Diamond (Rare Gems Series) (3 page)

Blair was standing at the elevator when Thad realized the man was kidding. He hoped he was
, anyway. He could deliver a line like the one he’d just said to him without blinking an eye. He vowed never to play poker with this guy. He’d lose his entire billions in less time than he could play a hand against him.

Blair
wasn’t ready for him to meet the staff, so Thad was set up in an empty office. He was even given a secretary to help out.

He was on a call to his foreman when Sapphire walked in. She smelled of dark coffee
, and if that was what she had in her hand, he was going to kiss her. She set the cup in front of him and sat down. Even the strong smell was giving him a rush.

He hung up on Morton.
Morton Guzman was going to drive him crazy over this new production line. Thad knew he’d have to go back to Texas and fire the man before this was all done, there was just no help for it. Thad took a sip of his coffee before speaking to Sapphire. She seemed to understand his need for it this early.

“
Morton said that the specs you sent him are all screwed up and he has to redo everything.” He raised his hand when she started to speak. “I’ve already told him if he changes one thing on those mock-ups I was going to personally come down there and rip his ass open.”

“
As I’ve suggested before, I think he needs to be put elsewhere on this project. I believe he’s responsible for the delays we’re having now.” Thad nodded as she continued. “And the guy is a bully. I can’t believe how he talks to his secretary.”

Thad hadn
’t realized that until Blair had told him while he and Sapphire were visiting three months ago. Sapphire had overheard her crying in the ladies’ room and had talked to her. She’d gotten the entire story from her and then some. Apparently she was leaving the company because of other issues, but since she wouldn’t say what, he had no grounds to fire Morton, more’s the pity.

Thad
leaned over and rubbed the wound on his leg. It was burning again. He had looked at it this morning when he’d gotten in the shower and was surprised at how red it looked. He was going to have to call the doctor when he got home.

“
You should have Ruby or Diamond look at that. It might be infected.” He looked at Sapphire when she spoke. “We can’t afford to have you ill.”

“
I’m fine. And Diamond might cut my leg off just for spite. I don’t think she cares for me overly much.” Sapphire just smiled. “How is she? I didn’t see her this morning before we left.”

“
Still sleeping. I checked on her before I left and she hadn’t moved.” She paused for several seconds before she continued. “What do you think of my sister?”

If there had ever been a more loaded question
, he’d never heard it. He leaned back in his chair and waited for her to clarify what she was asking him. When she didn’t, but instead continued to stare at him, he changed the subject. He was so not going to go down that path.

“
I have a new product that I’d like you to have a look at. It’s what we talked about before with the drinks. I have someone from one of the manufacturers of the milk and juice companies coming here day after tomorrow. Do you think you can work with them?” She nodded. “Mike is kind of an ass but smart. Caroline is all business, so you’ll like her too.”

“
Send me what time they’ll be in and I’ll work them in.” She stood up, and so did he. “Diamond won’t be easy. She’s been hurt before, badly. And if you hurt her, I think you know that I’ll hurt you.”

“
I do. And I have no intentions of hurting her. She just…there’s something about her that I find intriguing. But I’m not going to do anything with her or to her that she won’t consent to. I’m not that sort of person.” She nodded and moved toward the door, but stopped and turned to look at him.

“
What does she smell like to you?”

He answered her without thinking about it.
“Meadows in the summer and dark rich chocolate. Why?”

She smiled and left him to stand there.
He had no idea why the way Diamond smelled would concern her sister, but he wasn’t used to women like these. Thad wondered why she didn’t just ask her sister what perfume she wore and not him. He sat back down and starred at the computer for ten minutes before he started to work. But by noon he had to go back to the house. His leg was killing him.

Chapter 3

Annabelle was worried about the young man. He was limping more and more as the afternoon wore on
, and now he was sweating. She had called Ruby, but she was in the middle of something and said she’d call her back, but that had been over an hour ago. It was time to wake Diamond and have her look at him. But since he’d already refused to go to the doctor, she decided to play him.

“
I was wondering if you could go up and see if Diamond is awake yet.” He stared at her with glassy eyes, and she knew he was running a fever too. “She should be up by now and I could use her help with the garden.”

“
I can help you.” She shook her head, and he glanced at the stairs. “You think she’s awake and not coming down then?”

“
I think she might be awake, yes, but I’m afraid she might be sulking.” Annabelle hoped Diamond would forgive her the lie. Diamond did not sulk, she got even. “You know she quit her job, and that man at the store upset her too.”

He nodded and moved to the stairs. She almost felt sorry for him but knew that once Diamond got a look at him she
’d know what to do. Annabelle hated to wake her, but she was worried about Thad.

The phone rang just as she was putting the cake for dinner
tonight on the cooling racks. Chocolate with buttercream icing was just what they needed. She answered it on the fourth ring, and was glad to hear from Emerald finally.

“
The exams were a breeze. I’ll be home tonight if the rain holds off. Grandmother, I think I’m going to take the job at the grade school. I’ll be close to home and have the grade I want. Second graders are so awesome.” Emerald giggled. “That is if I passed my tests. I think I did well but you never know.”

“
You did just fine. I just know it. And when you get here, we’ll have a big dinner tonight. I just baked a cake and we’ll have steaks on the grill.” Emerald moaned. “I thought you’d like that. Be safe and call me when you pull over for gas or a break. Don’t forget to walk around too.”

After Emerald assured her she
’d be careful, they hung up. Annabelle was going out to the garden when she realized that she should wait to see if Diamond came down and needed her. She looked up the stairs, then at the clouds. If she waited, there would be no fresh green beans for dinner and she was looking forward to them. Annabelle decided to chance upsetting Thad for her garden. Laughing, she hoped that he’d get the care he needed and not piss off Diamond so much that she’d hurt him worse. Her granddaughters were nothing if not a little on the violent side when pissed.

Smiling
, she saw Allen coming out of the shed with a basket and a hoe. The man loved gardening as much as she did and had been extremely helpful with it this year. They had already talked about doubling the size of the garden next year and opening a little stand. They had big plans for such old people, she thought.

“
I was just coming to see if we were picking or not today.” She nodded at him and took the basket. “I’ve been thinking of these beans since you said last week that we could pick them about now.”

“
Well, let’s see what we can get. Emerald is coming home if the rain doesn’t stop her.” She was so involved in her garden she never worried about her granddaughter or the man she’d sent up there. Annabelle knew he’d be all right.

~~~

Thad had to stop three times to catch his breath. He was sure now that it had little to do with the shape he was in and more to do with the wound. It was pulling, and he hurt. He knocked several times on the door he was told was Diamond’s and went in when no one answered. He couldn’t have been more surprised by what he saw than if someone had told him an elephant were in here.

The big bed was a four
-posted canopy that looked to be made of solid oak. The lacy canopy looked like it had been handmade a long time ago. He moved into the room, stood at the foot, and looked down at the woman there.

“
Christ,” he whispered when he saw her. Her back was bare all the way down to the dimple at her ass. He wanted to move the thin sheet to the side and see if there was another one to match the one he could see. Thad reached up to the wooden bar that held the canopy in place and crushed the lace in his hand when he thought about what other treasures she had beneath her.

Forgetting
about his leg, he reached down with an unsteady hand to touch her. Thad needed to know if she was as silky and as smooth as she looked. Touching his finger to her spine at the nape of her neck, he ran his finger down her slowly and nearly moaned himself when she did. Just as he touched the sheet that covered her bottom, she shifted on the bed and it fell away.

There was a matching dimple.
Not only that but she had a beautiful birthmark in the shape of a heart just below it. Thad didn’t just want to see more of her, hell, all of her; he needed it. Curling his finger into the sheet to pull it back, he stopped. When she stiffened beneath his touch, he looked up. He could see her confusion, but he thought he saw a spark of need too.

“
What are you doing?” Her voice was low and husky. Thad gripped the rod tighter as he felt his cock harden incredibly more. “Thad?”

“
Roll over for me. I need to see you.” She stretched out and pulled the sheet over her as she moved to her back. “I want to see you. All of you. Pull the sheet down for me.”

He watched as it inched down.
He wanted to beg her to pull faster, but was enjoying the slow move too. When the sheet seemed to catch at her nipple, he whimpered. They were just there, and he was going to see them. But she stopped and he looked at her again.

“
You’re not supposed to be in here. I was sleeping.” He nodded, just short of begging her to continue. “I think you should leave now.”

“
I want to see you. Show me please.” She shook her head and pulled the sheet up higher. Thad whimpered as she sat up and pulled the sheet completely over her. “You’re beautiful. Very beautiful.”

Diamond lay there
, staring up at him, and he moved to sit on the bed. For as much as he’d forgotten about his leg while he’d been trying to sneak a peek at her, it was hurting all the more now. He either sat on the bed or fell on it. Either way, his leg was no longer going to hold him up.

“
What have you done?” She pulled the sheet tighter around her and moved toward him. Thad saw the expanse of her back again but was hurting too badly to appreciate it much.

“
I think it’s infected or something. That woman who put the stitches in said that it looked dirty to her but she’d been told to sew it, not clean it. And no amount of begging her to have someone else do it would work.” Diamond shoved him back on her bed and told him to not move. That wasn’t going to be a problem, he was fucking hurting too much to do anything more than breathe right now.

When she dropped the sheet as she moved to the bathroom
, he knew the sight would be burned in his memory for the rest of his life. Christ, she was more beautiful than he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t wait to have her beneath him…and the sooner the better. She came back dressed in an old jersey and not much else. She also had a large first-aid kit.

“
You’ll have to stay still and let me pull out the stitches. I’m sorry, but all I have here is some topical numbing agent. I’m afraid I can’t do much more than that.” He nodded, suddenly feeling sick. “Look at me, Thad. Now, look at me.”

He opened his eyes
, not even realizing that he’d closed them. She was so close to his face that he wanted to pull her the last inch and kiss her. But he was afraid if he did, she’d not help him.

“
I’m going to cut away your pants. Are you okay with that?” He nodded. “And I’m going to have to get permission from Blair to help you. I’m sorry, but I have to…there is only one way I can heal you, but I have to get permission first.”

“
Beg him. Tell him I’ll pay him any amount of money he wants. Just please make it stop.” When he thought he saw her lick his leg, he decided that he’d become delirious. There was no way anyone would do that. He nearly exploded when she moaned somewhere near his cock. “Diamond, you do know that I’m a desperate man, don’t you? If you lick my cock like that, I’ll buy you the prettiest nightie I can find and let you model it for me.”

Thad felt her move him on the bed.
He must have helped her some, but his mind was still playing tricks on him, because he was sure she hadn’t lifted him up. When he heard the sound of his pants tearing, he reached down to cup his cock. He was as hard as stone.

“
Behave or I’ll make Blair do this.” He grinned at her distressed tone. “You’re going to…hurt yourself if you keep this up.”

“
I like to give pain, love, not receive it. Though for you I’d give it a try. I’d very much like to see you strapped to my bed and take a small whip to your backside. Would you like that?” She said something, but he knew this was his dream and he made her agree not tell him to fuck off. “I’d tie you on the hump too. Fuck your pretty little ass until you begged me to let you come. Christ, I hurt.”

Thad drifted in and out of his fantasy.
At one point, he would swear there was a large wolf in the room with him, but he knew that couldn’t be true. Dangerous too. He felt his body being lifted again, but before he could open his eyes, even if he could, he was drifting off again.

The next time he opened his eyes
, he shut them tight. The room was bright, and when someone laughed, he decided that he’d become a vampire and only live in darkness.

“
Won’t do you any good to become a vamp after this. You’re well on your way to becoming something else. Besides, I’m not sure how Blair would like you crossing over. And I’m pretty sure you’ve stepped beyond that point.” He looked at Jade when the room became darker. “Welcome back.”

“
Where…?” His throat was so dry he could barely speak, but she gave him a straw and he sucked the finest nectar in the world down, water. When she pulled it away before he had nearly enough, he wanted to beg her to give it back.

“
Diamond said for you to take it easy when you woke up. She said you’d feel like shit, but you should be on the mend sooner than normal. How are you feeling?” Emerald moved a book to the table near her and sat up in the chair. “You gave us all a scare there for a while. Good thing Diamond helped you when she did or it could have been bye-bye Thad.”

“
How long have I been here?” Thad tried to sit up but was just too weak. He felt as if he’d been run over by a truck, a car and a train. All at once. He looked up when he realized she hadn’t answered him.

“
Five days. You passed out on Diamond on Monday and today is Friday. Though it’s really late on Friday.” She grinned at him. “Don’t you remember anything?”

He started to
tell her no, but then he remembered the conversation he’d had with Diamond about playing. He hoped that he’d been only dreaming, but he had a feeling that he’d been very vocal about his wants and needs. He started to ask Emerald what she knew, but she answered his question before he could ask.

“
Diamond said you were out of your head for most of her fixing you up. She won’t tell us what you said but blushed every time someone asked her. I’m thinking you have a thing for my sister and you might have told her.” She leaned forward in the chair and wiggled her brows. “Do you have a thing for Diamond?”

Thad decided that no answer was going to be right
, so he kept his mouth shut about what may or may not have passed his lips when he’d been sick. “I had a few people coming into town, do you know if they have been postponed or not?”

Emerald laughed as if she knew that he
’d been changing the subject just to avoid answering her. But she continued on as if he didn’t do just that. “I think you might have embarrassed her. And she doesn’t embarrass easily. Did you enjoy yourself?”

“
Emerald, behave.” Thad looked at Diamond, who stood in the doorway. “Why don’t you go and tell Grandmother that Mr. Galloway is awake now and would probably benefit from some of the broth she’s made for him.”

Diamond stood still while her sister left the room. He wanted to ask her what he
’d said to her, but she’d called him Mr. Galloway and not Thad, as she had before. When she moved toward the bed, he could see the stiffness in her and wondered how badly he’d screwed up with her.

“
I was talking out of my head before.” She nodded and pulled his wrist to her and took his pulse. He was sure it was elevated, because he couldn’t get out of his mind the way she’d looked when he’d arrived in this room.

“
You’re going to need to get up and moving. You’ll get pneumonia if you don’t, and I’d very much like to have my bed back.” Thad wanted to offer her half of it with him still in it but kept his mouth closed. “I’ll have Grandmother bring you your cell phone up too. It’s been ringing like crazy, and we’ve kept it charged for you.”

Thad nodded and realized she was leaving him again.
“Stay please. I’d like to…I think I might have said some things to you that I shouldn’t have. At least not until we get to know one another better.”