Diamond Studs

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Excerpts From: DIAMOND STUDS

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave, Inc.

DIAMOND ASSETS

© Copyright RUTH D. KERCE, 2005.

"I saw Hunter Dunlap in the company sauna yesterday with only a skimpy towel on and nothing else. That man is a major hunk. If he even once glanced in my direction, with a modicum of interest, I´d jump his bones and stay strapped on like a bronc rider at a rodeo."

"Ooo, baby! Yee-ha!"

Ronni recognized the voices as belonging to two clerks in the lingerie sales division-Jess and whatever-the-other-was-named; she couldn´t remember.

 "I can´t believe his wife ran off with his personal assistant. She had to be nuts to give up that man´s body, not to mention all his money."

"I´m sure she got a wad of a settlement. Can you imagine how much he must be worth as co-owner of Everlasting Love?"

 "If Ronni had worked for Hunter back then, it never would have happened."

"You said it. Who picks out her wardrobe anyway? She dresses like my spinster aunt. And those glasses..."

"Oh, they´re the worst! She looks like an owl."

Tears misted Ronni´s eyes, and her chest tightened. So what, if she dressed conservatively? This was a place of business, not the Ho to Go club. Before she heard any more trash about herself or her boss, she pushed her way out of the stall.

With flushed faces, and lips at least temporarily sealed, the two clerks rushed out the door.

They were right. She did look like an owl. She lowered her utilitarian glasses and perched them on the tip of her nose. Maybe she should check into getting something more fashionable. Or redo her makeup. She had good skin. She could play that up. She needed to lose about ten pounds to show off her cheekbones better, but overall she was happy with who she was. She´d never be a ravishing beauty, but that was okay. She liked herself.

As she thought about her position in the company and her boss, she acknowledged that the two women had been right about something else. Hunter was a major hunk with a major body. Tall, fit, with just enough muscle to make any woman weak in the knees.

His eyes were what really drew her though. Deep brown like rich, thick chocolate. They showed a hint of mischief when he smiled, as if he held a wealth of sexual secrets that he´d love to share. Or maybe that was just wishful on her part.

She´d had many a fantasy about the man.

DIAMOND IN THE SNOW

© Copyright DIANA HUNTER, 2005.

"Take them off. No, take them off right there. No sense in making a path of wet snow from here to wherever." She deliberately turned her back on him and busied herself with the cups, spooning in several tablespoons of the cocoa mix as he undressed.

Deciding to call her bluff, he stripped off his shirt and pants and then his briefs as well. But the air hitting his damp skin was cold and he shivered again.

"Throw me one of those hand towels, will you? I don´t bite, you know."

His voice was almost in her ear. She jumped as he took the towel from her outstretched hand to dry his thighs. Grinning, he chose not to move from behind her, instead baiting her by remaining where he was.

She knew he was there...and that he must be naked. It had been a long time since she´d seen a naked man. And the memory of him in the snow, standing like a knight in armor, stirred her deeply and in places that had not been moved in quite a long time. Her head dipped as the smile deepened into a grin and she slowly turned around.

Briefly tempted to cover himself with the small scrap of cloth, he decided two could bluff. Throwing the towel to the corner, he straightened, completely naked in the center of his kitchen.

Carolyn´s breath caught as she stared at the knight without his armor, still strong and invincible before her. Strength emanated from his broad chest, the powerful muscles at rest, yet still striking in their potency. No hair marred the perfection of smooth skin that glimmered in the candlelight, the line of his chest leading her eyes down past his narrow waist.

Paul felt himself respond to the appreciation and hunger in her eyes.

Wasn´t that what she´d wanted? She had been the one to tell him to undress here in the kitchen. She was the one who couldn´t stop teasing him. Every time she looked at him, her fascination with him multiplied.

Now his power dominated the room and threatened to overwhelm her.

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

© Copyright RUBY STORM, 2005.

Cupid flipped open a red, embossed folder on his desk. His blue eyes thoughtfully scanned the list of this year´s human names of lonely, forlorn people who needed to discover love in their lives. It was his job to pair a human female and male, forward their names to the recruits, let the magic begin, and hope like hell it worked.

Tilting his head slightly to the side, he gazed over the thin wire rims of his bifocals and pursed his lips. The two before him, however, had Cupid somewhat apprehensive in regard to the poor humans who would be assigned to this rather young and over-exuberant team of fairies.

Realizing that their boss scrutinized them, Rosebud squared her slender shoulders, elbowed Larry to the side despite her petite stature, and took a dainty step forward. Darting her thick-lashed eyes sidelong, she cringed when Larry puffed up his cheeks and noticeably blew the edge of her wing from the side of his face where it poked one brown eye.

"Rosebud Kisses and Larry L´amour. I see this will be your first mission. Do you think you´re ready?"

"Yes, sir!" the two shouted in unison.

"Rather enthusiastic, aren´t you?"

"Yes, sir!"

Cupid winced. "You realize that if you accomplish the mission, you both will be granted your Gold Wings for permanent fairy status?" His hand shot up as the two before him opened their mouths again. "No need to answer. I see that you´ve both finished at the top of your classes. That´s very good. The only thing left is to see how you work out in the field."

"We´ll do a wonderful job, sir. When we´re done, there will be one more couple on this earth madly in love."

One thick brow cocked over Cupid´s eye. "Well, yes...we´ll see about that." Studying the names scribbled across the paper, his fingers shuffled across the surface of his desk to grab a red pencil. He closed his eyes and let the tip of the pencil drop haphazardly to the paper. Peering beneath one eyelid, he drew a red heart around two names.

God help them-and I don´t mean these two in front of me...