Diamond (Rare Gems #2)(9)

“Diamond said for you to take it easy when you woke up. She said you’d feel like shit, but you should be on the mend sooner than normal. How are you feeling?” Emerald moved a book to the table near her and sat up in the chair. “You gave us all a scare there for a while. Good thing Diamond helped you when she did or it could have been bye-bye Thad.”

“How long have I been here?” Thad tried to sit up but was just too weak. He felt as if he’d been run over by a truck, a car and a train. All at once. He looked up when he realized she hadn’t answered him.

“Five days. You passed out on Diamond on Monday and today is Friday. Though it’s really late on Friday.” She grinned at him. “Don’t you remember anything?”

He started to tell her no, but then he remembered the conversation he’d had with Diamond about playing. He hoped that he’d been only dreaming, but he had a feeling that he’d been very vocal about his wants and needs. He started to ask Emerald what she knew, but she answered his question before he could ask.

“Diamond said you were out of your head for most of her fixing you up. She won’t tell us what you said but blushed every time someone asked her. I’m thinking you have a thing for my sister and you might have told her.” She leaned forward in the chair and wiggled her brows. “Do you have a thing for Diamond?”

Thad decided that no answer was going to be right, so he kept his mouth shut about what may or may not have passed his lips when he’d been sick. “I had a few people coming into town, do you know if they have been postponed or not?”

Emerald laughed as if she knew that he’d been changing the subject just to avoid answering her. But she continued on as if he didn’t do just that. “I think you might have embarrassed her. And she doesn’t embarrass easily. Did you enjoy yourself?”

“Emerald, behave.” Thad looked at Diamond, who stood in the doorway. “Why don’t you go and tell Grandmother that Mr. Galloway is awake now and would probably benefit from some of the broth she’s made for him.”

Diamond stood still while her sister left the room. He wanted to ask her what he’d said to her, but she’d called him Mr. Galloway and not Thad, as she had before. When she moved toward the bed, he could see the stiffness in her and wondered how badly he’d screwed up with her.

“I was talking out of my head before.” She nodded and pulled his wrist to her and took his pulse. He was sure it was elevated, because he couldn’t get out of his mind the way she’d looked when he’d arrived in this room.

“You’re going to need to get up and moving. You’ll get pneumonia if you don’t, and I’d very much like to have my bed back.” Thad wanted to offer her half of it with him still in it but kept his mouth closed. “I’ll have Grandmother bring you your cell phone up too. It’s been ringing like crazy, and we’ve kept it charged for you.”

Thad nodded and realized she was leaving him again. “Stay please. I’d like to…I think I might have said some things to you that I shouldn’t have. At least not until we get to know one another better.”

“We won’t. Be getting better acquainted, I mean. I have enough on my plate right now.” She fussed with a bag hanging on the back of the door before she turned to him again. “And you didn’t say anything important, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Anger pulsed through him for a split second, and he directed it at her. “I think I offered to buy you a sexy nightie and tie you to my bed. Are you telling me that you’ve no desire to have either one? I can assure you that I’m a very generous Dom if my sub is a good girl.”

Thad saw it. It was quick and hot, but she was interested. He wanted to try out something on her, anything, but right now he was too weak to make her obey or punish her if she were to disobey him. And Thad found he really wanted her to disobey him.

“I don’t…I don’t play, Mr. Galloway. I don’t think…I know that if I did, you’d be the last man on earth I’d want to do that with.” She was out the door before he could form an answer. She didn’t slam the door behind her, she might as well have for all the effort she put into not slamming it. Laughing, he leaned back on the headboard and thought about little Miss Diamond all pinked up from his hands and paddle. He had a raging hard-on and no relief in sight when Annabelle came in a few minutes later with a tray and his cell phone.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay but I’ve another pie in the oven. I’ve been experimenting with some of the fruits I picked up at the market.” She set the tray over his lap and smiled. “Will you be all right until I can get back up here? Just call the house phone if you need me. I’ve written it down on the pad there.”

She was gone before he could thank her. Looking down at the food on the tray made him think she had brought him his dinner too, but when he put the first spoonful of the rich broth into his mouth, he had to have it all. He didn’t think there had ever been a better meal.

He must have dozed off, because when he woke, his tray was gone and there was a pile of his clothes lying on the chair next to the bed. He took the note off the top and read it.

“You should want a shower about now, so if you feel like an adventure, call downstairs and I’ll come up and help you. Later. Blair.”

He stretched and felt pretty good, so he decided to take a shower on his own. He got up slowly because he wasn’t stupid enough to think his leg was as well as it felt and stood up. He was naked, he realized, and wondered if Diamond had undressed him. His cock started to dance a little, and he had to have a stern talk with it before he moved to the bathroom.