Free The Purest of Diamonds? by Susan Stephens Page B

purple in the shadow of the rolling hills. Leaning out of the open window, she dragged greedily on the blossom-scented air, but this was no time to be daydreaming. She had to settle in and then find Raffa so they could have that talk. She had never even been late before, and she hadn’t even been sure that the strange feeling that had come over her was significant in any way, until finally she went to the chemist and took a test...several tests. And there was no doubt. She was pregnant.
    The phone rang, distracting her. It was Raffa. Her heart bumped at the sound of his voice. The knowledge inside her made her feel so guilty, but she couldn’t tell him over the phone.
    ‘Can you be ready in half an hour?’
    ‘I’m ready now.’ Did that sound too eager?
    Of course it did.
    Remembering the marble-lined bathroom stocked with fabulous products, she quickly built in time to take a shower. ‘Actually, half an hour should be fine,’ she managed coolly.
    It was only when she replaced the receiver that she realised she hadn’t even asked where they were supposed to meet. She would have to sharpen up her wits if she was going to face Raffa with her news. She couldn’t imagine he would take it well, and she had to be ready for the fallout.
    * * *
    The rest of the day went better than she had expected. Raffa picked her up in the Jeep and took her to one of his showrooms on the island, but he brought a co-worker with him, so once again she couldn’t tell him her news. Would the moment ever arrive? She was keyed up every second of the tour and could hardly concentrate.
    The laboratories were as clean and as sterile as Raffa’s behaviour towards her. They were bright and filled with light and staffed by uniformed technicians. It was that small space thing again, Leila told herself firmly, glancing at Raffa as they travelled down to one of his vaults in a small steel lift. Relax. He can’t hear your heart beating.
    Raffa escorted her into an air-conditioned room with little furnishing other than a table on which sat a mirror, presumably so his most favoured clients could try on the jewels they wished to buy in absolute privacy. She felt confident, having prepared well in advance of her visit. ‘I know many of your jewels have history, and I’ve read up about quite a few of them.’
    Raffa inclined his head as if they were two strangers doing business together, which indeed they were—or they were supposed to be.
    He laid out an incredible collection in front of her. ‘This can be worn a number of ways,’ he explained as he took apart one of the elaborate necklaces. ‘These detachable drops can be worn as earrings, for example...’
    As he held them up to her face, his hands brushed her cheeks and her skin blazed with awareness. ‘Very nice,’ she said, turning away so she couldn’t see Raffa’s face reflected in the mirror behind her.
    ‘And these...’ he showed her a string of milky pearls ‘...can be worn as a long necklace, or fastened with this diamond clasp and worn as a collar...’
    He had to hear her sharp intake of breath when his hands brushed her collarbone and the cool pearls met her overheated skin, but when he glanced into her eyes he gave nothing away. The cool of the pearls, the warmth of his touch...
    ‘Leila?’
    She blinked and refocused on the tutorial she was supposed to be here for.
    ‘I’m going to put the pearls back in the vault again. If you’ve finished with them?’
    ‘Yes.’ Her throat was dry, her voice hoarse. She could see Raffa standing behind her, staring down. This was the moment—
    ‘Shall I list the pearls as going to Skavanga?’
    Raffa was already turning away as he asked the question, placing the priceless jewels in their velvet nest. The walls of the vault seemed to close around her, sucking all the available air from her lungs and her intention to tell him about the baby with it.
    ‘Yes. Please put them on the list,’ she managed faintly.
    * * *
    His preference