Forbidden Lover (The Diamond Club Book 7)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  And even better, most of the people in the crowd were friends! Important, powerful, friends!

  “Danielle!” Carly shrieked, seeing the former accountant and Carly’s friend who had married Mika al Jaffrir, Sheik of Stilan. As soon as Carly screamed, Danielle swung around and raced over to Carly. The women hugged and laughed, both of them talking at the same time as several enormous men looked on with amused expressions.

  After several rounds of gleeful hugs, Carly grabbed Danielle’s hands, pulling her over to Charlotte and Jessa, introducing everyone.

  “It’s wonderful to meet both of you,” Danielle said, then turned and looked over her shoulder, waving forward three women who were standing nearby. “Ladies! This woman is Carly Cole,” Danielle explained. “And Charlotte, who married Oz, and Jessa, who is Jayce’s wife. Another one of our comrades!” She turned to Charlotte, Jessa, and Carly. “And this lovely lady is Ilara. I’m leaving off titles because we all hate them.” Everyone shook hands with the beautiful blond woman who smiled warmly. “She married Jabril. You remember that horrible situation where her uncle almost destroyed her country?”

  “You’re that Ilara?” Charlotte gasped. “Oh my goodness, I’d love to know how you turned things around so quickly! And how did you get everyone in your country to agree to reunite with Piara?”

  Ilara laughed. “Well, I had a lot of help,” she said drily, pointing over her shoulder to the group of men laughing with Jayce, Oz, and Ryker.

  Ilara turned, putting her hand on the elbow of an exotic beauty with dark eyes and dark hair who beamed excitedly at the group. “And this is Zuri. She’s my sister-in-law, married to that brute hauling the lumber to that hill. Sheik Tarin of Catare.”

  “The last of our lovely entourage is Josephine.”

  “Call me Jo,” the gorgeous blond said with a smile.

  Danielle leaned in, wrapping an arm around Jo’s slender shoulders. Jo, who looked like a supermodel, was warm and friendly. “My guy is the dark haired beast over there,” she pointed to the guy who had just lifted the other end of the piece of lumber Sheik Tarin was hauling.

  “They are all so handsome,” Carly said, hugging Danielle again. “I can’t believe you guys all came to help out!” she gasped. “This is amazing! We’re only missing Deni now!”

  Danielle looked around. “Where is she? Why isn’t she here?”

  Carly shook her head. “She wanted to be here, but her father is really sick, so she couldn’t make it today.”

  Before anyone else could say a word, an adorable little girl raced around the corner. “Uncle Jayce! Uncle Oz!” she shrieked. And then she threw herself into Oz’s arms. Oz lifted her up into the air, tossing her high and then catching her.

  The ladies sighed as they formed a semi-circle, looking at the interactions of the huge men who passed the laughing, beautiful child around, each of them hugging her or tossing her in some way. She loved every moment of it, giggling with delight, laughing so hard, she probably couldn’t see straight.

  “Who is that?” Charlotte whispered as a tall, strikingly handsome man came around the corner. As happy and giggly as the small child was, this latest man was the complete opposite. He was handsome, no doubt about it. But in a scary, icy kind of way. His cold, grey eyes matched the little girl’s exactly. There was no doubt that the two were related. But…how had such an icy man have created such a wonderful, laughing, giggling child?

  Carly laughed. “Oh, that’s Sebastian Hughes,” she said.

  “The banker?” Jessa breathed in shock.

  Carly rolled her eyes. “You’re more awed by Sebastian Hughes than the royalty meandering around in our forest?”

  Jo, Zuri, Ilara, and Danielle all snorted, rolling their eyes.

  But Charlotte and Jessa nodded. “Yeah. He’s…well,” Charlotte laughed and turned to the four new women in their midst. “Ladies, not that your men aren’t amazing and scary too. But a sheik is just too far outside of our world to really grasp. Sebastian Hughes…he’s in the newspaper all the time. And isn’t his wife…?”

  “Ex-wife!” several of the ladies corrected quickly.

  Charlotte and Jessa stopped talking, looking at the ladies. “Right. He’s getting a divorce.”

  “Trying to,” Carly sighed. “That bitch of a woman he married…” she stopped, shaking her head. “I just can’t see how that evil actress gave birth to such an adorable, sweet child!”

  Zuri stepped forward, closing the circle. “I agree. If anyone can win at a battle between a merciless, vindictive bitch like Meredith and keep Chloe safe, it would be Sebastian. He might have to resort to some unorthodox methods to win. But he’ll do it.”

  “We’ve seen him win in other situations that seemed impossible,” Ilara commented.

  “Exactly,” Jo replied. “He’s going to destroy that vile woman!” the lovely blond hissed. She brightened up, smiling at the group. “Now, what can we do to help get this confidence course up and running?” she asked, eager to get to work.

  Everyone moved over to Ryker, who was handing out assignments. With so much help, it took less than two hours to get the entire obstacle course set up. A landscaping company was coming by on Monday to lay down mulch, which would soften the ground and keep things from getting muddy. There was no mulch on the back obstacle course.

  Only one thing marred this day and its accomplishment. Carly ached when she looked at the happy couples all around her. Only she and Sebastian didn’t have a significant other around. And Sebastian at least had Chloe who raced around, helping whenever she could, riding along on top of the wide logs whenever she couldn’t. The man didn’t smile, but Carly could see the absolute love he felt for his daughter whenever he looked at Chloe.

  Ryker was the man that Carly loved. And yes, she saw him watching her several times, but Carly quickly looked away, terrified that she might reveal the intensity of her feelings if she looked back at him.

  Plus, if Oz or Jayce knew that she and Ryker had…well, been together, Carly wasn’t sure what they might do to Ryker. Beat him up? No, the three were best friends. They’d all gone through too much together for violence. But Jayce and Oz were intensely protective of her and had been ever since they’d discovered her existence.

  Was that why she was hiding her feelings for Ryker?

  Or was it because…admitting her feelings might…make them too real?

  The thought struck a nerve and she stopped poking at the question, afraid of the answer. Nope, she wasn’t going to delve too deeply into this. Carly determined that she was going to simply enjoy being with Ryker for as long as it lasted.

  And if it was already over between them…she fumbled her end of the pole she and Danielle were carrying. “Sorry!” she called, glancing towards Ryker who had stopped tightening one of the massive bolts that would hold the wood plank secure. But before he could say or do anything, anything the others might notice, she grabbed the pole and started walking again, pretending that she was perfectly fine. Pretending that the splinter in the palm of her hand wasn’t shooting stabbing pain up her arm.

  Maybe she wasn’t “fine”, she thought ten minutes later. Walking over to the table with the water, she checked the raw scrape on her hand. It was mixed in with all of the other scrapes that she’d received the last time she’d tackled an obstacle course. So, it wasn’t painfully obvious, even if it was painful.

  “You okay?” Ryker asked, his rough voice low and concerned.

  Carly spun around, hiding her hand behind her back. “I’m fine!” she gasped.

  From the look in his eyes, she knew that he didn’t believe her. But Oz came over at that moment and Carly panicked. “I’m just…grabbing a cup of coffee,” she announced, taking one of the cups and walking away. She didn’t want any coffee or hot chocolate. A pair of tweezers? Yeah, that would be helpful. But she really didn’t want Ryker to look at her hand. She didn’t think she could hide her reaction to his touch and her brothers were always nearby.

  Oh wha
t a tangled web we weave, she thought, hiding her hand. “You’re a brilliant man, Sir Scott!” she muttered, referring to the author of that particular poem.

  A half hour later, they were done, and everyone gathered to admire the confidence course with pride. “Dinner at my place!” Ryker called.

  Carly breathed a sigh of relief. How soon could she head back to her place and get this stupid thorn out of her hand? It was probably a tiny, miniscule piece of wood, but after having it in there this long, it felt like a two inch thorn stabbing at a nerve that ran directly from her hand to her head.

  Everyone headed to their cars but Carly lingered, cleaning up the last few things. She’d thought she was alone, so she took the opportunity to walk around the corner and examine the palm of her hand. The spot where the splinter had gone in was red now, looking angry at being ignored for so long.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Carly hid her hand behind her back as Ryker came around the corner.

  “Nothing!”

  Ryker eyed her skeptically and held out a hand, obviously wanting to see her palm. She slowly revealed her hand. “You’re hurt!” he announced.

  “I know. But…”

  “But you didn’t want your brothers to see my concern!” he snapped, his lips thinning as he focused on her hand. “Come inside.” He didn’t wait for her to follow him, but tugged gently on her hand, leading her relentlessly towards the building. “There’s a first aid kit in the locker rooms, Carly. Why didn’t you tell me that you needed help? We could have had this out right after it happened.”

  She didn’t answer him, but instead, checked behind her to make sure that no one else was following. Carly had thought she was alone, which was the only reason she’d stopped to take a look at her hand. So if Ryker was still here, someone else might pop up.

  “Ryker, really, I’m…”

  He stopped and turned, looking down at her and she backed up at step. “You’re not fine, Carly. In fact, you’re hurt and this could get infected. The splinter is deep, but probably wasn’t at first. You just…”

  He didn’t finish his sentence, pressing his lips together. She could feel his fury building. But instead of saying anything more, he unlocked the back door, leading her into the locker room. Because no one else was around on a Saturday, they both went into the men’s locker room, which was about three times the size of the women’s. It wasn’t that The Solutions Group discriminated against women. Just the opposite in fact. Ryker and the guys actively recruited women because there were many operations that would be work better with a woman on the team. But so far, not many women wanted to leave the military, preferring to make their way in the world from that direction. The women that joined the company were outstanding though. They were dedicated and forces of nature, able to keep up with the men on their teams during every exercise. They trained harder too, in order to maintain that balance.

  So, it was with interest that Carly stepped into the men’s locker rooms. The room looked similar to the women’s, which she used pretty often. Even the colors were the same. Really, the only difference was the size.

  Ryker walked over to the cabinet that held the first aid kit, which was really more like a small, medical clinic. In their line of work, they had to be ready for any kind of emergency.

  Thankfully, the tweezers were right at the top. “Over here,” he ordered and led her over to one of the benches. “Tell me if I hurt you, honey,” he warned.

  “I’ll be fine,” she promised, looking into his beautiful dark eyes made darker with worry. Carly could feel the heat of him, smell the clean, male sent that was Ryker. He was such a gorgeous man, she thought. So kind and sensitive, strong and powerful. It wasn’t just his body and muscles though. Ryker was mentally strong. He knew when to push, when to back off, and when to dive in. He was…everything, she thought with amazement.

  “Don’t kiss me,” she whispered, feeling that familiar pull that called every time they were near each other. Every time she’d thought she’d had enough of him, that her body couldn’t take any more, Ryker would look at her and…and she’d be a trembling mess of lust and need.

  “Why not?” he asked, but he pulled his eyes away and focused on the small piece of whatever that was lodged under her skin.

  He poked and prodded for several moments as Carly did her best to keep still as the tweezers poked at a nerve. Thankfully, Ryker found the splinter quickly and pulled it out, lifting it up to show her.

  “Small, but it was buried pretty well,” he announced.

  Carly looked at the tiny piece of wood. “I’m always amazed that something so small can be so painful,” she said out loud, but her voice held the strain of the tension that continued to build between them.

  He put the tweezers down, but didn’t move away. They were both straddling the bench, but his legs were longer, so his knees sat outside hers. Looking at him, at his broad shoulders and the bulging muscles of his neck, she wondered what he would do if she slid closer.

  And because she was feeling adventurous now that the log was out of her hand, she did it. Sliding closer. Just an inch, but it was enough that her legs were touching his. Because his were so much bigger than her own, she lifted her legs up so that hers draped over his. This close, she reached up, putting a hand on either side of his head, she pulled his head down lower. “Thank you,” she whispered, then kissed him softly.

  Their lips brushed back and forth, sending tingling sparks down her spine. When he reached out to hold her head, Carly sighed with pleasure. A moment later, he lifted her up so that she was straddling his hips and his hand tilting her head so that his mouth could deepen the kiss while Carly’s arms wrapped around his neck.

  She wasn’t exactly sure how, but moments later, she was naked and his shirt was off. But before she could even properly register that delightful fact, his mouth covered her nipple, sucking hard. Carly’s head fell back as she held his mouth in place, the sensations taking over as she rolled her hips back and forth over his. Ryker stood up and ripped off his pants, grabbing a condom and rolling it down over his erection, all the while, Carly kissed him, his lips, his chest, his stomach, heading lower but he chuckled, stopping her as he lifted her into his arms and sat back down the way they’d been before. But this time, he lowered her down onto his shaft, slowly filling her up. Because the position kept her from any sort of control, she was completely at his mercy.

  “You’re so incredibly beautiful, Carly,” he groaned as he tipped them back, filling her up from this angle. Her back was pressed against the bench and she locked eyes with him as he sank deeper into her body.

  Carly was so turned on, she couldn’t even respond. And the climax hit her fast and hard and she clung to him, trembling with pleasure until he found his own orgasm. Even then, he was so big and so incredible, that she still trembled with additional shock waves.

  As their breathing slowed, Carly opened her eyes and looked around. “Um…Ryker?”

  He lifted his head from where it was buried against her neck, looking down into her pleasure dazed eyes. “What?” he asked.

  “We’re in the men’s locker room,” she whispered, stunned and more than a little mortified.

  He lifted his head, looking around. His chuckle warned her that he wasn’t nearly as worried about their situation as she was. “So we are,” he laughed. Without pulling away from her, he stood up, carrying her as he made his way to the showers.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, gasping as she felt him harden all over again.

  “Every teenage boy has a fantasy about locker room sex,” he teased, flipping the switch in one of the shower stalls.

  “Really?” she laughed, loving this playful side of him.

  He carefully set her on her feet, then walked over to toss the condom into the garbage can, rinsing off with the shower water. “Absolutely,” he pulled her under the now-warm water. He pressed the pump attached to the wall that dispensed soap, but not just any soap. This was the really good s
tuff. Their teams worked so hard and risked their lives almost daily. So, Carly ensured that the locker rooms were stocked with only the best soaps, shampoos, and conditioners, plus anything else that the teams asked for.

  She closed her eyes as his soap-covered hands smoothed over her body, enjoying the silky sensation as she leaned against his hard chest. His head was right next to hers and she turned slightly, kissing his scruffy cheek. “I lo…”

  Carly jerked away, spinning around. Stunned at what she’d almost admitted. For a long moment, she stood there, staring at her soapy toes. “I love…this soap!” she quickly filled in, getting some onto her hands as she washed herself quickly. But she couldn’t look at him. No way! Not after that almost-blunder.

  “That wasn’t what you were going to say,” Ryker said, tugging her forward so she was pressed against his chest, his cheek scraping against hers gently. “What were you really going to say?”

  She closed her eyes, her whole body quivering with shock. “Nothing,” she promised. “I just…I love this soap. It’s a special blend that I found in Seattle and it’s…” she stopped when his hands moved lower.

  “Give it up, Carly.” His hand tweaked her nipple, stopping her sharp excuse for an explanation. “You were going to tell me that you love me,” he countered.

  Carly jerked away again, staring wide-eyed up at him. “Ryker, I…,” she paused. He was so strong and so amazing. She felt like a horrible wimp by denying her feelings. But no, she couldn’t love him! No way! Not Ryker!

  She refused to be in love with him! If anything were to happen to him…Carly stopped thinking along those lines. No! Nothing was going to happen. He was big, strong, and powerful and she absolutely was not in love with him!