Diamond Dreams Read online

  Diamond spun around, her chin lifting along with her ire. “Are you always this impertinent when speaking to a client? Or have you forgotten that that is who I am, a client, not some piece of meat to ogle like a rabid dog!”

  Bow wow wow, yippee yo, yippee yay, baby! Her haughty nature turned him on, not off, and stimulated that part of him that liked a good challenge. He raised a brow as he stared back at her, noting how her ample chest heaved with her deep, calming breaths. He wanted to experience this spunkiness in a totally different way. Jackson’s resolve to do so strengthened, even as his tactics changed. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m out of line. But you’re a very beautiful, desirable woman. I’d have to be blind not to find you attractive and dead not to react. It was just a little harmless flirtation, but again, I apologize.”

  “How harmless would it be if I reported you to the owner? I am here in a professional capacity, and I expect to be treated in a professional manner. Is that understood?”

  “Completely,” Jackson responded. Still, his eyes smoldered as he answered, and his wide-legged, crossed-arms stance suggested that he wasn’t in the least bit afraid of being reprimanded. “Shall we continue, or would you prefer to do the tour with someone less intimidating?”

  Diamond was not known for being a neck-rolling, hand-on-hip kind of sistah, but his comment almost provoked both actions. “What did you say?”

  Throwing her off guard by changing courses yet again, Jackson reverted to a trait that more than once had saved his life—bravado. “You heard me. You’re as attracted to me as I am to you. And that attraction, not my flirtation, is what’s upsetting you.”

  “You have got to be kidding,” Diamond countered, less angry with his insubordination than the fact that he’d hit the nail on the proverbial head. “Obviously someone has told you that you’re God’s gift to women…and you believed them.”

  Jackson’s grin was cocky yet genuine. “I’ve been considered a present a time or two.”

  “Well, the only thing that’s a wrap right now is this conversation. You might want to brush off your résumé because after I have a little chat with the owner you’ll probably be unemployed.” Diamond turned and headed for the door.

  “Wait,” Jackson said, reaching out and stopping her. She looked down at the hand squeezing her arm and up into pleading eyes. “Please,” he continued, releasing her, while imagining the confusion and laughter that would ensue among his men if she went out there demanding to speak to the owner. “I promise to behave.” Now it was Diamond’s turn to cross her arms. Her look showed that she didn’t believe him. “I need this job,” he finished.

  “Then you need to climb out of your Neanderthal cave and realize that the days of women’s butts being patted in the workplace and sexual innuendo being the standard are long gone.”

  “Got it.”

  “I hope you do. Because one more ill-mannered remark and you’re history.”

  “I’ll be the perfect gentleman from here on out.”

  “See that you do.” With that, Diamond turned and headed back through what would eventually be the dining room and into the future top-of-the-line kitchen. Jackson answered her questions, professionally and knowledgeably, showing a strong command of the entire project as they moved from the restaurant to the gift shop, then down the hall to the retail offices. Finally, they crossed the lobby and entered the lounge that was situated across from the restaurant. They crossed the Plexiglas-covered dance floor, part of which would house an aquarium, to an expansive DJ booth—one of the few parts of the room that looked completed. Diamond walked up to a large control board. “What’s all this?” she asked.

  “Magic,” Jackson simply replied. “This system allows the controller to create whatever atmosphere that’s desired, whether its disco, blue light in the basement, rave, holiday.”

  Diamond lightly ran her hands over the knobs. “Looks complicated.”

  “It is.” Jackson closed the distance between them. “May I?” he asked, stepping up to the controls and directly beside Diamond. She nodded and took a step away from him. “I was a DJ back in my college days. And a bit of a geek.”

  Diamond said nothing, although she thought that “geek” and “Jackson” in the same sentence sounded like bad English.

  “This controls the lighting,” he began, his voice the epitome of expertise. “See how it goes from bright to dim? And we can also adjust the colors, bounce them off the walls, ceiling, floors or a combination of the three.” Diamond watched as Jackson’s large, tapered fingers deftly moved from one button to the next. “There are currently eight thousand songs programmed into this computer,” he continued, taking a step toward Diamond to punch a button in front of her. “Check this out.” Jackson leaned forward and unconsciously placed a hand on her waist. “I’m sorry,” he said, quickly removing it. Diamond immediately missed his touch. He turned on a computer, entered a few commands, and within seconds a list of music genres filled the screen. “The sound system is incredible. What type of music do you like?”

  “All kinds,” Diamond replied. Jackson clicked on a link and began scrolling through songs. “Especially upbeat,” she quickly added. The lights were dim, and the last thing Diamond needed was a love song to conjure up images of a certain male body, sans clothing, hard and ready for love.

  Jackson flashed a knowing smile. He clicked on an album cover, and soon the sounds of music filled the room. Jackson played with the controls and psychedelic colors bounced off the walls. He flipped another switch, and smoke began swirling down from the ceiling.

  “Wow!” Diamond said as she looked at the magic Jackson had spoken of and imagined the room packed with happy dancers. She smiled as Jackson bobbed his head and sang in tune to a popular song. Watching the way he moved his hips to the beat, Diamond could well imagine just how exciting it would be to spend a night with him. Would be? Girl, what in the heck are you thinking? There would absolutely, positively be no woulda, shoulda, coulda with this hunkalicious guy standing beside her. Diamond well knew his kind: cocky and arrogant, probably certain that he could get her into his bed. She was certain of that, too, but that was beside the point. Fortunately, she had an iron-clad rule to save her from herself. She never, ever dated anyone in or near the workplace. After a two-month courtship with a former sales manager had ended in a stalker situation with law enforcement involved, she’d vowed to keep her personal and professional lives very separate.

  “Now watch how the DJ has the ability to completely change the mood.” Once again, Jackson clicked on the song list. The sounds of a sultry saxophone filled the room, the smooth jazz tune evoking images of lovemaking more than words ever could.

  Diamond was convinced she was losing it. How else could she explain the fact that she was now undressing Jackson with her eyes? It was a good thing that his back was to her as he continued to fiddle with the knobs—a good thing because it gave her several uninterrupted seconds to take in his broad shoulders, strong back, narrow waist, perfect butt, strong thighs, long legs and big feet. As she continued to stare at his perfect backside encased in jeans, Diamond could barely remember her name.

  She looked up in time to see the room darken; tiny lights resembling twinkling stars filled the ceiling. The air in the room shifted along with the lighting. Diamond felt it and believed that Jackson did, too. Attraction crackled like a burning log between them. And what happened to the air in the room? He turned and looked at her, his gaze penetrating, yet unreadable. Diamond forced herself not to look away, tried to maintain the stare, but again…she couldn’t. Her eyes dropped to those delectable lips that sat under an aquiline nose, just as Jackson flicked out his tongue to moisten them. The sax sizzled from the speakers, wrapping them in a sensual cocoon, a world of their own. It was as if time stopped, along with Diamond’s rational thinking. Because for the life of her she couldn’t think of
anything more logical to do than to kiss those lips, to crush the nipples that were even now hardening at the mere thought of being touched against Jackson’s hard chest.

  She took a step.

  Jackson’s eyes narrowed as he watched her come closer. He looked at her lips, slightly parted with desire. Wanting him was written all over her face. His message was being proclaimed from an area decidedly lower, by a rapidly increasing bulge in the front of his jeans.

  He took a step.

  They now stood just inches apart, neither moving, barely breathing. At the risk of having to fire himself for insubordination, Jackson reached out and ran a finger along Diamond’s jawline. His touch was more electric than the guitar that now accompanied the sax. She licked her lips and suppressed a shiver. He watched, wondering how they tasted, those lips, wanting to know how she tasted. Her eyes flickered shut and then back open, even as her head tilted seemingly of its own accord. To hell with stalking ex-coworkers and iron-clad declarations. She would be a rule breaker, too. Thoughts of consequences could come later. Right now all she wanted were his lips…on hers…now! He bent his head down. One more step and the kiss would begin. Just one more step…

  “There you are!” Taylor said as she entered the room. And right behind her? Donald and Donovan: father and son.

  Damn!

  Diamond scurried from the intimacy of the DJ booth and Jackson’s captivating eyes, looking as professional as she could with her body on fire. She ignored Donald’s scowl and Donovan’s smirk and tried to remember how to construct a sentence. Subject, verb, noun, Diamond. Subject! Verb! Noun!

  Jackson came to her rescue, and in the moment, had he rode in on a white horse, dressed in armor, she couldn’t have been any more grateful. “Mr. Drake, always a pleasure to see you, sir. Donovan, good to see you, man.” They shook hands.

  “Good to see you,” Donovan replied, his brow creased in slight confusion.

  Jackson knew that further talk with these two men would likely blow his cover. It was time for a quick getaway. “Ms. Drake, it’s been a pleasure,” he said, his tone courteous, formal, making Diamond immediately wish for the rogue. “But I need to head over to the other building. Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me.”

  Forcing herself not to watch the firm, hard butt exiting the building, Diamond turned to her dad and brother. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “We were on our way to the cellar and saw Taylor outside. When she said you were here, on the first floor of our masterpiece, we thought we’d join you.”

  “Good, because so far what I’ve seen is amazing.” Jackson’s leaving allowed oxygen to once again flow to Diamond’s brain. “Taylor, why don’t you explain to Dad and Donovan what you shared with me earlier, including the fabrics and colors for the spa?” They continued the tour, and Taylor presented a variety of swatches. But in her mind, the only hue Diamond saw was caramel, and the only face was that of Jackson Wright.

  Chapter 5

  A half hour later, Diamond wheeled her shiny black BMW into its parking space, threw the car in Park and shut off the engine. She hadn’t seen him when they left the site but no matter. Thoughts of Jackson still consumed her. She’d never had her head spun like this, not even when Jamal Pendergrass had kissed her outside the skating rink—her first smooch at the ripe old age of thirteen. What just happened? Diamond didn’t understand. As a woman who prided herself on self-control and was known in the dating world as being “hard to get,” she was less than enthused that she’d almost made a fool of herself in the workplace. As it was, when she saw her father, in general, and Donovan, in particular, she knew she’d have some ’splainin’ to do! Her older brother’s knowing smirk hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  Determined to put Jackson and what had happened behind her, she took a deep breath, reached for her purse and headed into the executive offices. She pasted what she hoped was a nonchalant look on her face, took another calming breath—where was the yoga mat when she needed it?—and opened the door to her office.

  Kathleen looked at her always cool, calm and collected superior and immediately sensed something amiss. “What’s wrong?”

  “Does it look like something’s wrong with me?” Diamond snapped. So much for the calm, nonchalant facade.

  “You forget how well I know you,” Kathleen replied, nonplussed. “Plus, I know a tight mouth when I see one. Come on, darlin’. Out with it. Did one of those pieces of man candy get you all hot and bothered?”

  Diamond didn’t respond.

  Kathleen clapped her hands with glee. “That’s it! Which one? No, don’t tell me, let me guess. Is it that tall, strapping man with the tattoo across his chest?”

  The “tall, strapping” description definitely fit Jackson, but Diamond didn’t remember a tattoo. “Step into my office,” she said over her shoulder to Kathleen as she left the common area to enter her more private domain. Maybe talking about this weird attraction would help her get rid of it.

  Kathleen hurried behind her, closing Diamond’s office door once they were both inside. Her green eyes glittered as she took a seat in one of the tan suede chairs that framed the large ebony desk. Diamond walked behind it, threw down her purse and slouched into the large leather executive chair.

  “First of all, nothing is wrong. And, for the record, you’re right. There are a lot of attractive men down there.”

  “Anyone in particular catch your fancy?”

  Diamond shrugged. “Not really.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. “I was given a partial tour by the supervisor while Taylor handled a call.”

  “And…”

  “And nothing, Kat. Jeez! He’s tall, but then so are several of the men. Plus, he was wearing a T-shirt.” Much to her chagrin. “I don’t remember a tattoo.”

  “The one I’m talking about stands a head and shoulder above the rest. He’s a hunk of burning love,” Kathleen said dreamily. “I don’t see him every day, but the few times I have, he’s left quite an impression. Oh, to be young and single again. I bet his legs aren’t the only things that are long and strong about him.”

  “Kathleen!”

  “Oh, come now,” Kathleen said, her eyes still twinkling. “You don’t think I became a mother of five by singing ‘Yankee Doodle,’ do you?”

  “Ha! I guess not. The man who showed me around is really tall.”

  “Handsome?”

  “He looks all right. His name is Jackson.”

  “Dear, you’re trying really hard not to sound impressed, which means he must have knocked your socks off.” Kathleen leaned forward. “So when are you guys going out?”

  “Out?”

  Kathleen clucked. “Out…as in on a date? Really, Diamond, sometimes I wonder if you’re twenty-nine or only nine.”

  “We’re not going out,” Diamond responded, ignoring the older woman’s jab. “I don’t date men from the workplace.”

  “He’s hardly that,” Kathleen insisted. “He doesn’t work for Drake Wines, and he’s not in these offices. I think you should go out with him,” she went on, despite Diamond’s scowl. “If nothing else, it will rid you of the persnickety mood you’ve had of late. You know I love you, Diamond, but in the past few months, you haven’t been your charming, gracious self.”

  “Careful, Kat,” Diamond drily replied, turning on her computer and reaching for the mouse. “You’re talking to the woman who signs your paychecks.”

  “Technically, my paychecks are signed by your father and the CFO. But you’re the boss, so I’ll button my lip and head back to my desk.” Kathleen reached the door and turned. “But I still think you should go out with him. Who knows what that might lead to?” Her tinkling laughter followed her out of the room.

  Diamond couldn’t help smiling as she clicked on her task bar and checked out what was left on the day’s
agenda. Kathleen was Diamond’s assistant, but having worked in various capacities at the vineyard for twenty years, she was family, too. She’s right, Diamond acknowledged, as she scrolled down the page. I haven’t been too charming lately.

  And Diamond knew why. It was the lack of testosterone in her life and, more specifically, in her bed—a problem she didn’t see being resolved anytime soon. Even as she shifted from her task bar to her calendar and the evening’s obligation—a fundraiser for at-risk youth sponsored by the San Diego Arts Association—she pondered her predicament and Kathleen’s earlier comment. How long was she going to let Benjamin Carter, the ex-fiancé who’d strung her along before breaking her heart, ruin her life?

  Abruptly cutting off her computer, Diamond reached for her purse and strode toward the door. Kathleen was right. Benjamin’s refusal to marry her after their long engagement had affected her more than she dared admit. She had buried herself in work and put her life on hold because of it. She’d gone on only a couple dates in almost a year and was probably setting herself up to be an old maid. But no more! “It’s time to get back in the game!” she hissed. Maybe she’d meet someone tonight to play with.

  Moments later, Diamond had lowered the top of her convertible and was zooming down the tree-lined roads of Drake Vineyard, soon to be known as Drake Wines Resort & Spa. As she neared the construction site, Jackson’s handsome face and knowing smile drifted into her mind. She remembered the feel of his hand on her waist, and her body reacted, muscles in certain nether regions clenching at the mere possibility of surrounding someone else’s, well, muscle. In spite of her determination not to do so, she eased off the gas, slowing down as her eyes scanned the sweaty bodies still hard at work under the dimming sun. She didn’t see him. She told herself that was a good thing and realized that lying to oneself was not cute.

  Diamond reached for her phone and called her hair stylist, who was located in San Diego. “Lecia, it’s Diamond.”