Triple Diamonds (Mystic Nights #2)(2)

He peered outside into the night.

He saw movement by a small car, an old blue beat up Nova. The trunk was popped open, and a young woman with a fall of midnight black hair was lifting a crate into the back.

That was odd, he thought. Why was she taking food meant for The Mystic? He went out the door despite not having his jacket. He had removed it inside and not thought to put it back on. Although it was March, it seemed the winter was not done with them yet in Connecticut.

As he got closer, he was becoming more perplexed as the young woman bent over and lifted two more crates labelled with The Mystic insignia and placed them into the trunk of her car. Her backside was nice to look at was another of his initial thoughts. But then his suspicious nature was back in place. If this was the sous chef that Louis had hired, what was she doing putting things into a car, instead of bringing them in? He couldn’t make out what was in the crates, but they were clearly labelled.

He was about twenty feet away when she spotted him. She jumped and was clearly startled. It was made even more evident when her arm reached up to grasp the trunk and she banged it closed with a resounding clash that rent the night air.

“Excuse me,” he spoke first. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He spoke the words softly. He tried to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

“Well, you did,” she snapped. Her dark brown eyes sparkled in fear, or bewilderment. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on a person like that. At night. A woman alone.” She was angry. With him? She glanced at her car briefly, lowering her eyelashes, the little black fans showcasing her classic beauty. But soon those snapping eyes gazed upon him once more. She was a tiny thing, but stood tall before him. She didn’t back down.

He stood across from her now. Just a few feet away. She recovered, and placed both of her hands on her generous hips. He couldn’t help but glance at that part of her body one more time. The girl had curves. All of the important ones. He liked what he saw. He could tell she was native, too. Her olive skin and her strong cheekbones identified her as Pequot.

“I’m sorry. I was looking for the new sous chef. My mother wanted me to thank the kitchen staff for the excellent work in preparing the food for my brother’s engagement party.”

Her eyes went round. She recognized the man before her now. She had been too startled before. “You’re Joseph Sassacus,” she stated the obvious, and reached her hand out to him. “Well, you’ve found me then, I’m the sous chef, Jewel Diamante.” His smirk at her name caused butterflies to swirl in her stomach. He was massive. A brick wall. But incredibly handsome.

Jonathan took her small hand in his. The woman was shorter than him by at least eight inches. He was six foot tall.

When her small hand slid into his, he looked down at it. Not because she was so slight, but because he felt a bolt of electricity pass through him. He knew he was attracted to her. That much was obvious. But the current that passed between them shocked him.

Before he could contemplate it further, she was quickly withdrawing her hand. He recovered. “Well then,” he glanced back to her face. It was heart shaped. Adorable, framed by long, thick dark hair that flowed past her shoulders, a few strands against her ample chest. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied shifting from one foot to the other. She looked nervous all of a sudden. And that reminded Joseph of what he had just witnessed. He scrutinized her more closely. He gave her time to explain what she was doing before he asked. She had been taking items from the kitchen and had placed them into her car. When she didn’t respond, he glanced pointedly once more at her car wondering what exactly she had been taking. One of the toughest things to control in a casino this large was theft. Both small, and large. Despite best efforts to control it, the casino had plenty of it going on. And most often it was the staff taking the stuff themselves.

She noticed his gaze and his questioning look. Oh, my. He thought she was stealing. She became angry and embarrassed all at the same time. Her words came out in a rush. “I was taking the expired items to the food pantry, Mr. Sassacus,” she quickly lied.

Something about her tone kept Joseph on edge. He could always tell a lie when he heard it. Her body betrayed her when she lifted a hand to twirl one dark strand of hair around her index finger.

“Of course you were,” he purred, laying the charm on thick. He gave her his megawatt smile. The smile that worked wonders on the opposite sex. So she was a do gooder. Perhaps. He’d watch her carefully though, he mused. “And please call me Joseph, or Joe.”

“Joseph, er, Joe, of course,” she stammered and made to pass him by and head to the kitchen. He was unnerving her. The man was just too good looking for words. And by the way he kept staring at her like that, she felt like he was a wolf staring down its prey. She had to admit the man was attractive. But, she was not going down that road. She had too many other things to take care of, too many other responsibilities. And there was no way she wanted to be on this man’s radar. There was too much at stake.

She quickly made her way back to the kitchens. But she could feel those eyes watching her the entire way. Chocolate brown eyes, she noticed, as her body shuddered of its own volition. Yes, she definitely could lose herself in those eyes.





Chapter 2




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The sudden warmth of April brought about a sense of renewal to activities at the casino. The two building projects under way were nearly complete. The rooftop bar and club, Spirits in The Sky, was ahead of schedule, and the third theatre was nearly complete. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Joseph’s brother, Jonathan, and his new wife had returned from their quickly planned honeymoon, and a board meeting had been called. Joseph was on his way there now.