“What are you going to do about that call?”
“Nothing.”
Clayton frowned. “If that’s your position, then I think you’re making a mistake. A big one. That caller sounded pretty serious. At least to be on the safe side, you should report that call to the police.”
“Why? So the media can have a field day with it? Just because one lovesick fan of Diamond’s threatens my life? The man’s a quack. He had something to get off his chest, and he did.”
Clayton shook his head. He refused to dismiss the call as easily as Jake wanted to do. “You need to be careful, Jake,” he said, looking up at his uncle over the rim of his coffee cup. “That guy evidently took your marrying Diamond as something personal.”
Jake looked annoyed. “Since you’ve gotten married, you worry too much, Clayton. You’re becoming a pain in the—”
“Jake,” Clayton interrupted. “In my profession you learn not to take everything with a grain of salt. Some things are worth worrying about. Just humor me and be careful. That episode with Trevor in South America took years off my life. I don’t think I could handle anything major like that again.”
Jake nodded slowly. Trevor Grant was a very close childhood friend of his nephews, and the entire Madaris clan considered him as family. He had gone out of the country on a business trip several months ago and had ended up escaping into the jungle to elude terrorists. The only good thing that had come out of Trevor’s adventure was the fact was he had escaped into the jungle with a woman—a woman he had ended up falling in love with and marrying. And now they were expecting their first child.
“All right,” Jake finally said. “If it makes you happy, then I’ll be careful.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that.” Clayton stared long and hard at his uncle before asking, “Are you going to tell Diamond about that call?”
“No.” Jake stood. “She doesn’t need to know. Like I said, the man probably just wanted to get some things off his chest. He’ll get over it. Now if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”
“You should tell Diamond about that call, Jake. You know what they say about keeping secrets. Nothing is safe as a secret forever.”
Jake frowned. Diamond had once told him that very same thing. “I am not telling her, Clayton, so forget it,” he said firmly.
He turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Sunlight, in all its radiant glory, came pouring into Jake’s bedroom window.
In a semiconscious state, Diamond stretched her naked body before cuddling up under the covers once more. The bed seemed larger, colder and emptier. Opening her eyes just a little, she stared at the vacant spot next to her. Deciding that if she couldn’t have the real thing, then she would gladly settle for a substitute, she pulled Jake’s pillow to her, burying her face in the richness of the scent of his masculinity that was entrenched there.
She didn’t want to get up and wasn’t sure she could even if she wanted to. Her body was sore and aching something fierce. Jacob’s lovemaking last night had been hot, hungry and hard. She was grateful that his bedroom was off to itself, on a different wing away from all the other bedrooms. That had given them total and complete privacy.
She would not have been able to face any of his relatives again if she thought for one minute that they heard the primal moans, some louder than others, that had escaped her lips. She had not been able to stop herself from becoming wanton, desperate and wild in Jacob’s arms last night, surrendering all to him. Nor could she stop herself from letting the heat and need pour out while he made love to her with everything that he had and then some. Their need for each other had been raw, rough and rippling.
Diamond sighed deeply as she lifted one hand to cover her eyes from the golden splash of sunlight propelling its way into the room. Instantly her mind flashed back to the party when Jake had introduced her to his family—and later when she had spent some time trying to get to know most of them, and enjoying every minute that she had done so. They had been more than understanding when she and Jacob had explained the reason they had kept their marriage a secret for a year and a half.
She shook her head. Jacob’s family definitely had been more understanding than her father had been when she’d called him early yesterday morning to tell him about it. She knew he was upset about her marriage because it had effectively terminated any chance of her and Samuel ever getting back together. Not that there had been any chance of that anyway, but her father had felt that she should have forgiven Samuel for his one time of infidelity, but she hadn’t agreed with his way of thinking. As far as she was concerned, by having that affair Samuel had destroyed the very essence of their marriage vows.
Diamond glanced down at the third finger of her left hand and the ring she now proudly wore. Finally, after eighteen months, she could wear the beautiful diamond ring Jacob had placed there on their wedding day.
Last night when she had stood on the top stair and looked down at him, he had stood tall and looked gorgeous dressed in his dark slacks and white dress shirt. Dressed much too formal for a family gathering, the sight of him had sent a rush of simmering need up her spine and had literally weakened her knees. But it wasn’t just his physical appearance that she totally appreciated, it was his sense of honor that she loved and admired the most. Unlike Samuel, Jake would keep the vows they shared.
Her hand dropped to her stomach. A warm sensation settled there at the thought that even now she could be carrying Jacob’s baby. They had not used any sort of protection since she had returned to Whispering Pines. She smiled to herself at the thought of being pregnant. More than anything, she wanted to give him a son or a daughter. In fact, she wanted at least three children if he was willing. There was no doubt in her mind that he would make a wonderful father.
That one night long ago, the night they had confessed their love for each other and had had unprotected sex, Jacob had wanted her pregnant, and he had hoped that she had gotten so. But she’d had mixed feelings about it. She had not been ready to settle down to a full-time life on his ranch. She had still been chasing her dream.
But now the life she knew didn’t hold that appeal and excitement it once had. She was getting tired of jet-setting all across the country, filming movies, living out of a trailer with a dozen or so people hovering over her all at once. There were the makeup artist, the hairstylist, the manicurist, her script coach and the photographer, just to think of a few. All of them had a job to do on the movie set and contributed to the outcome of the movie.
She sighed. After talking with her father and having to deal with his unpleasant attitude, she had realized she had nothing to prove to him or anyone. The only person that mattered in her life was Jacob, the man who loved her and believed in her. He had unselfishly given her so much love and trust and now added to that was the family he had given her—a big wonderful family. She felt that she was a truly blessed woman.
Diamond heard the sound of the knob turning on the bedroom door and didn’t have to wonder who was entering the room. She felt Jacob’s presence in every cell of her body. His vibes flowed through every artery.
She lifted her head and fixed her gaze on her husband the moment he entered and closed the door behind him. He looked wonderful dressed just as he had been the first time she had seen him. He was wearing a Western shirt that covered his muscular chest and shoulders, and a pair of snug-fitting blue jeans that stretched neatly across every physical attribute he had. She tried not to notice the curvy firmness of his backside when he turned to lock the door behind him. He turned back around and gave her a heart-stopping and appealing smile.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
The husky rasp in his voice made Diamond’s skin tingle. She smiled as she boldly stretched her body. Doing so made the covers slip off her breasts and down to her waist. She didn’t bother to recover herself. “Good morning to you, Jacob. I’m convinced that I’d like this bed a whole lot more if you were in it with me.”
Jake inwardly gr
oaned at the sensation that seeing her breasts was doing to him. He remembered all the attention he had lavished on the twin peaks the night before. His breathing quickened as he remembered every little detail about last night. Every nerve in his body had sizzled with an inner fire that had subsequently blazed out of control.
He thought about the number of times during the course of the night that he had made love to her. Each time he had entered her body, pushing himself deep into her warmth, had nearly blown his mind with desire. His body had repeatedly rocked against her, desperately claiming her, completely possessing her, over and over again. And she had been just as wild and out of control as he had been, matching him move for move, stroke for stroke. They had thrashed about on the bed as their pace had grown faster and faster, and their mating had become harder and harder.
Jake leaned against the door, thinking that there was no way her body wasn’t sore this morning. It had to be after the intensity of that kind of lovemaking. He walked over to the bed. Reaching down he uncovered the rest of her body. Leaning closer he touched her.
His fingertips gently stroked her breasts before moving lower, skimming across her abdomen and moving lower still to caress the area around her inner thighs. From the look in her eyes, he could tell that this part of her body was sensitive to his touch. The part of him that had become so attuned to her felt the discomfort she was trying hard to hide.
“You’re sore, baby,” he said gently, tenderly.
Not giving Diamond a chance to respond to his comment, in one smooth sweep he picked her up in his arms. Walking through doors that led into rooms extending from his bedroom, he entered the room where he’d had workout equipment and a hot tub installed several years ago. He had discovered nothing soothed his tired, sore, aching body more after a long, tiring day spent on the range than relaxing in his hot tub.
Gently placing Diamond on her feet, he quickly began removing his own clothes. After that was done, he picked her up again and climbed the few stairs and carefully stepped into the water. He cradled her into his lap as he sank lower in his seat, allowing the hot water to completely cover their bodies. His hands gently massaged her body, kneading her flesh, as he tried to help release its soreness.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you this way,” he said tenderly, regretfully. “But last night I wanted you something awful, sweetheart.”
Diamond settled against him, loving the feel of the hot water swirling around them, over their bodies. She loved the feel of him caressing her body. “I wanted you just as bad, Jacob, so you don’t have to apologize. That’s one bad thing about us being apart so much.”
“What’s that?”
“When we do spend time together, we try making up for lost time.”
Jake nodded, knowing that was true, at least somewhat. He had a feeling he would probably want her just as much and just as often even if he looked in her face every single day.
“I may have a remedy for that,” she said quietly.
Hearing the sedateness in her voice, Jake looked down at her curiously. “What’s your remedy?”
“After I wrap up things in California with the project I’m presently working on, I want to move home permanently.”
Instant spirals of happiness surged through Jake’s entire body. He fully understood what she was saying, what she was offering. In his heart he knew that she had long ago accepted Whispering Pines as her home, which was something his ex-wife had never been able to do. Diamond had once explained to him that her home was where her heart was, and her heart would always be with him.
Although he knew what she was saying, he wanted to be absolutely sure nonetheless. “Is that really what you want, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice husky with emotion.
She turned in his arms to look at him. “Yes. What I want is to stop being hounded by the media. I want to stop having my private life the main topic over breakfast in homes around the country. I want that same private life—the one I’m sharing with you—off limits.”
Diamond then tilted her chin up and met his searching gaze. “But most of all, Jacob, I want to build a future, a solid future with you here at Whispering Pines. I want to be your ranch mate as well as your soul mate. I want to always be here when you come home after spending a day on the range. I’m tired of feeling like a drop-in lover.”
She draped her arms around his neck. “And more than anything, I want your baby. Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s from your seed. One that you’ve released inside my body while loving me.”
Tears began misting her eyes. “You have been so wonderful, Jacob. You have been so very understanding. You’ve been my beacon of light during the storm and my calm after the storm. All the while I was jet-setting around the world, you were here waiting patiently every time I came home. I know how hard that must have been on you, to love me, sometimes from so far and not be able to acknowledge the fact that I was your woman, that I was your wife. You had to put up with reading garbage about me and other men, although you knew in your heart it wasn’t true. I had selfishly asked a lot of you, and convinced myself it was for the best for the both of us. But now it’s over. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it. The next time I come home, I don’t plan on leaving again. I love you, Jacob, so very much.”
Jake pulled her to him and cradled her in his arms. For the moment, he couldn’t say anything. He just wanted to hold her and feel her tucked in his arms.
“And I love you,” he said moments later. His heart was about to burst with all the love he felt for her. He lifted her chin with his fingers to meet her gaze. “But what about your chance at winning an Oscar? I don’t want to take that away from you. I don’t want to stand in the way of you fulfilling your dream.”
Diamond smiled at him. “You won’t. Winning an Oscar doesn’t matter anymore.” Drawing her legs up, she twisted around in his lap. “I think Black Butterfly has a good chance of winning Oscars for both me and Sterling next year. I believe our performances were just that good.”
Jake nodded, knowing that anything she and Sterling starred in together was of excellent quality. Black Butterfly was a movie about early Spain under Moorish power, and the black Spanish queen that had ruled the country during that time. It was based on Spanish history that very few people knew about, but one that would be brought to the big screen with Diamond and Sterling in its leading roles. The movie was due to be released in June, and already critics were predicting it would be the hit of the summer.
Sterling and Diamond had filmed the movie together in Spain several months ago, right after Sterling had gotten married. The media had caused quite a stir, trying to figure out how Sterling was going to balance his recent marriage and his alleged affair with Diamond. Unfortunately Sterling had not explained his and Diamond’s true relationship to his wife Colby, but she had trusted him enough not to believe the newspapers and tabloid headlines.
“Will you accompany me to the premiere showing?” Diamond asked, interrupting Jake’s thoughts.
“Of course I will. I wouldn’t miss any chance to be seen in public by your side.”
Sighing happily, Diamond settled more deeply in Jake’s arms.
“So you want a baby, huh?” Jake asked, reaching down and running the tips of his fingers over her flat tummy. The thought of his baby growing inside of her definitely felt right. The knowledge that he was in his forties, when most men ended rather than began fatherhood, didn’t bother him.
“In all honestly, Jacob,” Diamond said, looking directly at him, “I want babies, but I’ll be more than happy to start off with just one.”
Jake chuckled. “That’s fine with me just as long as you don’t get any ideas about having a tribe like Kyle and Kimara are intent on doing. With the twins she gave birth to on Christmas Day that makes six.”
Diamond smiled. “I heard Kimara tell your mother last night that she wants another baby.”
“What! They’re nuts!”
Diamond laughed. “They like babies.”
Diamond shook her head. “Leave them alone, Jacob. Let Kyle and Kimara have all the babies they want.”
He reached out and cupped her face between his two hands so she would look into his dark eyes, bringing her mouth just inches from his. “If you insist.”
“I do insist, and I think we should concentrate on making a baby of our own.” Diamond twisted her body around to straddle his thighs. When she did, the core of her femininity rubbed intimately against him, making his body harden.
“You’re playing with fire, Diamond,” he growled in her ear. The feel of her pressing against him was driving him insane.
“But I like your fire, Jacob,” she whispered, fitting her body even closer to him, enjoying the sound of his uneven breathing, his quick intake of breath.
Jake’s gaze moved lovingly over her features as hot, throbbing passion shook his body. “You’re sore, baby, and if we do what people do to make babies, I’ll have to carry you around the rest of the day because you’ll be unable to walk.”
“Big deal, carry me around. I like being in your arms.”
“How will we explain things to my family?”
“What’s there to explain? From the little girl-talk I had with one particular woman in your family, it seems most Madaris men are in heat most of the time anyway. So they’ll understand the reason for my inability to move around comfortably.”
“You don’t say,” Jake said, wondering which woman in his family she’d had that conversation with, and then having a pretty good hunch. He let out a slow breath as he moved his hands down Diamond’s back and over her hips to hold her firmly to stop her from rubbing rhythmically against him.
Secret Love (Arabesque) Page 15