Rough Diamonds
By Ashe Barker
“…you are delightful company and absolutely beautiful. You take my
breath away. I really should tell you now, if I can find any way to convince
you to remain with me tonight, I will do so."
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Blurb
What if someone handed you over a million
dollars in uncut diamonds, and a note? For services rendered…
A random act of kindness years earlier gives
rise to an astonishing chain of events. Johan Klaas holds the key to the
mystery and he will help her – for a price. Can she trust him? Should she? And
what has Christa ever done to deserve such a reward?
Swept from her modest flower shop in England,
caught up in the opulent global diamond trade in Antwerp and introduced by her
millionaire lover to a sensual world of pain and pleasure, Christa is
determined to solve the riddle.
Author Synopsis
Christa Barnes is
baffled when the man of her dreams – or should that be her wildest fantasies? –
turns up at her sleepy little flower shop and insists she has something he
would like to purchase. But Johan Klaas is an international diamond dealer and
he is not remotely interested in acquiring a bunch of geraniums, preferring
instead to discuss gemstones.
Christa’s next
unexpected caller is a motorcycle courier clad in black leather and bearing a
package for her. She opens it, expecting the latest seed catalogue, and finds
instead a fortune in uncut diamonds and a note.
For Services
Rendered. See what you can make of these.
Johan Klaas works
at the heart of the global diamond trade based in Antwerp, and he agrees to use
his contacts and knowledge to help trace the origins of these particular
stones. For a price.
As the relationship
between Christa and Johan deepens, so does her understanding of the way in
which a natural, artless act of kindness years before can start an amazing
chain of events.
This book was previously released with a different cover. The
story includes sexual scenes and BDSM, and is intended for audiences of 18 and
over.
EXCERPT
He was still lying on the bed when she emerged from the luxurious
en suite clad in just her new pajamas and a generous splash of Chanel Coco, the
expensive perfume a Christmas present from her sister. The sheer,
camisole-style top tied in front with a couple of fragile ribbons of lace, and
the fabric left little to the imagination. Her breasts were outlined clearly,
the dark pink nipples pressing little points into the delicate material. The
pants were long and loose and Christa thought they would not look out of place
in a harem. Very appropriate, Christa reflected… Or inappropriate, depending on
your view.
Christa paused in the doorway, self-conscious suddenly. She was
normally so cautious, prim almost. This was so unlike her, really, she ought to—
“You were right, chérie. The outfit is very pretty indeed.” Perhaps he recognized
her indecision, her wavering, but Johan allowed her no time in which to
reconsider. Christa was glad of it as he rolled from the mattress and came to
stand before her. He gently fingered the ribbon which masqueraded as some sort
of shoulder strap. “May I…?”
“May you … What?” Her voice was a husky whisper.
“This.” He eased the strap down her arm, causing the gossamer-thin
fabric to cascade away in a soft sweep. One breast was exposed. Christa held
her breath. It never occurred to her to seek to cover herself.
Johan lowered his gaze, his lip curling in sensual appreciation.
He cupped Christa’s face between his hands to hold her still for his kiss. She
was going nowhere, in any case. His lips were warm, soft, teasing hers until
she opened for him. His tongue explored her mouth, curling around hers in a
hot, suggestive dance.
Christa mewled deep in her throat when he lowered his hands to
stroke her shoulders, then trailed his fingers lower still to tease the erect,
exposed nipple. He circled it with his fingertips, then took the hardened bud
between his finger and thumb and applied just enough pressure to make her gasp.
“You like this, ma petite? Did I hurt you?”
“No,” she breathed. “It was just, I never…”
“Pleasure is good, is it not?” He cupped the full mound in his
hand and caressed her slowly, stroking his fingers across the quivering peak
before he caught it again and, this time, squeezed hard enough to make her
squeal. “But pain is even more exciting, if properly applied. Do you not agree,
little Christa, my beautiful flower-seller?”
Christa should have been frightened: his words made no sense. At
the same time, she understood him perfectly, and was in no doubt as to his
meaning. He intended to hurt her, and he meant her to enjoy it.
How had he known? How had he had even the slightest inkling that
she might respond? She had hardly known, herself, until this moment.
“Yes,” she murmured. “Oh yes.”
He chuckled and kissed her mouth again, at the same time easing
her other strap from her shoulder. A tug was all it took on the two fragile
scraps of lace which tied in front to hold the two halves of the top closed.
The garment opened and he was able to slide the top from her body and drop it
behind her on a low sofa.
Now his palms caressed both breasts, his touch firm yet still gentle.
Christa arched, presenting her body, asking for more.
Johan broke the kiss to trail a hot, damp path across her collar
bone and down to her breasts. He locked his hands behind her, under her bottom
and lifted her so he could better reach her nipples with his lips. Christa
grasped his shoulders and flung back her head as he took first one peak, then
the other, into his mouth.
Christa moaned. “That’s… That feels so…”
He sucked, curling his agile tongue around one engorged nipple. A
crackle of electricity surged from the pebbled nub straight to her clit.
Christa opened her legs and wrapped them around his body, not minding in the
least that he remained fully dressed whilst she was as near naked as made no
difference.
He turned, and walked back toward the bed, as Christa crossed her
ankles in the small of his back. He leaned forward to tip her onto the duvet
then followed her down.
His mouth closed around her nipple again, the suction harder now,
the sensation more intense. Christa’s pussy tingled and clenched as she writhed
against him, desperate, purring, seeking more.
“The pants are gorgeous, as are you, chérie,
but I think we might lose them now. Do you agree?”
Christa did agree, whole-heartedly. She reached for the waistband,
intending to shove them down past her hips, but Johan caught her hand and
stopped her.
“No, allow me. Please.”
About Ashe Barker
USA Today Bestselling author Ashe Barker writes
erotic romance and spanking romance in a variety of genres including
contemporary, BDSM, paranormal, historical. ménage, gay romance and time
travel. She is a #1 Amazon Bestseller and all her stories feature hot alpha
males and sassy submissives, often with a lot to learn. Kink abounds, and
there’s enough dirty talk to satisfy the most demanding smut lover. However
dark and dirty the setting, love always emerges triumphant, and her stories
never fail to deliver a satisfying happy ever after.
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And just
a little more about the author:
Author Interview
Who or what was the
inspiration for Christa? Is she anything like you?
Well I’ve never entertained a desire to sell flowers, but the
mystery at the heart of Rough Diamonds is based on my experience working
in the care system in the UK some thirty years ago so I suppose Christa does
draw on something of me.
So, tell us a bit
more about Johan. He’s stern and sexy, and obviously successful in his career,
but what else is there to know?
Well, I think you just about covered the basics there. Johan is
driven and successful, but he is also honest in his dealings with a strong
sense of duty, and of justice. He wants Christa from the beginning, but he’s
willing to work for it and takes nothing for granted. He’s kind to her, and
generous, and he shares her sense of adventure and curiosity about the origins
of her surprise windfall.
Do you see writing as
a career?
Yes. I try to be
fairly ordered about it. I like to be at my desk (well, more accurately the
kitchen table) laptop fired up and coffee to hand, by nine in the morning and I
tend to write for most of the day then. There are also a lot of related tasks
to keep on top of, mainly to do with promo or research, or keeping in touch
with readers and other authors. It’s definitely a full-time job for me.
What's
your favorite love story? (movie or book)
I adore Love Actually and I can’t count how many times I’ve
seen that movie. It has lots of love stories all rolled up and woven into each
other, but I think perhaps my favourite is the one featuring Hugh Grant.
I also remember reading Katherine by Anya Seton many
years ago, and I’ve never forgotten the magic that shimmers between Katherine
and her hero, John of Gaunt. Their lifetime love affair is set against the
dramatic backdrop of medieval England, a period I also like to write about.
