Diamonds are Forever: A Diamond Magnate Novel (Diamonds are Forever Trilogy Book 3)

by Charmaine Pauls

  He’s proud. I get that. “The business will recover now that…” Alexis is dead. I can’t bring myself to say it. It sounds too selfish.

  “I know.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Not as much as I am.” He moves around me.

  “I’m sorry for the hotel,” I say. “I was upset. I was trying to…”

  He looks back. “Survive me.”

  “Yes,” I say, biting my lip. “Yet…”

  “Yet what?”

  I inhale deeply, and admit the truth. “I want you to stay.”

  His smile only turns sadder. “You jumped off a cliff and ran away to escape me. I think it’s also time to admit to myself you don’t want me.”

  I lock my fingers around the wrist of his hand that’s holding the suitcase. “I do. I do want you. That’s what I realized tonight when I looked at my wedding dress. I made it for you. I wanted to have something you couldn’t give me so badly that I didn’t see what was right in front of me.”

  “What?” he asks, intertwining our fingers.

  I smile through the tears burning in my eyes. “You.”

  Pain contorts his features. “I’m not a nice man, Zoe.”

  “I know who you are.”

  “I have nothing to offer you, no money and no love.”

  “Today you’ve given me everything.”

  His lips tilt. “Have I?”

  “You’ve put my needs before yours.” I search his eyes and recognize the conflict. “That’s love, Maxime.”

  Dropping the suitcase, he folds his arms around me and crushes me to his body. The pain I saw in his face reflects in his voice. “You can teach me to be the man you want me to be.”

  “No.” I burrow into the safety of his arms. “Don’t change. I’ve always loved you just as you are.”

  He rests his chin on my head. “I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you.”

  I pull away and take his hand. “Come back inside?”

  He scoops me up in his arms, making me squeal. “I think I’m supposed to carry you over the threshold.”

  “I’m not sure how it’s supposed to work, but we’ll figure it out together.”

  “Starting with this,” he says, lowering his head to catch my lips.

  The suitcase remains forgotten in the hallway like the baggage I’ve carried for too long when he carries me inside. The door closes on our past as we make our first decision together, to love with all we’re capable of.

  Love.

  He doesn’t say it, but it seems fitting. This is who he is. His actions speak louder.

  It’s the first moment of a new beginning.

  Eat, sleep, love, and repeat.

  With him, I can do this forever.

  Epilogue (Zoe)

  Zoe

  The bells toll in the tower. Their music rings out over the harbor city of Marseille, their message one of joy. As if the angels are playing along, it’s a warm autumn day with a clear blue sky. I’m standing in the nursery, facing my reflection in the mirror. The girl looking back at me is hardly the girl from a few months ago. This one’s eyes are sparkling, and her cheeks have a blush. This one believes in love.

  Love.

  My heart beats with a wild rhythm when I think what I’m about to do. Nerves tighten my stomach, but they’re the good kind.

  Lina fiddles with the dress, separating the layers of tulle.

  “It’s fine,” I say.

  My sister-in-law doesn’t look at me. She’s hiding behind the mass of golden hair that tumbles over her shoulders. “It has to be perfect.”

  Josie fusses in her stroller.

  “Hey.” I take Lina’s hand to still her. “It’s okay. The dress is fine. We’re okay.” Meaning both of us. This is emotional for her, more than what it should be. There’s more to her state than feeling sentimental about the ceremony.

  Turning her face to the ceiling, she blinks away the moisture in her eyes.

  I squeeze her hand, those same emotions clogging up my throat. “Don’t cry.”

  She gives an awkward laugh. “Now look. I’m making you sad.”

  Josie complains, making a ruckus with her rattle. I go over and lift my niece from the stroller.

  “Oh, wait.” Lina runs to us and takes Josie from my arms, but not before I’ve inhaled the sweet baby scent of her hair. “I’ve just fed her. You don’t want her to burp on your gown.”

  I give a soft laugh. “I’m so happy, Lina.” I brush a hand over Josie’s blond curls. “Really, happy.” Lina has asked me twice this morning if I am. I don’t want her to doubt it for a minute.

  “I know.” She sighs. “Weddings bring back memories for me, that’s all.”

  “You’re happy, right?”

  She beams. “More than I can ever be.” Shifting Josie to her hip, she drags a finger under her eye to catch the tear that has spilled over. “It’s just that you look so beautiful, Zee. I can’t believe you made this dress.”

  I look at the dress in the mirror. It’s a princess dress, down to the diamante detail on the meringue skirt. It’s not fashionable, but it’s me. It’s who I am. It’s hard to say if it’s genetic or my past that’s shaped me. Maybe it’s a little of both. Whatever the case, I’m comfortable in my skin. I’m designing the clothes I love, and I found a market for them. I’ve put frills and lace back in fashion. Romantic has become my trademark, and it caters for an existing need. My label is for women who like to feel feminine and who don’t shy away from going just a little overboard.

  After everything that’s happened, our lives are finally back on track. I’m lucky. Thanks to celebrities like Vera Day, Zoe Hart became a leading international label in a short time. Maxime’s business is solid again. He won back his old clients and made new ones. Not having to look over his shoulder makes him more relaxed, although he still fights at the boxing club. That part of him will never be over. It’s him. It’s the man I love.

  With our businesses booming, we can afford a bigger house, but we love the apartment. Leonardo has moved into Maxime’s old house near Cassis. Even if the house were available, we wouldn’t have wanted to go back there. We deserve a new start. When we need a nursery, we’ll upgrade to a house with a garden, but I’m keeping the apartment. It’s mine, and Maxime gave it to me with love. A lot of my memories were made there, and I’m embracing all of them, even the bad ones. Even Venice. Especially Venice. They hold a deep sentimentality, because everything that happened led us to this moment.

  A knock sounds on the door. It creaks open, and Damian’s face appears in the crack. “Hey, Zee.” He looks at my face and the dress, and then he swallows. “Can I come in?”

  “It’s bad luck to see the bride,” Lina says with a chastising smile.

  Damian grins. “Only for the groom.” He comes inside and shuts the door.

  We look at each other. I know what he’s thinking, because I see in his eyes what I feel in my heart. We’re back under a blanket in the dark, holding hands for comfort. All we have is each other, but in our make-believe tent we’re safe. We came a long way. I rescued myself with my fairytales, and Damian saved himself with his truth. We made it. We created the realities we wanted. We’re okay. We’ll always be, because no matter what, no one can take this strength away from us.

  “Zee.” His eyes glitter with pride. “You’re lovely.”

  “Isn’t she?” Lina says, blinking away fresh tears.

  A look passes between them, something I can’t decipher, but it’s profound.

  “I have something for you,” he says, taking a small box from his pocket and handing it to me.

  “What is it?”

  “Open it.”

  I flip back the lid. A pink heart shaped diamond on a thin platinum chain glitters on the velvet cushion. My breath catches. I know how rare pink diamonds are, how precious.

  “Damian,” I exclaim. “You shouldn’t have.”

  He takes the necklace from the box and motions for me to turn around. Wh
en he fastens the chain around my neck, I trace the heart with a finger. I can’t help but admire the beautiful color and perfect cut.

  “It’s you,” he says, meeting my gaze in the mirror. “A real princess.”

  The bells toll again.

  “It’s time,” Lina says with a tremor in her voice, bouncing Josie on her hip.

  Damian kisses my cheek. “Thank you for giving us this. Photos could never compare.”

  My cheeks heat when I think about the lies, but then I push it away. Today is a day for the truth. “It was Maxime’s idea.”

  Lina hands me the bouquet of roses tied with a pink ribbon.

  Damian offers his arm. “Ready?”

  I smile.

  When the tenor starts singing Bon Iver’s I Can’t Make You Love Me, Damian leads me down the aisle. There aren’t many guests, mostly our work colleagues and associates, but the people who mean the most to me in the world are here, and that’s all that matters.

  I lift my eyes and look toward the end. Maxime stands in a pool of angelic light that fans through the window. In tailored pants and a fitted waistcoat underneath a swallowtail jacket, he looks cultured, beautiful, untamed, and wild.

  The crazy beat of my heart evens out. When his gray gaze homes in on me, isolating me in his vision like nothing else exists, everything falls into place.

  His eyes shine with a possessive light as he tracks my movement. When we stop in front of him, he only breathes one word, but it’s charged with the history of a lifetime. “Zoe.”

  Damian shakes his hand. “You know what’ll happen if you don’t take care of her.”

  “You don’t have to worry,” Maxime says. “No one and nothing can ever mean more to me.”

  When Damian, Lina, and Josie join Josh, who sits in the front row with his nanny, Maxime folds his broad hand around mine. His skin is warm and calloused. Those skilled fingers can play many different sensations over my body, but right now his touch is gentle, a promise to protect and hold.

  Lowering his lips to my ear, he whispers in his seductive accent, “You’re beautiful. So damn much. Just like a flower.” His voice turns hoarse. “I’m never letting you go. You know that, right?” He leans closer, letting our shoulders brush. “You know what you’re promising, don’t you?”

  I stare up at his face. He’s a fallen angel in a holy place with a ring in his pocket and a question in his eyes.

  When he asks me for my answer, I’m going to say yes.

  Every time.

  That little saying about being careful of what you wish? It’s science, really. We attract what we think. That’s the law of energy. Our deepest desires shape our paths. I dreamed about a prince. It’s the villain who found me. It just took me a while to figure out it’s the villain I wanted all along. My light attracts his darkness. His darkness is a canvas for my light.

  I’ve waited for him for a long time. He conquered my heart in a dark broom closet. He broke it in real life. He took me far away and gave me beautiful dresses and lots of pretty glasses. He mended my heart with the biggest sacrifice a man can make. He gave me a fairytale, and he never broke those glasses.

  Our love isn’t conventional. It’s so much more. It’s bigger than us, even bigger than life. It’s a bond that follows soul mates beyond death into eternity. Our love shines like a diamond. It’s the kind that lasts, because diamonds are forever.

  ~ THE END ~

  Bonus Epilogue (Lina)

  Lina

  Damian’s deep timbre comes from down the hallway. “The spaceship landed on Earth, and the Goollie monster lifted the hatch.” His voice deepens. “I’m hungry. Bring me some toys to eat.”

  I make my way to the bedroom and peer around the frame. The sight melts my heart. Damian lies in the middle of our bed with Josh under one arm and Josie curled up against him on the other side. Josh’s eyelashes brush his cheeks. His chest rises and falls with even breaths. Josie’s eyes are closed too. The bottle has slipped from her perfect little rosebud mouth, but she clutches it like a life buoy in her tiny fist.

  Damian catches my gaze over the book. It’s a giant book of sci-fi tales, a gift from their beloved Auntie Zee. His lips tilt into a sexy smile. With those new reading glasses, he looks extra hot, like a rocket scientist with a male stripper’s body.

  I lean a shoulder on the frame. “I think they’re sleeping.”

  He gives me a sheepish grin. “Have been for about fifteen minutes.”

  My smile is soft. It comes easy. He has that effect on me. “You’re still reading.”

  “The story was almost finished. I read kids absorb words even in their sleep. I think we should play audiobooks in their rooms at night. Maybe they’ll learn to speak French like that.”

  “Zee said she’ll teach them during the holidays.”

  “A head start can’t hurt. Besides, Josh is a natural with languages, and Josie is a genius. She already said daddy.”

  “Is that so?” My smile stretches. “She’s ten months old.”

  “As I said, genius.” He drags a heated gaze in a slow evaluation over me. “Since they’re sleeping…”

  The desire burning in those bitter chocolate eyes instantly sets me on fire. My voice is husky. “Since they’re sleeping what?”

  He closes the book. “I can spend time with my wife.”

  Biting my lip, I say, “Maybe.”

  A calculated look comes over his handsome features as he narrows his eyes. “Are you teasing me?”

  I keep my face innocent. “Never.”

  He puts the book and glasses aside, and gently removes his arm from around Josh. I stand quietly. This is my favorite part of the evening. It warms my chest and fills my heart, night after night. I’ll never run out of love or grow tired of witnessing this.

  Careful not to wake Josh, Damian lifts him in his arms. I step aside for Damian to squeeze past me and pad behind them to watch from Josh’s door as Damian lies him down on his bed and pulls the comforter with the space rocket motive up to his chin. My big, strong husband bends down to plant a kiss on Josh’s forehead before brushing away a curl. He leaves the blue lamp on so that Josh doesn’t get scared of the dark if he wakes in the night.

  Flashing me a smile, he leaves the door ajar and goes back for Josie. Damian works hard, but he comes home before dinner every evening without fail so he can read the kids their bedtime story and tuck them in. That’s his special time with them, his time to unwind from the stress of the diamond business.

  We’re lucky. Josie’s been sleeping full nights since she was five months old, and we never had to rock her to sleep. Put her down, and she’s lights out after a few minutes. Damian steps from our room with our daughter in his arms, staring down at her with such a tender expression I know this is one of those moments I’ll remember forever. It’s one of those images a person revisits on a deathbed, a moment of profoundness that gives meaning to life.

  Like a puppy, I follow behind them. I can’t help it. I’m still telling myself every day this is real, that I won’t wake from a beautiful dream to discover I’m back in a nightmare.

  Damian pauses next to Josie’s crib. Even if she’s fast asleep in his arms, he rocks her for a while.

  “Love you, baby girl,” he says, planting a soft kiss on her head. “Sweet dreams, little angel.” He lies her down and puts her favorite cuddle toy within reach.

  I slip around the frame and lean against the wall, listening to him move around the room as he flicks on a night lamp and switches on the baby monitor. When he finally exits and looms over me, my heart starts thumping like it always does when he stands so close. His masculine scent washes over me. He’s barefoot, wearing a pair of dark jeans and a faded T-shirt. I long to run my hands over the hard ridges of his chest, but I resist for as long as I can. When I finally break and touch him, it always feels like the first time.

  “What would you like to do, Lina?”

  The way he says my name, hot and husky, makes me clench my thighs. I can’
t help but toy with him a little. “I need to study.”

  Leaning a hand on the wall next to my face, he cages me in. “Do you now?”

  I’m doing a correspondence degree in Psychology. I love being a psychiatrist’s assistant, but I love helping people more. People like me.

  “How about this?” He presses closer, letting me feel his hardness. “I read your textbook to you in bed.”

  I stare up at his beautiful face. “Will I get any studying done in bed?”

  “Plenty.” He drags his fingertips from my shoulder down my arm to my wrist. Then he reverses the path, brushing a light caress over my scars. “I’ll test you to make sure you’ve paid attention.”

  My breath catches when he lowers his head and drags his lips over the arch of my neck. “Will there be punishment involved?”

  He kisses my jaw. “Absolutely.”

  “Mm.” My knees grow weak as he trails a finger up my leg, lifting the hem of my dress in the process. “I’ll have to think about that.”

  “Do you need some persuasion?” he asks as he reaches my underwear.

  I’m helpless against the seductive tone of his voice. I have no defenses against the skillfulness of his hands.

  “I love you, Lina.”

  But those are the words that slay me, time and again.

  “So fucking much,” he says with a sudden dark, desperate urgency. “Let me show you, princess.”

  When he takes my hand and leads me to our bedroom, there’s only once choice.

  I follow.

  Anywhere he wants.

  Wherever he takes me.

  Always.

  Afterword

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you very much for joining me on Zoe and Maxime’s adventure. If you enjoyed the story, please consider leaving a short review on your favorite review or vendor site to help other readers discover the book. Every review makes a huge difference.