“So, what is it worth?”
“Uncut, as it is...perhaps three thousand U.S. dollars.”
“And once it’s cut?”
“The stone will have fewer carats, but the clarity and brilliance will be greater. This would make a nice stone for an engagement ring.”
Rey coughed.
“Or perhaps a small pendant.” He looked over at Rey, a huge grin on his face. “I would say it could be worth anywhere from four to five thousand.
“Oh, that’s wonderful! What about the other stones?”
He set the small stone aside and picked up the biggest of the lot, a huge pale blue adamas. “The cloudier stones are worth less, but pale blue are rare.” Silas peered at the stone through the loupe, turning it in his hand. “Uncut, maybe five, six.”
“Six thousand dollars?” And that was only one stone! She had ten! She’d sell the stones, move out of her small apartment, put a small down payment on a house. Maybe buy a decent car. She squeezed Rey’s arm, joy bubbling inside.
“Are you in the market to buy any of these?”
“I couldn’t give you full value, because I have to stay in business and think of my resale value, but if you’re willing I could offer you a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“I’ll take the whole lot for twenty-five grand. Best offer you’ll get wholesale. Of course, you could try to sell them one at a time to private collectors on some online auction site, you might get more from them. Up to you. You want to think about it or do we have a deal?”
“What do you think I should do, Rey?”
“Silas is fair and honest. Best trader in the islands.”
“Then it’s a deal! Do we need to go to the bank?”
“Bank?” Silas burst out laughing.
Rey grinned, “Dixie, Silas is the bank.”
“I don’t understand...” She watched the old trader disappear behind one of his beaded curtains, then reappear a moment later, holding five small stacks of U.S. bills.
“I believe in cash transactions whenever possible.” He placed the stacks next to the stones.
Dixie picked up one of the stacks. “I’ve never held so much cash in my life!” Just looking at it made her feel faint. She fanned herself with one of the stacks.
“Lordy! Glad I have a handsome bodyguard.” She shoved the rest of the cash in her purse. Silas poured the stones into a green velvet bag and put them in his pocket.
“Thank you, Mr. Silas.” She couldn’t stop grinning.
“Stop by anytime, my dear.” Silas nodded to Rey, and leaned forward to tell him something in private.
A flood of red color spread across Rey’s bronzed cheeks. “We go.” He guided her from the little shop and into his car.
Concerned about carrying such large sums of money on her person, she once again took Rey’s advice and put the money into the hotel’s safe, keeping out only a few hundred dollars. Enough for lunch and a little shopping.
They were leaving the lobby when someone called out her name. She turned to see her new brother-in-law and her sister. Looked like the honeymoon couple decided to come up for air. She certainly understood. If she had Rey in her bed, she wouldn’t want to leave anytime soon.
“Dixie! I thought you’d left the island. Want to introduce us to your friend?” Her brother-in-law held out his hand and Rey took it as she made introductions. As they shook hands, she noticed Rey’s knuckles get white. He drew back his hand, his brows creased. Her brother-in-law took a step back, a grin on his face.
“I didn’t know Dixie knew anyone here.” Lavonia eyed Rey like a rare hunk of beef she’d like to sample.
“We met yesterday,” Rey explained.
“And now we gotta go.” Damn, she didn’t want to spend her lunch with her sister and brother-in-law. Especially with the way her sister was acting, cooing and simperin’ like a...a...magnolia!
“Perhaps they would like to join us for lunch?” Rey asked.
Now was not the time for him to be such a gentleman! “Oh I’m sure they are too busy to have lunch with us. This is their honeymoon, after all.”
“Congratulations.”
She linked her arm with Rey’s. “Besides, we have private things to discuss.”
“We do?”
“Yes, we do. Ya’ll enjoy the rest of your honeymoon.”
Seeing her sister openly admiring, Rey made her realize something. She wanted Rey, and she didn’t want to wait till the third date. But did he want her?
* * *
He inhaled, eyes fixed on Dixie as she bit into the cherry she’d scooped from her drink. The succulent flesh parted under her teeth, and juice smeared her lips. It was the most erotic thing he’d seen. Silas had enjoyed making him blush. He already knew she had light in her, hell–she was a beacon. No one filled with that much sheer joy of life carried darkness. But Silas had it right. He wanted to fill her with his light, to spread her thighs and enter her body and soul.
But how could he explain and not frighten her? She licked her lips and his heart thumped. Perhaps he could go to her again in a dream. She’d been receptive. And responsive. The memory of which tightened his cock.
The waiter brought the check and began clearing their plates. Too soon this date of theirs would come to an end. He had to do something, anything to keep her with him.
Dixie paid for the lunch, and stood. Please no, don’t let the date come to an end. Not yet.
“Would you care to take a walk along the beach?” She smiled up at him.
“I have a better idea.” Desire mixed with another emotion he refused to name.
“And what’s that?”
“Allow me to finish your tour of the ship.”
“The bedroom?”
“The first place on the tour.” He took her hand in his and they crossed the street, and walked along the beach toward where his ship moored.
“You know I used to have a rule. I wouldn’t sleep with a man until after the third date.”
“Hmm...I believe this is our third date.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Because our first date was on the beach that night when I saw you dancing along the shore, carrying your shoes and singing off key.”
“Oh. I figured this was our second date–not that it matters, since I’ve been thinking about that rule anyway...”
“And...?”
“Some rules were made to be broken.” She slid a hand underneath his shirt, and stood on tiptoe to brush his lips with her own.
The End
About the author:
Ms. Cassandra Curtis spent her formative years traveling with her parents, learning a smattering of languages–usually just enough to get her in trouble. After college, she worked as a reporter and photojournalist, while continuing her love of art. She now writes fiction full-time. An avid gardener and wildlife enthusiast, she enjoys the magick found in nature. Her interests include: art, antiques, astronomy, folklore, mythology, genealogy, music, eastern philosophy and collecting magickal artifacts. A member of both the World Romance Writers, and Romance Divas, Ms. Curtis won the 2006 Amber Quill Press Heat Wave Contest with her novella, Cup of Fate.
Visit her website at:
http://www.cassandracurtis.com/
See a list of her books:
http://www.cassandracurtis.com/books
To read more of her flash fiction go to:
http://midnightmooncafe.bravehost.com/flashfiction.html
More free stories available from Cassandra Curtis:
http://midnightmooncafe.bravehost.com/freebies.html
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