Secret Love (Arabesque)

by Jackson, Brenda

  He sighed deeply. He hadn’t wanted to tell her earlier how the press conference they had been a part of that day had grated on his nerves with the relentless questions the reporters had asked. He wondered how in the world she could spend her life enduring something like that constantly. He’d had to bite his tongue not to tell one or two calloused reporters to take their questions and shove it.

  No wonder Whispering Pines had been a haven for Diamond. While there she didn’t have to worry about reporters harassing her. Jake’s mind thought of one reporter in particular by the name of Conrad Ammons. There was something about the man he didn’t like, and from the direct eye contact the man had cut his way several times, evidently the feeling was mutual.

  Not that he cared, thought Jake. But he was curious as to what was Ammons’s problem. Deciding the reason was insignificant and not enough to lose sleep over, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

  Jake pulled Diamond closer into his arms, and a short while later, he joined her in sleep.

  The ringing of the telephone woke Jake. He reached for it on the nightstand next to the bed before it could wake Diamond.

  He said hello as he glanced over at the clock. It was three in the morning.

  “You’re not a smart man, Jacob Madaris. I’ve given you fair warning to leave Diamond alone,” the muffled male voice said. “Take my advice, and do what you’re told. You two don’t belong together. Although I would never hurt Diamond, I wouldn’t hesitate to do harm to you. Remember that.”

  Fury consumed Jake. “You can go to—”

  The caller hung up before Jake could finish telling him exactly where he could go.

  Recognizing the muffled voice, Jake knew the caller was the same person who had called the ranch a few days ago. It was a caller he had dismissed as being a quack, but now…

  Jake couldn’t help but wonder how the person knew that he and Diamond were staying at this particular hotel. He could only guess that the information had somehow gotten leaked to the press. He raked a hand across his face. Should he be concerned with the caller like Clayton thought he should be?

  He pulled Diamond into his arms. At three in the morning, he was too tired to think straight. He would give it more thought tomorrow. Right now the only thing he wanted to do was to get some more sleep in the arms of the woman he loved.

  Conrad Ammons took another long swig of liquor directly out of the bottle. He knew one thing for certain. If Jacob Madaris was a smart man, he would eventually take heed of his warnings.

  He remembered the first time he had seen Diamond, sitting next to her father at a press conference. She had been only seventeen at the time, and Jack Swain was announcing his daughter’s emergence into the entertainment arena. There had been such a freshness about her, such a young innocence. It had struck him that day that she’d had a striking resemblance to his baby sister Caroline when she had been that age.

  Caroline had left their parents’ home in a small Ohio town and had come to California to live with him after graduating from high school. There had been this sweet small-town innocence about her. And as hard as he had tried, he could not protect her from the men who had been determined to take advantage of it. Maybe if he had tried harder, Caroline would still be alive today with the acting career she had always wanted. Instead his sister had fallen in love and married some wealthy guy who appeared to be treating her like a queen, but in reality, behind close doors he was physically abusing her.

  Ammons took another swig out of the bottle. By the time he became aware of what his sister was going through, it was too late. The man killed Caroline senselessly one night in a bout of jealous rage.

  Remembering what had happened to Caroline, he had left the news conference that day determined to protect the seventeen-year-old Diamond from marrying a man who would claim to love her and would only hurt her. It was apparent to him that her father had no intention of offering her any such protection. The only thing Jack Swain wanted was to advance his daughter’s acting career.

  Now eighteen years later, he was still obsessed with protecting Diamond. It had been hard over the years to treat her with indifference at press conferences. He couldn’t pamper her in front of the other reporters without running the risk of their getting suspicious of his role in her life. So as not to give anything away, he’d had to use his hard-nosed line of questioning with her just like he did with all the other celebrities he interviewed.

  He took another drink, thinking that she didn’t need to be married. She could do just fine without a husband. All a man would eventually do was hurt her, and he wouldn’t let that happen. He was determined to do for her what he didn’t do for Caroline.

  It had angered him when she had married that race-car driver, Samuel Tate. Twice he had managed to sabotage Tate’s car before a race, and twice Tate had miraculously walked away unharmed. He was about to make his third attempt when Diamond had released a statement to the press, announcing her pending divorce from Tate. It was lucky for the man that she had done that.

  He hadn’t felt threatened by her alleged involvement with Sterling Hamilton. Since not all love affairs ended in marriage, Hamilton had been spared his anger. One could walk away from an affair—but when you were married to someone, you were doomed for life to take all kinds of abuse.

  Now Diamond had gone and hitched herself to a rancher. That would never do since she was even thinking of leaving California to live permanently on the man’s ranch in Texas. No telling what the man would do to her on that isolated stretch of land out there in the middle of nowhere. She would not have anyone around to protect her.

  He couldn’t let what happened to Caroline happen to her. He had to do something to protect Diamond. He would stop at nothing to keep her safe from overbearing and abusive men.

  From both press conferences, he could tell that she actually thought Jacob Madaris was the love of her life. Unfortunately, Caroline had thought the same thing of Spencer Campbell.

  He would give Madaris another warning. If that didn’t work, he would put into action a plan to rid Diamond of him forever.

  Chapter 19

  When Jake awoke the next morning, he was surprised to find Diamond was already up and moving about. Lifting himself up on one elbow, he watched her move around the room, getting dressed.

  “Good morning. Going someplace?”

  Diamond looked up from slipping into her shoes and smiled. “Jacob, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I wanted to let you sleep for a while longer,” she said, putting on her jacket. “Robin and I are meeting downstairs in the coffee shop to work on the press release that will be going out later today. I was going to leave a note on the dresser.”

  Jake nodded as he eased out of bed. Every muscle in his body ached. Because of his height, he and hotel beds did not always get along. He stretched his body to work some kinks out of it. “What time do you think you’ll be ready to fly out of here today?”

  Diamond heard Jake’s words, but her mind and her gaze were focused on his body, which was clad only in a pair of briefs. No man, she thought, should be that well put together and that built. Nice chest, muscular shoulders, tight buns, flat tummy.

  Interesting. Sexy.

  Her gaze left his flat tummy and moved up to his face. She saw his pupils darken and his nostrils flare when he sensed her interest. The air surrounding them began to sizzle with stimulating awareness. She wondered if this sudden heat, this spontaneous attraction, would always be there between them.

  She ran her tongue lightly over her lips. Now was not a convenient time for her and Jacob to go rolling about between the sheets. Robin was probably downstairs, waiting for her at this very minute, and Diamond knew if she didn’t leave the room in the next five minutes, she never would for the balance of the day.

  She took a step back when Jake took a step forward. “Jacob, what did you ask me about leaving today?” she asked quickly, taking another step back.

  He flashed her a smooth smile as he
gave her one of his long, heated looks. “I forgot. My mind is on other things right now.”

  Diamond nodded slowly. “All right, Jacob, you will behave yourself, won’t you?”

  Jake shrugged. “I suppose,” he said without much conviction in his voice.

  “Okay, then, what were you asking me?”

  With a smile that was oozing with not-so-hidden promises, he said, “I asked what time do you think we’ll be ready to leave for Texas?”

  Diamond swallowed past the lump in her throat and replied, “Anytime after lunch. Do you want me to order up breakfast for you?”

  “Not really. As far as I’m concerned, I have a pretty tasty morsel within arm’s reach if she’ll just give me the chance to—”

  “Jacob, stop it,” Diamond said, shaking her head, grinning.

  “If you insist.”

  “I do.”

  “In that case, no, you don’t have to order me anything. I’ll order it myself after I take a shower and get dressed. I need to call Gary to let him know the time we’ll be leaving so he’ll have the plane fueled and ready to go.”

  At that moment, someone banged loudly on the door. “Wake up you two lovebirds and let me in before I get thrown out of this place.”

  “Kyle!”

  Diamond raced to the door and opened it for their friend. She threw her arms around him for a huge hug. “What are you doing here? Where’s Kimara and the kids?”

  Kyle Garwood entered the hotel room, closing the door behind him. Like Jake he was a tall man, and his imposing stature nearly filled the room. “After we left Whispering Pines, we followed Sterling and Colby to their place in the mountains. I left Kimara and the kids there since I knew I had a business trip out here,” Kyle said. “What I didn’t know was that you two were here until I read it in this morning’s paper. Then I ran into Robin downstairs in the lobby and she gave me your room number.” Kyle smiled. “Oh, by the way, the two of you made the front page.”

  Jake shook his head. “Figures.” He looked over at the man whom he had known for a number of years. First as a business associate and then as a friend. Like Sterling, he considered Kyle as one of his most trusted and loyal friends. Kyle was also very objective when it came to making sound decisions, business or otherwise. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to discuss with Kyle those two phone calls he had received to get another opinion on them.

  “Have you had breakfast yet?” Jake asked Kyle.

  “No.”

  “Good. Diamond is meeting Robin downstairs, and I was going to be eating breakfast alone. Now you can join me.”

  Kyle smiled and gave Jake a thumbs-up. “That sounds like a winner to me, partner.”

  Jake held the cup tightly in his hand and inhaled the scent of the strong black coffee. He heard Kyle’s chuckle.

  “I take it you need that, Jake.”

  Jake glanced up. “If only you knew how much.” He slowly took a sip and shook his head frowning. “Blaylock’s coffee is better.”

  Kyle chuckled again. “I wouldn’t doubt that.”

  Jake glanced over at Kyle’s plate. They had ordered room service. “Eating for two, Kyle?”

  A corner of Kyle’s mouth curved slightly. “No, actually I’m eating for six. It’s not easy trying to keep up with six little ones. How Kimara does it, I don’t know. Whenever I’m home, I try giving her a break by helping out with them all I can.”

  “Yet the both of you want more kids?”

  “Just one more.”

  Jake rolled his eyes upward. “But there’s a chance you two run the risk of having a third set of twins, right?”

  Kyle smiled. “Yeah, the doctors claim there is a slim chance,” he said. He paused and lifted his brow. “Although my and Kimara’s breeding habits may be an interesting subject, that’s not what’s really on your mind, is it, Jake? So what gives?”

  After taking another sip of coffee, Jake provided Kyle with all of the details of the two phone calls he had received. Afterwards he watched Kyle’s mind silently at work. “So, Garwood, what do you think? And don’t tell me to go to the police. I don’t want the media to get ahold of this.”

  Kyle gave a slight nod of his head. “I understand. And you’re sure this person who’s calling isn’t the same guy who broke into Diamond’s home three weeks ago? According to the papers, he’s out on bail.”

  Jake shook his head. “Diamond said he was an eighteen-year-old. I’d put the age of the person who called those two times in their middle thirties or early forties.”

  Kyle nodded. “What I wouldn’t do, Jake, is ignore this person’s threats. From what you’ve told me, it doesn’t appear that Diamond is in any danger—just you are. Fans of entertainers can get downright possessive, and whoever this guy is he doesn’t like the idea of you and Diamond being married.”

  Kyle picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. “Have you mentioned this to Sterling?”

  “No.”

  “Maybe you should. A lot of Diamond’s fans thought the two of them were having an affair for the last two years. It would be interesting to see if Sterling received similar threats. And what about Samuel Tate, her ex-husband? Did you ask Diamond if he received similar threats?”

  Jake hesitated in answering just long enough to make Kyle raise his brow knowingly. “You haven’t asked her about it, have you? In fact, I’ll bet you haven’t mentioned those calls to her.”

  Jake gazed intently into Kyle’s face when he said, “No, I haven’t and I would appreciate it if you don’t either. I don’t want her to worry.”

  “Jake, you’re her husband. Don’t you think she has a right to know?”

  “You know Diamond, Kyle. She’ll not only worry, but she’ll start blaming herself. The caller may be all bluff.”

  “And what if he’s not? Don’t take a chance on your life, Jake. If anything happens to you, Jack Swain may as well have Diamond committed someplace. For the first time in her life, she loves someone who loves her in return not because she’s Diamond Swain, the movie star, or Diamond Swain, who’s Jack Swain’s daughter, but because she’s Diamond Swain, the woman with a heart of gold.”

  Jake tipped his head back and gazed up at the ceiling. He was torn with a mixture of wanting to do the right thing and tell Diamond about the calls, and wanting to protect her peace of mind by not telling her about them. “I love her so much, Kyle.”

  “I know you do, man,” Kyle said quietly. “Whether you tell her what’s going on or not tell her is your decision, but as a friend to both of you, I want you to take every precaution, Jake. If you don’t want to question Diamond about her ex-husband, at least talk to Sterling about it to see if he knows anything. And I think you need to meet with him face to face and not talk to Sterling over the phone. That way you can be assured that you have his complete attention.”

  Kyle’s lips eased into a smile. “Sterling is acting downright silly with this first baby he and Colby are having.”

  Jake raised a brow and looked pointedly at Kyle. “He can’t be acting an sillier than you did when Kimara was pregnant with your first.”

  Kyle chuckled. “I did act kind of crazy, didn’t I?”

  “Crazy isn’t the word for it, Kyle. You acted downright foolish,” Jake replied, laughing.

  Kyle couldn’t help but laugh himself upon remembering that time. “Hey, I’ve gotten better.”

  “After six kids, I should hope so.”

  “Let me get this straight, Jacob,” Diamond said, looking up from packing. “You want us to go to visit Sterling and Colby before we go home?” At his nod she asked, “Why? We just saw them at Whispering Pines when they came to the party last weekend.”

  “I know, but I need to talk with Sterling about something. You don’t mind, do you?”

  Diamond shook her head. “Of course not. I just assumed you would want to get back to the ranch to check on things.”

  “Percy is a good foreman. He can handle things without me for a few more days.”

&n
bsp; Diamond nodded as she closed the lid to their luggage. “Should I call Colby to let her know we’re coming?”

  “There’s no need. Kyle left for the mountains and said he would mention to Sterling that we might be coming. Tomorrow is Kamry’s birthday, and Sterling is giving a birthday party for his fourth godchild at his home.”

  Diamond nodded. Kamry was one of Kyle and Kimara’s kids. “It’s been a year already?” Diamond said, remembering how she had held the newborn baby in her arms. She and Jake had been secretly married for only six months then. She couldn’t help but recall their secret, intimate meetings and how Kyle and Sterling had gone to great lengths to keep the media in the dark as to her whereabouts. A lot of times when the media assumed she was visiting Kyle and Kimara or was with Sterling at his home in the mountains, she had been somewhere in Jacob’s arms. She couldn’t help but grin, remembering the fun she’d had sneaking around to sleep with her own husband.

  “What are you grinning about?” Jake asked, coming across the room to her.

  When he stood by her side, she looked up at him, smiling. “Oh, I was thinking about our earlier days when we were closely guarding our secret. We could probably make a pretty good pair of undercover cops.” Her smile widened. “You get it, Jacob?”

  Jake chuckled. “Yeah, I get it. Under cover.” He understood where she was coming from. Most of their time had been spent under bedcovers.

  The grin on Diamond’s face flickered again. “We’d make a dynamite team. I wish that—”

  Jake’s lips came down to swallow her words and as usual Diamond became putty in his arms.

  At that moment, someone knocked on the door. “Bellman to take your luggage down.”

  Jake refused to release Diamond just yet. “Do you know the one thing I don’t like about this place?” he asked her, placing short kisses on her lips.

  “What?” she asked in a ragged whisper.

  “The untimely interruptions.”