Read Diamond for Free Online Page B

her and sat down. “That’s better,” he said. “Now stay where I can see you. It makes a man nervous to cook for a woman whose right hook is better than his.”
    Her face was frozen in shock. And then the small smile that had been hovering around her lips erupted into a full-blown laugh.
    Jesse had the strangest urge to brush her hair away from her face and kiss her until laughing was the farthest thought from her mind.
    His hand shook as he turned away and began digging in a drawer for a spatula. He cracked eggs and diced ham, grated cheese and chopped onions. And tried not to think of how she’d feel lying beneath him as they made love. Over. And over. And over.

    Feeding her had been difficult. What to do with her afterward had been impossible. He had phone calls to answer and people to see. But if he tended to business, who would tend to Diamond Houston?
    A very unhealthy but obviously possessive streak had begun to assert itself. Jesse realized it for what it was: lust. He pulled himself together. Shuffling through a stack of sheet music in his office, he gathered some that he thought would be of interest to her and headed back to the living room.
    It had to be lust, he kept telling himself. Either that or a simple fascination with a woman who sang like an angel. He didn’t believe in love, not at first sight or even forever after. It was a highly overrated emotion that did not fit into his life.
    But when he walked into the room and she looked up, he forgot everything he believed in except fate.
    “Here,” he said. “Why don’t you look these over? See if there’s anything in here that interests you. Maybe find something you could do for Tommy. If you don’t find anything, don’t worry. I’ve got a man who stays on the lookout for new material for me. All he needs to do is hear you sing, and then he can do the same for you.”
    She took the stack of music and dropped it into her lap without giving it a glance.
    “What?” he asked. “So now you aren’t interested?” She made him nervous, but he gave nothing away as to how desperately he awaited her answer.
    “Oh, I’m interested,” she drawled. “I’m just trying to figure out how much of what you’re doing you already regret, and how much you wish you’d never stopped in Cradle Creek.”
    Blood drained from his face. He’d never had so many of his actions questioned in all his life. He placed a hand on either arm of the chair in which she was sitting and leaned forward until he could see his own reflection in those clear, green eyes.
    “Don’t even try to second-guess me, lady,” he whispered. “I never regret anything that comes from my heart. I heard you sing. I liked it. I think you have more than a good shot in this business if you’ll quit trying to defend something that isn’t in danger. I won’t hurt you, Diamond. I promised, remember?”
    The urge to taste her lower lip was overwhelming. But it trembled once beneath his gaze. He pushed himself away as if he’d just been burned, then stomped from the room in a fit of injured dignity. Something made him stop just outside the hall, and he stood, holding his breath as he listened.
    For a few minutes he heard nothing. He closed his eyes and swallowed, almost willing her to move…or curse, or do something to give him an indication of her true feelings. Then he heard the sounds of paper shuffling, knew that she was riffling through the sheet music, and sighed with relief.
    “Thank God for small favors,” he muttered softly, and went back to his office.

    Diamond looked up from the stack of music and tried not to stare at the man who’d just entered the room. The fat lip she’d given him had gotten fatter since last they’d met. She cocked an eyebrow and waited. It was all the invitation that he was going to get. What he’d called her, with no provocation other than her presence, still rankled.
    Tommy wanted to swagger. It was part of his personal intimidation process and