Secret Love (Arabesque)

by Jackson, Brenda

  He also understood her fears.

  She was still fearful of how pulled apart and complicated their life together would become once the media found out about them. And she was fighting to protect their privacy. He didn’t care what the media found out. He wanted to stop hiding the truth about their marriage and make her realize that together they could handle the media. And although a part of him wanted to push her into finally making a decision about their future, he couldn’t. He would continue to do what he’d always done whenever she showed up at Whispering Pines. He would be her calm after the storm, her haven of protection, her rock of strength and her biggest supporter. And most importantly, he would continue to be the man who loved her.

  He had long ago accepted the fact that the two of them would not have a normal marriage. He had gotten used to her drop-in visits, their secret rendezvous and their clandestine hideaways filled with stolen passionate moments. What he hadn’t liked was keeping the news of his marriage from his family. Only one of his brothers knew the truth, and that had been by accident when Jonathan and his wife Marilyn had dropped by the ranch unexpectedly during one of Diamond’s visits.

  He knew other family members were worried and concerned that he was acting strangely by not spending time with the family like he used to. He had missed a couple of the family gatherings, which in the past had been so unlike him. What they didn’t know was the reason he’d been absent was because he’d been somewhere having a secret illicit affair with his wife. In the beginning, he had enjoyed the thrill of outsmarting the media, who assumed Diamond and Sterling were an item. Now even that had changed.

  As hard as it was to believe, Sterling, who had been a devout bachelor, had gotten married eight months ago, and he and his wife were expecting their first child. Therefore Sterling could no longer be used as Diamond’s pretend lover, which had only put the media in a frenzy to discover and disclose the identity of her new love interest. News coverage on Diamond was worse than it had ever been before. The media were completely stumped as to how Colby, Sterling’s wife, could become such close friends with Diamond, whom everyone assumed was Sterling’s former lover. Jake shook his head at the madness.

  Jake lifted his face to the sky when he heard the hum of an aircraft. In those few scant seconds of sound, a shudder rippled down his spine and he drew in a deep breath.

  His wife, the love of his life, was home.

  Diamond’s heart squeezed inside her chest when she saw the first fragments of land. She put her face to the plane’s window to peer out into the predawn sky as a clearer picture came into view.

  Whispering Pines.

  No matter how many times she returned, she always felt a deep connection to this place. It was here that she had found true everlasting love with a man who meant everything to her.

  Jacob.

  She wanted to forget about everything except Jacob and Whispering Pines. She didn’t want to remember the insane young man who thought himself obsessively in love with her and had broken into her home only to get violent when she had tried getting away from him. She didn’t want to think of the police’s questions or the mob of reporters who had shown up after hearing about the incident.

  She wanted to forget everything except for the man she loved and the land she considered as home. Easing back in her seat, a calming peace settled over her. She was home, and she knew without a doubt that when the plane landed, Jacob would be there at the airstrip, waiting for her.

  Just like he had that very first time.

  Jake could see the silhouette of Sterling’s plane in the predawn sky. Then he watched it land. He held his breath when the aircraft came to a stop. Moments later the door opened and Diamond came out onto the top step. She saw him and across the distance their gazes met and locked. He watched as she drew a deep breath before proceeding down the steps. Her hands were tucked into the pockets of her jacket to ward off the mid-February chill. She had cut her hair for the movie she’d just finished filming. The short, curly strands covered her head like a black cap, and made the beauty of her facial features even more blatant.

  He walked toward her, feeling more love for this woman than she would ever know. He met up with her when she planted her feet firmly on solid ground, the earth of Whispering Pines. When he stood in front of her, he looked at her closely, trying to detect any physical sign of harm. He reached out and tenderly ran one finger along her cheek.

  “Are you all right, or do I have to go to California and hurt somebody?” he asked in a low voice and a tone that was dead serious. Diamond studied his features as closely as he was studying hers. She saw his strain, his exhaustion and his worry. She had told herself that she would not cry when she saw him; had even convinced herself that she would not break down. Now she was fighting desperately not to do both.

  “No,” she answered softly, in a shaky voice. “He was just a kid, Jacob, barely eighteen.”

  Jake shrugged broad shoulders, his gaze never leaving hers. “Doesn’t matter. He had the nerve to mess with my woman, my wife. And I don’t like it. I don’t like it one hell of a bit.”

  Diamond nodded. She forced a faint smile to her face. “Neither do I, but it’s over. I survived the ordeal and I’m home with my man, my husband.”

  Jake stared at her for the space of several heartbeats before leaning down and capturing Diamond’s mouth in his. Exerting more pressure he deepened the kiss, mating their mouths, letting loose their strained emotions and their unrestrained passion. Diamond’s light floral scent drifted to him, filling his mind with all the reasons why he loved her, and just how empty and lonely he felt whenever she was away. Thoughts of her fueled his dreams at night and made him rock-hard at some of the oddest times of the day. Memories of her taste, her touch and passion were things that helped him to survive life without her until she returned. He didn’t think there would ever be a time in his life when he wouldn’t want her completely.

  Jake released Diamond’s mouth momentarily to allow air to stagger into their lungs before claiming her mouth once again.

  All Diamond could think about was the man kissing her, and the long, lonely weeks they had been apart. The feel of his strong arms around her made her feel safe, protected, but most of all, loved. She used every ounce of her concentration on their kiss, becoming lost in it and wishing it could go on forever.

  Jake reluctantly broke off the kiss when he heard the sound of riders and horses approaching. Evidently his men, who were early risers, had gotten wind of what had happened to Diamond on the early morning news. After finding him missing from the ranch, they had put two and two together and had decided to seek him out at the airstrip.

  A lump formed in Jake’s throat, knowing how much his men cared for his wife. She was no longer a celebrity to them. She was their friend and they were her protectors. All of them were committed to keeping their secret.

  Jake saw Diamond look over her shoulder and knew she was deeply touched by the men’s show of force and support as all thirty of them filed in a single line on the horizon. When she looked back at him, he saw the tears forming in her eyes.

  “It’s so good to be home, Jacob. I missed you.”

  He swung her up into his arms and began walking toward his Jeep. “And it’s good having you home, sweetheart. I missed you, too.”

  Diamond fell asleep as soon as Jake helped her undress and get into the bed. He had cursed under his breath and clenched his fists when he had seen the bruise that ran along her shoulder. Although she had explained it had come from her own doing when she had fallen in an attempt to get away from the intruder, that had not soothed Jake’s anger.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry about me, Jacob,” she’d said quietly before drifting off to sleep.

  I’m sorry, too, he had wanted to say to her. He was sorry that he had not been there to protect her. And as much as he knew that his absence couldn’t be helped, he felt the blame just the same.

  He stood at his bedroom window and looked out,
staring over the land. Whispering Pines had always been his pride, his joy, his motivator. The promise he had made to his family had assured his drive to succeed and to take care of the land that had been entrusted to him.

  Jake turned away from the window and glanced across the room and watched Diamond sleep. She was safe. But for how long? When would another overzealous fan hurt her? Feeling disgusted at the thought and with himself, he rubbed a palm across his face, thinking once again that he should have been there to protect his wife.

  Feeling he had failed her and that he would continue to fail her as long as their secret stood in the way, Jake walked out of the room.

  “Where do you think he is, Blaylock?” Diamond asked as she paced the kitchen floor. She had awakened midmorning to find Jacob wasn’t there. And he had not returned for lunch with the rest of his men.

  “The boy got a lot on his mind. He’ll be fine. There are things he needs to work out, Diamond.”

  Diamond gazed over at the older man curiously. “What things?”

  Blaylock shrugged. “Things that aren’t any of my business.”

  Diamond walked over to where Blaylock stood, stirring ingredients into a huge pot as he prepared dinner. She laid a hand on his arm. “Blaylock, everything that happens around here is your business. So please tell me what’s going on with Jacob.”

  Blaylock stared for a long moment at the intense plea in her eyes before saying, “The boy is blaming himself for what happened to you in California.”

  Diamond lifted a bemused brow. “Why would Jacob blame himself? He wasn’t even there.”

  “And that’s what’s eating at him, girl. As your husband, he feels he should have been there to protect you, and he wasn’t.”

  She frowned. She hadn’t thought Jacob would feel that way. “But he couldn’t be there with me. He knows we have to be discreet to keep the secret safe. He—”

  Blaylock waved his hand to halt her words. “Maybe that’s what’s causing the problem, this secret of yours. Think about it for a minute. A man, a real man, would want to protect what’s his, and Jake feels that when it comes to you, he can’t do that.”

  Diamond looked at Blaylock, assessing and weighing everything he had just told her. “Did Jacob tell you this?”

  “He didn’t have to. I’m a man. Besides, I know how Jake thinks. This pretend marriage of yours is finally getting to him.”

  “It’s not a pretend marriage,” Diamond defended, raising her chin. “We have a real marriage.”

  Blaylock lifted a brow. “By whose definition? Definitely not by most people’s. Think about it, Diamond. Then think about the kind of man Jake is. He’s had to make a lot of adjustments to keep your secret. And he’s had to make a lot of sacrifices. He and his family have always been close, but he rarely invites them here for extended visits since he’s never sure when you might drop in.”

  Diamond looked at him, taken aback. She knew how close Jake and his family were. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  Blaylock gave a rueful shrug. “Figured you hadn’t.”

  A quick stab of pain pierced Diamond’s heart. “I only wanted to protect him from the ugliness of my career,” she said quietly. “I didn’t want his privacy invaded.”

  “I know, but what you failed to consider is that when two people marry they accept it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. Trust me. Jake can handle a bunch of annoying reporters.”

  “But I wanted to spare him that. I didn’t want our love exploited. Nor did I want his family subjected to anything either.”

  “Both Jake and the Madaris family can handle their own. When you married Jake, you also married into his family. They’re a family that you have denied yourself the chance to get to know. They are a good group of people who’ll welcome you with open arms and who’ll stand by you and Jake, no matter what.”

  Diamond bit her lip. “Oh, Blaylock, I never stopped to consider any of this. I’ve never been a part of a real family before. I think of you and the men as my family, but that’s as far as I’ve allowed myself to take it.”

  “Then you’re cheating yourself short. I know Jake’s brothers, all five of them. They are good men and they were all lucky to marry good, decent God-fearing women who gave them, for the most part, good, responsible children. Give yourself a chance to know them.”

  He gazed at her thoughtfully. “They will be right proud of the choice Jake made for a wife.”

  Diamond ventured a smile with Blaylock’s compliment. “But they may not be too happy to find out our marriage has been a secret for almost a year and a half.”

  “Once you explain things to them, they’ll understand. The key is telling them about it.”

  The cool night breeze made Diamond shiver as she stood on the porch. Jacob still had not returned and his dinner sat warming in the oven. She was getting worried although a few of the men had mentioned seeing him working on a fence at the end of the north pastures.

  She had thought long and hard about what Blaylock had shared with her. She could kick herself for being so stupid and so insensitive. How could she have thought that Jacob was completely satisfied with their arrangements? How could she not have known how he had really felt?

  She thought of his beautiful home. She had walked through all the rooms that evening, taking stock of each one and noticing that there was nothing to indicate her presence in his life. Even in his bedroom and study, there weren’t any pictures of her or them together.

  And all because of their secret.

  Diamond knew that her husband was a proud man who had given her the world—his world. Not only had he shared his home and land with her, he had introduced her to passion the likes of which she had never known before. From the first, he had ignited fire inside of her. It had been something they had shared from the time she had arrived on Whispering Pines. He had always been understanding and supportive when she had needed it most. He had always been there, waiting for her to return and giving her the peace and tranquility she sought, the passion she craved, the love she needed and the closeness she had wanted.

  Unhesitantly. Unselfishly.

  How could she not love, honor and adore a man such as that? How could she not want to publicly acknowledge her love for him, and then be strong enough to handle the consequences of doing so?

  “Diamond?” Jake’s whispered voice touched Diamond like a gentle wave along the ocean shore. “It’s late. What are you doing out here?” he asked.

  Diamond inhaled a shaky breath as she turned toward his voice. She had not heard him approach. His face suddenly appeared out of the darkness and into the glow of the starlit sky. She looked up at him. He wore an expression that she had never seen on his features before. Guarded.

  She felt his gaze lock on her face and wondered what he was thinking. Staring into the warmth of his dark eyes, she thought that although his features were guarded, the look he gave her was tender.

  “I was out here waiting for you, Jacob,” she answered finally.

  “Why?”

  Why? Her mind began spinning with his single question. “Because I wanted to see you. You’ve been gone all day and I—”

  “I had work to do.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I know, and I didn’t expect you to change your schedule for me.”

  It was only after she had spoken the words that realization suddenly hit her. In the past he’d always done exactly that. Each and every time she returned to Whispering Pines, he had made changes in his schedule to spend time with her. In essence what she had done was force him to do the very thing she had not wanted—interfere with his work on the ranch.

  All the things he had done he did because he loved her. He had loved her enough to make his house feel like a home for her whenever she was here. But far more important, he had done what Samuel had never done. He had trusted her when they were apart. Not once had he questioned her about any of the articles that appeared in certain magazines and tabloids, linking her with other men. She didn’t know too
many men who would have been able to handle that. But he had because he knew in his heart that she truly belonged only to him.

  “How are you feeling, Diamond?”

  Diamond’s thoughts were snatched back into focus with Jacob’s question. Even now he was thinking of her well-being. “I’m fine, Jacob.”

  He nodded. “So what’s on your mind? Why were you waiting for me? What’s bothering you?”

  She nervously licked her lips. He could decipher her mood so easily. It always surprised her how he could sense when something was bothering her. She cocked her head to examine his features. It was obvious to her that something was bothering him as well.

  “I got an idea that I want to run by you.”

  “What idea?”

  “You haven’t had a party here at the ranch in a while. You’ve mentioned on several occasions that you used to host an annual party for your family and close friends.”

  Diamond watched the subtle play of emotions cross Jake’s face. He was slowly letting his guard down, she thought. Knowing that he had felt the need to put it up in the first place tugged at her heart. The knowledge of what he had been enduring because of her made regret twist and turn inside of her.

  Jake crossed his arms and leaned against the porch’s railing. He gazed at her speculatively. “A party? For my family?”

  “Yes.”

  He frowned. “And just where do you plan on being while this party is going on?”

  “Here. I think it’s time for you to introduce me.”

  Jake stared at her, searching her face for some sort of explanation. “Introduce you?”

  “Yes.”

  “As my wife?”

  “I hope you don’t think I’ll let you get away with claiming I’m your mistress,” she said lightly, trying to break the tension between them.