Vengeful Love: Black Diamonds Read online

  The stew is fantastic, delicious poached white fish, langoustine, crab and clams in a rich tomato and onion sauce, just the faintest taste of nutmeg coming through. It’s too good to leave but I stay away from the bread, as does Gregory. We’re both hungry, but not for bread.

  Amanda takes my attention as Bryony clears our empty bowls. “I’m thinking of cutting my hair. Going for a sophisticated bob. What do you think?”

  From the corner of my eye I see Gregory and Williams have one of their unspoken conversations. “Are you sure? I love your hair the way it is. You’ve always had long hair.”

  Williams takes Amanda’s hand across the table. “Mand, why don’t you let me show you around the island?” he asks, making me look to the instigator of that idea and finding two mischievous browns staring back at me.

  “Sure. You two want to come?”

  “Oh, no, we’re good. You guys enjoy,” I say, not moving my hazel-greens from my dazzling man.

  When they’re gone, Gregory’s lust-filled eyes are drinking me in. He pushes his chair back from the table. “Get here.”

  I go to him, straddling him in his chair.

  “You want to make me hard, baby?”

  “Rock hard,” I whisper.

  “Tell me why.”

  I fist my hands in his hair and hover my lips over his. “Because I want you inside me. I want you to drive me wild the way I know you can.”

  He slides his hands under my yellow sundress and cups my bare arse then yanks me forward onto his hips. “Do you know how much I love to see your face, desperate for me? How amazing you feel around my dick?”

  He lifts his pelvis, letting me feel his erection, the coarse material of his shorts rubbing against my tender skin. “Are you already wet for me, baby? Tell me how much you want my cock inside you.”

  I dip my tongue into his mouth and draw it across the underside of his lip. “I want you inside me. I want you to fuck me. Rough.”

  “You’re going to be screaming my name, baby.”

  I grind my hips in response to his husky voice and he pulls me to him, kissing me harshly, the way I want him to take me.

  “Make me scream your name.” My voice is low and heavy.

  He stands from the chair, taking me with him, and carries me below deck. He kicks the bedroom door shut behind us then shoves my back against the wall, pressing his stiff crotch against me.

  “Feel how hard you make me. I want to come inside you. But first I want to come all over here.”

  With his body pinning my waist to the wall, he pulls my strapless dress to my waist, exposing my breasts. He licks my nipple and moans as he bites the soft flesh, stretching it in his teeth. He offers two fingers to my mouth.

  “Suck.”

  I run my tongue from the base to the tip of his fingers then wrap my mouth around them. He withdraws his fingers and just as quickly, pushes them inside my welcoming sex.

  “So fucking wet.”

  “God, I want you. Now.”

  He pulls me back from the wall and sits me onto the edge of the bed. He takes off his white T-shirt and I run my hands over his chest before moving to the button and zip of his shorts. He lifts my dress over my head.

  “You’ve driven me insane for the last hour, knowing you had nothing on under that.”

  “Mission accomplished.” I wanted to make him crazy. Crazy enough that he’d give me the kind of sex I can take home with me and remember when we’re fighting off whatever threat is next, whoever tries to break us next.

  “Take these off,” he says, gesturing to his shorts.

  First, I reach inside his tight white boxers and cup his hard-on until his head rolls back. Then I free him and indulge in the sight of him, a work of art.

  He grabs my ankles. “Lie back.” He plants my feet flat on the edge of the bed then kneels between my thighs.

  His tongue teases my clit, drawing my hips from the bed.

  “Oh, God, Gregory.” He sucks, drawing blood into the sensitive bud, making me beg for more. He works his tongue masterfully down, tasting the inside of my hole, working around the edge then back up to my clit. I’m building fast.

  “Not yet,” he says, standing and taking my hands to sit me up. “Suck me.”

  I moan as I wrap my lips straight around the end of his cock, taking him by surprise. I work his base with my hand and draw my mouth up and down his angry shaft, eager to see him climax.

  “That’s right, baby, like that. You know what to do to me.”

  His words make we work him harder, encouraging the first drop of pre-ejaculate, lapping it up.

  “Yes, baby, take me there. I want to come all over your tits.”

  I wrap a fist around the base of him and tug up and down as I swirl his end, flicking my tongue across his spot, swallowing another drop of pre-come.

  “Come for me, Gregory. I want you to come.”

  He pulls out of me and nudges my shoulder. I lie back and watch him, towering over me, taking over with his own hand. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Scarlett. I could watch you all day, hot for me.”

  “Come for me,” I beg.

  He pumps harder, faster. His hips move forward, the muscles in his neck strain. “Fuck.” He leans forward, resting one knee on the edge of the bed and with another thrust of his fist, he comes across my chest. “Scarlett.” My name rolls off his tongue as he leans over me, pressing his chest against mine, smothering his pleasure between us.

  I roll my hips up against him impatiently. Then he’s back on his knees, licking my clit.

  “Gregory! Please.”

  “Please, what?”

  “Make me orgasm.”

  He thrusts his fingers inside me as he sucks my clit.

  “I fucking love you, Scarlett Heath.” His words are hot against my bare flesh, and they’re unravelling me.

  As his fingers curl and sweep my insides, I cry his name and explode around him. I throw my arms above my head, relishing in the sensation, my insides pulsing. Then he grabs my hips, pulling me back to the edge of the bed and thrusts inside me almost instantaneously.

  My body responds, rousing again, one long, continuing, thrilling orgasm as he hammers into me, so deep he hurts. An addictive pain. “Gregory! Harder.”

  He flips me by the waist then pulls my hips so I’m standing on the tips of my toes, my hands leaning down to the bed, completely exposing myself to him. He reenters me on a growl and thrusts over and over until my unrelenting orgasm has me bunching the bedsheets in my fists and I come again, my muscles clamping around his cock. He slaps my arse cheek as my body gives up and drives the feeling higher until I smother my face in the duvet and scream.

  “Get on the bed.”

  I crawl onto the bed and wait for my next instruction.

  “On your back, leaning off the side. Hands on the floor.”

  I shuffle back until my arms and head are leaning back off the bed, my legs bent and wide, accepting whatever he has to give.

  He leans over me, dragging his hand down my sticky chest and abdomen. “You look seriously fucking hot like this.”

  His fingers move inside me, his tongue moving back to my clit.

  “Gregory. No more. I can’t.”

  “Take it, baby, I know you want it.”

  His fingers move lazily in and out of me as he sucks my clit and another round of pleasure has my limbs in spasm.

  “My turn.” He moves over me, pushing his hard shaft into me. He raises my hips, the angle shifting him deeper into me.

  He pounds into me, keeping my body suspended in a state of ecstasy.

  “One more, baby, come with me. Let me feel you.”

  His words add to the blood rushing to my head, clouding my mind, making me trip on the feel of him. He drives
in and out, his muscles strained, his breathing erratic.

  “Gregory! I’m coming.”

  “Let go, baby.”

  He thrusts once, twice, and barking expletives, he fills me with warm lust.

  He pulls me up and folds me in his arms. “Thank you,” I manage through panted breaths. “For giving me something to remember.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Scarlett, these just came for you.”

  Margaret enters my office taking me away from my daydream of Gregory making love to me on the sand of a Caribbean bay, moonlight illuminating every curve and edge of his perfect face.

  Margaret smiles, the soft pink of her lipstick matching the shade of her blouse. “They’re very beautiful,” she says, inhaling the scent of the dozen red roses she’s holding.

  She places the flowers on my desk and I take the small red envelope, already knowing who they’re from.

  I miss not seeing you

  all day every day.

  X

  “Thanks, Margaret.”

  “Can I ask how it went with Neil?”

  I move the flowers in their water-filled box to the ledge of my window then adjust my purple chiffon blouse, tucking it into my black pencil skirt.

  “It was awful. He wasn’t even angry, he was just really disappointed. He thinks I should take some time, mull it over some more.”

  “Do you want to?”

  I look down at the card in my hand and smile. If I work with him, I get to see him every day. “No.”

  “There you have your answer.” She drops a hand to my shoulder. “Neil Wallace will just have to accept that you’re leaving. He’s just panicking about who’ll fill your shoes when you’re gone. They’re big boots to fill. We’ll miss you around here.”

  I don’t tell her that even those few words are making me feel worse about my decision to leave Saunders.

  She makes a discreet exit when Amanda charges into my office with two lattes and a large bar of Lindt orange and almond dark chocolate.

  “Are you blowing your week’s caffeine allowance?” I ask.

  “First day back is a bitch, the doctors can go screw themselves. I know my baby and I know my baby needs coffee and chocolate. Here.”

  I chuckle as I accept the latte and Amanda slumps into the seat opposite my desk, unravelling the foil from the bar of chocolate.

  “You know, last time we did this you threw up in my bin and we realised you were pregnant.”

  “Don’t worry, I have no intention of repeating the trick. This bad boy is staying firmly in my stomach.” She wraps her mouth around two large squares of chocolate with a roll of her eyes. “That’s sooooo good.”

  I snap off a square and let it melt in my mouth. “I don’t think even chocolate is going to help me today. I have major post-travel blues.”

  “Mmm, speaking of blues, is Neil spewing about you leaving?”

  “He’s far from thrilled.”

  “Is he making you work your notice?”

  “No. As soon as he realised I was going to GJR he changed his tune. He wants me to hand over Mr. Ghurair’s deal and I won’t pick back up the stuff I handed to others before we went away but the rest of my work was Gregory’s anyway, so I’ll take it with me.”

  “Who are you handing over the Dubai deal to?”

  “You. If you want it? I think it would be good for you. A big deal before you go off.”

  “Sure, I’m in.”

  “Well, in that case, I might be out of here next week, maybe even Friday.”

  “Holy shit,” she mumbles around another slab of chocolate. “It’ll be the end of an era.”

  “And the start of a new one.” I glance at my sparkling diamonds.

  “Cheers to that.” She nudges her cardboard coffee cup against mine.

  * * *

  My iPhone rings as I’m typing handover notes for Mr. Ghurair’s final transaction. Gregory’s name dances across the screen.

  “Hey you.”

  “Hi baby, how’s the first day back?”

  “I’ve had better.”

  “Have you handed in your notice?”

  “Yep.”

  “So when are you coming to join Team Ryans?” There’s a lightness to his tone that has me biting my lip to curb my happiness.

  “Actually, if you want me, next week.” I can sense his smile. “Thank you for the flowers.”

  “You’re more than welcome, fiancée. Can you come here this afternoon?”

  “Erm, yes, I guess so. It’s not like I need to bank gold stars here. I’ll check on the registration of the Black Diamonds portfolio before I come over.”

  “I’ll have Anya order lunch. Sushi good?”

  “Perfect.”

  Scooping up my pile of documents related to Black Diamonds, I head to Hugh’s office. “Home alone today?” I ask, taking note of the empty desk behind him.

  “Charles is in a meeting. How was your break?”

  “Too short.”

  “Argh, at least you got away. I don’t have anything planned until May and I’m already shattered.”

  “It’ll come around before you know it.”

  “I, ah, heard your news. Congratulations. In-house isn’t it?”

  “News travels fast. Yes, I’m going in-house for the GJR group, which leads me nicely onto the reason I’m here.”

  Hugh pushes his chair back from his desk and twists his pen in the fingers of his right hand. A pose I’m sure he wouldn’t adopt if Charles, his supervisor, were in the room.

  “Constant Sources is a GJR subsidiary. How’s the registration of the IP in the game coming along?”

  “I’ve been meaning to speak to you about that.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’re going to tell me there’s a glitch.”

  Hugh leans forward and pulls a few tatty looking pieces of paper from a disorganised tray on his desk. “There was a problem in China. Let me see.” He flicks through the messy papers then rummages through the pile in his tray again. “Here it is. Local counsel in China said there were already registrations for some of the trademarks, including the name Black Diamonds, and the copyright, I think. Apparently, the applications were filed hours before we tried to file.”

  “Shit, seriously? In the same class? Gaming?”

  “Yep.”

  “Remind me who we’re dealing with in China.”

  “Wang Nongfan is handling the applications.”

  “Okay and this just happened today?”

  “No, let me see.” I tighten my grip around my documents and tap the grey hardwearing carpet with my foot whilst he flicks through his papers. “He told me about it Wednesday so I assume it happened then.”

  “Wednesday? Hugh, it’s Monday. Why am I just hearing about this now?”

  “Well, you were on holiday and I tried to chat it through with Richard in the IP team but he was busy working on an injunction so—”

  “I know about the injunction but that’s not an excuse, Hugh. I told you to contact me if anything went wrong. We’ve wasted almost a week now.”

  “I’m sorry, Scarlett, I didn’t think—”

  “That’s exactly it, Hugh, you didn’t think. What’s the status now?” I fire my words at him, sharp and fast.

  He stops playing with his godforsaken pen and sits up straight in his chair, finally looking interested. “I, ah, Wang Nongfan is waiting for you to get back to him.”

  Trying to keep a lid on the fury building inside me, I snap. “Thanks for doing absolutely nothing in my absence.”

  “I’m sorry, Scarlett, I didn’t realise it was such a big deal.”

  “Hugh, the registration rules in China are first come, first served. Th
is could have a real impact for the client. If somebody else is trying to register our game or a rip off of it, everything the client was trying to protect is undermined. So, yes, it’s a big fucking deal.”

  His eyes practically pop out of his head. Griping at people and using the F word in the office are two things people aren’t used to from old Scarlett.

  “I’m sorry,” he says again, heightening my annoyance further.

  “You don’t need to say sorry to me, Hugh, it’s the client you should be apologising to.”

  “Should I, do you think I should call the client?”

  I all but snarl as I charge out of his office and back to my own.

  A call with Wang Nongfan confirms that the registration looks to be for identical entries to the IP we’re trying to register in Black Diamonds, which means we can’t register Black Diamonds in China, at least not without a fight. What angers me more is that, if I’d been in the office, I wouldn’t have allowed it to take over a week to file an application. Being as respectful as possible in the circumstances, I explained this to Wang Nongfan, only to be told the delay was due to Stuart Culliton not providing all the necessary details sooner. Having established the whole frustrating circle of events, my excitement to see Gregory has turned to anxiousness. Whilst my tolerance for incompetence is low, Gregory’s is significantly lower. He’s going to take this really well.

  * * *

  “Mr. Ryans is ready for you,” Sue says as I approach the reception desk on the twenty-eighth floor of Gregory’s glossy high-rise office tower. Her cheeks flush red, making me cringe inside. I wonder whether she’ll have informed the rest of Gregory’s staff that I’m not only his lawyer.

  “Thank you, Sue,” I say with a soft smile, hoping she’ll remember I’m keeping her crush on Gregory a secret in return for her allegiance.

  Gregory is on his Blackberry, standing in the window of his large office, his free hand in his pocket pulling his black blazer back to expose his lean hip. He turns when I click the frosted glass door shut behind me. The flat-screens around his room are continually updating with stock exchanges, commodity indices and BBC World News.