by Andromeda -
I didn't believe in love at first sight. When you're the son of a duke, you're used to girls throwing themselves at you. But with Diamond…
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Jonathan looked up, frowning at the door. He was not expecting anyone, and yet, who was at his door? Slowly getting up, he walked to the door and looked through the peephole.
A little girl?
Opening the door, he saw a little brown-skinned girl who looked like a younger version of Diamond.
"Are you Jonathan?" she asked.
"Y-yeah," he stammered softly. "Who are you?"
"I'm Dalila," she said. "My momma said to come to you. She needs you."
His heart froze in his chest. "Dia, where is she?"
Taking his hand, Dalila led him from the building and into the parking lot. Heading towards a car, all the blood drained from his body when he looked inside.
Slumped over the driver's seat was Diamond.
Blood coated her face and body. Bruises were everywhere. Her face was almost twice its size. God, he couldn’t even tell where her eyes were for a moment.
"Dia," he gasped.
She must have driven here on pure adrenaline. Now that it was gone…
Carefully, he pulled her from the driver's seat and put a hand to her throat. He could feel a pulse, but it was very faint.
"Dia, who did this to you?" he whispered, looking over the woman he loved.
It didn’t take him long to figure it out. Her pimp-boyfriend. Fury washed over him, and he wanted to kill. Never in his life had he gotten this angry before, but right now, all he wanted was that man's blood.
"Mommy," Dalila whispered at his side.
He had almost forgotten about the child, and he looked down at her.
"I'm going to help your mommy," he swore. "Trust me, I will."
Picking up Diamond, he ran to his car, put her in the front seat and buckled her up. Then, he went back, got Dalila and did the same with her. Leaping into the driver’s seat himself, he started up the engine and began the drive to the hospital.
Suddenly, Diamond gasped, her eyes thrown open as she tilted her head back, crying out in pain.
"Dia?" he gasped, suddenly looking at her, almost getting in a car accident. "Dia, what's wrong?"
"M-my stomach," she panted. "Ahhh, it hurts!"
He looked down and saw red seeping from between her legs and his heart stopped again. No…no, she couldn't be…
Chapter Ten: Loss
Have you ever been angry? Like so angry you wanted to maybe kill someone? That was how Jonathan felt at this exact moment. He was beyond the normal level of anger, beyond the normal level of fury. He didn’t even have a word to describe how he felt at this moment.
Wait, yes he did: useless.
He felt so useless right now as he watched Diamond lay on the hospital bed, her beaten and bruised face covered in bandages.
When he brought her in here, the hospital staff thought he was the one who had beaten her up. They were nothing but fools. They asked him thousands of questions and he answered them truthfully, telling them her boyfriend—who wasn’t him, though he loathed that he was not—did this to her, and he had found her this way.
It took a lot of fast talking and it wasn't until Dalila confirmed his story that they believed him. Taking Diamond from him, they worked on her, while Jonathan stayed with Dalila in the play room for what seemed like forever. When a nurse came to him and said that Diamond was stable enough, he immediately went to go see her.
His heart clenched, as he looked down at her as she laid in bed. She looked so…so broken. He could hear the doctor talk to him and said that she had internal injuries and severe tearing of her vaginal canal. He listened to the doctor say that though she had fought hard for her own life, in the end, her child was loss.
That surprised him.
He didn't know she was pregnant and he would guess neither did she. In the end, however, he had severely mixed emotions about this. He was happy that her life had been spared, but the child… He could never be angry with an innocent child, but its father was what infuriated him. Knowing that Alfonzo raped her repeatedly made his blood boil.
Jonathan wanted to strangle him until the pimp could not breathe, and then revive him. He wanted to torture him, to make him suffer all that Diamond had suffered, and then some.
The only thing that stopped him was the thought of Diamond.
He knew she wouldn’t want him to do it. She wouldn't want him to take revenge; it wasn't in her nature.
But, oh, how I want her back. I want to hear her laugh, see her smile. I want to hold her in my arms and kiss her senseless. I want to make love to her until she's a moaning, groaning mess and will only want me and only me. But all of this will be for naught unless she wakes up.
Jonathan leaned over the bed and kissed Diamond gently on the cheek. “Wake up for me, Princess,” he whispered. “Wake up for the three of us…”
✵✵✵✵✵✵✵
"Mr. Somerset?"
Jonathan looked up as a nurse approached him. He was holding Dalila in his arms, rocking her in her sleep. The poor girl wanted to stay up until her mother awoke, but she fell asleep in her vigil, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. They had quickly bonded, and it was quite easy to fall in love with the little one as she was so full of life. She was also very protective of her mother and demanded that Jonathan explain to her his intentions for her dam.
Jonathan wasn’t sure whether to laugh or take her seriously. He told the truth; well, part of it. He said he was interested in her mother, and he cared for her. Dalila accepted this and quickly accepted him.
"Yes?" he whispered softly, resting his chin on top of Dalila's thick mound of hair.
"She's awake," the nurse stated with a soft smile, "and asking for you. Would you like to go see her?"
His heart leapt to his throat, and he nodded eagerly. For a moment, he took a step forward, but then he stopped and looked at Dalila in his arms. It was still kind of early, and Diamond would most likely be hooked up to several machines. He didn’t want the little girl to see her mother like that.
"Here, I'll take her," the nurse said, as she slowly took Dalila from his arms.
Jonathan thanked her before running as fast as his feet could take him to Diamond’s room. She was sitting up in the bed, not hooked up to any machines, minus the IV, which surprised him. Her face was scrubbed clean from makeup, and her hair wasn’t wrapped up in her headscarf, but never before did she look more beautiful to him.
When she saw him, a shy smile coated her lips.
"Hi, Johnathan," she whispered softly.
He rushed over to her and pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers, so desperate for her taste again. The kiss didn’t get into their normal passionate ones, but the sparks were there nonetheless, and he held her close. They stayed like this for a moment before slowly parting and looking into each other’s eyes.
"I missed you so much," he whispered softly.
"I missed you too," she said. "How long was I out?"
"Almost a week," he confessed.
"A-are we in Las Vegas?" she asked.
With that, he shook his head with pride. They were no longer in Vegas, as he convinced the hospital staff to move her as quickly as he could. Reluctantly, he had used the ‘Duke card’, but it was the only way to get her out of the state, and he knew Alfonzo would be looking for her.
“No,” he said with a smile. “We are in Houston. They flew you here.” His hand slid forward and cupped her cheek. “Dia, what happened?"
"I…I beat up Ruby and Alfonzo paid me back in more than double." She bit her lip and frowned, turning away.
"I'm going to kill him," he mumbled under his breath.
"Jon, no," she pleaded.
"Dia, he can't get away with this!" he protested.
"He's not," she said. "Trust me, he won't. But, Jon, revenge isn't the answer. And if I lost you, I don't know what I'd do."
&
nbsp; He frowned deeply at her words.
What was wrong with her? How come she would not let me avenge her? Why doesn't she let me pay this asshole back for what he's done? He deserves to die! he raged in his mind.
"Promise me, Jon, that you will let this go," she begged. "Look, I'm here now. With you. Remember the plan, right?"
At that, he couldn’t help but softly smile and he nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Then forget him," she said. "He's far away and can't hurt me anymore.”
She opened her arms for him, and Jonathan immediately wrapped his strong ones around her. As he held her close to his chest, he kissed the top of her head and sighed heavily. No one was ever going to take her from him again.
Chapter Eleven: New Home
Jonathan's truck pulled up to a luxury condo building. As he parked the vehicle, he turned to her and smiled at Diamond. "Welcome to your new home," he said.
In the back seat, Dalila was still fast asleep, the long ride from Texas to Connecticut having knocked her out. Diamond looked at the building, still unable to believe she was here. Almost four weeks ago, she was in Las Vegas, living under Alfonzo, and now she was here. Her little girl was free from his influence.
The hospital had kept her for another week to make sure she had healed properly, then they gave her medication and released her. When Diamond tried to stand up and get out of the car, she winced as a pain stabbed her in the temple. Seeing this caused Jonathan to frown.
"Another headache?" he asked.
She nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"Come on, let's go on up. I'll get your medicine and some water," he said.
Retrieving Dalila from the back seat, she followed him into the building and to the elevator. Diamond nervously glanced around at the stares they got from the residents here. Some looked at Jonathan, and then her. She knew what they were thinking and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming at them.
The elevator went to the top floor and Diamond noticed there were only four doors. Jonathan led them to the one marked, one, and when he opened it, her eyes widened. Everything in here screamed rich playboy, which meant it was most likely not exactly child-friendly.
"There is a living room, bedroom, dining room, game room and two bathrooms," Jonathan said, turning on a light. "You and Dalila can take the bedroom and I'll take the couch; it turns into a bed."
"We can't put you out," she protested. "Jon—"
"No, Dia, you’re not," he said, as he shook his head. "I mean it. If you want, I can change the California king size into two queens."
He led them to the bedroom and turned on the light. There were the standard bedroom items inside, as well as an enormous bed.
"Go and get settled," he whispered. "I'll be on the couch if you want to talk."
Nodding, she watched him leave before walking to the bed. Gently, she laid Dalila on it and began to undress the little one. Tugging off her shoes, she slid her out of her dress before putting on her night dress. While they were traveling, they stopped by some stores and bought clothes. Loosening her long hair from its braids, she tucked her into the bed before trying to leave.
Dalila suddenly stirred and opened one sleepy eye.
"Mommy," she whispered.
"Yes, sweet cake?" Diamond answered, walking back over and kneeling by the bed.
"Why did we run away from Daddy?" Dalila asked.
Diamond nibbled nervously on her lip. She wasn’t sure how much of the truth she should tell her child. "Daddy hurt Mommy," she confessed, softening the truth. "And now Mommy's friend, Jonathan, is helping us."
"Is Jonathan going to take care of us, Mommy?" Dalila asked.
Diamond smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, he is. Go to sleep, sweetheart. I'll be back later, OK?"
She nodded. "I like him, Mommy, I really do.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I love you, Mommy."
"I love you too," Diamond said softly.
Bending down, she kissed her softly on the forehead before closing the door. Walking to a bathroom, Diamond stripped out of her clothes, needing to take a shower. The hot water poured down her body, warming her skin. Sighing deeply, she pressed her forehead to the tiled shower and closed her eyes.
What has my life come to? Was I fated from birth to be beaten and betrayed? Did I ask for this? She shook her head quickly. No, no I didn't. There is no way I asked for my life to be like this.
Wiping the water from her eyes, she got the soap and began to clean herself. What happened in the past, was in the past. Alfonzo was three thousand miles away and couldn’t find them. He had no way to track them. Jonathan had smashed the phone Alfonzo had given her a long time ago, so he had no idea where they were. He always was a stupid man. He never did checks on the men they got with, and Diamond remembered a couple girls got hurt because of this.
Turning off the water, she wrapped a towel around herself to dry off before slipping into a long T-shirt and shorts and walking to the living room. Jonathan sat in front of the TV, his foot up on the table, and a beer in his hand.
He looked up when he saw her. Smiling softly, he turned down the volume of the TV and patted the seat on the couch next to him. "Hello again, Princess. Can I say you look quite mouthwatering in that shirt?”
Diamond blushed and sat next to him. "Thank you once again for doing this."
"I told you, Dia, I love you," he said. "I have told you this more than once. I knew it the moment I saw you at the club."
She ran a tired hand through her hair and sighed heavily. "Jon, I don't know if I can return that affection to you. I mean…at the level you want.”
"You make it sound like something so trivial," he said with a frown. "Dia, I know what I feel for you and it's love. I know you aren't ready, but please…let me love you."
She nibbled on her lip, unsure how to answer. Let the past stay in the past, Dia.
"I…I will try," she whispered softly.
At that, he smiled and pulled her into his lap. His grey eyes looked into her amber ones, which looked gold in the light. He could now see her hair, as she didn’t buy a new wrap for her head. Her shoulder-length curls were thick and lush, just like the rest of her.
“I ordered some food,” he said softly. “Gives us some time.”
“Time for what?” she asked.
“For this,” he said, as he cupped the back of her head and pulled her close as his lips pressed to hers.
✵✵✵✵✵✵✵
The moment their lips touched, sparks spread throughout their bodies. Diamond could not deny that the sparks made her feel closer to him, as the unsummoned passions she kept trying to fight came forward. She straddled him, resting her legs on either side of his hips, her arms wrapping around his shoulders for better leverage.
Jonathan groaned softly and slid his hands to her waist, holding her tightly, before one hand slid down and gently patted her rear. She didn’t pull away. In fact, she pressed closer, which told him she approved of his kisses and caresses.
Soft moans and gentle groans poured from their lips as they explored each other’s bodies shyly and slowly, as they were trying to take things slow. It didn’t mean their hearts and minds had other plans, as their blood got hotter by the second.
He boldly slid a hand under the shirt, gently giving her rear a squeeze, though he was still nervous on how far she wished for him to go. Again, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she pushed it closer to his palm and her head tilted back with a soft sigh.
“Do it again,” she whispered to him.
He smiled and gripped both plump cheeks in his palms, then began to gently knead them as he peppered kisses on her neck. Diamond couldn’t help but softly moan in pleasure, and never had a man been this gentle with her. Not even Alfonzo when they first got together. He was hard and fast, not caring about her. Jonathan…Jonathan acted as if he wished to bring her pleasure first before he took any in his own name.
Her shirt dipped down, bearing a toffee shoulder, which he nibbled before going back to
her neck. Tilting her head back down, she cupped his cheeks as she kissed him deeply again, and then began to grind against him.
Jonathan grunted softly and grabbed her hips, holding her tightly to prevent her from moving. His shaft was straining in his pants, wanting to be let out, to have some attention be placed upon it. Her grinding did not help.
“I am trying to control myself,” he said, his voice thick and hoarse. “You are making this very hard, Princess.”
“And if I don’t want you to?” she asked boldly.
Her vagina walls were still torn, and she couldn’t have sex for another five weeks, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do anything else.
“Dry humping?” she asked.
“Not sure if I can sustain myself with just that,” he chuckled. But he was hungry for her, and after a moment, nodded. Getting up, he went to a drawer and took out a box of condoms. “Just in case,” he said, as he took one out of the box.
She took it and sat next to him, her eyes wide and curious with a playful glint in them. With a smirk, Jonathan unzipped his pants and dropped both them and his boxers to his ankles.
Her eyes almost bugged out of her head.
It’s a freaking Pringle can, she thought to herself in shock. A throbbing, pink, Pringle can…
“See something you like, Princess?” he asked smugly.
“How in the hell does that fit in your pants?” she asked.
“I’m a big man,” he laughed, as he walked to where she sat. “I never leave a woman unsatisfied when she’s with me.”
He took the condom and tore it open. Carefully, he rolled it down on himself and then pulled her back in his lap. Diamond pulled down her panties, which he quickly snatched and tucked in one of his pockets, as she straddled his lap.
Carefully, she moved so that his throbbing third leg was between her legs, right between her nether lips. He was huge, and she wondered how in the hell that would fit inside her if they ever did have sex. He didn’t give her much time to think, however, as he began to rub against her.