Black Diamonds (21 page)

As their intensity grew she began to buck. Now he wanted, no, needed, to see her face. Releasing her lips he reared back his head. Her eyelids were closed, her lashes resting on her flushed cheeks, her red-brown hair tangled around her, as he felt her climax begin.

His body slammed down, hard, pressing her into the quilt and the ground beneath as each clench of her muscles spurred him harder, faster. Shards of air jagged through his body, like seeking oxygen in bottomless caverns, as he spiralled down, down, down, to a place he’d never been before. How could it be that he’d never discovered this, so deep inside?

Her eyelashes fluttered open as she let out a cry. He’d have groaned too if he had the breath. They were both somewhere new, hidden, undiscovered, he realised, stunned. Never had she reached this secret place, her wide eyes told him, as his own must have been telling her the same. The knowledge seared through his soul, pounded into his pulse, roared into his limbs. He knew all he ever needed to know. She’d never been here, with anyone else.

Jackie gasped as Xavier’s craving mouth covered hers once more. All the pent up longing of the past few days overcame her in a frenzy of desire. Nothing tasted like him on her tongue; nothing met her hunger like he did. It seemed as if she’d been starved for weeks as she opened her mouth to his devouring. He feasted on her for a moment, before firming his tongue to search the sensitive cave of her mouth. Her hands clutched at him, her fingers pressed into his hot, dampening skin. She pulled him nearer, heavier, deeper.

He tore his mouth away. “I don’t think I can hold back any longer,
cherie
… those taste tests, they did their work too well …”

Pressing her bare breasts against his chest, she whispered, “Don’t wait. Please. Don’t wait.”

His aim sharp he went deeper still, impossibly deep, his need for them to be finally fused together as powerful as hers. Letting out a cry she lifted her body to meet him as he dived inside her again, rising and falling. An ocean wave of passion overwhelmed her, almost frightening in its intensity. But she wasn’t afraid, not anymore.

I can trust Xavier. We’ll ride the waves together
. Even if she went swirling beneath the foam, with him, she’d find the shore.

Rearing back his head, his truffle black eyes captured hers.

“
Je t’aime
.”

Sparkling diamonds of desire exploded in front of her. She knew what those French words meant.

“I love you too.
Je t’aime
.”

And the waves came.

The setting sun tinted the sky a deep indigo as the hazel trees became protective shadows over them.

Xavier leant back against the quilt, holding her in the crook of his arm. His brow creased as he looked down at her. “There’s something I need to say to you.”

Fear clutched at her as she glanced up at his stern expression. “What is it?”

“Don’t look so anxious. You trust me now, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

He chuckled. “You don’t sound too convinced.” He reached down to stroke her hair. “It might take time for you to change some of your habits, as it will for me. That’s what I want to talk to you about.”

“I don’t understand.”

He sighed. “I’ve been married before, as you know. I’ve been thinking about my first marriage, what went wrong. I don’t want to make those same mistakes. I was far from perfect. I see now that in my obsession with truffles, I can be neglectful. I never want to neglect you.”

“But we share the same passion,” Jackie protested. “I’m as obsessed with truffles as you are.”

“We share a passion for black diamonds. But perhaps not the same passion for business.”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“When I first came here to Paradise Truffle Farm, you accused me of being a mercenary invader.” His lips thinned. “I made light of it, but you were more right than you knew. You had grounds for being suspicious about me, at least until I met you. My business practices have been designed for one aim only—success. I haven’t let anything get in my way. But you came along, and changed all that. You’re like your truffle oil: full of contrasts and complexity. There was something in you that seemed to be waiting for me.”

Her voice choked. “There was. You.” Clearing her throat, she said softly, “I don’t want you to be less than you are, Xavier. You’re a businessman, a powerful, successful one. I don’t want you to change that.”

Twining her fingers between his, he said, “I want to put my business instincts to a different purpose now, to help you with your truffles. I want you to have the black diamond year we planned in France.”

“I want that too. More than anything.” A blush heated her cheeks. “Well, almost anything.”

He crooked a brow. “I’m pleased we both have our priorities right,” he drawled as she blushed further. “I’m certain that together we can turn this business around. You’ll see. I’ll take you to New York for the truffle auctions. We’ll sell Paradise truffles for more than their weight in gold.”

“I’ll be able to see Eve and Bob again! I regretted not saying goodbye to them. I wanted to see them again.”

“You will see lots more of them, I expect, when they hear we’re to be married. You have some fans there. They’ll both be pleased to see you wearing this.”

The ring glowed as he lifted her hand.

“It’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen another ring like it. The black diamond; it’s so unusual. And the amethysts too, they’re almost the colour of grapes,” she marvelled, still stunned.

Xavier studied it. “The colour of shiraz, perhaps.”

“No, not a shiraz,” she protested. “Shiraz is too red. This is the purple of a pinot noir.”

He laughed. “Are we always going to argue?”

A gurgle escaped her in reply. “About truffles and wine, probably.”

Xavier took her hand to his mouth, gently teasing her fingertips. Then he said, “I won’t leave it at your black diamond. One day I’ll give you another ring. It’s here in Western Australia that pink diamonds are found, are they not?”

“Not this far south.” Jackie told him, her whole body tingling from the touch of his lips on her sensitive fingers. “But up in the north, yes. We’ve got pink diamonds there.”

“Of course there are pink diamonds in this extraordinary land of yours, along with the purple trees. I’ll buy you a pink diamond for the birth of our first baby if we have a girl and a blue turquoise if it is a boy, the same colour as your Indian Ocean.”

Her heart leapt with joy. “You … want children?”

“
Bien sur
. Of course I want children. Antoine Estate is a family business. You want them too?”

“Yes, I do. Paradise Truffle Farm is also a family business,” she reminded him. She told him about the tape she’d found with the special message from her father.

“Now I feel as if I have your father’s blessing to marry you.”

Xavier held her close against his chest. “In March we’ll have a St Patrick’s Day party, just as you told me your father always did. We must keep up that tradition, in honour of his memory. He was right, you know. This place is paradise. I don’t plan to leave.”

Surely he wasn’t suggesting giving up his home and his heritage. She’d never let him do that. It would be like uprooting one of the magnificent oak trees from his woods. “What about the Antoine Estate and the chateau?”

He gave the Gallic shrug she’d grown to love. “It will be fine; it has been for centuries, after all. We can fly back and forth. Before you came for the truffle weekend, I’d already begun to put plans in place for a manager to take care of the French end of the business.”

“You were planning our life together, even then?”

“I knew what I wanted. If you agree, we’ll divide our time between our two countries. I want to spend a lot of time here. I have a feeling that this area of Australia is going to be the one to watch. It’s a new world. There’s so much potential, and I want Antoine Estate to be part of that. And I’m sure I’m right in thinking that you want it to remain your home.”

“I don’t think I could bear to be away from Paradise for too long.”

“Nor I,
cherie
. I’ve found happiness here I didn’t know existed. Perhaps it doesn’t exist, outside paradise.”

The taste of him tantalised her tongue as he kissed her again. No fruit of Paradise could ever taste so good.

Then he frowned. She followed his line of sight to the hazel trees that stood outlined against the indigo sky. “What’s wrong, Xavier?”

“I’ll have to arrange a planting.”

“Of some more hazel trees for truffles?” Didn’t they have enough already? Jackie bristled. “I hope you’re not thinking of trying to plant oak to cultivate truffles here. It would be a mistake. I really think hazel trees are better for this climate.”

Xavier roared with laughter as he took her in her arms. “Not oak trees,
cherie
. In our patch of paradise, we need more purple trees. I can never have enough Jacaranda.”

TO: Mia Reeves

FROM: Jacaranda Riley Antoine

SUBJECT: Good News!

Dear Mia,

Arrived here in New York; couldn’t wait to tell you the good news. Yes, you guessed it—we did it! Paradise Truffles sold per gram for more than gold at the auction today! We’ve had a black diamond year.

Can’t help thinking that Pa would have been incredibly proud—but Xavier is even prouder. He says it was all my doing, but I couldn’t have done it without him. It was a combined effort.

Looking forward to telling you and Dean all about it when we get back, when I hope to have some news about another combined effort … I think you will be able to guess what that might be!

See you soon in Paradise,

Love,

Jackie.

Fancy your own taste of paradise?

Black Diamonds
is set in two world class truffle regions, the Margaret River region, Western Australia and the Dordogne region, France.

Margaret River Region, Western Australia

The south western region of Western Australia, with white sandy beaches edging the Indian Ocean and lush inland karri forests, is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Its Mediterranean climate and soils are ideal for wine production as well as truffle growing, and it boasts a range of wineries and a growing number of
truffieres
(also called trufferies).

You can find out more at:

• The Australian Truffle Growers Association
  http://www.trufflegrowers.com.au/
  
• Tourism Australia
  http://www.media.australia.com/en-au/newsletters/4189_7992.aspx
  

Dordogne Region, France

The Dordogne area of France, home of the famous Perigord truffles, has a rich epicurean history and romantic chateaux-studded countryside. In some secret places, truffles (
la truffe
) are still found in the wild, as well as having been cultivated and enjoyed there for centuries. France’s winter truffle markets and festivals held all over the country also attract the jet set and tourists worldwide for their flavour and mystique.

You can find out more at:

• Truffle and Truffe
  http://www.truffle-and-truffe.com
  
• Dordogne Guide
  http://www.arachnis.asso.fr/dordogne/guide1.htm
  

Enjoy your own epicurean and erotic adventure …

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