Free Diamonds & Desire: The Priceless Collection by Angelita Gill

fingers. “You know, I think about how I would’ve felt if I had a child with a woman I wasn’t in love with. It wouldn’t have been my most ideal way of becoming a father, but, Rebecca had it right. I would’ve given her, and the baby, everything.”
    Jordana swallowed at the tenderness of his voice. She wondered if he’d ever come close to having a family of his own. “Have you ever been married?”
    His blue gaze met hers, his mouth quirking. “I haven’t. Why do you ask?”
    Ah, he was the devoted bachelor. “You give off that distrustful air most divorced men have after an ex-wife or two.”
    Chuckling, he raised a brow. “Or two? Now that’s a scary thought! No, I haven’t taken that leap. Or even come near it for that matter.”
    “Would you have married her? Rebecca?”
    “No,” he answered without pause. “She would’ve gotten everything but that.” As the server approached, he looked up with a smile. “Bottom line, you spared me from a serious trap. A life changing one.” He locked his eyes on hers, his tone sincere and utterly grateful as he reached and covered her hand. “Thank you, Jordana.”
    Fire flashed up her arm, heat settling on her face. “You’re welcome. Really, it was nothing. What I did, I mean. I think any woman in my shoes would have intervened.”
    “I doubt that.” He slid his hand away, rested an arm on the edge of the table and curiously rubbed his thumb over his fingertips. “In any case, I owe you.”
    She smiled up at the server in thanks as her salad was set down. “What? You don’t owe me anything. Have you forgotten about the crown jewels you gave me that night?”
    “Funny you mention that. You and my friend Neil think a lot alike. Anyway, the Sigvy is notwithstanding. Besides, I don’t payback with trinkets. I want to do something for you, like you did for me.”
    “Forget it.” She forked her salad. “I’m not looking for any return favor.”
    “Well, that compels me even more, and I won’t take no for answer. I want you to think of something, anything that I can do for you.”
    Jordana looked at him across the table and knew he meant what he said, though she had no intention of taking him up on it. “I don’t want you feel obligated to me at all. Really. If Neil had stopped Rebecca’s plan, I doubt you’d expect him to accept a reward of some kind.”
    “Are you kidding me? Neil would’ve been the first to demand compensation. Whether he’d choose Super Bowl tickets or a mud wrestling session with twins, I couldn’t tell you.”
    Jordana covered her mouth with her napkin as she laughed.
    “You don’t have to think of something right this moment.” He gazed at her, voice softening. “My gratitude has no expiration.”
    Gulp. “Okay. If I need a cup of sugar or a ride to the dentist, I’ll keep you in mind.”
    “I hope so.” There he was with those smoldering eyes and silken words that always set her pulse to scalloping. “We’ll table the subject for now. The conversation is too heavy for lunch anyway. So let’s talk about something else. I feel as though you know a lot about me, but I don’t know much about you. Feel as though I should know more about my rescuer than her name and occupation.”
    She half-laughed, then shrugged. “What do you want to know?”
    “Let’s start with where you’re from. I’m sensing you weren’t born a Cali girl.”
    She smiled. “You’d be right. I was born in Iowa.”
    “Ah, a Midwestern woman. The best kind.” He winked.
    They spent the rest of the meal chit chatting. Topics like her job at the doctor’s office, how long she’d lived in the Bay. He asked her all about small town living, what brought her out west. Mostly, she’d followed her sister out here to keep her out of trouble, and then ending up staying, never wanting to be apart from her only living relative if she could help it.
    In fact, Jordana realized as the waiter refilled her iced tea almost half an hour later, they had