisfaction.

“With all the pleasure in the world,” Chase voiced hoarsely.

He lowered his mouth to her waiting lips, kissing her passionately. Paula’s tongue circled the inside of his lips, tracing the moist softness and rolling across his teeth before twirling around Chase’s tongue. He reciprocated with his tongue as ardor guided them in a powerful kiss that left Paula totally enraptured.

With their bodies locked in coitus and dripping with perspiration, Paula moved higher onto Chase’s erection, bringing him deeper inside. She held on to his shoulder blades and quavered madly as his penis moved against her clitoris in the perfect blend of sexual stimulation.

“Chase…Oh, Chase,” Paula sang gutturally and clutched him tightly while her orgasm flooded her body with numbing ecstasy. She shook uncontrollably and constricted around him demandingly.

Encouraged by this, Chase propelled himself into her with abandon. Sensing his orgasm coming, Paula helped him along by increasing her constrictions and moving her hips in unison with his. He came with a thunderous jolt, practically elevating the bed as their bodies moved harmoniously with passion and pleasure.

Minutes later, they lay there spent and satiated, their limbs still tangled.

“Wow!” Chase said, resting his hand on Paula’s damp buttock.

She laughed. “That good, huh?”

“Much better than good. It was something totally out of this world.”

“I have to agree with you,” Paula admitted, breathing in the arousing scent of their terrific sex.

He kissed her breast. “I just can’t seem to get enough of you.”

Paula’s lashes fluttered. “Excuse me, but I believe I was the one who seduced you.”

“Good point.” Chase wet his lips salaciously. “It looks like we just can’t keep our hands off each other.”

“You have a problem with that, mister?” she teased.

“Yeah, I do.”

Paula met his eyes. “Oh?”

Chase grinned. “Now that you’re in my system, it’s almost impossible to focus on anything else.”

“We could always cool things for a while if you want,” she suggested, hoping he wasn’t hinting at that.

“I don’t think so,” he said in no uncertain terms. “We’re just getting started.”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” she said, relief in her voice.

His eyes twinkled. “There is no other way to feel. You’ve brought excitement back into my life. It’s not something I take lightly.”

Paula looked up at him. “So it’s not just sexual?”

A look of sincerity crossed Chase’s face. “Not to me. We’re certainly amazing together in bed, but I believe there’s more to this than sex.”

She had no problem with Chase feeling that way, as the same thing had occurred to her. Paula felt a new surge of confidence in their relationship, but decided it was best to take a conservative approach for the time being, lest she get hurt.

“Maybe there is,” she said coyly. “Let’s just enjoy what we have and see how things progress.”

Chase kissed the valley between her breasts. “That’s fine by me. I don’t think either of us will have much trouble enjoying each other over and over again.”

“Neither do I.”

Paula felt a tingling sensation where his lips had just parted, sensing they were about to go at it again. She was really starting to like Chase, but didn’t want to get her hopes up that this might lead to something truly lasting, only to be deflated.

Chapter 10

C
hase felt like a new man with Paula in his life. He hadn’t understood the depth of the void left by Rochelle’s death. Until Paula, he didn’t know how happy he could be. Their sexual chemistry couldn’t be better, and they were clearly making strides as friends.

They were standing in Chase’s den. Paula looked sexy wearing one of his shirts and nothing else. She was assessing the room, which was the first one he and Rochelle had furnished when they moved here. In his mind, it seemed a bit outdated. Maybe Paula would disagree.

“I love the space in here,” she said, looking around. “It doesn’t seem like it gets much use.”

“Not lately,” Chase conceded. “I tend to spend most of my time here in my office, the great room or the master suite.”

The thought of how they had spent the past hour or so in bed brought a licentious smile to his lips. Maybe they could pick up where the passion ended. He was certainly game, and he suspected it wouldn’t take much persuasion to get Paula on board.

“I like the layout of the furniture,” she told him, “but I think it could use some pizzazz, along with some new accent pieces and maybe a nice Persian rug.”

“Go for it,” Chase said agreeably, trying to stay focused on the subject at hand.

“Are you sure?” Paula brushed against him. “I don’t want our involvement to cause you to lose objectivity when it comes to redecorating your house.”

Chase appreciated her concern, given the personal and business relationship they had forged. He wrapped his arms around her waist. “My objectivity is just fine,” he said firmly to set her mind at ease. “I’m hiring you for your interior-decoration talents, not your skills in the bedroom. That isn’t to say I don’t appreciate those skills every bit as much, if not more,” he teased.

Paula’s lashes batted flirtatiously. “You would say that while I’m standing here wearing nothing but your shirt.”

Chase gave her the once-over and felt aroused. “It sure looks much nicer on you than it ever could on me.”

“Oh, you think so, do you?”

“Would I lie?” he asked with amusement.

“You tell me,” she challenged.

Chase took the bait. He angled his face and kissed her tasty lips. It was something he could do all day and night.

“I believe you,” Paula said into his mouth, chuckling, before she slithered out of Chase’s grasp. “I would be happy to give your den a makeover.”