A Diamond For Christmas [Diamonds Are Forever Book 3]

by Peggy Hunter

  When Max shoved his fingers deep inside her, she knew nothing mattered more than this moment. When she could take no more, she pushed him away. She made an attempt to get him to climb onto the bed. Instead, he whirled her around, laying her on her stomach with her feet on the floor. His hands slid over her back and then slowly gripped her waist. She felt the tip of his cock press against her as his fingers tightened and pulled her back against his hard thrust.

  Julie buried her face in the mattress as his firm, ripe cock filled her. The angle was different from what she'd known before. It hurt...and felt glorious at the same time. Her teeth gnashed as she bit back a scream of sheer ecstasy. As usual, Max was relentless as he pounded his cock into her moist depths. She'd come to know him as an all-or-nothing kind of guy. And when it came to her, nothing was not an option. He wanted all of her and gave her no choice in the matter.

  When she felt him lean closer over her, she realized he had more to offer. When she felt his fingers suddenly touch her clit and stroke her, she knew she couldn't take much more. Her body convulsed. In an effort to escape the sweet torture, she wiggled her bottom and bucked against him. Max chuckled softly but didn't budge as his fingers continued to rake over her clit. When she could take no more, she buried her face in the blankets and moaned as the orgasm took over her body. It was then that Max allowed himself to unleash the torrent he'd been holding back for some time. Waves of pleasure coursed through her body as his molten-hot semen shot into her depths.

  "Max, have you seen Julie?"

  They both stifled laughter as her mother's high-pitched voice called down to the basement.

  Max struggled to catch his breath as he held Julie's naked body tight against him. “Haven't seen her."

  "Well, get up here. Breakfast is almost ready."

  "Sure thing, Mrs. Thornton."

  "Great,” Julie said, her heart now calm but anxiety quickly setting in. “Just how am I going to get by them in my bathrobe?"

  "Easy, babe. You worry too much."

  His calm and easy manner made it clear he'd been in tight situations like this before and always escaped unscathed. Poor guy. He didn't know her family.

  "I'll go up the back stairs into the kitchen when everyone is gathered in there. You go up the stairs to the living room and run up to get dressed."

  Well, it sounded easy and foolproof. Julie didn't have an opportunity to worry out loud. Max quickly dressed and walked up the back stairs. Julie cinched the tie at her waist and slowly ascended the stairs to the living room. She held her breath when several people greeted Max.

  "Hey, did you see what a beautiful morning it is?” he asked loudly...too loudly. “This south-facing kitchen window sure has a nice view, doesn't it?"

  Julie winced. So much for being versed in creating a diversion. Her mother would see through that in a second.

  "It's snowing heavily,” her father said. “What's to see?"

  "Oh,” Max said and after a brief hesitation he continued. “Take a look at those huge flakes. Talk about a picture-perfect Christmas morning."

  "Where's Julie?” Sandra asked. After a chorus of ‘don't knows', Julie knew if she didn't make her move now, she'd be stuck in the basement all day. She carefully twisted the doorknob and opened the door just enough to squeeze through.

  "I'm sure she's in her room,” Max said.

  "Someone get her. Breakfast is ready,” her mother said.

  Grateful the stairs were just a few feet away, Julie raced up and ran into the bathroom. She slammed the door closed.

  "Julie!” her father called as he walked up the stairs. “Everyone's waiting for you."

  Julie pulled the bathroom door open a crack and peered at her father. “Just have to get dressed, Dad. I'll be right down."

  Jack smiled, the twinkle in his eyes telling all. “Hurry up, girl. Max is treading water trying to cover for you."

  Chapter 8

  "Hold still!” Julie said through clenched teeth as she applied powder over Max's left eye.

  Max winced and gritted his teeth. “Do you have to press the brush so fucking hard?"

  "I'm not pressing hard,” she said. “I'm dabbing gently.” She leaned back, gazing at her handiwork and cursed under her breath.

  "What?"

  "The bruise is covered,” she said, “but there's no way to conceal the swelling."

  Max got off the toilet seat and looked in the mirror. Fuck. He looked like he'd been several rounds with Rocky Balboa.

  Julie shook her head in disdain. “Why did you have to bait Rob? The day with my family went so well until dinner."

  "The guy's an asshole,” Max countered. Sure, the day had gone well. In fact, it was the first Christmas he'd ever really enjoyed. But when Rob walked in and started spouting off about what he'd read in the tabloids about Max...well, the guy simply had it coming. Who knew the good doctor would pop him one when Max made a comment about his inability to satisfy Julie?

  "Rob had every right to be angry,” Julie countered.

  "Right,” Max said. “So Rob satisfied you in bed."

  Julie dropped the brush and powder on the counter and flushed. “No, he never did. There was a time I thought I'd have to settle."

  "So why was my comment wrong?"

  "Well, you said it in front of thirty guests for starters."

  Max chuckled. “Did you see that jelly salad splatter when he came across the table at me?"

  Julie sighed as she leaned against the bathroom door. “Yeah. It splattered all over everyone."

  Max saw the dejected look on Julie's face and guilt welled inside him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. “I'm sorry, Julie. I didn't intend to ruin the holiday with your family."

  "You didn't,” she said. “Most of the day was wonderful. It was just that last hour or so. And Rob really needed to know I've moved on."

  Julie touched her lips to his and Max instantly felt fire build in his belly. When would he ever get enough of her? When would he ever tire of her?

  When he would have deepened the kiss, Julie pushed him away. “Your father's wedding is in less than an hour. We have to go."

  * * * *

  With Geoffrey chauffeuring them to his father's wedding, it was all Max could do to keep his hands off Julie. She looked so damn delectable. The royal blue dress accentuated her eyes, making them even more vibrant than he'd ever seen them before. Her long lashes fluttered up and down as she smiled at him. Damn it. She'd have probably preferred to stay right there in his condo with him than go to the stupid wedding.

  Max held Julie's hand tightly as they walked into the small chapel in downtown Toronto. He smiled widely when he spotted his oldest brother and his very pregnant wife.

  "Alex, you old snake in the grass,” Max said as his brother gripped his hand. “How are you?"

  "Good.” Alex frowned. “Nice shiner. What's the other guy look like?"

  "Worse than me,” he quipped. He embraced Alex's wife, Leigh-Ann, widening his arms in a grand gesture at her large belly. “You're glowing, Leigh. I'm so happy for you.” He hoped his smile was convincing. He'd lied twice in a manner of seconds. Julie's ex walked away without so much as a bruise and it bugged the shit out of him that Alex had found love and happiness.

  If Leigh-Ann noticed, she didn't let on. Her eyes fell to Julie. “Who do you have with you?"

  "This is my friend, Julie Thornburg."

  Julie stiffened, she glared at him. “Thornton."

  Shit. He probably should have known that.

  "Max, glad you made it.” He turned to see Zack, his second oldest brother approach.

  "Hey, bro,” Max said as he shook his brother's hand. “Glad you and Brianna decided to come up for air. I hear congratulations are in order."

  Zack focused on Max's black eye but, if he wondered what had happened, he didn't ask. “We need to talk about what's been going on in my absence."

  Max happened to look at Julie. Her eyes darkened as they went from Zack
to him. Did she suspect something? “It'll have to wait until after the wedding,” Max said nervously, hoping Zack would keep his mouth shut.

  "Bri!” Julie stepped away from Max and embraced his newest sister-in-law.

  "Julie,” Bri said fondly as she hugged her. “It's so good to see you.” Her gaze flitted over Max before turning back to Julie. “I see your wish came true."

  "I'm not so sure,” Julie replied unsteadily.

  Zack gripped Max's arm tightly, tearing his attention away from Julie and Bri. Dark brown eyes collided with his. “There are a few things we need to discuss."

  The minister cleared his throat and stated the wedding was about to begin. Max grinned at his brother as he pried his arm out of the firm grip. He took Julie's hand and led her to a front-row seat. If the shit was going to hit the fan, it might as well be later.

  When they took their seats, Max leaned down and whispered in Julie's ear, “You didn't tell me that you know Bri."

  Julie cocked her head to one side. “No, I didn't,” she said stiffly. “I expect we both have a few secrets."

  Max's gut tightened. When the organist suddenly began to play, everyone in the chapel stood to greet the bride and groom. Max breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been granted a little time to figure out how to handle the situation.

  * * * *

  "Alex and I met at his father's eightieth birthday party,” Leigh-Ann said. “I won't say it was love at first sight but there was definitely a spark between us."

  Julie smiled. “You look very happy together,” she said as her fingers curled around her glass of white wine.

  "We are happy. Alex can be a big oaf sometimes but he's a wonderful man and will be a fantastic father."

  Julie couldn't help but gaze around the hall. Max had left the table with Zack some time ago. Where the heck is he? “You're very fortunate,” she said.

  "You started off a lot better than I did,” Bri said. “I still can't believe my friendship with Zack was based on his belief that I was gay."

  "You certainly showed him, sister,” Leigh-Ann said as she raised her glass of club soda.

  "I did, didn't I?” Bri replied as she clinked her glass of wine against her sister-in-law's.

  "Speaking of Zack,” Julie said. “He and Max have been gone for some time."

  Bri shrugged. “Zack has never spent so much time away from work in his life. They're probably talking shop."

  Julie had a sinking feeling they were doing just that. She'd had a sinking feeling about a lot of things today.

  Leigh-Ann grinned. “I hear you. Alex doesn't like being away from the ranch too long."

  "I'm going to the ladies’ room,” Julie said as she rose from the table.

  "Want me to come with you?” Bri asked.

  "No.” Julie sped away without a backwards glance. She didn't want Bri to follow her. She made a beeline for the balcony door. Some unfathomable instinct told her that she'd find Max there.

  She stopped at the door, knowing her senses were on the ball. Two tall figures stood by the railing. Julie quietly scooted closer, using a tall plant as a shield.

  "What the fuck were you thinking?” Zack said angrily. “Why would you make all these promises when there was no chance in hell you'd be able to keep them?"

  "The lighting system has already been taken care of,” Max replied.

  "I'm not saying it was a bad thing to do,” Zack replied. “But you don't hire the first contractor who comes along. It could have been done just as good but a lot cheaper if you'd checked around first."

  "Sorry, bro,” Max said. “Never occurred to me to check around."

  "No, I imagine it didn't. As usual, you were thinking with your cock."

  "All right, I was,” Max said. “But have you seen Julie? Who wouldn't want to fuck her? I've been having the ride of my life the last couple of weeks."

  Julie's heart snapped in two. He'd been lying to her all along and, worse than that, he'd taken her coworkers along for the ride.

  "There's a lot more to life than screwing beautiful women,” Zack said.

  Max snorted. “So says the pussy-whipped husband. Glad you and Alex are happy but monogamy isn't for everyone."

  Zack shook his head. “I don't care what you think of monogamy,” he said. “But I do care about Diamond Industries and I'm not willing to back up your bad financial decisions just because you want a mail room clerk in your bed."

  Julie felt sick to her stomach. She stumbled out from behind the plant. She blindly walked up to the two men, her mind whirling, her body tense with anger.

  Max turned, his eyes widened. “Julie—"

  His words were cut off by the loud smack as her hand came into contact with his cheek. His head whipped to one side with the impact. “You bastard! Is that all I was to you?"

  "Of course not. Just listen—"

  "I have listened, Max. I've listened way too much. You told me all our demands had been met and I believed you. And...” she stopped for a moment, trying to catch her breath, “what about that long speech about wanting to prove your father was wrong about you? It was all an act, wasn't it?” She didn't need a reply, she knew the truth now.

  "I didn't lie about everything—"

  "Go to hell!” When she turned, he grabbed her arm. She twisted out of his grip.

  "Wait! We need to talk."

  But she didn't wait, she ran...and ran and ran, through the balcony door, through the hall, down the steps and three blocks before she finally couldn't run anymore. She leaned against a brick wall, covered her eyes and sobbed.

  Chapter 9

  Nina took her time reading the proposal. She smiled as she took a pen and signed on the designated line. “It's been a long time coming,” she said. “I just wish Julie had stuck around to see it."

  Max took the document and looked at the mail room supervisor. “Her loss,” he said coolly.

  "I suppose you know she moved back to Pencil two months ago,” Nina said.

  Yeah, he knew. Seemed she'd headed for the hills of Pencil right after she ran out on him. When he called her parents’ house, they'd neither confirm nor deny she was there. But when Jack said he'd punch Max's lights out if he showed up in Pencil, it pretty much confirmed Julie's whereabouts.

  "She's going to marry that doctor,” Nina continued. “You know who I mean, he gave you a black eye."

  Max nodded impatiently. “Yes, I know who you mean."

  "Everyone in the mail room got an invitation. The wedding's next weekend."

  "Good for her,” Max said as he folded the document and stuffed it into the breast pocket of his suit coat. “I'm sure they'll be perfectly miserable together."

  As he turned to walk out the door, Nina rounded her desk and grabbed his arm. “You aren't going to let her marry him, are you?” she asked incredulously.

  "Of course I am,” he said. “She's a big girl. She knows what she's doing.” Max left quickly, not wanting to hear any more from Nina.

  As he walked to the elevator, his head ached. It was bad enough she'd left Toronto without saying goodbye, but now she was going to marry that ass. He'd taken a black eye for Julie and didn't get so much as a thank you.

  For the past two months, Max found himself missing Julie every second of every day. He sank himself into work, spending every waking moment at Diamond Industries, giving everything he had to the company. It was better than wallowing around his apartment missing that damn blond.

  While Zack wasn't pleased with the promises Max had made to the mail room, his hard work and dedication to the betterment of not just the employees in the mail room but everyone working for the company, soon proved beneficial. Productivity was up almost sixty percent. Max had shown Zach and his father that happy employees were more productive and thereby established he was worthy of being VP.

  Even though Julie walked away, Max knew her well enough. She'd be watching from the sidelines and cheering for her former coworkers.

  The very least Max deserved was a
thank you from the bitch.

  * * * *

  Julie sighed. “I hate it,” she said as she gazed at the billowing ruffles that began just below her breasts and continued to the floor. “I look like a giant marshmallow."

  Sandra sat on the settee and gazed at her daughter with a discerning eye. “I don't mind this one. It accentuates your hips."

  Julie laughed out loud. “I can't see my hips under all this fluff."

  Her mother chuckled. “I was trying to be supportive. This is the seventh dress you've tried on. Louise's Wedding Shop is the only one in town. If she doesn't have another dress you like, we'll have to go into the city."

  Julie quickly stripped out of the dress and handed it to her mother. “I promise I'll go with the next dress you bring in...well, as long as it's not as ugly as this one."

  "I'll see,” Sandra said as the toted the dress with her out the fitting room door.

  Julie sighed as she gazed at herself in the mirror. In only her lacy bra and high-cut silk panties, her eyes roved over her form. She frowned when she spotted a blue vein near her ankle and bent to examine it closer.

  "That's my favorite pose. Wish I'd brought my camera."

  Startled, Julie stumbled forward. Firm hands gripped her hips and saved her from tumbling to the floor. She whipped around, her heart racing, her mind whirling. “Max,” she hissed. “How the hell did you get in here?"

  "It wasn't hard. The fitting room has a back porch and the door wasn't locked,” he said, grinning widely.

  Julie cursed inwardly. That's what she got for looking for a wedding dress in a small town. The only shop in town was in an old house on a back street.

  "What are you doing here?” she asked as her heart pounded in her throat.

  "Figured we had some unfinished business,” he said as he threw himself onto the settee.

  "We have nothing to say to each other,” she said. “My mother is coming back any minute so you have to get out of here."

  "Lock the door,” Max said.

  "I will not!” she said angrily. “Get out or I'll call the cops."

  Max pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and held it out to her. “Be my guest."