Free MOONLIGHT ON DIAMONDS by LYDIA STORM Page B

own two hands when she needed so much to hold onto something. She couldn’t
wear that love like an amulet against her heart for courage when she was afraid
the way she could a shimmering jeweled pendant. Diamonds were the only
indestructible thing she could count on to always be beautiful, always perfect,
always survive…
    The knock on her door
snapped Veronica out of her reverie.
    “Veronica,” John’s
voice sounded muffled through the door. “It’s me. Are you in there?”
    She hesitated.
Despite their earlier argument, she had to admit now that the sound of his
voice was comforting. There was something warm and good about him that she
liked, despite her annoyance at his professional duties.
    She started toward
the door when she heard him strike up a whistled tune on the other side. She
stopped and stood there smiling as the sound of his little melody floated into
her room. Leaning back against the door, she crossed her arms, thinking. What
was she going to do with John Monroe?
    ****
    Marguerite Gateaux
longed for the feel of dice in her hands the moment she arrived aboard the
French financier’s yacht La Sirène . A
casino had been set up this evening as a diversion for the billionaire’s
international guests. Tonight, Marguerite was a hired hand. She was to perform
on the web of fishing nets which hung from the ceiling decorated with gauzy
draped seaweed, shimmering giant oyster shells, and ropes of black Tahitian
pearls. The ship’s grand salon had been designed for the party to look like a
scene out of Davy Jones’ Locker complete with a treasure chest overflowing with
fabulous goodies to be presented to the highest roller of the evening.
Marguerite had dressed for the occasion by ordering a designer minidress.
    She had been afforded
a sumptuous stateroom, which her considerate employer had stocked with dozens
of white iceberg roses overflowing their elegant vases and a box of
lavender-scented chocolates from Maggie’s favorite Paris confiseur. The real
attraction, however, was the fact that the yacht was anchored just off Oyster
Bay in Long Island Sound, less than three hours’ drive from the nation’s capitol,
and after all, that was the true reason she had come to the U.S. this time
around. The Diamond Ball was only a few nights away, and Maggie the Cat was
itching to see how the Hope would catch the light and explode with brilliance
against her naked flesh.
    René escorted
Marguerite down to the casino and everyone turned to look as the glamorous
redhead entered the room. She made straight for the craps table where a few of
her colleagues from the Ballet de l’Aire had already congregated. She could
tell from their joyful faces and applause that the table was so hot she might
just get burned if she wasn’t careful.
    Marguerite placed ten
$1,000 bills on the green felt. Her heart sped up as the croupier handed her
back a pile of golden chips minted for the occasion to look like sea-salvaged
Spanish doubloons. She pushed a few coins René’s way and began to lay her own
across the pass line. Her stage manager, Marcel, handed her the dice. It wasn’t
Maggie’s turn, but everyone at the table knew she had infallible luck and they
wanted in on it.
    She shook up the dice
and tossed them across the felt. They rebounded against the table wall and then
came to a halt in the center.
    Seven!
    The table exploded
with delight as the croupier handed out chips and doubled the pass line bets
for everyone.
    She picked up the
dice again and tossed them hard across the table. Everyone held their breath,
waiting to see if Maggie could work her magic a second time. But the dice
turned against her and a pair of snake eyes stared up at them. She frowned as
the croupier swept the gold doubloons from the table.
    Concentrating harder
this time, she carefully placed a stack of coins on the table. She turned to
René and gave him an encouraging wink, then once more shook the dice and tossed
them across the table. Everyone