Stroke of Sapphire by N.J. Walters Page A

generation of soldiers, but he’d declined, knowing he’d already lost too much of his soul in the protection of his country. Not that he regretted it. No, he was proud of his service. It was simply someone else’s turn to bear the burden.
    “Sure, we can go to my place. We can pick up something on the way if you want. I don’t think there’s much there to eat.”
    “Really?” Sapphire gifted him with a delighted smile and he realized she’d expected him to put her off, to say no.
    “Really.” He went to her and gathered her in his arms, unable to resist for one more minute. Her head fit nicely below his chin and he rocked her gently from side to side. She sighed and put her hands around his waist.
    He wanted to yell and beat his chest like a conquering hero. Instead, he kissed the top of her head, inhaling the citrus scent of her shampoo and the lighter floral of her body lotion. He knew she didn’t wear perfume, but she always smelled so damn good. He could eat her up.
    His cock flexed in agreement and he was careful not to press his hips against hers, afraid she might step back if she knew how damn much he wanted her. “Show me your jewelry.” If he didn’t do something to take his mind off her sinful scent and delectable curves, they were never going to make it out of her apartment. In the short term, they’d both enjoy themselves, but he sensed it was very important to her to see his place. So therefore it was important to him that she get what she wanted.
    He could wait. He was good at it.
    She dropped her arms and walked over to a workbench. “This is one of the new pieces.” She held it out to him.
    It was very different from anything she’d ever shown him before, more masculine and edgy. The various metals formed a pattern that reminded him of the pipes in an industrial power plant. But it was much more artistic and pleasing to the eye.
    She was chewing on her bottom lip, a nervous gesture he recognized from their time together. As her bodyguard, he’d learned a lot about her and her moods, and that gave him an advantage. For some reason, she was nervous about what he thought of her work.
    “It’s incredible.” And it was. Different, but it had the same sense of completeness and style that all her pieces had. “Not your usual design.” Sapphire’s jewelry was deeply feminine, dipping into fantasy.
    “No, it’s something different I wanted to try. Topaz and I talked about opening up another space in the store, a storage room we barely use, and create a Sisters’ Jewels Urban, a place for edgier pieces. She’s going to approach Emerald about doing some complementary pieces to go with my designs.”
    There was no mistaking her delight. “That’s wonderful news. Is that what your meeting was about this morning?”
    She nodded, her eyes shining with happiness as she held up a pair of earrings that matched the design of the bracelet. “Kind of. I was thinking about offering it as part of a mass market line through a department store, but Topaz came up with this idea.”
    “And you like it more.” There was no question in his mind that Sapphire would rather work with her sisters than with a large retailer, not matter how much more money she might make with them.
    “Absolutely.” She set the earrings down and took the bracelet from him, replacing it on her work counter. “I’ll still be designing regular pieces for Sisters’ Jewels lines, but this way I get to stretch myself artistically.”
    As much as he knew about her, he found Sapphire fascinating. “Tell me all about it on the way to my place.”
    The smile she gave him had his dick standing tall and his heart thudding harder. She was really giving them a chance. He marveled at her generosity and bravery, not sure he’d have been able to do the same if she’d been the one to hurt him.
    As soon as he thought it, he knew he’d do the same. He really had no choice. Sapphire had become essential to his life. Somehow, this quiet,