Blood Tainted Diamonds Read online

  Barshan inhaled deeply and her scent washed over him. His fingers reached out and touched her skin. His hands gently massaged the muscles of her neck and shoulders. Barshan could feel the tightness lessen as he worked the area on either side of her head.

  Talli closed her eyes and groaned as she let go of the stress. His fingers bit deep yet soothed at the same time. Her whole body was sore but after a few minutes of his hands on her neck and shoulders, she could feel the soreness lessen. She rolled her head to one side and moaned as his thumbs sank into her neck muscles. His fingers came close to the place on the back of head where she’d been struck yesterday but never touched it.

  “Oh my, that feels so good,” she whispered as she groaned.

  “Stress always feels better when you let it go,” Barshan assured her.

  Barshan felt his body responding to her nearness. His heart began to pound while his cock throbbed in his pants. When she groaned as he rubbed her shoulders he could imagine it was for another reason altogether. He’d been watching her closely all day. The fire in her eyes when she’d confronted both him and Ivan sparked his attention and as things unfolded, he’d seen confusion and bewilderment creeping in. Today, he watched fear come into her eyes and the rage of betrayal toward Russell Jerome came back.

  No one knew the reason behind his swindle yet, but he had faith that the man wouldn’t get away with it. “Can I ask you something?” he murmured.

  Talli pushed away from him and turned slightly toward him. “Of course.”

  He saw the change in her form as she faced him. “You told us you never trusted Russell from the day you met him,” He cocked his head to one side. “Why was that? Was it just because your mother was interested in him as a man or was there another reason?”

  Talli looked angry and got to her feet. She walked over to the window and looked outside. “What you are suggesting would make me a horrible daughter.”

  Barshan shrugged but didn’t say anything.

  Talli stared out into the dark. “I know everyone thinks I’m greedy and won’t share what I have but I’m not that way. I loved my father and my mother very much. They loved each other too. I remember growing up in a house filled with laughter and warn hugs. My father was a big man and his arms felt so safe. He had a deep voice that was hardly ever raised in anger. My mother and I were so lucky. He loved us above everything and everyone else.” She paused for a moment then went on, “As I said earlier when I was around thirteen, I woke up one night to loud voices in our house. When I came out of my bedroom to see what was wrong my mother pushed me back inside and stayed with me for a long time. The four men I’d seen in the hall glared at me with something close to rage in their eyes. I didn’t notice it so much at the time but I remembered that rage much later. I remember it stunned me at the time because it was so different from what I usually saw in that house. I tried to ask my mother what was wrong but she held me in her arms and begged me to be quiet. I listened to her cry without making a sound for a very long time. She was very afraid of something that night. I know I was just a kid but I was old enough to feel the underlying tension. It took a long time for everyone to leave and even then, my mother stayed with me. It was close to dawn before my father came to us.” She sighed and continued to stare out at the dark.

  Barshan stared at her rigid back as he waited for more. This couldn’t be all of it.

  “I tried to ask him what was going on but he would never tell me. I told him I was growing up and could handle whatever it was but he still wouldn’t tell me. They both kept me in the dark about that night and no matter how much I begged, they would never tell me what happened. We never saw those men again but my father wasn’t the same either. There was a haunted look in his eyes and there were times when he just stared at me as if he didn’t know me anymore. A year later, my father was murdered and my mother and I were never the same without him.” Talli began rubbing her forehead.

  Turning toward him Barshan watched as tears trickled down her cheeks.

  “I loved them both so much and after my father died, my mother was all I had left. We struggled for the longest time after he died. My mother was so lost without him. Neither of us understood why he was killed, only that he was no longer in our lives.” She took a few steps back to the sofa and sat down on the edge of it. “It took my mother years to learn to live without him. To remember I was only a child and she was supposed to be my protector not the other way around. I became the parent at the age of fourteen. I never looked at that as a burden, though I was just as lost as she was. I kept the business going and came into my own as a designer during this time.”

  Barshan sighed, knowing it must have been hard for a young girl.

  She took a deep breath. “She came back a while later and was once again the strong woman I knew as my mother. Together, we struggled to fill the hole in our lives without him but we did it. I knew she was lonely so no, I didn’t begrudge her finding someone new. I was almost hopeful she could be happy again. Then I met him.” She glanced at Barshan and shivered. “Oh, he looked good and acted just right but there was something about him that he tried very hard to hide. I first saw it in his eyes. They seemed dead to me. When I looked at him, his eyes were cold and empty, almost as if he had no soul.”

  Yes, the thing Barshan felt coming from Jerome. It had bothered him too.

  “I tried to watch out for my mom but he began to isolate her. She didn’t see it at first and it wasn’t until after they were married, she finally caught on to what he was doing. That’s when I saw the fear in her eyes. She tried to stop it but he wouldn’t let her go. He tightened his hold on her and it was then that she got sick. I tried to get to her but he wouldn’t let me near her.” She paused then turned her head away from his gaze.

  Barshan reached out and cupping her chin, he brought her face around to his again. “What happened then?” he asked her softly.

  Talli stared at him with tears running down her face. “I think he killed her. I was out of town when I got a call from the hospital telling me she was there and they didn’t think she wouldn’t make it through the night. I left immediately but when I got home two hours later, she was already gone.”

  “What makes you think he killed her?”

  “My mother was never sick a day in her life. Not even after my father died. Emotionally weak maybe but never was she sick. She was a strong woman until he got his hands on her.” Talli sneered. “I don’t know how he did it but I know in my heart he killed her. What I don’t know is why. She had all the money she would ever need to live on. My father left her very well off. All she was looking for was someone to talk to, someone to lean on in the darkness of the night.”

  “Did she ever regret him?” Barshan asked.

  “I think she did,” Talli admitted. “She wouldn’t say anything but she was afraid of him in her last few weeks of life.”

  “Why wouldn’t she say what was wrong?”

  “My mother was a proud woman. I think she knew she’d made a mistake but for some reason she never admitted it, maybe not even to herself.”

  Barshan simply stared at her for a moment. “Maybe the man did have something to hide.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Moonlight flooded the bedroom casting a soft glow in the room where Talli was sleeping. Or trying to sleep. Her dreams were disturbed by flashes of the past. Tossing and turning, her nightmare grew worse as shadows invaded her dreams.

  She could feel the menace growing as shadows grew and threatened to cover her memories of happier times. She whimpered in fear, as the menace she felt grew stronger. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she felt the loss of something vital in her life.

  The menace was still there but she felt herself drifting closer to it than ever before. Then she felt it grip her shoulders and begin to shake her world. Talli cried out and fought to get away. Struggling against her fate, she couldn’t break free. Then she heard someone calling her name.

  “Talli, wake up sweetheart. It’s o
nly a dream. Talli, wake up.”

  Talli opened her eyes and in the darkness, she felt a calm surrounding her. A calm that held the menace at bay. She leaned into it and found herself in Barshan’s arms. They encircled her giving her his strength. She felt his skin against hers and reveled in his warmth.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered.

  “I am now.” She clung to him. Laying her head on his chest, she could hear the echo of his heart as it beat a steady rhythm in his chest. Each beat restored her calm and after a few minutes, she felt better.

  Laying his chin on the top of her head he asked, “What happened?”

  “I was having a nightmare.”

  “Yeah, I gathered that. I heard you calling out.”

  Talli pushed away from him and gave him a stunned look. “I called out?”

  Barshan nodded. “At first you were calling out for your father. You begged him to save you and your mother. You begged him to protect you then you called out for me to save you.”

  Talli gasped. “I did?”

  Barshan nodded. “Yes, you did.”

  Talli felt something cold and wet touch her bare thigh and she screamed jumping into Barshan’s arms.

  He held her briefly before he told her, “It’s only Rugar.”

  She turned and saw the dog beside the bed. “Oh Rugar, I’m sorry.” She reached out and her fingers dug gently into his fur. “I forgot you were even here.” Wrapping her arms around the dog, she hugged him closer.

  After a moment or so, Barshan grabbed her and pulled her back into his arms. Then he realized he was feeling more of her than he should. He ran his hands up and down her back and felt nothing but soft skin. He groaned and pulled her even closer. “What are you wearing?” he whispered.

  Talli blushed deep red. “I forgot to grab some clothes this morning, so I didn’t have anything else to wear,” she whispered.

  Barshan groaned louder as he imagined her naked. He pulled her closer. “I should go.” His words did not match his actions.

  Talli wrapped her arms around him and pleaded, “Please don’t go.”

  Barshan moaned. “I can’t stay, not if you’re naked.”

  “Please don’t leave me,” she whispered.

  “If I stay I can’t promise not to take you. I’m strong but I’m not that strong. I am a man after all.”

  “Please help me forget the nightmares surrounding me.”

  Barshan looked down at her and in the moonlight, he could see her expression. He could see the need on her face. It took every ounce of honor he had in him to turn away from her. “I can’t. This is not something you really want from me and I’m barely able to go now.”

  “Please stay. I don’t want you to go.”

  Barshan stopped without turning. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  Turning his head, he searched her face. “Once I take you you’ll belong to me. I won’t let you go once I have you.” He knew this to be true. Yes, he’d been with other women and he’d let them go. Not this one, he had a feeling they would be pure fire together and he would want to keep her.

  Talli nodded slowly. “I can live with that.” She sat up letting the blanket that covered her drop to her lap.

  The moonlight lent a soft light to illuminate the room and Barshan could see quite clearly. Her pale skin shone in the moonlight and as she raised her hand to welcome him, he couldn’t resist her invitation.

  He came back to the bed and leaned toward her, searching her eyes for the answers he sought. Apparently, he found what he needed to know. He gently brushed her hair back over her shoulder. His eyes widened as he stared at her chest.

  Her breasts were bigger than they appeared under her clothing. More than a handful, they were full and high on her chest. Her nipples were hard and he couldn’t wait to taste them. He pulled the blanket back to view her whole body and as he did, he gasped slightly. Her waist was narrow and it flared into full rounded hips with long legs that didn’t seem to quit despite her short stature. He never guessed that she looked like this under her semi baggy clothes.

  Barshan felt himself lengthen and hard as he viewed her bare body. He reached out and ran his fingers around her left nipple.

  She gasped at his touch and leaned forward. “Please…” she whimpered.

  “Please what little one?” he murmured back as he licked his lips in anticipation.

  “Please touch me,” she begged him. “Touch me like you mean it.”

  Barshan growled and pulled her to him. “Are you sure you want that? I’m not a gentle lover but I would never hurt you.”

  She closed her eyes and moaned. “Please show me how to love you.”

  Barshan lowered his mouth to hers and pressed his lips to hers. When his tongue ran along her lips, she opened her mouth and he pushed his tongue into her mouth. He tasted honey and sunshine. Groaning, he pressed her down into the bed, falling on top of her.

  Talli groaned. Lifting her hips, she ground her pelvis against his and felt the hardness in his boxers. She moaned and pushed herself against him again.

  Barshan’s lips slipped down to her neck and he licked his way down to her chest, nibbling on her skin. He paused at the point where he felt her heartbeat pounding. Then he couldn’t stop himself from going to her tits. He circled her nipple with his tongue then opened his mouth and took it in. She tasted like honey and her scent surrounded him.

  Barshan growled and ripped his boxers off his body. He couldn’t wait to get inside her. He nudged her legs apart and rubbed the head of his cock against her nether lips. He could feel her heat and she was wet for him. Without further ado, he rammed inside her.

  Talli gasped as his penetration hit her.

  Barshan halted as he raised his head. She was so tight, it was heaven and hell. She gripped him like a vise. Damn, it was irresistible.

  Arching her back, she whispered, “More.”

  Barshan could see the need on her face. He moved slowly inside her. He wanted to make it last. Though with her clutching his cock, this would be impossible to do.

  This seemed to drive her crazy. “Harder, faster!”

  He picked up the pace. She was so tight and wet, he’d never remembered a woman fitting him so well before. His hips were pounding into her and Barshan could hardly catch his breath. He could feel her body tighten as she readied herself to explode. Sweat beaded on her forehead and dripped down the side of his face. He couldn’t stop now if he wanted. She felt so good and he wanted to remain inside her for the rest of his life.

  Finally, he felt the lightening zapping his spine. He ground his hips against hers and growled in her ear, “Come with me.” He felt her body tighten and then he felt her climax, as he slammed into her deeper than ever before. He felt himself pouring into her and he groaned at the feeling. He could feel her pussy gripping his and for a moment, he couldn’t move. He ground himself into her as he felt his body empty and she groaned.

  “Oh my god…” she murmured. “That was awesome.”

  Barshan raised his head from where it rested on her shoulder and smiled at her. Pressing his lips to hers, he whispered, “No it was better than awesome, it was magnificent.” He moved off and settled beside her. Running his hand down her body, he noticed a dark smear on her thigh. He frowned, then swung his gaze over to stare at her. “Were you a virgin?”

  Talli turned her face to hide her flushed cheeks but Barshan wouldn’t let her hide. Bringing her back to face him, he noted the flushed cheeks and shamed eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me little one? I could have been gentler with you.”

  Talli shook her head. “I have no complaints.”

  “I hurt you when I didn’t have to. I’m sorry.” He sighed.

  “It only hurt for a moment then I tasted heaven.”

  Barshan smiled. “No you took me to heaven and beyond. Now you belong to me and I think I’ll keep you.” He reached out and snapped on a small lamp on the nightstand. The soft light illuminate
d the room and Barshan could see her much better. He took a moment to search her body.

  Her skin glowed as his eyes moved from the top of her head to her toes. The only imperfection he noted was a birth mark atop her right breast. It was oblong and three peaked almost resembling a crown.

  She noticed his gaze and her cheeks flushed again. Her hands raised to cover the birthmark but Barshan reached out to stop her. “I think you’re perfect. Don’t hide yourself from me.”

  “I’m not perfect,” she murmured.

  “I think you are.” He leaned over and kissed her skin. When he approached the birthmark, she shied away but Barshan wouldn’t let her. He kissed her birthmark and said, “It is part of you and as beautiful as you are.”

  “I share this mark with my father. When I was born he said it was something he gave me, something only the two of us would share but something I could give my children as well, just as his father gave it to him.”

  “What does that mean?” Barshan frowned.

  Talli shrugged. “I’m not sure. When I asked him about that, he told me someday he would tell me about the mark but he never got the chance. ”

  “Why would he say something like that? It’s just a birthmark isn’t it?”

  Talli shrugged. “I’m not sure. My father acted like he had a secret but he would never tell me what it was. I asked my mother about it one day and she told me it was my father’s secret to tell. I asked if she knew what it was and she told me she didn’t but there were things she knew and would never speak about.”

  Barshan shrugged. He reached up and snapped off the light again. Wrapping his arms around her, he settled in and asked, “Tell me about you.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything. Where did you go to school? Who were your friends? Did you love designing jewelry?”

  Talli chuckled. “Where do I start? First off, my parents had me homeschooled. They looked into public schooling but didn’t think it was what they wanted for me. They wanted the very best and they didn’t mind paying for it. I was taught a variety of subjects that went well beyond public schools. I learned Russian from my father, French from my mother and Latin from my tutors. I passed my GED at the age of sixteen. At that point, I didn’t care about a diploma but my mother told me my father wanted me to have it. I’d already taken several courses in design and was working full time at the store.” Shrugging she told him, “My father set things up so we had more than enough money to maintain our way of life so that wasn’t a problem but I wanted to take my father’s designs to the world and in a few years I did that. My best friend was a woman named Julie Morgan.”