Shattered a black diamon.., p.6
Shattered: A Black Diamond Novel, page 6
I snap my mouth closed so fast, fighting the urge to say sorry and speak with a mouth full of food once again.
I finish chewing and swallow the lump of food, pushing my plate away and feeling embarrassed. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I even have it for dinner a lot. But I’ll admit I’ve always had a strained relationship with food. Not that he knows that.
“Sorry.”
“I didn’t say stop eating. Clear your plate.”
My eyes snap up, and he tips his sunglasses down his nose, peering over the rims.
“Clear your plate, doll,” he repeats, and the command goes straight to my cock, causing it to thicken in my tiny green trunks.
I don’t answer. He’s got me flustered just like he wants. Instead, I pull my plate toward myself and dig in. Silently eating and enjoying this delicious meal.
I sit back when I’m done, cradling my stomach and meeting his stare through those dark lenses.
“Good,” he says evenly. That’s it. That’s all.
But my brain hears good boy instead, and my cock rises to attention, taking notice and liking the sound of it.
I chew on my bottom lip, continuing to just stare.
“Did you put sunblock on this time?” he asks out of the blue, pulling me from my lust-fueled daze.
“Oh. Uh. No, I didn’t.” I run my hand through my dark locks, feeling antsy. And horny.
“Tsk. Tsk. And you said you can take care of yourself? Go into my bathroom and grab the bottle on the counter.”
I really do need sunscreen, so I damn near roll out of my chair, feeling like a beached whale again.
“Oh, God. I’m so full,” I whine, unable to hold it in. I hold my stomach and try to hide my erection as I wobble toward the bathroom.
Cal chuckles in that sexy way of his, which does not help the situation. At all.
I rush into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. I see the bottle of sunscreen on the counter but decide to be a little nosey. You can learn a lot about a person just by looking in a few drawers. Especially in the bathroom. I quietly open one, rummaging through his personal things. I find the usual—a hair dryer, comb, deodorant, and many, many lotions. I guess you need a lot of expensive creams at thirty-eight.
I slide open the very last drawer and jackpot! Two boxes of magnum condoms and an extra large bottle of lube.
Weed lube.
Dear Lord. I don’t know what that is, but I one hundred thousand percent know that me and my asshole are friggin’ here for it.
I pray again that I get to find out what it feels like, courtesy of my sexy new neighbor.
I return to the breakfast table with the bottle of sunblock and completely ignore what I just found while snooping in his bathroom drawers.
“I can do it myself,” I say, twisting the top open. Cal stands up and takes it from my grasp gently.
“The sun is brutal out here in the Pacific, doll. Let me. I’ll make sure to cover you thoroughly.”
It’s not even a question.
“Okay.”
He begins to spray the sunblock on my chest and rub it in, just like he did yesterday when I was face down and nude. At least I have shorts on now.
Cal kneels down before me, spraying the sunblock and rubbing my legs. Oh, holy hell, please don’t get a boner in his face. Please don’t get a boner in his face.
His big, rough hands wrap around my thigh and grip tightly. He massages my muscles again, going higher and higher.
He repeats this on the other leg, and by then, I’ve thought of every repulsive thing I can imagine just to stop my semi from turning into a rager.
It works. Barely.
“All done,” Cal says casually, ignoring the slight bulge in my tiny swim trunks as he stands up.
“You’re good to go. What are your plans for the day?”
“Oh. Um. Not sure. What are yours?”
His lip twitches. “I have some phone calls to make, meetings to attend—virtually, of course. Rather boring stuff, actually. None of it has to do with what I really enjoy. Today there will be problems, issues, decisions. Dreadful day, to be honest.”
“I like when you’re honest,” I say without thinking.
“I like when you are as well,” he says, reaching out to trace from the side of my cheek to my chin, where he lifts it, forcing me to gaze into his dark lenses.
“Keep yourself open for me.”
My mind goes to really, really inappropriate places for how sincere he’s being right now, but holy fucking shit, will I open myself up for him. And his cock.
“I’ll try,” I murmur into him, my head tilted back as he leans over me, inches away from my lips.
“Good.”
There it is again, and there my friggin’ brain goes, insisting that he just said good boy.
My cock comes to life, growing for the millionth fucking time today. I’ll need to jerk off pretty soon, or I’ll have blue balls for the rest of eternity.
Cal’s phone starts ringing with what sounds like a video call. He walks back to the table and frowns at it, glancing back up at me.
“You can see yourself out if you’re finished,” he says coldly.
Like a bucket of ice water is dumped over me, my boner deflates. How the hell is he so hot and cold? It’s giving me whiplash.
Whatever.
“Okay. Sure. Fine. See ya.” I turn around and head straight for the door, acting unbothered, even though his next words have me doubting our vibe.
“Rory. How are you, mate?”
Who’s Rory?
“Thanks for the breakfast and sunscreen rubdown, neighbor!” I shout loud enough that this Rory person can hopefully hear me.
I stomp over to my villa, feeling petty.
“Rory. What kinda name is Rory, anyway?” I mumble to myself, jealousy rearing its ugly head. I cross through the living space, open the patio doors, and let the white linen curtains billow in the ocean breeze.
I close my eyes, trying to rein it in. I take a deep breath before opening my eyes and glancing to the side. Cal is working on his laptop, his view overlooking the turquoise waters as he speaks urgently with Rory.
It’s fine. I bet I can grab his attention. I strut to the lounge chair farthest away and grab the back, dragging it across the wooden planks and causing a loud screeching noise. I continue pulling it across the deck, feeling his eyes on me the entire way but not stopping until I get to the edge. Lucky for me, or maybe not, this villa is on a smaller pier than the rest. For family and loved ones, Cal said.
Maybe for Rory.
Whatever.
I’m here now. Not Rory.
I glance up, checking that Cal’s gaze is still on me. It is.
I pull my tiny swim trunks down and step out of them, bending all the way down to grab them from the floor and fold them nicely. I don’t turn around, only giving him a view of my ass. I know a man like him is tempted by an ass like mine. It’s simple biology.
The ocean waves crashing against the support beams under the villa are too loud to hear any of his conversation.
I lay on my front again. I’ve always been a stomach sleeper.
“Doll, if you’re going to sunbathe in the nude, you need to plan ahead and cover all areas,” Cal raises his voice enough to carry over the myriad of sounds around me.
“Is there a reason you’re so concerned about my ass, Cal?” I shout, unable to stop myself.
“Suit yourself, Mr. Roman. I won’t continue to baby you past your second day here. It’s not hard to learn how important skincare is.”
I huff, even though he can’t hear it.
“Back to friggin’ Mr. Roman,” I mumble.
“What was that? Sorry. Couldn’t hear you. Speak up if you’ve got something to say, Jett.”
“Who’s Rory?” I shout across the water, already fed up with my curious mind. I just need to know.
His smile looks like he has an inside joke and really is laughing at me. I don’t like it.
He disappears into his bungalow, and I push to my forearms, staring into my room. Sure enough, Cal walks through my front door a minute later and confidently approaches me.
“Are you jealous, doll?”
When I don’t answer, he takes mercy on me.
“Rory is my old buddy from uni. If you’re concerned I’m seeing someone, don’t worry. I have no time for relationships.”
My stomach drops at his casual statement, and I’m not even sure why. I don’t want a relationship, either.
“I wasn’t. At all.”
“Mhmm,” is all he says, and it’s so aggravating!
“I wasn’t!”
He ignores my outburst, and I lay my head back down on the lounger, my bare ass on display for him.
“I’m sure you have those same types of friends from school that you’d do anything for.”
“No, actually. Not everyone went to college, Cal,” I say spitefully, having longed for a normal university experience full of frat parties and keg stands. Instead, I got pressured to book more roles, stay thin, and get in just enough trouble to stay relevant but not enough to be sent to rehab. Case in point.
“I’m sure you went to friggin’ Oxford or something.” I can’t help but roll my eyes in frustration. He’s the epitome of a wealthy, educated Englishman. The young, sexy bachelor kind.
“Cambridge, actually, doll.”
“Whatever. I didn’t go to college, you did. Congrats on your fancy-ass degree. When did you graduate, 1992?”
I’m being a jerk. I know he’s not that old.
“I’d watch that cheeky mouth of yours considering your arse is so exposed right now, Mr. Roman.”
I swallow thickly at the sexy threat. I almost want to find out what exactly he means.
“What do you want, Cal?” I ask, suddenly tired and defeated, even though it’s only morning.
“I just wanted to finish the conversation we started instead of continuing to shout across the ocean. Don’t you agree?”
“Yeah,” I mumble. “Well, I’m not jealous. Just nosey. So don’t flatter yourself, Cal.” I lie straight to his face, turning my head away and facing the ocean. I squeeze my eyes shut as the bright, tropical sun reflects off the water and nearly blinds me.
“Hmm.”
His simple humming noise, when used appropriately, is the most annoying response known to mankind.
A cool spray of liquid hits my bare ass, and I gasp before realizing it’s Cal’s fucking sunblock. He rubs it in quickly, then steps back.
“Well, I’ve got business to attend to. But I’ll be at Midnight Lounge again later. At the bar. Nine p.m., if you’re interested.”
“I’m not,” I say immediately, in defiance. A complete lie, and we both know it.
“I’ll see you later, doll.”
“You won’t!” I lift my head to holler at his retreating figure.
When Cal is gone, I relax. It’s peaceful and completely stress-free at my villa. But it also doesn’t feel quite like home.
Maybe I’ll stop by the bar and start to day drink.
Whatever.
It’s my vacation, after all.
Holden’s at the bar, where he always seems to be when I plop down, ordering my drinks before even saying hello. “Three shots of whatever, please,”
“Good afternoon to you too, Jett. Another tricky ass drink request, I see. I’m fresh outta whatever, please. How ’bout vodka?”
I roll my eyes, not in the mood for his jokes right now. “Vodka works.”
Holden eyes me like he doesn’t know how to take the agreeableness, but leaves to make my shots, coming back shortly after and setting them down without spilling.
“Hey. I have a break in ten minutes if you wanna take a walk on the beach or something. Talk, maybe?” Holden asks.
I eye him suspiciously. “As friends,” he adds. “I can listen. You seem like you need to talk. Or maybe not. Sometimes just walking along the shore helps to clear your mind.”
Instead of ordering a mixed drink, I take him up on his offer and down another shot. Holden finishes his bar duties and comes back shortly after.
“I’ll introduce you around. Polly and Atlas work here as well. Have you met them?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Well, a bunch of us do this thing where we sit around and smoke a ton of weed. Naked. We just lay it all out for Mother Nature to ogle. It’s called nude night. I named it,” he says proudly.
“That sounds interesting.”
“You should come. The more, the merrier.”
I’m completely comfortable being naked, but this sounds a little sketchy. “And you’re all just naked? And work together?”
“Yeah. A lot of us have hooked up too.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal to fuck your co-workers.
“I’ll think about it on our walk. I’m ready if you are.”
“Let’s do it,” Holden says smoothly, tossing his bar rag on the counter and heading for the back.
“Oh! Just one thing. Do you think I could get a mojito in a to-go cup?”
Holden tilts his head back and laughs. “Just wait for the coconut bong. I’m telling you.”
CHAPTER NINE
Callum
I rush through my work; I can’t help it. It’s so unlike me and messy. I’ve always been a perfectionist.
My lines are uneven despite the brand-new compass and protractor in my hands. I might have to get on my laptop and use the custom design software I rebuilt last year, even though I prefer drafting the old-fashioned way. There’s nothing like sitting at the drawing board, getting my hands dirty, surrounded by fifty erasers and mounds of pencil shavings until I get it just right.
I’ve been working for hours. I canceled half my meetings to focus on my newest proposal, but my sketches are utterly horrendous. I roll up my blueprints, slip them into the large tube, and cap it, sticking it under the table. This customer deserves better than what I’m coming up with now.
I need to gather my energy and complete this job regardless of how much a certain obnoxious American distracts me.
My client is a media mogul turned restaurateur, and the job is his newest conveyor belt sushi restaurant right on the water in Tokyo. Mr. Hinata is paying a small fortune for a Callum Ryan original, all of which I plan to invest in Black Diamond. This place isn’t just a business to me; it’s my home. I want to further develop the island while maintaining the natural beauty of the land. I also want to support the recovery center and mental health facilities and better help those in need.
The rich and famous don’t usually want help; they often want to avoid it. It’s easier for them to think of rehab as a vacation, but Black Diamond has some of the best doctors and therapists worldwide. I hope Jett comes to understand that. I plan to convince him to join at least one Focus, the scheduled activities and outings used to build teamwork, trust, and manage anger.
It’d be good for him.
I can’t understand my need to care for and look out for Jett, but it’s proven difficult to stop. I hardly have time for such hindrances in my life, yet here I am, hoping he’ll get some help while here. My mum always tells me I have a hero complex, and maybe she’s right because I do continue to support this place, after all.
My eyes dart to the clock on the wall, ready to head to Midnight Lounge. I don’t usually go out this much, preferring to cook freshly caught seafood in my kitchen or order room service. But here I am, two nights in a row, heading to the most populated bar on the island, hoping the boy follows.
Ridiculous. I know.
I spend the next forty-five minutes showering, shaving, and getting ready for dinner. I haven’t the slightest clue whether he’ll show, but I truly hope he does.
When I step into Midnight Lounge, I head for the bar and sit on the far end so no one bothers me. I order a bourbon on the rocks and let the surfer boy know I’m not interested in conversation.
I swivel in my seat and watch the crowd. There aren’t too many people here now. A few women make eyes at me, but I never cross the line and sleep with guests. Not that there are any rules against such things. I’m technically considered a resort guest, but I prefer not to.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I grab it. “Ryan,” I say, answering with my last name because I don’t look at who’s calling.
The high-pitched tone of my enthusiastic assistant scratches at my eardrums. She’s excited.
“Ginny. No more design jobs, please. I need a break.”
“But this is an aquarium. In Tahiti. A massive one. They want a one-of-a-kind tank, including tunnels and a modern island design. And they’ll pay anything for Callum Ryan.”
I sigh. It really does sound intriguing. I turn around and face the bar for more privacy. “You know I don’t need any money. And none of my businesses or investments are hurting, Ginny. Even if it would simply be for fun, I think I just need a breather.”
I know what she’s thinking. I just took an unplanned holiday to Tahiti, and I’m far too busy for another detour. No matter how badly I want to drop off the radar for the entire two weeks that Jett is here, enjoying his tight little body every day.
“And for your ego, Cal. This would be huge for Callum Ryan Designs.”
She really knows how to reel me in. “And what’s the deadline?”
“Now we’re talking!” Ginny shouts. “I’ll email you the details.” She hangs up before I can even protest.
I rub my forehead and take a deep breath. I was supposed to be stepping back from unnecessary work, but I know that I won't be able to say no once I lay eyes on the project details.
Someone sits next to me, bumping my arm, and I’m about to tell them to bugger off when I open my eyes and find Jett there, looking slightly worse for wear.
“Hey, Cal.”
“Hey, doll. You okay?”
Jett turns a glassy-eyed stare at me. “No. I’m not. How’re you?”
He waves a hand in the air, trying to get the bartender’s attention.
For Christ’s sake, he’s drunk again. He’s not my responsibility, although it quite feels like it.
