Diamonds & Desire: The Priceless Collection

by Gill, Angelita

  “I didn’t want to drag you home when you’re more than welcome to stay,” he explained. “Take advantage of the hotel amenities, have a little fun.”

  “I’ve had more than enough fun,” she arched with a soft smile.

  Another first. He couldn’t name one woman in his past who wouldn’t take advantage of his offer. What woman didn’t like to shop or go to the spa on someone’s credit card? He wanted her to enjoy herself to the maximum, not hustle to the airport on last minute notice. But looked like she was coming home with him and he liked that.

  Ninety minutes later, they were in the air, and the Strip—their night together—was behind them. This time he declined any alcohol and forced himself to work. There wasn’t much conversation between him and Jordana, and much to his aggravation, the silence distracted him more than a marching band in the aisle would have.

  The flight attendant, who sensed Logan’s all-business attitude as soon as he boarded the plane, had offered Jordana a variety of entertainment for the flight, trying to minimize the chance his lady friend would distract him. Jordana sported a pair of Bose headphones, watching an episode of some sitcom. Every time he heard her laugh, even as she tried to suppress it, he wanted to swipe the paperwork from his lap and watch the comedy with her.

  He sighed, dropping his head on the headrest.

  Jordana Shaw, though perfect for the bedroom, was not good for his business.

  ***

  They sat in silence as the car came to a stop in front of Jordana’s apartment building.

  She broke the quiet before he could. “Logan, I can’t thank you enough. I had a wonderful time. So many…unexpected things happened.” She leaned over, her hand gentle against his cheek as she kissed his lips.

  Before he knew what to say or do next, his mind racing with his next action, she was climbing out. Tom unlocked the trunk to help her with her suitcase and walked her up.

  What the hell was he doing sitting in the car? To hell with work; it could wait another night.

  His driver slid into the front seat and pulled the car into motion.

  “Tom.”

  The car halted. Tom’s gaze shifted to the rear view mirror. “Apartment 303, sir.”

  He jogged to the top floor, realizing it had been a few days since he done any real cardio. Leaning his hands on the frame, he questioned his sanity. With work breathing down his neck, what was he doing in front of her apartment?

  The door opened before he could knock. Her eyes widened, but he wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact he was a little breathless or because he was standing there. A wry smile formed on her sweet mouth while she stood there adorable and sexy in her bare feet. “What are you doing?”

  He dropped his arms. “I don’t know about you but...I don’t want our weekend to end yet.” Taking a step, he bored his eyes into hers. “I’ve been trying to keep my hands off you all afternoon and honestly, I don’t know how I got this far. I know it looked like I was getting a hell of a lot of work done on the plane, but I was actually too busy watching you watch TV.” Now that he had begun spilling his thoughts, he couldn’t contain them. “This weekend—”

  She covered his mouth with her fingers, then slowly smiled. “Are you going to be mad to know you could’ve simply walked in and kissed me when I opened the door?”

  With a grin, he caught her in his arms and kicked the door closed behind him. He claimed her lips without another word, a relieved moan coming from his throat. Somehow they found their way to her bedroom without breaking the kiss. Instead of taking his time, his hunger overtook slow seduction as he landed on top of her when she pulled him down between her legs.

  He pushed her top and bra up to slide his tongue from under her breast to the tip of her nipple. She gasped and arched as he sucked on the peak, lifting her hips. With her help, he pulled her top off, then his shirt, before he dove in to capture her lips, reveling in the way her breasts felt pressed against his chest. In fevered desperation, he kicked off his shoes, stripped off his pants and underwear, then made quick removal of hers. Addicted to the smell and smoothness of her skin, he hungrily pressed wet kisses on her chest, up to her delicate throat.

  “Logan,” she said achingly.

  His fingers grazed the wetness between her thighs, and she clenched her nails in his shoulders. She was so warm, so soft, so responsive. She grasped his face in her hands and kissed him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

  “Condom,” she whispered breathlessly, “in my nightstand.”

  He found one and rolled it on in what had to be a record breaking time. She spread her legs, gorgeous and ready for him. He grasped her right knee, and entered her with a swift thrust. A low groan escaped before he could smother it. Moving his hips, he started a rhythm, slow and precise, then harder as he rotated his hips, needing to go deeper. With small cries, she met his thrusts, scraping her nails down his back. As they rocked together feverishly, he grasped her wrists, and held her down.

  Her little smile told him she liked that.

  His balls tickled, an orgasm so close, he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

  Sweat rolled down the side of his face as he caught and held those pretty eyes, feeling a piece of himself get lost in them, worried he would never get it back. Her sounds increased in volume, and as soon as she climaxed, he let himself go, coming hard.

  He moved behind her, tucked her body into his and set his arm around her. When she took his hand, squeezed it, and held it close to her chest, his pounding heart gave a lurch.

  She was unlike any woman he’d ever been with. But that didn’t mean anything, did it? Only that he finally found someone he wanted to continue seeing more than usual.

  How long would it take before they got bored with another, his cynical side leered. Because, eventually, it would happen.

  Chapter Eleven

  The fact Logan stayed had been unexpected. She thought for sure he would drop her off so he could handle the business he had to leave Vegas for.

  But he didn’t. He made love to her and spent the night.

  She’d been awake for a while and could see her phone’s LED flashing, and wanted to make sure Lucee hadn’t been trying to reach her. Easy to imagine her sister and brother-in-law stranded in Vegas because they’d run out of money. Those two could go nuts on a craps table. And go broke.

  As she attempted to slip out of Logan’s hold, she gasped when caught by his strong hands and guided to sit on top of him. A low laugh escaped from her, transitioning to a moan as he sensuously ran his hands up her back, bringing his mouth to a nipple. Her lips parted on a breath as he sucked. Frissons of electric desire licked on her spine. Her toes curled.

  She found her last condom deep in her nightstand and helped him roll it on. He cupped her bottom, lifting her to set her on his cock. As she came down on his thick shaft, she gasped, then laced her fingers with his while she rode him slowly, quietly, while the morning foggy breeze blew through the small crack in her window. Logan’s groaned through clenched teeth, gripping her hips, murmuring how good it felt, to go faster. Panting, with her hands pressed on the tight plane of his chest, she complied, closing her eyes, letting her orgasm build. Soon, she cried out with shattering ecstasy and Logan’s deep moan followed.

  As she slowed down, limbs weighted, she opened her eyes to catch Logan gazing up at her, a strange look in the blue pools. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths as he grazed up her arm, eliciting a shiver on her damp skin. He skimmed his knuckles to her cheek, fingering down her throat to grasp her neck and pull her down. She lay her head on him, listening to his heart pound.

  The clouds shifted by the sun, darkening the room one minute, allowing flashes of sunshine the next. Jordana didn’t know how much time had passed as they lay there, both awake but saying nothing, as he played with her hair.

  “I like your place,” he told her. “It’s
cozy. Lots of color and character. It’s nice waking up in a home that actually looks lived in. Is that a ladder made into a bookshelf?”

  She glanced at the paint-splattered wooden ladder nailed in the corner of her bedroom. Too rickety for its original intention, she’d almost thrown it away, but got inspired after seeing one in a magazine. “I have so little floor space in here and I needed a bookcase. It’d been sitting in my storage for years useless. Now it has a whole new function.”

  “Very clever. My house could use some personal touches. If you’ll recall it has the particularly frigid palate of gray and dark gray in most of its rooms.”

  “Why haven’t you changed it?”

  “No time. I guess I could hire someone to decorate it, but what’s the point? I’m happy with the way it is. How long have you lived here?”

  She lifted her head, moved her hand on his chest and rested her chin. “It’ll be three years this January. Although I’m going to have to move once my lease is up. They’re raising the rent.”

  He shifted an arm behind his head. “That’s too bad. Although it is a bit of commute to work, isn’t it?”

  With a yawn, she forced herself to peel off him. Nothing compared to morning sex, but coffee had to follow. “Who doesn’t commute long hours to work in this state? I’m used to it.”

  “Have you ever thought about moving a little closer to San Francisco? By Dr. Palecki’s?”

  “Sure I have, but I can’t afford it on my own and I’ve vowed never to get another roommate if I can help it.”

  “I don’t blame you on that end. Mind if I take liberty of your shower?” he asked getting up.

  “It’s all yours,” she said with a smile, catching a glimpse of his manly physique before he disappeared in her bathroom. After checking her phone, she sighed in relief the only messages she’d missed were a couple from her friends. Nothing urgent. Guess she would always worry about Lucee to some degree.

  While she poured her coffee, she heard Logan moving about in her bedroom after his shower. She anticipated spending more of her Sunday morning with him. Giddy, in fact.

  Her wood floor creaked as Logan came down the hall. She leaned against her counter, stirring the cream in her coffee, watching him saunter in. Fresh from the shower, his hair was still slightly damp and since he hadn’t shaved, he wore that day old beard and rugged look once more.

  He gave her a sexy half-smile. “What?”

  Suppressing a dreamy sigh, she asked, “Coffee?” Then blew on the steaming Jamaican blend in her cup.

  “You already know the answer,” he drawled pulling out a chair at her two-person table. His size dwarfed the piquant piece of furniture.

  She filled another mug and carried it to him. “Cream is in the little white pot, sugar is in the blue one. If you need any.”

  “I’m sweet already.”

  She laughed, then moved to get the clutter off the table. “Oh. Sorry, I’ll get that out of your way.”

  Giving her project as assessing look, he shook his head, preventing her from taking it. “It’s not in my way at all. What is it?” He began flipping through her book. “You made this?”

  “Yes,” she replied with an almost harassed note in her voice, embarrassed because it was unfinished and she didn’t like anyone to see her projects while they were in progress. Sketches of story characters she’d made were glued on colored paper, the book tied together with ribbon, and random stickers she’d collected covered the pages. She stood there holding her breath as he read through the entire story.

  “This is pretty good. I didn’t know you could draw.” Running his fingers over the page, he said, “I like the premise. Betsy unlocks her grandmother’s basement door with her magical key, she meets a famous person from the past, and spends the day with them learning their historical contributions, and what it was like to live in that time period. Pretty cool idea.”

  “Thanks.” She went to retrieve it from his hands.

  “I had no idea you wrote children’s books.”

  She tucked it in a drawer. “I’m just an amateur. Not published or anything.”

  He sat back with his coffee, crossing his ankle over a knee. “Looks like you put some serious work into it. I distinctly remember you telling me how you like to watch the History Channel. Now I get it.”

  Her cheeks heated. Oh yeah. She’d forgotten about sharing that tidbit the first night they met. She sat down across from him and picked up her mug with both hands, taking a sip. “It’s a good stress reliever. I’ll give them to Lucee’s kids someday. If she has any.”

  “There’s more than one?”

  She nodded. “I’ve finished five so far.”

  “Really?” His brows rose. “Show me.”

  Disbelieving in his interest, she gave him a leery look. “You want to see the others?”

  He grinned. “Sure. I love a good history lesson with my first cup of coffee.”

  Surprised and delighted, she went to grab the other projects from a box in her living room. Even Zack hadn’t cared to look at her stuff with anything more than grudging interest. In fact, he’d often complained about her hobby because it sometimes took her attention away from him. When she felt inspired, hours could go by before she quit.

  More than anything, she loved working on them in her free time, and having someone else interested in her work meant the world to her. Trying not to show too much girlish excitement, she handed the stack to Logan.

  He read through each story at length, sipping his coffee, at times chuckling, especially at the one with Willis Carrier, who invented air-conditioning. How wonderful to have Logan in her kitchen, reading her books. She could get used to this.

  Finished, he smacked the stack of them and said, “That’s it. You should have them published. It’s creative, educational. I really liked the story about Charles Goodyear, and how he showed Betsy that even at his lowest in life, poverty-stricken, called a madman, he never gave up on his mission to make rubber melt-proof. I’m sure there’s a publisher out there who would jump on these.”

  She twisted her mouth in a wry move. “I already tried. Multiple times.”

  “With who?”

  “Let’s see.” She counted them off her fingers. “Green Castle Group, Poppy Seed Publications, Hampton-Rogers Books. All rejections. One even said they enjoyed the stories but didn’t see a market for them. I’m sure my last attempt will fall in line with the rest.”

  “Who’s the final attempt?”

  “Triton Press. Heard of them?”

  He rested a forearm on the table. “They sound familiar. In any case, I don’t think you should give up, even if Triton happens to turn you down. There’s always the possibility of self-publishing, right? It’s obvious from the work you put into it and the little gleam in your eyes you love to make them. I’m no pro on the children’s fiction market, but I know talent when I see it.”

  “Then you’re the only one.” She gathered the bunch, winking at him. “I thought about self-publishing, but it’s a lot of labor. You’re in charge of everything. Marketing, illustrations, editing. I’d rather just write the story and let someone else handle all that.”

  The sound of his cell phone ringing brought the conversation to a close. And their morning together. “So it begins.” Silencing the call, then tucking his phone back in his pocket, he added, “Sometimes I wish we could go back to the pre cell phone days, when you couldn’t reach anyone until they came to the office on Monday.” He rose. “I have to go.”

  Though disappointed he couldn’t stay a little longer, she’d had him mostly to herself for the better part of three days, and she had no right to pout. “That’s the life of a CEO? Always on call?”

  “For my company at least.”

  She gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’ll walk you out.”

  As they approached the door, he pulled her
in for a kiss, but it wasn’t a quick see-you-later kind. Jordana took a couple steps back as he advanced for a hungrier taking, and felt the hard wall on her back. His kisses became deeper, slower and greedier, until he pulled the knot of her robe. With a low moan, he dipped his mouth to her neck, licking her earlobe.

  Passion ignited in her blood, stunning her with its urgency since they’d just had sex an hour ago. He was never going to leave at this rate. Though she reveled in his attraction to her, she pushed at his chest until he pulled back.

  “Logan, stop,” she said, then laughed on a breath. “You have to leave, remember?”

  The esurient look in his eyes transformed to normal. She knew the feeling. “I’m sorry,” he sighed.

  “I don’t want to be responsible for keeping you away from your company any longer. Pretty soon your board of directors will think I’m holding you hostage, expecting ransom.” He chuckled and came in for another kiss but she smacked a palm on his lips. “Don’t start that again.”

  He dropped his hold with reluctance. “Right. Glad one of us has some self-control. I’ll call you tonight. Unfortunately I can already foresee a full schedule this week, which means not a likely chance for our lunch dates.”

  “That’s okay. I’m getting a sick of you anyway.”

  “Is that so? Well, I’ll just have to play harder to get.” He slowly grinned, tracing the back of his knuckles down her cheek. “At least there’s the Unchained benefit next Saturday. Be sure to dress to the nines.”

  The reminder of all the prepping she needed to do revived her out of the sensual haze. “To the nines. Right. I’ll probably wear the dress you bought me in Vegas. Unless I can wear a sweatshirt and hot pants?” she added jokingly.

  His eyes twinkled in amusement. “I would love to see you in some hot pants. Leopard print. With high heels.”

  She pretended to be awed. “Ooo, sexy! I’ll need to go shopping for a couple more. Would you believe I gave all my haute couture designer dresses away to Goodwill last year?”