Sitting back, she rested her hands on her stomach and tilted her head back. She was wearing her usual uniform of jean shorts and a tank top. Her feet were bare and her hair was piled in a knot on the top of her head. It was the only way to survive the heat. Truth be known, she was actually enjoying it. Summer in New York was not pleasant when the temperature rose, but here it was different. There was no smog, no exhaust fumes from cars and no people with short tempers screaming. If she looked at the situation in a positive light, this was really a nice working vacation.
Thankfully, her sisters were both doing fine. Emerald still couldn’t believe she’d forgotten all about calling them that first night. Okay, so she couldn’t really blame herself, not with Jackson loving her so long and so…she didn’t really have the words. He was wild and earthy one moment, sweet and sexy the next. Whatever he did, whichever way he made love to her, she was powerless to resist.
She squirmed in her chair as her panties dampened. Raising her glass, she had a long swallow before placing it down beside her chair. She ignored her pebbled tight nipples. What had she been thinking about? Oh yes, her sisters.
It had been the following night before she’d gotten the opportunity to call them. Jackson hadn’t been pleased about her contacting them. Although the risk was minimal, he still felt that it was too much. He’d hovered around her while she’d been talking, glancing at the clock every two minutes. She’d ignored him and chatted with both Topaz and Sapphire.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
For the third time, Emerald reassured her older sister, “I’m fine. I’m perfectly safe. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“If you’re sure.”
She didn’t lose patience with Topaz because she could hear the underlying worry in her sister’s voice. “How about you two? Are you being careful?”
Topaz gave a most unladylike snort. Emerald laughed because it was so unlike her sophisticated older sibling. “I can barely go to the bathroom without him following me.”
Emerald chewed on her bottom lip. She knew that Topaz was finding it very restrictive to have a bodyguard, but the Knight brothers were two of the best and Emerald was happy to have them guarding her sisters. “Any word from Dane yet?” She’d been praying that their investigator would turn up something. Anything.
Topaz sighed. “Nothing yet. But he’s still looking. Oh, and Derek’s been making a nuisance of himself.”
“What does he want?” Emerald barely stifled a groan. She’d grown up with Derek and thought of him as a slightly obnoxious older brother. Because his father had been her parents’ manager, he’d spent a large portion of his childhood in their home. They’d all hoped he’d grow out of his competitiveness, but with his father always pushing him harder and harder to succeed, he’d only gotten worse as he’d grown older.
Still, he was practically family so they all put up with him. Besides, like anyone, he had his moments where he could be incredibly sweet and kind. Like when he’d helped them produce the CD they’d given to their parents as a present. They wouldn’t have been able to pull that off without Derek.
“He’s just worried about you. He calls for an update almost daily, wanting to know if we’ve learned anything yet or if we know where you are.”
“You didn’t tell him, did you?” Emerald’s stomach clenched. It would be just like Derek to rush out here to protect her.
Topaz gave a small chuckle. “No, we didn’t tell him. We both know what he’s like. He’d try to take over your life to protect you.” She paused.
“What?” Emerald could tell there was something her sister wasn’t telling her.
“Beau’s been calling too. He’s been adamant about getting in touch with you. Of course, Derek is convinced that Beau is your stalker.”
Emerald sighed and began to pace. “That’s just silly. It’s been over between me and Beau for months.” She felt Jackson stiffening beside her, but she ignored him. “Derek has an overactive imagination.”
Topaz laughed. “Yes, he does. He’s also convinced that Fred might be your stalker because he wanted you to take his computer game idea to Beau. Fred asks about you every day too.”
They were no farther along in discovering who the stalker was than they were when she had left New York. “Maybe I should just come home.” Tension was rolling off Jackson in waves. She didn’t want to leave, not yet. But she couldn’t leave her own life and her sisters in limbo indefinitely.
“No. You stay right where you are.” Her words were decisive. Clipped. Topaz had gone into full big sister mode. “Derek is also worried about some country boy taking advantage of you in your vulnerable state. I told him he had nothing to worry about.” There was a significant pause. “There is nothing to worry about. Right?”
Emerald avoided the question altogether, very aware of Jackson listening to every word she was saying. “I’ll stay here for a while longer. But you’re left handling everything at the store. That’s not fair.” She stopped pacing and leaned against the wall.
There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line and Emerald breathed a sigh of relief when her older sister chose not to push the subject. “Sapphire still helps out and I hired a wonderful young art student to help out several days a week.” She hesitated before plunging forward. “I’d been meaning to talk to you about this anyway. I think that you should be concentrating on developing product lines for Sisters’ Jewels and not working in the store. I think that’s part of why you burnt yourself out these past few years.”
Emerald was struck dumb. She pulled the receiver away from her face and just stared at it. She heard her sister calling her name and reluctantly answered. “You don’t want me there?” It had always been the three of them working together.
“Of course I want you here,” Topaz insisted. “But only when you want to drop by, not because you have to work. I’ve already discussed it with Sapphire. She’s agreed to let me hire someone else full-time so that she can work on her jewelry designs. There’s also some talk of her doing a line that would be mass-produced and marketed at some of the better department stores.”
“When did this happen?” Emerald felt like her world was changing around her while she was hidden away.
“We’d been approached before, you know that. Sapphire’s come up with a line that she thinks would work. They’ve agreed to let her have final say over quality control, so she’s happy.” She could hear the concern in Topaz’s voice. “This would allow Sapphire to really get on her feet financially and make a name for herself away from Sisters’ Jewels. I think she needs that.”
Emerald nodded. Her sister, although incredibly talented, had always been the most insecure of the three of them. “Then she should do it. As long as it makes her happy.” It was hard to be making these decisions so far away from her family. Usually, when there were major life or business decisions to be made, the three of them would order in and make a night of it sprawled out in their living room. Tears burned in her eyes. She really missed her sisters.
A large hand rested on the small on her back. She could sense Jackson’s concern when she glanced back at him. His gaze narrowed when he noticed the tears in her eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and tugged her back until she was leaning against his chest.
“Don’t worry, Em.” Her sister’s soft voice washed over her. “We’ll get it all worked out.”
“I know.” Her sister rarely called her by the shortened version of her name anymore. They all used their full names for professional reasons. Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them back as she cleared her throat. “I’ve been working again.”