Black Diamond (Obsidian 2)

“Does he know?”

I knew what she was asking. “No. I never told him.”

“Why?”

I’d been through a lot of pain, but I’d never suffered as much as I did when someone I loved struggled. Seeing my mom lose her mind was much worse than a knife to the stomach. Seeing her stare at me without an ounce of recognition was worse than a bullet to the head. “I don’t want Jackson to feel guilty.”

“Why would he feel guilty?”

“Because I took all the beatings so he didn’t have to. When Jackson did something wrong, I always took the blame. He never knew about any of that…”

Rome looked at me with affection, her hand grazing over my heart. “You’re so sweet, Calloway.”

Sometimes. But most of the time, I was just evil.

“I understand how you feel. I would never want Christopher to be in any pain. I love him too much.”

I wouldn’t say I loved my brother…but he was still family.

“You should tell him, Calloway.”

“No.” I preferred the distance between us rather than a new bond through suffering.

“If he knew the truth, maybe things would be different.”

“Maybe. But would that really make anything better?”

She leaned into me and pressed a kiss to the skin over my heart, her lips soft and warm. “You never know. At least it would help him understand what happened. Help him understand his older brother better.”

I watched her kiss me, moved by the slight affection. I’d never let a woman be so gentle with me. I preferred being slapped in the face to a kiss on the shoulder. But Rome made me feel so good that I couldn’t stop her.

I never wanted to stop her.

When it came to Rome, I felt like two different men. I felt like a man in a romance novel, someone who cared about a woman he couldn’t live without. But I also felt like a demon who moaned at the thought of hurting something so delicate. I was never both men at one time—only one or the other.

I sat at my desk and stared at my computer screen. I had just received an email from a donor asking about our annual blood drive, but the words blurred together, and I couldn’t decipher them.

I couldn’t pay attention because of Rome.

She was just down the hall, thirty yards away on the other side of the building. I knew she wore that green dress I liked because she got ready at my place that morning. She wore a gold necklace that hung low and matched her earrings. Her hair was pulled back so every exquisite feature could be seen. She was so beautiful, it hurt. A part of me couldn’t blame Dean for making a move.

But I still wanted to rip out his throat anyway.

I couldn’t explain the feeling that came over me. Just an hour ago, I was fine. I arranged a lunch meeting with my secretary, and then I examined the revised budget reports that Dean had sent over.

But now I felt hollow.

All I wanted was Rome, to feel her in my arms and smell her hair. I wanted to touch that heavenly soft skin and feel the goose bumps form on her arms as I touched her. My mouth craved her lips, the taste of vanilla from her ChapStick teasing my senses.

The feeling wasn’t sexual in the least. It was something else entirely.

I hit the intercom and spoke directly to my assistant. “Please ask Ms. Moretti to step into my office for a moment.”

“Right away, sir.”

I leaned back in the chair and waited for the large black doors to open. My office had the most privacy of any other room in the building. I kept it that way on purpose, wanting my authority to be mysterious. People never became too friendly with me, always keeping their distance.

The less people knew about me, the better.

The door opened, and Rome walked inside, closing it behind her and looking just as beautiful as she had that morning. Her sleek ponytail highlighted the natural curves of her face. If she’d lived in a different era of history, civilizations would worship her as a goddess. She stopped in front of my desk, her hands together at her waist. “Did you need something, Mr. Owens?”

I didn’t like it when she addressed me that way. Calloway or Sexy was much better. “Yes.” I walked around the desk until I was right in front of her, just a few feet away.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her breathing elevated, suspecting the close proximity wasn’t going to be professional. She did her eye makeup differently this morning, making them stand out in a breathtaking way.

I took a step forward so we were close together. My eyes went to her lips, seeing the way they slightly broke apart as if she expected a kiss. My hands went to her petite waist, and I gripped her firmly, making sure she couldn’t slip away. I pressed my forehead to hers and closed my eyes, enjoying the overwhelming power that surged within me.