Hearts and Diamonds

by Nichelle Gregory

Owen left the room in a purposeful stride, leaving her to wonder what the agent wanted. Nia offered a small smile as the woman entered the office.

  “Hello, Ms. Sanders.”

  “Hello, Agent Tan. How can I help you?”

  “I decided to come by to see how things were shaping up here and see if there was any new information you wanted to share.”

  “I told Quin everything I know about Tess and Scott last night.” Nia felt heat rush to her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to share he’d been over on some very unofficial business.

  Just dinner and sex!

  Nia resisted the urge to fidget under the agent’s bland stare.

  “He told me Tess called,” she said with no indication she cared about her omission. “You should know we’re going to put a tap on your phone in case it happens again.” She pointed to the new door. “Bulletproof?”

  “That’s what the contractor said.”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  Nia inhaled sharply as Agent Tan placed her hand on her gun.

  The other woman chuckled upon seeing her shocked expression. “Just a joke.”

  Hilarious.

  “Are there any leads you can share with me?”

  “We’re fairly certain they’ve left Chicago. Agent Rios is working on another lead now. He should be getting back into the city soon.” She looked at Nia, her dark brown eyes running over her face.

  Just the mention of Quin’s name sent her heart rate through the roof. She wanted to ask where he was, but bit the inside of her lip instead as she stood. “Would you like some water?” She turned towards the water cooler as she blushed. Her innocent question instantly reminded her of the spilled water on Quin’s jeans, the evidence of his erection outlined clearly in the wet material.

  “No, thanks, I have to get going.”

  Nia took a sip and smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

  Agent Tan scoffed. “I don’t do Christmas.”

  “Oh, well, happy holidays then.”

  “Sure.”

  Nia cursed as the agent took her leave. She couldn’t figure that lady out. Why hadn’t she said ‘happy holidays’ to start with? She always did on the floor. Her stomach rumbled, a reminder of missing dinner.

  And Quin.

  So, he was out of town, too busy with work, too committed to his job to call her. What did she expect after one night of hot sex? Maybe he considered it a one-night stand. The sobering thought depressed her. She didn’t want to believe last night would be the only moment she’d share with him.

  The laptop powered down as she considered calling or texting him. She soon dismissed the idea. Since when had she ever chased after a man? With a dejected sigh, she pulled on her coat and packed up her stuff to leave.

  The showroom was unnaturally quiet after all the hustle and bustle of the day and Nia was glad to see Owen waiting by the door. After saying good night to him, she set the alarm, locked the store and hustled to her car.

  Traffic was mild and soon she was pulling into her driveway. More snow had fallen since the morning and Nia was grateful her neighbour had snow-ploughed her walkway. She still needed to shovel her steps.

  That’s for another day.

  She climbed up the snow-packed steps to her home and wished for a split second she had a dog, cat…anything to greet her as she walked through the door. The jewellery ring had moved on, but a part of her didn’t feel safe. How could she when Scott and the rest of the jewel robbers were still out there somewhere? When they knew where she lived?

  The living room light was on, thanks to an automatic timer, but she still went through every room to systematically turn on all the rest. She flicked on the stereo and merry holiday tunes poured out of the stereo. Christmas was four days away but she felt anything but festive. She picked up her phone and listened to voicemail from her older brother, reminding her to call him. Nia smiled as she listened to his playful message. Getting together with her two older brothers and their dad was the highlight of the year. Her mother always made them come together for the holidays, but that changed after her death. Her father had remarried, much to everyone’s surprise. His new wife was warm and Nia genuinely liked her, but she missed the closeness of their family.

  She pushed a button on the phone and the second message played, sounding like someone waiting on the line. After listening to the odd crackling silence twice, she was unable to shake the feeling whomever had left the empty voicemail had not dialled the wrong number. Caller ID revealed nothing more than a private number. Nia stared at the phone wishing she could forget Tess’s voice, so cold and calculating the other night. It was still hard to believe the woman she had hired and considered a friend was a cold-blooded thief.

  Stop being so jumpy.

  She shimmied out of her skirt, pulled off her sweater and bra, tossed them on her bed before reaching for her Naughty or Nice long-sleeved nightshirt. The soft familiar cotton clung to her curves, drawing attention to her breasts with the glitter lettering running over the top of them. She stuffed her bare feet into her mouse slippers and grabbed her cell.

  No new messages.

  Of course, hadn’t she checked the damn thing twenty minutes ago?

  Frustrated, she padded back into the kitchen with her cell in tow to warm up some soup. Her gaze drifted to the remaining wrapped slices of apple pie and her resolve weakened. She reached for her phone to dial Quin’s number.

  * * * *

  Quin was tired and irritated after back-to-back flights to Miami, Florida. The lead he had been searching for proved to be a dead end and to make matters worse he couldn’t get Nia off of his mind. All day long he had thought about her warm smile, that sexy body and the smell and taste of her skin beneath his lips. He loved beautiful women, loved loving beautiful women but this was something else. Something he couldn’t control or ignore.

  Thank God, he was almost home. He’d pour a stiff scotch first thing. Then he’d be able to make sense of…no, squash his burning desire to turn off at Nia’s exit, knock on her door and take her hard against the wall.

  Really, Rios? Shit.

  He reached for his cell vibrating against his leg as he pulled into a gas station to park. The short message from Nia made him hard in a heartbeat.

  I want to see you.

  Her straightforward text might as well have shot him straight in his heart and his dick. Being with her had seriously fucked up his head. Seeing her again would only compound the problem and probably fuck up her head. He was the quintessential love ‘em and leave them kind of guy…well, love ‘em and leave them with a smile guy. His job required total dedication, much easier to do without outside distractions.

  “Who are you kidding, Rios?” He pulled his car back onto the highway in the direction of Nia’s house and glanced at the GPS navigation system. Eleven miles would take him less than ten minutes to drive. With the music blasting, he manoeuvred through traffic pondering his decision to see her. He pulled into her driveway, shut off the engine and glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror. “What are you doing?” His voice was a rough whisper in the quiet exterior of the car.

  Going after what you want.

  He got out of the car and crunched through the snow to ring her bell. The door flew open a split second later and Quin drank in the sight of her, so demure and alluring all at once in her Naughty or Nice nightshirt and fuzzy mouse slippers. The heated look in her eyes ruled out any thoughts of playing it cool as he crossed over the threshold and scooped her up into his arms.

  He kissed her hard, trying not to crush her with his need to feel every curve of her body again. Her lips melted beneath his, her soft tongue mimicking his sensual stokes. She smelt like Christmas cookies, tasted just as good and he wanted to kiss her everywhere.

  He forced himself to pull away and stared at her with her eyes still closed, noting the rapidly beating pulse at the base of her throat. Her eyelids flickered open to meet his gaze.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello.
You got my text.” Her voice was soft as her lips. She smiled at him before moving to close the front door.

  “I did.” Quin shrugged out of his coat and Nia took it to the closet as he pulled off boots. He stood up and faced her, his heart twisting at the sight of her sweet smile. “I wanted to see you too,” he said, pulling her closer.

  “Any new leads—”

  “I don’t want to talk about work.” His hands slipped around her waist as he looked down at her.

  Nia lifted one eyebrow. “You don’t?”

  “No, I don’t.” His gaze dipped to the glitter lettering across her breasts. “So which is it?”

  “What?”

  He ran a finger across the lettering, pleased to find her nipples hard as he squeezed her waist with his other hand. “Which do you prefer…naughty or nice?” He waited for her to answer as he flicked his thumb across one taut peak. The desire in her eyes made him want to do all sorts of very naughty things.

  “Nice,” she said at last, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

  He dipped his head down to kiss her again, soft, tender, reverent kisses. If she wanted ‘nice’—he would give her nice.

  But I’d much rather rip off this nightgown and take you hard and fast.

  The thought tempted him to do just that, but he held back, enjoying her soft moans as they kissed. His cock ached, confined within his jeans as he ran his hands over her hips to cup her rounded ass. He loved the way she felt in his arms, the way she responded to his touch. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he slid his hands down over her bottom and under the nightshirt to press her panty-clad body against his erection. He wanted her so bad it defied rational thought.

  “Wait…” She wrenched her lips from his, her voice breathless as she lifted her head to meet his eyes. “I changed my mind.”

  Quin frowned. What the hell was she talking about? He could practically feel the heat coming off of her. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. If she denied it, he’d prove her wrong. The secretive smile she gave him sent a surge of lust roaring through his blood.

  “Nice is nice…” She smiled wider, seeing his dark look. “Okay, very nice, but…naughty is much more fun.”

  Chapter Six

  Nia sucked in a breath as Quin stared at her, his confusion lasting a nanosecond before comprehension dawned. The slow sexy grin he gave her drenched her already damp panties.

  “Naughty it is.”

  She gasped as he wrenched the nightshirt up over her head, leaving her naked save her red panties with an embroidered picture of mistletoe in the centre of the moist fabric. She stood still as his gaze ran over her full breasts, down to her designer underwear.

  He kneeled in front of her, traced the threaded outline of mistletoe before pressing a hard kiss on it.

  Nia shivered in anticipation as he stood back up. His eyes were so hard and dark, she should’ve been frightened by what plans he had for her, but she wasn’t.

  “Take those off.”

  She obeyed his command, loving the rough edge in his voice deepening his sexy accent. Her eyes never left his face as she pushed the panties down to her feet. She stepped out of them and Quin picked them up. Her pussy creamed a little more as she watched him drag the wet fabric across his nose.

  “The slippers too.”

  She kicked them off as he pulled off his sweater and T-shirt. Her eyes were riveted to his lean hard muscles and the dark hair around his belly button, disappearing into the waistband of his pants. She swallowed hard as he took a foil package from his pocket and ripped it open with his teeth. Her heart fluttered as he unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his jeans and let them slide to the floor. The evidence of his arousal was now obvious through the cotton material of his underwear. She held her breath as he dispensed with them and stared at his thick hard length jutting forward as he rolled on the condom.

  He was magnificent, a female fantasy come true.

  “Come here.”

  She took two steps forward, conscious of her slippery thighs as he grabbed her and spun her around lightening fast. He pressed his naked body against hers, raising his hands to cup her breasts and she arched her back as he fondled and teased the sensitive flesh. His hand slipped between her legs and she whimpered as he circled her engorged clit with his finger.

  “Are you sure you want naughty?”

  “Very.” She parted her thighs, giving him more access.

  His fingers were in constant motion, gliding in and out of her slick heat as she ground her ass against his stiff warm cock. He knew just how to stroke the silky folds while using the pad of his middle finger to strum across her clit. Her breaths became small pants as he caressed her pussy and continued to toy with her nipples. She was so close to coming. The erotic pressure began to pinnacle just as Quin stopped touching her. She groaned as his hand slipped from between her legs, letting him propel her behind the couch facing the living room.

  “Naughty is more fun,” Quin said before pushing her over the back of the sofa.

  Nia gasped in surprise, realising her vulnerable, completely exposed position. She had no time to react before his hand connected with the soft flesh of one ass cheek. A scream erupted from her throat as Quin rubbed the area he just smacked. The contact stung, but didn’t hurt. Small tingles danced across her flesh beneath his hand.

  “Be very still or I’ll be forced to give you more licks.”

  He used his foot to widen her stance before bringing his hand down on her other ass cheek. The sound of it thrilled her, the feel of it made her suck in a breath. She moaned again as one long finger slid inside her, clenching her inner muscles as he finger-fucked her and spanked her.

  No man had ever done such a thing to her before. The feeling of being in complete and utter surrender to him turned her on even more. She grabbed on to the couch cushions and pressed her face into the pillows to muffle her cries as Quin alternated between spanking and stroking her with his hand.

  When he stopped spanking, Nia was surprised to feel tears on her face. The tingling heat on her bottom enhanced her sensitivity to erotic sensations as his fingers worked in and out of her wet channel.

  “Please don’t stop,” she begged, pushing back on his hand, needing to come, so close to release.

  Quin’s fingers slipped from her, replaced with the crown of his cock and Nia sighed as he filled her. She bent over further, bracing her hands on the cushions as he sank deeper into her tight sheath. His gruff groan joined hers as he grabbed her hips and began fucking her hard and fast. The sound of her wet pussy and his balls smacking her ass filled the room. His rapid movements jostled her breasts and pushed her on the tips of her toes. He was relentless in his thrusts, seemingly uncaring of her comfort and Nia embraced the ferocity of his lust. She cried out when he suddenly withdrew his dick only to slam it deep into her creamy wetness over and over again.

  There was no time to breathe, no time to think, only feel as he fucked her. She wanted him to slow down; she wanted him to never stop. As if sensing her state of mind, he slowed to a leisurely pace and stopped altogether.

  Nia wiggled her hips, tightening her quivering walls around his cock. She protested as he pulled from her wet warmth, lifting her up from the couch to turn and face him.

  “Naughty is fun, but nice is—”

  “So damn good.” She smiled in response to his grin as he scooped her into his arms and took her down up the stairs to her bedroom.

  He laid her on the bed, covering her body with his own as he kissed her. She shifted her legs as he settled between them and wrapped her hand around his cock, guiding him back into her silky warmth. She called out his name as he began to move his hips, loving her with slow, deep thrusts. He kissed the side of her neck and nibbled on her earlobe as he slid slowly in and out of her in a dizzying display of control.

  Nia gave into the haze of pleasure rippling from the inside out. She slipped her hand between their bodies to rub her clit, moving closer to release.

  �
�Yes,” Quin said, lifting his body higher to give her more room to touch herself. “Vente ya, mi amor…come for me.”

  His sexy request sent her over the edge. She grabbed on to the sheets as her orgasm crested and spun through every inch of her body. A hoarse cry Nia barely recognised as her own filled her ears as Quin stroked her faster and faster. His ragged moan of pleasure barely registered over the sound of her thundering heartbeat.

  He pulled out of her body to lie beside her, lacing his fingers through hers as they caught their breath.

  A few minutes later, Nia turned her body towards his, watching the rise and fall of his chest as she basked in her orgasmic afterglow. “You spanked me.”

  “That’s what happens when you’re naughty,” Quin said with a lazy grin. “Did I hurt you?”

  He was teasing her. She knew he knew he hadn’t. “Yes, you did.” Nia faked a pained expression as he lifted up on his forearm.

  “Let me see.”

  Nia flipped onto her stomach and smiled against the sheets as his warm hand massaged her derriere. Her sigh of contentment erupted into a scream as he smacked her bottom. She whipped back up on her side as he laughed. “Hey!”

  “That’s for lying.” He leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose. “I would never hurt you…not intentionally anyway.”

  Nia’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at him. “And unintentionally?”

  Quin held her gaze, his expression serious. “It’s been known to happen.”

  It was an honest statement and she appreciated his honesty although it bothered her more than she wanted to think about. She swung out of bed aware of his eyes on her as she padded towards the master bath. “Soap my back?” she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder.

  “Just your back?” He stood up, coming towards her in long strides.

  “We’ll see.” She laughed as he charged her, pivoting to run into the bathroom.

  He caught up with her before she reached the door, grabbing her around the waist.

  “Gotcha.”

  He burrowed his face in the curve of her neck, holding her tight as she walked into the bathroom and flipped on the light. She squirmed as he playfully nuzzled the sensitive area, dissolving into a fit of uncontrolled giggles when his teeth grazed her skin. “Stop! That tickles.”