Diane (The Town of Pearl 6)

“If he begins to investigate, and comes even remotely close to finding out what I have been planning, then I will begin to show him what I am capable of. Starting with that woman he mentioned on the phone to you.”

Brenda swallowed hard, her heart immediately racing with fear.

Oh God. I never should have spoken to Mark. I should have just left as planned. This is life as a government agent.

Once under deep cover, there was no turning back and no one to save me. Poor Diane. If Marzban took an interest or if he wanted to cause Mark pain and fear, then Diane was the perfect power tool to get exactly what he wanted.

Oh God, what have I done?

* * * *

Diane was exhausted as the limo dropped her off at her small house. The last thing she expected was to find a dark navy blue pickup truck parked outside of her house at eleven o’clock at night. But she knew it belonged to Lucas. Before the driver could help to carry her bags to the front door, Lucas, Drake, and Mark stepped out of the truck and assisted.

“What are you doing here?” she asked them. Only Drake responded. “We wanted to make sure you got home okay. You didn’t call us.”

All three men looked so serious and stern, it made her belly flutter. She knew she should have at least texted, but she didn’t know what their response would be to her little bout with modeling. They stared at her body, and she pulled the small sweater tighter against her chest. She figured they were imagining her in her lingerie. She was shocked that she felt excited and turned on. She obviously was losing her mind.

“You look exhausted. Let us carry your stuff inside,” Mark whispered as he reached out and caressed her cheek. She wanted to turn into his palm and close her eyes and absorb every ounce of comfort and protection it offered. But she didn’t as the driver cleared his throat and Lucas gave him a tip. They carried everything up to the house as she unlocked the door and they walked in. She was happy to be home. One look at her answer machine by the front table and she saw she had over a dozen messages. She had a lot on her mind, including the trip to New York and the possibility of doing a photo shoot for Monique next week. She couldn’t wait until Melissa found out.

The door closed behind her and she turned to see the three men standing around her luggage.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and lowered her eyes. They were disappointed in her. They were angry, and that was not what she wanted.

Mark stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her hips.

“Well, it seems we have a lot to discuss, and since you failed to return any of our calls or texts with no consideration for our worry, we’re going to have to set some rules.”

She jerked her head up to look at him.

“Rules?” she asked as both Lucas and Drake moved closer. Lucas moved in behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She closed her eyes and felt the flow of warmth and security. She glanced at Drake.

“Rules, Diane,” Drake whispered.

“I don’t understand.”

“We’ll help you. But first, let’s sit and talk, shall we?” Mark asked as Lucas ran the palms of his hands down her back and over her ass as Mark took her hand and led her to the couch.

She felt herself shaking and was glad to sit before her legs gave out. These men were so charismatic and sexy. Plus, she had often fantasized about them coming to her house, demanding that she accept them as they seduced her and made love to her. She wanted that, but this seemed like bad timing. It also made her question why they were acting on these feelings now? Was it because they were jealous of other men wanting her? Was it because she pranced half-naked on national television and they wanted to be the ones to stake a claim first? Stupid questions went through her head.

Lucas sat on one side of her, Mark pulled over an ottoman and sat right in front of her, and Drake sat in the single chair with his hands on his long, thick thighs just staring at her.

She didn’t know what came over her, but before Mark could ask her a question, she poured her heart out.

“It wasn’t my fault. You see, Elvira and I were helping backstage and then one of the models I was assisting passed out. The next thing I know, the designer and the staff running the show are talking about what outfit I was going to wear, about bringing over makeup artists and doing my hair. I had all these people around me and it was total chaos.” She continued to tell them every detail and every time she looked at one of them, she saw either an expression of anger or something else. When she finally told them about the after-party, about turning down offers of modeling contracts and one-night stands, they seemed stunned, but she just kept talking and telling them everything. “So I had no choice when I said I would come to New York next week to try a photo shoot for a special edition catalogue for Monique. She said I could decide afterward if I wanted to do more. I told her I would think about Paris, but I didn’t think I could do that.”

“Paris?” Mark asked.

“New York?” Lucas asked.

They looked so intense, and she wasn’t sure what to do. Mark pulled her up off the couch and into his arms. He ran the palm of his hand under her hair to the base of her head and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her so deeply and so wildly, she melted in his arms.

* * * *

Mark didn’t know what came over him. With the way Diane rambled on about her excursion and how she was pushed into modeling lingerie onstage, her innocence, the crazy things that could have happened to her, and even that she was sitting here looking gorgeous as ever, it made him jealous as all hell. Whatever it was, he couldn’t hold back. He was so overwhelmed with emotion, with desire to kiss her, to hold her in his arms, and to know that she was here with him and his brothers, safe and sound.

When he felt her hands move up over his shoulders, he used his other hand to moved around her waist to her ass and lift her up and against him. She straddled his waist. He turned around and fell backward to the couch as she thrust her hips up and down on his lap. His hands were everywhere. Under her blouse then to the front of her blouse as he cupped one large breast. She moaned into his mouth and kissed him back, running her hands through his hair until they both parted their lips to breath.

“Oh God, Mark.”