THINGS ARE HEATING UP AROUND HERE, TOTALLY.
Saturday, Apr. 16, 2005 x 2 - 18:43

This will be lengthy; if you don't want lengthiness you can read what I wrote earlier today, although that isn't exactly unlengthy either.

This is a totally awesome romance novel I started a few years ago. It is called Diamond in the Tough.

Chapter one

Eve Gardiner looked at her reflection in the mirror one last time, making sure her makeup was perfect and her glossy raven hair pulled back expertly. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she rushed to the limo waiting outside her townhouse. She didn�t want to be late for this meeting with Old Benjamin. From the tone of the message he�d left for her, she knew that whatever he wanted to talk to her about was urgent.

Eve�s brows furrowed, making her look far older than her 19 years. She was worried about Old Benjamin. He�d always been like a grandfather to her, especially after her parents had died. And Eve had always been like a granddaughter to Benjamin. She was very important to him, especially since his only natural grandchild was living in Montana, out of touch with Benjamin, and with the rest of the world for that matter.

Although their relationship now had a professional aspect to it, since Benjamin was the head of Mann-Schlong�s, the large, successful department store whose most successful branch Eve was the manager of, she knew favoritism was not the reason for her rise to power within the company. Eve knew that her success at work was due to her cool, alert confidence. She was always in control. She was always aware of everything that was going on, and she knew how to get things done.

The limo finally arrived at the company skyscraper. Eve waited for the driver to help her out. Turning toward the entrance, her gaze was diverted by a pair of piercing ice blue eyes that looked into hers as if they could see into her soul. For the briefest moment, Eve�s cool confidence was shaken. She felt a strange yearning deep within her, curling up in her belly and stirring her loins. But just as quickly, she regained her composure and walked inside the building.

Old Benjamin�s office was light, airy, and professional, exactly how Eve wanted her office to be when she succeeded him as head of the company. When Eve walked in, Old Benjamin stood up to kiss her cheek.

�Eve, my dear,� he cried. �You look radiant.�

�Thank you, Ben,� she said. �You don�t look too bad yourself.�

He chuckled. �I don�t look so bad for my 80 years, if I do say so myself. But I�m feeling it. I�m feeling my age, yes I am.�

There was a knock at the door.

�Ah, here he is,� Ben said as the door opened. �Eve, meet my grandson Rick. Rick, this is Eve.�

Eve turned to greet Ben�s grandson, but stopped short before she could say anything. She gasped. Rick was no stranger. He was the owner of those eyes that had so disturbed her just a few minutes earlier. She again felt that curious curling in the pit of her stomach.

�I�, I�� she began stupidly. Why did this man have such a strong effect on her? Why couldn�t she even get a simple greeting out? She lowered her eyes to try to clear her mind.

He confidently strode across the room towards her and arrogantly took her hand. Eve was stunned as she felt a bolt of electricity pass from his hand to hers.

�It�s a pleasure to meet you,� he said in an impossibly low, masculine voice.

Eve snatched her burning hand out of his. �Y� yes,� she finally stammered. She looked up into his eyes then, and was lost in the sea of blue. She was swimming, and for some strange reason she wanted to drown, for she knew he would come to her rescue.

Old Benjamin did not seem to notice Eve�s consternation, for he had sat down and was starting to talk.

�You�re probably both wondering why I asked you here today,� he said. �Well, I don�t exactly know how to say this, so I�ll just come right out with it. The company�s in trouble.�

Eve caught her breath. How could Mann-Schlong�s be in trouble? It was the most successful department store in New York City. The sales at her branch had more than doubled since she had taken over.

�Stock prices have started to fall,� Benjamin was saying. �There�s trouble brewing. We may have to sell this skyscraper. I don�t know how I�ll be able to part with it though. I love the damn thing. We�ve owned it twenty years.�

�B� but�� Eve began.

�There must be something we can do,� Rick exclaimed.
Hearing Rick�s strong voice instantly calmed Eve. She knew that Rick would be able to find a way to save the company, and that he would be capable of doing whatever needed to be done.

�That�s why I�ve asked you here today,� Benjamin said. �There is one way to save the company. It�s the only way. I�ve thought about this long and hard. There�s no way around it. Rick, you and Eve can save the company if you two� if you��

�If we what?� Eve and Rick demanded simultaneously.

�If you have sex,� Benjamin said.

�Good God!� Rick ejaculated.

�Oh no, Ben!� Eve cried.

Old Benjamin poured himself a tumbler of brandy from the decanter on his desk. He offered some to Eve and Rick, but they declined.

�I�ve thought it all through,� Ben said. �I�ve considered every other option. This is the only thing that will work.�

�Tell us your reasoning,� Rick demanded.

Eve glared at Rick. He wasn�t actually considering this, was he?

�The stocks have started to fall. Employees are less motivated. During the Depression, there was such a sense of pessimism in the air. That�s why things were so bad. But then, spirits started to rise. People saw that things could be better. Our employees were motivated. That�s why the Depression ended. If we could show everyone how dedicated we are and how much we believe in the company, they will want to work that much harder. Sales will increase. Stock prices will go up again. It�s the only way.�

Eve was silent. Rick looked at her.

�He�s right,� Rick said.

�What?� Eve said. �Are you serious?�

�I think we should talk this over together at dinner,� Rick said.

�Excellent,� Benjamin said. �I�ve made reservations for you for tonight at the finest restaurant in the city. I�ve also reserved the finest suite of rooms at the finest hotel the city has to offer. Dinner reservations are for 8 o�clock.�

Chapter two

Eve arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes early. She was always early for appointments; she considered punctuality to be the sign of a successful professional.

She had spent the whole afternoon preparing for this date � and she did think of it as a date. She couldn�t help it. Thinking of the man she was going to have dinner with excited her. He excited her. He was different from the other men she�d met in the city. He was more confident, more attractive, more masculine.

But Eve wasn�t looking for a man. She was perfectly happy with her life as it was. She had a fabulous apartment in a hip neighborhood, great friends, and a fabulous job that afforded her a lifestyle of luxury.

It was only on Sunday mornings that she ever felt there was anything missing in her life. And that was to be expected. It had only been five years since her parents had been killed in that terrible circus accident in New Guinea. Eve�s lips puckered and her brow furrowed thinking about them.

That was how she looked when Rick Schlong marched into the restaurant. Seeing that wistful look on her face gave him pause, as well as a pain in his heart. He suddenly had the crazy urge to take her into his arms and hold her until she laughed with joy.

He swore silently. He never had these crazy desires that he�d been having since he met Eve Gardiner. He was a lady�s man, of course � a man as virile as he was couldn�t help but be � and he was definitely not the type to be tied down. Love �em and leave �em was his philosophy, and he was perfectly happy with that� most of the time.

The truth was, lately he�d been wanting more in his life. He wasn�t sure what exactly he wanted, but something was missing. He�d tried to fill the strange void in his life by traveling to his all usual haunts around the world, but he still wasn�t satisfied. Then he�d traveled to places he�d never been, but still needed more. He�d thrown himself into his work on his ranch in Montana, reveling in the simple life of the working man. But the empty hole in his life was still there. He�d concentrated on his many amorous affairs with beautiful women from around the world, which gave him�as well as them, needless to say�immense physical pleasure. But there was no denying that something was missing.

All these thoughts raced through Rick�s head while he approached the table where Eve was sitting. She looked so sweet sitting there alone, he realized. He noticed the expensive imported pink jacket and matching shirt that she was wearing�a suit that she had gotten from Mann-Schlong�s, he knew.

He also knew that she intended to take over after his grandfather retired. Rick swore silently again, scowling menacingly. He hadn�t spent any time working for his grandfather�hell, he�d only met the old man for the first time that afternoon�but that didn�t mean he wasn�t interested in Mann-Schlong�s, or that he didn�t know anything about it. The fact was, Rick had been reading reports from the company for years. He had always intended to take up his rightful place in the company as soon as he settled down. There was no way he was going to give that up to Eve.

Angered by the thought, Rick sat down at the table.

Chapter three

Eve noticed Rick as soon as he walked into the restaurant. One couldn�t help but notice him. He towered over all the other men in the city, making them look weak, puny, and effeminate by comparison. He cowboy boots and large cowboy hat only added to his height, as well as to his masculinity.

Eve�s eyes drifted to his thighs and lingered on the muscles bulging through the impossibly tight jeans that hugged the contours of his body as if they had been made for him by an incredibly talented angel. His tight, round buttocks caressed the rear of the jeans. And Eve couldn�t help noticing the large bulge at the apex of his being. What she wouldn�t give to see that bulge freed from the stranglehold of his Wranglers.

Suddenly Rick scowled, sending shivers down Eve�s spine. She hoped she wasn�t the cause of anger.
Rick sat down, took off his hat, and thrust his fingers through his thick chestnut hair. He was still angered by Eve�s scheming to get his position in the company. But he couldn�t remain upset so near her. Just being with her gave him a strong sense of peace. He stared at her hungrily, as if he�d never seen a woman before. She stared back. The longing that passed between them was almost palpable.

�Been here long?� he asked to fill the silence.

�N� no,� she stammered.

�Good,� he said smiling. �We might as well get down to business.�

He oozed confidence.

�Y� yes,� she said quietly.

�So Old Ben wants us to have sex� hump� do it�� He looked straight into her eyes and said pointedly, �Make love.�

Eve shifted in her seat. What with the strange curling in the pit of her stomach, she felt decidedly uncomfortable. And what else was she feeling? Could it be excitement? Longing? The feeling of destiny?
�Do I make you feel uncomfortable talking about making love?� he asked her. She remained silent.

�If it were up to me, I�d agree in a second,� Rick went on, �but I sense some hesitation on your end. It�s no skin off my back. I�m sure Old Ben could find another high-level executive for me to pursue this, uh, project with.�

�N� no!� Eve blurted out. �We must save the company! We must make� We must have sex!�

Rick�s smile turned into a sardonic smirk, and then into a seducing grin as his eyes moved over her body. He liked what he saw. She was tiny, with glowing violet eyes and plump, firm breasts that reminded him of the ripe apples he used to pick with his mother before she died. Perhaps one day he could pick apples with Eve�

Rick cursed silently. Why was he always thinking these crazy thoughts around her? It was like she had bewitched him.

He stood up abruptly.

�Come on,� he said huskily. �Let�s go.� He took her by the elbow and led her out of the restaurant. When they reached the entrance, Eve looked up at him.

�W� what�?� Her voiced trailed off. Their gazes met each other and locked in place with a flash of electricity. Her violet eyes asked a silent question, which his lips answered by crushing against hers in a violent, passionate kiss.

His large, bronzed hands cupped her buttocks and gently pulled her up, bringing her body into full contact with his. His tongue sought its way through her lips, past her teeth, and into her mouth, gently caressing her uvula. Eve made a strangled gagging sound.
Suddenly Rick stopped. He removed his hands from her buttocks. She fell back onto her feet unsteadily, flushed and panting.

�We�d better go to the hotel,� he said huskily. �I can�t take much more of this.�

Chapter four

When they got into the limo, Rick fell against Eve, crushing her with his body. His mouth slashed against hers violently as his hands roamed to her bosom. Frantically he tore off her jacket, buttons flying everywhere. Eve�s hands shook as she just as urgently unbuttoned his impossibly tight Wranglers.

�Oh, Dearheart, I must have you now!� Rick exclaimed.

�I- I�ve never�� she began.

�You�re a virgin?� Rick asked incredulously.

�Yes, I�ve never�� She didn�t finish. Rick growled possessively. Knowing that he was journeying down uncharted territory was incredibly arousing to him.

He caressed her face.

�Don�t worry, Dearheart,� he whispered. �I will be gentle.�

�Please don�t call me Dearheart,� she said.

�Why not?� He looked at her quizzically.

�Because I hate nicknames. Besides, it�s a really stupid one.�

�Whatever you say, Precious.�

He kissed her gently and pressed his rod of velvet steel toward the apex of her being. Her dewy lips parted and received his manhood gratefully. Eve gasped, marveling that such a large unit could fit in her body. She moaned and began undulating her hips, matching the rhythm of his own thrusts. She started to feel a large wave building up inside, and felt as if she were about to soar above the earth, but suddenly Rick cried out and collapsed on top of her, and her waves slowly ebbed.

�What is it?� she asked him.

Rick panted, and then slowly caught his breath. �Ah, dear child, you have pleased me greatly,� he said, still panting.

Eve laughed, and the two lovers fell into an exhausted sleep.

Chapter five

When they arrived at the hotel they were shown to the honeymoon suite. Eve gasped when they opened the ornately carved oak doors into the suite. She had never seen such beautiful rooms as these. While Rick checked his messages, she went into the bathroom to change into the sexy pink teddy she had gotten from Mann-Schlong�s lingerie department.

Eve studied her reflection in the large mirrors that lined the wall of the bathroom. She was pleased with her appearance. Her hair was freshly bleached and permed, and her skin still glowed from her recent session in the tanning booth. She was tall and slender, with curves in all the right places, an ample bosom, and a tiny waist. Eve smiled. Yes, she was please with what she saw.

She slowly walked towards the bedroom. She saw Rick standing at the phone. Emboldened by her new-found sensuality, she slithered up behind him, and, wrapping her arms around his trim waist, grasped the bulge in his pants. He sucked in his breath, but moved her hands away.

Confused, Eve went to the bed and sat down. Why had Rick rejected her? Could it be that he didn�t care for her?

He put the phone down and strode towards his jacket.

�We must leave,� he said.

�Why?�

�Now. Don�t ask questions.� He grinned wryly. �You don�t want to know too much. It�s too dangerous.�

Eve�s heartbeat quickened. Rick grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. Once in the hall, he headed for the staircase rather than the elevator.

�My helicopter is waiting for us on the roof,� he explained. �We�ll take it to the airport, and then take my private jet to Montana.�

Once on the roof, they ran towards the waiting chopper. Buffingham, Rick�s manservant, helped Eve inside. Rick took the pilot�s seat and expertly guided the helicopter into the air. Eve watched him and felt secure knowing that she was in his expert hands.

Chapter six

They arrived at the airport only to find mass confusion. The press had been informed of their destination and were there en masse, snapping pictures and shouting questions.

�Is it true you two are working together to save Mann-Schlong�s?� one shouted.

�We have no comment,� Rick said firmly, guiding Eve towards his jet.

�Have you had sex yet?� the same reporter yelled.

Rick punched the man in the face. �No comment!� he yelled.

They ran onto the plane. Once again, Rick took the pilot�s seat. They waited for his staff to get on board, and then took off.

Once the flight was on course, Rick sauntered back into the cabin.

�I�m sorry you had to see that back there on the ground,� he said, his ice blue eyes glowing with a warm fire. He sat down beside her, his movements exuding masculinity and sensuality. �Are you okay?�

�Oh, I�m fine,� she whispered.

Rick gave a low groan and then wrapped his strong arms around her. When their lips met there was such a spark of electric passion that Eve gave a startled cry.

Rick suddenly stood up and, without uttering a word, picked her up and carried her into the master bedroom suite. Eve was alarmed at first, not used to the new height that came with being carried, but Rick�s hold on her was so strong and secure that she quickly relaxed. She put her head on his shoulder and inhaled his masculine scent, closing her eyes.

Rick gently laid her on the bed, taking off her jacket and slowly unlacing her fine evening gown. He was going too slowly for Eve, who, overcome with urgency, hastily undid the fly of his trousers, revealing his throbbing purple member.

�Rick, please,� she urged.

Suddenly he was inside her, pushing his rod of velvet steel into the core of her being. Then, ever so slowly, he began to move inside her.

�I don�t want to rush this,� he whispered in her ear.

She began moving her hips with the slow rhythm he created. She felt as if she were climbing to a great height, and then suddenly her soul took flight. She screamed in pleasure and then fell asleep, exhausted.

..........................

Then I abandoned the story. But it's a fantastic start. I even wrote an About The Author blurb (no, you're not exactly supposed to be able to read it):