The Duke's Diamond

by Andromeda -

  Both moaned deeply at the stimulation, and she began to grind her hips against him. Tangling her fingers in his hair, her lips pressed against his own as their bodies moved.

  It was as if they knew what to do without even thinking it, as if their bodies knew of this sacred dance. It was taking all of him not to say ‘screw it’ to what the doctors said about the no sex thing and slide inside her, but he knew at the same time it would be painful for her, and he did not wish to hurt her. The feel of her heated folds drove him crazy, and he moved his hips faster.

  “I can’t wait to have you,” he whispered to her between kisses. “I swear to you, Princess, you are not leaving my bed for days.”

  “What about taking care of Dalila?” she teased, trying to muffle her soft moans as to not wake her daughter.

  “I’ll get a sitter,” he answered through gritted teeth. “Damn it…if you feel this good and I’m not even inside you yet…”

  Her lips slid to his neck, sucking gently and nibbling as she grinded against him harder, soft, breathy moans leaving her mouth with every rub. His fingers dug into her hips, and he quickened his own pace, wishing to bring them both to that wonderful and sweet release.

  The fire grew more intense by the moment, and both could feel their climax nearing. Never had she felt this way, as Alfonzo never even got close to making her like this, as once again, she remembered he only wished for his own pleasures.

  “Cum for me, Princess,” he whispered hotly in her ear. “Cum for me. I know you can. I know you want to. You said he never made you climax… Cum for me…”

  She didn’t have to be told twice.

  The dam exploded inside her, and she threw back her head with a loud gasp, reaching her peak before slumping on top of him with a low moan. He groaned deeply, filling the condom as he, too, came, and held her close, slowing down her movement until they stopped completely.

  For a moment, they sat there, catching their breaths as he kissed her neck softly with a smile. Then, she chuckled and lifted her head to look at him.

  “Are you still hard?” she asked.

  “Maybe,” he answered with a smile. “What can I say, you make me as solid as an oak tree. I can’t wait to be inside you…”

  “You’re going to have to wait,” she said back with a smile, kissing his cheeks. “My body still has to heal. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do other things…”

  He smirked and cupped her sex, making her gasp softly with a deep groan. “Oh, I know… I know of a lot of things I’m going to do to you…”

  At that moment, there was a knock on the door and she smirked. “There’s the food. Guess you’re going to have to wait even longer.”

  He laughed and helped her off him. “Good thing it’s here. I worked up quite the appetite. Can’t wait for dessert, though.”

  “What’s for dessert?” she asked.

  “You,” he answered, as he fixed his pants and walked to the door.

  ✵✵✵✵✵✵✵

  Alfonzo roared with rage as he threw Luke against the wall, his eyes blazing with fury. He had come back to find his business, his girls, in a mess. They had all seemingly abandoned him, his men had stolen most of his money, and the most infuriating thing was his most important possession, Diamond, was gone.

  She had run away.

  She had taken their daughter with them.

  She was dead.

  “What do you mean you came to check in on her and she was gone?!” he bellowed at Luke, as he threw him against another wall. “I told you to watch her!”

  Luke’s eyes couldn’t focus, and it didn’t take Alfonzo long to figure out that he was drunk. Apparently, he had spent all his time in a bottle. It just made Alfonzo more enraged.

  Alfonzo had just gotten back from his trip he took after he had beaten the shit out of Diamond. It was her own fault; she had overstepped her hands by beating on Ruby. He spoiled her too much, as she thought herself too special to do the things the other girls did. She needed to learn her place.

  “Get the boys!” he growled as he threw Luke on the ground. “Send them all out. I want them found, and I want them found now.”

  Chapter Twelve: Learning to Settle

  The early morning sunlight woke Diamond the next morning from a deep sleep, the first real sleep she had in a very long time. A stirring next to her made her look over and see Dalila snuggling closer. Smiling, she kissed her little forehead before slowly pulling away to get up and look for Jonathan.

  For a moment, Diamond thought this was all a dream. There was no way she was in Connecticut. She thought she was back in Las Vegas and Alfonzo was going to come charging around the corner at any second, but she found the condo completely quiet, and no Jonathan anywhere. Panic seized her in its grasp for a moment, and she looked frantically around, thinking he'd abandoned them, but as she passed the kitchen, she stopped.

  A black box sat there, along with a note. Slowly, she approached it and began to read it.

  Good morning, love,

  If you are reading this, then it means I'm not home. Unfortunately, when we returned, I had a law firm to return to. I wish I could have blown off today. I would have loved to spend time with you, but it was my first day back, and I have a workload to attend to, unfortunately. I cannot wait to see you when I return home, though.

  I hope you enjoy your gifts. Inside the box, you will find a new phone with my number already inside it. With the phone is a credit card. Go and take your wonderful little girl out for a shopping trip on me. Buy whatever you want; do not worry about how much anything costs.

  All my love, Jonathan.

  Diamond smiled as she brought the paper to her lips, kissing it gently. She’d never felt this way before, never with Alfonzo, yet with Jonathan, it felt so…right. Opening the box, she found a brand-new Samsung Galaxy, as well as a black credit card.

  That made her blink with surprise.

  She had always known Jonathan was wealthy, but she wished she knew how wealthy. Then she’d feel less guilty about spending his money.

  But he told me to enjoy myself, right?

  "Mommy?" Dalila's soft voice said behind her with a yawn.

  Diamond turned around as she saw her little girl walking into the room, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Diamond smiled at her messy curls and sleep-glazed eyes.

  "Hello, sweet one," Diamond said, kneeling to look at her. "You sleep well?"

  "Yes, I did," Dalila said, nodding. "It was a good sleep."

  "Well, I'm glad. Are you hungry?" Diamond asked.

  Dalila nodded. "Yes, I am. Can I have pancakes today?"

  "Of course," Diamond said, getting up. "Let me see if I can find any."

  Walking to the fridge, Diamond opened the door and looked inside it. The only thing she found inside was the following: oatmeal, protein shakes, fruit and water. A frown wrinkled her brow as she looked at this angrily.

  What the hell is this? Why does Jonathan only have this here?

  Diamond stood up and turned to look at Dalila, then the card, then back to her daughter. A smirk formed on her lips as an idea formed in her head. "Want to go out for the day, sweet one? Mommy's friend has given her some money and we can go out. Maybe get ice cream for lunch."

  Dalila’s face brightened up instantly. "Yes, I'd love that!"

  ✵✵✵✵✵✵✵

  They collapsed into the chairs at the food court at the New Haven Mega Mall. Five floors of seemingly endless shops, which held simple things such as a Super Walmart, to luxury brands things like Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana.

  New Haven was a lot different than Las Vegas; it was cleaner for one thing. This place screamed ‘rich’, from the cobbled streets to the coffee shops on every corner. She and Dalila had caught a taxi to the mall, and the moment they stepped through those doors, Diamond knew they were completely out of their element. People in designer clothes walked around and college kids laughed as they held ice coffees in their hands. Diamond exhaled deeply, holding Dalila close to he
r as they shopped.

  When she was with Alfonzo, Diamond had an allowance of only four hundred dollars a month to use for food, clothing and other things, which was a stupid thing really, as he made almost fourteen thousand a day from the girls.

  Most of the money she got went to Dalila, buying fresh food and groceries to cook meals with. Diamond could only afford to buy a single article of clothing a month for her little girl. Diamond would hate to see Dalila’s face when the latest item came out, and her little one wanted it, but Diamond couldn't afford it.

  She could make up for it now.

  Diamond refused her daughter nothing, even though she did try to curb it just a little bit. Yet, she did buy her enough clothes and items to last for months: dresses, tops, pants, shoes, hair bows, ribbons, pins and so forth. Diamond tried to not get the expensive things, but instead, things that would look as good, if not better, but cheaper. She always thought that people who hid behind expensive things had low self-esteem.

  As for herself, she would freely admit that she did go a little crazy. She couldn’t remember the last time she had bought herself clothes. The moment she stepped into the stores that held the clothes she liked, she couldn't resist a light splurge.

  For the first time, she could shop her style of clothing. Unapologetically a quote-unquote ‘girly-girl’, she loved dresses, jackets, tights, leggings and skirts made of bright colors that were both loose and hugged her body at the same time. Though she was a girly-girl at heart, she wasn’t afraid of a little fight, and bought several workout outfits, as she planned to take self-defense classes. Never again would a man put his hands on her without her permission. She also bought several headwraps in so many assorted colors she quickly lost count. Not really one for jewelry, she did buy earrings to accent her head wraps and long face. For her underwear and night clothes, she couldn't resist Victoria’s Secret.

  As she shopped, she mentally thought of what Jonathan would like, and then began to blush as red as a tomato. Whenever she was around him, her heart would beat furiously and her cheeks grew hot. Her body would burn if he just looked at her. These feelings, she never had for Alfonzo. Well, she did at the beginning of their so-called relationship, but in the end, he betrayed her.

  Absentmindedly, her hand went to her flat stomach where her child was. She didn’t even know she was pregnant, but then again, Alfonzo never used condoms with her. He even refused for her to use birth control. Dalila was an accident, but Diamond loved her nonetheless, and she refused to be a bad mother to her little angel. She couldn’t be angry with an innocent child.

  She was pro-choice in every way. Had Alfonzo not beat her so terribly before she left and she was still pregnant, Diamond knew she would have gotten an abortion. Dalila, she wanted. Dalila, she could handle and was all her own, but that second child, she neither wanted it or wished to be reminded of it. Most would not agree with her, but she didn’t care. It was her body, and she would have gotten an abortion before she was too far along. She couldn’t handle having something that was his growing inside her. All she wished was to forget him.

  Now, as they sat down at the food court wondering what to eat, Diamond decided to talk to her daughter about some personal things before they returned to Jonathan's place.

  "Sweetheart?" she said.

  Dalila looked up from her new iPad where she was playing a game. "Yes, Mommy?"

  "You do know why we are here, right?" Diamond asked.

  Dalila nodded. "Daddy was hurting you, so your friend took us in."

  Diamond was surprised at her words and that she knew exactly what was going on. “Yes, that’s right,” she said, nodding. “Jonathan. You said you liked him. Care to explain why?”

  Dalila smiled brightly. "I really do. While you were sick, he took care of me, gave me snacks and rocked me to sleep."

  "He did that?" Diamond asked.

  "Yes, he did. He really likes you, Mommy," Dalila said, grinning.

  Diamond blushed. "I…I kind of like him too."

  For lunch, they got Chinese food, a favorite of theirs, before heading back to Jonathan's place. The taxi picked them up, and after stuffing the truck with their purchases, they climbed in and returned to their new home.

  ✵✵✵✵✵✵✵

  "Dia?" a deep English voice called out as the door unlocked.

  Diamond looked up from her book and smiled, as Jonathan stepped inside the condo. It was much later in the evening, around nine that night. Dalila had already gone to bed as she was worn out from their little adventure. Getting up from the couch, she walked over to him and leaned in the doorway.

  "How was your day?" she asked.

  "Good," he said, "but I am so tired. I left a huge workload on my desk.”

  He turned to look at her, and his eyes widened. She was dressed in an off-the-shoulder pink shirt with white short shorts underneath. From what he could tell, she wasn’t wearing a bra, as he saw no straps under the shirt.

  Smirking, he dropped his briefcase and strode to where she stood. His powerful arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers. She didn’t pull away. Instead, Diamond pressed herself close, cupping his cheeks until she was forced to pull away to breathe.

  “I missed you,” he murmured as he kissed her neck and shoulder. “All of you…” His hand gripped her rear possessively.

  "I made dinner," she said. "Chicken stir fry. Left you some if you're hungry."

  "Starving," he said, though it was clear he wished for something more than just food. “And that's nice of you."

  She blushed and forced herself to pull away, though she still held his hand. "Thank you."

  "What did you two do today?" he asked, loosening his tie.

  "We went shopping,” she answered. “Dalila was overjoyed that we could."

  "I'm glad she enjoyed herself,” he said, smiling. “I'm sorry I'm home so late. I normally come home at like five, but seeing that it's the first day, I decided to stay a bit later.” He reached over and gently cupped her chin, tilting her head up. "How have you been?”

  She blushed again, trying to look away from his silver wolf eyes, but was unable to. "I…I am all right. Been feeling a lot better and taking my medication."

  "I am glad. You need to get better. I don’t want you stressing yourself,” he said.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she giggled.

  He smiled at that and pulled her close again. Their lips touched, and that warm sensation washed over them again. The kiss was slow and sensual, but no tongue, yet it left her wanting so much more.

  Slowly, he began to pull away and looked into her eyes. "I want you badly, Dia. I love you so much."

  "I like you so much, Jon," she whispered. "But…I…I am afraid."

  "I know," he said. "And I will give you time.”

  He moved to let her go, but she caught his hand, pressing it to her cheek. "Dalila told me about the vigil you kept at my side when I was in the hospital. She really likes you."

  He flushed. "Thank you."

  "My daughter is the key to my heart…and you have unlocked it." She looked into his eyes. "I will give you a chance."

  His eyes widened with delight and he swept her into his arms, peppering kisses on her cheeks and neck before pulling away and then grinning. "How about we go out? I’ll take you out for a night on my town next week."

  She laughed and nodded. "I'll like that. But, Jon, this place is really small. I think we are swamping you."

  He looked around and nodded in agreement. "I agree. This has always been my own personal bachelor pad, but for you two, I will change it. I love you, and I know you love Dalila."

  Diamond smiled and cupped his cheek, pulling him close for another kiss.

  Chapter Thirteen: Not exactly a secret

  “That box goes over there with the appliances, right?" Diamond asked, holding up a box marked, microwave.

  Jonathan looked at it and nodded. "Yeah, it goes with them. Let me get that; it must be heavy."<
br />
  She shook her head. "No, it's OK. I got it. You can help with the other stuff."

  He smiled at her as she carried the box to another room and placed it by the door.

  Today was moving day.

  He had taken what Diamond had said to heart; his condo was much too small for them to live in. Also, his couch, as nice as it was to sit on, was terrible to sleep on. So, the next day after their talk, he began looking for an apartment for them to live in.

  In New Haven, there were plenty of them, seeing as it was a college town. However, the prices for them were insane, mainly because Yale was located here. But, being the son of a duke, money was no problem. There was one, though: convincing his father to give him the money to do so.

  "Why are you moving to a new apartment?" his father asked him over the phone. "What's wrong with your condo?"

  "It's too small," Jonathan said, which wasn't a total lie. "And some friends of mine want to move into a three bedroom."

  Jonathan heard him softly grunt, but then his father sighed. "Fine. But please be more careful with your money. I got the bill for almost twenty-five hundred dollars spent at the mall the other day."

  "Bought some gifts for charity," Jonathan said quickly. "Never too early to get Christmas gifts."

  In the end, his father gave him the money to rent a three bedroom, two bathroom apartment that was also closer to his office. Not only that, but it was right next to the library and several small schools. Monthly, his father gave him sixty-five hundred British pounds in allowance money, which after transferring to American money was eighty-five hundred dollars.

  Rent at the apartment would be thirty-five hundred a month, and though most would consider this a lot, the complex had several amenities that were included with the rent. Two pets under two hundred and fifty pounds together were allowed, there was a concierge on call, as well as a doorman, clubhouse, fitness center, pool, media center/movie theater, Wi-Fi, washer/dryer, air conditioning/heating, walk-in closets and more. He knew water and electricity would be a bit high, but in his calculations, he figured they would have an end balance of thirty-four hundred dollars at the end of the month.