Diamond, page 8
“Ma’am,” Jesse said, smiled, tipped his hat, and headed toward the phone at the back of the room.
The woman pouted, smiled up at Tommy, and knew that he was going to be all she got for the evening. It was her policy not to play favorites. Bobbie Lee’s favorite was always the man she was with.
Tommy frowned, and then she squeezed his elbow and leaned her breasts against his shoulder just enough to set his blood to racing. He swore beneath his breath, angry that he’d been unable to swerve Jesse’s attention from that damned woman back home, and took what was offered.
Jesse took the phone and carried it into the only place in the dressing room that had a modicum of privacy, the bathroom.
He shut and locked the door then dialed the phone. The closed lid of the commode served as a chair as he plopped down and began peeling off his hot, sweaty clothes. Finally he was shirtless, hatless, and nervous as hell, had counted thirteen rings, and still no one had answered. And then he remembered the time. He looked down at his watch. Back home in Nashville it was two o’clock in the morning. He’d be apologizing for more than being an ass. Then she answered.
“Hello?”
“Mornin’, honey,” he said softly.
“Morning? Is it?” Her sleep-befuddled manner made him smile.
“Yes, it’s morning. A little early, but morning nonetheless.”
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you drunk?”
He laughed. “No, Mother, I’m not drunk. I’m just on a concert high. One of these days you’ll know what I mean.”
Diamond stood in the darkened hallway of Jesse’s home and stared at the shadows on the walls, wishing he was there but afraid to say so.
“Sorry I woke you,” Jesse said, “but there’s something I need to say, and I knew that I’d never rest until I said it.”
She waited, hoping, uncertain of what it was that she hoped for.
“Honey…about the way I acted the day I left. I’m sorry, really sorry. I don’t know what made me act like such an ass. I wish it hadn’t happened.”
Diamond sighed. She heard the regret in his voice. And she’d known when he yelled that he wasn’t angry about her going through his music.
“It’s okay,” she said, wishing she had the right to say more, like how much she missed him, and to come home soon. But she didn’t have any rights where Jesse was concerned. So her remark came out sounding offhand and disinterested.
Jesse’s stomach turned. She sounded too distant. He had a sudden urge to go home that moment. He needed to see her face, reassure himself that his “shiny girl” would be waiting for him when he returned.
“I’ll be home day after tomorrow,” he said.
“I’ll tell Henley.”
Mack’s voice boomed through the thin paneled door. “Hey, Jesse, either get out or move over. Someone else wants in, old buddy, and she’s a hell of a lot prettier than you are—and a lot more willing!”
He laughed raucously at his own wit. Jesse winced, knowing that Diamond would hear everything that was going on and misunderstand his part in the levity.
“I’ve got to go,” he said. “It’s so noisy in the dressing room that I had to come in the bathroom to be able to use the phone. Unfortunately, it’s the only one, and it seems there’s a line forming to use it.”
She smiled, but he didn’t see it. All he heard was her swift intake of breath as a moth fluttered across her line of vision.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes. It was just a moth. It flew in my face.”
“Just looking for some light, like the rest of us,” he said, grinning.
“Oh, there’s no light,” she said. “I wouldn’t dare turn it on. That’s what took me so long to answer the phone. I couldn’t find it in the dark.”
“Why in hell didn’t you turn on the light?” he asked.
“Because I sleep in the nude, remember? I can’t be running all over the house with the lights on. Someone might see.”
Oh hell, Jesse thought. I had to ask. But all he could say was, “Oh.” His ability to speak had suddenly disappeared. And walking was going to be damned near impossible with this growing ache behind his zipper.
“Thanks for calling,” Diamond said.
The line went dead and Jesse’s mind went blank. It was either that or burst from the wanting she’d created in him.
6
Diamond put down Jesse’s guitar and looked around the music room in frustration. Spending the better part of two days in there had gotten her nowhere. She knew the words and music to every song he had and some besides, and she was as ready for Tommy and her demo as she’d ever be. She needed a diversion, not more practice.
Trying to forget Jesse’s call the previous night had been impossible. She’d read all sorts of importance into the fact that he’d called and then read herself the riot act for imagining that he actually cared about her.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway and then ceased outside the room. Diamond turned toward the open door.
“Is there anything special you’d be wanting, Miss Houston?” Henley asked.
Diamond took a good long look at the aging ex-marine who’d turned himself into Jesse Eagle’s other right arm. As usual his attire was casual but immaculate. Neat brown slacks just a shade too tight emphasized his short, stocky legs. His white short-sleeved shirt was neatly pressed, and the ever-present plaid bow tie was tucked beneath his second chin.
Henley’s sparse reddish hair was parted neatly and hair-sprayed to his head. His face stayed in quiet repose, but his little round eyes seemed to be in a constant state of emotion. It was in those hazel eyes that Joe Henley revealed his true self, that of a caring and compassionate man.
For a long moment, neither spoke. And then Diamond surprised them both when she answered.
“Yes there is, Henley. I want you to stop calling me ‘Miss Houston,’ and I want you to teach me how to drive.”
His jaw dropped, but the fact that he made no comment other than to close his mouth said much for the control he maintained over his emotions.
“Yes, Miss Diamond,” Henley said. “Will there be anything else?”
Diamond grinned. The concession he’d made with her name was as far as he’d go, and she knew it. “Not today.” She pinned him with a hard stare. “When can we start?”
“At your convenience,” Henley said.
“What about now?”
“Very good, Miss Diamond. Please follow me.”
She did, with alacrity.
Jesse’s touring bus was empty save for Jesse and the driver. Tommy and the members of Muddy Road had disembarked in Nashville and headed for their respective homes. They had exactly one day of rest before recording on the new album would resume, and Jesse knew exactly what he’d do with that day. He didn’t intend to move from his premises for at least twenty-four hours. As always, traveling to and from concerts left him drained, not to mention the performance itself.
When the driver turned down the dirt road leading to his home, a kick of excitement surfaced as he realized that in minutes he would see Diamond. It was a strange, almost comforting feeling to know that someone was waiting for him. He wasn’t certain how he felt about Diamond Houston except that he didn’t want to lose her. He had yet to decide whether that added up to selfishness, lust, or something else. It was the something else that was making him nervous.
“Hey, Jesse!” the driver shouted aloud. “Look out there!”
Jesse looked toward the direction in which his driver was pointing, expecting to see almost anything but what came into view as they turned the curve in his drive.
His old green Dodge pickup, the one he used to haul hay and feed to the horses, was moving at a fast clip through the pasture in front of the house. He cursed and closed his eyes, an unconscious reaction as the Dodge narrowly missed a small stand of trees before turning to run alongside the fence leading toward the barns.
“Look at her go!” the driver yelled, and whistled through his teeth as the old truck cleared a dip in the field by sailing neatly over it instead of driving through it.
“Oh, hell,” Jesse said, muttering beneath his breath. A long swatch of blonde hair flew out the open window and then was sucked back inside as the truck made a u-turn in the field.
Diamond!
He felt a swift surge of panic, followed by anger. When he’d offered to teach her to drive, she’d laughed in his face and turned him down. If his eyes didn’t deceive him, that was Henley sitting beside her in the truck. Jesse stared. By all that’s holy, he thought, she’s got to him, too. If he hadn’t seen it, he never would have believed it. Henley was laughing.
The bus came to a stop as Jesse vaulted from his seat. The driver tossed the bags onto the porch and made a hasty exit. He could tell by the look on Jesse’s face that he was none too happy about what he’d seen, and the driver had no intention of staying around for the explosion.
Diamond swerved, missing the trees in the middle of the pasture by inches. She turned the pickup truck back toward the barns and then laughed at the sight of the mare and her colt running with the truck, with only a board fence separating them in the race to the barn.
The bay mare’s tail flowed out behind her like a kite as she ran, her mane a rich brown tangle in the wind. She tossed her head and whinnied as if in pure delight from the chase, while her baby followed, determined not to be left behind.
“Watch that dip,” Henley shouted.
“What dip?” Diamond yelled, and spit hair from her mouth as it whipped across her face.
“Never mind,” he said, grunting as they went slightly airborne, then landed with a thud on the other side of the shallow ditch.
Diamond laughed again at the look on Henley’s face and turned her attention to the business at hand.
“Slow down,” Henley scouted again. “The gate is coming up.”
“Piece of cake,” Diamond said, and sailed through the narrow opening with inches to spare.
For a beginner, she’d been surprisingly adept at driving. Henley would have liked to believe it was solely due to his expertise as a teacher. However, he was honest enough to realize that once Miss Diamond set her mind to something it was her persistence that was responsible for her newly acquired skill. As for the driving, it wasn’t perfect, but with only two days of practice under her belt, she was damned good at it.
She came to a skidding halt beneath the trees in front of the house, ground the gears into park, and turned off the ignition.
“Made it,” she said, laughing at the expression of surprise on Henley’s face. It was obvious he’d been uncertain of the outcome of their ride.
“And I thank the Lord for small favors,” he said. He took the key and slipped it into his pocket.
Diamond turned toward the house, intent on teasing Henley into baking some of his brownies, when she saw the man leaning against the porch post. The black denim Levis, red shirt, and wide-brimmed black Stetson were unmistakable. Jesse was back, and from the look on his face he was none too happy about what she’d been doing.
“Uh-oh,” she said. “We’ve been caught.”
Henley took one look at his boss’s face and made a quick decision.
“So it seems,” he said, and escorted her to the house. “Sir. You’re home.”
That much was obvious, but it was all that Henley could manage considering Jesse’s expression and the arms he’d folded across his chest.
“I suppose that you’ll be wanting to rest as usual. I’ve prepared a casserole and some salad. The food is in the refrigerator. Miss Diamond knows. I’ll be heading on home now. Have a good evening, sir.”
With that, Henley handed the pickup keys to Jesse, got into his own car, and drove away without looking back.
An explanation was on the tip of Diamond’s tongue when she looked up at Jesse’s face and forgot what she’d been about to say.
That his feelings were hurt was putting it mildly. He was jealous as hell. She’d laughed more with Henley just now than she’d laughed with him since he’d known her. When Henley had handed him the truck keys, he’d had an intense urge to punch his houseman in the face.
It was completely unjustified and unreasonable to expect that Diamond owed him anything other than gratitude for taking her from Cradle Creek. But when he’d seen that look of complete joy on her face and known that another man had put it there, he’d lost all sense of reason.
He stared down at her and started to stuff his hands into his pockets, but found himself wrapping them around her wind-blown hair instead. “Why?” he asked as he tugged gently, urging her up the steps until they were face to face.
Diamond heard the disbelief in his voice but completely misunderstood its origin.
“I didn’t think you’d mind me using the truck,” she said. “It was all my idea, too, so don’t be mad at—”
“Why not me, lady? You let Henley inside your world but you won’t let me.”
He shook her gently to punctuate his questions, expecting her to stiffen and pull away. But she didn’t.
Diamond watched his eyes darken with pain. She couldn’t bear the thought of being the one who’d put it there.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Don’t be mad at me, Jesse.” Her voice faded away into a whisper. “Please…don’t be mad.”
“Oh, my God,” Jesse said, and pulled her into his arms. “Mad? I’m not mad, I’m crazy—crazy about you.”
The catch in her breath was all it took. He tossed his hat through the open door behind him, lowered his head, and inhaled her sigh. Their lips met and the magic began.
Soft and supple, her mouth responded to the insistent pressure of his own. She came alive beneath his touch, moving against him and with him as if there were a slow but steady magnetic pull between them. He took a step forward, pressing her between his body and the porch post, and then groaned when she moved, letting him slide one leg between hers.
The moan that slipped up her throat and into his mouth sent a line of sweat beading across his forehead. He thrust his leg forward and rocked it gently against her body, then turned loose of her and reached for the porch post for support when her hands dropped down to caress the bulge behind his zipper.
“Easy…”
It was the only warning she was going to get. If Diamond wanted this to stop, she would have to be the one to stop it.
She heard the hesitation in his voice and recognized it for what it was. What happened next was entirely up to her. She made her choice.
“I missed you,” she said softly, and began to unsnap his shirt, baring his chest to her touch.
Jesse’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. It was all he could manage as her fingers feathered across his belly.
“You sure you want to do this, lady? In about one more heartbeat, what control I have left will be gone.”
She answered by pulling his shirt from the waistband of his jeans.
Jesse wrapped his arms around her, tilted her face to his, and swooped, taking what he wanted of this woman’s offering. What he wanted was everything. Jesse got what he wanted.
Diamond felt the ground disappear beneath her feet as Jesse lifted her into his arms and carried her inside the house. He kicked the door shut behind him and walked blindly toward the staircase, using instinct to guide him as her hands locked around his neck and her gaze focused entirely on the shape of his mouth.
“I’m going to make love to you,” he said.
“I know.”
“Is there anything you want to tell me before I completely lose my mind?” His question was no more than a low, husky growl as he looked down at the beauty in his arms.
“Just hurry,” she said.
And he did.
A path of their discarded clothing began at the head of the stairs, trailing down the long hallway past her bedroom and through the open door of his own. There was nothing left to remove but their pants and boots by the time he shut his door and tossed her onto the bed.
Diamond’s heart was racing, and her limbs were heavy from the wanting. She couldn’t move other than to follow him with her gaze as she lay helpless on his bed, waiting. She’d never wanted anyone or anything this much in her life. She’d never allowed herself to care this much for a man. The feeling frightened her. If this was a mistake, she was about to make it. Stopping now was as impossible for her as it would have been for him.
And then he stood naked before her, unashamed of his need as he approached her.
“I don’t use any…I don’t take—”
“I’ll protect you,” Jesse said, and reached for the drawer of his bedside table to fulfill his promise.
She tried to speak as he knelt above her on the bed and began removing first one of her boots and then the other. And then her body arched beneath his hands as he stripped her of her Levis, leaving nothing between them but a narrow strip of thin white nylon. Then that, too, disappeared.
Breathing became difficult, and his hands shook as he bared her body for his touch. Then he blinked back tears as her eyes closed and she smiled. This woman was made for loving.
His eyes were dark, his movements slow and steady as he lowered himself onto her and then gently into her. She sighed and moved, wrapping her arms around his neck as his whisper feathered across her breasts.
“I’ll always take care of you, honey,” he said. “I promised.”
The fever between them rose. Diamond knew that in moments, she’d never be the same. As his mouth demanded, his hands teased. As her body arched to meet his, she fell under his spell and his body as easily as she breathed.
At first his movement inside her was nothing more than a slow burn that made her limbs weak and her heart race. And then it changed to a spiraling ache as he increased the power and speed. She felt his own need grow as he buried himself deeper and deeper into her in an all-consuming need for completion.
When his quick, intense breaths became harsh gasps for air, she lifted herself to him, wrapped her legs around his waist, and took him with her into the light.
The woman pouted, smiled up at Tommy, and knew that he was going to be all she got for the evening. It was her policy not to play favorites. Bobbie Lee’s favorite was always the man she was with.
Tommy frowned, and then she squeezed his elbow and leaned her breasts against his shoulder just enough to set his blood to racing. He swore beneath his breath, angry that he’d been unable to swerve Jesse’s attention from that damned woman back home, and took what was offered.
Jesse took the phone and carried it into the only place in the dressing room that had a modicum of privacy, the bathroom.
He shut and locked the door then dialed the phone. The closed lid of the commode served as a chair as he plopped down and began peeling off his hot, sweaty clothes. Finally he was shirtless, hatless, and nervous as hell, had counted thirteen rings, and still no one had answered. And then he remembered the time. He looked down at his watch. Back home in Nashville it was two o’clock in the morning. He’d be apologizing for more than being an ass. Then she answered.
“Hello?”
“Mornin’, honey,” he said softly.
“Morning? Is it?” Her sleep-befuddled manner made him smile.
“Yes, it’s morning. A little early, but morning nonetheless.”
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you drunk?”
He laughed. “No, Mother, I’m not drunk. I’m just on a concert high. One of these days you’ll know what I mean.”
Diamond stood in the darkened hallway of Jesse’s home and stared at the shadows on the walls, wishing he was there but afraid to say so.
“Sorry I woke you,” Jesse said, “but there’s something I need to say, and I knew that I’d never rest until I said it.”
She waited, hoping, uncertain of what it was that she hoped for.
“Honey…about the way I acted the day I left. I’m sorry, really sorry. I don’t know what made me act like such an ass. I wish it hadn’t happened.”
Diamond sighed. She heard the regret in his voice. And she’d known when he yelled that he wasn’t angry about her going through his music.
“It’s okay,” she said, wishing she had the right to say more, like how much she missed him, and to come home soon. But she didn’t have any rights where Jesse was concerned. So her remark came out sounding offhand and disinterested.
Jesse’s stomach turned. She sounded too distant. He had a sudden urge to go home that moment. He needed to see her face, reassure himself that his “shiny girl” would be waiting for him when he returned.
“I’ll be home day after tomorrow,” he said.
“I’ll tell Henley.”
Mack’s voice boomed through the thin paneled door. “Hey, Jesse, either get out or move over. Someone else wants in, old buddy, and she’s a hell of a lot prettier than you are—and a lot more willing!”
He laughed raucously at his own wit. Jesse winced, knowing that Diamond would hear everything that was going on and misunderstand his part in the levity.
“I’ve got to go,” he said. “It’s so noisy in the dressing room that I had to come in the bathroom to be able to use the phone. Unfortunately, it’s the only one, and it seems there’s a line forming to use it.”
She smiled, but he didn’t see it. All he heard was her swift intake of breath as a moth fluttered across her line of vision.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes. It was just a moth. It flew in my face.”
“Just looking for some light, like the rest of us,” he said, grinning.
“Oh, there’s no light,” she said. “I wouldn’t dare turn it on. That’s what took me so long to answer the phone. I couldn’t find it in the dark.”
“Why in hell didn’t you turn on the light?” he asked.
“Because I sleep in the nude, remember? I can’t be running all over the house with the lights on. Someone might see.”
Oh hell, Jesse thought. I had to ask. But all he could say was, “Oh.” His ability to speak had suddenly disappeared. And walking was going to be damned near impossible with this growing ache behind his zipper.
“Thanks for calling,” Diamond said.
The line went dead and Jesse’s mind went blank. It was either that or burst from the wanting she’d created in him.
6
Diamond put down Jesse’s guitar and looked around the music room in frustration. Spending the better part of two days in there had gotten her nowhere. She knew the words and music to every song he had and some besides, and she was as ready for Tommy and her demo as she’d ever be. She needed a diversion, not more practice.
Trying to forget Jesse’s call the previous night had been impossible. She’d read all sorts of importance into the fact that he’d called and then read herself the riot act for imagining that he actually cared about her.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway and then ceased outside the room. Diamond turned toward the open door.
“Is there anything special you’d be wanting, Miss Houston?” Henley asked.
Diamond took a good long look at the aging ex-marine who’d turned himself into Jesse Eagle’s other right arm. As usual his attire was casual but immaculate. Neat brown slacks just a shade too tight emphasized his short, stocky legs. His white short-sleeved shirt was neatly pressed, and the ever-present plaid bow tie was tucked beneath his second chin.
Henley’s sparse reddish hair was parted neatly and hair-sprayed to his head. His face stayed in quiet repose, but his little round eyes seemed to be in a constant state of emotion. It was in those hazel eyes that Joe Henley revealed his true self, that of a caring and compassionate man.
For a long moment, neither spoke. And then Diamond surprised them both when she answered.
“Yes there is, Henley. I want you to stop calling me ‘Miss Houston,’ and I want you to teach me how to drive.”
His jaw dropped, but the fact that he made no comment other than to close his mouth said much for the control he maintained over his emotions.
“Yes, Miss Diamond,” Henley said. “Will there be anything else?”
Diamond grinned. The concession he’d made with her name was as far as he’d go, and she knew it. “Not today.” She pinned him with a hard stare. “When can we start?”
“At your convenience,” Henley said.
“What about now?”
“Very good, Miss Diamond. Please follow me.”
She did, with alacrity.
Jesse’s touring bus was empty save for Jesse and the driver. Tommy and the members of Muddy Road had disembarked in Nashville and headed for their respective homes. They had exactly one day of rest before recording on the new album would resume, and Jesse knew exactly what he’d do with that day. He didn’t intend to move from his premises for at least twenty-four hours. As always, traveling to and from concerts left him drained, not to mention the performance itself.
When the driver turned down the dirt road leading to his home, a kick of excitement surfaced as he realized that in minutes he would see Diamond. It was a strange, almost comforting feeling to know that someone was waiting for him. He wasn’t certain how he felt about Diamond Houston except that he didn’t want to lose her. He had yet to decide whether that added up to selfishness, lust, or something else. It was the something else that was making him nervous.
“Hey, Jesse!” the driver shouted aloud. “Look out there!”
Jesse looked toward the direction in which his driver was pointing, expecting to see almost anything but what came into view as they turned the curve in his drive.
His old green Dodge pickup, the one he used to haul hay and feed to the horses, was moving at a fast clip through the pasture in front of the house. He cursed and closed his eyes, an unconscious reaction as the Dodge narrowly missed a small stand of trees before turning to run alongside the fence leading toward the barns.
“Look at her go!” the driver yelled, and whistled through his teeth as the old truck cleared a dip in the field by sailing neatly over it instead of driving through it.
“Oh, hell,” Jesse said, muttering beneath his breath. A long swatch of blonde hair flew out the open window and then was sucked back inside as the truck made a u-turn in the field.
Diamond!
He felt a swift surge of panic, followed by anger. When he’d offered to teach her to drive, she’d laughed in his face and turned him down. If his eyes didn’t deceive him, that was Henley sitting beside her in the truck. Jesse stared. By all that’s holy, he thought, she’s got to him, too. If he hadn’t seen it, he never would have believed it. Henley was laughing.
The bus came to a stop as Jesse vaulted from his seat. The driver tossed the bags onto the porch and made a hasty exit. He could tell by the look on Jesse’s face that he was none too happy about what he’d seen, and the driver had no intention of staying around for the explosion.
Diamond swerved, missing the trees in the middle of the pasture by inches. She turned the pickup truck back toward the barns and then laughed at the sight of the mare and her colt running with the truck, with only a board fence separating them in the race to the barn.
The bay mare’s tail flowed out behind her like a kite as she ran, her mane a rich brown tangle in the wind. She tossed her head and whinnied as if in pure delight from the chase, while her baby followed, determined not to be left behind.
“Watch that dip,” Henley shouted.
“What dip?” Diamond yelled, and spit hair from her mouth as it whipped across her face.
“Never mind,” he said, grunting as they went slightly airborne, then landed with a thud on the other side of the shallow ditch.
Diamond laughed again at the look on Henley’s face and turned her attention to the business at hand.
“Slow down,” Henley scouted again. “The gate is coming up.”
“Piece of cake,” Diamond said, and sailed through the narrow opening with inches to spare.
For a beginner, she’d been surprisingly adept at driving. Henley would have liked to believe it was solely due to his expertise as a teacher. However, he was honest enough to realize that once Miss Diamond set her mind to something it was her persistence that was responsible for her newly acquired skill. As for the driving, it wasn’t perfect, but with only two days of practice under her belt, she was damned good at it.
She came to a skidding halt beneath the trees in front of the house, ground the gears into park, and turned off the ignition.
“Made it,” she said, laughing at the expression of surprise on Henley’s face. It was obvious he’d been uncertain of the outcome of their ride.
“And I thank the Lord for small favors,” he said. He took the key and slipped it into his pocket.
Diamond turned toward the house, intent on teasing Henley into baking some of his brownies, when she saw the man leaning against the porch post. The black denim Levis, red shirt, and wide-brimmed black Stetson were unmistakable. Jesse was back, and from the look on his face he was none too happy about what she’d been doing.
“Uh-oh,” she said. “We’ve been caught.”
Henley took one look at his boss’s face and made a quick decision.
“So it seems,” he said, and escorted her to the house. “Sir. You’re home.”
That much was obvious, but it was all that Henley could manage considering Jesse’s expression and the arms he’d folded across his chest.
“I suppose that you’ll be wanting to rest as usual. I’ve prepared a casserole and some salad. The food is in the refrigerator. Miss Diamond knows. I’ll be heading on home now. Have a good evening, sir.”
With that, Henley handed the pickup keys to Jesse, got into his own car, and drove away without looking back.
An explanation was on the tip of Diamond’s tongue when she looked up at Jesse’s face and forgot what she’d been about to say.
That his feelings were hurt was putting it mildly. He was jealous as hell. She’d laughed more with Henley just now than she’d laughed with him since he’d known her. When Henley had handed him the truck keys, he’d had an intense urge to punch his houseman in the face.
It was completely unjustified and unreasonable to expect that Diamond owed him anything other than gratitude for taking her from Cradle Creek. But when he’d seen that look of complete joy on her face and known that another man had put it there, he’d lost all sense of reason.
He stared down at her and started to stuff his hands into his pockets, but found himself wrapping them around her wind-blown hair instead. “Why?” he asked as he tugged gently, urging her up the steps until they were face to face.
Diamond heard the disbelief in his voice but completely misunderstood its origin.
“I didn’t think you’d mind me using the truck,” she said. “It was all my idea, too, so don’t be mad at—”
“Why not me, lady? You let Henley inside your world but you won’t let me.”
He shook her gently to punctuate his questions, expecting her to stiffen and pull away. But she didn’t.
Diamond watched his eyes darken with pain. She couldn’t bear the thought of being the one who’d put it there.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Don’t be mad at me, Jesse.” Her voice faded away into a whisper. “Please…don’t be mad.”
“Oh, my God,” Jesse said, and pulled her into his arms. “Mad? I’m not mad, I’m crazy—crazy about you.”
The catch in her breath was all it took. He tossed his hat through the open door behind him, lowered his head, and inhaled her sigh. Their lips met and the magic began.
Soft and supple, her mouth responded to the insistent pressure of his own. She came alive beneath his touch, moving against him and with him as if there were a slow but steady magnetic pull between them. He took a step forward, pressing her between his body and the porch post, and then groaned when she moved, letting him slide one leg between hers.
The moan that slipped up her throat and into his mouth sent a line of sweat beading across his forehead. He thrust his leg forward and rocked it gently against her body, then turned loose of her and reached for the porch post for support when her hands dropped down to caress the bulge behind his zipper.
“Easy…”
It was the only warning she was going to get. If Diamond wanted this to stop, she would have to be the one to stop it.
She heard the hesitation in his voice and recognized it for what it was. What happened next was entirely up to her. She made her choice.
“I missed you,” she said softly, and began to unsnap his shirt, baring his chest to her touch.
Jesse’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. It was all he could manage as her fingers feathered across his belly.
“You sure you want to do this, lady? In about one more heartbeat, what control I have left will be gone.”
She answered by pulling his shirt from the waistband of his jeans.
Jesse wrapped his arms around her, tilted her face to his, and swooped, taking what he wanted of this woman’s offering. What he wanted was everything. Jesse got what he wanted.
Diamond felt the ground disappear beneath her feet as Jesse lifted her into his arms and carried her inside the house. He kicked the door shut behind him and walked blindly toward the staircase, using instinct to guide him as her hands locked around his neck and her gaze focused entirely on the shape of his mouth.
“I’m going to make love to you,” he said.
“I know.”
“Is there anything you want to tell me before I completely lose my mind?” His question was no more than a low, husky growl as he looked down at the beauty in his arms.
“Just hurry,” she said.
And he did.
A path of their discarded clothing began at the head of the stairs, trailing down the long hallway past her bedroom and through the open door of his own. There was nothing left to remove but their pants and boots by the time he shut his door and tossed her onto the bed.
Diamond’s heart was racing, and her limbs were heavy from the wanting. She couldn’t move other than to follow him with her gaze as she lay helpless on his bed, waiting. She’d never wanted anyone or anything this much in her life. She’d never allowed herself to care this much for a man. The feeling frightened her. If this was a mistake, she was about to make it. Stopping now was as impossible for her as it would have been for him.
And then he stood naked before her, unashamed of his need as he approached her.
“I don’t use any…I don’t take—”
“I’ll protect you,” Jesse said, and reached for the drawer of his bedside table to fulfill his promise.
She tried to speak as he knelt above her on the bed and began removing first one of her boots and then the other. And then her body arched beneath his hands as he stripped her of her Levis, leaving nothing between them but a narrow strip of thin white nylon. Then that, too, disappeared.
Breathing became difficult, and his hands shook as he bared her body for his touch. Then he blinked back tears as her eyes closed and she smiled. This woman was made for loving.
His eyes were dark, his movements slow and steady as he lowered himself onto her and then gently into her. She sighed and moved, wrapping her arms around his neck as his whisper feathered across her breasts.
“I’ll always take care of you, honey,” he said. “I promised.”
The fever between them rose. Diamond knew that in moments, she’d never be the same. As his mouth demanded, his hands teased. As her body arched to meet his, she fell under his spell and his body as easily as she breathed.
At first his movement inside her was nothing more than a slow burn that made her limbs weak and her heart race. And then it changed to a spiraling ache as he increased the power and speed. She felt his own need grow as he buried himself deeper and deeper into her in an all-consuming need for completion.
When his quick, intense breaths became harsh gasps for air, she lifted herself to him, wrapped her legs around his waist, and took him with her into the light.
