Precious Gems - Sierra Hill Page 0,8

out from behind the desk, and then my gaze lowers to the manner in which his slacks highlight his toned legs – runner, perhaps? – and the thick asset cupped between his legs.

I may have never seen one up close and personal before, but I know a well-endowed man when I see one.

He stands patiently, as if waiting for me to get my fill, hands crossed over his chest, head tilted to the side, his shrewd, whisky-brown eyes taking me in with a scowl etched across his full mouth. He looks at me with contempt. As if I’ve ruined his entire night with my arrival.

But his displeasure isn’t like the one I fear from my father. This man, although wound tight, doesn’t seem ready to strike out in violence or drunken abuse, like I’ve seen happen with Mudd on more occasions than I can count.

This man, his temper hidden just under the surface, but still visible through the vein in his neck that’s corded tight and the clench of his closely cropped beard across his jawline, keeps his emotions in check. He’s guarded, controlled, and clearly in charge.

The same man I saw earlier.

I clear my throat and wiggle upright to offer a less submissive position, even though I’m still on my knees with my hands bound behind my back.

“I’m here on Mudd’s behalf to make the exchange. I’ve brought what you want and once I get what we’re owed, I’ll leave.”

He clicks his tongue against his teeth and tsks.

“You’ll just leave, will you?” He takes several steps forward to close the distance between us, and I drop my eyes to the floor and brace for what’s to come.

Will he hit me? Knock me unconscious?

I have no way to defend myself except to suck in a deep breath and wait for pain to come. His scent – a warm masculinity mixed with leather and expensive cologne – fills the air in my nostrils, making me flush with anticipation.

But instead, as I stare down at the shiny points of his black shoes just in front of my knees, my shoulders quivering lightly, all I feel is the light touch of his fingers as they slip through my hair, over the shell of my ear and down my neck.

I shiver at the contact.

I’ve never been touched this way before. It’s sensual, not compassionate. Erotic yet with a hint of violence. I remain still, apprehensive to his intentions, but my eyes automatically close at the sensation. The soft strokes of his fingers across my skin and along my collarbone send ripples of fire through my blood and swims up my spine.

I clench my thighs together as the progression of his touch moves lower, tracing the edge of my shirt that angles over my chest, my left shoulder exposed by the style of my blouse.

His voice is rough. “You don’t go until I allow it. Until the deal is done. Until I have confirmed the authenticity and purity of the gem. In the meantime, I might have something else in mind for you, considering your presence altered my plans entirely.”

I blink up at him, my eyes watering when he fists my hair in his hand, and he tugs my head back to look at him.

“Ahh,” I cry out, more in shock rather than pain, a gust of air whooshing from my lungs, my lips falling open on the exhale.

He seems emboldened by my response because the corner of his lips curls up into a smirk, and he groans deeply before letting me go with such force that I lose my balance and wobble to my elbows before regaining my equilibrium.

The man turns abruptly toward the desk, his back to me, lifting the bag and dumping it out, the contents spilling out over the mahogany.

“Where is it, Gemma?” His words are punched into the air and punctuated like keys on a keyboard. “Where is my diamond that I was promised?”

“It’s hidden in a safe place.”

His head snaps back around and he gives a brisk nod to Hulk, who is at my side instantly, a large hand slipping underneath my armpit and jerking me to my feet.

“Where is it hidden? Don’t you dare fuck with me, little girl.”

It’s only then that a ribbon of fear lashes through me, even though at this moment I have the upper hand.

I bite down on my lip and smile coyly as the man faces me, annoyance written all over his handsome, cold features.

“Inside me.”

Chapter 5

Technically, I didn’t swallow the jewel or