Love Loyal and True (Must Love Diamonds 2)

“I am.”

He hung his head with a low groan as her magic fingers worked to release the tension in his neck. After longer than he would’ve asked for but wasn’t about to tell her to stop, she smoothed her hands over his shoulders and leaned forward to slide them down the front of his chest while her breasts pressed against his back. Peppermint teased his senses as her warm lips caressed his neck just below his ear, sending a shiver down his spine and a surge of blood to his groin.

“I’m leaving for lunch with Mae and Honor in a few minutes. Are you sure you don’t want me to bring you anything back?”

He reached up to grasp her hands with his. “Thank you, but I need a break soon anyway. A walk down to the coffee shop will be good.”

“It’s freezing out there.”

“Good. I need to cool off now that you’re getting me all hot and bothered with no hope of relief until later.”

She nipped his earlobe. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”

“Witch.”

Her husky laugh made his dick harden even more behin

d his zipper. Then he heard her inhale, and a soft hum vibrated against his skin. “God, I just love the way you smell.”

“Roxanna,” he groaned in warning.

Pulling one hand free, she turned his head enough to cover his mouth with hers, her tongue hot and sensual as it slid past his teeth to explore and seduce. He tried to spin the chair around so he could pull her onto his lap, but she stepped back out of reach with a knowing smile.

Tease.

“Tessa’s got the front. I’ll be back in an hour,” she said over her shoulder while grabbing her coat on her way out.

“Have fun,” he called just as her sexy ass sashayed out of sight.

He looked at the computer screen, then decided to take that walk to get a sandwich. Too bad Asher was away on a photo shoot for the morning, or he’d have asked him to join him.

A half-hour later, he walked back to Lift Your Spirit, keyed in the code for the rear entrance lockbox, and opened the door to find a uniformed officer standing in the open doorway leading into the shop.

Alarm sent his heart up into his throat. “What’s going on? Is Roxanna okay?”

“Who are you?” the short, brunette woman asked.

“Loyal Diamond.” He stepped forward to see past her, but she lifted a hand to keep him back. “What the hell is going on?”

“Kushner,” the woman hollered over her shoulder. “Didn’t you say you talked to a Diamond yesterday?”

Kushner? What the fuck?

Confusion laced with inexplicable dread as Detective Kushner stuck his bald head out of the back room of Lift Your Spirit and frowned at Loyal. “Let him through.”

When he stepped past the woman officer, Loyal spotted Tessa sitting on the chair outside of Roxanna’s reading room. The pregnant employee’s green eyes were wide, and she lifted her hands and shoulders in an I have no clue gesture.

“Did you call Rox?” he asked in a low tone.

She shook her head. “They wouldn’t let me.”

“Mr. Diamond,” the detective greeted, suspicion in his voice and expression. “What brings you here?”

“I’m doing some accounting work for the owner.”

“Roxanna Kent?”

The disapproval in the man’s tone when he said her name raised the hair on the back of Loyal’s neck. “Yeah. Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”