Bling: A Diamond Doms Novel

by Ivy Nelson

  Isabelle shook her head. The things she learned about people always fascinated her.

  “Anyway darling, Simon told me Master Garrett was taking you to the dinner. When Garrett called me last night about another dress, I knew I had to have you try on some of my new fetish wear.”

  She opened a closet along one wall and pulled out some gorgeous lingerie and corsets.

  “Corsets are pretty and do outstanding things for our tits, but yours don’t need any help and I’m a big fan of lingerie that could pass for a risqué evening gown, so let’s try this one on you.”

  Isabelle stared at the backless gown Jasmine was handing her. It was risqué indeed, with mostly sheer material that flowed from a panel of silk meant to cover her breasts. It included a pair of panties that would be visible through the sheer material.

  It once again fit her body perfectly and she couldn’t help but wonder how much time Jasmine had put into altering these items for her.

  “Do you like it? It doesn’t matter how much I love it if you’re not comfortable,” Jasmine said. Isabelle looked at herself in the mirrors and discovered she felt perfectly comfortable and dressed despite the amount of visible skin.

  “I think it’s gorgeous,” she murmured.

  “Excellent. I’ll box this up for you then. We’ll keep it a secret from Garrett until the night of.”

  Isabelle grinned, suddenly even more excited for the dinner next month.

  Jasmine’s hair and makeup person arrived a few minutes later and Isabelle sat patiently while the woman did her hair and makeup. It felt like a lot of makeup being caked onto her face, but when they finally let Isabelle look in a mirror, she was stunned. Somehow it looked completely natural.

  “Just perfect. You’ll be the most gorgeous woman in the room.”

  “She always is,” Garrett said from the doorway. “Can I have my girl back, Jasmine?”

  The woman grinned. “You can. I’m pretty sure she’s all yours and has been for a while.”

  Isabelle smirked as she stood and turned to face Garrett.

  “Do I look OK?” she asked when he held his hand out for her.

  “OK? Doll, you look amazing.”

  She felt her face warm under his praise. “Thank you, Sir,” she murmured.

  “I do think it’s missing one thing, though.”

  “Oh?” she questioned.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out her bracelet she wore at Solitaire. “I grabbed it last night,” he said. “I know you only wear it at the club, but I would be honored if you wore it tonight.”

  She felt herself tearing up as she held out her wrist.

  “In fact,” he murmured as he slid the slim silver jewelry over her hand and onto her wrist. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t take it off again if you’re going to be mine outside the club.”

  She swallowed and nodded. “I’m OK with that, Sir.”

  He smiled. “Excellent. Let’s go try to have a pleasant time then.”

  Garrett went to Jasmine’s register and handed her a credit card. Isabelle watched as he leaned in and whispered something to the makeup artist who was standing next to her. The woman nodded and bent down to dig through one of her cases. She handed something to Garrett, who slipped it into his pocket.

  In the limo, Garrett kept a promise he had made earlier in the day to make her suck him off. A towel had magically found its way to the floor for her to kneel on so she wouldn’t mess up her dress, and he warned her that if she didn’t want to go around the party tonight wearing evidence of their backseat naughtiness, she needed to be a good girl and swallow all of his semen. Something she gladly did.

  When he’d exploded in her mouth and she had swallowed him down, he pulled out a handkerchief for her to wipe her mouth with. As she settled next to him on the seat, he reached into his pants pocket and produced a tube of lipstick, the kind her makeup artist had used. Isabelle shook her head as she swiped the expensive tube across her lips.

  “Do you always think of everything?” she asked as she tucked the tube into her purse.

  He grinned. “I try to. The more I think of the more successful I am in business and politics, I figure the same has to be true with women,” he said with a wink.

  With women, not in relationships. Isabelle tried not to dwell on it. His sweetness and insistence that she was his all the time was endearing and causing her to become attached, but part of her knew deep down that he still didn’t think of them as in a committed romantic relationship.

  She was his submissive and his employee, not his girlfriend. That was OK, she just had to remind herself to guard her heart and not grow too attached to him being around all the time. At some point he would return to Pennsylvania, and they would go back to seeing each other on weekends only.

  She tried not to dwell on it as she sat next to Garrett with her shoulder against his. He slid his hand over hers and squeezed.

  “The most pleasurable thing about this event is the food. Sometimes it’s not the greatest at these things even when we spend hundreds on a plate. Tonight, the chef is a friend of mine who usually runs the kitchen in one of Hunter’s restaurants in New York. He’s been flying around lately doing celebrity events.”

  Isabelle nodded, only half hearing him.

  The driver interrupted them. “Sir, the security detail we sent ahead has asked that we enter through the back. The press is apparently getting a bit rowdy over some unexpected guests.”

  Isabelle was fine with that. The idea of being mobbed by the press again put a foul taste in her mouth.

  “Why did the security team come ahead of time?” she asked as the driver turned the corner into an alley behind a hotel.

  Garrett smiled. “Just precaution. This was a last-minute decision on my part, and they wanted to scope out potential exit strategies should we need one.”

  Would this be her life with Garrett? A constant barrage of security and invasion of privacy? It was overwhelming to think about.

  Thankfully, there wasn’t time to continue dwelling on it though because her door opened and one of the security detail offered her his hand.

  “Miss Alvarado just step over here and we’ll get you and Mr. Oliver in safely.”

  She nodded and waited for Garrett to round the car and offer her his arm. The two security guards, dressed much the way she imagined the secret service dressed, ushered them into the building and through a maze of hallways until they came to the lobby. Isabelle could see the press they had been warned about. She was grateful for Garrett’s foresight to send the security team ahead. They checked in with the hostess staff and were directed to their table.

  Just like in Dallas, they were stopped multiple times as people spotted Garrett and wanted to ask questions. Some tried to engage Isabelle in conversation, but for the most part they just nodded her way, complimented her dress, and turned their attention back to Garrett.

  They were almost to their table when a woman stopped them and wrapped her arms around Garrett. Isabelle took a step back as the woman gushed.

  “Garrett, it’s so good to see you, darling. You’ve stayed away too long. When are you coming to the governor’s mansion for dinner again?”

  Then it hit her, Isabelle recognized the woman from television. She was standing in front of the governor of Colorado’s wife. Was there anyone this man didn’t know? She spotted no less than a dozen actors in the room, all with Colorado roots. The longer she looked around, the more out of place she felt.

  “Isabelle.” Garrett’s voice shook her out of her spiral.

  “Sorry. I was lost in thought,” she said when she realized he was trying to introduce her.

  The woman smiled kindly. “It’s quite alright, dear. These things can be overwhelming at first, but you get used to it. I’m Elaine Andrews. It’s nice to see Garrett bringing a date to these things.”

  Isabelle smiled back. “I’m happy to be on his arm,” she said politely.

  “You must come to dinner with Garre
tt next time he’s free.”

  Garrett pecked the woman on the cheek. “We’ll set something up soon, Elaine. I’m working out of Colorado for a few more weeks at least.”

  The woman clasped her hands together. “Wonderful. I should get back to my husband, but you two enjoy the party.”

  "She seems nice,” Isabelle murmured.

  “I like her well enough. Her husband and I were roommates in boarding school.”

  “He’s young then.”

  Garrett smiled. “I suppose he is. Age of candidacy is thirty.”

  At their table, he pulled her chair out for her, bending to kiss her on the cheek as she settled.

  “I have to go and speak to some people. Will you be OK here?”

  She nodded and waved her hand around the room. “The place is filled with security. I’m fine. I enjoy people watching.”

  He squeezed her shoulder and turned to walk away. Pausing, he faced her again and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Have I mentioned how gorgeous you are tonight, Doll? I can’t wait to take that dress off of you later.”

  The room suddenly felt ten degrees hotter as she watched him walk away in his bespoke tuxedo. That was certainly a sight she could get used to.

  She picked up the water goblet on the table and took a sip as she let her eyes wander the room. People milled about talking and laughing in expensive clothes as they sipped on cocktails from the bar. It occurred to her that she should go get a drink. A little alcohol might make the small talk with strangers at their table a little easier.

  Standing, she scanned the room looking for the path of least resistance to the bar. When she spotted the least crowded area, she made a beeline for the back of the room and stood in line.

  “What’s a lovely woman like you doing getting her own drinks?” She turned at the sound of a rich masculine voice behind her and smiled at the stranger.

  “Surprisingly, it’s something I’m quite capable of, I assure you.”

  The man threw his head back and laughed. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t capable. Allow me to get your drink for you as an apology.”

  Isabelle smirked. “It’s an open bar but you can leave the tip.”

  He shook his head, a half smile playing at his lips. “What will you have?” he asked as they approached the bar, waiting for one more person to place their order.

  “Dirty vodka martini, please,” she said.

  When it was their turn, the stranger ordered their drinks with practiced ease.

  “Thank you,” she said with a smile as she watched him tuck a wad of cash into the tip jar. “I like a generous tipper.”

  “Wait a lot of tables in college?”

  She nodded. “Worked a bar for a bit too.”

  Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she sipped her martini and scanned the room for Garrett. It wasn’t hard to spot him. Even with his back to her, he stood out as he spoke to a group of men. His broad shoulders were straight, and he stood with confidence.

  “I should get back to my table,” she murmured to the stranger.

  “Allow me to escort you while I look for my own table.”

  He placed his hand at the small of her back and Isabelle started walking in the direction of her table, uncomfortable with his touch. He got the hint when she sped up and finally dropped his hand as they approached.

  “This is me,” they said at the same time. Just great, Isabelle thought. The man was sitting at their table.

  “Seems I get the pleasure of your company for a while longer. I won’t pretend to be disappointed,” he said with a wink as he pulled a chair out across from hers and sat.

  A few minutes later, she felt Garrett behind her and reveled in the feel of his hand on her shoulder. She tilted her head to smile up at him, but the smile quickly faded when she saw the steely glint in his eyes as he stared at their table companion.

  “Isabelle, I see you’ve had the misfortune of meeting my brother.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It had taken everything in Garrett’s power not to pull Isabelle up and walk her right out of there. He’d spotted his brother chatting her up at the bar. His first inclination had been to scold Isabelle for leaving their table, but he realized that was unfair. If he wanted her on his arm more often at events like these, she had to feel comfortable enough to move around in his world.

  He’d finished his conversation with a group of local businessmen as quickly as he could without being rude, but he kept Isabelle in his sights the entire time. His brother was making her uncomfortable, so at least he knew she had good judgement.

  Now, he stood behind her seething. When his sweet girl looked up at him, she placed a hand over his as it rested on her shoulder. “I was missing you,” she said with a smile. “I hear the view on the balcony is lovely. I was hoping we could go for a walk before dinner.”

  Bless her, Garrett thought, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “Come on then, Doll. We’ll catch up with Maddox later.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she murmured as they walked away from the table. “I had no idea who he was. I swear.”

  Then he realized she thought he was mad at her. They’d just left the ballroom and he was intent on taking her to the balcony where there was indeed a lovely view.

  Instead, he tugged her into an alcove next to the water fountains and backed her against the wall. Gripping her face, he let his mouth ravage hers.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said when he pulled away. “I’m pissed at him, not you.”

  “Why are you angry with him for showing up?”

  “It’s so complicated and messy. He brought me here to let me know he’s back.”

  “Back from where?”

  He knew she was confused and that it was probably time to tell her about his brother.

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Come on. Let’s go outside and talk.”

  The balcony was large and stretched much of the building. It was dotted with benches and small bistro tables. When they settled at one, he reached for her hand.

  “Maddox—or Max—is older than me. He was supposed to be the one running the Oliver Corporation because I was pursuing a career as a political advisor. When he was in college, he got mixed up with a dangerous crowd and got involved in an illegal diamond smuggling ring. If you’re ever curious about how I got into business with David Eastman, that has a lot to do with it.”

  His thumb traced the back of her hand as he thought about the best way to tell her the rest of the story.

  “Dad got him out of a few legal pickles, but he was still grooming Maddox to be the next CEO. Then, ten years ago, he had a nasty car accident while he was running diamonds. It fucked up his face pretty bad and he had a pretty serious brain injury. At that point, Dad was done. He changed his will and asked me to come back to the company. I still kept my fingers in a variety of political pies, but it was clear that they expected me to step in and take my brother’s place.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry, Garrett.”

  He gave her a pained smile. “Things have always been tense between Max and I, but when he came out of the hospital and discovered he no longer had a job, he took his trust fund and, for the most part, cut himself off from the family.”

  “And you think somehow he’s been playing a long game to get revenge?”

  Garrett shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.”

  “So how did he get involved in the illegal diamond trade?”

  A member of the catering staff came by with a tray of appetizers, so he snagged one for each of them.

  “Eat,” he said, shoving the tiny plate toward her.

  She laughed. “Don’t try to get out of answering my questions, Garrett. This is affecting my family. I deserve to know.”

  He shoved the shrimp tartlet into his mouth to buy him some time to gather his thoughts.

  “I’m not trying to get out of answering.,” he said when he’d swallowed. “Our company has a je
welry arm—or had. That’s where Maddox got his start in learning management. In doing so, he got talked into getting into business with some unsavory types who convinced him he could make more money if he got into the smuggling business. When Dad first found out, he pulled him out of the jewelry arm and put him to work running one of our shipping facilities. He thought he’d shut down the mini smuggling operation, but my father was a bit naïve about my brother.”

  “This is all so confusing,” she whispered.

  He laughed. “Tell me about it. Let me try to condense it for you. The long and short of it is, after I took over, I discovered that my brother still had his tendrils in the jewelry arm of our company, and diamonds were still being smuggled through one of our facilities. I cleaned house and got completely out of the jewelry game. I eventually dipped my toe into the diamond waters again with David, but I use his man-made diamonds for things like blades on industrial machinery, not jewelry.”

  “And at the point that you cut off his inside connection to the company, he what? Vowed to get revenge?”

  Garrett chuckled. “Something like that. He declared that we were dead to him and even changed his last name. I just don’t know what’s brought him out of the woodwork now, or why he’s using the Oliver name again, and I intend to find out. He’s definitely meddling in my affairs, though and very nearly got me kicked off the small business advisory committee we’re here to celebrate tonight.”

  “So, you think Darren was working with him?”

  Garrett shrugged. “It makes sense, but it will take some untangling to find out.”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry this is turning into an awkward night. Any chance we can get a different table?”

  He squeezed her hand. “Doubtful. It’s a full house. But we’re going to do our best to have a good time, and then I’m going to take you to Solitaire and have my way with you.”

  Isabelle lowered her gaze and eyed him through her lashes. “We could just skip right to that part.”

  He grinned and stood, pulling her with him. “I would love to, Doll. But I’m not going to be seen as a coward who tucks his tail. We’re going to have to stick this one out. Let’s get back inside and play nice with everyone.”