Midnight Diamonds (13 page)

The doorbell rang and Kade answered it. He returned with Sam following on his heels. Justin’s jaw tightened as he glared at his manager, and Becky moved away from the men. Kade and Hunter left, saying something about helping their mother, and Silver sat on one of the sofas.

Sam shuffled his feet toward Justin. The manager had dark circles under his eyes and reeked of alcohol. “Thanks for asking me to come over. I need to talk to you.”

Justin answered in a low, quiet voice. “Yes, we do need to talk.”

“OK, so where can we go for some privacy?”

“Right here is fine. There are a few things I want to say. First, meet my new manager,” Justin said, pointing to Becky.

Becky gave a quick wave and said, “Hey there, Sam.”

Silver looked at her friend who wiggled her eyebrows.

Sam sneered at them. “What does she know about managing a singer?”

“She knows to be honest and fair. And she knows that embezzlement is a felony.” When Sam didn’t say anything, Justin stepped forward.

Sam spread his hands in surrender. “Justin, I got in a bind with a few bets. Nothing big. That’s why I’m here. To talk to you about all of this.”

Becky leaned against the back of the sofa. “Nothing big? Try nearly a quarter of a million dollars gone from the business account.”

Silver gasped. “A quarter million?” Now she knew why Justin had been so preoccupied last night at the lake house.

“You’ll return every dime of that money you stole,” Justin advised with deadly calm.

“Sure, yeah, I can do that. I was going to tell you—the money, the photographers. Everything.”

“Photographers?” Justin looked at Becky who shook her head, indicating she knew nothing about it.

Sam licked his lips in a nervous gesture. “Yeah, payments to some of the press so they’d get your name in the tabloids. Hey, it meant more exposure for you, and that’s what GramMer wants, right?”

Justin grabbed the front of Sam’s shirt. “I don’t want a career built on sleazy headlines! You’re fired, and I want the money back in the account by tomorrow morning. Now get out!” He pushed Sam away.

“Justin, there’s something you gotta know first.”

“Sam, you’re drunk. Be smart and shut your mouth,” Justin warned him. “Walk away.”

The drunk spread his feet in defiance. “I’ve been a good manager, and everything I’ve done was to make you into the superstar you want to be. So what if I like to gamble? There are worse things.” He turned to glare at both the women. “None of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t hooked up with this blonde bimbo,” he yelled, pointing to Silver.

Before she had time to react, Justin drove his fist into the man’s face, busting his lip open and knocking him to the floor. Kade and Hunter ran into the room, followed by their mother. When the brothers started forward to help Justin, Connie stopped them.

Standing with his hands clenched, Justin glared at Sam. “You steal from me. Try to ruin Silver’s reputation with that stunt after the contest. Now you come into my mother’s house with your pathetic confessions, insult Silver, and I’m supposed to let it go? Get out before I do something worse.”

Both brothers walked over to flank Justin. Silver felt like her heart was going to leap out of her chest as she watched Sam stand up, one hand pressed to his lip as blood oozed through his fingers.

Connie threw him a dish towel she had in her hand. “Don’t get your mess on my floors as you leave.”

Sam ignored her. “There’s no way I’m letting you get by with this.”

Becky groaned. “Sam, for the love of God, it’s over. Leave before Justin decides to call the police.”

He sneered at them as he backed out of the room. “I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make you pay. All of you.”

“Do your worst, you son of a bitch!” Justin called after him.

Silver looked at the three brothers standing shoulder to shoulder, like some impenetrable barrier. She heard the door slam shut and let out the breath she’d been holding.

“I don’t think that little problem is going away any time soon,” Kade said. “Are you going to press charges?”

Dragging a hand through his hair, Justin blew out a loud breath. “Not if he returns the money.”

Moving across the room to sit in a chair, Connie spoke softly. “It might be a good idea to close him out of all the accounts.”

“Justin did that today,” Becky answered. “Sam can make deposits, but he can’t withdraw funds.”

Silver crossed her arms over her chest and faced her friend. “Since when don’t you tell me things, like becoming Justin’s manager?”

Nudging her shoulder, Becky grinned. “It all happened really fast and I sort of got caught up in the whole ‘see my dream come true’ thing. Justin offered me the job after I discovered Sam was being a stupid ass… Sorry,” she directed to Connie. “My first assignment as his new manager was to make use of my contacts and find out exactly what Sam was up to.”

“Sorry, Mom. He insulted Silver, and the next thing I knew, my fist went right into his face,” Justin said.

Connie leaned back. “Dinner at my house is not usually this exciting.”

“You should see the kids at the high school,” Silver said. “I always say nothing surprises me after teaching. Besides, this cowboy keeps riding to my rescue every time I’m around him. I kind of like his chivalrous behavior.”

“Knight in shining armor. Interesting,” teased Kade.

Justin gave her a goofy grin then narrowed his eyes at Kade, whose shoulders were bouncing in silent amusement. Hunter’s loud cough sounded like a strangled laugh.

Clearing his throat, Justin said, “I’d better take Silver home since it’s a school night.”

Becky thanked Connie and said she’d be in the car, answering a few text messages.

Silver stood and hugged Connie. “Thank you so much for tonight. I don’t remember the last time I had so much fun at a family dinner. It was great to meet everyone.”

Connie returned the smile. “Sweetie, you are more than welcome to come here any time, although I hope we can skip any further scenes like this one.” She directed the last words to Justin.

He kissed his mother on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll call you in a few days. Hunter, don’t give Mom any grief.” He punched the younger man’s shoulder.

“Whatever,” Hunter grunted as he punched back. “Silver, we should have lunch sometime. Talk about this guy.”

“That sounds great,” Silver answered.

“No, it doesn’t,” Justin corrected, and everyone laughed while he guided her outside. When he opened the car door and kissed her after she sat down, Silver shook her head and let out a shaky breath. Justin had been in control of his anger until Sam stepped over that line. The cowboy must care to react that way.

Then she realized something else that terrified her. At some point during the night, the walls around her heart had crumbled away.

She had fallen in love with Justin Rivers.

* * *

Justin walked Silver to her front door after Becky hugged them both and left. Looking up at him as she unlocked the door, Silver asked, “Do you want to come in for a few minutes?”

“It’s a school night. Don’t you have to be in bed by a certain time, Miss Madison?” he teased.

Rolling her eyes, she walked inside. “Don’t be obsequious.”

He followed her and pulled out his phone. His fingers moved over the face of it, then he lifted to her mouth.

“Say it again.”

She smirked then said, “Obsequious.”

Looking at his phone, he said, “It means dutiful or deferential. Do your students ever stare at you like they don’t know what you’re saying?”

“I usually follow up with another explanation that tells them what it means. Like, don’t be obsequious; don’t feel duty bound to say that. At least that way, they’re getting more than, like, you know, just, you know, simple phrases that, like, you know, mean nothing. You know?”

Holding his hands over his ears, Justin mimed a horrified expression, which made her laugh, so he put them down. He loved her laughter. It made him feel good, like things were going right for once in his life. “Would you like some wine? I have a Riesling.”

“Perfect,” he said with a big smile. When she walked out of the room, he pulled up the Wine Spectator app on his phone.

When she came back carrying two glasses of the wine, he set down the phone, prepared for the test. Taking a glass from her, he sat in a chair and took a sip.

“Mmm. Clean, fresh, a hint of citrus, and slightly sweet.”

Nodding, she glanced at his phone and sat down on the sofa across from him. “You forgot to mention the perfect wine for dessert.”

He picked up his phone and heard her giggle as he slid it into his pocket. With a grin, he confessed. “Caught me.”

“You really like it? It’s Chateau Saint Michelle.”

“Yeah, it’s good.” He cocked his head to one side. “And you are beautiful.” He made it a point to tell her at least once every time he was with her.

A blush warmed her face as she mumbled her thanks. After a few moments of silence, she leaned forward. “You really handled yourself well tonight. Thanks for defending me. Again.”

“I’ll always defend you, Silver.”

“It means a lot to me, but there’s something I don’t understand.”

Had he forgotten something? “What’s that?”

“Why are you sitting all the way over there instead of here beside me?” she asked with an innocent look.

Justin’s heart slammed into his chest so hard he stopped breathing for a few seconds. He stood up, staring at her. “Miss Madison, that’s a very good question. Do you know the answer?”

“A good teacher always has an answer,” she replied softly.

He walked the short distance to sit beside her. Gently pushing her silky hair over one shoulder, he wondered if he would ever get tired of her sparkling green eyes.

“I want to sing for you…something I started writing last night. I haven’t finished yet… Actually, I only have the chorus…but…” Pulling out his phone, his fingers moved over the face and found the music track he’d put together. “It’s called ‘Rusty Hearts.’”

But you…

You oiled this rusty heart of mine

Made it new again

Mended fears and dried the tears,

Broke away the chain

Now I see a chance for love

The way that it should be.

Rusty hearts can love again,

Just like you and me.

* * *

Silver listened to his rich voice and any defenses she’d had left melted away. How could she possibly stay strong against this kind of openness? No, she didn’t want to stay strong. She wanted to fall head over heels, passionately, can’t-think-of-anything-else, in love with this cowboy.

And hadn’t he just said he loved her with that song?

He turned off his phone. “What do you think? It’s an idea I have, but…”

“Is that really the way you feel?”

When his fingers touched the side of her neck, she felt her heart leap. “You take my breath away, Silver. The way you move, your laughter, your smile. I get lost in you so easily.”

She reached out and touched his face with trembling fingers. “Scary, isn’t it?”

“Terrifying,” he murmured as he leaned forward to kiss her neck.

She tilted her head sideways to make it easier for him. “It’s a good thing I’m a trained professional. I know how to deal with scary things.” She sighed as his lips made a slow journey up her neck. “You do that very well.”

“I do a lot of things well.”

“Those are braggadocios words, cowboy, but teachers need more.” She leaned back and caught the front of his shirt with her fingers, pulling him close. “It’s show and tell time. Show me.”

Shocked at her own aggressiveness, Silver froze. But when he captured her lips in a hungry kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her world narrowed down to this moment, this man. This kiss. Every sense she possessed blazed for the man in her arms.

His tongue demanded entrance, searching and tasting while she gently sucked. Moaning softly, her hands slid over his muscled shoulders, down his back to his trim waist. She wanted this, wanted to feel his strength and his desire…wanted to believe her heart was safe with him.

Suddenly he broke contact and took several deep breaths, his dark blue eyes locked on her. “Silver, I should go.”

Silver scanned his gorgeous face. The song had hinted that he loved her, and the whisper of her heart urged her forward onto perilous ground demanding complete trust. Was Justin Rivers worth the risk? Did she trust him?

There was only one way to find out.

Standing, she held out her hand. “You’re right, Justin. You should go…”

He rose with her. “It’s not that I want to, but—”

“Go with me. Class isn’t over.” Silver reached over and turned on some music. She started to the bedroom, but he stopped her with his hand.

He took her into his arms. “This is a big step for us. Are you sure?”

She framed his face with her hands and kissed him softly. “Since we met in that parking lot, I’ve fought this attraction, this deep hunger for more of you, and every time we’re together it grows stronger. Am I the only one who feels that way?”

As an answer, he made her senseless with a kiss that captured her soul and stripped it bare, filling it back up with his fire. Then he scooped her up into his arms, walked into the bedroom, and laid her gently on the bed. She reached to turn off the bedside lamp, but he shook his head.

“You’re beautiful, Silver. I want to see you. All of you. You’re not the only one who feels the hunger.” He trailed his fingers along her jawline. “Is that the right answer, Miss Madison?”

Pulling him down beside her, she whispered, “You get an A plus, cowboy.”

* * *

Later while she lay in Justin’s arms, Silver heard his steady heartbeat and felt secure, protected. She smiled and kissed his bare chest. He tilted her face up with one of his fingers as he sat up.

“Hey, none of that until you finish telling me about the school.”