Page 11

Diamond

What was that song about kissing a girl and liking it?

It probably didn’t have the same connotation as Diamond was thinking, but fuck him if Joelle’s taste wasn’t still all over his mouth two days after the party.

The taste of her had been incredible. He couldn’t get it out of his head, or forget the feel of her mouth moving underneath his and how she moaned for more.

And he couldn’t stop thinking about her, though he knew he shouldn’t.

If he had gone there, it would have made all his past poor decisions seem like small potatoes.

Diamond didn’t mind making the occasional wrong decision. It was par for the course. You never knew they were the wrong decisions until you came out the other side. But getting involved with Joelle Snow was a mistake he’d knowingly walk into.

The attraction was one thing.

Utter fucking fascination was another.

The first he could ignore.

The second had a tight grip on his dick and wouldn’t let go.

Parking his baby girl around the back of the mansion, he lifted a hand when the gardener waved at him. He’d been here too fucking often if the staff recognized him. The back door was always open, so he walked in through the mudroom and into the kitchen, where the staff were busy.

It was his longest security job. They usually only lasted one night, maybe two. It was a major headache. He didn’t feel like it was worth his time to guard people like Judge Snow, and two nights ago, he was ready to quit and advise the guy to hire bodyguards who specialized in working with celebrities and would happily take his money to follow him around.

Then, the redheaded woman showed up and got in Joelle’s face. From across the room, he saw the demented sneer and taunting smirk. The fucking crowd got in his way, and he’d felt almost feral to get to Joelle.

As he’d been escorting her away to calm her down, his guy was in Diamond’s ear over the comms, telling him when he’d escorted the redheaded woman outside, only for five men to pile out of a car. The loony bitch had brought the Irish mob with her.

His blood had run cold because those fuckers had no off switch. Shooting the place up wouldn’t have mattered to them, even with all the security and surveillance. The Irish were feral yet motivated by family loyalty.

If the woman had spun a scorned tale about her failed relationship with the Judge, the Irish most likely had put a vendetta against all the Snows.

Any thought of ditching the job fled Diamond’s mind.

He didn’t give a shit about Snow, but knowing Joelle was in the mix of that danger, he couldn’t walk away now. Just the threat of the Irish mafia using her as part of a revenge attack left him unhinged.

Diamond trekked through the mansion and was about to knock on the Judge’s office door when he stopped because someone was having a heated discussion. He rested a shoulder on the wall and waited to see what he could hear.

If he hadn’t already recognized her voice, the jolt of electricity through his sternum would have told him who was behind that door.

And from the sounds of it, Joelle was angry as fuck.

“Joelle. This is none of your business.” Her father told her.

“Not my business?” her voice went comically higher, and Diamond’s lips twitched. After the other night, when he’d witnessed her almost going berserk, if not for him redirecting her anger, he knew the woman had a temper underneath the rainbow colors. “You made it all our businesses when you cheated on my mother.”

“You’ll watch your mouth.”

“I’ll watch nothing. I’m sick of keeping my mouth shut, keeping the peace, and always saying the right thing while you do whatever you want. And then expect us to fall in line. That’s not how a family works, father.”

Diamond only ever heard her call him father. Never dad. The affection in this family was scarce. He’d seen warmer ice cubes.

“She got in my face. Your woman . She’s been waiting to meet me. How nice, huh? Maybe we could invite her for Christmas dinner.”

“Don’t be facetious, Joelle. Your antics aren’t amusing.”

“Yes, because I’m rolling around on the floor laughing.” She snapped, and Diamond’s lips twitched again. Little mouthy brat. “How long is this going to go on for? I don’t want bodyguards.”

He straightened, and his eyes narrowed.

“Has that biker been inappropriate?”

Was having his tongue halfway down her throat and groping her all over while he stood within the apex of her thighs, feeling how hot she was against his hard dick, considered inappropriate?

“No, of course, he hasn’t.” Aw, Bluebell was such a little liar. Diamond smiled again. Maybe she wasn’t so blue blood after all. They’d made out like crazy in a wash closet, so he knew she had a naughty streak.

A bad girl wannabe he couldn’t grapple with, even if she made water pool in his mouth when he thought about touching all her tempting soft curves again.

“You will tell me immediately if that man does or says anything to upset you.”

A growl of irritation festered in Diamond’s throat, listening to the holier-than-thou prick malign him even though he begged for Diamond’s help, because he knew he was the best damn thug in this town.

“Oh, for god’s sake, do you hear yourself?” huffed Joelle. “You’re the one who’s screwed up here, Father. Don’t redirect the focus onto someone you invited into our home to clean up your mess. Diamond is more the gentleman than you ever could be right now. I’m so angry with you.”

“Joelle.” Was that hurt in the Judge’s voice? Diamond would have laid good money on the guy being a cyborg.

The argument went back and forth. The Judge was unsympathetic, disregarding her feelings and ordering her to be quiet.

“I’m moving out in the New Year.” She announced.

“Don’t start this again.”

“I’m almost thirty. I can no longer play the role of the obedient daughter, living at home to maintain the ideal American image for the voters.”

“Your mother will be devastated if you leave.”

“I’m sure she’ll be horrified if I tell her about the Irish woman approaching me.”

Good for you, Bluebell . Diamond sent his silent praise.

“You know what is sickening?” asked Joelle. “For thirty years, you’ve put your career ahead of everyone. You were the DA, now a Judge. Next is the supreme court of justice. Everything is still being put before your family. Including your selfishness by screwing around and not caring where that muck lands. It’s on us, Father, if you’re not that self-aware.” Diamond heard how her voice cracked with emotion. He pushed off the wall again and felt his instincts to protect her roar.

“Joelle! You will not make these foolish decisions while you’re emotional. We’ll discuss it again when you’ve calmed down.”

The door wrenched open, and Joelle fled the office, slamming it behind her, only to nearly run right into Diamond’s chest. He caught her by the top of her arms.

“Oh,” she gasped, looking up at him with her large eyes filled with un-spilled tears. He wanted to protect her, not just because of his job, but because he was a man holding a beautiful, upset woman. “Sorry.” She said.

And then she burst into tears, flinging herself into Diamond’s arms.

He was so stunned that his arms latched around her, instinctively cradling her to his chest.

Diamond had to remember that Joelle was upset, and he shouldn’t enjoy how well she fit against him. He would be an even bigger jerk than her father.

He steered her away from the office before Snow came out, and Diamond was forced to punch the asshole in the face for hurting his daughter’s feelings.

At least twenty rooms lined both sides of the long hallway. He tried the third door, which opened into a bathroom that looked big enough to hold a football team. He closed them in and turned the lock while still holding Joelle close, skating his hand down her back in a soothing motion.

His heart surged into his throat when she only clung tighter. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, and her face hid in his shirt.

“Baby,” he started, cradling the back of her head. “You’ve got one minute to cry it all out, or I’m gonna have to go back there and kick his teeth in for making you cry this hard.”

He meant every word.

It wouldn’t take much of an excuse to hit the Judge. Diamond would forget the exorbitant amount Snow was paying the club, and he’d put the man through a fucking wall, and he’d enjoy doing it.

Joelle’s head whipped up, and Diamond’s first thought was no one should look that cute while tears gushed down their red blotchy cheeks.

She was adorable in a way he’d never found a woman before.

“You’d do that?” she hiccupped.

“Just give me the word.”

Unable to help himself, he reached to brush the tears from underneath her eyes. A woman as bright as her should never cry with sadness.

“Thanks, I needed that.” She stepped out of his arms and grabbed a tissue from a box on the bathroom counter.

What was with them and bathrooms lately? Was Diamond tapping into a new fetish?

She wet the towel and dabbed it on her face, cleaning up the mascara underneath her eyes.

“That sounded like some argument you were having.”

“You heard?” she frowned, embarrassed. “He’s been dodging me for two days. It all just came tumbling out. Nothing will change.” She shrugged.

“But you got it off your chest, Bluebell. That’s what counts.”

“Yeah,” she brightened, “I feel better for it.”

Diamond leaned on the counter, watching her while she kept dabbing at her face, though he reckoned she was already perfect. He was in no rush to move.

“Were you serious about moving out?”

“You listened to the whole thing, huh?” she half-smiled, glancing at him. “Yes, I meant it. But I’ve meant it every year I’ve said it. I can’t keep putting off my life because my father needs a picture-perfect lie to showcase to the world. We’ve never been that. All I am is Judge Snow’s daughter. I want to be Joelle.”

“Who is Joelle?” he asked, and she frowned again, facing him.

“I guess I’ll find out.” Diamond couldn’t take his eyes off her. She seemed so bummed out, and he just wanted to fix things. Unsure why he felt compelled. He hated seeing her so sad. Nobody should have to sacrifice their own life for someone else’s shitty ambition.

Not long later, he drove her to the brownstone house he had stalked, only to realize it was her therapist, not her boyfriend. She appeared happier when she came out. So, naturally, he had to stop and buy her an ice cream cone. Fuck if he knew why, but he liked when she smiled. His chest burned as he watched the tip of her tongue flick around the melting ice cream.

Off duty that night, he kicked it back in the clubhouse. Reno came out of the kitchen with his two hands laden with cupcakes.

“Oh, man, did you bake?” he shouted across to Diamond, who nodded in return. “This is the shit. I’m taking some home for my girls.”

He used to bake in secret at home, but when he started baking in the clubhouse, they ribbed him good-naturedly. Yet they still fell on his baked creations like hungry vultures.

He couldn’t settle tonight, so he pulled out all his pans and made the lemon squares Scarlett enjoyed, followed by a triple batch of cupcakes.

Baking helped him relax.

It focused his mind for a few hours. And tonight, it had been inundated with racy thoughts about a certain blue-haired bohemian.

Once at home, he relaxed on the couch with a beer he hadn’t touched yet.

Throughout the morning, he couldn’t shake the memory of Joelle running into his arms for solace despite his recent behavior towards her.

He’d made some wrong assumptions based on his dislike of her father and all the bullshit rich ego he brought with him.

He’d been a standoffish jerk with Joelle because the attraction had hit him square in the solar plexus, and he knew he couldn’t act on it.

Now he had a hard dick most days when he knew he was going to be around her.

It made little sense.

Wealthy socialites were the last women he’d ever go for.

But he couldn’t remember an attraction this strong before.

He needed to get it out of his system so he could think straight again, and not have every thought filthier than the last about kidnapping Joelle and swallowing all of her pleasured cries.

Diamond contemplated jerking off. But he had to see Joelle tomorrow, and that would make him the biggest creeper if he pumped his come into his hand, knowing it was because of her. He had already leveled up by stalking Joelle while his men were watching over her.

He sighed, drank half the bottle, and was about to go to bed when his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Diamond?”

“Bluebell? What’s wrong?” he shot forward in his seat. Any tiredness he’d been feeling vanished.

She sighed. “I got your number from my father’s office. I’m sorry to call you so late. Did I wake you?”

“What’s wrong, Bluebell?” he asked again.

She was silent for a moment. “Nothing. I was just lonely.”

It was like her voice reached down the phone line and crushed his heart, and made his dick pulse in his sweatpants. His reaction was visceral, aligning his thoughts and pumping blood through his veins faster.

Kidnap her.

Own her.

Bathe in her screams.

His thoughts vined out of control, growing weeds of possessive destruction.

“Would you talk to me for a while?”

The vulnerable sweetness in her voice affected Diamond like a hot caress.

He couldn’t have the woman for many reasons.

There was a power dynamic in overseeing her safety.

They were also from different social worlds.

But he couldn’t—wouldn’t—turn her away. And he didn’t want to dig into the reasons for that.

“Sure, Bluebell.” He answered, scraping a hand through his hair. “Talk to me.”